Chapter 198: Answer (3)
“Be my wife.” His voice was low, and his face was solemn. Obviously these three words were said after careful consideration and suffering.
“Ah?” Li Man’s brain got more muddled because the topic turned too fast so suddenly. She swallowed and responded with stutter, “I, I…”
Li Mo abruptly grabbed her wet little hand and looked at her with anticipation, “ManEr, please agree with me, I promise that I will always treat you well.”
Agree? Not agree? Agree! Not agree…
For a moment, Li Man’s head was dizzy, and there were two intertwined small man in her mind; to agree or not to agree, both sides refused to budge and was in a deadlock situation.
“I, I don’t know.” Even after a long while, she could only whispered this muddled word.
“En?” Li Mo didn’t hear it clearly, so he released her a little and asked again, “What did you say?”
Li Man’s perplexed eyes stared at him, “I don’t know.”
Don’t know? What’s with this kind of answer? Li Mo’s heart was perturbed.
“Give me a little time to think about it, okay?” Li Man felt a bit guilty and asked for his opinion.
Li Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly, “You have said this before, have you not considered this in the past few days?”
“Ah?” Isn’t this man too straightforward and simple? She was only making an excuse that day, how can she just take these few days to think about it? Furthermore, when his big aunt came and made a scene, she wouldn’t have any time left to think.
Li Mo saw her hesitating so he took a step back, “Then, please think about it now, it’s quiet in here.”
“Eh? Right now…” Li Man stared at him blankly, “The sun will set in a bit, let’s go home, Little Five is waiting for us.”
“When the sun sets, will you give me the answer?” Li Mo said as he got up, “How about I go to that side? That way you can calmly think about it alone. When you have thought of an answer, just call me over.”
“No.” Li Man followed closely, she wanted to resist.
Li Mo looked at her deeply, “If you don’t call me before the sun sets, I will take it as you tacitly agreeing to it.”
“Ah? No, no, there’s no such thing.” Li Man felt like she was wronged and argued, but when he finished saying his part, he went without looking back.
What does he want? Her heart felt depressed.
Li Mo left the woods, took a long breath and loosened his hands. He felt both of his palms were full of sweat. This is the first time he forced a woman like this, but after what happened in these recent days made him couldn’t wait any longer. A long delay would cause trouble, this saying is true, especially because the encounter of his father and mother had made him felt fear deep inside.
ManEr was the woman he liked, the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the woman he wanted to hold dear, even if it had to be done by coercion.
The time was slowly flowing, and the sunlight gradually slanted over. Li Man was on the ground as she looked at the small heap of wild garlic that had been bunched together. Her heart felt jumbled and numb.
It’s not because those brothers weren’t good, but to suddenly accept five men, the youngest one was only ten years old. This really challenged one’s moral bottom line.
What should she do?
If she didn’t accept, what reason would she have to stay in Li family, cared for by everyone? Delaying the lifelong happiness of those brothers?
Leaving the Li family? But she was someone that they bought, at least she should pay back their money.
But where can she go to if she left the Li family? The world was vast, but she’s a stranger to this new world, just like a newborn baby, where would she go to seek a living path that suit her?
It’s more likely that even before she left the mountain she would be caught by someone else. Remembering the tragic scene on that day when she first came into this world made her fearful.
“Have you thought of an answer?” Li Mo’s voice suddenly rang out from the top, Li Man looked up, “What?”
Li Mo pointed to the grey-blue sky, “The sun has already gone down.”
Li Man was shocked, she remembered what he said just now, that if she didn’t call him before the sun set, he would take it as if she tacitly agreeing to him.
“No, I forgot, I didn’t pay attention.” Li Man hurriedly got up and explained, but because she squatted for a long time, when she stood up, her feet felt numb and she fell into his arms.
Li Mo hugged her and chuckled beside her ear, “I understand.”
“What do you understand?” Li Man held his arm and asked in amazement, “I haven’t-“
Li Mo’s face sank, the feeling of loss suddenly rushed through inside his eyes. Li Man swallowed back her words that hadn’t been thought of clearly. Looking at the man’s eyes, she couldn’t say any words of rejection, even the vague and perfunctory ones.
This man, from the time when he first picked her up at Goddess’ Ravine village, has been quietly guarding her, loving her as his own beloved woman.
At this moment, she had a clear answer inside her heart.
“There are so many wild garlics here that I picked, aren’t we going to the market to sell them tomorrow?” Li Man smiled warmly, her finger pointing the wild garlics on the ground.
Li Mo was slightly stunned, what is this answer means?
“Do you agree or not?” He saw the slight smile on her face, he couldn’t help but ask again.
This kind of simple and honest man made her helpless inside, she already expressed it clearly, how can he still not understand?
