Protect Our Patriarch

At this moment, Liu Ruolei squeezed her way through the crowd and fiercely pinched Liu Yuanrui: "Brother~ Can't you just give in a little? You don't really want to embarrass my brother-in-law, do you? Be careful, or my sister will deal with you later."

"Ah, my dear sister. I'm just trying to back up our sister, aren't I? This is a tradition among the noble families. Our Liu's Clan is also a prestigious family, we can't lose this tradition." This pinch seemed to have twisted away Liu Yuanrui's smug mood.

"I don't care, it's my sister's wish." Liu Ruolei pouted, "If you don't listen, I'll go and report to my sister."

Liu Yuanrui couldn't help but shiver. He knew his sister Liu Ruolan's temper very well. Despite her elegant and gentle exterior, once she was truly angered, it would be a big deal.

If it really came to that, not to mention him, even if his father Liu Gaowang came to persuade, it would be of no use. In short, he would be doomed.

Liu Yuanrui, feeling helpless, finally agreed, "Alright, alright, I'll lower the difficulty for my brother-in-law.

"Brother-in-law, you only need to shoot down those three copper coins within half the distance, that is, five zhangs, and you win."

"That's more like it." Liu Ruolei said with slight satisfaction, "My sister said, this kind of old-fashioned custom is not good."

"Ruolei, I'm also your brother, don't always say 'my sister said'." Liu Yuanrui glared at her, slightly disgruntled, "If you have the guts, try to convince the bride's family when I get married."

Once Liu Ruolei came out with her decree, the rest of the young uncles and aunts also shivered, and their stance immediately changed. They thought, well, reducing the distance by half is reasonable, otherwise it would be too unfair to their brother-in-law.

Liu Yuanshan, although his cultivation and other aspects were mediocre, he was the best archer among the Yuan generation.

And he was already forty years old.

Their brother-in-law was only nineteen, how could he compete?

The young uncles and aunts, one by one, began to change their stance, starting to sympathize with their brother-in-law.

Seeing the rapidly changing wind direction, Wang Shouzhe was somewhat taken aback. His wife, whom he had not yet met, seemed to be quite formidable.

Just a word from Ruolei, and those fierce young boys and girls all became obedient?

Could his wife be a tigress?

"Hey, brother-in-law, what are you thinking about?" Liu Yuanshan urged, "Are we still competing? Don't worry, for the sake of my sister Ruolan, I'll make sure you lose without any resistance, cleanly and neatly."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless, what a special way to save face.

No wonder he was still unmarried at forty. Damn!

However, despite his inner complaints, he politely bowed and said, "Brother Yuanshan, please."

The Liu's Clan was large and had many people of the Yuan generation. Wang Shouzhe didn't even know what rank this person was.

Liu Yuanshan didn't refuse, he chuckled and took off his bow and arrow.

Just ten zhangs away, he drew his bow and shot his arrow.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~ Three sharp arrows were almost simultaneously released.

The arrows were as fast as lightning, too fast for the average person to catch with their eyes.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

With three consecutive explosions.

The three large copper coins were almost simultaneously hit and exploded. The arrows continued forward, deeply embedding half a foot into the tree.

"Good, good archery!"

The young aunts and uncles around them cheered.

Clearly, they were all very satisfied with Liu Yuanshan's archery, it was very impressive and sharp. Brother Yuanshan was truly deserving of his reputation, with this level of archery, he could dominate among most Qi Refiners.

But why couldn't Brother Yuanshan, who was so good at archery, find a wife? Sigh~~

Meanwhile.

Liu Yuanshan himself was also slightly proud, glancing at Wang Shouzhe.

Just like the boast he made before shooting the arrow, he wanted to make Wang Shouzhe lose cleanly and without any resistance.

"Brother-in-law." Liu Yuanrui said with a leisurely smile, "As long as you can do the same as Brother Yuanshan within half the distance, you pass. If you can't, just admit defeat. I've already given enough face to my brother-in-law."

Are you giving face to your brother-in-law? Or are you afraid of being beaten by your sister? Wang Shouzhe secretly pondered.

Then, he calmly and cheerfully laughed: "Well, I still stand by what I said, there's nothing wrong with admitting defeat to my wife. But I still want to try. As for the half distance, it doesn't matter if you don't allow it, otherwise, I would really be a coward."

"Alright, brother-in-law is bold, then bring the bow and arrow for brother-in-law."

At Liu Yuanrui's command, someone quickly brought a strong bow.

Wang Shouzhe tested the feel of the bow, although the bow was a bit soft and useless for shooting fierce beasts, it could still be used for the competition.

"Go, brother-in-law." Liu Ruolei cheered from the side, "Steady your heart and shoot well, you just need to hit one coin."

Once Liu Ruolei spoke, the rest of the young uncles and aunts also shouted: "Brother-in-law, take your time, don't rush. Brother Yuanshan has been single for forty years, he has plenty of time to practice his speed, you're still young, it's not the same."

