TFS – Chapter 93 Marrying In

Since Li Feng was not around, Tang Chunming had a much harder time distributing seeds in the spring. In the end, he simply entrusted the task to Elder He, who had stored the seeds in the warehouse in advance. After an entire winter, the grain supply at the distillery had been completely used up. As a result, the village head and the others decided to seal the distillery until after the autumn harvest. This also meant that Zhang Xiu and the others had some downtime, giving Tang Chunming an extra pair of hands to help with things.

Fortunately, they had already gone through this process last year. This year, they were simply repeating the same tasks or making slight expansions. As long as they took things step by step, everything would eventually fall into place.

Wang Mo’s child was the first to be born—a little ge’er. Zhang Changming, who had rushed back to be by his side, was overjoyed as he cradled the newborn, whose face was still red and wrinkled. His parents were also pleased. Now that their family had both sons and a ge’er, it felt complete. Besides, the household was no longer struggling financially—raising a ge’er was not a burden anymore.

Tang Chunming only went to visit Wang Mo after the birth. Watching Zhang Xiu excitedly describe the baby’s appearance, Tang Chunming couldn’t help but feel like dragging this baby-obsessed ge’er back home. Hmm, maybe he should lock him up for a while and really put in some effort—perhaps then Zhang Xiu would finally get his wish and stop staring at his belly all the time.

Right when Zhang Xiu was talking excitedly, he suddenly stopped, shivering. He glanced outside—was it a sudden cold snap in spring?

Rubbing his arms, Zhang Xiu changed the topic, “Do you think our village will have another xiucai this year? My two boys definitely won’t make it this year or next, but I wonder if three more years will be enough for them to qualify for the exams.”

Now that his children were attending school, of course, he hoped they could bring honor to the family. The family was no longer short on money, and despite having a person like Zhao Laosan, whose character was questionable even as a xiucai, scholars were still highly respected in this era.

“I think Da Mao and Er Mao both have potential—especially Da Mao. He’s becoming more mature, and even the teacher at the academy often praises him. Just wait three years, and you’ll be the proud mother of a xiucai, haha!” Tang Chunming laughed.

The village head had hired a good teacher—one who wasn’t rigid or overly traditional but was patient and dedicated to teaching the village children. More and more families were sending their children to study, and the village head and the elders were even discussing expanding the academy and hiring another teacher. After all, with more students, one teacher wouldn’t be enough.

“Chunming, don’t go flattering him. I know exactly what my boy is worth. He only stands out at the academy because you taught him a few words beforehand. Otherwise, how could he have earned the teacher’s praise?” Zhang Xiu said modestly, though the smile in his eyes betrayed his pride. A parent would always be happy when their child showed promise.

“Don’t forget, Da Mao and Er Mao are also training in martial arts. If they pursue a military career, that wouldn’t be bad either. In that regard, Ah Feng might be able to help them in the future.” Tang Chunming had noticed that after some guidance from Ah Feng, both boys had stuck with their training. Even though Ah Feng hadn’t been around for a while, they hadn’t slacked off—especially Er Mao, who, despite his young age, had shown great perseverance. With such determination, there was no doubt that they would achieve great things in the future.

Zhang Xiu thought about it and agreed. No matter what, his sons were bound to have better futures than their parents. Of course, he had never once looked down on Dashan. Marrying such a reliable man was the greatest blessing of his life.

Third Granduncle of the Zhao family had initially been disappointed that Zhao Laosan didn’t return home for the New Year. However, when news of the additional imperial examination spread, his spirits gradually lifted. Despite his anticipation, the Zhao family members continued with their usual work, believing that following the village’s development wasn’t a mistake. Not only were they earning money, but with more and more people studying, there was still hope that someone from their family would succeed in the exams. Besides, wasn’t Li Feng and Master Rong far more capable than Zhao Laosan?

However, no matter how much Third Granduncle looked forward to it, the real test wouldn’t come until the autumn exam. Right now, it was still the county exam. Only by passing the county, prefectural, and academy exams step by step could one obtain the title of xiucai. If a candidate failed the academy exam and only made it through the prefectural exam, they could still earn the tongsheng title, just like Old Master Tang from the Tang family.

