“Who is this? He’s so handsome, why would he try to drown himself?”
“Exactly! Such a dignified and handsome young man, to die like this, it’s such a pity…”
“This looks like that good-for-nothing Shen Jing!”
“I heard that to please Song Lianxin, he not only neglected his studies but also squandered his family fortune to help the Song family become Tribute Merchants! As soon as the Song family became Tribute Merchants, Song Lianxin got engaged to Young Master Zhao. He probably couldn’t bear it and drowned himself, right?”
“What does that have to do with the Song family? He clearly squandered his wealth, ruined his family, and had no face to live on…”
…
Great Zhou Dynasty, Huaizhou, Luochuan Prefecture.
Shen Jing died.
But, he lived again.
“Ah!!!”
Seeing Shen Jing suddenly sit up from the straw mat, Chi Chi was so scared she fell onto the ground.
After steadying herself slightly, Chi Chi crawled back up and knelt, tearfully comforting the “resurrected” Shen Jing: “This servant knows Young Master harbors resentment. Once this servant kills that wicked woman Song Lianxin for you, I will come down and serve you!”
When speaking of Song Lianxin, Chi Chi’s eyes revealed intense hatred, wishing she could tear her to pieces!
That wicked woman not only swindled all the hundreds of thousands of guan in family property that the master left for the young master, but she also framed her, making her break a vase worth two thousand taels of silver, then reported her to the authorities and had her locked in jail.
If she didn’t pay compensation, she would be subjected to flogging and directly made a slave of the Song family.
To gather the silver to pay the Song family, the young master was forced to agree to marry into the Wang family.
That Miss Wang was born foolish, constantly acting crazy.
Crucially, both the father and son of the Wang family had a strong preference for men!
Though it was said he was marrying into the Wang family to be the husband of Miss Wang, everyone with eyes knew what was really going on.
The young master chose to drown himself rather than endure such humiliation!
He was forced to his death by that malicious, wicked woman Song Lianxin!
“What are you doing?!”
Shen Jing looked at the tearful Chi Chi with a dark expression, “I’m not dead!”
Boundless Heavenly Venerable!
To be struck by lightning and still transmigrate?
That scruffy old Daoist priest didn't lie to me; being a Daoist really does have its perks!
“Not… not dead?”
Chi Chi stared blankly at Shen Jing, who was speaking.
A moment later, she bravely stepped forward and placed her hand on Shen Jing’s forehead.
He was warm!
The young master really wasn’t dead!
“Young Master!”
Chi Chi cried tears of joy, hugging Shen Jing and sobbing uncontrollably: “This servant will sell herself into a brothel right away, Young Master can use the silver to repay the Wang family! Please, Young Master, don’t do anything foolish again!”
“What are you talking about?!”
Shen Jing raised his hand and gently patted Chi Chi’s head, “The contract I signed with the Wang family is a marriage contract for marrying into their family. Do you think repaying the silver will be the end of it?”
This was a trap meticulously set by Song Lianxin!
She wanted to force him to his death to prevent him from spreading word everywhere about the Song family’s ingratitude, which would affect their reputation.
“Marriage… marriage contract?”
Chi Chi’s voice trembled, and tears flowed uncontrollably again as she wailed: “Young Master, how could you be so foolish! This servant has harmed Young Master…”
A marriage contract (marriage contract) is different from a betrothal agreement (engagement).
A marriage contract (marriage contract) is equivalent to a deed of sale!
Those who fail to fulfill a marriage contract will, at the very least, have their faces tattooed with gold and be sentenced to three or more years of hard labor.
At worst, they will be exiled to the border army, serving as slaves to the armored soldiers for life.
The young master had never endured hardship since he was small; with his delicate skin, he would likely be worked to death after half a month of hard labor, let alone anything else.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry…”
Shen Jing gently patted Chi Chi’s hand, smiling: “Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. I have a way to solve it!”
Chi Chi’s tears wouldn’t stop. Just as she was about to speak, two figures appeared at the dilapidated doorway.
“Oh, not dead yet?”
Wang Zan, the eldest young master of the Wang family, said sarcastically, entering with a servant.
Chi Chi hastily wiped away her tears, scrambled up in a panic, and looked at Wang Zan with a pleading face: “Young Master Wang, please let Young Master go! This servant is willing to take his place…”
“Go away! I’m not interested in you!”
Wang Zan interrupted Chi Chi, scrutinizing Shen Jing from head to toe, “Even if he hadn’t died, he’d still be a member of my Wang family!”
When he heard that this boy had drowned himself, he had felt regret for quite a while.
He had only come to confirm the news of his death.
Unexpectedly, this boy wasn't dead!
This was truly an unexpected joy!
This boy was fair and tender, with a good physique!
He was absolutely perfect for his taste!
