To Get Married - Chapter 27.2

Chapter 27.2

Lu Yudong was quite keen to see what they looked like in costume, and perhaps snap a couple of photos to send to Zhang Ziyun.

She was already imagining Zhang Ziyun making a marmot-like screech of adoration when she saw the pictures, but when the two descended from the second floor, they were dressed exactly as they always were.

Lu Yudong couldn’t help but tilt her head, asking confusedly: “Little Master, Uncle Mu, isn’t it the Mid-Autumn event today? Why aren’t you wearing the costumes?”

Yan Zhaomu: “N-not convenient.”

“Exactly. He still has to mix drinks for the customers, so he should wear whatever is comfortable,” Mu Chensan said. He leaned into Lu Yudong’s ear and whispered conspiratorially, “Actually, your Little Master is just too thin-skinned and shy, afraid people will tease him.”

Yan Zhaomu: “…”

Lu Yudong asked again: “What about you, Uncle Mu?”

“I’ll pass. I’m keeping him company so he doesn’t feel singled out,” Mu Chensan chuckled. “Besides, I look too handsome dressed up like that. You have to restrain that undeniable charm sometimes, or else some human girls will be crying and begging to marry me, and that would be troublesome.”

Yan Zhaomu: “Shameless.”

At that moment, Yan Zhaomu, who usually stuttered even when saying two words, said those three words incredibly smoothly, with perfect flow. After speaking, he walked straight to the bar counter.

However, Mu Chensan acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. He strode down the stairs, stood next to Lu Yudong, looked her up and down, and praised loudly: “Yudong, you are truly beautiful today. In ancient times, you’d be a little fairy maiden.”

Lu Yudong shyly pursed her lips, her eyes full of smiles.

Unexpectedly, Mu Chensan added another line: “You must be close to sixteen, right? Back in the day, that was the age to marry. Do you have a boyfriend?”

The moment Lu Yudong heard the word “marry,” she instantly bit her lip and shook her head. She quickly ran back to Manzhu’s side, tightly clinging to her arm.

Manzhu stroked Lu Yudong’s head, and Huanxi shouted: “Boss! While that may be the age to marry in the past, now it’s too early to date! Dating early gets the parents called to school!”

Mu Chensan said: “I know, I know. Just joking with the little girl.”

Lu Yudong looked up at Manzhu and said seriously: “I’m not getting married. I want to live with Sister, and I won’t get married even when I grow up.”

“It would be best if you think that way,” Mu Chensan said. “Given your situation, getting married really isn’t easy. If you do find a man, the grass on his grave will likely be several feet high while you’re still hopping around lively…”

“Shut up!” Manzhu glared at Mu Chensan.

“Fine, I’ll punish myself!” Mu Chensan perfunctorily slapped his mouth and then instantly disappeared from Manzhu’s sight.

Manzhu couldn’t help but look down at Lu Yudong, her eyes filled with worry.

Because of her, Lu Yudong was no longer an ordinary human. This meant the child was destined not to find a good partner and live a stable life like normal girls when she grew up.

Lu Yudong could not fall in love with ordinary humans and would gradually lose those human friends over a lifespan much longer than that of a human.

Three or four decades later, she, who would not age, would have to relocate to a new city regularly, just like a spirit, to escape her past social circles, and regularly change her ID card to maintain consistency between her age and appearance.

She was a human, but in the days to come, the ones who could truly keep her company for a long time would only be spirits.

Manzhu was always afraid Lu Yudong would mind these facts, so she never brought them up.

While not mentioning them didn’t make the problems disappear, at least Lu Yudong was still young, and Manzhu didn’t want her to be burdened by these issues.

That unrestrained fellow, Mu Chensan, had made it so clear. Now, even if Lu Yudong were foolish, she should be able to understand what she would face in the future.

Manzhu subconsciously pulled Lu Yudong closer into her embrace, trying hard to say something comforting, but found that Lu Yudong showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, she hugged Manzhu back even tighter.

How was it that this child seemed not to mind Mu Chensan’s words at all?

After a brief moment of distraction, Manzhu stopped overthinking and led Lu Yudong to find a corner to sit down.

For the ambiance, the Mid-Autumn themed candlelight dinner for two, “Chang’e Flying to the Moon,” was only available after 7 p.m.

More and more guests arrived for the festival, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened. Lu Yudong finally got her dinner.

The Mid-Autumn themed meal “Chang’e Flying to the Moon,” which Huanxi forced Gou Hongjie to create, truly was, as Manzhu had said, nothing but an all-rabbit feast.

The dishes included: an exquisitely plated braised rabbit head, stir-fried string beans with rabbit meat, dry-fried diced rabbit with green peppers, a small pot of white radish stewed rabbit soup, and a two-person serving of rabbit congee served in a small pumpkin boat.