As the exam approached, Wang Ying unexpectedly did not go to the county himself. Instead, he sent a trusted servant to take care of his son’s daily needs. Tang Chunming wasn’t sure if others noticed, but he saw it clearly—his stepmother was nervous. He was probably afraid that his presence would add pressure on An Rong. Of course, in front of his stepmother, Tang Chunming would never mention it, lest he provoke his embarrassment and anger.

Privately, however, he had already consulted Elder He, who had evaluated An Rong’s studies. Regarding the upcoming exams, Elder He commented, “Passing the tongsheng exam shouldn’t be difficult. As for the final academy exam, if he works hard and catches the examiner’s eye, he might just squeeze in.”

From this, Tang Chunming automatically interpreted that An Rong was guaranteed to pass as a tongsheng, and if luck was on his side, he might even make it as a xiucai. That would already be an impressive achievement for someone his age. After all, Zhao Laosan had also become a tongsheng at a similar age, and back then, he was hailed as a child prodigy, even rumored to be a reincarnation of the God of Literature.

The Li family also had high expectations for Li Chengzu and Li Chengzong. While Li Feng had already made a name for himself as a military officer, having a successful scholar in the family would complement their status even further. They now understood that the village’s prosperity needed officials to protect it, and strengthening their own clan was the right path forward.

Amid everyone’s anticipation, news arrived from the county— all three young men had passed the county exam and were moving on to the prefectural exam!

Previously, Teng Yu had already sent word that if the three needed to travel to the provincial capital, he would take care of everything. He had already secured accommodations and arranged for someone to look after them. This relieved the families of any concerns, just as he had previously helped find housing for them in the county.

When the results were announced, their families learned their rankings. As expected, Li Chengzu ranked the highest at 27th place. Li Chengzong and Tang Chunrong’s rankings were much closer together—though they lagged behind Zhao Chengzu, it was clear that Tang Chunrong had worked hard since arriving in the county.

The village head didn’t say much about his second son being caught up to by Tang Chunrong. He had already heard from his sons about Tang Chunming’s role in his younger brother’s academic progress and held high hopes for his future.

Meanwhile, Chen Mama was busy at home, while Elder He and the stepmother took care of the two children. Tang Chunming took a walk in the back hills with Zhang Xiu.

Along the way, they noticed children coming by to check on the village’s goji berries and raspberries. Seeing Tang Chunming, they eagerly asked, “When can we pick them this year? Can we still pick and sell them like last year?”

It turned out the children had been eyeing this rare yearly earning opportunity for a while now. Some of them had made a few taels of silver from last year’s harvest, which was a significant amount for a child.

“Just like last year, you can come pick them yourselves when the time comes. But you’ll have to wait a little longer, no rush,” Tang Chunming said with a smile. The children, reassured by his words, cheered and scattered.

Zhang Xiu teased, “If it were me back in the day, I’d be fighting these kids for the chance to make money too. Who would’ve thought wild berries could be a source of income?”

Indeed, even in Tang Chunming’s previous life, it was only after people started emphasizing pollution-free food and healthy living that wild vegetables and berries gained popularity. Back when he was a kid, the wild fruits in the mountains were just snacks for children who wandered in to pick and eat them.

Of course, his biggest cheat code was his space ability, which allowed him to grow fruits with superior taste and texture—giving him the chance to make serious money.

Xiao Hua followed closely beside him, swatting down any bugs that dared to crawl out with a single paw.

Walking so far while carrying a belly like his was exhausting. Tang Chunming stopped, leaning against a tree for support, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was tough, but he didn’t dare slack off. Elder He had warned him about the risks of carrying twins, and he knew that walking would help him suffer less when the time came. So he gritted his teeth and kept going—while mentally cursing Li Feng. If only he could beat that bastard up, he’d feel much better!

