Chapter 17: I Also Like Beautiful Ones, So You Should Marry a Virtuous Wife
“Father, there really are three hundred silver taels as a reward!”
Yang Zhengshan had just sent Lu Zhaoqi off, and Wang Shi and Li Shi hurried over.
Wang Shi, with a silly grin on her face, stared at the silver notes in Yang Zhengshan’s hand. The silver notes, oh, those were silver notes! She had never seen so much money in her life.
Li Shi was also gazing at the silver notes with shining eyes, her greedy intentions barely concealed.
It was normal to be greedy, as Wang Shi and Li Shi were both from ordinary farming families and were village women who had suffered hardships. Seeing such a large sum of money, it would be strange if they weren’t tempted.
Not just them, even Yang Minghao, the little brat, ran over excitedly, “Father, let me take a look at the silver notes.”
“Get away, this silver is mine, and it has nothing to do with you!” Yang Zhengshan said bluntly.
Ugh, I earned this money, and you ungrateful kids are eyeing it.
“Father, let me take a look, just take a look, I’ve never seen silver notes before!” Yang Minghao said anxiously.
Yang Zhengshan deliberately didn’t let him see it, saying, “Do you want to take a look?”
Yang Minghao nodded vigorously, like a little chick pecking at grain.
“Want to take a look?”
“Uh-huh…” Yang Minghao nodded again.
“Then go earn it yourself!” Yang Zhengshan put the silver notes away.
Watching the silver notes disappear from Yang Zhengshan’s hands, Yang Minghao pouted, feeling disappointed and frustrated.
“Father, you don’t care about me, waaah…”
Yang Zhengshan just ignored him, thinking, “What’s with this kid’s constant crying?”
Yang Minghao looked like he was about to cry, and Yang Zhengshan’s heart softened. He thought, “This kid is only fourteen, still just a child.” He took out the silver notes again and said, “You can only look, don’t try to tear them.”
“Thank you, Father!”
Yang Minghao, who was about to cry, saw the silver notes and his face lit up like a flower blooming.
He carefully took the silver notes, handling them like precious treasures.
Wang Shi and Li Shi, standing beside him, also craned their necks to take a look, and even Yang Yunxue ran over to join in the commotion.
The whole family looked like they had never seen the world before, making Yang Zhengshan feel a bit annoyed.
“Father, can I get married?” Yang Minghao suddenly asked.
Get married?!
Yang Zhengshan was taken aback.
He quickly regained his composure, thinking that Yang Minghao indeed should get married.
Yang Mingcheng got married at fifteen, and Yang Mingzhi also got married at fifteen. Now that Yang Minghao was fourteen, it was time to discuss his marriage.
If his original wife were still around, she would have started preparing for Yang Minghao’s marriage.
Fifteen-year-old marriage?
Yang Zhengshan scratched his head; this wasn’t an early marriage, it was basically a crime!
But here, marriages at fifteen or sixteen were normal. If you didn’t get married until eighteen, people would laugh at you.
However, Yang Zhengshan also wanted to get married and find a stepmother for you all!
Yang Zhengshan looked at Yang Minghao with a hint of sarcasm.
Should I find you a wife or find a stepmother for you first?
This question was worth considering.
Yang Minghao looked uncomfortable under his gaze, “Father, what’s wrong? Can’t I get married?”
“…”
Yang Zhengshan was speechless. You’re only fourteen, what’s the hurry?
“Fine!”
“I’ll start arrangements in a few days!” Yang Zhengshan took out the silver notes again, saying gruffly.
Here, marriages were all about parents’ arrangements and matchmakers’ words. It was a blind marriage, where the couple wouldn’t even meet until the wedding night.
Letting Yang Zhengshan arrange a marriage for Yang Minghao was nothing unusual, but for himself, he couldn’t accept such a blind marriage.
He still wanted to find someone he loved, not some stranger.
“What kind of wife do you want?” Yang Zhengshan asked.
“A beautiful one!” Yang Minghao replied without hesitation.
