Liu Bang, sipping salted-vegetable rice porridge at home, had a persistent sense of unease. Logically, after escorting those laborers back, he should not have had any assignments for quite some time.
Moreover, for successfully delivering them to Xianyang, he had received a reward that temporarily made life at home a little easier.
Although Liu Bang had married the eldest daughter of the Lü Family and, thanks to his father-in-law, secured a minor official post—
Whenever he looked at his wealthy father-in-law nearby and wanted to ask for some money, his wife would stop him.
Liu Bang had long since grown shameless and felt no pressure whatsoever about living off his father-in-law. But his wife, Lü Zhi, still had her pride.
Looking at her unkempt husband, Lü Zhi thought again of that handsome, witty young man.
She had clearly wanted to marry Xiaochuan back then, yet her father had no idea what madness had possessed him. He had insisted that this rogue who loved scrounging food and drink would accomplish great things someday.
He had forcibly married his eldest daughter off to him. Yet she had seen no sign of Liu Bang's talents, and even his post as Sishui Pavilion Chief had only been obtained after the Lü Family spent money to grease the county magistrate's palms.
Liu Bang was a man who could bend or stand tall as needed. He had grown accustomed to facing his wife's disdainful looks every day.
Anyway, marrying such a fine woman was proof that Old Liu's ancestors were watching over him.
"Big Brother, disaster!"
Several bedraggled men rushed into the courtyard. Liu Bang set down his bowl and chopsticks and asked nervously,
"Seeing how frantic you are, did something serious happen?"
One of them, a burly brute of a man, wiped the sweat from