...
"That's not it, it's just that Grandpa said sister will get married in less than two years." Wang Luojing pouted, "Might as well help brother improve his cultivation a bit more."
"Fourth Brother, I willingly gave it to brother. You, please don't blame him." Wang Ruotong nervously explained.
According to the clan rules, those who seize resources from others within the clan will be severely punished. However, if given voluntarily, it does not fall within the punishment scope.
"Sigh!"
Wang Shouzhe sighed heavily in his heart. It seems the Fourth Old Master is somewhat favoring males over females. However, this is basically a common phenomenon in the Wang Family nowadays, and it's all because of poverty.
Wang Shounuo is not like him, Wang Shouzhe, who is the Direct Lineage Young Clan Leader with good talent, regarded as a first priority for cultivation. Naturally, the resources he can usually allocate are far less.
But for a Black Tortoise Practitioner, the younger they cultivate, the higher they can reach; otherwise, as they age, their body deteriorates, and the difficulty of advancing cultivation increases. The Fourth Old Master probably had no choice but to persuade Wang Ruotong to help Wang Shounuo.
"It's nothing, it's all my fault if you think about it," Wang Shouzhe sighed and said, "It's me occupying too many resources, invisibly reducing the shares for my brothers, sisters, and younger siblings."
"Fourth Brother is of direct lineage, with high talent, and is the pillar of the family, so he should be allocated more resources." Wang Luotong showed a bit of admiration and aspiration in her eyes, "I heard from Grandpa that Fourth Brother's talent is only slightly less than that of Ancestor Longyan, with a great hope of breaking through to the Spirit Platform Realm in the future. As long as Fourth Brother becomes Ancestor Spirit Platform, life for our Wang Family will get better."
"Yes, yes, I also heard that Fourth Brother has already been admitted to the Purple Mansion Academy." Wang Luojing, with wide eyes, said excitedly, "If it weren't for Fifth Uncle's incident this time, forcing Fourth Brother to stand out as Clan Leader, you'd already be at Purple Mansion Academy now, right? I heard in Purple Mansion Academy there are beautiful sisters everywhere, if Fourth Brother goes, he will definitely marry one back."
Purple Mansion Academy!
To all the young people in the Changning Region, it's a dreamland, an unattainable dream.
"Don't talk nonsense; what's in that yellow-haired little girl's head of yours?" Wang Shouzhe laughed and glared at her, stuffing her with a few pieces of preserved fruit, "I haven't even passed the final assessment yet; who knows, I might just get eliminated."
Amidst the laughter, however, Wang Shouzhe felt immense pressure, the pressure of the entire clan's hopes resting on him.
"In any case, Fourth Brother is the strongest." Wang Luojing clearly had a kind of blind admiration for him.
"The strength of a clan can't rely on just one person." Wang Shouzhe smiled warmly and looked at Wang Luojing, "You're also a member of the clan, and you have to work hard too. I think your talent is quite good, reaching the High Tier First Layer at such a young age in the Qi Refining Realm. If you work hard, you might get admitted into the Purple Mansion Academy and be as outstanding as Ancestor Longyan."
"Mm, mm, Jing'er will definitely work hard." Wang Luojing's eyes were filled with aspiration, "At least I can't let Luoqiu surpass me again."
Luoqiu?
"Is it Wang Luoqiu from Third Uncle's family?" Wang Shouzhe said with slight curiosity, "Could it be that she has already reached the Peak First Layer and is about to break through?"
"She has already broken through." Wang Luojing pouted, a little upset, "She even came to show off to me a while ago."
"Her talent is indeed quite good." Wang Shouzhe was somewhat surprised, "I remember she's only eleven years old, right?" That talent doesn't seem to fall far short of his.
It seems that the young generation of the Wang Family is no worse than the Liu or Zhao Families, just that resource issues are holding everyone's growth back. He frowned, pondering continuously.
Take Liu Yongzhou of the Liu Family as an example, at the age of twenty-three or -four, reaching the High Tier Fifth Layer, he is considered quite outstanding among the younger generation. If Wang Ruotong were given ample cultivation resources, her future achievements may not be inferior to Liu Yongzhou's.
