Starting a Family

030 Becoming a Family

Ming Shu naturally understood what Zhao Siqi was saying, but they were both too young now. That matter could wait a few more years. There was no rush.

Just as Ming Shu didn't know how to answer her, her personal maid, Lü E, finally returned, carrying several freshly made dishes.

It wasn't until Zhao Siqi saw the dishes placed on the table that she truly understood what Ming Shu and his father, Zhao Wuxu, meant by "penniless and white."

Even as a peripheral concubine's daughter within the Zhao Clan, her food, clothing, and daily expenses were only at the most ordinary standard for the estate, but it was still a standard of having enough to eat and wear.

She had been mentally prepared, so she didn't complain. It was no wonder Zhao Wuxu had repeatedly prepared her mentally before they came, and her mother had also quietly guided her.

At this moment, she understood her position even more clearly. She would have to put away her old worldview and start anew.

Night fell. Zhao Siqi, who had changed into simple attire again, along with Lü E, no longer wore her maid's uniform.

They looked like two ordinary young sisters from a common family.

Zhao Siqi's heart was calm and steady, only Lü E felt indignant for her young lady.

For the young boy in front of her, she had traveled thousands of miles and abandoned her original life? Why?

The gathering outside couldn't even be called a banquet; it was just a meal. Finally, they were mostly done with their tasks.

In an environment where everything was lacking, the three Old Zhaos, with their rich life experience, managed to prepare dinner for dozens of people.

Ming Shu held Zhao Siqi's hand, and they reappeared before everyone. Witnessed by all, they not only officially became husband and wife but also, by supporting each other, became the backbone of everyone present.

They were also the family heads.

In this era, most people admired strength, always believing that if the sky were to fall, important figures would be there to deal with it.

In everyone's understanding, the emperor was an important figure, as were the civil and military officials, and the heads of various families.

For the farmers who had just been rescued, Ming Shu was already an important figure.

Ming Shu introduced first, "This is my wife—Zhao Siqi. From now on, all household affairs can be reported to her."

"This is Old Zhao, Zhao Youfu, our head steward."

After speaking, Ming Shu turned to look at the girl beside him. He temporarily had no other capable people at hand. Little Zhao was similar to him and still needed time to grow.

Zhao Siqi waved her hand, and two middle-aged martial artists stepped forward. "Zhao Dun, Zhao Chuan, both my uncles. Their martial arts are quite good. You can arrange for them."

They briefly introduced themselves.

Before coming, Zhao Siqi had already explained their specific situations to Ming Shu, and they had also discussed their arrangements.

Zhao Dun, having trained in the army for many years, could serve as the head of guards, organizing defenses and daily drills.

Zhao Chuan had spent years in various places for reconnaissance and infiltration, possessing more experience in espionage and stealth, and could be used elsewhere.

These were the three Old Zhaos, though Zhao Youfu was clearly the oldest, becoming the First Old Zhao.

If one didn't know better, they might think this was Zhao Family Village, not Zhang Family Village.

War was dangerous and fierce. The pirates who had just been driven away might return at any time. Therefore, tomorrow, Chong Li, Little Zhao, and Zhao Chuan would head north to the valley first to contact the people there.

Especially to probe whether the Butcher and the Hunter could be enlisted as aid. They weren't discussing incorporating them yet, just seeing if there was a basis for cooperation and, if necessary, coordinating to ambush the pirates attacking Baishi Village.

The specific situation would only be known after Chong Li and the others arrived.

Personnel and division of labor were arranged during dinner, in front of everyone.

Zhao Dun would select personnel tomorrow to set up traps around the area and prepare defenses. Old Zhao would continue the renovation work within the manor.

Regarding the issue of grain, a new investment was about to arrive. Qingtian Gate was making its second move. A batch of grain would be stored here, one-third of which could be used as a fee for Baishi Village to consume.

Although the specific storage period wasn't mentioned, if the time was long enough, they could use it first and then buy new grain to store later.

After it arrived in a few days, how it would be stored and used would be decided by Ming Shu.

Their representative, Ren Yuan, could not fully represent them.

This was a deliberately left loophole. One side believed they had their own people watching, but the person in charge, Ren Yuan, had not received any orders to guard the grain reserves.

He wouldn't actually watch the grain.

The arrangements made by these big shots were truly subtle.

The Butcher's side, however, was good news. They only needed some wine and grain, and they could even supply some game meat.

The two sides conducted a friendly exchange and agreed on a signal for coordinated combat.

Without complete mutual trust, this outcome was already quite good.

Ming Shu continued to cultivate. Zhao Siqi was actually responsible for the management and dispatch of internal affairs. Although everyone was a novice, Zhao Siqi, who had experience with various practical matters in a large family, handled it far better than Ming Shu.

Lü E also quickly adapted to the new environment.

Little Zhao and the others had recruited over a dozen households from nearby villages, totaling dozens of old and young people. This was because some of the people they had rescued earlier had relatives among them.

Many of them were tenant farmers under Bai Family Village. In the past ten years, many had been forced to leave the area, but they had too many ties to this land.

Some had relatives in several nearby villages. Some wanted to leave, others didn't, and they ended up lingering here.

The lucky ones had a chance to survive if they encountered pirates, while some had already fallen ill and died before encountering any pirates.

So, in the world, was there anything more terrifying than pirates? Yes, illness, hunger, bullying, betrayal. They had already endured ten years of torment here.

Without the protection of his clan, he felt like a fallen leaf, a feeling Ming Shu understood all too well from his own three to four years of suffering.

So, he was seizing this opportunity to cultivate desperately and improve himself.

His goal was to stand out more, so he could obtain the next stage of cultivation techniques from the Sky-Toppling Observatory.

He had no experience and didn't know if his sudden breakthrough to the second stage of Sorcerer, the Spirit Awakening Realm, was too fast.

Would they capture him and dissect him for research?

That's why he hadn't told Chong Li yet. This core secret couldn't be leaked to anyone.

He had also tried treating the Fate Book as if it had a book spirit, attempting to communicate with it through words and writing, but unfortunately, he received no response.

Was there no book spirit at all, or was his level too low to activate the relevant functions?

Under the arrangements of the Sky-Toppling Observatory and the Zhao Clan, he had essentially started a family, and now it was time to establish his career!!