...
"That's not it. Grandpa said that my sister will be married off in less than two years." Wang Luo Jing pouted, "I'd rather help my brother increase his cultivation."
"Fourth Brother, it was my willing choice to give resources to Big Brother. You... you must not blame him." Wang Ruotong anxiously explained.
According to the clan rules, anyone within the clan who forcefully takes resources from others would be severely punished. However, willingly giving up one's resources would not warrant any punishment.
"Sigh!"
Wang Shouzhe sighed heavily in his heart. It seemed that the Fourth Grand Elder favored boys over girls. However, this was a common occurrence in the Wang family due to their poverty at the moment.
Wang Shounuo, unlike Wang Shouzhe, being the direct line's Young Clan Leader with good talent, his received resources would naturally not match up.
However, the cultivation of a Profound Martial practitioner is better the younger they are, allowing them to rise higher. The Fourth Grand Elder probably had no other choice, hence he persuaded Wang Ruotong to help Wang Shounuo.
"It's nothing. In all reality, it's my fault." Wang Shouzhe sighed, "I'm taking up too many resources, leaving less for my brothers and sisters."
"Fourth Brother is the direct line, has high talent and is the backbone of the family. He should receive more resources." Wang Luotong looked at him with admiration and anticipation, "Grandpa said that Fourth Brother's talent is only slightly less than Old Ancestor Longyan, and there's great hope for you to enter the Spirit Platform Realm. Once Fourth Brother becomes a Spiritual Elder, our family's days will get better."
"Yeah, yeah, I also heard that Fourth Brother has passed the exams for the Purple Abode Academy." Wang Luo Jing excitedly added, "If it weren't for Uncle Five's incident, requiring Fourth Brother to step up as Clan Leader, you would've already gone to the Purple Abode Academy, right? I heard that there are beautiful sisters everywhere there. Fourth Brother, if you go there, you can definitely marry one."
Purple Abode Academy!
To the youth of the entire Changning region, this was a dreamy sacred land, an unreachable dream.
"Stop talking nonsense. What's in your little brain, you yellow-haired brat?" Wang Shouzhe smiled and gave her a stare, stuffing her mouth with a few candied fruits, "I haven't passed the final examination yet. Maybe I'll be eliminated."
Amid the laughter, Wang Shouzhe felt the heavy pressure of expectation from the entire clan.
"Anyway, Fourth Brother is the strongest." Wang Luo Jing clearly idolized him blindly.
"The prosperity of a family cannot be achieved by one person alone." Wang Shouzhe smiled brightly, looking at Wang Luo Jing, "You're also a family member, you should strive too. Your talent seems quite good, you've already reached an advanced stage at the first level of Qi Refinement at such a young age. Work hard. Perhaps in the future, you'll be admitted to the Purple Abode Academy and be as excellent as Old Ancestor Longyan."
"Mmm, Jing'er will definitely work hard." Wang Luo Jing's eyes were full of hope, "I can't let Sister Luo Qiu overtake me again."
Luo Qiu?
"Is it Wang Luo Qiu from Third Uncle's house?" Wang Shouzhe asked curiously, "Has she already reached the peak of the first level and is about to break through?"
"She has already broken through." Wang Luo Jing pouted unhappily, "She even came to boast to me a while ago."
"That's quite a good talent." Wang Shouzhe was somewhat surprised, "I remember she's only eleven, right?" This talent didn't seem much worse than his own.
As it turned out, the young generation of the Wang family was not inferior to the Liu or Zhao Clans. It was merely resource distribution issues that hindered everyone's growth. He thought about this as he frowned in contemplation.
Take Liu Yongzhou from the Liu Clan for example. When he was 23-24, he could already reach an advanced stage at level five, making him quite outstanding among the youth. If Wang Luotong were given abundant cultivation resources, her future achievements might not be inferior to Liu Yongzhou's.
Regrettably, for one, she was a girl. Secondly, the family was just too poor.
Subsequently, Wang Shouzhe intentionally or unintentionally evaluated their knowledge in culture, only to find out that they were lackluster in this field. Especially in calculation skills, they were woefully deficient.
Seeing this, Wang Shouzhe was admittedly annoyed and recriminated sharply, "This is embarrassing! Your beautiful heads are completely empty. Although Profound Martial clans need to establish themselves through martial arts, culture and a background of knowledge equally serve as the foundation of a family's heritage."
"Fourth Brother, we promise, we won't slack off anymore."
"After you go back this time, you need to study hard. I'll test you all again in three months."
"Oh!"
