The Stingy Suitor

Right after my university graduation ceremony ended, I was still clutching my gilded diploma when my grandfather called. He said he had already arranged for me to meet Luke Gresham and told me to head to a café downtown right away. I sighed. Grandfather had always been worried about my future, saying Luke Gresham is the heir of Gresham Group, with a solid family background. I packed up and took a cab to the café. Pushing open the door, I immediately spotted Luke Gresham sitting by the window. He wore a gray suit, his hair perfectly neat, with an untouched cup of coffee in front of him. I walked over and sat down. He glanced up at me and said calmly, "You're Lydia Sue, right? I'm Luke Gresham." I nodded, called the waiter over, and ordered a latte. Luke got straight to the point: "My grandfather and your grandfather have known each other for years. This meeting is to finalize our marriage arrangement." I was momentarily stunned—I hadn't expected him to be so straightforward. He went on, "I'm planning a trip to City H next week. If you don't mind, we could go together and get to know each other a little." I hesitated for a moment, but since Grandfather really wants us to get along, I nodded and agreed. When I was packing at home, I purposely brought a few pretty dresses, planning to take some nice photos in City H. On the day we left, I ran into Luke Gresham at the airport. He had two huge suitcases by his side, looking really heavy. Curious, I asked him, "You brought so much stuff. What exactly is all this?" Luke patted the suitcases proudly and said, "These are all potatoes—some raw, some cooked." I was so surprised my mouth fell open: "Why did you bring so many potatoes?" He said, "Eating out in City H is pricey. Bringing potatoes can save money. Eating potatoes three times a day saves a lot." I felt a little uncomfortable, but since I was traveling, I just endured it and moved on. At the security checkpoint, the staff weighed my luggage and said, "Sir, your baggage is overweight and you'll need to pay an excess baggage fee." Luke Gresham immediately frowned. "Overweight? How could it be overweight? These are all essentials." The staff patiently explained, "Sir, your luggage exceeds the allowed weight, so you'll have to pay the excess baggage fee according to regulations." Luke Gresham said firmly, "I'm not paying. This charge isn't worth it." Then he opened the suitcase, took out some cooked potatoes, and started eating them voraciously right in front of everyone. People around us gathered, pointing and whispering. I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole. I tugged on Luke Gresham's arm, "Stop eating, this is too embarrassing. I'll pay the excess baggage fee." Luke Gresham shrugged my hand off, his mouth full of potatoes, mumbling, "You don't need to pay. I can handle it myself. You don't get it—that's called being thrifty." He kept eating for a full half hour, only stopping once the suitcase reached the weight limit. I stared at the greasy corner of his mouth, my stomach twisting. Before boarding, he handed me a boiled potato: "Here, take this. Eat it if you get hungry on the plane. Once we get to City H, you'll be having potatoes for all three meals. No buying anything else." I frowned and said, "I don't like eating potatoes, and eating them all the time isn't good for our health." Luke Gresham's expression darkened. "Lydia Sue, how can you be so unaware of thrift?" "A daughter-in-law of Gresham Family needs to know how to manage the household. How would you take care of things if you're like this?" The anger inside me flared up instantly: "Luke Gresham, I'm traveling with you, not coming here to suffer." "If you want to eat potatoes three meals a day, eat them yourself. I'm not joining you." He wasn't expecting me to push back, froze for a moment, then his tone turned even harsher: "Don't be ungrateful. If it weren't for your grandfather, I wouldn't have come out with you."