Chapter 87: Someone from the County Office Arrives

That night, the moon seemed unwilling to show its face, shyly not appearing.

The next day, when Chen Wuji got up, his wives and concubines had all disappeared.

He stared at the soot-black ceiling for a while in a daze, then lazily got up.

After a brief indulgence, the intoxicating aftertaste still lingered before his eyes.

Truly, a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold.

It's over the top!

In the simple courtyard, Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei each occupied a wooden basin, washing their hair.

"Who knows if sleeping a bit longer would matter; washing hair whenever is the same." Chen Wuji saw them like that as he went out, speaking with a hint of blame.

Although the sun was about to rise, the early morning air was still a bit chilly.

Shen Youwei squeezed her damp hair at the crown, turned her face sideways, and said, "Elder sister says washing hair today is different; we need to do it early."

"What's the point of that?" Chen Wuji asked doubtfully.

I don't know where Huo Sanniang learned all these strange rules.

Huo Sanniang wrapped her hair with a cloth, then said to Chen Wuji, "I've had my hair done up in a married woman's style for a long time, and Youwei was already like that when she entered the household. Yesterday was the bridal chamber; today this hair needs to be redone. To outsiders it may look the same, but in our hearts it's different."

"From today on, we are truly your wives."

"And concubine!" Shen Youwei added.

On this topic, Chen Wuji honestly didn't say much.

Huo Sanniang said she was taking care of Youwei as a wife, but Youwei was also taking care of Huo Sanniang.

He just needed to treat them equally; saying more would be no good.

"How's it done? Let me help you braid!" Chen Wuji said.

Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei didn't refuse; sweet smiles spread across their faces.

Although neither said it outright, Chen Wuji could tell they were very happy.

Perhaps the husband's braiding of the hair also carries a different meaning.

After the hair dried, Chen Wuji clumsily braided long hair for the two of them.

Barely passable, but really not good.

"Will you go into the mountains today, husband?" Huo Sanniang asked, delighted, looking at Chen Wuji's handiwork in the water basin's reflection, glancing sideways.

"I will." Chen Wuji said, "The coffin shop owner is urging for yellow pelts; I need to run around more this period to find yellow pelts and badgers."

Badgers are relatively more common in the mountains, and their fur fetches a high price.

Chen Wuji plans to make this his main goal from now on.

Yellow pelts are entirely out of personal favor.

As for other things, it's just luck.

Five Spirit Fat is quite valuable, but the luck factor in finding it is too high.

If you bump into it, you have it; if not, hoping to search mountain after mountain is no different from looking for a needle in the sea.

"Then I'll prepare some dried rations for you." Huo Sanniang said.

"Don't bother; you'll be back tonight, what's the point of preparing dried rations? Before there was none—how come after the bridal chamber you're giving me special treatment? Wife, you seem to be showing favoritism." Chen Wuji joked with a smile.

Huo Sanniang gave Chen Wuji a sideways glance and said crossly, "Before we didn't have white rice at home; even if we wanted to make it, we couldn't. Millet porridge is hard to swallow, too dry, and it scratches the mouth."

"Forget it, let's just cook it into porridge; white rice is ridiculously expensive now." Chen Wuji shook his head.

Under Chen Wuji's insistence, Huo Sanniang finally gave up the plan to prepare dried rations for him.

After eating a bit in the morning, Chen Wuji packed his hunting gear and was about to head out when he suddenly heard someone outside calling his name.

Stepping out, Chen Wuji was dazed by the scene before him.

Goodness, there are quite a lot of people.

Four constables escorted a woman, with several village elders standing around.

Chen Bushi was also there.

Chen Wuji suddenly remembered the county's reward, and his head swelled instantly.

Their coming is rather too coincidental.

He just finished the bridal chamber last night, and today they're adding a person to his household.

And he can't refuse.

"Wuji, what's going on?" Huo Sanniang walked to Chen Wuji's side and asked softly.

Chen Wuji whispered, "It should be the county's reward arriving. I didn't tell you before, but the county awarded me forty mu of land, and also… a woman. I refused the woman, but that official said, if I don't take it, it will affect his reputation."

Huo Sanniang frowned slightly, "Have you told us about this?"

"I have, I recall saying it, I said it."

"But I don't remember."

Chen Wuji rubbed his head in pain, "I thought they'd forget this matter; with the refugee crisis so severe, how could they still keep their promise to send someone over."

"We have to, it's not up to us." Huo Sanniang said helplessly, "That official is using his reputation as leverage; if we refuse, who knows what trouble might come later."

Chen Wuji rubbed his forehead in pain, stepped forward, took twenty cash coins, and gave them to the four constables, "Gentlemen, have a cup of tea."

Among these people was also an acquaintance of Chen Wuji, Yu Wu.

He remembered that this seemed to be his name.

The person who took him to the county office to collect the reward silver that day was this very man.

The stern-faced constables took the money, and smiles simultaneously appeared on their faces.

Yu Wu laughed and said, "Chen Wuji, this woman was personally selected for you by the County Magistrate at the matchmaker's; you must remember the County Magistrate's kindness."

"Yes, as a commoner, how dare I forget the County Magistrate's benevolence." Chen Wuji then handed over another ten cash coins, which landed smoothly and swiftly into Yu Wu's sleeve, so fast and slick that no one else could see.

Yu Wu's face instantly lit up with spring breeze, "The county magistrate has been mentioning you often these past few days, praising your valor and saying the county needs young people like you; if you have time, go to the county office to see him."

"Sure, sure!"

Chen Wuji kept agreeing, but in his heart he kept cursing his mother.

Just one sentence from this kid, and he'll have to spend five taels.

When seeing the county magistrate, if the gift lacks at least five taels of silver, praise might turn into spite. This matter makes Chen Wuji increasingly vexed, and his desire for power rises straight upward.

He must find a way to climb up!

Even if his background and education almost block his path, he still must find a way.

If he doesn't find a way, he will remain nothing but meat on someone else's chopping block for his whole life.

He is like this, and his child will also be like this!

"Older brother Yu, this girl, do you think I could possibly not take her? My family already has a wife and concubines; adding another would be impossible to support." Chen Wuji said softly.

"You would be spurning the county magistrate's kindness? That's not good!" Yu Wu glanced askance.

"If you can't afford to keep her, there are ways to deal with it; what's there to worry about? I'll teach you a method—concubines can be bought and sold, and the county office has never forbidden this."

Chen Wuji naturally knows this; someone had already told him.

But he really can't treat people like livestock to buy and sell.

But in the Dayu Dynasty, concubines are considered liquid assets; buying, selling, and exchanging them are everyday occurrences.

It is a widespread phenomenon known to everyone in upper society.

Concubines have only a slight official record in the county office.

Besides that, there is no other documentation at all.

And that document only binds the concubine, not the family head.

In reality, a concubine's status is even lower than that of a servant who has signed a contract.

Figures like the celebrated Bai Juyi keep concubines to entertain guests, each choosing young and beautiful ones.

They enter the household at fifteen, are sold or given away at eighteen, and then a new batch is brought in.

He even wrote a poem exposing his three dislikes—oldness, ugliness—and trading for beautiful eyebrows.

In people's eyes, a woman of eighteen is already considered old……