226 Engagement
If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely think that the other party was deliberately finding a topic to have a conversation with her.
But Dang Gui was different from ordinary women. She had no memories of the past. After hearing what Lu Yao said, her first reaction was to suspect that Lu Yao was someone she had once known.
She immediately pressed.
“Who’s the person you remember? What’s her name? How old is she?”
Lu Yao was stunned by her series of questions.
“Actually, I only met that person once. And that was many years ago. We were both young then. They say girls change when they grow up. I really don’t know what she looks like now.”
He laughed softly at the end.
Dang Gui pressed eagerly, “You haven’t told me what her name is.”
Lu Yao felt that her attitude was a little strange.
After a moment’s hesitation, he gave his answer.
“Her name is Tang Guixi. She’s the only daughter of General Zheng Yuan.”
Dang Gui repeated the name Tang Guixi in her heart. She actually felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She couldn’t help but ask.
“Where is she now?”
“Of course, she’s in Liaodong County. She has been guarding the border with her father for the past few years and has never left.” Lu Yao paused and revealed a puzzled expression. “Do you know Tang Guixi?”
Dang Gui shook her head. “No.”
She was very disappointed. Since Tang Guixi was still in Liaodong County, it meant that she was not Tang Guixi.
So who the hell was she?
They chatted as they walked. Before they knew it, they had reached the river.
Lu Yao squatted down and scooped up the river water to wash his hands.
He observed Dang Gui from the corner of his eye and saw her run to climb the tree after putting the donkey by the river.
The girl looked delicate and small, but she was very agile. She climbed the tree in a few steps. She sat on the trunk, picked a lot of wild fruits, and carried them in her coat.
When she was done, she swung the bundle over her shoulder and slid down the tree trunk.
Lu Yao had seen many girls, but those girls were all from famous families and had a good upbringing. They were proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and embroidery, but they did not know how to climb trees.
He watched as Dang Gui walked over with the bulging bag. He stood up and reached out to her.
“Let me carry it for you.”
Dang Gui did not hesitate and handed the bag over.
When Lu Yao reached out to take it, he almost failed. This bag of wild fruits was too heavy!
Just now, when he saw Dang Gui holding it easily, he thought it was manageable. He did not expect it to be so heavy!
He had to wrap both arms around the bundle.
Dang Gui could not help but laugh at his struggle.
“I’ll do it.”
She took the bundle back again and walked to the river. She squatted down and began to wash the wild fruits.
Lu Yao did not show much of a reaction, but he was actually very embarrassed. He had wanted to help but did not expect to expose the fact that he was weaker than a woman. He coughed lightly to hide it and began to make conversation.
“Miss Dang Gui is quite strong.”
Dang Gui replied without looking up, “I don’t have any other abilities. I’m just a little stronger. If Young Master Lu needs any help in the future, you can look for me.”
Lu Yao thought to himself that what a coincidence. He remembered that Tang Guixi was also very strong.
He found a clean rock beside Dang Gui and sat down.
“Are you a biological sister to your sister?”
Dang Gui did not answer. “Why are you asking?”
Lu Yao said, “I don’t mean anything else. I’m just asking.”
Dang Gui said especially loudly.
“Of course, my sister and I are biological sisters!”
“In other words, your surname is also Yu?”
“That’s right.”
Dang Gui muttered the name Yu Dang Gui in her heart. Yes, it was very smooth. She liked it!
Lu Yao thought that since Dang Gui and Yu Niaoniao were biological sisters, she should have nothing to do with the Tang family. It should be a coincidence that she looked similar to Tang Guixi.
Thinking of Tang Guixi, Lu Yao could not help but sigh.
The reason why he returned home at this time was that his mother had sent someone to send him a letter and urged him to hurry home and marry Tang Guixi.
The Lu family and the Tang family were old friends. Lu Yao and Tang Guixi had been engaged since they were young.
However, he and Tang Guixi had only met once when they were four years old. After that, the two of them never interacted again. They were strangers to each other.
He only heard that Tang Guixi was very strong and rude. She often followed her father to the military camp and was an out-and-out tomboy. If any man married her, he would definitely be unlucky for eight lifetimes!
As the man who would be unlucky for eight lifetimes, Lu Yao felt very stifled.
Dang Gui asked curiously, “Why are you sighing?”
Lu Yao looked at the clear river in front of him with a melancholic expression. “I’m too unlucky.”
There were thousands of good women in the world. Why did his father have to choose such a vulgar and barbaric woman as his wife?
Dang Gui was puzzled. “How are you unlucky? From the way you look and dress, you should be from a prestigious family. Your life is very superior and you don’t have to worry about food and clothing. How good it is that you can go out and learn!’ There are many people in this world who do not have enough to eat or wear. They run around every day for survival. They had lived so hard without feeling sorry for themselves. You’re so much luckier than them. There’s really no need to feel bad.”
Lu Yao cupped his hands at her seriously. “You’re right. I’m too greedy.”
Seeing him like this, Dang Gui felt a little embarrassed.
“I was just saying. You don’t have to take it too seriously.”
Lu Yao said seriously.
“I think the lady said it very well. In the past, when I lived at home, I lived a carefree life and never knew what suffering was. Over the years, I’ve traveled and studied. In the process, I’ve met many people and experienced many things. You’re right. There are many people in this world who are exhausted just to live.”
He was originally very resistant to being an official and felt that officialdom was dark. He did not want to get involved.
It could be seen that after experiencing the hardships of the people, he changed his opinion. If he wanted to improve the lives of the people and realize his ideals, he had to enter the bureaucracy.
Apart from being urged to marry by his mother, he had also returned home because he wanted to become an official like his father.
He was the son of the county governor. According to the laws of the Dayan Dynasty, there was no need for him to take an examination. He could become an official through grace.
Dang Gui was interested in his travels over the years.
“Surely you’ve been to a lot of places? Are there any particularly fun places?”
Lu Yao looked into her bright eyes and could not help but smile.
He began to talk about the places he had been to over the years, the interesting people and things he had seen.
One was engrossed in his lecture, while the other listened attentively. They chatted by the river for a long time. They only ended their conversation reluctantly when the little page boy came to them.