Ever since Xu Chuan had been blessed with the [Divine Farmer Hundred Herbs] Destiny Talent, he had begun reading the medical books and herb manuals Xu Mingyuan had collected for him alongside his daily cultivation of the Five Elements Creation Technique.
At the same time, he continually studied the medicinal properties of herbs.
His skill in the medicinal arts advanced by leaps and bounds.
Xu Mingwei occasionally ventured deep into the Broken Tooth Mountain Range to familiarize himself with [Frost Breaking Clouds].
But only for an hour or two at a time.
Yang Ronghua was a woman who understood the bigger picture. She did not grow resentful because Xu Mingwei could not keep her company at all times. Instead, she helped Bai Jing manage the Xu Family household.
Her arrangements were meticulous, earning Bai Jing's praise and the affection of many maidservants and household guards.
She understood the Xu Family's circumstances.
Once her father Yang Zhao had left, the Xu Family stood isolated and weak. In the future, they could only rely on themselves to face the various Families of Qingjiang County.
And Xu Mingwei was the eldest son of the household, the future Xu Family Patriarch. He had to put the Xu Family first in all things.
Six days later.
A carriage left Qingjiang County Town, entered Dongxi Village not long afterward, and stopped before the Xu Family Main Gate.
Four guards carrying sabers rode on horseback at either side.
The one driving the carriage was a household guard. He jumped down, fetched a folding step ladder from the rear, and set it in place.
A noblewoman and a pretty young woman with a single ponytail stepped down from the carriage, each accompanied by a maidservant.
Zhou Ming, who had been waiting at the entrance for a long time, stepped forward and asked, "Would these be Madam Wu and Miss Wu?"
"Yes," the maidservant replied.
"Madam Wu, please follow me. My wife has been awaiting you for quite some time."
"Thank you for your trouble, Steward Zhou."
Madam Wu had already visited the Xu Family twice, so she naturally recognized Zhou Ming.
"You are too courteous, Madam. Please, both of you."
Other than Madam Wu, Miss Wu, and their maidservants, everyone else remained outside the Xu Family.
As the pretty young woman walked along, she looked around in every direction, her eyes full of curiosity about the Xu Family.
"Rushan, don't look about so wildly. You'll lose your manners."
At once, the pretty young woman withdrew her gaze. "Yes, Mother."
Madam Wu was the principal wife and original spouse. Even the children of concubines had to address her as mother, while they called their own birth mothers little mother.
They crossed the front courtyard and headed toward the central hall.
The maidservants and household guards in the front courtyard were also secretly observing them.
"So that's the Wu Family's young lady. She gives off such a valiant and heroic air, completely unlike the eldest young mistress."
"Do you think this Miss Wu could become our second young mistress?"
"Are you all trying to be punished, discussing the young masters' affairs like this?"
At those words, they all hurriedly returned to work honestly.
The Xu Family Members were kind, but their rules were strict, inspiring both respect and awe in the servants.
"Elder Sister Wu, we've been looking forward to your arrival."
Bai Jing rose to welcome her, her face brimming with smiles. Her eyes also flicked toward the pretty young woman.
"I would also like to visit my younger sister more often, but the Wu Family's inner household needs my management. Ordinarily, I simply cannot spare the time."
The two exchanged a smile.
"Sit, all of you. Let's sit and talk."
After the three women took their seats, the maidservants stood behind their respective mistresses.
Three Xu Family maidservants entered carrying pastries and tea. They placed them on the side tables beside the three women, silently retreated a short distance, and only then turned to leave.
Bai Jing and Madam Wu chatted about domestic matters.
Not long after.
Xu Mingyuan entered the hall. He first saluted Bai Jing with cupped hands. "Greetings, Mother."
"This is Madam Wu and Miss Wu."
Xu Mingyuan turned and cupped his hands toward the two of them as well. "Greetings, Madam. Greetings, Miss."
As he spoke, he assessed them both, especially the Wu Family's young lady who had come to meet him for marriage.
Her ponytail was tied with a red silk ribbon. She wore clothes resembling narrow-sleeved foreign attire, and the indigo fabric made her skin seem white as snow. Her almond-shaped eyes shone like stars, while the corners of her brows carried three parts heroic spirit.
She was a refreshing sight.
Though she did not possess Yang Ronghua's peerless beauty, her valiant bearing had a distinctive charm of its own.
