IDWBE -Chapter 230 Choosing a Son-in-Law

Now that his daughter had prospects and he himself was a Sanhe supplier with successful campaigns under his belt, the butcher’s shop, though still small, had begun to accumulate some extra wealth.

Seeing him quiet, his wife grew even more confident. “If you ask me, the Liu family is better. They have wealth to back them up. And Liu Kan grew up right before our eyes, about the same age as our daughter. We know him well. The Sun family is an outsider household. That old lady—I can tell just by looking—won’t be easy to deal with. And Sun Chongde is quite a bit older than our daughter.”

“What do you know?”

The butcher snapped back. “When choosing a son-in-law, the old saying goes: ‘Pick a good man, don’t only value wealth; marry a virtuous wife, don’t just consider her dowry.’ It’s not just the Liu family’s wealth that matters; character is key. Sun Chongde may come from a small household, but his character is good.”

“Character?”

His wife scoffed. “Have you forgotten how that little brat Sun Chongde scolded you? And you still want him as a son-in-law?”

The butcher blushed red. “That was a misunderstanding! Look, he wouldn’t dare treat me like that now!”

“Fine, a misunderstanding.”

Seeing him so flustered and about to fly off the handle, his wife wisely decided not to tease him further—she didn’t want a beating. She was a businesswoman and good at counting risks.

He continued, “You’re just too shallow-eyed. That Liu boy—unlike his father—is good-natured, but he’s high-spirited. With that kind of temperament, who knows? He might make someone a widow one day.”

Curious, his wife asked, “What do you mean?”

Taking a sip of tea, the butcher smiled. “He’s young and impulsive, fearless in battle, charging forward like a fool. I worry he’ll one day lose his life.”

“A hothead?”

“Exactly,” he sighed. “If Liu Kan could settle down, I wouldn’t even consider Sun Chongde.”

His wife waved her hand. “Let’s not talk so much. Better to go see how our daughter feels. No point in talking otherwise.”

Glancing at the scorching sun, she headed toward the female prison, ignoring the heat.

After the Sanhe army’s campaigns, many rebels had been captured. The ringleaders were executed, but some were still serving hard labor.

The male prison had limited space, so some prisoners were transferred to the female prison.

With just over twenty female constables managing more than five hundred male and female prisoners, the pressure was immense.

“Right turn!”

“Move out!”

“Attention!”

Under Jiang Zhen’s commands, the prisoners followed suit. Mistakes were punished immediately with a whip.

At first, she hesitated to strike, but Chen Xinluo had told her many prisoners had blood on their hands from harming elders and infants—they were truly vicious. Such people demanded strict discipline.

Moreover, because of a shortage of irons, the prisoners were unshackled. Authority had to be enforced fully—any hint of rebellion could lead to chaos that a small group of female constables couldn’t control.

“Qi Meng, can’t you tell left from right?”

Jiang Zhen cracked her whip on a large man in gray.

“To!”

Qi Meng shouted through the pain, knowing a lack of response would bring harsher punishment.

This instinct had been drilled into him painfully. He had seen every kind of prison across the provinces, but Sanhe’s setup was unprecedented.

It was hard to tell if he was in prison or the army—discipline was even stricter than a barracks.

“Report numbers!”

Jiang Zhen barked next.

“One!”

A tall man started counting.

“Two!”

“…15.”

As the numbers climbed, prisoners grew anxious. Many were illiterate, counting over a hundred was challenging, and mistakes were punished.

This system contrasted sharply with the “Unity, Friendship” slogans painted on the walls.

Initially, many tried to cheat, jostling for the first hundred positions. But it was useless—the lineup depended on height, giving taller prisoners an advantage.

The chaos didn’t last long. Soon, everyone learned to stand in fixed positions and memorize their numbers.

The only problem came when new prisoners arrived, breaking the order, causing cries of distress.

“505!”

A small man called the last number, drenched in sweat.

Jiang Zhen nodded with satisfaction, turned to attention, and reported to Zhou Xun: “Reported, expected 505, present 505. Awaiting instructions!”

Zhou Xun said expressionlessly, “Run!”

The prisoners jogged toward the gates, starting another day of labor.

Today’s task was to build a bridge in the water. The thought of leeches made many shiver.

Jiang Zhen’s mother stood at the female prison gate, startled as the prisoners shouted and ran out, stepping back to the wall.

She saw Zhou Xun and then Hong An. When her daughter passed, she waved frantically, “Here, here!”

“Busy, we’ll talk later.”

Jiang Zhen jogged past her. She could only watch the long line of prisoners and stomp in frustration.

Her daughter’s wings were growing stronger.

Under the scorching sun, Lin Yi, like last summer, went to the mountains early to escape the heat. Lying on his bamboo bed, he felt the breeze and yawned, though he couldn’t sleep.

“Prince,” He Jixiang bowed, “Zhang Mian sent a message via pigeon: Wu Lin and Jiang Kan have been captured.”

Lin Yi happily said, “Good! Send them back immediately. Make them feel my generous tolerance.”

“Yes,” He Jixiang continued, “Zhang Mian suggests Ji Zhuo oversee Southern Province military affairs.”

Lin Yi asked, “Huang Sifang and Zhao Lichun are still in the South?”

He Jixiang smiled. “If nothing unexpected happens, they’ve already fled north.”

“Ji Zhuo?”

Lin Yi laughed. “I remember him—he was with Zhang Mian?”

He Jixiang nodded. “Exactly.”

Lin Yi said, “I met him in Ankang City. Capable man. I trust him with Southern Province.”

He Jixiang hesitated. “But he is Zhang Mian’s man.”

Lin Yi said, “Besides Ji Zhuo, who else is suitable? Shall we leave Chen Xinluo and Shen Chu there?”

He Jixiang understood. Both needed to remain in Sanhe. Resources there were indeed limited.