Chapter 2 Dowry
When Zhong Cai stepped forward, everyone looked at him, showing expressions of relief, joy, and regret. However, Zhong Guanlin from the fourth branch of the family—his adoptive father—had his eyes shining and his face full of satisfaction.
Zhong Cai quickly glanced at the less capable brothers and noticed that some were calculating while others hesitated. Before they could make up their minds, she loudly finished her sentence: "But I have one request: I want a generous dowry, and all the betrothal gifts from the Wu family must be given to me!" She then played the victim, saying, "After going to the Wu family, life will probably be difficult. I want to have something to rely on, otherwise, if I keep going back to my parents' home to beg for money—I can let it go, since it's home anyway, it's hard to save face for the young master. If it happens too often, the young master will probably be unhappy, and my life will be even more difficult."
The head of the Zhong family agreed without hesitation: "Sure, the betrothal gifts will be carried back to you directly, which will save you some face. The dowry will be based on the amount given to the eldest son of each branch of the Zhong family when he gets married... no, since the young master's status is extraordinary, we'll add another 30% to that."
Upon hearing this, several wives frowned, wanting to say something, but their husbands pulled them back to silence them.
The head of the Zhong family said in a kind tone, "If you have any other requests, you can bring them up now."
Several elders also showed kind expressions, clearly indicating their agreement. Their current thought was to appease Zhong Cai and resolve the matter successfully—the top-grade Xuan-level secret treasures already represented the best talent of this generation, and it would be ideal if they could preserve them all.
Zhong Cai had already made up his mind and decisively continued, "Compared to beautiful girls, a man of average looks like me will certainly not satisfy the young master. So I am suffering on behalf of my sisters, right?" He didn't need to answer and immediately added, "My three sisters' families should also give me some compensation. I don't want much, just a thousand taels of gold from each family."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Qiao'er retorted indignantly, "A thousand taels of gold? Why don't you just rob someone!"
Zhong Cai curled his lip and said, "Cousin Qiao, it's just a mere thousand gold. If I remember correctly, last time you went out to buy a contracted rare beast, it cost you eight hundred gold."
Zhong Qiao'er clenched her teeth.
How easy she makes it sound! She saved for years to accumulate three hundred gold coins, and with her parents' support, she was able to buy her desired rare beast. You must understand, even ordinary legitimate daughters like her, if their strength doesn't break through to the second tier of the Palace-Opening Realm, only receive ten thousand gold coins as dowry! And this Zhong Cai, with her bright red lips and white teeth, dares to ask for so much!
Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er exchanged a glance but neither spoke.
The three sisters were equally talented and often competed with each other. After Zhong Qiao'er bought a rare beast, they all tried their best to buy one of equally high quality, each spending between seven or eight hundred taels of silver. However, compared to Zhong Qiao'er, their two families managed their businesses better and didn't particularly care about the thousand taels of silver.
As long as I don't have to marry Wu Shaogan, this loss is acceptable.
The middle-aged man next to Zhong Qiao'er pressed down on her shoulder, silencing her further arguments.
The head of the Zhong family's expression darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Zhong Qiao'er, if you refuse to compensate your cousin, then marry him yourself!"
Zhong Qiao'er's face turned pale, and no matter how unwilling she was, she dared not show it in the slightest.
The head of the Zhong family agreed on behalf of the three families, saying, "Alright, one thousand gold coins for each family."
At this moment, without even needing the Zhong family head's signal, the second and seventh branches quickly brought over a mustard seed bag, each containing a thousand taels of gold. The eldest branch also quickly took out one and handed it directly to Zhong Cai.
The head of the Zhong family asked with a smile, "Any other requests?"
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "I need two strong and healthy servants to serve me. They must be young men who have signed a death contract, and the contract must be kept in my hands... They just need to be somewhat strong, not too strong. One of the servants must be good at cooking, and I will take my bodyguard with me."
