The Farmer’s Wife has a Magical Spiritual Spring
The Farmer’s Wife has a Magical Spiritual Spring Chapter 125

Chapter 125: Becoming Concubine

Zhao Daliang led Zhao Xiaohua out of Li Qing’s house, walked a little further, then released her, observing her rubbing her wrist and glaring at him before letting out a sigh.

“When will you become more intelligent? Do you even remember why Mother sent you here?” he questioned, disappointed.

Still rubbing her sore wrist, Zhao Xiaohua, feeling hurt from her brother’s grip, her wrist now red, became immediately aggrieved upon hearing his scolding instead of comforting words.

“Li Qing’s wife was so mean to me, and you didn’t even support me. And now you scold me? Second Brother, you don’t care about me anymore! I’ll go back and tell Mother!” she exclaimed, upset.

Zhao Daliang grew angrier and more frustrated after hearing Zhao Xiaohua’s words, wondering how he, who considered himself intelligent, ended up with such a clueless sister. She seemed bright before, but within just two years of his absence, she appeared to have lost her wits. He had hoped she would marry well in the future, bringing wealth from her in-laws. However, given her current behavior and mindset, marrying into a prominent family might lead to her being mistreated and not knowing how to handle it.

“Sister, why did Mother send you here? Don’t get distracted. Wasn’t it to observe what tasks Liu Siniang does to earn money? To see if you can help and earn some money too? Wasn’t it to build good relationships with Li Qing’s wife, especially with Zi’an’s wife? But what did you do? You offended people right from the start, causing them to kick you out, embarrassing both of us!” Zhao Daliang scolded.

“Li Qing’s wife didn’t let me join them in the work! You saw it yourself. I was polite, but she wouldn’t give me a chance. I was embarrassed, yet she kept yelling at me. Instead of defending your sister being mistreated, you’re here criticizing me! Are you even my brother? I knew you’ve been away for so long, probably forgot about me and even Mother. Thanks to us at home looking after you, you’ve got that wilted, dried-up wife of yours resembling a withered vegetable. Are you even worth our efforts?” Zhao Xiaohua retorted, her expression turning fierce and overshadowing her once charming features.

“Alright, alright, I was wrong. Stop shouting; someone might hear you. Besides, if you keep acting fierce, it could tarnish your reputation, and which matchmaker would want to deal with that?” Zhao Daliang attempted to calm the situation, knowing his sister’s marriage prospects were important to him despite her feisty nature. She still had some charm, being at a blossoming age. With proper guidance, he believed she could marry into a wealthy family, which would justify the years he had invested in her upbringing.

Seeing her brother relent, Zhao Xiaohua stopped causing a scene. When he mentioned her future marriage, she lowered her head, feigning shyness, and playfully hit Zhao Daliang.

“Brother, you’re so annoying. I’m still young, not ready to marry!” she protested.

“You’re not that young. Girls your age are already engaged or married. If it weren’t for Mother and me wanting the best for you, aiming for a good match, you’d be like them,” Zhao Daliang replied, subtly reinforcing the idea of his care and concern for his sister. He always wanted her to marry well, and luckily, she shared the same aspirations, making his suggestions easier to convey.

Upon hearing her brother’s words, Zhao Xiaohua realized once again that her brother was indeed the one who cared for her the most, which brought a smile back to her face.

Zhao Daliang sighed inwardly, noting how easily his sister was swayed. He had initially entertained the idea of her becoming a concubine to a wealthy landowner, which would have benefitted him as well. However, he grew concerned about her ability to handle such a position, fearing she might be rejected soon after marriage, leaving him with nothing to gain. He knew he needed to carefully consider this matter and find someone easy to manage.

“Brother, what did you talk to Li Shi about this morning? He looked at me strangely,” Zhao Xiaohua suddenly asked. Her mind, triggered by her impending marriage discussion with her brother, started imagining potential suitors. Being a village girl, she had only heard of, not met, the wealthy landowners’ sons and gentlemen, so the faces that appeared in her mind were limited. Naturally, Shen Zi’an and Li Shi were among them, with Li Shi being the most recent encounter. Wondering about Li Shi’s peculiar gaze, she speculated if he had intentions towards her now that her brother had returned, possibly considering a proposal.

In Zhao Xiaohua’s mind, she saw Li Shi marrying her as his good fortune, considering him as a potential suitor but not a top choice. She didn’t entertain the thought that Li Shi might not be interested in marrying someone like her.

As for Zhao Daliang, when he mentioned Zhao Xiaohua to Li Shi earlier that day, it was more of a casual comment rather than a serious proposal. He understood that Li Shi wasn’t keen on Zhao Xiaohua as a potential match, and his remark was more to unsettle Li Shi. Earlier, he had defended Li Shi against rumors involving Liu Siniang, expressing trust in Li Shi’s character. However, by mentioning Zhao Xiaohua immediately afterward, he subtly cast doubt, aiming to make Li Shi uneasy.

In reality, Zhao Daliang had no suspicions about Li Shi and Liu Siniang. He knew Li Shi was an upright man and viewed Liu Siniang as unremarkable, unlikely to captivate Li Shi’s interest. His intention was to use this situation as a leverage point to instill a sense of wariness in Li Shi towards him.