“I won’t tell you, you should just guess it yourself.” She pushed him away deliberately, letting him be in distress. This stupid man, he should have understood her meaning already.
Li Mo stood dumbfounded on the spot, his eyebrows were crumpled tightly, his arms were empty as he felt a sense of emptiness. She hasn’t agreed yet.
Li Man ran two steps, turning her head to look at his lonely face. She could only shook her head and walked back to him.
“You’re such a fool.” She glanced at him gently, slowly stood at her tiptoe, leaning her head and put a soft and lingering kiss on his chin.
Li Mo suddenly widened his eyes, a great ecstasy burst inside and he almost couldn’t believe himself that she just took the initiative to kiss him.
Li Man’s face was flushed red, her eyes looked shy as she said, “Fool, you still don’t understand, I don’t want you anymore.”
“ManEr!” Li Mo suddenly reached out and hugged her waist. He lifted and threw her into the air with excitement.
Li Man’s flower-like face turned pale, her hands hugged him tightly and shouted, “What are you doing? Let me down!”
“ManEr, my wife.” The excited Li Mo didn’t know what to do. Hugging her, he wanted to throw her twice more, but afraid of making her scared to death, he could only whirled her around at the same place.
Feeling as if the sky and earth were spinning, Li Man could only bury her face in his chest, waiting until when he finally calmed down, she then finally was willing to look up, but she had to wait for a long time before everything settled and the world not spinning before her eyes anymore.
“Don’t make any more trouble.” She snorted softly on his shoulder, “It’s late, let’s go back quickly.”
“En.” Li Mo let her down, grabbed some hay and made a straw rope. He then tied up the wild garlic that she picked and put it inside the corner of the basket.
Li Man only looked at him warmly on the side. Maybe because her mind was already fixed, when she looked at him busily doing things, she felt that this man is really considerate and attentive.
But doing heavy labor like this wasn’t easy, she had to think of a way out. Even if the future was still uncertain, she wanted to grab everything that she could grab on.
If they’re willing to love her, then she would do her best to be good to them.
“Alright.” After the basket was lifted, Li Mo squatted before her and pointed to the back.
“What? I don’t want to be carried.” Li Man said with a smile, reaching her hand to grab his hand and pulled him up.
Li Mo didn’t get up and instead said, “C’mon up, the sky is dark already, traversing through the mountain road is difficult, it would be faster to let me carry you down.”
“Can-“
“Wait.” Li Mo suddenly heard a sound, he put down the basket and said to Li Man, “Wait here a bit, I’ll come back soon.”
After saying this, he ran to the depths of the woods.
Where is he going? Li Man wanted to stop him, but Li Mo suddenly stopped in front of a big tree nearby, took off his shoes and climbed it with his hands.
What does he want to do? Li Man widened her eyes and looked up as he climbed so high, her heart also beat faster and can’t seem to slow down.
In fact, her fear were unnecessary, the Li Brothers all can easily climb tree, especially Li Mo, even if there’s no branch to cling on, he can climb it like a monkey.
After a while, he came down as his hand held some things inside.
He ran back in excitement and showed a few bird eggs to Li Man.
Li Man glanced at him gently, “Did you climb so high to get this?”
Li Mo smiled foolishly, putting the bird eggs carefully inside the basket, “These eggs and those wild garlics, you can fry it together.”
“…” Li Man’s heart was warmed, because he remembered what she had just said.
On the way back, Li Man leaned on Li Mo’s back, letting him carry her.
When they arrived on the hillside, they found that the sheets all has been dried, the two of them stacked and placed them inside the basket.
After that, Li Mo squatted halfway, wanting to carry her again.
Li Man felt helpless and gave him a look, “I’ll walk this road myself.”
Li Mo smiled and didn’t insist on it. However, under the glow of the setting sun, Li Man’s beautiful cheeks became more and more attractive. He unconsciously took her hand and said seriously, “Man Er, I have looked at the calendar before. Three days from now would be suitable for rounding the room. [1]
“Oh…” Li Man’s legs went soft and she almost stumbled by the stones under her feet.
TL NOTE
[1] (of a child bride) to consummate marriage.
Chinese people have a custom of counting the day and looking at the calendar before doing something, kind of like a fortune-telling. There are even people who refuse to go out if its their unlucky day.
Finally!!!! Li Man finally accepted them! Fuahahhaha~ I never knew Li Mo could drop bomb after bomb like that to her, is he secretly a yandere + sadist? Will Li Man work her schemes to riches? Will she successfuly round the room with flying colours? Stay in tune in the next chapter of Fortunate Wife! (・∀・)
And as usual, let me know of any mistake in the comment below~
