Chapter 86 - 83: Proposing a Marriage
Chapter 86: Chapter 83: Proposing a Marriage
In Da Liushu Village, at the Liu Family’s Old Mansion.
"Father, why are you so intent on sucking up to that poor brat? He’s offended the Huang Family; it’s hard to say if he even has a future. We come from a family of scholars. Why should we grovel before that upstart?"
Liu Chuanzhi’s face was twisted in a snarl, his tone filled with resentment.
It was obvious he still hadn’t gotten over his grudge against Fang Yue.
He had failed to become a Civil Scholar, while the other man had actually become a Martial Scholar.
He was the type to resent others’ success, mock their failures, scorn the poor, and fear the rich.
Liu Chuanzhi was exactly this type of person. A piece of trash who used to trail behind him in the village like a Scholar’s Attendant or a servant had actually managed to become a Martial Scholar.
A status higher than his own, and even higher than his father’s.
How could he possibly bear it?
"And that Fang Lan is five years older than me! I won’t marry her. I don’t want her."
Liu Chuanzhi’s words were laced with disgust.
His father’s idea was preposterous, thinking he would marry that poor girl from the Fang Family.
He wouldn’t deign to look at a coarse, clumsy country girl.
"Hmph, you wicked boy. How did I father such a foolish son?"
"You yourself said that Fang Yue offended the Huang Family. If the Huang Family makes a move and gets rid of him, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity for you to seize their family fortune?"
Scholar Liu stroked his beard, looking at his son with an expression of deep disappointment.
Whether the Huang Family dealt with Fang Yue or not...
...marrying into the Fang Family was a good move. It would either be an alliance of two powerful families or an opportunity to seize their assets.
"Father, I understand."
Hearing his old man’s explanation, Liu Chuanzhi’s expression softened considerably.
He wasn’t so opposed to the idea anymore.
A Martial Scholar alone was entitled to three thousand mu of tax-exempt farmland.
If his family could get their hands on that, wouldn’t their fortune multiply several times over?
’When I think of it that way, it doesn’t seem so bad after all.’
"Hmph. Just don’t cause any trouble for me."
Seeing that he had finally persuaded his son, Scholar Liu let out a sigh of relief.
’If he were in a position to do so himself, he wouldn’t be leaving this marriage arrangement to his son.’
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in other homes throughout Da Liushu Village.
"I heard that Young Master Fang of Fang Mu’s family is back."
"What ’Young Master Fang’? You should call him Eldest Master Fang from now on. Fang Yue is a Grandmaster Scholar now! They say he’s even more distinguished than Scholar Liu. Just his tax-exempt land alone is three thousand mu!"
"Three thousand mu! Good heavens! Does this mean we can entrust our land to him too? This won’t do! Husband, I remember we still have two chickens. Let’s take them and go beg Eldest Master Fang."
A similar scene was playing out in the homes of self-sufficient farmers all across Da Liushu Village.
For the past two years, exorbitant taxes had been getting heavier. Life was hard for them. They often had to skip meals and struggled to gather enough to pay the court’s land tax.
But those families who had entrusted their land, even though the fields were no longer technically theirs, no longer had to pay taxes to the court. They only had to pay rent to the Fang Family each year.
This was a full half less than what they had paid to the court.
And that was half of the amount before the taxes were even raised.
They could save twenty or more taels of silver every year.
Those families were now eating three meals a day, and their sons were all strong and healthy.
Even their sons and daughters had become highly sought-after marriage partners.
How could the other villagers not be envious?
Before the taxes were raised, the independent farmers had looked down on those tenants.
They said the tenants had squandered their ancestral property and would never have a chance to make a comeback.
But now, barely able to put food on the table, who among them wasn’t envious?
Who wouldn’t want to entrust their land?
Now that an opportunity had presented itself, everyone naturally wanted to seize it.
Hearing that Fang Yue had returned, household after household began to spontaneously gather the best gifts they could manage and head to Fang Yue’s Family home.
~~~~~~
Land entrustment.
Fang Yue was well aware that this would happen.
His mother had told him about these matters on the day he returned home. She also mentioned that her own family in the neighboring village wanted to entrust their land as well.
Rent-free, of course.
Previously, when Fang Yue was still a junior Martial Scholar, his tax-exempt land allowance was small, and he could only accept land within his own village.
But upon becoming a Scholar, one could accept land entrustments from anywhere within the county.
The officials at the Government Office wouldn’t follow the rules to the letter either; they would turn a blind eye, and the matter would be settled.
This was the origin of the saying, "A junior scholar’s influence stays within the village, a Scholar’s within the county."
Regarding the matter of land entrustment, Fang Yue only told his mother one thing: not to use their power to pressure or force anyone into it.
He wouldn’t involve himself in these matters, leaving his parents to make the decisions.
At the moment, Fang Yue was staying in Fang Hu’s courtyard.
Although he was more comfortable at his own home, there would undoubtedly be a flood of people coming to entrust their land in the coming days, which was sure to cause a lot of commotion.
It was better to enjoy a few quiet days at Fang Hu’s place.
Besides, as he was staying here alone, common folk wouldn’t dare to disturb him.
’That sudden burst of power from Wang Yuangang during our last battle... was that the Qi Blood Power of the Marrow Transformation stage?’
Fang Yue replayed the battle with Wang Yuangang in his mind. Although they hadn’t exchanged many moves, he remembered Wang Yuangang’s fist technique, his patterns, and the characteristics of his force with exceptional clarity.
