Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 285: Chapter 276 I’m Afraid Little Ming Zhao Won’t Get to Eat!

The next day, Yang Zhenshan made another trip to Nanling Village and discovered that Zhang Hu had already led people to construct an ice house.

The ice house was quite ugly, lacking any aesthetic value, essentially a structure built with blocks of ice, its exterior walls uneven and pitted.

This was normal, as without uniform molds, it was naturally impossible to construct even walls. Besides, the purpose of building the ice house was to accommodate those military households whose houses had collapsed. As long as it was livable, aesthetics were unimportant.

The floor of the ice house was covered with a lot of straw, and a bed was made inside using stones and wooden planks, likely repurposing a door.

Although it looked terrible, there was at least a place to live now.

Yang Zhenshan was very satisfied with this.

Over the following days, many households in the Tenglong Guard’s jurisdiction started building ice houses.

The ingenuity of the people was not to be underestimated. Although it was Yang Zhenshan who suggested the idea, he soon found that everyone’s ice houses were different.

Some were built like regular houses, with beams to prevent the ice house from collapsing.

Others were constructed in a semi-spherical shape, not even needing beams.

There were even clever individuals who simply dug in the snow to create snow houses!

When Yang Zhenshan saw the snow houses, he was stunned!

It seemed that the snow houses were even better!

Ice houses needed to wait for the ice to solidify, but snow houses could use materials readily available nearby, saving time and energy, and there was no difference between a snow house and an ice house.

It was then that Yang Zhenshan learned the saying, ”The wisdom of one is short, the wisdom of many is long.”

After seeing the snow houses, Yang Zhenshan promoted the method of building snow houses.

With the snow houses, military households were not afraid of not having a place to live this winter.

But snow houses were only a temporary solution, to truly solve the poverty of the military households, Yang Zhenshan had to think harder.

November 20th.

Wu Zhan returned from Jing’an Prefecture, bringing with him twenty large carts of cotton fabric.

Seeing Wu Zhan return fully loaded, Yang Zhenshan once again breathed a sigh of relief.

”Master!”

In the study room, Wu Zhan’s face was red from the cold, and his body was damp, obviously, he had suffered a lot on the journey.

The difficulty of traveling after heavy snow need not be mentioned.

For a distance of two hundred li, it took Wu Zhan and his team four days.

”You’ve worked hard, you should rest first. Have some hot food and take a hot bath!” Yang Zhenshan said sympathetically seeing his condition.

Wu Zhan chuckled and said, ”Master, there’s still something here that needs your attention!”

Saying that, he recounted his trip to Jing’an Prefecture.

”This is the first batch of cotton fabric, totaling three thousand rolls, with two more batches to follow, making a total of ten thousand rolls!”

”The three batches of cotton fabric come from the Lin family, Zhang family, and Wang family of Jing’an Prefecture, the price is the same as with the Luo family’s fabric!”

”Master, I’ve already promised them that as soon as the goods arrive to Tenglong Guard, we will make the payment!”

Wu Zhan said softly.

He made this decision on his own, and although he felt that Yang Zhenshan wouldn’t blame him, he was still a bit worried.

After hearing this, Yang Zhenshan laughed, ”You’ve done well! I’ll write you a note now, and you go find Zhou Ren afterwards, let him take you to collect the silver!”

”Ah, and later go to Wu Hai and collect two jars of Hundred Herbs Brew, consider it your reward!”

The Hundred Herbs Brew was a medicinal wine brewed by Yang Zhenshan in the Spiritual Spring Space. He had taken a considerable amount out and stored it in the Yang family’s warehouse, for the family members to drink and sometimes to reward the servants and guards.

”Thank you for your generous reward, Master!” Wu Zhan chuckled.

He had experienced the benefits of the Hundred Herbs Brew, and was extremely pleased to receive two jars as a reward. Knowing that Yang Zhenshan usually handed out the brews jar by jar, receiving two jars at once was undoubtedly a generous reward.

Wu Zhan was an insightful person. Although he did not know the exact value of the Hundred Herbs Brew, he was aware that many medicinal wines in the worldly society were quite valuable.

And the Hundred Herbs Brew of the Yang family was superior and more precious than any medicinal wine he had seen.

Yang Zhenshan patted his shoulder and smiled, ”Go also collect a hundred taels of silver, you’re not young anymore, it’s time to take a wife!”

Wu Zhan was not a servant of the Yang family, technically speaking, he was his brother-in-law, just like Luo Feiyu.

Now, Luo Feiyu was a Commander in the Tenglong Guard, while Wu Zhan was just a guard of the Yang family, the difference in status and position was significant.

In the past, Wu Zhan was far behind Luo Feiyu in terms of cultivation and talent, but now, whether in terms of talent or cultivation, Wu Zhan was not inferior to Luo Feiyu.

Yang Zhenshan felt it necessary to treat him better. In terms of money, Wu Zhan and the others received a much higher monthly wage than those guards who had signed life-contracts. On personal matters, as a senior brother-in-law, Yang Zhenshan should care a bit more.

Hearing Yang Zhenshan urging him to marry, Wu Zhan actually blushed a bit.

Despite his usual carefree demeanor, this guy was actually quite pure-hearted.

He was nearly thirty and still idly unmarried, excessively pure-hearted in fact.

”Do you have someone in mind?” Yang Zhenshan raised his eyebrows and asked.

”Uh, no, no!” Wu Zhan quickly waved his hands in denial.

”Really not?” Yang Zhenshan felt this lad wasn’t speaking the truth, ”If there is, I could have your senior sister arrange the match!”

