Returning the Runaway Girl (2)
The sight of Nanpi Castle after so long felt strangely both unfamiliar and familiar.
The Bu family estate was much the same. Still, it seemed a bit better maintained than during the Yellow Turban days.
"Elder Bu. It's been too long."
I smiled and immediately cupped my fists in a bao quan toward Bu Dae-in.
"Y-Young miss!!! She's here!!!"
The maids and servants sweeping the courtyard stared at Bu Dae-in in shock.
"Yong-hwa!!! Yong-hwa, is it really you?!"
Bu Dae-in's face lit up like he'd halved in age as he came rushing over.
"F-Father."
Bu Yong-hwa wore an awkward expression.
"No... Even if you fell head over heels for some man, how could you just abandon your father like this?! Huh?!"
Bu Dae-in pulled a letter from his bosom, trembling as he held it. He must have cherished it enough to carry it on his person.
Still, Bu Yong-hwa had written her own note, in her own way.
Probably something childish like 'Off to find true love~'.
"Father, I thought the next time we met, I'd bring along a cute son and daughter..."
Bu Yong-hwa seemed to have come with that resolve.
"Argh!!! You foolish girl!!!"
But Bu Dae-in ignored the nonsense and immediately started lightly smacking Bu Yong-hwa.
"Ow!! Daddy!! Daddy, it hurts!!!"
Bu Yong-hwa made a tearful face and tried to hide behind me.
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"Oho. As expected. Lord Xuande and Kim Gong's group struck me as extraordinary talents at first glance."
Having reunited with his living daughter, Bu Dae-in seemed to regain some composure, speaking in a calm tone with a smile.
"To think you'd save Nanpi once again like this."
Bu Dae-in let out a sigh of relief.
Yeah. First the Yellow Turbans, now the Wuhuan. And on top of that, his daughter runs away. From Bu Dae-in's perspective, it was enough to drive anyone mad.
"Thanks to that, I've earned a few merits and been appointed to a merchant position in Pingyuan."
Liu Bei said with a smile.
"Ah... So you're in office now. Heh heh."
Bu Dae-in chuckled heartily.
Right. If we could just keep this warm conversation going and send Bu Yong-hwa back, it'd be perfect...
Squeeze.
Bu Yong-hwa clung to me like a koala glued to a tree, refusing to let go.
"Father. I've pledged my life to Kim Gong. He'll become a hero whose name echoes across the world. I want to stand by such a man's side."
Bu Yong-hwa stared straight at her father, Bu Dae-in.
"Mm. I've heard how Kim Gong, alongside Lord Guan, took the head of Zhang Jiao, the Yellow Turban leader."
Bu Dae-in nodded.
Whoa. The rumors have spread this far? Impressive.
Why bother with smartphones? Word of mouth spreads just as fast. Is this the Central Plains' super analog internet?
"However, the path Kim Gong walks is a dangerous one. If he dies along the way, you'll become a widow."
Bu Dae-in spoke plain common sense.
"Father!!! Are you saying I should marry some boring man?!"
Bu Yong-hwa immediately rebelled against her father's words.
Hey, hey. Don't fight back like that... Bu Dae-in's right a hundred times over.
"Exactly. Lady Bu. I can't drag you into the perilous path I tread."
I immediately backed up Bu Dae-in.
"Mm. Well said."
Bu Dae-in nodded.
Now the debate was two against one. We could just gently scold the immature Bu Yong-hwa and wrap it up.
"Yawn... Brother, when are we getting married?"
"Yide. A man should worry about making his name in the world, not about women."
In the back, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, waiting for our talk to end, chatted while watching ants crawl across the courtyard. Yeah. Must be boring.
Glance.
Glance.
Guan Yu was nearby too, shooting intense glances our way. She seemed pretty curious about how the conversation was going.
"I can walk a thorny path if I'm with Kim Gong!!"
Bu Yong-hwa went full tragic heroine mode, desperately ignoring her father's words.
"Hmph... You're just like your mother."
Bu Dae-in sighed and looked up at the sky.
Huh? The mood suddenly got weird... That's when I had that thought.
Sneak.
Bu Dae-in glanced my way.
But it wasn't the glare of a father toward the thief who stole his daughter...
It was something else. Like a used car dealer appraising how much a model was worth.
"In the end, no parent can win against their child."
And suddenly, Bu Dae-in smiled warmly.
Face change in one second... Terrifying!!
"Very well. This must be fate's guidance. Kim Gong. I entrust our daughter to you."
Bu Dae-in suddenly flipped to Bu Yong-hwa's side.
And in that moment, I realized it was all a WWE setup. This was just a scripted show!!
Bu Dae-in and Bu Yong-hwa exchanged knowing looks, as if they shared some deep understanding.
I was the one played here!!
"Make her happy, without fail. If you abandon her or commit any act against heaven's will..."
Bu Dae-in's face suddenly turned scary.
Like he'd snagged a prime piece of merchandise...!
"No, Elder Bu. Forgive my rudeness, but a man hasn't even fulfilled his own duties—how can he worry about a woman? I haven't said a word about marriage...!"
I hurriedly tried to defend myself.
"Then you'd be a true scoundrel. Our daughter pines for you day and night—would you be fine with that?"
Bu Dae-in's face hardened instantly.
Uh... Thinking about it, he's right. Marriage is one thing. But turning Bu Yong-hwa into a pigeon-toed spinster? That'd be kinda sorry, all things considered.
"Uh..."
"Young Gil!!!"