Sadly, firstly, she is a girl. Secondly, the family is too poor.
Later, Wang Shouzhe intentionally or unintentionally tested their cultural studies, only to find that they were average in this aspect, particularly in arithmetic, which was a complete mess.
This made Wang Shouzhe's face darken, directly scolding, "It is disgraceful, pretty heads with nothing inside. Though the Black Tortoise Clan builds on martial arts, cultural and knowledge foundation is the root of a family's heritage."
"Fourth Brother, we won't dare anymore."
"When you return this time, study well, three months later I'll test you again."
"Oh!"
Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing both dropped their heads.
...
From the Wang Family's Main Residence to Fenggu Farm, it's only twenty miles, with a solid hard clay road allowing two carriages to pass, and wheat planted on both sides of the road making the journey smooth.
It's early midsummer, with lush vegetation on both sides and vibrant vitality. Patches of green wheat sway with the wind like azure waves. This season is the time for wheat spike filling, with the weather fine and sunny, clearly a good omen.
While talking with his two sisters, Wang Shouzhe arrived at Fenggu Farm in less than an hour.
Farmhouses are generally located where the land is relatively fertile. This land is about seven or eight miles from the main stream of the An River, with a small tributary over ten feet wide winding down through Fenggu Farm.
Ancestors diverted this tributary, creating several crosswise channels about three yards wide, making this water area look somewhat like a large "Feng" character from above, thus the ancestors named it Fenggu Farm.
Following the Feng-shaped water source, rows of orderly houses were built. Though simple, each has a front and back yard where they can plant some fruits and vegetables, raise some chickens, and every backyard has simple stone steps leading to the channels for laundry and cooking.
Large and small channels have flocks of ducks and geese playing and feeding, creating a lively clamor.
In front of the houses is well-cultivated fertile land, with expanses of wheat fields swaying in the wind, strikingly vast and beautiful.
What a piece of pastoral scenery.
Living in the city for so long, Wang Shouzhe was instantly captivated by this leisurely and peaceful scene, having initially believed that the Mystical World he crossed into was merely about fighting and confrontation.
He was captivated by this charming and serene scene. When he first traversed, his understanding of the Mystical World was limited to fights.
A household servant had already come ahead to report, but even so, it took Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters about half an hour to wait by the river bank before they were received at Fenggu Farm.
Most farms are settled on relatively fertile lands. Here, an offshoot of the river trickled down through the fields of Fenggu Farm.
A previous ancestor had diverted the branch and horizontally carved out several channels that looked like the character "Feng." This is how Fenggu Farm got its name.
Following its character-shaped waterfront, rows of neatly arranged houses were built, with front and backyards for planting crops and raising poultry, while the backyards have simple stone steps leading to the river channels for washing clothes and cooking.
The canals, big and small, within the farm tremble with the vast fields of wheat swaying in the wind, creating a magnificent panorama.
Initially, a household servant came ahead to report, but even so, Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters still waited for a quarter of an hour along the riverside embankment before continuing to Fenggu Farm.
Yet, as rural farms go, Fenggu Farm was perched on fertile land.
As they approached, there was a stream with its flow diverted by a former ancestor, creating several sideways channels that wove through Fenggu Farm.
By taking advantage of the water from the Feng character-shaped source, a series of neatly arranged rows were built. These simple houses were surrounded by open lands for growing crops, interspersed with small gardens for raising chickens.
The front of the houses opened to meticulously cultivated fields of mature farmland, with broad expanses of wheat swaying in the wind, creating a wonderful sight.
Wang Shouzhe was mesmerized by this serene and relaxed landscape, and the picture drew him in. Before he knew it, his understanding of the Mystical World he'd crossed into had deepened.
Ahead, a household general had already notified them. Still, even so, it was two ke before Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters were waiting by the riverbank, until they finally arrived at Fenggu Farm.
Farmhouses generally settled where the land is most fertile. Here, there is a branch of the river extending through Fenggu Farm.
