Chapter 106: Cheng'an

Cheng Feng's arrangement for the Hong Sect was as a tool for making money, as well as a prototype for future military force.

Recently, every time Cheng Feng entered or exited the city gates, he could see groups of refugees with sallow complexions.

Cheng Feng continued to keep a low profile; as long as Wang Tieshan of the Martial Arts Hall didn't give the word, he would just stroll about and busy himself with his own affairs. In any case, he couldn't intervene in anything, and his martial prowess wasn't the strongest, so he let whoever was in charge handle it.

If he truly needed to exert effort, that was fine too; he just needed to be told.

There was no lack of food, clothing, or daily necessities at home, everything at the tavern was in good order, and the Hong Sect had also begun to get on the right track.

Ten jin of Fine Salt, two hundred taels of silver.

It was refined from twenty jin of coarse salt, with a cost of twenty taels.

The profit had increased tenfold.

After the initial shock, Cheng Feng calmed down, but the smile at the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed.

This damn thing was a tenfold profit.

Tenfold!

To think that back then, a large fish weighing about six jin only cost one big coin.

Now, the Fine Salt industry was simply brutal.

No wonder there was a saying in his past life that the most brutal industries were all written in the criminal law.

Cheng Feng also saw that the situation in Dazhou Guo was declining, and he chose this line of work because he urgently needed a way out.

"Choice is more important than effort"—that really isn't just empty talk.

The blueprint in Cheng Feng's mind already had a prototype.

Living in a grand mansion, served by a large group of people, commanding a large number of subordinates, with beauties surrounding him and attending to him attentively.

This was the most ideal dreamland in Cheng Feng's heart.

In his past life, Cheng Feng had also strived for this, but the environment of flowing material desires left Cheng Feng with no choice at all.

In this life, he still couldn't escape these basic material desires.

The only difference was that the little bits of knowledge he learned from short videos in his past life actually had such great energy.

While happy, Cheng Feng also became more cautious.

Cheng Feng couldn't control the situation in Great Zhou, but the woman in his home was about to give birth, and this was something he had to pay attention to.

At the Cheng Mansion, the women were no longer busy and were all waiting together outside the delivery room.

Cai'er had Chunyu hold Xiao Chengping while she comforted the somewhat anxious Cheng Feng on the side.

Xia He was accompanying Cai'er, Zheng Ya was currently inside the delivery room attending to the laboring Cuier, Xiaohua was with Xiao Fang, Chen Min was with Maomao, and Lian Niang was with Xiao Ling.

The only one, the little girl Chen Zhu, was naturally by Chen Min's side, but she also often came to look at Chengping and tease her little brother.

As time passed, Cuier's voice gradually grew lower, and suddenly a loud cry of an infant resounded through the room.

The women outside the door and Cheng Feng also felt relieved.

It was not uncommon for women in Great Zhou to die during childbirth, and Cheng Feng felt it was because medical and sanitary conditions were underdeveloped.

Later, when he thought about the people around him, he realized it was the result of women getting married at a young age.

Fortunately, what Cheng Feng liked was different.

He also didn't like those who were too young.

The aesthetic of "pale, thin, and young" completely failed to hit Cheng Feng's G-spot.

Therefore, this tragedy would not happen in the Cheng family.

Feeling that the Lucky Bag had added one more point,

Cheng Feng smiled very happily.

His own child was born, how could he not be happy?

The midwife held the infant and let Cheng Feng take a look, congratulating him: "Congratulations, Master, congratulations, Madam. The Madam has given birth to a little young master with a 'handle'."

Hearing that it was another son, Cheng Feng was overjoyed. He waved his hand and laughed: "Good, good, good, reward her!"

Xia He, who was nearby, took out the congratulatory money that had been prepared long ago and handed it to the midwife.

It wasn't much, one tael of silver. He had actually discussed this with Cai'er; Cai'er followed the customs of Great Zhou—more sons and fewer daughters—and had thought about preparing two red envelopes: one tael if it was a boy, and half that, five big coins, if it was a girl.

Cheng Feng naturally would not agree.

Cheng Feng was not a feudal person; he simply expressed that all lives were equal.

Then he handed the fifty taels he had earned to Cai'er.

Cai'er naturally followed his lead and secretly kept this point in mind: from now on, regardless of gender, the birth gift must be equal.