This request was practically no request at all; the Zhong family head readily agreed, even asking, "Are two enough?"
Zhong Cai frankly said, "We can't afford to support more than that. Besides, we don't know if Young Master Shao has any manpower. I was just thinking that if he doesn't, these two can help with errands."
The head of the Zhong family was very patient: "Any other requirements?"
Zhong Cai shook her head this time: "No more."
Stop when you've said enough. You've already mentioned everything you can; any more and you'll annoy people, which will be detrimental to your future visits home.
The head of the Zhong family was indeed satisfied and even gave Zhong Cai an extra benefit, instructing the head steward beside him: "Later, take Cai'er to the manor's public treasury to choose his dowry. Give him 27,000 as a dowry deposit, and combine it with the 3,000 compensation to make it a round number. He can choose the rest of the dowry resources himself, as long as they are of comparable value. You keep an eye on him and make sure no one takes advantage of him."
The only "outsider" allowed into the room was the head steward, Zhong Cheng, who respectfully said, "Please rest assured, Master."
·
The matter was resolved, and even the third branch of the family, who had paid out a thousand gold coins, were in good spirits. Although the less talented sons were quite envious of the benefits Zhong Cai had obtained, the lifespan of a cultivator in the secret realm starts at a hundred years. This "dowry" would be enough for a short time, but it was hard to say what would happen in ten or eight years.
What's more, he would have to be tortured and abused by a cripple, losing the right to reproduce—you know, even if you marry into a woman's family and have to endure other male concubines, they can still have their own bloodline!
So it can be considered a happy ending for everyone.
The others quickly dispersed, but Zhong Guanlin gave him a wink.
Zhong Caichong made a clear gesture to his father, and then followed Steward Zhong Cheng to the public treasury.
·
The public vault is very large, with more than dozens of rooms. Most of the resources piled up there are relatively ordinary, though some are precious—but the most precious ones could not possibly be kept here.
Zhong Cheng smiled and said, "When the eldest son marries his wife, the basic amount of the betrothal gift is 120,000, of which 20,000 is gold and 100,000 is other resources. Young Master Cai, the head of the family has instructed that your dowry be increased by 30%, so the dowry money should be 26,000 and the other resources should be 130,000. However, the head of the family has raised the dowry money to 27,000, which is a separate calculation. The resources you can choose are still 130,000."
Zhong Cai was not particularly gifted, but he loved reading, so his eyesight was decent. He glanced at the numerous resources and recognized about 90% of them. He then quickly brainstormed and compiled a long list—nearly 80% of which were useful for his own cultivation, while the rest were for nourishing his body.
Zhong Cheng was a little surprised, but he also thought that the sixth son of the fourth branch was very clever. He even knew to prepare some medicine for the young master. In this way, the young master might appreciate the kindness and treat him a little better.
After receiving the order, Zhong Cheng diligently led Zhong Cai through the various warehouses.
Most common resources can be bought outside, so Zhong Cai only selected a few to make up the numbers. He mainly focused on precious cultivation resources that he could use in the next few years. He needed to find a way to improve his strength; his friend might have to rely on him for protection in the future. As for the nourishing medicinal herbs… he didn't know the specifics of his friend's current physical condition, so he just looked for those that were nourishing, pain-relieving, and gentle and harmless—that couldn't be wrong.
·
After carefully putting away all the "dowry," Zhong Cai returned to Yuehe Garden.
The place where their four families lived.
Sure enough, his adoptive father, Zhong Guanlin, was waiting for him in the main courtyard. When he saw him push the door open and enter, he smiled kindly and praised him, "Little Six, you've really made me proud today. You've helped our fourth branch share the burden for the head of the family."
Zhong Cai chuckled and reached out his hand to Zhong Guanlin, asking, "Since I've made Father proud, shouldn't Father show some appreciation?" He deliberately winked, "I even caused those three families to bleed profusely, Father should reward me too, right?"
