Chapter 77: Did the sister-in-law also come? (Patreon)

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Wang Shoujie only then noticed that there was a 13- or 14-year-old girl not far away.

She was at the age of blossoming beauty, with two small braids, a melon-seed face, and a slender figure, looking very clean and refreshing. She was batting her big, black-and-white eyes at Wang Shoujie with great interest.

"Are you Miss Liu Ruolei?" Wang Shoujie asked, bowing his head in greeting.

He knew that the Liu Clan's direct lineage was quite prosperous, with the current Patriarch Liu Gaowang having two sons and two daughters. His fiancée, Liu Ruolan, was the eldest daughter, and she had a younger sister named Liu Ruolei.

However, he didn't expect Liu Ruolei to have come along on this trip as well.

Well, not long ago, he had just played the role of a doting uncle in front of Chen Fang Jie, making Chen Fang Jie feel like he was walking on thin ice. Now, his future sister-in-law and brother-in-law had both arrived, and it was his turn to be on his best behavior.

"Miss Liu Ruolei has seen you, Brother Wang," Liu Ruolei replied hastily, with a proper demeanor, showing a hint of a future noble lady's elegance.

The term "brother-in-law" was still just a courtesy title for now. Since Wang Shoujie and Liu Ruolan were not yet married, they couldn't change their forms of address just yet.

After exchanging greetings and small talk, the Liu Clan's retainers drove down the horse-drawn carriages from the ferry, along with the horses.

Wang Shoujie then welcomed them out of the Dingpu Ferry Terminal.

"Brother, why don't we ride in Brother Wang's carriage? We can listen to him introduce us to the customs and people of Ping'an Town," Liu Ruolei suggested, tugging on Liu Yuanrui's sleeve.

It was clear that Liu Ruolei was very interested in Wang Shoujie, her future brother-in-law, and wanted to interact with him more.

Liu Yuanrui, although not yet 16 years old, had a somewhat childish face, but he was already quite mature in his dealings. He shook his head and smiled wryly at Wang Shoujie, saying, "Brother Wang, please don't mind, our Ruolei has been spoiled since she was a child."

"No problem at all, Miss Liu Ruolei is very lively and lovely. If you don't mind, why don't you ride with Miss Liu Ruolei in my carriage?" Wang Shoujie said with a smile. "It's been a while since we've seen each other, and we can catch up on old times."

"That would be great, and I can also learn a lot from Brother Wang."

Later, the three of them rode in one carriage, heading back to the Wang Clan Manor. The Liu Clan and Wang Clan retainers rode horses, escorting them from the sides.

Along the way, the three of them snacked on fruit and chatted casually about the scenery outside the carriage.

Liu Yuanrui was also quite talkative, discussing topics from the recent insect plague to the potential long-term effects of the disaster. From their conversation, it was clear that he had a solid foundation in various subjects.

Although there were a few small disagreements, Wang Shoujie didn't mind. He thought that the Liu Clan had done a great job in educating their children, unlike the Ping'an Liu Clan or Zhao Clan.

In Liu Yuanrui's heart, however, he was more surprised. He had interacted with Wang Shoujie before, but back then, Wang Shoujie was introverted and not good at speaking. Only his skills in martial arts could impress him.

It was also because of this that Liu Yuanrui had some reservations about this marriage in his heart. He felt that Wang Shoujie's abilities and talents, as displayed, were not worthy of his sister Liu Ruolan.

However, this marriage was arranged by their ancestors, and as a younger generation, Liu Yuanrui had no say in the matter, no matter how dissatisfied he was.

But unexpectedly, this future brother-in-law had changed greatly in just a short time. His speech and demeanor were now mature and steady, with a calm and confident air about him.

When discussing current events, he was even more impressive, with quick thinking and clear logic, often able to get to the heart of the matter with just a few words. Even Liu Yuanrui felt enlightened, as if he had been suddenly awakened.

"Brother Wang's insights are truly admirable," Liu Yuanrui said, "but I disagree with your views on not opening up the grain prices. From this insect plague, we can already see the flaws in this national policy. Merchants have no profits to make, so how can they be expected to transport grain from afar to sell? In my opinion, this disaster is half natural and half man-made. I believe that the national policy on grain prices will likely change soon."

"There is a possibility that the national policy on grain prices will change, but even if it does, it will only be a minor adjustment," Wang Shoujie said, shaking his head. "You only see the benefits of opening up grain prices, such as being able to quickly gather grain to alleviate disasters in times of need. However, you're ignoring human greed. Once grain prices are fully liberalized, big businessmen will surely enter the market, monopolize grain production, and control grain prices. At that time, our small families, as well as countless self-farming peasants and ordinary people, will all be at the mercy of these big businessmen, with our lives and deaths beyond our control."