"Second Young Master Xu's reputation in Qingjiang County is no less than first young master Xu's. Even my husband praises him often, saying that if he had such a child, his Lineage's foundation could flourish for decades."
Bai Jing beamed, a hint of pride between her brows. "Elder Sister Wu, you flatter him too much. Who doesn't know that every one of the children you raised possesses outstanding grace?"
After exchanging a few compliments.
Bai Jing invited Madam Wu to take a walk and share some private words, leaving Xu Mingyuan to accompany Wu Rushan around the estate.
Xu Mingyuan merely accompanied Wu Rushan in silence.
In business, he was decisive, shrewd, and adept at moving through every social circle with ease. But in matters of the heart, he was an utter Little White.
All of a sudden.
Wu Rushan stopped and turned to look at Xu Mingyuan.
Xu Mingyuan stopped as well. He had been looking down at the ground, but now he raised his head to look at her.
"Second Young Master Xu, aren't you going to say something?"
Xu Mingyuan said nothing.
Wu Rushan continued, "They say you are smooth in all directions, a business prodigy. Even when facing the Patriarchs of every Family, you can laugh and converse with them without yielding an inch. Why have you become mute now?"
"Since you don't wish to speak, let's have a spar."
"Alright," Xu Mingyuan said.
The two found a courtyard and began to exchange blows.
Wu Rushan was filled with fighting spirit and struck first. Her long dark hair flew wildly as she stepped forward.
Xu Mingyuan, meanwhile, countered every move as it came.
After more than ten exchanges, he had figured out her strength. She was actually a Third-rate Martial Artist as well.
She was not from the direct line, and she was a woman besides. To become a Third-rate Martial Artist at sixteen, she must have put in no small amount of effort.
"There's no need for you to go easy on me!"
Wu Rushan had a fiery temper. She spread her arms and viciously kicked one leg toward Xu Mingyuan's chest, fast, precise, and ruthless.
Xu Mingyuan reacted swiftly. He caught her with both hands, stopping her from advancing any farther.
Their eyes met.
The two froze in that position.
Seeing that she could not pull herself free, Wu Rushan suddenly exerted force through her waist and swept her other leg at his head.
Xu Mingyuan came back to his senses and abruptly retreated, barely evading the blow.
"Miss Wu, I offended you just now."
"In a martial spar, there is no distinction between men and women."
Xu Mingyuan was surprised. He had not expected a woman raised in a prominent Family to have such a temperament. A few more traces of admiration appeared in his eyes.
"Since Miss Wu is so straightforward, then I shall accompany you to the bitter end."
But she was, after all, a woman.
After fighting for a while, Xu Mingyuan accidentally brushed against her chest. It felt as though his heart had been shocked by lightning, and he abruptly pulled back his right hand.
Then he stopped and apologized.
"Forget it. You did not do it deliberately. I was the one who overestimated myself."
Wu Rushan's face reddened slightly, and her heart raced like a startled deer. Yet she quickly returned to normal.
Xu Mingyuan said, "Miss Wu's talent is exceptional. I cannot compare. If you had the Wu Family's full support, you would likely have already surpassed me in Martial Dao cultivation."
"You truly think so?!" Wu Rushan sighed softly. "Unfortunately, women are ultimately not valued in this world."
"My father does not see it that way." Xu Mingwei smiled. "He often says that men and women are equal in a household, each holding up half the sky."
"The Xu Family Head truly is unlike anyone else." A sharp gleam burst from Wu Rushan's eyes.
"My father is naturally formidable. My siblings and I have achieved what we have today only because he taught us by word and example from childhood."
Without realizing it, Xu Mingyuan had changed "father" to "Father."
Usually, he only called Xu Chuan Father when speaking with someone close to him.
"Oh? What were you like as a child?"
"Me?"
Xu Mingyuan smiled, a nostalgic look appearing on his face. He did not refuse, simply recounting a few amusing stories from his childhood.
When Wu Rushan heard that the Xu Family had once been so impoverished, surviving on only ten mu of paddy fields, she was utterly astonished and filled with admiration.
She hesitated for a moment before finally making a decision. Looking at Xu Mingyuan, she asked, "Second Young Master Xu, what do you think of me?"
"Valiant and heroic, a woman who yields nothing to men."
"Then would you be willing to marry me?"
"Ah?!"
At those words, Xu Mingyuan's entire body jolted. He stood there dumbstruck, like a wooden chicken.
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