Zhong Guanlin slapped his hand irritably and said, "Our fourth branch is very poor. You've already skimmed so much profit off us, and you still have the nerve to ask your poor father for money? Your father is counting on this to earn more of his share from the head of the family."
Zhong Cai chuckled and withdrew her hand, pressing down on the mustard seed bag hanging from her waist, and said with feigned vigilance, "My dowry will not be given to Father."
Zhong Guanlin rolled his eyes and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, who's after your stuff? Keep it for yourself."
He wasn't there to plunder Zhong Cai and the others. The fourth branch of the family was actually quite wealthy. Zhong Guanlin's lecherous nature and numerous children stemmed from his strong desire to expand his business empire. This time, he was willing to offer up one of his sons, not to be satisfied with what Zhong Cai had received. He wanted to use this opportunity to extract several properties he had long coveted from the head of the family.
Zhong Cai understood. After making the joke, she followed her adoptive father into the study, sat down at the desk, and poured herself some tea.
Zhong Guanlin had some affection for Zhong Cai, after all, he was his only son and he was very close to him. If it weren't for the fact that Zhong Cai's soul imprint was too weak and the marriage partner was the Wu family, he wouldn't have been willing to marry him off.
"Now it's just the two of us, father and son. Tell me the truth, are you really doing this willingly?" There are benefits, but emotionally, it's not necessarily without resentment.
Zhong Cai replied without hesitation, "Of course."
Zhong Guanlin became interested: "Tell me in more detail."
—Making excuses? Isn't that something you just blurt out?
Zhong Cai feigned honesty, saying, "I'm already at the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, and I'll soon need rare medicines to aid my breakthrough. At the sixth and twelfth levels, these rare medicines will be indispensable, and the expenses will be considerable. Besides, I'm already eighteen; it's difficult to expect me to open my Soul Treasury on my own. When I reach the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, I'll have to use secret medicines to temper my body and slowly open my Soul Treasury Palace. Then, when I break through to the first level, I can summon my companion treasure… With my shallow Soul Imprint, if I stay with the Zhong family, I can only obtain low-grade secret medicine formulas. Just tempering my body will take at least several years, and by the time I break through to the Palace Opening Realm…" "Back then, the family wouldn't provide me with rare medicines, and the painstaking process would take countless years. Even the most talented elders in our family took until around forty to reach the Palace Opening stage, let alone me? At this rate, I can't even imagine when I'll be able to successfully summon it." He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, his expression very enthusiastic. "Now it's different. Just by agreeing to marry the young master, I've already received a large dowry. I've also selected enough rare medicines, top-grade secret medicines, and resources for cultivating at the Palace Opening stage from the public treasury. Compared to what I've given up, this is a huge bargain! What's there to be coy about?"
"Besides, I've secured some influence for Father. Even if I get married, he'll still look after me, right? Besides, I'm marrying into the Wu family. Even if the young master can no longer cultivate, we'll still be connected to the Wu family. If he had some connections before, he might be able to get some benefits. And I just need to take good care of him. He's a human being, so he won't hold a grudge against me for long. Even if he gets angry, I've tempered my body, so I'm tough and can withstand hardship."
·
The cultivation of secret cultivators absolutely cannot be without accompanying treasures, because accompanying treasures are the medium for drawing in the energy of heaven and earth. Without their existence, they cannot even absorb the energy of heaven and earth.
Most of the time, the higher the grade of the accompanying treasure, the faster it can draw in the energy of heaven and earth, and the sooner it can unlock the secret treasure.
