Chapter 2, Child Marriage... Groom

Hehe. Zhang Shoucai would not say any platitudes like "ignorance is no excuse"; instead, he lightly shifted the topic and said, "My mother and I have lived here for so many years, with no relatives or acquaintances. Apart from the peddler we see only twice a year, we have not encountered any other outsiders, let alone guests from the capital. May I ask who you are and if you have business with us?"

The farming tools are indeed suitable for rice fields, as there are not enough plowing oxen. The blacksmith in the village crafted some weeding hoes and claws based on his instructions, and they are fairly useful

Either they are the mistress and illegitimate child of some wealthy family; or there has been some major incident at home, prompting them to be sent to the countryside to avoid disaster

When he occasionally craves high-protein foods, he can only satisfy his appetite with high-protein items such as loach and eel

Although Zhang Shou understood that in this day and age, one should adhere to the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers, upon hearing that the stunning beauty before him was actually his fiancée, he was still taken aback despite having lived two lifetimes

This was the information he had spent a fortune to obtain from someone close to the matriarch. The eldest young lady despises certain noble families with numerous wives and concubines. Knowing that this longevity is a son of a concubine, and possibly a son born of another household's woman, with an unclear background, she surely wouldn't be so infatuated anymore, would she? However, to his disappointment, Zhu Ying remained fixated, seemingly oblivious to the three words he had deliberately emphasized.

Fortunately, although this place is rural, he was not born into an ordinary farming family that must toil in the fields all day to make ends meet. His family has a two-courtyard residence and three servants managing the household. Among them, A Liu never speaks, Old Liu gazes at a door that is always without guests, while his talkative wife, Aunt Liu, often says that the neighboring fields all belong to their family

Young Master Shou may not be aware that the fields nearby, the house where you and Aunt Wu reside, as well as all the expenses for food, clothing, and daily needs over the years, have all been provided by the Master. Even the servants in this household were carefully selected by the Master from the very beginning. If it were not for this marriage, how could the Master be so attentive to you and your mother?

Zhu Ying finally managed to extricate herself from the emotions of coveting beauty. She naturally understood that Zhu Gongquan was deliberately provoking her dissatisfaction; however, upon realizing that her fiancé was actually the very handsome young man she had recently resolved to frequently visit in the countryside to indulge in his beauty, her heart unknowingly began to waver.

Upon encountering a remarkably reasonable and beautiful woman, his mood, which had been suddenly tarnished by others, unknowingly improved once again

Most of the farmers in the countryside are tenants; apart from the landlord whose surname is Zhang, they are completely unaware of anything. As for the few servants in the household, no matter what he tried, he could not extract a single truth from them. As for his mother, Wu, it goes without saying that her lips were sealed as if locked!

And this adjacent area ... ! ... is said to cover thousands of acres. ! Although the amount of land owned seems somewhat disproportionate to the current lifestyle, and even raises some suspicion, it does not prevent rice advocates like Zhang Shou from transforming a portion of the land to cultivate rice.

After giving her a slight smile, Zhang Shou shifted his gaze and raised an eyebrow at the Mr. Zhu sitting next to her, whose complexion was as dark as the bottom of a pot, saying: "This uncle, truly, where in life do we not meet again"

Ah, the young master has finally returned, I was just about to go look for someone! A guest has arrived, from the capital, and has been waiting for you for quite some time!

It was already noon, with wisps of smoke rising in the air. The sounds of pots and pans clattering came from the kitchen in the front yard, and Zhang Shou unconsciously realized that he was a bit hungry. However, just as he reached the front gate, he saw several horses tied to a few wooden posts in front, alongside a cart filled with clear oil. Although it appeared quite ordinary, having been apart for only a short while, he naturally recognized it at a glance.

Zhang Shou saw the stunningly beautiful young girl beckoning to a guard beside the carriage, and he quietly inquired about something. He then gestured for the coachman to continue driving. However, just before lowering the curtain, it seemed as if he suddenly remembered something, and he smiled sweetly at himself, waving his hand in farewell. He couldn't help but smile back and waved at her.