"Natural disasters may not occur every year, but human disasters can happen at any time," Wang Shoujie's expression was extremely serious. "When looking at national policies, we can't just focus on certain flaws. Moreover, even if grain prices are opened up in times of disaster, it would still be a great calamity. Greedy merchants would take advantage of the situation, stripping ordinary people of their last copper, and even forcing them to sell their land, their children, and their daughters."

"..." Liu Yuanrui seemed disbelieving, but didn't want to dwell on the topic anymore, so he changed the subject, "Brother Shoujie, isn't that lake up ahead Zhuwei Lake? I've never been to Ping'an Town before, so Brother Shoujie must take me on a boat ride."

Liu Ruolei had been quiet the whole time, but watching her brother's conversation with Wang Shoujie, she could sense that Brother Shoujie was more confident and composed, and what he said was mostly correct.

It seemed that Brother Shoujie was even more excellent than rumored.

However, she was also very interested in Zhuwei Lake: "I want to go to Zhuwei Lake too."

Hearing that both siblings wanted to go to Zhuwei Lake, Wang Shoujie finally remembered that the Liu Clan's feelings towards Zhuwei Lake were different from others.

The second-generation direct descendant of the Wang Clan, Wang Zhu Wei, had married into the Liu Clan and had two sons and one daughter. Now, the direct descendants were all her legacy.

She held a high position in the Liu Clan, mainly because three Spirit Realm ancestors of the Liu Clan, who were still alive, were related to her. One was her son, one was her grandson, and one was her daughter.

That daughter was none other than Liu Xuanfu, one of the Changning Twin Beauties, who was as famous as Ancestor Longyan.

According to everyone's speculation, Liu Xuanfu, who was developing very smoothly in the Purple Palace Academy, must have already reached the late Spirit Realm stage by now. And the Liu Clan's rapid development in recent years was also closely related to Liu Xuanfu's secret support and guidance.

Therefore, Grandmother Wang Zhu Wei was living a life of luxury and honor in the Liu Clan. Unfortunately, in the year 3095 of the Changlong era, when Ancestor Zouxuan died in battle, Grandmother Wang Zhu Wei was heartbroken and eventually passed away, leaving behind a legacy at the age of 87.

Let's not talk about that for now.

The horse carriage moved forward, and they saw the bustling construction site by Zhuwei Lake.

Liu Yuanrui's interest was piqued again: "Brother Shoujie, are you building a villa by the lake with so many workers' sheds?"

Wang Shoujie smiled, building a villa was out of the question, and the Wang Clan's recent economic relief was not enough to justify throwing money into building a villa without a reason.

"We're planning to dredge and fill the lake," Wang Shoujie explained the plan roughly. Such a massive project couldn't be hidden, and there was no need to hide it.

After hearing this, Liu Yuanrui was stunned, and he quickly calculated the costs in his mind, his expression filled with shock: "Brother Shoujie, are you joking? Such a massive project would cost at least 30,000 gold, and the labor and resources required would be enormous, you... you... you..."

It was no wonder, such a massive project would be comparable to the great achievements of the ancestors of various clans when they opened up new lands. Although some Martial Clans would organize tenant farmers or peasants to do some river dredging and land leveling during the agricultural off-season to expand their farmland.

But that was ultimately small-scale, and a farm could only expand by a few dozen or hundred acres a year, which was already considered good.

"Would such a big thing be joked about?" Wang Shoujie's expression turned serious.

Liu Yuanrui's body trembled, and his expression became complex. Although he appeared humble and courteous, he had a strong sense of superiority deep down, and he had come with a mindset of looking down on Wang Shoujie as a brother-in-law.

The Liu Clan was very powerful, and Liu Yuanrui himself was also very talented, having received praise from his family's ancestors many times. He had always thought that his sister Liu Ruolan would marry Wang Shoujie in the future.

But he didn't expect Wang Shoujie to unintentionally crush his pride. In terms of personal talent, vision, and behavior, he felt somewhat inferior.

However, the Liu Clan's strong foundation was also his pride.

But he didn't expect the Wang Clan to launch such a massive development plan, a project that involved thousands of people and cost tens of thousands of gold, which even the Liu Clan wouldn't dare to undertake lightly.

"Brother Shoujie, you're only 2-3 years older than me," Liu Yuanrui's heart was both admiring and bitter. A 'future brother-in-law' at this age was already taking over the family business, holding real power, and starting such a massive development project to lay the foundation for his family's future.

He, Liu Yuanrui, was not on the same level as him.

Not to mention him, even his brother, the current young Patriarch of the Liu Clan, Liu Yuanhui, might find it hard to compare with Wang Shoujie.

"Brother Shoujie is amazing," Liu Ruolei's eyes shone brightly as she said happily, "He's indeed much stronger than my brother, who only knows how to talk big."

Liu Yuanrui's face turned black, although Brother Shoujie was indeed extraordinary, but did Ruolei have to belittle her brother like that?

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 78: Do not disturb this Young Lady, the clan rises to try hard