Liu Yuanshan's heart sank, Sister Ruolei's words were really heart-wrenching. And what does being single have to do with practicing speed? He was confused, feeling that something was wrong.

Immediately, under everyone's gaze.

Wang Shouzhe drew his bow and shot his arrow.

He also used the continuous arrow method.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, three arrows were released at the same time.

As soon as Wang Shouzhe shot the arrow, Liu Ruolei and the others cheered.

Regardless of the result, at least brother-in-law's posture was much better than Liu Yuanshan's.

Mainly because he was good-looking, any posture looked good.

As for whether brother-in-law's archery was brilliant, she didn't care. After all, brother-in-law was the head of a clan, there were naturally people to hunt for him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"Three arrows, almost simultaneously, embedded themselves into the tree. The arrows were strong and powerful, with more than half of the shaft sinking into the wood.

Everyone was stunned.

No way!

Did their brother-in-law fail to hit even a single copper coin?

Although no one had high hopes for his archery skills, as a direct descendant and Clan Leader, was it really okay for his archery to be so mediocre?

Suddenly.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

Three crisp sounds.

Three large coppers almost simultaneously fell onto the bluestone ground, creating a series of clear sounds.

What happened? What on earth just happened? The young uncles and aunts were all bewildered.

Only Liu Yuanshan widened his eyes, looking at the scene in surprise.

A few moments later, he finally gave a wry smile and bowed to Wang Shouzhe, "Brother-in-law, I admit defeat. Indeed, there are always people better than oneself, and mountains higher than one's own."

Even Chen Fangjie, who was watching the excitement with a grin, was full of surprise. Shouzhe's archery was simply astonishing.

His three arrows had actually cut the silk thread holding the large coppers.

A bitter smile!

Having never seen archery before, he had thought Shouzhe's skills were mediocre.

Shouzhe was indeed Shouzhe, truly incomparable.

"After all, he is my own brother-in-law. It's not a loss if he's more powerful." Chen Fangjie could only comfort himself in this way.

As Liu Yuanshan explained on the side.

Those uncles and aunts who didn't understand finally realized that their brother-in-law's archery was so brilliant.

"Brother-in-law is indeed brother-in-law, a divine archer." Liu Ruolei cheered happily,

Which made Liu Yuanrui, who was standing by, not know whether to laugh or cry.

I lost so miserably for my sister, and you're laughing so happily?

Is this really turning one's elbow outwards, not keeping the good things at home?

Wait, not keeping the good things at home?

Sister, this is your brother-in-law, you must not have any inappropriate thoughts.

Meanwhile.

As soon as this scene ended.

The little maid, Qiao'er, ran back to the backyard.

Her beautiful face was full of excitement as she vividly introduced Wang Shouzhe's heroic performance to everyone, "The new son-in-law is too powerful. His archery is even better than Young Master Yuanhui." This girl always compared him to Liu Yuanhui, without considering the feelings of the young Clan Leader.

The women in the room were all surprised. They all said that Wang Shouzhe was clever, but they never thought that his martial prowess would be so extraordinary.

Even Wang Liuzi was amazed. Her nephew was truly full of surprises.

In the eyes of the new bride, Wang Ruolan.

There was also a hint of joy and shyness. Previously, it was just a marriage arranged by the family, and she had no choice. But as she got to know Wang Shouzhe more and more, she gradually developed some feelings for him.

Which girl wouldn't like her husband to be an outstanding man?

Wang Liuzi, who was standing by, covered her mouth and laughed softly, somewhat proudly, "This time, Yuanrui is helpless. Ruolan, let's prepare quickly. My nephew will be coming to pick up the bride soon."

Earlier, many people from the Liu Clan had objections to this marriage, and there were many rumors. As a member of the Wang Clan, Wang Liuzi was caught in the middle, hearing a lot of gossip, and even arguing with people several times.

But with the rise of the Wang Clan, the gossip decreased a lot. Now that her nephew had shown his prowess and intimidated his peers in the Liu Clan, she, as an aunt, was truly proud. She could now hold her head high among the Liu Clan's sisters-in-law.

Who would dare to look down on her just because she was Wang Shouzhe's fourth aunt?

"That's not the case." The little maid Qiao'er pouted, "Young Master Yuanrui is very cunning, he has prepared three challenges."

"We've already compared archery and strength, what else could Yuanrui have up his sleeve?" Wang Liuzi couldn't help but ask curiously.

"This time, Young Master Yuanrui said he would do it himself."

"Do it himself?"

Wang Liuzi laughed so hard that tears were about to come out, covering her mouth and laughing, "With Yuanrui's mediocre Basalt skills, how can he compare with Shouzhe? Isn't this asking for trouble?"

Suddenly.

Wang Liuzi's laughter stopped abruptly.

She remembered something wrong, her pretty face tightened, "Could it be that Yuanrui wants to compete with Shouzhe in that? This time, Shouzhe is afraid he will be utterly defeated."