Cai'er knew that Cheng Feng was different from other men, whether it was his attitude toward women or his views and actions regarding family construction.

Everything was different from other men in Great Zhou.

In Great Zhou, where productivity was underdeveloped, most people liked to have boys because boys could do more when they grew up: farming, running errands, fighting, and the like.

Girls would eventually be married off; if they married well, they could leave a sum of bride price money for the family.

If they didn't marry well, then the future was helpless.

Cheng Feng was respectful and polite to all these women he had bought; at most, he was a bit lecherous, but he never beat or scolded them.

He had never said any harsh words, which made the women's acceptance of Cheng Feng even higher.

Cai'er would never have imagined,

That women could also not cook, not wash clothes, and not do housework,

And that there could be a scenario where men took care of the housework while women went out to earn money.

Cheng Feng looked at the women around him—gentle in temper, soft-spoken, and efficient in their work.

He never had to lift a finger for household chores.

Sometimes when Cheng Feng was unhappy, the women would think they had done something wrong, constantly self-reflecting, fearing that Cheng Feng would blame them.

At that adorable little appearance, Cheng Feng already had nothing left to say.

He could only work hard at practicing Martial Dao and strive in his career.

He had to protect his women well.

Cai'er and the others had already done everything a woman should do.

Cheng Feng naturally would not act crazy and look for trouble for no reason.

Practicing Martial Dao and Body Refining, selling wine and peddling salt.

Bringing money home was the most important thing to do.

Taking the child, Cheng Feng did not care about the complex thoughts of Cai'er behind him, nor the rather pressured pregnant women by his side.

After looking at his son's wrinkled little face, Cheng Feng went straight into the room to Cuier's side, held her hand, and said, "You've worked hard. The child is very healthy; you should rest well."

Cuier's face, pale from just giving birth, smiled as she looked at the crying child: "Master, please give the child a name!"

Cheng Feng spoke the name he had long prepared: "Let's call him Cheng'an, courtesy name Ziyu, hoping he will be safe and sound in the future, and grow up into an adult in peace and simplicity."

Cheng Feng was terrible at naming, but as a father, his greatest wish for his children, besides hoping they would become successful, was that they would grow up safe and sound.

While soothing Cuier to rest well, Zheng Ya, who was by his side, held the child and took the opportunity to communicate with the midwife, asking about methods for caring for the child.

Watching the alluring Zheng Ya clumsily look after the child,

Cheng Feng found it strange no matter how he looked at it; a woman as alluring as Zheng Ya should be serving men well, acting as a soul-captivating little enchantress.

Yet now, she was learning how to serve a little fellow.

The scene was quite incongruous.

But Cheng Feng had already crossed the biggest hurdle.

Next, he only needed to wait patiently to have his parents, eldest brother, sister-in-law, and this whole family of his live together.

Only then would Cheng Feng's painstaking efforts not be in vain.

Over more than two months, Cheng Feng received Fortune Point gains twice a day.

Cheng Feng invested all his Fortune Points into Basic Blade Technique.

Although his realm remained stagnant, he was not without gains in his Blade Technique.

Basic Blade Technique (Proficient 199/200).

Cheng Feng had also tried buying some good medicinal herbs, brewing them into decoctions, and practicing with them, but the result was naturally no movement at all.

The Thunderous Blood Explosion Art of the Blood Refining Realm could no longer be improved by Ordinary decoctions.

Cheng Feng could only walk the path of adding points to level up; although slow, it had the advantage of being steady.

Cheng Feng had once asked Wang Tieshan if there was anything that could change one's aptitude.

Wang Tieshan laughed and said that ancient texts recorded such things, but they currently held no value for verification.

Five-hundred-year-old Vermilion Fruit, six-hundred-year-old Elite Seeds, seven-hundred-year-old White Peony Liquid, eight-hundred-year-old Earth Tunnel Vine, nine-hundred-year-old Magnificent Eagle Gall, and thousand-year-old Ginseng King.

Who has ever seen these?

These things are only written in books.

How can they be verified?

They cannot be verified.

The cruelty of the Martial Dao is manifested here to the fullest.

Every door is a barrier.

Every path is a hurdle.

It depends on those who come after.

Being ahead does not necessarily mean winning.