“Hey? There’s someone coming into the village, but it’s not one of the usual carriages that visit your place,” Zhang Xiu pointed toward the narrow path leading into the village. Everyone recognized the carriages that frequently visited; just seeing them from afar was enough to know which household they were heading to. But this one was unfamiliar.

If it were Rong Yue visiting, there would be more than just a single carriage—there would also be guards on horseback escorting it, making for a much grander entrance.

Tang Chunming also looked down the road. Under their watchful gazes, the carriage passed right by his house and continued deeper into the village—finally stopping in front of… Old Madam Zhao’s house.

Zhang Xiu raised an eyebrow. “Could it be that Zhao Laosan is back?”

Everyone in Ping Shan Village knew that Zhao Laosan hadn’t returned for the New Year. In such a small village, it was impossible to keep secrets—his absence had deeply disappointed both Old Madam Zhao and Third Granduncle, who had once cherished him.

Tang Chunming smirked. “He wouldn’t miss this year’s autumn exam, would he? This is his best chance to climb the ranks. I bet those two in the Zhao family have been counting down the days for this.”

He stood on tiptoe, trying to get a better look. He could vaguely make out that more than one person had stepped out of the carriage. “If he’s really back, then Wang Chunhua won’t be able to suppress Old Madam Zhao anymore.”

At that, the two of them burst into laughter. Everyone in the village knew how Wang Chunhua treated Old Madam Zhao. The Zhao family was about to experience a reversal of fortune.

Despite mentioning Zhao Laosan, neither of them took him seriously. Even if he returned, it wouldn’t change much about Ping Shan Village’s current situation. The county magistrate himself had visited the village and inspected the winery. What could Zhao Laosan possibly do—outshine the county magistrate?

Tang Chunming felt increasingly smug about his own backing. On one side, he had his husband, Li Feng; on the other, he had Rong Yue and Prince Zhao. His support system was solid. A small fry like Zhao Laosan? If he so much as twitched a finger, he could ensure that Zhao Laosan never got another chance to rise again.

Grinning to himself, Tang Chunming reveled in his own villainous glee. He even thought he was being merciful—after all, he hadn’t even bothered to deal with Zhao Laosan yet!

For the next two days, Tang Chunming didn’t pay much attention to Zhao Laosan’s situation. However, he still picked up some details from others. Sure enough, Zhao Laosan had returned, and he wasn’t alone—he had brought along a ge’er and some servants. Judging by their interactions and the ge’er’s attire, it was clear that they were quite close. Since he had already brought this ge’er into his home, could it be that Zhao Laosan had found himself a new spouse while away?

But apart from the moment he was seen getting off the carriage at his doorstep—spotted by the nosy neighbors—there had been no further news. It was said that the Zhao family had shut their doors tightly. Even the usual yelling of Old Madam Zhao and the constant muttering of Wang Chunhua, which had once echoed frequently, had completely disappeared. Even Zhao’s Third Granduncle had remained eerily silent. This made Tang Chunming feel a little curious—how could there be absolutely no commotion? Wang Chunhua, of all people, wasn’t someone who would sit quietly and accept such changes.

Still, Tang Chunming had no intention of deliberately prying. As he had thought before, Zhao Laosan no longer posed any threat to him—it simply wasn’t worth worrying about.

Though he wasn’t particularly interested, a letter from Teng Yu soon arrived, solving the mystery for him. When Tang Chunming read the contents, he was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped —Zhao Laosan… had actually become a live-in son-in-law?!

Pfft… Hahaha…

After finishing the letter, Tang Chunming couldn’t hold back his laughter. He laughed so hard his stomach cramped, forcing him to lie down on the heated brick bed, rubbing his belly. Ah Lin scolded his mother for laughing so much, but at the same time, he dutifully rubbed his mother’s belly to help ease the discomfort—after all, his two little brothers were inside. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt.

“What’s going on? What’s got you laughing like that?” Wang Ying glared at his stepson, worried he wasn’t being careful.

