Chapter 79

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Just as Liu Ruolei was in a state of disarray, Wang Shouzhe walked over with a dark face and grabbed Wang Luoqiu's ear: "Wang Luoqiu, are your ears growing on your forehead? This is Sister Liu Ruolei, not Sister Liu Ruolan!"

"Ouch, ouch, Fourth Brother, let go. This is so embarrassing, I, Wang Luoqiu, am the future Empress... Hmph, don't blame me when the time comes..." Before Wang Luoqiu could finish her grand words, tears were already welling up in her eyes from the pain, and she had to beg for mercy, "Fourth Brother, I was wrong."

Only when she submitted and begged for mercy did Wang Shouzhe let her go, mocking her: "The future Empress Luoqiu, so easily subdued?"

"Hmph." Wang Luoqiu touched her red ear and huffed, "Any world-class genius's growth is always filled with hardships and thorns, and there are always some sinister little..."

Seeing Wang Shouzhe's expression change, Wang Luoqiu quickly changed her tune, looking sincere, "Of course, it also can't do without someone like Fourth Brother, who cares for the protagonist with great concern and meticulous attention, a spiritual mentor on the lonely path to the throne."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless, this girl has read too many middle school hot-blooded novels, and you're the protagonist?

"Big Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn't have called you little." Wang Luoqiu sincerely apologized, then energetically threw herself back into the effort to rise the family, "Wang Shouyong, what are you eating? Can't you even maintain order? If you can't handle it, let me take over."

"Wang Shou... Third Brother, build the shelters faster. Many of the applicants won't have a place to sleep tonight."

"Wang Luotong, can you make the porridge any slower? If you keep this up, I'll have to send you off for a marriage alliance."

"Fourth Brother, please move. Go do your thing, don't block the way and get in the way."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless. This girl has a pretty "honest" side to her personality. She calls everyone by their names if she can beat them, and calls them Third Brother, Fourth Brother, etc., if she can't.

"Ruolei." Wang Shouzhe bowed and apologized, "I'll apologize again for Luoqiu. She's just a loud and boisterous person, but she doesn't have any bad intentions."

"Brother Shouzhe, it's fine, it's fine. Sister Luoqiu is quite cute." Liu Ruolei had recovered from her embarrassment.

"Brother Shouzhe, your sister is too..." Liu Yuanrui was also deeply moved.

"Not at all." Wang Shouzhe hurriedly interrupted and denied, smiling, "Our family is just more lively with Luoqiu, she's an exception. My sister Luojing is very sensible and obedient, gentle and well-behaved. Luojing, come say hello..."

As he spoke, a scream was heard from the crowd.

A burly man, covered in highly venomous ants, was rolling on the ground in agony: "It hurts, it hurts so much, little lady, spare me, I was wrong, I shouldn't have incited..."

"Fourth Brother, I caught a spy." Wang Luojing casually threw out two fist-sized spiders and three centipedes, which quickly crawled onto the burly man, "This guy is a Xuanwu practitioner, probably a wandering cultivator. He dared to incite the disaster victims to loot our family's food. Hmph, you're a bad person, I'll let the bugs sting you to death."

The burly man's screams were so painful that everyone around was silent.

Wang Shouzhe's smile froze on his face. Do these sisters have to be like this? This is undermining me...

What if they break off the engagement? What if I can't get married?

Liu Yuanrui was breaking out in cold sweat, looking at Wang Shouzhe with suspicion. This, this is the gentle, well-behaved, and sensible sister?

Are you sure these sisters are all well-behaved, not like tigers?

He instinctively took a step back. He had come to the Ping'an Wang family with a sense of superiority.

Now, thinking about it, Ping'an Town seems very dangerous. This was a hasty decision!

This place, I can't stay.

"Brother Shouzhe." Liu Yuanrui bowed slightly, "We've finished inspecting the project, it's indeed impressive. However, it's getting late, it's time to pay respects to Aunt Gong Sun and Old Ancestor Longyan."

"Little Brother, you pay respects to Aunt and Old Ancestor for me. I'm not on the envoy list anyway, I'll stay here to help." Liu Ruolei was quite interested in Wang Luoqiu and Wang Luojing, and volunteered to stay and help, "Also, Brother Shouzhe, I see many people are very hungry. Can we give them some porridge first before they apply?"

She was, after all, a well-clothed and well-fed young lady, unaccustomed to seeing human suffering.

"Sister Ruolei is right." Wang Shouzhe bowed, "I was shortsighted. I'll have Luotong arrange it. And if you want to stay and help, that's fine too. I'll have the guards take good care of you."

"Brother Shouzhe, I'm not a weak little girl." Liu Ruolei smiled faintly, then ran over to join Wang Luoqiu and continued working.