Then Bu Dae-in called his servant.
"Yes!! Elder!!!"
The quick-moving servant came running with a grin.
"Slaughter a pig and an ox right now!!!! Fetch some clear water too!! We're holding the wedding!!!"
Bu Dae-in barked decisively.
I'd sensed Bu Dae-in was Xiongnu stock despite his refinement. His voice boomed thunderously.
"Yes sir!!!"
The maids and servants sprang into frenzied action.
"Gong!! We'll live happily ever after!!"
Bu Yong-hwa immediately hugged me tight.
Squish.
The soft, fluffy sensation against my arms made me think, 'Huh? Maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad?'... But I desperately reined in my mind.
"Elder!! I can't bear such heavy responsibility!!"
I desperately shouted at Bu Dae-in, whom I'd thought was an ally.
"Ow!! It's our only daughter's wedding!! You think a pig that size will do?! Get a bigger one!!"
Bu Dae-in just hectored the servants. He didn't even acknowledge me.
I'm screwed.
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In truth, Bu Dae-in wasn't as angry as expected about Bu Yong-hwa running away to be with Kim.
Thanks to the recent rumors of Kim's exploits.
The tale of the hero who sneaked into Guangzong Castle and took Zhang Jiao's head had become quite the sensation.
Liu Bei's volunteer force, starting from mere militia and earning merits in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, looked good to Bu Dae-in too.
'This one's value is sure to rise.'
Bu Dae-in had already sized up his prospective son-in-law.
He could marry off his precious, pampered daughter to some rising Xiongnu noble or official. But as someone savvy about the Central Plains, Bu Dae-in knew that wasn't wise. Maybe from living through the Yellow Turbans himself. He was convinced the old order meant nothing in the end.
In the end, might makes right. The Yellow Turbans and Wuhuan raids only confirmed it for Bu Dae-in. So he decided to marry her to someone with power.
'Famous scholars, academics, high officials, the rich. None of that matters. The one who holds the sword rules. That's the era coming.'
That's why Bu Dae-in was surprisingly favorable to Bu Yong-hwa's elopement. He'd even hoped she'd return with a child in tow. Better to have a done deal.
Why not send her to another warlord instead of Kim? There were Gongsun clan's generals nearby, and others.
'Those places? She'd just end up a concubine.'
Promising warlords already had wives. Even leveraging her beauty for a concubine spot, she'd still be a concubine. Blocked by the principal wife's jealousy.
As a merchant, Bu Dae-in knew buying at the peak wasn't smart. Those warlords were already hyped up by others. No room for Bu Yong-hwa.
'This Kim's just right. Proven skill, bound to rise, and surprisingly unwed. Barely 20, still got baby fuzz. Daughter likes him too. Send her as principal wife, and the Bu clan rises with her.'
Pretending opposition at first was just a ploy to not seem too eager. It was all according to Bu Dae-in's plan.
------
Bu Dae-in's servants were more capable than expected.
A simple but grand enough feast was already laid out.
Word of the banquet had spread, drawing a crowd from the neighborhood.
At the center of the feast, Bu Yong-hwa and I sat as the honored guests. A bowl of clear water sat in the middle. The wedding formalities were at least in place.
"K-Kim...!!! We were talking fine!! What happened?!?!"
Guan Yu shouted at me in panic. Tears even welled in her eyes.
No... Don't ask me... I don't know. I just opened my eyes and boom. I got played.
"Come one, come all! It's my daughter's wedding day!! Eat and drink your fill, everyone!!"
Bu Dae-in called out with a laugh.
Weddings back then invited the whole village, but this felt like it had ulterior motives.
'With this many witnesses, no backing out later, right?'
I read that intent in Bu Dae-in's smiling face.
My defeat for underestimating a father's desperation to marry off his daughter in chaotic times. Weddings here were pure survival.
"Alright!! Sermons over!!"
As Bu Dae-in tried to push through the messy ceremony,
"Emergency!!!!"
A soldier burst in, yelling wildly.
The heated mood cooled a bit.
Felt like someone crashing in with 'I object to this marriage!' God, I hoped someone actually opposed it.
"What is it?"
The soldier wore Gongsun Zan's army colors. Liu Bei exchanged glances with his vanguard, then asked the disheveled soldier seriously.
"General Gongsun Zan... has been ambushed by Wuhuan and is isolated!!"
The soldier cried out, pale-faced.
Ah. We've been around a few months now. About time for Gongsun Zan's defeat news.
Perfect. Give Liu Bei a grave look and say, 'Urgent matters first—postpone the wedding and go aid Gongsun Zan.'
That's when I was plotting.
"Gong. Look over here."
Bu Yong-hwa whispered from beside me.
"Ah..."
Sure? As I absentmindedly turned my head,
Mmch.
Bu Yong-hwa stole a kiss from my lips while I was off guard.
As shock hit me from my first kiss of this life being taken,
"Woooah!!!!"
"Be happy!!!"
"Heh heh!! Hot stuff!!!"
Gongsun Zan's grim defeat? Forgotten. The guests cheered at the sweet scene before them.
"...I should've been first..."
Guan Yu teared up with a miserable face. She stood out as the only one looking doomed.
But sis. I wanna cry too. I hated myself more for thinking this marriage might not be so bad because Bu Yong-hwa was unexpectedly pretty. A man's instincts are unstoppable.
A few months after possessing this world, I'd become a married man.
Never dreamed I'd trigger the game's wedding event this fast. You never know with life.