The Hope of the Entire Family

Wang Shouzhe had come today with a purpose, yet he remained unhurried and composed, chatting idly with Wang Xiaozhi about various curiosities. When he mentioned that he had happened to catch a 150-pound Red-Scaled Eel the previous night while out with his Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai, Wang Xiaozhi slapped his thigh in excitement: "That little brat Dinghai might not catch one in two years; you must have brought him some good fortune this time."

Although the Red-Scaled Eel was not as fine as the Red-Tailed Spirit Mandarin Fish, it was still considered a potent tonic and ranked among spirit foods.

Spirit food was an excellent resource for rapidly replenishing the blood and qi of a Profound Warrior, a necessity for the survival of every practitioner. Even an old man like Wang Xiaozhi, who was over seventy and whose cultivation had stagnated or even begun to regress, needed to supplement his diet with spirit food from time to time.

Otherwise, his blood and qi would become insufficient, accelerating both physical decay and the dissipation of his cultivation.

As for the younger generation, they required spirit food even more to replenish their blood and qi, allowing them to grow faster and stronger.

Amidst their laughter and conversation, less than half an hour passed before the cook and the two younger sisters laid out some rustic delicacies: fresh chicken, duck, fish, and goose, along with a large stone basin of red-braised piglet meat.

"Shouzhe, it's rare for you to visit. Your Fourth Grandfather has nothing else to treat you with." After running into the bedroom, Wang Xiaozhi returned a moment later carrying an archaic wine pot, smiling broadly. "Taste this fine wine I've kept for a long time. Drink as much as you like from this pot; if you can't finish it, take the rest back with you."

Just as he was speaking, a young man with dark skin and covered in mud walked in, his voice hearty: "Grandfather, you're being biased. You usually won't even let me have a sip of this White Jade Spirit Rice Wine. Now that Fourth Brother is here, you've brought out the whole pot."

"You little brat, what are you worth compared to Shouzhe?" Wang Xiaozhi laughed and scolded as soon as he saw the youth. "It's a wonder you managed to time your return exactly for dinner. Hurry up and go wash yourself; I'll count you in for a cup."

"Third Brother." Wang Shouzhe bowed with a smile. He knew this was Wang Shounuo, the third in line of the Wang Clan's seventh generation, the 'Shou' generation.

"Fourth Brother." Wang Shounuo hurriedly returned the bow respectfully, then laughed, "Let me go wash up first, and I'll come back to host you." With that, he quickly excused himself.

By the time the bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups were set on the table, Wang Shounuo had already finished a quick wash. He sat down at the lower seat next to Wang Shouzhe, sniffing the aroma of the food and staring greedily at the pot of White Jade Spirit Rice Wine. "I'm benefiting from Fourth Brother's presence today. It's been a long time since we brothers shared a meal; I'll toast you a few more times later."

"Third Brother, you've worked hard for the clan. It should be me toasting you," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile.

"Tong'er, why aren't you pouring wine for your Fourth Brother yet?" Wang Xiaozhi was in a wonderful mood, his dark face glowing with vitality as he gave the order.

"Yes, Grandfather." Wang Luotong picked up the wine pot and poured for Wang Shouzhe, Wang Xiaozhi, and then Wang Shounuo.

The wine was pure white in color and emitted a clear, mellow fragrance that made one feel invigorated just by smelling it.

Just as the two girls, Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing, were preparing to return to the small table in the kitchen to eat, Wang Shouzhe spoke up first: "Fourth Grandfather, I'm not an outsider. Let Fourth and Fifth Sisters sit and eat with us."

Wang Xiaozhi was taken aback, but not wanting to slight Wang Shouzhe, he smiled and said, "Since your Fourth Brother has asked, then sit and eat together."

"Thank you, Grandfather. Thank you, Fourth Brother." Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing sat down obediently at the very end of the table.

Following that, there was naturally a round of clinking glasses and lively conversation.

The two girls ate quietly and obediently, occasionally pouring wine for the others.

"Good wine." After half a cup, Wang Shouzhe already felt a burning sensation in his lower abdomen; his blood and qi surged, and his energy began to flourish.

This White Jade Spirit Rice Wine was brewed from White Jade Spirit Rice and a variety of precious medicinal herbs; its effect on nourishing blood and qi was far superior to ordinary spirit food.

However, its price was also quite "touching." A pot weighing several jin could easily cost several pieces of Qian Gold, so even Wang Shouzhe could only enjoy it on rare occasions.

Moreover, spirit wine could only serve as a supplement to spirit food and should only be consumed occasionally. Otherwise, becoming addicted and staying drunk all day was hardly a good thing.

At this moment, the little girl Wang Luojing, who was eating silently, glanced at the wine pot from time to time, her lips pursed as if she were craving a taste.

"Luotong can have half a cup. Luojing is too young, so just a splash at the bottom for her." Wang Shouzhe picked up the pot and poured a little for each of his younger sisters.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother." Both girls thanked him happily, clearly having coveted the spirit wine for a long time.