Seeing him about to refuse again, Yang Zhenshan playfully said, ”You only get one chance, if you refuse now, don’t come begging me later!”

The words of refusal Wu Zhan was about to say immediately stopped, and he stammered out a sentence.

Even with Yang Zhenshan’s superhuman hearing, he couldn’t hear it clearly.

”Who?”

”Yu Lu Miss!”

”...”

Yang Zhenshan looked at Wu Zhan with a look reserved for a lecher.

Indeed, men’s aesthetics are all the same; they all like beauties!

Ah, Yu Lu Miss!

Among all the people in the Yang family, including the lady, the young miss, and all the female servants and maids, Yu Lu Miss is definitely the most gorgeous one.

Originally, even Yang Zhenshan nearly lost control when facing this enchantress, let alone others.

Over the years, Yu Lu has always been with the Yang family, and her contract of servitude is currently in the hands of the Yang family. However, Yu Qingyi saw her good potential in Martial Arts and did not arrange for her the rough work like other maids. Instead, she was put to work in the Yang family’s Embroidery Workshop and also often guided her cultivation.

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard and thought, feeling that letting Yu Lu marry Wu Zhan was not unacceptable.

After all, Wu Zhan is not young anymore, and it’s rare for him to find someone he likes; as his brother-in-law, there’s no reason not to help him.

Although Yu Lu is young and beautiful, she is still a servant by status. Bluntly put, her marrying Wu Zhan would be her marrying above her status; no matter how beautiful she is, it can’t make up for the defect of being a servant.

”Do you want to marry her?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

”Um!” Wu Zhan said, somewhat ashamedly lowering his head.

Yang Zhenshan tsk-tsked as he looked at him, ”I didn’t expect you to be lustful too!”

”Ah!” Wu Zhan said somewhat flusteredly, ”Master, I didn’t, I am not coveting Yu Lu Miss’s beauty~~”

He tried to explain something, but Yang Zhenshan interrupted with a chuckle, ”Alright, desire for food and sex is human nature. It’s nothing for a man to covet beauty, but lust is like a knife on the head, the key is to maintain your true heart!”

”I will discuss this with your sister-in-law. I think she won’t disagree, but whether Yu Lu Miss agrees is another matter. Matters of marriage can’t be forced, and if Yu Lu Miss disagrees, don’t blame me!”

Yu Lu is a smart person; otherwise, she wouldn’t have disregarded Sha Pingchuan’s orders and remained inactive in the Yang family.

And over the years, Yu Lu has been very steady, living a stable life in the Yang family.

...

That evening, Yang Zhenshan returned to the main courtyard.

After dinner, he cuddled with his wife and child on the warm kang bed.

Little Ming Zhao was already two months old, his face had fleshed out, and short fuzz had grown on his head, his large sparkling eyes looking particularly adorable.

”Ya ya ya~~”

However, this little guy got particularly excited at night and would only go to sleep very late.

As Yang Zhenshan played with Little Ming Zhao, he mentioned the matter between Lin Zhan and Yu Lu.

”Do you think the two of them are suitable?”

Yu Qingyi, while arranging Ming Zhao’s diaper, pondered for a moment and said, ”Whether they are suitable or not depends on them. Since Wu Zhan likes her, let’s ask about Yu Lu’s thoughts. If Yu Lu is willing, then they are suitable!”

To be honest, she had always been worried about Wu Zhan’s marital issues. Although she is now the lady of the Yang family, disciples from the Sky Blue Sword Sect like Wu Zhan are her juniors, and since these juniors followed her to the Yang family, she naturally had to take responsibility for them.

Over the years, other juniors got married and had children, but Wu Zhan showed no signs of settling down, which made her somewhat helpless.

”Hmm, that’s also good. If Wu Zhan gets married, it would also lift a worry off your mind!” Yang Zhenshan agreed.

Yu Qingyi folded the diaper and took Little Ming Zhao into her arms, lifting up his clothes with a tender face and said, ”Now my worry is waiting for Ming Zhao to grow up and arranging his marriage!”

”Master, let’s arrange a betrothal for Ming Zhao!” She suddenly changed her tone.

Yang Zhenshan looked at the flash of white, coughed lightly, and extended his hand to help hold Little Ming Zhao’s bowl, ”What betrothal, it’s not too late to talk about it when he grows up. What if something changes by then? Wouldn’t this betrothal turn into an ill fate!”

”What are you doing?” Yu Qingyi discontentedly moved his hand away.

”I’m afraid Little Ming Zhao might not get to eat!” said Yang Zhenshan seriously.

”Stop messing around!” Yu Qingyi gave him an exasperated look.

Yang Zhenshan looked at smacking Little Ming Zhao, ”Where am I messing around? Look how generous I am, not fighting with him at all!”

Yu Qingyi, recalling those indescribable past incidents, blushed.

”What are you talking nonsense about, you’re so improper!”

She angrily slapped Yang Zhenshan.

However, Yang Zhenshan just laughed heartily and then looked down at his son, while the little guy, with his big sparkling eyes, seemed to be saying, ”Don’t fight with me.”

”Have you eaten enough? If you’re full, let daddy have some too!”

Yu Qingyi, hearing this, became even more embarrassed and was about to slap him again, but this time Yang Zhenshan pulled her into his embrace.

”We’re an old married couple, why so shy!”

”Stop moving around, Ming Zhao is still here!”

”He’s still small, it’s fine!”

”Ya ya ya~~”