Doting Marriage: Return Of The Real Miss Gu

Master Lu chuckled again, this time louder. "He's not wrong. You wanted grandkids, and you've got a house full of them. Let this one pick his wife in peace."

Madam Lu let out a deep sigh, gathering her sewing supplies into a basket with dramatic flair. "Fine, fine! But I still want to meet this Gu Mianmian soon. And don't think for one second I won't ask her tough questions."

Yanchen gave a slow nod, half-smirking. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

They made their way to the dining table where warm plates were already being laid out by the servants. The smell of steamed fish, braised eggplant, and stir-fried greens filled the air, comforting and familiar.

As they sat down, Master Lu looked over the rim of his tea cup. "So, you really like this girl?"

Yanchen didn't answer right away. He watched the steam swirl from his bowl, then said, "Yes. I think I do."

Master Lu nodded "Alright, then.." he smiled "Be sure to bring her home.."

************************

The sky hung pale as rice paper, with a chill sharp enough to nip her ears through her scarf.

Gu Mianmian tightened her coat and stepped outside, locking her shop door with practiced fingers. She'd barely slept, too many lists running through her mind, ingredients, takeout packaging, bowls, flyers, and that letter she had to write.

But first, the cart.

Her footsteps slowed as she turned into the neighborhood of the Gu family home. A few heads turned. Someone whispered near the corner grocer. In this part of the district, gossip traveled faster than light.

"She's back."

"Isn't that the one who ran off before the wedding?"

"I heard the second daughter got married instead."

Mianmian ignored it all. She'd grown up in that house, swept those steps a thousand times, and she would not be reduced to flinching now.

The Gu courtyard gate creaked open.

She barely took a step in before Bai Shi came charging out.

"You have some nerve showing your face!" Bai Shi's voice cracked like firewood. "You nearly shamed this whole family! If not for Yuying stepping up—!"

Mianmian raised a hand sharply. Her voice was cool.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me."

Bai Shi froze mid-step, nostrils flaring. But the slap she had reared never came.

Mianmian's gaze was hard, not trembling like it used to.

"Touch me.." Mianmian said, "and I'll scream loud enough the neighbors will think I'm being murdered."

The woman muttered a curse under her breath, but didn't move further.

From the side corridor, Xuelan appeared, her steps dainty, her voice all sugar.

"Mianmian jie.." she said softly. "It's good to see you again…"

Mianmian walked past her like air.

The cart was still by the back shed, tarpaulin thrown over it carelessly. Dusty, but intact. She walked over to it, hands already reaching for the handles.

Just then, a younger maid rushed up to her. "The rites money has come from the Lin family… they said to give you your share."

Mianmian paused. She didn't expect that.

The girl handed over a red envelope. Light. Much too light.

Mianmian opened it and scanned the contents. Forty yuan.

Forty??

The amount you might give to a fourth cousin or a distant niece not the eldest daughter who had originally been engaged.

Her jaw tightened. But she said nothing. She tucked the envelope in her coat pocket and kept pushing the cart forward.

Let them keep their pride. She had a business to open.

The return walk felt lighter, despite the rusted wheels and the biting wind. The city no longer looked as indifferent as it once did. She had a name now a restaurant owner.

She had something to build.

The return walk was colder than she remembered, but at least she wasn't pushing anything behind her this time.

The food cart was gone , sold for a quick 150 yuan to an old vendor who didn't ask questions. He barely glanced up as he peeled the notes from his wallet. It was a clean cut. No room for sentiment.

Between that and the leftover 30 yuan in her pocket, plus the meager forty shoved at her from the Gu family, she now had 220 yuan.

Barely enough to cover the rest of the packaging and ingredients, if she cut the quantities just right.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the market.

---

Vendors were louder today. Maybe it was the news of a marriage in the district, or maybe the air just carried sharper.

"She really left them at the altar? The Gu family must be spitting blood."

"Ran off and came back like she owns the street. I say it's a stunt."

"She's opening a shop though. That restaurant by the plaza."

"Must've snagged some rich sponsor."

Mianmian ignored the buzzing like a coat too tight.

She went stall by stall, counting every coin as she spoke.

"Two jin of ground pork."

"One bag of flour."

"Three bundles of noodles."

"Two dozen eggs."

She moved quickly through the list:

Pork belly: 1.5 jin

Ground pork: 2 jin

Flour: 1 bag (10 jin)

Cabbage: 2 jin

Garlic, ginger, scallions: one bundle mix

Soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil: one bottle each

Chili paste: small container

Eggs: 24 pieces

Oil: 1 tin

Salt, MSG, black pepper: basic pack and tea leaves which had almost forgotten.

Each stall gave her a comment, a glance, or a nudge, some friendly, some sharp-edged.

"You opening tomorrow?"

She nodded.

"Put up a flyer on the tofu cart, I'll bring my wife."

"Make it spicy, and you'll have my loyalty."

Mianmian gave out polite smiles and promises, even as her fingers clenched around the fold of remaining notes.

After the last vegetable was tied off in a twine bag, Mianmian crossed the street to the small print shop tucked behind the steamed bun stall. The owner, an old man with ink-stained fingers, barely looked up when she stepped in.

"Need something printed?"

"Flyers..." she said, fishing out a small folded note. "Thirty copies. Black and white."

He took the note, scanned it briefly, then fed it into the old printer behind him. The machine clunked to life.

"You opening that restaurant?"

"I am."

"Good. Folks around here need a place that won't foldup under pressure, you think you can do that?"

Mianmian eyes sharpened "I can do anything if I'm determined enough...and I will see this through.."