Wang Luotong and Wang Luo Jing both hung their heads.
...
The distance from the Wang family's main residence to Fenggu Farm is only 20 miles, and the road is sturdy and hard, suitable for two intersecting carriages. On both sides of the road, wheat is planted, and the journey is very smooth.
It is the early summer, with lush vegetation on both sides, full of vitality. Large swathes of green wheat sway with the wind, like the rolling sea. This season is the time for wheat ears to mature. The weather is fine, and the sunshine is abundant, obviously a good omen.
Wang Shouzhe and his two younger sisters arrived at Fenggu Farm in less than two hours while chatting.
Most farms tend to be situated in fertile lands. This parcel of land is seven or eight miles from the main stream of Peace River. There is a small tributary that's tens of feet wide that meanders down, crossing through Fenggu Farm.
The ancestors intercepted the tributary and opened up several three-foot-wide irrigation canals horizontally, making the waters here resemble the large character for "Feng" from a bird's-eye view. Hence, the ancestors named it Fenggu Farm.
Scattered by the "Feng" shaped water source, rows of orderly houses were built. Although the houses are simple, every one has a small front and back yard. In the yard, some fruits and vegetables can be planted, and some chickens can be raised. The back yards all have simple stone steps leading to the irrigation canal, which can be used for washing clothes and cooking.
In the main and minor canals, there are groups of ducks and old geese frolicking and hunting, they are quacking very lively.
The farmland is cultivated well in front of the houses, with vast fields of wheat swaying in the wind, looking extraordinarily majestic and beautiful.
What a picturesque rural scene.
Wang Shouzhe, who had been living in the city for a long time, was instantly attracted by this cozy and leisurely picture. Originally, when he went through the transition, his understanding of the Mysterious Magical World was all about fighting and killing.
Never would he have thought that there would also be such beautiful rural scenery.
While someone had already been dispatched to notify him of their receipt, after Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters waited in the riviera front field for half an hour, Wang Xiaozhi finally came out of the depths of the vast farmland.
He was already in his seventies, his skin tanned from the sun, but his spirit was still spry. After removing his straw hat, he walked towards Wang Shouzhe and laughed, "Shouzhe, what brings you here today?"
"Grandpa." Wang Shouzhe courteously greeted.
"Grandpa." The two girls, Wang Luotong and Wang Luo Jing, dutifully greeted Wang Xiaozhi.
"What are you two little girls doing here? Why aren't you at home studying and cultivating?" Wang Xiaozhi, the senior of the family, rebuked with a furrowed brow, "There's nothing fun about the farmland, it's full of snakes, rats, and ants."
The two girls' faces turned white as they chastised. They kept their heads down and didn't dare to speak.
"Grandpa." Wang Shouzhe helped out, "The Fourth and Fifth Sisters miss you, I took upon myself to bring them to see you, it's not their fault."
"Shouzhe, be careful not to spoil them too much. Otherwise, they might feel wronged after they get married." Wang Xiaozhi's attitude towards Wang Shouzhe became much gentler, "You have come just in time today. Some pigs came to feed in the wheat fields last night. We hunted down the biggest one. We have been stewing it since morning. Come, Grandpa will treat you to wine and meat."
"I was thinking of visiting the farm on a whim this morning, it seems like it is really a stroke of luck, I smelled the delicious food from afar." Wang Shouzhe said with a grin, "It seems I am really lucky."
"You are the backbone of our family, of course you are lucky." Wang Xiaozhi laughed and led Wang Shouzhe into the main yard of the farm, with the two girls trailing closely behind.
The main yard of the farm is a combination of brick, tile, and wood structures. It is quite simple and unadorned. It is mainly for the residing clan members, house guards, household servants, etc. There are some farming tools against the garden walls, and some free-range chickens, which seems to embody the style of a farmhouse.
Wang Xiaozhi welcomed Wang Shouzhe in the courtyard. There was a stone round table and five or six stone round stools were placed around it. A few farm women laid out some melons and fruits and tea, and then started to get busy in the back kitchen.
During this time, the two girls were also chased by the elder Wang Xiaozhi to the kitchen to help. According to him, girls should get more exposure to the kitchen so they won't suffer in their husband's home in the future.
Wang Shouzhe knew that this was a tradition in the Profound Martial World. Although Profound Martial prominent families would have dedicated cooks, cooking some food by oneself represents a kind of intention.
Just like Lady Gongsun Hui, she often cooked delicacies personally for Wang Dingyue and Wang Shouzhe. This represented a close relationship between them.
...