“If you dare to look at me with that kind of gaze again, I’ll kick your balls off!”
Shen Jing felt a chill, having already made up his mind to castrate this disgusting fellow sooner or later.
“You’ll be a member of my Wang family in three days, and you dare to be so arrogant with me?”
Wang Zan’s face showed a lewd smile, “Once you join my Wang family, I’ll have to properly discipline you! I love a wild horse!”
“Go to hell!”
Shen Jing couldn’t stand it anymore. He suddenly lunged forward and kicked Wang Zan in the crotch.
Wang Zan’s face changed, and he instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Bang!
“Ow…”
Wang Zan clutched his crotch, screaming in agony as he fell to the ground.
Although Shen Jing had just been resurrected and his strength was still insufficient, that kick had landed on his vital spot after all!
“Young Master!”
The servant cried out, rushing towards Wang Zan, trying to help him up.
“Shen Jing! You’re finished!”
Wang Zan clamped his legs tightly together, yelling with a twisted face: “I will definitely not let you off! Ah…”
“Stop your damn nonsense!”
Shen Jing couldn’t even bear to look at this disgusting thing, “I’ll give you two choices. First, give me five days, and I’ll get five thousand taels of silver to buy back the marriage contract! Second, you keep the marriage contract, and I’ll turn you into a eunuch sooner or later!”
Wang Zan gritted his teeth and roared: “You want to take back… the marriage contract? Dream on!”
“Fine, you’re a tough one!”
Shen Jing was so angry he laughed, “Get out of my sight right now, don’t disgust me here!”
Damn it!
This guy was Xu Xian’s little bird —
A freak!
“You… just wait!”
Wang Zan gritted his teeth and roared lowly, then, supported by the servant, he walked out, clutching his crotch.
“I kicked you and injured you. Go report it to the authorities and have me thrown in jail!”
At this moment, Shen Jing’s voice sounded behind them.
He knew that the more he said this, the less Wang Zan would report him.
Hearing Shen Jing’s reminder, the servant quickly whispered: “Young Master, let’s report him!”
“Report what?”
Wang Zan gritted his teeth and growled: “This dog… just wants to hide in jail to avoid the marriage contract. I… will never let him have his way. I’ll take him back and torture him slowly…”
Three days!
Only three days!
In three days, according to the marriage contract, Shen Jing would be a member of the Wang family!
By then, he could torture Shen Jing however he wanted!
Letting him hide in jail would be letting him off too easily!
The servant’s mouth opened slightly, he hesitated for a moment, and finally said nothing more.
Once the two had left, Chi Chi immediately said to Shen Jing in a panic: “Young Master, let’s quickly find a way to leave…”
“It’s fine!”
Shen Jing was unconcerned, “There’s no way I’m marrying into the Wang family!”
First, he’d resolve this mess, then he’d properly deal with Song Lianxin and the Song family.
He wouldn’t just reclaim his own silver; he’d also give their entire family a free super-transcendence!
“But the wedding date is in three days!”
Chi Chi’s eyes were filled with tears, and she said anxiously: “The imperial law states that if one does not fulfill a marriage contract…”
“Don’t panic!”
Shen Jing stopped Chi Chi, a mischievous smile on his face, “Come on, I’ll teach you to fight magic with magic!”
“Huh?”
Chi Chi was bewildered.
Shen Jing gently patted Chi Chi’s head, “Which imperial law states that one cannot marry into multiple families?”
“Marry… into multiple families?”
Chi Chi stared blankly at Shen Jing, feeling as if thunder was rolling in her head.
Shen Jing said no more, simply tidied himself up, and then took Chi Chi out the door.
After the current emperor ascended the throne, Great Zhou experienced serious internal strife, and neighboring countries took advantage of the chaos, fighting against Great Zhou for many years.
After years of continuous warfare, although Great Zhou managed to hold onto most of its territory, countless young men died or were injured.
In some well-off families, all the male heirs died in battle, leaving only one or more daughters. Not wanting to be completely wiped out, and wishing for their family name to continue, they would choose to recruit a son-in-law who would live with the family.
Even some families with male heirs would choose to recruit a live-in son-in-law.
This way, if the imperial court called up young men for service again, their own male heirs wouldn’t need to go to the battlefield to fight; the live-in son-in-law could go instead.
In Luochuan Prefecture alone, he knew of no fewer than ten families looking to recruit a live-in son-in-law.
He was dignified in appearance, and both his parents had passed away.
Although he was down and out, he was still a scholar.
He could have dozens of acres of tax-exempt land registered under his name!
He could also sign a marriage contract to marry into a family without any benefits or conditions!
With so many buffs, he believed he was highly competitive in the live-in son-in-law market.
Soon, the two arrived in front of a grand mansion.
Shen Jing strode up to the doorman, “Tell your master I want to marry into the family!”