Shen Tang's proposal was still somewhat ahead of its time for the simple local commoners. The elders of both families and the woman herself were instantly dumbfounded. The Li and Wang families exchanged glances and stammered, "But this... how can one woman have two husbands? That's improper!"
Hearing them say that, Shen Tang was baffled instead.
Was the gap between the customs of the Northwest Continent and the Central Continent really this vast?
In the northwest and southwest, it was perfectly normal for noble young women to have male confidants before marriage. So long as they did not bring their confidants' bloodline with them when they married, it was fine. Women marrying a second or even third time—and marrying higher each time—was nothing unusual, either. Marriage alliances sought cooperation between two families, not the woman's personal happiness. Besides, in a chaotic age where there might be no tomorrow, people simply did not fuss over so many details. So why was it unacceptable here?
Shen Tang decided to reason with the Li and Wang families.
"What do you mean, 'one woman and two husbands'?"
The Li Family's Patriarch was stumped by the question, but he remained composed and merely asked, "Didn't you just say that each family would take in a son-in-law?"
Could he have misunderstood?
Shen Tang said, "Exactly. Each family takes in a son-in-law, but how does that equal one woman having two husbands? Let me ask you both this: the body belongs to the Daughter of the Wang Family, correct? And the soul belongs to the Daughter of the Li Family, correct? That clearly makes two daughters, two women! Isn't it perfectly reasonable for two women to marry two husbands?"
Find a son-in-law for the soul of the Daughter of the Li Family.
Find a son-in-law for the