Chapter 80

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Liu Jun was very humble today. According to etiquette, Lu Xueqi could not appear, so he sat quietly in the hall, watching his father and Lu Weizhang chat. He strained to listen but only caught the polite and formal conversation between them.

After a while, Lu Weizhang called Liu Jun to the study to chat.

Lu Weizhang's residence was large, and his study was elegantly decorated. Although he had not passed the imperial examinations and had turned to business, his study was filled with several large bookshelves, and it was clear that many of the books had been read, not just for show.

Entering the study, Lu Weizhang took out a jar of wine from a cabinet. It seemed he was preparing to have a good drink and a heart-to-heart talk with his son-in-law.

Lu Weizhang patted the wine jar, "This jar of wine was buried under the peach tree in the backyard when Xueqi was born. It has been eighteen years, and I just dug it up myself. I originally planned to serve it at Xueqi's wedding banquet, but today I decided to dig it up early and share it with you."

"Alright," Liu Jun didn't know what to say; this was his first time getting married. "Perhaps I should tell you about myself and my family first."

Lu Weizhang waved his hand, "No need. We are from the same town, and I know your family well. A scholarly family, passing down the tradition of farming and reading. Your grandfather moved here from elsewhere when he was young, married, and settled down. The Liu family of Xibay has been here for several decades. Although we are not extremely wealthy, our family has a good reputation. We have over a hundred acres of good land, more than enough to get by."

Liu Jun remained silent. In a way, the two families were well-matched. One was from the lower ranks of the gentry, and the other was a scholarly merchant. The Liu family had produced two scholars and one student, a farming and reading family. The Lu family, descendants of officials, had turned to business and were now well-off, but lacked official titles.

"I am not the kind of person who looks down on the poor and favors the rich. Our families are well-matched. If not for that accident, we would have been married long ago. Fate has its way, but it has also made our union more meaningful. Now, we are finally getting married. Here, let's have a drink."

As he spoke, he raised his wine cup, and Liu Jun smiled and raised his as well, clinking them together. They drank the eighteen-year-old daughter red wine in one go, savoring the sweet aftertaste and the lingering fragrance.

The only dish to accompany the wine was a plate of soybeans, but they enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lu Weizhang continued, "I have heard that you are now a temporary inspector, but with the favor of Zhao Bingxian and Mr. Mei, it won't be long before you become a permanent one. Although an inspector is a minor official, since you have their favor, your career will surely be smooth."

"The dowry you brought today was very generous and impressive. The neighbors and friends all praised it, and I am very happy. I am not greedy for the dowry; the Lu family lacks nothing but money. I am happy that your family, though not extremely wealthy, could still provide such a generous dowry. This shows that your family values the Lu family and Xueqi. I am very pleased. I have raised my daughter all my life and am very reluctant to let her go. But a daughter cannot stay forever, or she will become a burden. I only hope that she marries a man who will love and cherish her. You are a good man, and you treat Xueqi well. I am at ease with her marrying into the Liu family."

After a few cups of wine, Lu Weizhang became more talkative.

"Rest assured, although you brought the dowry with great fanfare, I will return it to the Liu family when Xueqi gets married. Additionally, I have prepared a generous dowry for Xueqi. I won't hide it from you; I have no heirs, and the family business will likely be passed to a nephew. The family business will ultimately belong to the Lu family, but I have prepared a generous dowry for Xueqi, which is substantial."

Lu Weizhang had two regrets in his life. One was not passing the imperial examinations, not even becoming a scholar, and eventually buying a position as a supervisor. The second regret was having only a daughter and no sons. Although his business was successful and he had accumulated a large fortune, he had no son to inherit it, which was a source of regret.

He had only one daughter, whom he cherished deeply. Unfortunately, she fell in love with Liu Jun, who was originally a martial student and is now a ninth-rank martial official, and thus could not be a son-in-law living in the Lu family. According to tradition, the Lu family's property could not be passed to a daughter and son-in-law, but to a member of the clan.

Therefore, the dowry Lu Weizhang prepared for his daughter was very generous, being his only daughter.

"Xueqi's dowry includes estates, shops, workshops, gold, silver, calligraphy, and jewelry, totaling 100,000 taels of silver," Lu Weizhang said, raising his index finger high.

This dowry was incredibly generous, almost frighteningly so. In fact, Lu Weizhang had given half of his family's wealth as a dowry. The remaining half included the most important shops and estates of the Lu family. For a wealthy family like the four major families of Macheng, 100,000 taels might not be much, but for a gentry family like the Liu and Lu families, it was a substantial amount.

