"Why?"
Tang Dongdong's eyes dimmed: "Are you afraid of the Zhou family?"
"I don't even know where the Zhou family is," Jin Feng shook his head again.
"Is it because I'm not good-looking enough?"
"You're very beautiful, and I admire your insight and eloquence."
"Then why?" Tang Dongdong pressed.
"We've only met twice, and you're already talking about marrying me. I think it's too fast."
Jin Feng casually brushed her off.
Tang Dongdong had both looks and capability. In another era, she would have been a successful career woman.
Someone like her could make a good business partner but wasn't necessarily suited to be a wife.
"You and Xiaorou got married the first time you met. Wasn't that even faster?" Tang Dongdong retorted.
"That was out of necessity. If I hadn't married Xiaorou, it would have been considered tax evasion. You know the consequences of that."
Speaking of this, Jin Feng felt a sense of relief.
The matchmaking team had been terrifying, like a blind box lottery.
Fortunately, Guan Xiaorou was in the group. Otherwise, he would have had to choose a wife from a group of dark and unattractive women.
Given Jin Feng's personality, he couldn't bring himself to force a woman to her death. In this era, there was no concept of divorce, so he would have had to accept his fate.
"My first marriage was out of necessity, but I was lucky to meet Xiaorou. It was a blessing from heaven.
"With Xiaorou, I am already content. So, I have no plans to take a concubine for now. Even if I were to take one, I would want it to be because I genuinely fell in love with someone, not as part of a business deal."
"Xiaorou, you've found a good man."
Tang Dongdong's energy deflated, and she seemed to shrink a little. She turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Jin Feng called after her.
"If you're not interested in cooperating, why should I stay? There's still weeding to do in the fields."
"I only said I won't marry you. Who said we can't cooperate?"
In modern times, many large companies have numerous shareholders.
On the other hand, many family-run businesses end in chaos, becoming the laughingstock of the entire internet.
"If you won't marry me, will you still support me?"
"As long as it makes money, I'll support it. But I must have absolute control."
"Absolute control? What does that mean?"
Tang Dongdong asked curiously.
"It means that in our partnership, I have the final say," Jin Feng explained.
"You have the final say?" Tang Dongdong thought for a moment: "That's fine, but you can't stop me from seeking revenge against the Zhou family."
"How do you plan to take revenge?" Jin Feng asked: "If it involves hiring assassins, forget it. I don't want to be executed."
"Neither do I," Tang Dongdong said: "My revenge is simple—I want to take away the Zhou family's business! Our spinning wheel is faster, and we can produce goods cheaper than the Zhou family. Taking their business won't be difficult."
"That's acceptable," Jin Feng nodded.
"You... you agree?"
Tang Dongdong was momentarily stunned: "The Zhou family is immensely wealthy. Aren't you afraid?"
"I'm not planning to challenge them right now. Why should I be afraid?" Jin Feng asked: "You're not planning to either, are you?"
"Of course not," Tang Dongdong quickly waved her hand.
Her original plan was to stay hidden, build up strength, and then deliver a fatal blow to the Zhou family once they were strong enough.
"Then it's settled," Jin Feng smiled: "Pleasure doing business with you."
Hatred is a powerful force.
Jin Feng believed that with this driving her, Tang Dongdong would pour all her energy into developing the workshop.
As for the Zhou family, they would deal with them naturally.
Small workshops were everywhere. If they didn't grow, the Zhou family, as the top cloth merchant in the prefecture, probably wouldn't even glance at Jin Feng.
Competitors are natural enemies. If they grew to a point where they could challenge the Zhou family, even without Tang Dongdong, they would inevitably clash.
Since it was unavoidable, why not agree to Tang Dongdong's request?
"Pleasure... doing business with you!"
Tang Dongdong mimicked Jin Feng's words and let out a long sigh of relief.
Then she turned to Guan Xiaorou: "Xiaorou, can I stay at your place for a while?"
"Of course."
Guan Xiaorou said with regret: "Husband, I still think it would be best if you married Dongdong. She's such a good girl—pretty, literate, and good at math. She's a hundred times better than me..."
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
Jin Feng waved his hand and pushed Guan Xiaorou out of the workshop.
When people have enough to eat, they care about etiquette. The wealthy and powerful follow rituals because they are well-fed.
Ordinary folks, however, often live in cramped conditions, with entire families—men, women, children, and siblings—sleeping together in one room. They don't have the luxury of such concerns.
So, from that day on, the village women noticed a new girl at Jin Feng's house, taking turns with Guan Xiaorou to spin thread late into the night.
Fortunately, the women's initial fascination with the spinning wheel had worn off, so no one complained. Instead, they grew curious about Tang Dongdong's identity.
When they learned that Tang Dongdong was merely staying at Jin Feng's house and not married to him, the women looked at Jin Feng with disdain.
In this era, taking a concubine in the countryside wasn't frowned upon. On the contrary, it was seen as a sign of capability and responsibility.
Marrying one wife was a necessity, but being able to support two or three was a true display of skill.
The village chief of Xihe Village, Xiaoyu's father, had four wives, the youngest only a few years older than Xiaoyu.
He was known as a great benefactor in the nearby villages.
In the eyes of the village women, Jin Feng's behavior made him less of a man.
So, in the following days, whenever Jin Feng went out, he was met with scornful looks and contempt, which frustrated him. He decided to stay home and focus on building another spinning wheel for Tang Dongdong.
...
Forty miles west of Xihe Village, there was a valley situated on the border between Jinchuan County and another county. For years, it had been a lawless area, a gathering place for bandits and outlaws.
The narrow valley was home to taverns, brothels, gambling dens, blacksmiths, carpentry shops, pharmacies, and even a small livestock market, bustling like a lively marketplace.
However, the people who frequented this market were anything but respectable.
Outside an unnamed gambling den, a burly man dragged Xie Guang out and threw him to the ground.
As Xie Guang scrambled to his feet, his companion, a bald man, was also tossed out.
"Bah! Snobbish bastards!"
The bald man spat at the entrance of the gambling den and rubbed his stomach: "Xie Guang, go buy me some buns."
"Third Boss, I'm out of money..."
Xie Guang said with a pained expression.
"Didn't you keep a few coins?"
"I lost them all..."
"Useless fool!"
The bald man kicked Xie Guang: "Then get lost. I'm heading back to the mountains."
"Third Boss, don't leave yet."
Xie Guang grabbed the bald man: "Remember that guy from my village, Jin Feng? He has at least twenty taels of silver on him."