Chapter 77

On the third day of the third month, it is auspicious for weddings, moving into a new home, and long journeys.

This day was a big day for the old and young of Yuezhuang Village, as nearly half of them were moving into the city to live, and they were even moving into the mansion of their former archrivals, the Wang family. The people of Yuezhuang Village were elated.

On the day Yuezhang moved into the new home, all the merchants, officials, and government officials from Yingzhou City gathered, and even Zheng Fakui came to offer his congratulations in person. The scene was bustling with excitement. Faced with such a grand occasion, the old lady of the Yue family could hardly contain her excitement and personally came out to greet the guests. Seeing the throngs of people, she felt both joy and sorrow, as she hadn't seen such a scene in years. She knew very well that all of this was brought about by her grandson.

"The ancestors of the Yue family must have accumulated great virtue! The ancestors of the Yue family must have accumulated great virtue!" The old lady's mouth was so wide with joy that it hadn't closed for a long time, as she watched the crowds of people offering congratulations and the gifts being carried in by the servants.

"If the Linglong sisters could bear a child for the Yue family, it would be even better!" Thinking of this, the old lady's gray eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she looked at the Linglong sisters who were serving her, her gaze lingering on their small bellies. She asked, "Ling, Long, you've been married to Zhenghong for several months now. Have you noticed any changes in your bodies?"

"Um... Ah..." The Linglong sisters were initially taken aback, but they quickly understood the old lady's meaning. Their faces immediately flushed with a hint of red. Despite being married, they were still quite shy. Finally, Yuling, with a red face, softly replied, "Madam, in recent days, Young Master has been busy with land reclamation, training soldiers, and fortifying the city. He often returns very late, and sometimes he doesn't come back for several days. I didn't dare to... to... so... so..."

"Ah... You two girls!" The old lady pointed at the two sisters, scolding them with a mix of frustration and affection: "You've been with me for over ten years, and you still can't understand this? It's right to care for Young Master, but you must also consider the situation. Passing on the family line is the most important thing. You know that after this busy period, Young Master will go to Mongolia to marry the daughter of the Khorchin tribe's leader. Although I haven't dealt with Mongolians, I've heard that Mongolian women are not as gentle as our Han women. They believe in taking the initiative. Although she will be the main wife, if you can bear a child before her, your future will be much better. Don't you understand? This is about competition and taking the initiative. Otherwise, one step behind means being behind forever. Do you understand?"

Seeing the old lady tapping her cane on the ground, the Linglong sisters, who had served her for over ten years, knew exactly what she meant and lowered their heads in agreement, their faces flushed.

After scolding the Linglong sisters, the old lady looked around and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, where is Zhenghong? I haven't seen him since this morning. Where has he gone?"

"Last night, Young Master didn't come back. He's still at Yuezhuang Village. Recently, he's been busy with training soldiers, recruiting, and land reclamation. He's been so busy that he's lost weight," Yuling quickly answered, her tone filled with concern.

"This child, how can he do this? Today is such an important day, how can Young Master not be here? Are we supposed to let all these guests wait for him? It's outrageous!" The old lady scolded, but then sighed, "But it's understandable. So much responsibility is on his shoulders. Whether it's land reclamation, training soldiers, or fortifying the city, he has to personally handle everything. Well, well, today this old woman will help him. Ling, you two help me greet the guests. They've come from far away to offer their congratulations, and we can't neglect them!"

"Yes, Madam!" The Linglong sisters quickly helped the old lady to the front courtyard...

While the old lady was greeting the guests, what was the young master of the Yue family doing? This young man, now a famous official in Yingzhou City, had already arrived in the modern world and was sitting in a coffee shop in Mingzhu District, sipping coffee.

Watching the various white-collar workers, some in Xizhuang ties and others in business suits, pass by the window, Yuezhang suddenly felt as if he were in a different world. Yesterday, he was harshly training soldiers with large swords, long spears, and front-loading muskets, striving to survive. Today, he was in the modern world, with its bright lights and neon, listening to popular songs and watching luxury cars flow through the streets, and many fashionably dressed women walking by. The stark contrast was almost enough to drive a weak person to mental breakdown.

Of course, Yuezhang always considered himself to have a strong nerve, but now he realized he wasn't as strong as he thought. He had discovered a problem, and it was a terrible one: his jade pendant was malfunctioning.