Yang Zhengshan’s facial muscles twitched. You don’t even look decent yourself, and you want a beautiful wife? You’re not worthy!
Yang Minghao didn’t exactly look handsome, and among the three brothers, Yang Mingzhi was the most dashing, with double eyelids and big eyes. If not for his dark skin, he could pass as a handsome young man.
Yang Mingzhi inherited his good looks from his original wife, while Yang Mingcheng and Yang Minghao took after Yang Zhengshan, with tall builds and average looks.
“Marriage is about finding a virtuous wife; I’ll find one for you!” Yang Zhengshan said calmly.
I also like beautiful ones, so you should marry a virtuous one.
This made no logical sense, but Yang Zhengshan felt it was right.
After all, the daughter-in-law wasn’t his own wife, so she didn’t need to be too beautiful.
“Father~”
Yang Minghao looked at him with a sulky face, but Yang Zhengshan was too lazy to bother with this convenient son, and turned to walk away.
Sitting on the fire pit, Yang Zhengshan’s thoughts wandered, and the illusion of Shi Tan Ling Quan appeared before his eyes.
The spring water in the mystical spring was clear and sparkling, with ripples spreading outward. It was no longer just a bowl’s worth, but almost a ladle full.
To know that today Yang Zhengshan had already drunk a bowl of spring water, and there was still so much left, the daily output of the spring must have increased significantly.
According to Yang Zhengshan’s calculations, the daily output of the spring was now around two bowls, almost double the original amount.
Next, the mystical spring itself had expanded, from its original one-foot size to almost three feet now.
The increase in spring water and the expansion of the mystical spring were both significant changes.
Yang Zhengshan poured a bowl of spring water, and then drank it all in one gulp.
The spring water still had a refreshing and sweet taste, but the warm, comfortable feeling that spread throughout his body was gone.
This wasn’t to say the spring water had lost its effect, but Yang Zhengshan’s body had already become stronger, and the spring water’s effects were no longer as pronounced.
After drinking a bowl of spring water, Yang Zhengshan took another water jug and filled it with spring water, then brewed a pot of tea.
As the sun set, the sky suddenly filled with small, sugar-like snowflakes.
The snowflakes gently fell, bringing a crisp, cold feeling, and signaling the arrival of winter.
“Eldest brother, second brother, youngest brother, come and drink some tea!” Yang Zhengshan called the three brothers to come and drink tea.
“Father!” The three brothers came into the room, shaking off the snowflakes on their clothes.
“The weather is cold, drink some hot tea to warm up!” Yang Zhengshan poured each of them a cup of tea without a word.
Yang Zhengshan also took a sip of tea, feeling the slightly sweet taste of the tea brewed with mystical spring water.
The tea at home wasn’t any good, just the ordinary tea leaves commonly found in the county.
In Anning County, tea leaves were extremely expensive, and even the most ordinary tea leaves cost four to five hundred coins per pound, which was unaffordable for ordinary people.
This was because Anning County didn’t produce tea, and the tea leaves available in the market were all transported from afar.
Yang Minghao and his brothers had never drunk tea before, and they didn’t know the difference between good and bad tea. They picked up the cups and drank the tea directly, making noise as they savored the taste.
“Wow, the tea is sweet!” Yang Minghao said, surprised, and then looked at Yang Zhengshan with a silly grin on his face.
Yang Zhengshan’s face twitched, thinking, “This kid is like a cow enjoying the taste of tea.”
“Father, give me another bowl!” Yang Minghao asked, stretching out his hand.
“You can pour it yourself, and give some to your brothers as well,” Yang Zhengshan said, sipping his own tea.
The three brothers drank the tea, feeling a warm, comforting sensation spreading through their bodies. They thought it was just a normal reaction to drinking hot tea on a cold day, and didn’t suspect anything unusual about the tea.
Yang Zhengshan naturally wouldn’t tell them about the mystical spring water, and seeing that they had finished the tea, he turned around and went back into the room.
(The chapter ends)
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