Protect Our Patriarch - Chapter 19: The Legendary Fiancée

It was a robust man, dressed in coarse linen clothing, who seemed to be busy at work. With a clang, he put down a box of salted fish he was carrying on his shoulder and came up happily to greet him.

Wang Shouzhe composed himself and recognized the man as the second eldest member of the ‘Shou’ generation, Wang Shouyi. He greeted him with cupped hands and a smile. “Second Brother, why are you dressed like this, and you’re even doing manual labor yourself?”

Wang Shouyi laughed helplessly. “Uncle Sixth must have lost his mind; he actually ordered someone to send over all the stock of salted fish from the Dingpu warehouse and commanded me to sell them quickly. The shop assistants can’t cope with the workload all at once, so here I am, unloading the goods myself.”

Saying this, he pointed at the several cargo wagons lined up behind him that were nearly blocking the road.

Um… hehehe~

Wang Shouzhe, of course, knew the reason. It was due to his own suggestions and ideas. This year, the fishing brigade’s catch was absolutely going through the roof. If the stock of salted fish wasn’t dealt with quickly, the subsequent large catch coming to market would leave them with an excess of unsold salted fish.

“Wang Zhong, Wang Yong, help Second Brother unload,” Wang Shouzhe instructed, waving his hand.

“Yes, Patriarch,” the two family guards immediately set down their packs and went to help. One was at the fourth level of Qi Refinement and the other at the fifth level, both of them having far more strength and stamina than the average person.

Adding in Wang Shouyi, who was at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, the three Xuanwu practitioners working together sped up the unloading process significantly.

Of course, Wang Shouzhe himself was already at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refinement, and if he were to join in, the speed would be even faster. But would it not damage the clan’s prestige if he, the head of the clan, was seen moving salted fish? Such concerns mattered.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all the goods from the wagons were moved into the warehouse, and the road was cleared.

Afterward, a cleaned-up Wang Shouyi originally wanted to entertain Wang Shouzhe in the back courtyard, but was declined. They found a place to sit and have tea inside the fish stall instead.

“Fourth Brother, our fish stall mainly sells salted fish, smoked dried fish, fresh fish, and live fish,” Wang Shouyi explained as he poured tea. “Most of the dried goods like salted fish are bought in bulk by wandering merchants who sells them in the northwest.

“Fresh fish is mainly sold to the vendors in Changning City, who comes to our stall to pick up the goods every day before dawn. Secondly, we also supply fresh and live fish to several restaurants in the city. We are responsible for delivery for this part, but the price we charge is slightly higher.

“Besides that, there are some noble clans and rich merchants who also have a daily demand for fresh and live fish. Therefore, from early morning until noon, it is the busiest time for our fish stall.”

In just a few words, Wang Shouzhe understood the operation mode of the Wang clan’s fish stall. Its main purpose was to maximize the selling price of the fish caught by the fishing brigade, and the net income it brought to the clan was about two hundred gold coins per year.

It was precisely because the net profit wasn’t high that Wang Shouyi, a direct bloodline family member of the seventh generation, was in charge here.

Wang Shouyi’s aptitude for cultivation wasn’t considered very good, being only at the lower D-grade. Therefore, the resources he received from the clan couldn’t be compared with those of Wang Dingyue or Wang Shouzhe. That was why at thirty-three years old, he had only reached the early stage of the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

Fortunately, Wang Shouyi was steady and hardworking, and he had no complaints about the family’s allocation of resources. Instead, he diligently took on the management of one of the clan’s industries, contributing to the clan’s welfare.

“Second Brother, you have worked hard these years,” Wang Shouzhe spoke up, giving him a formal bow.

“What are you talking about, Fourth Brother?” Wang Shouyi hurriedly rose to return the gesture. “As a direct descendant of our clan, managing the family’s business is my duty; why mention hardship? As long as you, Fourth Brother, can break through to the Spirit Platform realm one day, all of us in the Wang clan will surely live better lives.”

Spirit Platform realm, Spirit Platform realm!

Wang Shouzhe sighed inwardly. Right now, all the hopes of the clan members were pinned on him. It was this hope that drove them to work tirelessly.

“Rest assured, Second Brother! Our Wang clan will definitely prosper.” Wang Shouzhe confidently smiled and continued, “By the way, I heard that nephew Zongsheng has good aptitude, around C grade?”

At the mention of Zongsheng, a joyful expression appeared on Wang Shouyi’s honest face as he scratched his head, “That kid is not bad, better than his dad. It seems my bloodline isn’t too shabby.”