Normally, Heaven-grade and above divine soul treasures open spontaneously after birth; Earth-grade treasures open before the age of three; and Profound-grade treasures open before the age of ten—occasionally, Yellow-grade treasures also appear. The three top-tier Profound-grade daughters of the Zhong family are considered the three beauties of the family, all of whom opened their treasures spontaneously around the age of six. Those that open their treasures spontaneously between the ages of ten and sixteen are mostly Yellow-grade treasures, with only a very small number opening Profound-grade or other types. The chances of opening a treasure between the ages of sixteen and twenty are extremely slim, perhaps only once every few hundred years, and almost no one pays attention to what grade it is. After the age of twenty, it is completely impossible for a treasure to open spontaneously. One can only wait until one cultivates to the point of opening one's own Dao Palace. At that time, one can use the power of the Dao Palace to summon companion treasures. However, in such cases, nine times out of ten, what is summoned is the most common unranked treasure, also known as "low-grade."
The Soul Imprint is a projection of the accompanying treasure, and it is often matched with the grade of the accompanying treasure. It is a red mark covering the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head. Generally, the higher the grade of the accompanying treasure, the darker the color of the mark will be - just like Wu Shaogan, his Soul Imprint is as red as blood - when the accompanying treasure is destroyed, the Soul Imprint will also disappear.
Therefore, in many cases, the soul imprint can also be used to judge the approximate aptitude of a cultivator in a secret realm.
Some cultivators who haven't yet unlocked their divine soul's secrets at the age of twenty have very strong soul imprints, so the companion treasures they summon themselves might also reach a relatively high grade.
However, when Zhong Cai was born, her soul imprint was only a light red color, which was practically a death sentence for her; she was definitely a low-grade soul.
It was also because of his shallow soul imprint and poor aptitude that he had only reached the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm after twelve years of cultivation since he started at the age of six.
Even more so—
Even so, Zhong Cai's cultivation speed is considered very fast even among those at the lowest level.
·
Seeing that Zhong Cai had explained things so clearly, Zhong Guanlin felt relieved.
“I’m so proud of you for being so sensible.” He patted Zhong Cai on the shoulder. “But don’t underestimate your father, kid. I have a mid-grade medicine prescription, which I was originally planning to use on you.”
That's not a lie.
Of all his sons, Zhong Guanlin valued his eldest son, Zhong Han, the one with the best aptitude, who was also the only one with a Xuan-grade aptitude. He saw him as the one who could bring glory to his branch of the family. Next was his sixth son, with whom he had a relaxed, ordinary father-son relationship. Therefore, while he would certainly apply for top-grade medicinal formulas for his eldest son, he was also genuinely prepared to subsidize some money for his sixth son to use mid-grade formulas.
Zhong Cai hadn't expected Zhong Guanlin to have this plan for him, but then he thought that this meant he hadn't wasted his time and effort. Besides, it wasn't too strange, since he was in a similar situation. Apart from Wu Shaogan, the only other person he had any feelings for was this adoptive father. Although these feelings were quite limited and far less than the life-and-death commitment he had for Wu Shaogan, he was willing to show his filial piety if conditions allowed.
Zhong Cai immediately replied obsequiously, "I am deeply grateful for Father's kindness. Now that I have the opportunity to share your burdens, it is only right that I do so..."
After a conversation, the father and son agreed that they would not lose contact with each other after Zhong Cai got married. Zhong Guanlin would lend a hand when Zhong Cai needed it, and if Zhong Cai got along well with Wu Shaogan and could bring any benefits to Zhong Guanlin, he would also actively act as a go-between for Zhong Guanlin.
Perhaps their conversation deepened the bond between father and son, because Zhong Guanlin even gave Zhong Cai 10,000 gold coins as a dowry, which immediately drew a barrage of compliments from Zhong Cai, making Zhong Guanlin beam with joy.
·
Zhong Cai returned to her small courtyard and began to organize her dowry.
He now has four mustard seed bags in total, so...
The first one is specifically used as a secret stash, holding 40,000 gold coins; another one is used to store tonic herbs, which needs to be kept separate, and any herbs he gets for his friends later will also be stored here; the third one is specifically for storing more valuable resources, which are also convenient to access; the last one is the one he already had, containing his savings over the years, as well as some ordinary resources he had previously selected...
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