Chapter 42: What? Get Married?

After finishing his meal and washing up, Tang Jiancheng collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

He was indeed exhausted today. First, he had chased wild boars through the mountains under extreme mental tension, followed by rescuing the Liu Mazi brothers, carrying and processing the wild boar, and finally going to the township to find Huang Tianyue. Almost not a single moment of the entire day had been spent in rest.

Looking at Tang Jiancheng, who was paralyzed with fatigue, Liu Fang芳 felt a pang of heartache arise in her chest.

This man used to be so bad, so rotten, drinking, beating his wife, and hitting his children. She used to wish he would just drop dead somewhere out there. Yet now that he had become so good and so motivated, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Sometimes she even felt like she was being a bit cheap.

After a sound sleep, Tang Jiancheng was back to his vibrant and energetic self.

He roughly calculated his earnings over the past few days. It was getting close to a thousand yuan. After deducting the expenses for buying supplies, he still had around nine hundred yuan left in his hands, which was considered a massive fortune in the countryside.

However, it was still a bit far from his ultimate goal.

After the New Year, he planned to hire people to reclaim wasteland, plant waxberry trees, chili peppers, and ginger. He also wanted to lease a rock cave to raise white-scale fish, and raise cattle. All of these required capital!

Most importantly, he also wanted to go into mining with Huang Tianyue!

As for mining entirely on his own, he had no such thoughts. Leaving aside the fact that he didn't have such deep pockets, even if he did, he wouldn't do it alone. Mining was an ultra-profitable industry; as a powerless peasant, it would be fine if he found nothing, but if he actually struck a mine and made a fortune, plenty of people would turn green with envy.

By then, not only would he be unable to hold onto his wealth, but he might even lose his life!

He clearly remembered that over the next few decades, the bloody conflicts in Sanchong Township caused by mining had never stopped!

"I still need to keep making money!"

Tang Jiancheng rolled over and sat up, only to see Liu Fangfang lying lazily beside him, her dark hair half-covering her face. Because she had to nurse little Jiu during the night, her clothes were half-open, revealing a patch of smooth, fair skin that looked extremely tempting.

Tang Jiancheng couldn't help reaching out to stroke her.

"Mmm?"

Liu Fangfang let out a lazy murmur and didn't slap away Tang Jiancheng's wandering hand. Instead, she turned over, pressed Tang Jiancheng down beneath her, and snuggled right into his arms. "It's still so early. You were exhausted all day yesterday, so rest today and sleep a little longer."

With a beauty in his arms, Tang Jiancheng immediately forgot about getting up. He pulled Liu Fangfang into his embrace and showered her with fierce kisses.

"Aren't you tired?"

Liu Fangfang didn't refuse.

Tang Jiancheng said with a cheeky grin, "I'm just a farmer. Diligently plowing the fields is my duty; how could I ever get tired?"

"Hate you."

Liu Fangfang's soft reprimand, half-scolding and half-pleased, instantly ignited Tang Jiancheng's passion, and with a roll, he pinned her beneath him.

However, Tang Jiancheng soon grew immensely irritated because this dilapidated wooden plank bed was way too squeaky.

If there were only the two of them in the house, the creaking sounds could add a uniquely romantic flavor to the moment. But he still had eight daughters at home, and especially since his eldest daughter was already thirteen years old, he had to be mindful.

After hastily letting Liu Fangfang help him finish in a new way, Tang Jiancheng got up in a depressed mood.

He swore to himself that he had to get a silent bed immediately!

Walking into the kitchen, he saw his eldest daughter already preparing breakfast there.

"Dad, is your bed broken? It was creaking away early this morning."

The eldest girl's single remark instantly made Tang Jiancheng's old face turn red, and he nodded, "It is indeed broken. In a few days, I'll have Carpenter Quan from the village make us a few brand-new beds."

"Making new beds must be very expensive, right? Why not just ask Uncle Quan to come and fix it instead?"

True to her nature, the eldest girl had matured early and already knew how to economize.

"It's fine. Dad's been making some money lately, so we can afford a few new beds." Tang Jiancheng waved his hand dismissively.

Hearing this, the eldest girl dropped the subject of the bed and changed the topic. "Dad, those eggs you borrowed from the eldest uncle's house a while ago—we didn't have any eggs to return, so we gave money to the eldest aunt instead, one penny per egg. I bought a dozen more myself, and it cost twenty cents in total."

"Where did you get the money?"

Tang Jiancheng looked at his eldest daughter in astonishment.

"Didn't a few houses collapse in the village some time ago? So many villagers wanted to reinforce their houses, which required a lot of timber and mud. Me, the second, third, and fourth sisters went to help carry timber and shoulder mud. It was one penny per trip, and we earned quite a bit!" the eldest girl said proudly.

"Ah? When did you all start doing that? How come I didn't know?"

Tang Jiancheng's tone carried a hint of urgency, which instantly frightened the eldest girl into silence, tears instantly welling up in her eyes.

In her mind, this moment was filled with images of Tang Jiancheng beating his children in the past, his ferocious expression and vicious actions striking terror into her heart.

Tang Jiancheng quickly noticed the change in her and hurriedly softened his voice. "Eldest, don't be scared. Dad isn't yelling at you. Dad is just surprised that you guys started making money when you're still so young, yet Dad had no idea at all. Dad has done a terrible job."

"Dad, you... you... you're really not mad?"

The eldest girl asked tentatively and cautiously.

"Not at all."

Tang Jiancheng squatted down, pulled his eldest daughter into his arms, stroked her dry, yellowish hair, and spoke softly, "Dad was just speaking a bit hastily; he really isn't angry. Dad is actually too happy, how could he be mad? My daughter is so sensible and hardworking, I'm genuinely so happy."

For as long as she could remember, this was the first time the eldest girl had ever leaned into her father's embrace.

She only now realized that her father's embrace was so vast and so warm, deeply captivating her, and she couldn't help reaching out to hug Tang Jiancheng tightly in return. "Dad, we... we actually aren't that young anymore."

"Grandma often tells me that in a couple of years, I'll have to get married."

"Ah? Get married?"

Tang Jiancheng was momentarily stunned.

Then he remembered that in this era, in the countryside, many girls got married at fifteen or sixteen!

Back then, Liu Fangfang had married him at sixteen.

However, it was usually girls from poor families who married early to ease the family's burden, and as for his family... Tang Jiancheng believed that in just a few years, his family wouldn't be poor anymore. While they might not become the richest people around, they would definitely be well-off!

Since they would be daughters of a prosperous family, how could they possibly marry off so early?

Absolutely not!

He immediately pushed the eldest girl back, stared straight into her eyes, and said very seriously, "Eldest, from now on, no matter who tells you about getting married, don't listen to them. After the New Year, I'm going to send you, along with the second, third, fourth, and fifth sisters, off to school! You must all study hard, understand?"

"Only by getting an education will you have a great future ahead of you!"

"Ah?"

Now it was the eldest girl's turn to be bewildered.

"Dad, I'm already thirteen, and I'll be fourteen next year. Eldest Uncle's family's Yu-jie is fourteen this year and is already betrothed!" the eldest girl said.

"I don't care about others; none of the children in my family are allowed to marry before they turn twenty!" Tang Jiancheng declared with absolute dominance.

"Twenty years old? That would make us old maids!" The eldest girl panicked a little.

"What's there to be afraid of being an old maid? At worst, Dad will support you! Starting next year, all you need to do is study, and you don't need to worry about anything else," Tang Jiancheng said.

"Oh."

The eldest girl nodded, seeming to understand yet still a bit puzzled.