“Alright, since you’ve said that, I won’t question you further. I’ve known your temperament since childhood, and you’re not the type to sweet-talk.” Zhang Fangyuan said, “After my parents passed away, my fourth uncle treated me like his own son. Now that Xiaomao’s matter is at hand, I must pay extra attention.”
“Being a live-in son-in-law doesn’t sound good. A man moving into his wife’s family’s home will inevitably attract some gossip, especially with a lovely niece like yours. It’s understandable that your mother doesn’t agree. But since you and Xiaomao are truly in love, and I have a fulang myself, I understand how you feel. I’m here today to offer a solution.”
Zhang Fangyuan continued, “After you and Xiaomao get married, move to the city. You’ll be considered the Zhang family’s live-in son-in-law, but you won’t live with your in-laws. This way, you’ll avoid a lot of gossip, and you also won’t live with your parents, so Xiaomao won’t be subjected to their harsh treatment or have to deal with your little cousin.”
“If Xiaomao agrees, then it’s fine.” Zhuang Qi agreed readily. “But I’m a hunter, and most of my work is in the countryside and mountains. Moving to the city might make life hard for Xiaomao.”
“Since I’m suggesting you move to the city, I won’t let my cousin live in hardship. I’ll make sure you have a proper livelihood.”
Zhang Fangyuan said, “I remember you’re quite skilled in martial arts. You once wanted to take the military exams, but back then, your family was struggling because your older brother was getting married, so you gave up that path to make ends meet. With your skills, you could run a martial arts school in the city, training people to serve as guards for wealthy households.”
“I’ll provide the funds to open the school. You just focus on running it and training people. Once it’s up and running, I’ll take 30% of the profits, and the rest will be yours and Xiaomao’s. How does that sound?”
Zhuang Qi’s brow twitched. Anyone with half a brain could see the benefits. Someone else would provide the capital, and he could move from the countryside to the city, an opportunity that many families might never get in their lifetime. It was an offer too good to refuse.
“Deal!”
Zhang Fangyuan’s eyes gleamed. He lowered his voice. “I need a definite answer within three days. Your mother must come to propose the marriage herself.”
Zhuang Qi didn’t respond, but he raised his cup and clinked it with Zhang Fangyuan’s.
“Will this work? Zhuang Qi is clearly interested in Xiaomao, so he’ll agree without hesitation. I’m just worried about his mother causing trouble.”
Xu He only learned about what Zhang Fangyuan had done in the village when he returned. He couldn’t help but admire his husband’s cleverness.
In the city, strong laborers were mostly found at the docks and martial arts schools. Strong men preferred to earn a living with their hands, and many robust individuals liked to join martial arts schools to learn some skills, which would allow them to earn commissions by being hired out.
Their family had hired people from martial arts schools a few times before. Depending on their skills, the prices varied, but even the cheapest labor cost dozens of copper coins a day. Compared to the backbreaking work at the docks, where they were often scolded, working at a martial arts school was much more relaxed and respectable.
As a result, there were always strong men looking to join martial arts schools, but the schools never had trouble finding people.
If their family owned a martial arts school, they wouldn’t have to worry about finding guards. They could even rotate a new group every day if needed. Once the neighbors found out that their family had a martial arts school, they would naturally be more cautious.
This way, they would solve the problem of being looked down upon due to the lack of strong men in the family, resolve the issues with Fourth Uncle’s family, and also make a profit. It was a win-win situation.
Knowing the benefits, Xu He couldn’t help but worry that the Zhuang family might still cause trouble.
Zhang Fangyuan laughed. “My silly little fulang, this is like a pie falling from the sky for the Zhuang family. They’re just farmers with no business acumen. They could never run a martial arts school in the city in their lifetime. Even if Zhuang Qi's mother being a simple country woman, is hesitant to agree, do you think the Zhuang clan’s brothers are fools? Can’t they see the benefits?”
Xu He thought about it and agreed. If it were their family in the past, they wouldn’t have let such an opportunity slip by. The only concern would be whether they had the ability to take on the business, but Zhuang Qi had the skills. This plan played directly to his strengths.
With that, he calmly waited for the Zhuang family’s response.
As Zhang Fangyuan predicted, the Zhuang family agreed to the marriage proposal. They didn’t even wait for the three-day deadline. On the second day, the Zhuang family sent the village’s best matchmaker to propose the marriage. Zhuang Qi's mother, who had previously been difficult, now appeared amiable and polite, treating Zhang Shicheng and his wife with respect.
The two families finalized the marriage and began preparing for the betrothal.
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He received the news the next evening. After dealing with the Zhuang family, Zhang Shicheng immediately came to the city to inform the couple.
“I heard that Zhuang’s wife was initially hesitant when she heard about the benefits. Her niece cried and made a scene, and her relatives came over to persuade her, afraid that the Zhuang family was trying to climb the social ladder. Zhuang Qi kicked them out, and the Zhuang clan’s uncles also stepped in to persuade Zhuang’s wife. After much discussion, they finally convinced her. Zhuang’s wife’s relatives and in-laws almost got into a fight. Zhuang’s wife finally saw through the gentle facade of her niece.”
Zhang Fangyuan said, “It seems she’s not completely immune to wealth and status.” Her initial refusal was simply because the offer wasn’t attractive enough.
“The marriage is settled, but it’s cost you two a lot.” Zhang Shicheng was overjoyed but also felt guilty, which was why he had personally come to the city to deliver the news.
“Uncle, we’re family. There’s no need for such formalities. Besides, it’s not like I’m giving Zhuang Qi the money for free. I’ll be taking 30% of the profits from the martial arts school in the future. That was the condition we agreed on from the start. Moreover, we really do need a martial arts school. I’m too busy to manage it myself, so I’ll have to rely on your son-in-law to handle things for me.”
Zhang Shicheng clicked his tongue. “You rascal, always joking around.”
Xu He was also very satisfied. “Uncle, you and Auntie can focus on preparing for Xiaomao’s wedding. I’m sure you have enough help at home. We probably won’t be able to come back to the village to help, so we’ll focus on the city side of things. Once we’ve chosen a location for the martial arts school, we can get the couple move to the city as soon as possible.”
“Good, good. You two focus on your work. Don’t worry about things at home.”
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