In such matters, Zhao Daliang naturally wouldn’t disclose his thoughts to his sister. He didn’t want her to develop any ideas about Li Shi. While Li Shi had some abilities, Zhao Daliang didn’t hold him in high regard, unless he was as wealthy as Shen Zi’an. Shen Zi’an’s wealth was evident from his large estate, coupled with the villagers’ envy towards him. Moreover, just by observing the fabric of Su Zhi’s clothing today, one could assume she belonged to a well-off family, perhaps even a small landowner!

With the sacred beast in hand, what was there to fear about not prospering in the future?

However, the only downside was that Shen Zi’an was already married, and he wasn’t someone easy to control.

As Zhao Daliang contemplated these thoughts, Zhao Xiaohua couldn’t wait any longer and asked him, “Brother, what did you say to Li Shi?”

“I just praised you in front of him, saying you are as beautiful as a flower. He must be curious to see if it’s true,” Zhao Daliang casually replied.

Upon hearing Zhao Daliang’s comment, Zhao Xiaohua’s smile brightened even more. She shrugged and remarked, “Even if he finds me attractive, it’s of no use. He can only look. If he doesn’t have a big house and a hundred acres of good land, I won’t pay him any attention. At the very least, he should be like Brother Zi’an. Their big house is really nice, and I heard their estate is about sixty to seventy acres, making him a small landowner.”

“Little sister, Shen Zi’an is already married, and his family is just wealthy farmers. They can’t be called small landowners unless they have over a hundred acres. His land is just a few dozen acres of poor-quality soil,” Zhao Daliang interjected, trying to dampen Zhao Xiaohua’s enthusiasm for Shen Zi’an, as he believed marrying into truly wealthy landowner families would be more profitable.

Undeterred, Zhao Xiaohua pouted and retorted, “So what if he’s married? Haven’t you always said how glamorous it is to be a concubine in those landowner families? If he needs a concubine, being one for Brother Zi’an would be great. I believe Brother Zi’an can buy a thousand acres of good land in the future. He might be doing that already, and with the sacred beast, he could even receive money from officials. It’s possible!”

Upon realizing Zhao Xiaohua’s genuine interest in Shen Zi’an, Zhao Daliang initially felt a bit anxious. However, her mention of the sacred beast potentially bringing wealth resonated with him, seeming like a plausible idea. Shen Zi’an might not have money now, but he could become prosperous in the future. Despite being a bit challenging to control, Zhao Daliang believed Shen Zi’an would be easier to deal with compared to wealthy landowners. Giving his sister to Shen Zi’an might indeed be the best path forward.

Planning his next moves, Zhao Daliang considered visiting Shen Zi’an’s home to assess the situation and then exploring opinions about the sacred beast in the county town. If things looked promising, he would find a way to honor his sister’s wishes.

Accompanied by Zhao Xiaohua, Zhao Daliang visited Zhao Dazhu’s house, where Dazhu’s wife tearfully approached Zhao Daliang, eventually receiving a couple of silver coins from him, which settled her grievances.

Despite his love for money, Zhao Daliang was willing to part with small sums to maintain good relationships. He believed in the saying that blood is thicker than water, and Zhao Dazhu, who wasn’t the sharpest, could be easily influenced in the future. As for his sister-in-law, with her sharp tongue and fiery nature, he saw her as a valuable asset, believing that a woman like her was worth more than a dozen men.

In the midst of the commotion, Zhao Dazhu’s wife unleashed a tirade against Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi, accusing them of being wealthy yet unkind, claiming that a small sum of money could have cured their son’s illness but was withheld, leading to embarrassment. She painted Shen Zi’an and his wife as unscrupulous individuals who lacked compassion despite their wealth.

Hearing these descriptions of Shen Zi’an’s family, Zhao Daliang’s intrigue about their situation deepened. Coupled with the mention of the sacred beast’s abilities, he believed that Shen Zi’an’s prospects for prosperity in the future looked even more promising.

Displeased with Zhao Dazhu’s wife’s negative remarks about Shen Zi’an, Zhao Xiaohua defended him, stating, “Sister-in-law, Brother Zi’an is actually quite nice. It’s his wife who isn’t good. If you must criticize someone, criticize Su Zhi, not Brother Zi’an.”

“Ah, calling him Brother Zi’an so affectionately! Aren’t you afraid that woman will turn on you like a wolf?” retorted Zhao Dazhu’s wife.

As Zhao Dazhu’s wife continued her remarks, she slyly added, “Of course, if you were to become the sacred beast’s mistress, who knows who it might bite.”

Blushing at the insinuation, Zhao Xiaohua retorted with a spit at Zhao Dazhu’s wife and went off to play with Iron Egg, snatching his snack and enjoying it gleefully, much to Tiedan’s dismay.

Observing Zhao Xiaohua’s impulsive actions, especially in snatching food from a child, Zhao Daliang reinforced his belief that she lacked foresight and might indeed be suited for a family like Shen Zi’an’s. Meanwhile, Zhao Dazhu’s wife, witnessing Zhao Xiaohua’s behavior, entertained thoughts of sending her to become Shen Zi’an’s concubine, even if it meant risking her being bitten by the sacred beast in exchange for some silver.

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