Chapter 8:Which Gu family?

The drive back was quiet.

Lu Yanchen sat in the backseat, cane resting by his leg, eyes on the passing streets of West Lane Market as if they still held her silhouette.

The steam of hawker stalls had started to rise with the late afternoon air. The city was slowly coming alive in its usual chaos.

"Mr Wei.." he said after a long silence.

"Yes, sir?"

"The woman from earlier... do you know her name?"

Mr Wei glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Yes, sir. Her name's Gu Mianmian."

Yanchen repeated the name silently in his head, lips curling faintly.

"She runs that restaurant?"

"From the looks of it, she just rented it.." Mr Wei replied. "But before that, she had a food cart around East Flower Street. Made quite the stir. Folks came from two blocks down just to eat her sesame noodles."

Yanchen nodded. "Is she married?"

Mr Wei scratched his head. "She had a fiancé once. Some rich boy. Saw him drop by a few times when she still had the cart. But I don't know if they ever tied the knot. Haven't seen him lately."

Yanchen's gaze sharpened. "She wasn't wearing a ring."

Mr Wei shrugged. "You want me to find out?"

"Quietly.." Yanchen said. "And thoroughly. I want to know who he is, and where he's gone."

"Yes, sir."

---

By the time they reached the Lu estate, the sky had dipped toward a softer hue. Dusk was brushing over the roof tiles, and the scent of steamed buns wafted faintly from the kitchen.

Madam Lu was in the sitting room, sewing buttons onto a coat that didn't need fixing.

She looked up immediately when she heard his cane tapping against the tiles.

"You're back!" she beamed. "Did you find a fiancée yet?"

-_-

"I might have.." Yanchen said smoothly, removing his coat and draping it on the chair.

That stopped her mid-stitch. "What?!"

Just then, his father walked in, tired but composed in his navy work jacket. He looked between them and raised a brow.

"What's this about a fiancée?"

Yanchen exhaled and leaned against the arm of the chair. "I met someone today. Her name is Gu Mianmian."

His mother frowned, already calculating lineage, family background, and property deeds in her mind. "Gu? Which Gu family? We know the ones near Shanxi, is the General Gu daughter?? No, his granddaughter perhaps? She's a lovely girl....."

Yanchen coughed slightly.

"She's not from any family you'd know..." Yanchen said. "She's from humble beginnings. She used to sell food from a cart. Now she runs a small restaurant."

"A food seller?" Madam Lu's face puckered. "Yanchen..."

"She's hardworking, determined, and kind," he cut in. "I don't need a wife who can boost my social standing. I need one who won't flinch when life gets hard."

Madam Lu opened her mouth again, but this time, Master Lu raised his hand.

"If she has a good personality.." he said calmly, "then we'll accept her. When do we get to meet the pretty lady?"

"Soon enough.."

Yanchen smiled, he would make his move when he confirmed if she was married or engaged.

Madam Lu hissed slightly "Why didn't you look through all the influential ladies?"

Yanchen eyes rolled back as his mother not so surprising reaction.

"Theyre all prim and proper mother. I need someone that's rough around the edges. Fact that she could move from a food cart to a restaurant, it shows how sharp her mind is, few eyes from now she could own a restaurant chain, do you still look at her as just as food seller??"

Master Lu nodded, from the look of things the business world would probably pike up in a few years and those with business and investments would be making big bucks.

"He's quite right, those ladies couldn't handle a establishment even if they tried.."

-_-

"Are you saying, I'm not fit to run a establishment? Am I just a wet blanket to you? Of no use??"

Master Lu chuckled "Maybe, maybe not. You're a little on the crazy side, that's why I married you? A spoiled daddy's girl with a belly full of temper.."

Madam Lu gasped, swatting at him with the unfinished coat still in her lap. "You dare!"

Master Lu only laughed harder, dodging the fabric. "You asked."

"Crazy? Spoiled? I ought to sew your mouth shut along with these buttons!"

Yanchen watched the two of them bicker with quiet amusement, the tension from earlier melting just a little.

Madam Lu huffed, smoothing down her blouse. "Fine. Since my husband has decided to lose all sense and reason, and my son has chosen some strange alleyway girl, I suppose I'm the only one still tethered to this family's dignity."

"Then hold onto it tightly, Mother," Yanchen said dryly. "Because my choices aren't changing anytime soon.."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "She better be prettier than me in my youth. And she better cook like the gods, or I'll be having very long conversations with her."

"She makes noodles by hand.." Yanchen said, allowing the smile to return to his lips. "And she didn't flinch even when she lost everything in one spill. She's a strong girl.."

That gave Madam Lu a pause. Just a flicker. But she recovered quickly.

"Hmph. If she dares feed me anything bland, I'll throw her pot out the window."

Master Lu stood, stretching his arms behind his back. "I look forward to meeting her. Let's give the girl a chance before we scare her off."

Madam Lu sniffed again. "She's lucky she's pretty. And if she isn't, I'll need a doctor for my eyes."

Yanchen stood, brushing off imaginary lint.

"Dinner, Mother?"

-_-

"All you know how to do is eat, at your age you're so supposed to be married with three kids. And you're thinking about dinner, tsk tsk.."

-_-

"You didn't have to take it that far. You already have grandchildren, so no need for me to rush, you've got three other children who got the job done.."