Meanwhile, in the courtyard.

Wang Shouzhe was also surprised to hear Liu Yuanrui say, "Yuanrui, what did you say? You want to compete with me in poetry writing!"

He was shocked by this. A scholar from the Basalt world, you actually want to compete in poetry with a person who has traveled from Earth?

What... what to do?

"Brother-in-law, I admit that your Basalt combat skills are powerful. But as a Basalt noble family, we can't just rely on martial strength. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and those beasts from outside the domain? Cultural heritage is also a treasure of our human race." Liu Yuanrui said seriously.

Wang Shouzhe felt this sounded familiar? Thinking carefully, it turned out to be his own words when he was teaching Wang Lici and Wang Luoqiu, encouraging them to read and increase their culture.

"Alright, I admit that what you said makes sense, then please set the rules, Yuanrui." Wang Shouzhe said helplessly, "This is the last challenge, right? We have to return to Ping'an today."

"Of course, as long as you pass this last challenge, you can smoothly take my sister away." Liu Yuanrui looked calm and confident, with a smirk, "Of course, it's also okay if you don't pass, you can still take my sister away after admitting defeat."

"Alright, but as I said before, I don't care about admitting defeat, I just want to try." Wang Shouzhe was equally calm.

This was the third time Wang Shouzhe had said this.

The so-called trials of the previous two times were all successful.

Could it be that a miracle will happen again this third time? The young uncles and aunts who were watching cheered, "Go, brother-in-law, go, brother-in-law, defeat Yuanrui."

Liu Yuanrui's face darkened, "Which side are you guys on?"

However, Liu Yuanrui was fully confident about the last challenge. As a scholar, wasn't he best at composing poetry?

If even this was surpassed by his brother-in-law, then what was the point of his studies?

"Is brother-in-law ready?" Liu Yuanrui asked confidently.

Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, "Yuanrui, please set the question. Let's not waste time."

Liu Yuanrui looked around, smiling lightly, "Since today is my sister's wedding, the topic should naturally be about my sister. Let's each compose a poem and see who can praise my sister better."

The crowd cheered. The topic was very fitting. It could test the brother-in-law's literary cultivation. Even if he couldn't surpass Yuanrui, as long as he could do a decent job, it would be considered a pass.

Wang Shouzhe thought for a moment and said, "Then Yuanrui, please go first. Let your brother-in-law learn from you."

Liu Yuanrui didn't refuse. He coughed pretentiously, thought for a while, and then recited his poem.

...

A proud maiden hidden in her boudoir,

Matchmakers light up the threshold stone,

Today she marries a man from Wang's Clan,

A phoenix lands in a treasure land, fostering a hidden dragon.

...

As soon as the poem was recited, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Even Wang Shouzhe had to admit, Yuanrui, as a scholar, indeed had some skills.

The poem didn't directly praise his sister, but through the use of metaphor, it elevated her status.

Especially the last line, "A phoenix lands in a treasure land, fostering a hidden dragon," it elevated the entire poem!

It not only praised his sister but also complimented the Wang's Clan and Wang Shouzhe. A treasure land and a hidden dragon, it was pleasing to hear.

But overall, it praised his sister, marrying Wang Shouzhe, which would greatly benefit his future success, she was a woman of prosperity.

It also told Wang Shouzhe that marrying Ruolan was a fortunate event.

The poem was very tasteful and fitting.

"Brother-in-law, it's your turn. Take your time, we have plenty of time." Liu Yuanrui's voice was filled with confidence.

He had been pondering this poem for three months, just for today. How could he not be confident?

"Alright, let me think."

Faced with this excellent poem, Wang Shouzhe didn't dare to be careless.

Meanwhile.

Naturally, the poem was quickly passed to the backyard by the maid, Qiao'er.

Liu Ruolan savored the poem for a moment, then personally copied it onto paper. After reciting it carefully, there was a hint of relief in her eyes, "Yuanrui still cares about his sister after all."

"Yuanrui's studies were not in vain." The middle-aged women also praised.

Wang Liuzi suddenly became worried. This was bad, Yuanrui's poem was excellent. Her nephew Shouzhe might be overshadowed!

"Aunt Qi, it's okay." Liu Ruolan gently held Wang Liuzi's hand and comforted, "This three-challenge tradition is just for the young people to have fun. I won't... um, I won't..."

At this point, her pretty face blushed, shy and charming. In short, she wouldn't have any prejudice against him just because he couldn't compose a good poem.

Forget it!

I'll write a poem to help him.

But Yuanrui's poem was excellent. It would be difficult to surpass him on short notice. At most, she could help him save face.

As Liu Ruolan pondered, her delicate hand held the brush and wrote a poem.

"Qiao'er, quietly give this to him. Don't let others see."

The maid, Qiao'er, was stunned.

Miss, in front of everyone, how do you expect me to quietly give this to him?

...