“Hehe, Second Brother, that’s because the talent comes from Second Sister-in-law,” Wang Shouzhe teased with a laugh. “I know that sister-in-law was renowned for her beauty during her younger days at the Xu clan in Jinsha. She attracted suitors from many clans who sought her hand in marriage. Yet, who would have thought that you would emerge victorious and win sister-in-law’s heart.”

“Fourth Brother, you still remember that? Weren’t you just a child at that time? Hehe, your sister-in-law didn’t like those flashy young masters; she was fond of my honesty and simplicity,” Wang Shouyi recalled with pride on his face. “Marrying her was the greatest victory of my life. By the way, you’re eighteen this year, right? When do you plan to marry the precious daughter of the Liu clan?”

Liu clan’s daughter?

Wang Shouzhe paused. If it hadn’t been for Wang Shouyi bringing it up, he might have forgotten that he was already betrothed to the eldest legitimate daughter of the Liu clan.

Logically speaking, it would be difficult for the now-declining Wang clan to be matched with a direct line of the Liu clan. The relationship between the two clans was only maintained through occasional marriages among their direct descendants. The last time such marriage between the direct lineages of the Wang and Liu clans occurred over a hundred years ago.

At that time, the direct daughter of the Liu clan was married to Wang Yuyou, the second son of the old ancestor Zhouxuan, while Wang Zhuwei, the second daughter of Zhouxuan, married into the direct line of the Liu family.

It’s worth mentioning that great-aunt Wang Zhuwei gave birth to two sons and a daughter in the Liu clan. Today, among the two surviving Spirit Platform Realm elders of the Liu clan, one was the son of great-aunt Zhuwei, and the other was  her grandson.

It was also because of this that the Liu clan of Shanyin had always maintained a sense of kinship with the Wang clan.

However, the most formidable member of the Liu clan was not those two Spirit Platform Realm elders but Zhuwei’s daughter, Liu Xuanfu.

Reflecting on the past, Liu Xuanfu of the Liu clan and Wang Longyan of the Wang clan were not only cousins. Both of them possessed rare and exceptional talents, and both were admitted to the Violet Palace Academy, an event that shocked the entire Changning Stronghold region.

They were known as the ‘Twin Jewels of Changning’, and their fame surpassed that of many Spirit Platform elders from ordinary clans. Moreover, they both made good progress in the Violet Palace Academy and had a bright future ahead of them.

Unfortunately….

After the Wang clan faced a great disaster, Ancestor Longyan had to give up her status as an elite student of the academy to return to the family. She ended up being gravely injured and with a greatly reduced lifespan, and has not left Changning since.

On the other hand, Liu Xuanfu continued her development within the Violet Palace Academy, and her current situation was not very clear. However, seeing the growing strength of the Liu clan of Shanyin, it could be inferred that Liu Xuanfu must be doing very well in the academy.

Therefore, the marriage arrangement between Wang Shouzhe and the legitimate daughter of the Liu clan was personally proposed by Ancestor Longyan as she sought to leave the clan with one last safeguard.

Perhaps Ancestor Longyan paid some unknown price, or perhaps the Liu clan still cherished their old ties, but either way, the marriage was agreed upon.

“Fourth brother, what are you thinking about?” Wang Shouyi asked with a sly smile. “Perhaps, is it about your bride-to-be, Miss Liu Ruolan?”

“Hehe~ Second brother, let’s think more about how to strengthen our family,” Wang Shouzhe changed the topic. “If Uncle Sixth’s fishing brigade can double its annual yield compared to previous years, can your fish stall handle it?”

“What, double?” Wang Shouyi’s face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, “Fourth Brother, is the family willing to expand the fishing fleet? That would be a great thing for the clan. If it’s true, I guarantee I won’t hold us back.”

“What about doubling it?” Wang Shouzhe said with a mischievous grin.

“Hiss~” Wang Shouyi drew in a sharp breath. “Fourth Brother, don’t tease your Second Brother like this.”

Wang Shouzhe was about to explain further when suddenly, a sinister laugh came from outside. “Wang clan’s second son, Wang Shouyi, are you there? I’m Ding Youde, the second manager of the Fa Cai Gambling House. When is your nephew planning to pay back the money he owes our gambling house?”

Fa Cai Gambling House? Gambling debts? Nephew?

As Wang Shouyi’s face turned pale, the smile on Wang Shouzhe’s face also froze, and his gaze sharpened.