At the stern of the carved pumpkin boat, there was a Chang’e figurine carved from winter melon and two rabbits carved from white radish, stuck in with toothpicks.

In the dim light, several covered candles of different lengths burned, the flickering candlelight making the small table of dishes look exceptionally appealing.

Lu Yudong exclaimed in amazement and took out her phone to take photos. After snapping pictures from every angle, she sat back down, looked curiously at the pumpkin boat, rested her chin on her hand, and asked: “Does every set meal require carving these things?”

Manzhu couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh and lowered her voice: “Your Uncle Gou has been so exhausted carving these things over the past few days that his spiritual energy is depleted.”

“Ah, no wonder he looked so tired today!” Lu Yudong suddenly realized. “Uncle Gou is working too hard.”

“He’s actually enjoying it since he gets a commission for every set sold,” Manzhu said, scooping a bowl of congee for Lu Yudong.

Lu Yudong quickly took it and placed it on the table. She lowered her head and casually sent the photos she had just taken to Zhang Ziyun.

Zhang Ziyun replied almost instantly.

Zhang Ziyun: “Oh my god! What is this! A candlelight dinner!”

Lu Yudong: “The Mid-Autumn couple’s meal at Not a Stranger. I’m eating it with my sister.”

Zhang Ziyun: “Tears of envy flow uncontrollably from the corner of my mouth”

Lu Yudong: “Flower emoji for you”

Lu Yudong replied, put down her phone, and happily began eating her dinner.

Manzhu kept picking food for her until she let out a satisfied burp, and the candles had burned down. Only then did Manzhu put down her chopsticks.

After eating her fill, Lu Yudong leaned against the chair back and touched her slightly bulging tummy. She took out her phone and saw several messages from Zhang Ziyun.

Zhang Ziyun: “Was it good?”

Zhang Ziyun: “I’m crying, how about you?” Why aren’t you talking anymore?

Zhang Ziyun: “I’m sulking” You ignore me when you eat delicious food.

Zhang Ziyun: “Haven’t you finished eating yet?”

Lu Yudong thought for a moment and finally replied, “Especially delicious.”

In truth, Gou Hongjie wasn’t some incredible master chef. This kind of high-priced themed meal was never about the taste, but the pretentious presentation.

Ultimately, it depended on who you ate it with.

If it were with anyone else, it would be “not bad” at best.

But since she was eating it with Manzhu, it had to be— especially delicious!

Lu Yudong finished replying, closed her eyes, and stretched.

The next second, she seemed to remember something and abruptly opened her eyes wide.

“What is it?” Manzhu asked, concerned.

Lu Yudong stood up, hopped two steps to Manzhu’s side, and sat down. She linked her arm through Manzhu’s slender arm, rested her chin gently on Manzhu’s shoulder, looked up with bright, clear eyes, and asked quietly and seriously: “Sister, was what Uncle Mu said today… true?”

Manzhu was momentarily stunned. When she collected herself, she noticed a hidden anticipation in Lu Yudong’s eyes.

She nodded silently.

Lu Yudong then asked: “So, can I live for a long, long time, like Sister?”

Manzhu was silent for a moment, then replied softly: “Yes, just like me.”

“That’s wonderful.” The little girl said, burying her head into Manzhu’s neck, nuzzling her affectionately like a kitten.

Seeing Lu Yudong like this, Manzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She reached up and smoothed the hair at Lu Yudong’s temple, saying gently: “I told you, didn’t I? I take your soul, you take my life. We’re together in life and death.”

“I always thought it was a transaction… that Sister would take care of me all my life, and when I grew old and died, my soul would naturally belong to Sister.”

“Why would you think that, you silly girl?”

“Because I always felt that nothing that good happens in the world…” Lu Yudong said, looking up at Manzhu and chuckling foolishly.

It turned out that something this good truly did happen in the world—she met Manzhu, and they were destined to be together for life, a life that would be much longer than she ever imagined.

“That’s great. I can cling to Sister forever now,” Lu Yudong murmured.

Manzhu shook her head: “You are still so young and haven’t met many people. Don’t say ‘forever’ so easily.”

Lu Yudong pouted, lifted her head, and whispered: “When I say forever, it is forever. Don’t you dare not believe me!”

Manzhu smiled faintly, clearly not taking Lu Yudong’s words to heart.

The little spirits in the mountains who had lived for hundreds of years change their minds faster than anyone, let alone this human girl who wasn’t even sixteen?

This girl now said she didn’t want to marry anyone, but when she grew up, who knew who she might fall for?

Speaking of which, the little girl’s age was getting a bit risky. Manzhu needed to keep a close watch and absolutely prevent any ordinary boy who couldn’t stay with her for a lifetime from snatching her away.

And those unreliable spirits in the bar wouldn’t do either. None of them were worthy of her little girl.