At this, Wang Xiaozhi's face twitched as if he felt a pinch in his heart, and he muttered in a low voice, "Shouzhe, isn't it a waste to give this spirit wine to two little girls?"

Wang Shouzhe's eyelids twitched as well; this Fourth Grand-uncle's patriarchal bias was truly undisguised.

"Fourth Grandfather, they are our own children; it's all the same," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile.

"It's not the same, not the same. Girls will be married off sooner or later." Wang Xiaozhi continued to grumble in distress. "Shouzhe, you are at the critical juncture of breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm; you should be the one drinking more. Shounuo, you take fewer sips too, and leave more for Shouzhe."

Wang Shounuo hurriedly put down his wine cup in embarrassment and gave a sheepish laugh.

In the eyes of clan elders like Wang Xiaozhi, Wang Shouzhe was the head of the direct line and the hope and future pillar of the clan. He was held in much higher regard than his own grandson, Wang Shounuo, let alone his two "money-losing" granddaughters.

Fortunately, his grandchildren were used to it, and the meal proceeded in a harmonious atmosphere. However, under Wang Xiaozhi's "guidance," more than half the pot of spirit wine remained, which he intended to send to Wang Shouzhe's courtyard along with the majority of the cleaned piglet meat for him to enjoy alone later.

Wang Shouzhe felt quite helpless regarding Wang Xiaozhi's blatant "favoritism," so he had to let it be for the time being.

After the meal, Wang Shouzhe proposed, "Fourth Grandfather, the main reason I came to Fenggu Farm this time is to learn a bit about agriculture from you."

"Agriculture?" Wang Xiaozhi frowned deeply. "Shouzhe, you are the head of the clan. Your most urgent priority is to cultivate diligently and ascend to the Spirit Platform Realm as soon as possible. Do not let trivial matters like agriculture distract you; your Fourth Grandfather and Third Brother will handle those things."

Wang Shouzhe's purpose in coming here was naturally to learn more about Fenggu Farm. If possible, he wanted to use modern thinking to explore ways to improve the efficiency of their industries.

However, after his first interaction with Wang Xiaozhi, he realized that while the old man was undeniably loyal to the clan, his thinking had become rigid due to his age.

He was not as compliant as his Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai; if he were to casually propose a few ideas, he might end up angering him. He immediately shifted his approach: "Fourth Grandfather, you've misunderstood. As the head of the family, I simply need to know a little about our clan's industries. How about this: I'll trouble Third Brother to take me around to see the sights of the fields."

"You, oh well, fine. Let Shounuo accompany you for half a day. The wheat has reached the grain-filling stage recently, and there is much to do in the fields, so I won't be joining you." With that, Wang Xiaozhi picked up his farming tools and hurried off to the fields.

Heh.

Although he was already the Clan Leader, these clan elders still treated him like a child, hoping more than anything that he would use his talent to reach the Spirit Platform Realm.

It felt as if they wanted to treat him, the Clan Leader, as a mascot.

In truth, if he could live a comfortable and peaceful life, Wang Shouzhe would be more than happy to be a mascot and a parasite. It was just a pity that the members of the Wang Clan lacked the capability, and the clan's influence had been withering away over the past few decades. If things continued this way, the Ping'an Wang Clan would soon be devoured and disappear completely into the river of history.

He had to take advantage of the fact that the Wang Clan still had some foundation and quickly make the clan rise, even if it only meant possessing the most basic ability to protect itself.

"Fourth Brother, I'll take you around. Feel free to ask me if there's anything you don't understand." Wang Shounuo stood up and bowed; he was very polite to Wang Shouzhe, even showing a hint of reverence.

For one, Wang Shouzhe was the Clan Leader of the direct line, and for another, his personal strength far surpassed his own by many times over.

"I have troubled you, Third Brother." Wang Shouzhe returned the courtesy politely.

"We're going too." Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing followed along eagerly. Behind them trailed the servant Wang Gui, carrying Wang Shouzhe's sword and bow, followed further by four fully armed family guards.

The siblings strolled through the farmstead. It was already early summer, and the weather had turned somewhat hot. A warm breeze, heavy with humidity, brushed against their faces, making the air feel thick and stifling.

"Our Fenggu Farm is an estate that Ancestor Zhouxuan personally opened up a hundred years ago," Wang Shounuo said, his expression filled with pride. "Back then, the Ancestor organized the clearing of tributary river channels, dredged the silt, filled the soil, and reinforced the embankments. He even built water control sluices on the upper reaches of the Fenggu tributary, forming the prototype of Fenggu Farm. Later on, our clansmen continuously reclaimed and maintained the wasteland, turning this stretch of semi-arid, semi-wet Wild Marsh into fertile fields. Through the meticulous management of generations of clansmen, we now have three thousand five hundred and sixty-seven mu of high-grade farmland and two hundred tenant households!"