“Aiyo,” Tang Chunming sat up with Wang Ying’s help, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes while still chuckling. “Teng Yu wrote to me about Zhao Laosan’s situation. He said Zhao Laosan has become a live-in son-in-law in Dingzhou Prefecture! Aiyo, can you imagine the look on Old Madam Zhao and Third Granduncle’s faces when they find out? I can’t help it—I still want to laugh!”

Chen Mama was completely dumbfounded. Wang Ying’s eyes went wide, and even Elder He found it unbelievable. In his opinion, while Zhao Laosan’s character was questionable, he had always been a schemer—otherwise, how could he have managed to win over his mother and Third Granduncle, the former clan leader? If things had gone as planned, he could have married the daughter of the county registrar and steadily climbed the ranks. Yet now, he had left his family and gone off to become someone’s live-in son-in-law?

Wang Ying was the quickest to react and asked, “Which family did he marry into? Given his personality, he wouldn’t settle for someone ordinary, right? Even as an outsider, I can tell Zhao Laosan is incredibly selfish and cares deeply about his reputation—he wouldn’t do something like this without some kind of benefit.”

“Yes, it’s all written in the letter.” Tang Chunming waved the letter in his hand, holding back his laughter as he shared everything Teng Yu had written.

It was thanks to Teng Yu’s expanding connections in Dingzhou Prefecture that he happened to learn about this matter. There was a certain family in Dingzhou, also of merchant background like the Teng’s, but they lacked heirs. The head of the family had only one ge’er as a child, so they had long been known in certain circles for seeking a live-in husband.

This family had accumulated considerable wealth over the years, and unless something unexpected happened, the ge’er was set to inherit everything after the family head passed. So, it wasn’t unreasonable for them to seek a live-in son-in-law. Normally, such a matter wouldn’t be widely discussed, but even someone like Teng Yu, who hadn’t been in Dingzhou for long, had heard about it. Clearly, this was no ordinary family, nor was this ge’er just any common person.

A gossip-loving acquaintance had passed the news along to Teng Yu, seeing him as a newly rising merchant with a strong background. The story went that although this ge’er wasn’t ugly, he had a rather peculiar hobby—he loved collecting beautiful young male attendants to serve him.

Now, such a preference wasn’t inherently bad. In fact, for a man, it could even be considered beneficial. These close-serving attendants often ended up as the bed companions of their masters. If someone married into this family, wouldn’t that be like stepping into a life of luxury and indulgence? And yet, despite this seemingly attractive setup, the ge’er had struggled to find a husband. Many who tried to marry in had been turned away.

Over time, rumors spread that perhaps this ge’er truly loved his beautiful attendants and had no intention of taking a proper husband. Just as some men didn’t fancy flirtatious ge’ers and instead preferred muscular, strong-bodied men, all sorts of strange stories floated around in the marketplace. For those in the business world, such gossip was hardly shocking—after all, they dealt with all sorts of people. A ge’er who preferred other beautiful ge’ers wasn’t exactly unheard of. However, it did mean that ambitious men hoping to marry in and gain control over the household would be sorely disappointed.

At first, Teng Yu simply laughed off the story, thinking it had nothing to do with him. After all, this household had no dealings with his business, so their peculiar ways didn’t concern him. But not long after, he heard shocking news—the ge’er had finally accepted a husband, and that husband was even a scholar!

When the merchants who frequently gathered with Teng Yu discussed the matter, they expressed their pity. “Such a waste of a scholar,” they said. “He must have been deceived. Otherwise, why would a proper scholar agree to become a live-in husband—especially to such an unusual ge’er?”

Previously, those seeking to marry into the family had either been penniless nobodies with no family backing or unimportant illegitimate sons of merchant families. Any proper family would consider such an arrangement shameful. But merchants loved to gossip, and they soon uncovered every detail about the scholar’s background. It all made sense then—he was a poor, struggling scholar and an outsider unfamiliar with the local situation. That’s how he had fallen into the trap and let himself be manipulated.

What Teng Yu hadn’t expected was that this matter would have a connection to Pingshan Village. The scholar everyone was gossiping about was none other than Zhao Pingchuan—the same Zhao Pingchuan from Pingshan Village! He had once been the younger brother of Tang Chunming’s ex-husband.