The Liu family originally had only about a hundred acres of good land. When his sister-in-law Mei married into the Liu family, her dowry included forty acres of land and two shops, which was already considered a very generous dowry. Now, Lu Weizhang was offering a dowry of 100,000 taels.

Liu Jun was moved and quickly said, "Father-in-law, please keep it."

Lu Weizhang interrupted him, "No more 'father-in-law,' call me 'father-in-law.' You don't need to refuse. I know you don't really care about these material things. This money is Xueqi's dowry. Once she marries into your family, if you need to use it, you can ask her. If you don't use it, it can be saved for your son's wedding or your daughter's dowry."

"Of course, now that you are entering the government, you will have many expenses. I know you also lead a local militia, which has now become your personal guard. You will have to pay for these guards yourself. As a ninth-rank inspector, your monthly salary is only four taels of silver."

The salaries of Ming officials were among the lowest in history, shockingly low.

A ninth-rank official's monthly salary was only five shi of rice.

A county magistrate's salary was only seven shi and five dou of rice per month. At the current grain prices, one shi of fine rice costs eight mace of silver. Liu Jun's monthly salary as an inspector was only four taels of silver, and a county magistrate's was only six taels.

Moreover, this salary was often paid in kind. Of course, officials received some travel expenses and other allowances, but without corruption, the income was still very low.

When Hai Rui served as the magistrate of Chun'an, his annual salary, after various deductions, was only 12 shi of rice, 27.49 taels of silver, and 360 strings of cash. The cash was almost worthless, used only for wiping, and had no practical value. His annual income as a seventh-rank magistrate was only about 40 taels of silver, which had to support a family of over ten people, making it very difficult.

Moreover, officials had to entertain and give gifts to advance, which was a significant expense. Lu Weizhang, who had once passed the imperial examinations and served as an official, knew how difficult it was. Relying solely on the salary, most Ming officials would starve.

"If you need money in the future, just let me know."

Liu Jun suddenly felt that his father-in-law was a straightforward and generous person, and he began to like him.

"I currently have over two hundred men under my command, and I plan to recruit another hundred in Xibay soon. My guard will then have over three hundred men and over two hundred horses. The expenses for maintaining such a force are indeed significant. But please rest assured, I can handle it for now."

Lu Weizhang was surprised to hear about the three hundred guards and two hundred horses.

"Jiye, why do you need so many guards?"

"Father-in-law, the times are not peaceful. There are bandits and rebels everywhere, and the military is unreliable. We can only rely on ourselves. To be honest, the large bands of rebels to the east are becoming restless and may invade at any time."

Hearing about the bandits and rebels, Lu Weizhang felt uncomfortable and instinctively feared them. "If you take up the position of inspector now, isn't that...?"

"Father-in-law, please rest assured. I have over three hundred men under my command, and there are over a hundred more at Taiping Post under my jurisdiction. Mr. Mei and others have made thorough plans, so there's no need to worry."

"This is too dangerous. Why don't you find another job? Even if you want to pursue a career in government, you can seek another position. I can provide the money to help you secure a safer and easier position. I only have one daughter, and I don't want Xueqi to live in constant fear or become a young widow. Can you understand me?"

"I plan to take the martial examination in September." Liu Jun had not originally made this decision, but seeing his father-in-law's concern, he mentioned it to reassure him.

Lu Weizhang's eyes lit up. This was a good plan.

"Good, I support you. Study hard and take the exam. If you need money, just let me know, and I will provide it. If you pass the martial examination, you can secure a safe and easy position with some money."

Liu Jun nodded in agreement, appeasing him. Lu Weizhang was in high spirits and kept pouring drinks for Liu Jun. Liu Jun was doing well, but Lu Weizhang, being older, was not a heavy drinker. The eighteen-year-old daughter red wine was strong, and soon, the old man was drunk, speaking incoherently.

Finally, Lu Weizhang collapsed on the table, and Liu Jun put down his cup, took a few unsteady steps, and quietly made his way to the back of the house, where he knew Xueqi's room was.

As he reached the upstairs corridor, he ran into Yaoyao, who was passing by. Seeing Liu Jun there, she was surprised.

"Is Xueqi in?"

Yaoyao blinked, and Liu Jun smiled at her cute and dazed look, brushing past her and patting her smooth cheek, which made her freeze, her face turning red like a monkey's bottom, her heart pounding. She suddenly remembered the time she had peeked at Xueqi and Liu Jun in the county, and her body felt hot and flustered.

Liu Jun gently knocked on Xueqi's door, slipped inside, and the room was filled with muffled whispers. Hearing the sounds, Yaoyao couldn't help but move her weak legs, slowly approaching the door, pressing her ear against it, and listening intently!

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