The soft lighting illuminated the space around Yuezhang, making it bright but not glaring. Sitting on the sofa, Yuezhang gently caressed the jade pendant in his hand. The jade pendant was of poor quality, originally a white jade carved into a ruyi shape with some mottled patterns. The fact that Yuezhang had bought it for only 100 yuan indicated its poor quality. However, today, it had three cracks on it.

At first, there was only one crack, and Yuezhang thought he had accidentally damaged it. But he soon realized it wasn't that simple. After traveling back and forth between the Ming Dynasty and the modern world twice, two more cracks appeared. It was then that Yuezhang realized the situation was serious.

"It seems that my initial assumption of being able to travel freely between the modern world and the Ming Dynasty was too optimistic," Yuezhang muttered, taking a sip of coffee, which tasted bitter.

At this moment, Yuezhang was filled with hesitation and anxiety. The reason he had the courage to organize a militia and even commit murder and arson in the other time period was because he had the jade pendant, a miraculous tool. If things got too bad, he could use the jade pendant to escape back to the modern world, change his identity with money, and live a peaceful life. In this world, he didn't have to worry about people like Huangtaiji, Daisan, Li Zicheng, or Zhang Xianzhong coming to take his life. His life was secure. Moreover, with the modern world's strong production capabilities, he could continuously provide aid to his enterprises in the other time period. But all of this was now shattered by the cracks in the jade pendant.

Yuezhang estimated that the jade pendant now had three cracks, and when these cracks spread across the entire pendant, it would shatter into pieces.

"It seems... this jade pendant can only be used five to seven more times. If it really breaks, I'll have to stay in that time period forever!" Looking at the familiar yet strange buildings and scenery outside the window, Yuezhang felt a deep sense of reluctance.

He wasn't without the thought of staying in the modern world forever, but he couldn't go back to his old life. In that time period, he had too many people and things he couldn't bear to part with. If he left, the militia he had created would quickly fall apart. Without his protection, the people of Yuezhuang Village, the old lady, his sister Yue Ying, the Linglong sisters, and the hundreds of people in Yuezhuang Village would become easy prey for others.

Sighing lightly, Yuezhang was about to lift his cup but found the coffee had already cooled. He was about to gesture to the waiter when the door opened, and Zhao Santong, dressed in a well-tailored suit, walked in. He quickly spotted Yuezhang and walked over, smiling, "Yue, you finally showed up. If you didn't come, I would have taken all your money!"

Yuezhang also smiled, "If the famous Zhao Santong had such a limited vision, it would be disappointing!"

"Alright, no more jokes!" Zhao Santong sat down casually, pulled out a white bank card from his pocket, and threw it to Yuezhang, saying, "The things you entrusted me to auction have all been sold. The total is 360 million yuan, all on this card. The password is written on the back. Keep it safe, or I won't be responsible if you lose it!"

"Hehe, thank you, Brother Zhao!" Yuezhang took the card and casually put it in his pocket, as if it were just a few hundred yuan. Zhao Santong, seeing this, nodded inwardly, realizing that this Yue was no ordinary person. If he had suddenly received a few hundred million, he wouldn't have been so calm.

After putting the card away, Yuezhang smiled at Zhao Santong, "Brother Zhao, I've heard you have many connections. Can you help me get some things? Don't worry, I'll pay the appropriate fee."

"What kind of things?"

"Some industrial machinery!"

"Machinery?" Zhao Santong's face, which had been full of smiles, suddenly changed, and his smile slowly faded. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Yue, what do you need industrial machinery for? You should know that machinery is not like antiques or paintings. High-precision machinery is strictly controlled by the state. You're not asking me to break the law, are you?"

Although Zhao Santong said this in a joking tone, anyone could hear the refusal in his words.

Seeing the wary look in Zhao Santong's eyes, Yuezhang smiled and leaned back on the sofa, saying casually, "Don't worry, I won't make you break the law. The machinery I need shouldn't involve any state secrets. I only need some simple machinery. Here is the list. If you still think it involves state secrets after reading it, I'll leave immediately and won't bother you again."

Saying this, Yuezhang handed a list to Zhao Santong.

Zhao Santong quickly glanced at the list, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He shouted, somewhat angrily, "Yue, are you joking with me?"

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