After instructing Wang Luotong, Wang Shouzhe returned to the carriage with Liu Yuanrui, heading for the main residence.

In the carriage.

"Brother Shouzhe, your sisters are really lively." Liu Yuanrui was still a bit uneasy. He was the second legitimate son, not particularly fond of cultivation, and it wasn't his turn to walk the Lingtai path.

Therefore, he usually considered himself a scholar, valuing refinement. However, he never expected Wang Shouzhe's sisters to be so fierce.

"Ha ha, Yuanrui, it seems Sister Ruolei is concealing her aura?" Wang Shouzhe changed the subject, "I can't see through her cultivation."

There are two reasons for not being able to see through someone's cultivation: one is that their cultivation is much higher than his. The second is that they are using some method to conceal their aura.

"This..." Liu Yuanrui hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, "Brother Shouzhe is one of us. Yes, our family's Ruolei has good cultivation talent and has been favored by Old Ancestor Xuanfu since childhood. She just doesn't want to reveal her cultivation progress, so Old Ancestor gave her an artifact to conceal her aura. In two years, Old Ancestor will take her to the Xuegong."

Although Wang Shouzhe had some suspicions, he was still surprised and envious when he heard it: "Congratulations, Yuanrui. Your Liu family's fortune is truly remarkable."

To be so favored by Old Ancestor Xuanfu, Liu Ruolei must have outstanding potential and talent. With the resources of the Xuegong and the family's support, as long as there are no accidents, she will definitely reach the Lingtai realm in the future.

The Xuegong path is what many lower-ranking families dream of. The Xuegong offers a broader stage and more resources than the family. The future development of the family's descendants will also become limitless.

However, the Xuegong has strict control over its elite disciples. They can contribute to the family to a certain extent, but ultimately, they are still part of the Xuegong. The Xuegong invests a lot of resources and teaching efforts, not to cultivate talent for the families, but for the Xuegong itself.

This is why Old Ancestor Longyan had to give up her elite disciple status to return to the family and guard it long-term.

Moreover, Old Ancestor Longyan's actions were almost tantamount to betraying the Xuegong. The Xuegong's decision to overlook her was already very lenient, thanks to her teacher's mediation.

But even with the strict rules of the Zifu Xuegong, most families still try to send their geniuses there when they appear. This can create a situation where the family has someone in the Xuegong, making other families more cautious and respectful.

Because no one can predict how far a family's descendant will develop in the future. If they can achieve the Tianren realm, the entire family will benefit, at least for several hundred years.

In this process, the family may even gradually rise to a Tianren family.

According to Wang Shouzhe's knowledge, any Tianren family must have someone in the Xuegong, and usually more than one.

Leaving the conversation aside for now.

Wang Shouzhe and Liu Yuanrui arrived at the main residence together. Following the rules of etiquette, he went to pay respects to Gong Sun Hui.

Although the Yinshan Liu family and the Yangshan Gong Sun family have many grievances over the mineral resources of the same mountain range, etiquette cannot be neglected, especially since Gong Sun Hui is now the matriarch of the Wang family.

Gong Sun Hui, dressed in luxurious formal attire, received Liu Yuanrui in the main hall of the main residence.

After some pleasantries, Liu Yuanrui proposed to pay respects to Old Ancestor Longyan.

"Don't rush, Yuanrui." Gong Sun Hui smiled, "We still have to wait for one person, then we'll all go to Longyan's residence together."

Although Liu Yuanrui was curious, he maintained his composure, drinking tea and talking to Wang Shouzhe, "Brother Shouzhe, I came to pay respects for two reasons. First, to thank your family for sending the guards to notify us about the insect disaster. Second, to deliver a return gift on behalf of my sister."

With that, Liu Yuanrui took out two gift lists and presented them.

When Wang Shouzhe discovered the signs of the insect disaster, he immediately wrote letters to all the families with marital ties.

If the Liu family ignored this gesture of mutual support, it would show a lack of respect for the Wang family. By sending an envoy and a gift, they acknowledged the favor.

As for Liu Ruolan's personal return gift, it was because, at Gong Sun Hui's suggestion, Wang Shouzhe had sent the best parts of the Donghai Arrowfish he had hunted, frozen and fresh, to Liu Ruolan to taste.

Liu Ruolan's return gift was a three-ounce package of Yunwu Lingcha, a spiritual tea.

This return gift made Wang Shouzhe feel somewhat comforted and also developed some goodwill towards Liu Ruolan.

Her choice of a return gift, a refined spiritual tea, was exactly what someone on the Lingtai path like Wang Shouzhe needed. Its value was roughly equal to the spiritual fish he had sent, neither too much nor too little.

This kind of return gift made him feel comfortable and showed that she had put a lot of thought into it.

Although there were no words of thanks, he could feel her importance and expectations for his future.

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