Of course, Teng Yu was well aware that Tang Chunming had completely severed ties with his former in-laws. Otherwise, why would the child he gave birth to carry Li Feng’s surname instead? So, upon learning about this, Teng Yu wrote to Tang Chunming, treating it as a joke to make him laugh.

And Teng Yu’s goal was certainly achieved—Tang Chunming laughed endlessly. However, he couldn’t quite grasp Teng Yu’s vague description of the ge’er, though it was clear that there was something off about him. The only one truly in the dark seemed to be Zhao Laosan himself.

After receiving the letter, Tang Chunming only shared it with his family and didn’t spread the news outside. To be honest, while he enjoyed laughing at Zhao Laosan’s predicament, he wasn’t the type to kick someone when they were down, especially when it didn’t concern his own interests. As a result, even Zhang Xiu and the others had no idea about Zhao Laosan’s situation in Dingzhou Prefecture.

However, while Zhang Xiu didn’t know about what was happening in Dingzhou, the Zhao family did. With Zhao Laosan gone, the Zhao family’s doors had reopened, and Wang Chunhua was once again active among the villagers of Pingshan Village. He eagerly spread the news of Zhao Laosan and his ge’er, making sure everyone heard about it. Naturally, Zhang Xiu also heard the gossip and relayed it to Tang Chunming.

Zhang Xiu said, “You should have seen how smug Wang Chunhua was! He kept bragging about how respectful Zhao Laosan’s new ge’er is toward him, saying that everything he wears, from the gold hairpins on his head to the rings on his fingers, is made of real solid gold—not just gold-plated! His clothes are all silk, too, and all of this was given to him by his ge’er as a token of respect. And that’s not all—he’s received a lot of silver as well! He’s been singing praises about Zhao Laosan’s ge’er to everyone in the village, acting as if he’s the most virtuous and devoted husband ever. And get this—he claims the ge’er comes from a wealthy household in the provincial capital of Dingzhou, not just any small town like Anping County. He even says that in the future, he’ll take care of Ah Dong, as if his son is about to strike it rich in the provincial capital! Tsk tsk, you should see the look on his face…” Zhang Xiu shook his head as he spoke.

Chen Mama had been leaving early and returning late recently, so he wasn’t as quick to catch village gossip as Zhang Xiu. However, he had been present when they read the letter and knew exactly what Ming Ge’er had been laughing about. But now, the rumors spreading in the village seemed quite different. Nowhere did they mention Zhao Laosan becoming a live-in son-in-law. Could it be that the Zhao family—or at least Wang Chunhua—was unaware of the truth? Or perhaps they knew but were deliberately hiding it from the villagers?

Tang Chunming listened in stunned silence, while Wang Ying outright left the room in disbelief. What kind of people are these? They kept doing embarrassing things and still had the nerve to boast about it in the village. Besides, there weren’t many well-off families in Pingshan Village who would even care about Wang Chunhua’s flaunting. Plenty of villagers had money now—what was there to brag about?

“What about the other members of the Zhao family? What are Old Madam Zhao and Third Great Uncle’s reactions?” Tang Chunming suddenly asked.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot,” Zhang Xiu said. “Doctor Hu visited the Zhao family again. Apparently, Third Great Uncle’s condition has worsened—sounds like he’s completely bedridden and paralyzed now. And as for Old Madam Zhao, no one’s heard a word from him. Even when Zhao Laosan came back, he didn’t come out yelling. The Zhao family is still under Wang Chunhua’s control. Doesn’t that sound off to you?”

As Zhang Xiu spoke, he also realized something was strange. However, he hadn’t yet pieced together the full truth. Even so, Zhao Laosan marrying someone outside the family’s approval was already enough to fuel the village gossip. Some people even secretly sympathized with him, guessing that he had kept it a secret to avoid ruining his chances and had simply gone ahead with it before telling anyone.