Now, in the quiet, he began to analyze the fight.
He was summarizing the gains and losses.
At the same time, he began to recall the White Tiger Fist’s cultivation technique’s description of Marrow Transformation.
Refine the bone marrow, transform the qi and blood.
It allows one to condense qi and blood, converting it into a burst of power that can be unleashed at a critical moment.
It delivers an attack far surpassing one’s normal state.
’No wonder a Marrow Transformer Martial Artist is so much stronger than one at the Bone Forging Pass. This eruption of Qi Blood Power is like a stimulant for a Martial Artist, allowing them to unleash strength far beyond their normal capabilities.’
’So, if Wang Yuangang hadn’t already been injured that day, he might have had a chance to turn the tables at the end.’
Of course, if Fang Yue couldn’t win, he could still have escaped.
Besides, with Wang Teng in his hands, he had a double insurance policy.
’Ah, forget it. It’s better to just lay low. I should stay in the village for a few years, improve my cultivation, and then venture out again.’
Fang Yue decided to lay low in the village.
After all, setting other things aside, the Government Office had recently decided to deal with the mountain people of the Mo Mountain Tribe.
The risk involved was unknown, but the fact that it required multiple Martial Scholars just to scout the path was enough to prove that the Mo Mountain Tribe was extremely dangerous.
So, it was better to stay in the village.
As for Fang Yue, when he had first transmigrated into this world, his dream was to live out his days in the countryside as a wealthy man.
But now, if he were asked to stay in Da Liushu Village for the rest of his life, even if he could feast on rich and savory food every day, he would be unwilling.
He wanted to continue climbing the Martial Arts Realms, through the Four Martial Arts Gates, and even to the Qi Sensing Realm above.
He yearned for even higher Martial Arts Realms.
The White Tiger Boxing Hall could only guide him to the Marrow Transformation stage.
Although with his growing Talent and the Qi Sensing Realm Secret Manual in his possession, he was confident he could advance to Qi Sensing... but what about after that?
Confined to Xiahe County, he might spend his entire life as nothing more than a Martial Artist at the Qi Sensing Realm.
To advance further, he would have to venture into a wider world.
Of course, all of that was still a long way off.
For now, he had to focus on his training.
Fang Yue immediately cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts.
And there, in the farmhouse courtyard, he began to practice his Fist Technique.
~~~~~~
Since Fang Yue’s return and his decision to hand over all land matters to his parents, the amount of land under his name grew dramatically.
In just a few short days, it had increased from the original three hundred mu to two thousand.
People from Da Liushu Village, and even from several surrounding villages, had come to entrust their land.
Of course, Ms. Chen did not accept land from just anyone.
She made inquiries about the character of the families, turning away the cunning and lazy, and only accepting land from honest, hardworking folk.
In this way, within a few short days, the Fang Family became the largest landowner in the area.
After these matters were settled, the Fang clan held a clan assembly to worship their ancestors.
They carved Fang Yue’s deeds onto a stone stele and erected it in the courtyard of the ancestral hall.
After the grand ceremony, there was, of course, another flowing feast.
This time, it wasn’t just people from their own village; many from the surrounding villages also came to offer their congratulations.
There were new tenants of the Fang Family, as well as prominent figures from other villages. The celebration lasted from morning until night.
Thankfully, the Fang Family now had many people working for them, and with help from the clan; otherwise, such a banquet would have been truly difficult to manage.
「The next day.」
The Fang Family home.
"Zhi’Er, these past few days have been hectic for your mother, but I’m happy, I’m thrilled."
Ms. Chen was beaming, walking with a spring in her step, her words filled with pride.
"Your affairs are more or less settled, so it’s time to take care of your brother’s marriage."
"In two days, you and your father will go to the Fuquan Family to deliver the betrothal gifts. There’s an auspicious day in the middle of this month; we’ll get your brother’s marriage settled then."
Fang Cheng was almost twenty-four, which was considered old for an unmarried man in Da Liushu Village.
In an ordinary family, a man who hadn’t married by this age would be a laughingstock.
However, Fang Cheng was Fang Yue’s older brother.
The Fang Family was one of the most prominent landowners in the area, and Fang Yue, moreover, was a Martial Scholar Master.
Who wouldn’t want their daughter to marry into the Fang Family? Who wouldn’t want to be related to them by marriage?
"Yes, Mother, I understand. But I’m afraid our courtyard isn’t big enough. We’ll need to build a few more rooms."
These past few days, Fang Yue’s Family had received so many gifts that they had already cleared out two rooms just to store them.
Besides, with so much more land under their name, the annual rent they collected would be ten times greater.
They would need to build ten more granaries for the grain alone.
Looking at it this way, the courtyard was too small. They would have to expand.
It was at this moment that Fang Yue finally understood why those grand compounds and manors he had seen in his previous life were sometimes larger than entire villages.
If you didn’t build big, there was simply no place to put anything.
Since they had decided to build, but it was still winter and not suitable for breaking ground, they could only wait until the next year.
For now, the priority before the New Year was to settle Fang Cheng’s marriage.
"Is Scholar Fang at home?"
Just then, a knock came from the door.
When the door was opened, they saw Steward Liu. Behind him stood Scholar Liu and his son, Liu Chuanzhi, side by side.
They were accompanied by a horse-drawn carriage and several household servants, the carriage laden with gifts.
Upon seeing Fang Yue, Scholar Liu immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Haha, greetings, Scholar Fang. Please forgive our presumptuous visit."