At this moment, he was fully aware that Zhang Shou's remark about the inevitability of encounters in life was a satire, yet he had no choice but to suppress his anger, stand up, and clasp his hands together, saying: "Young Master Shou, I previously spoke out of turn."

Although it is not the first time to be stared at with burning eyes, how can the dim and unremarkable women of the countryside, and the fresh and delicate young girls, compare to such a dazzling young lady from a wealthy family

He was just thinking about how his own life seemed mismatched with the wealth he possessed, as it turned out that the land belonged to his future father-in-law

Experiencing time travel seems thrilling when reading about it, but when Zhang Shou actually encountered it, he found it to be utterly disastrous.

When he was discovered, the middle-aged scholar, referred to as Mr. Zhu by the young lady, appeared as if he had seen a ghost, while the girl in red widened her eyes, her face filled with disbelief. Although somewhat curious, he first approached his mother, Madam Wu, and called out "Mother".

At this moment, Zhu Gongquan was so enraged that smoke seemed to be coming out of his seven orifices. He had used a mud-legged youth, whom he thought was illiterate, as a metaphor, only to be ironically countered by the youth reciting poetry. This was already unfortunate enough, but what was even worse was that this mud-legged youth was actually the very person he had brought the young lady to find.

The Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties are all accounted for, and now it is the Ming dynasty, yet the emperor does not even bear the surname Zhu! When he initially discovered that history took a significant turn during the late Yuan and early Ming periods, he was utterly devastated. It is now the twenty-sixth year of the Yongchen era of the Great Ming, what on earth is going on!

He naturally did not know that Zhu Ying, who had put down the curtains and returned to her original position, was pressing her chest, her expression full of excitement and joy

Indeed, it seems that Aunt Wu has not informed Young Master Shou. Zhu Gongquan observed that Wu was indeed showing signs of fear, and he smiled derisively, saying, "My master is the current Duke of Zhao, and I am merely a lowly aide in the household, of no significance. As for our young lady... Young Master Shou has never heard of her? Have you not been betrothed to the young lady of the Duke of Zhao's household since childhood?"

He initially attempted to sneak out, but each time he was "politely escorted" back by the villagers along the way

The northern region is not suitable for raising silkworms, and in terms of scale, it cannot compete with the silk industry in the Jiangnan area. However, the oak silkworm is a specialty of the north, with a non-discriminatory palate, feeding on the leaves of various trees such as oak, camphor, cypress, and poplar. My mother, of the Wu family, originally raised some, and under his encouragement, she expanded the breeding scale in the village.

Certainly, he must be grateful that it was not the old Zhu family that dominated the world. Without the strict regulations requiring that fathers and sons must succeed each other and inherit the same household registration, and the prohibition against women binding their feet, since the founding of the nation, large ships have been able to sail freely across the seas, with maritime trade extending to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea. The atmosphere is not repressive, and women are also allowed to show themselves in public. Otherwise, how could he have encountered that poised and graceful young lady?

Oh, isn't this the carriage we encountered before? Could it be that the stunningly beautiful young lady is a guest of their family?

This trip to the countryside was worthwhile! Just seeing Zhu Gongquan, who colluded with Er Ge, suffer a setback has already made her feel elated. Moreover, she encountered a young gentleman whose appearance and eloquence are well-matched! Hmm, it would be wise to inquire about his background and education. When Father returns, perhaps he could recommend him; he is certainly much better than a shameless person like Zhu Gongquan! ... Besides, she could also meet him often ... Hmm, it would be wise to inquire about his background and education. When Father returns, perhaps he could recommend him; he is certainly much better than a shameless person like Zhu Gongquan! ... Besides, she could also meet him often ...