Paralyzed? Tang Chunming immediately understood what had happened—Third Great Uncle must have suffered a stroke from the shock. For someone like him, this was a devastating blow. The fact that he hadn’t outright died from it was already fortunate. As for Old Madam Zhao, he was probably too overwhelmed to know what to do. Or perhaps Zhao Laosan and his ge’er had already found a way to keep his silent—just like how Wang Chunhua was now being pacified with money and gifts.

Tang Chunming’s eyes gleamed as he revealed the truth to Zhang Xiu. Upon hearing it, Zhang Xiu nearly jumped up in shock. Then, just like Tang Chunming had the other day, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, slapping his thigh as he laughed so hard that he nearly cramped up. Tears streamed from his eyes as he wiped them away and said, “No wonder Wang Chunhua is so happy! Not only is he getting silver, but all of the Zhao family’s land and house will eventually be his—there’s no one left to fight his for it! He must be absolutely thrilled that Zhao Laosan ended up like this. And on top of that, he’s still getting silver! Oh my god, this is too funny…”

Tang Chunming had to admit, he was impressed by Wang Chunhua. He was so eager to spread the news in the village, as if afraid people wouldn’t notice what was really going on. Other families would desperately try to cover up such embarrassing situations, but not him. Take Third Great Uncle’s family, for example—now that he was paralyzed, they surely understood what had happened. But none of them had come forward to say anything, likely out of sheer humiliation over Zhao Laosan’s disgrace. Or perhaps they were secretly feeling a sense of schadenfreude. Of course, since Third Great Uncle was now bedridden, they were the ones who had to take care of him.

While they were laughing at Zhao Laosan, over at the Zhao family’s house, Old Madam Zhao took advantage of Wang Chunhua’s absence to sneak over to Third Great Uncle’s place. He clutched his hand like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, sobbing in utter despair.

“Third Great Uncle, I beg you, please talk some sense into Laosan! How could he be so heartless? How could he forget that it was me, his mother, who raised him, who cared for him through thick and thin? If not for me, would he have ever had the chance to study and take the county exams? But now… now… this is like tearing my heart out! I might as well be dead! How could Laosan be so cruel to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Tell me—what did I do wrong?!”

Third Great Uncle lay there, his mouth twisted and his eyes uneven, drool uncontrollably dripping onto his bedding, quickly dampening the fabric. His breathing was harsh and labored, his hands trembling violently. He tried to speak, but his words were slurred beyond recognition. Only a single name could barely be made out:

“…San… Pingchuan…”

Other than Zhao Laosan’s name, no one could understand what he was trying to say.

Third Great Uncle’s youngest son, unable to bear it any longer, finally pulled Old Madam Zhao away and snapped, “Enough! What more do you want my father to do? Do you think he can even stand up anymore? Hasn’t our family suffered enough because of you people? Honestly, I think this outcome is the best thing that could’ve happened—it’s the most satisfying end possible. If we weren’t worried about being dragged down with the rest of the Zhao family, I’d run straight to the village and tell everyone what kind of disgraceful things Zhao Laosan has done!

“Are you happy now? You had three sons—one ended up crippled and useless, one you tormented to death, and the last one? He willingly removed himself from the Zhao family! Hah!”

Their family had endured enough. They had long wanted to lash out at the Zhao family, and now, they finally had the chance. Even as their father shot them an angry, condemning glare, they still spat out those words. And for what? they thought bitterly. That wretched son—treated like a treasure—what has he ever brought the family but ruin?

“Aaaah—” Old Madam Zhao let out a piercing wail, staggering backward before collapsing onto the ground, crying in absolute devastation. His voice was already hoarse from all his screaming.

“What kind of sin have I committed to deserve this?! I might as well smash my head against the wall and end it all right here!”

“If you want to die, do it at your own house—or better yet, have the guts to die in front of Zhao Laosan. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll shed a few tears for you. But dying in my house? What kind of nonsense is that?”

Third Great Uncle’s youngest son, furious, grabbed Old Madam Zhao and dragged him out. He called for others to help him take his back to his own home.