Chapter 36

"Disagree!" After hearing his son's words, Old Master Liu Xiu slammed the table in anger and shouted loudly. "I absolutely disagree! No matter what, I will not agree to this. It is inappropriate, disrespectful, and illegal!"

"Master, please calm down and let Jun finish his words," Liu Jun's mother, Lady Li, advised from the side. She was a typical woman of the Ming Dynasty, usually deferring to her husband on all household matters.

"Father, to be honest, Xueqi and I have already been living together, and last night, we shared a bed. She is already mine, and no matter what, I will marry her. Xueqi is a good girl, and I want to marry her," Liu Jun said straightforwardly.

Everyone in the Liu family, sitting in the hall, exchanged glances upon hearing this. The information was overwhelming, leaving them all somewhat at a loss.

Even his sister-in-law, Lady Mei, felt somewhat embarrassed.

Liu Zhao, on the other hand, had a look of admiration for his brother's boldness.

Old Master Liu became even angrier, "How can you do this? After all the years of education, did you learn nothing? Marriages are decided by parents and matchmakers, not privately! Besides, have you forgotten how much trouble your affair caused? You had to flee to another place to avoid trouble, and the family spent a fortune to settle the matter."

"Moreover, don't forget that Miss Lu is already betrothed to the son of Scholar Zhou. Your actions are illegal, and if he reports you to the authorities, Miss Lu will still have to marry the Zhou family."

Liu Jun, however, was unperturbed, "Father, you're overthinking it. Initially, Xueqi and I did decide privately, and the Zhou family did pay a dowry. But later, the Zhou family broke the engagement. Once the engagement is broken, they have no connection to Xueqi. When they tried to take her back, it was a forced marriage. Xueqi is now with me, which is indeed disrespectful, but if we send someone to propose to the Lu family, the issue will be resolved."

Old Master Liu sighed deeply, "Jiye, there are so many good women in the world. Why must you choose Miss Lu? Listen to your father. If you want to get married, your father and mother will find you a better match."

"Do you look down on Miss Lu?" Liu Jun asked directly.

Old Master Liu remained silent, but he indeed had some reservations about Miss Lu. He thought she was too wild, and her private engagement with his son violated the traditions of scholarly families, causing significant losses to the Liu family. After the Lu family broke the engagement with the Zhou family, Miss Lu's reputation was tarnished with many unsavory rumors.

In Old Master Liu's view, his son had a bright future. Even if he didn't marry the daughter of a Jinshi (high-ranking scholar), he should at least marry the daughter of a Juren (scholar). Miss Lu's father was just a wealthy donor who bought a Jiansheng (student) title, and her reputation was already ruined.

However, Liu Jun was not there to seek approval; he was there to inform them. He did not intend to follow the family's arrangements for his personal marriage.

"Father, Mother, Elder Brother, and Sister-in-law, Xueqi and I are already living together in the county town. I came back today to inform you and to ask if you could help me move Bao'er's family to the county town to take care of the house and Xueqi."

"Are you really not going to listen to our advice?"

"Let me handle this matter myself."

Seeing Liu Jun's determined expression, Old Master Liu could only sigh and shake his head in resignation. He realized that his son was no longer the same as he was two years ago. He had changed, and even Liu Xiu couldn't understand him anymore. With his son growing older and more capable, he couldn't control him much. "Children have their own destiny," he thought, and decided to let him be.

In the county town, at the Heshenglong Silk Shop.

As soon as Liu Jun stepped into the shop, a clerk came up to greet him.

"Welcome, sir. Our shop offers a wide variety of silk and brocade. What kind of fabric are you looking for?"

Liu Jun glanced around the shop. It was a large establishment that not only sold silk but also made ready-to-wear clothing. There were about a dozen clerks, and it was clearly a front store with a back workshop.

"I plan to order several hundred sets of ready-to-wear clothing."

"Several hundred sets?" The clerk was immediately excited. This was a big order. "Sir, please wait a moment while I fetch the manager to discuss this with you. Please have a seat."

There was a tea table and a few chairs set up on one side of the shop, clearly for the convenience of important guests.

Liu Jun had just sat down when the manager came over personally. Several hundred sets of clothing were not a small order, and the manager's personal involvement showed his sincerity and respect.

However, when the manager saw that it was Liu Jun, his smile froze. The manager knew Liu Jun because Heshenglong was one of the Lu family's shops. The Lu family had a large business, mainly in silk, with their own weaving workshops and shops in various places. They collected silk, spun it into yarn, and then wove it into silk, even processing it into ready-to-wear clothing.

"I didn't expect to see you, Master Liu," the manager said with a somewhat stiff smile. He had been the Lu family's manager for many years and knew that Miss Lu had eloped with Liu Jun.

"Manager Lu, hello," Liu Jun greeted. He had long known that this shop belonged to the Lu family and recognized Manager Lu. "I plan to order some ready-to-wear clothing. Can your shop handle it?"

"Of course, no problem," Manager Lu replied. "How is Miss Lu?"

"She is well. Please convey my regards to Uncle Lu. I will send someone to propose to the Lu family in a few days."

Manager Lu could only smile awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

"Manager Lu, let's discuss the business. I have the designs for the clothing here. Please take a look," Liu Jun took out a stack of drawings from his chest.

The manager took the drawings and noticed that the clothing designs were quite unique, styles he had never seen before. However, the drawings were well-made, making it easy to understand the detailed features of the clothing.

"We can make them, but the styles are quite unusual."

"These are the uniforms for our village militia. There are regular uniforms, training uniforms, and raincoats. The regular and training uniforms are divided into summer, winter, and spring-autumn versions, and the color is blue-gray," Liu Jun explained, pointing to the designs. He had designed them himself, and even for a village militia, they needed standardized uniforms to enhance a sense of unity.

They couldn't be like the local garrison soldiers, who were so poor that they had pawned their military uniforms and looked like beggars. How could such an army have any combat effectiveness?

"Additionally, these are backpacks, shoulder straps, belts, tents, straw hats, and rain hats."

Manager Lu looked at Liu Jun in surprise, "Aren't you just a village militia? How can you have such good equipment? You have regular uniforms, training uniforms, and even armor?"

"Proper tools are essential for success," Liu Jun smiled. These uniforms, backpacks, and tents were just part of what he planned to purchase. He would also order shoes, socks, and water bottles. Although these additional items would increase expenses, Liu Jun and Li Chunjiang intended to train the cavalry as elite household troops, and they were willing to invest heavily.

After some discussion, Manager Lu accepted Liu Jun's order for the uniforms and tents and even offered to handle the hats, boots, socks, underwear, and raincoats.

"I often walk the streets and am familiar with the various shops. If you have anything else to order, I can handle it all for you," Manager Lu said enthusiastically. "I only hope that you will treat Miss Lu well in the future."

"Of course, rest assured."

In the end, Liu Jun also gave Manager Lu a list of other items he needed to order. Since Manager Lu was willing to help, he decided to entrust everything to him. Liu Jun still had many things to attend to. After expressing his gratitude, Liu Jun left a hundred taels of silver as a deposit and departed.

(Seeking recommendations!)

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