As Zhang Shougang entertained this thought, Old Liu hurriedly ran out from inside the door

In any case, in this era where basic needs are paramount, agriculture is fundamental, and agriculture reigns supreme, let us first focus on farming

A brief encounter did not weigh heavily on Zhang Shou's mind. After the group of uninvited guests departed, he donned his straw hat and, upon hearing the tenants joyfully announce their plans to continue planting rice next year, he contentedly made his way back.

First, the soil environment was improved through the symbiosis of rice and fish, and in the past two years, artificial selection has been carried out. Unfortunately, the introduction of crayfish, which are considered immigrants, has not yet occurred this year. The idea of opening a channel for crayfish farming next to the rice fields is merely a pipe dream.

Zhang Shouben instinctively turned his head to look at Wu, noticing that the silk handkerchief in her hand was about to be wrung to pieces, and he felt that his worldview had once again been profoundly challenged

Moreover, he was actually raised by his future father-in-law since childhood... What does this count as, a child groom...? No, wait, should it be a child husband?

In addition to rice, after diverting water for irrigation, he also opened up a portion of cotton fields and planted cotton. Currently, the yield cannot be considered high. As for fruits and vegetables, all the varieties that should be available in this era are present. ... Regarding grafting, there are no good varieties available for the time being, and with his limited theoretical knowledge, he is still in the stage of seeking guidance from experienced farmers.

Upon hearing the name "Aunt Wu," Zhang Shou caught a glimpse of Wu's struggling gaze from the corner of his eye, but she ultimately lowered her eyelids and remained silent. Countless scenarios of power struggles within noble families flashed through his mind, but he quickly cast aside these chaotic thoughts.

Zhu Gongquan's expression was indifferent, and his tone was even more severe: "If there is nothing of importance, I would naturally not dare to disturb Young Master Shou and Aunt Wu."

It is actually you! Upon seeing Zhang Shou smile in greeting, Zhu Ying couldn't help but gaze at that face a little longer. However, after the initial surprise, upon recalling the other person's identity, her mood became somewhat complicated, and she kept scrutinizing him from head to toe.

After the initial moment of astonishment, Zhang Shou chuckled silently and said: "As the saying goes, marriage should be a match in social status. She is a young lady from a prestigious family, while I am just a country bumpkin. How could the Duke of Zhao have arranged such a mismatched marriage back then?"

Upon seeing the carriage, Zhang Shou was already mentally prepared. After removing his hat, he quickly walked through the door, crossed the front yard, and arrived at the entrance of the main hall

Wu quickly got up, turned him around to face everyone, and said: "Miss, Mr. Zhu, this is my family member A Shou"

Especially when she noticed Zhang Shou's very surprised expression upon hearing Zhu Gongquan mention the marriage contract, she couldn't help but have a sudden inspiration, giving rise to a very bold idea

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw his mother, Mrs. Wu, sitting uneasily in the central position. The young girl in red, whom he had seen before, and the middle-aged scholar were seated in the first and second positions on the lower left side, while the others stood behind.

There are quite a few books at home, but he has an extraordinary memory; he can recite the contents of a book after just one reading and has also gained an understanding of history

He originally disliked a certain person who had spoken rudely upon their first meeting, and at this moment, he was naturally even more displeased: "If you have something to say, please speak plainly!"

In these three years, he has been unable to ponder history; he can only reflect on his own origins, and the conclusions he has drawn are limited to two.

This is exactly what Zhu Gongquan and others meant. However, he was afraid that Zhang Shou would retreat to advance, so he unreservedly unveiled another layer of mystery

Although life in the countryside is relatively affluent, Zhang Shou is not without worries. Three years have passed since his time travel, and at the age of sixteen, he only knows that his surname is Zhang and his given name is Shou, that his mother is Wu, yet he does not know who his father is

Compared to the crude houses in the village, this residence located at the entrance of the village, with its neat walls, blue bricks, and black tiles, and its two courtyards, can be considered the most distinguished mansion in the vicinity

At this moment, Zhang Shou leisurely walked along the interconnected paths of the fields and eventually came upon a residence