Past ancestors cut the tributary, creating several horizontal channels, so the area looks like a large "Feng" character, named the Fenggu Farm by them.
With the Feng character-shaped water source, lines of neatly arranged houses were built, each with some space for vegetable gardens and free-ranging chickens, with simple stone slabs in the backyards leading to the channels for laundry and cooking.
In front of us are well-cultivated farmlands, fields of wheat waving in the wind with extraordinary magnificence.
Captivated by this pleasant, tranquil picture, Wang Shouzhe instantly felt drawn into the scene, originally thinking the mystical world he had crossed to was just about the conflicts between martial combat and struggle.
Yet, an earlier report from a household general not stopping us didn't hinder Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters from waiting by the riverside field edges for about a quarter of an hour before reaching Fenggu Farm.
The farm was located in a fertile landscape, with a small river's branch flowing through the land, which an older ancestor had diverted, crafting into several horizontal channels passing through Fenggu Farm.
The ancestors creatively named it Fenggu Farm by designing it around the Feng character-shaped water sources, erecting rows of neatly arranged houses equipped with front gardens, backyard vegetable patches, and rudimentary stone steps heading to the channels meant for laundry and cooking.
The front displayed meticulously maintained fields of tillage, where vast spans of wheat fields sway prolifically in the wind, incredibly vast and majestic.
In front of this pleasant and leisurely image, Wang Shouzhe was thoroughly engrossed, having initially crossed into the Mystical World within a comprehension that revolved solely around combat and the struggle for power.
While the servants had arrived earlier to report, even so, Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters had to wait for around two quarters of an hour by the riverbank before finally reaching Fenggu Farm.
Generally, a farm is situated where the land is rich and fertile. Here, a tributary winds its way down, meandering through Fenggu Farm.
Ancestors diverted it sideways to create several channels that resemble a huge "Feng" character, thus naming this site Fenggu Farm.
Following the Feng-shaped water source, a line-up of tastefully arranged simple residences with auxiliary farmyards was constructed, featuring front and backyards mainly for cultivating crops, breeding chickens, and backdoor steps leading to these forked river channels allowing for laundry and cooking to be done.
The front of the residences oversees carefully maintained thriving farmlands, their sprawling wheat fields swaying imposingly with each passing breeze.
As Wang Shouzhe absorbed this relaxing and calming vista, he was taken aback to realize that his initial understanding of this Mystical World — as one confined to constant martial rivalry and confrontation — had been misguided.
Even though prior notification had been sent by a household general, it still took Wang Shouzhe and his sisters two more increments of time to wait at the riverside embankment before reaching their destination at Fenggu Farm.
The farmhouses were strategically positioned on nutrient-rich soil, with a river's offshoot running through, diverged by foresighted ancestors to fan out into a series of lateral channels that traverse through Fenggu Farm.
This complex network resembled a large "Feng" ideogram, earning it the name "Fenggu Farm."
Rows of simply structured houses, predominantly made from brick and wood, border these water resources. Yards in front offer dedicated vegetable patches and chicken-raising spaces while the adjoining plots are lush croplands that waft rhythmically in the breeze.
As Wang Shouzhe, entranced by the alluring tranquility of this pastoral landscape at Fenggu Farm, he pondered how his initial encounter with the Mystical World was solely defined by martial challenges and confrontations.
One of the household generals had already come ahead to inform them, yet nevertheless, Wang Shouzhe and his sisters had to wait approximately 30 minutes at the embankment until they reached Fenggu Farm properly.
Farms are usually situated on fertile land, and this one is no different. With a nearby river stream redirected by the forebearers now transpiring throughout Fenggu Farm, shaping several waterways.
The landscape follows the outlines of this "Feng" sign, with skillfully arranged rows of structures that accommodate vegetable gardens, chicken coops, doorsteps that lead to the adjoining channels for washing, and expansive wheat fields swaying under the wind's whispers, hallmarking an impressive and sweeping view.
Absorbed by this delightful and tranquil scene, Wang Shouzhe realized that his initial perception of the Mystical World he had stumbled into was one where martial conflicts reign, overlooking this serene and inviting landscape.
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