Chapter 26: Dream Butterfly
Wang Liu Yu was also hugging Wang Luojing, asking her about her well-being, and it was clear that she was also very concerned about this young niece who had lost her father at a young age. She even specially gave her a gold note worth ten silver taels.
"Aunt, I can't accept this," Wang Luojing repeatedly waved her hand, refusing to take it. "I heard that my cousin is currently breaking through to the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, so you should keep it for him."
Usually, the cultivation resources for young clan members come mainly from their family's provisions. In addition, some closer relatives, such as parents, often try to support the younger generation.
However, Wang Luojing's father, Wang Dingbang, had passed away five years ago, so Luo Jing was at a disadvantage in this aspect.
"Luo Jing, just take it," Wang Liu Yu said with a hint of annoyance. "Your father is no longer with us, and as your aunt, I can still help you out a bit, can't I?"
"You should take it, Luo Jing," Wang Shoujie said with a smile. "Don't disappoint your aunt's kind intentions."
He, of course, was aware that this was after Wang Luojing and Wang Shoujie had both shown great value. The "benefactor" Gongsun Mo had specially invited his aunt and uncle to join them, which was meant to strengthen the bond between the two families and play the family card again.
Moreover, Wang Luojing was the future Spirit Insect Master, and it was the perfect time to pull her in. Wang Shoujie naturally was also happy to see the relationship between the two families become closer, as the overall strength of the Gong Sun Clan was much greater than that of the Ping'an Wang Clan.
"Yes, Fourth Brother, thank you, Aunt," Wang Luojing said obediently as she accepted the gift.
Later, the two families sat down to eat together, enjoying each other's company.However, the main character being pampered this time was not Wang Shoujie, but Wang Luojing.
"Luo Jing," Gongsun Mo said with a warm smile as he personally served her a bowl of White Jade Spirit Rice, with a large piece of Spirit-Horned Yak meat and a large piece of Spirit Fish meat. "You've had a tough day, so eat more and don't be polite."
Wang Luojing was a bit overwhelmed, looking weakly at Wang Shoujie. Any family's resources were allocated uniformly, Wang Luojing's cultivation level was not high, and the spirit food she could get every month was very limited. How could she afford such luxurious food?
She pursed her lips, wanting to eat but not daring to.
"Eat, don't disappoint your grandfather's kind intentions," Wang Shoujie said with a sympathetic pat on her head. "In the future, I'll work harder to make sure everyone in the family lives a good life."
"Yes, thank you, Fourth Brother, and thank you, Grandfather Gongsun," Wang Luojing said obediently as she picked up her chopsticks and started eating the White Jade Spirit Rice with gusto, looking very satisfied.
Seeing her eat so happily, Wang Shoujie felt a sense of relief and also a sense of pressure as the head of the family.
"Grandson, this time we also owe it to you," Gongsun Mo said to Wang Shoujie as he poured him a cup of spirit wine. "Our people have assessed it, and this time, thanks to your support, we've reduced our losses by at least 20% compared to last year, saving over a thousand gold coins."
Over a thousand gold coins was a huge sum for both the Gong Sun Clan and the Wang Clan. What Gongsun Mo was more concerned about was the friendly signal Wang Shoujie had sent to the Gong Sun Clan.
It was precisely because of this that the Gong Sun family had also taken out their greatest sincerity to entertain Wang Shoujie and his group, with spirit wine and spirit food in abundance. This one meal would cost at least ten gold coins.
"Grandfather and you are too kind," Wang Shoujie said with a humble tone as he took a sip of spirit wine. "It's just that our two families are lucky to have met, and my sister has learned some Insect Taming Techniques."
The young clan leader, Gong Sun Qiang, who was accompanying them, had a sparkling gaze: "It's just that you, Wang Shoujie, have good fortune, becoming the clan leader and discovering a Spirit Insect Master in the family. I wonder if Luo Jing has a suitor? Should we consider our young Yan?"
"Huh?"
Wang Luojing was eating her meal when she heard this, and her eyes widened in shock, as if she had been frightened.
"Uncle, Luo Jing is only twelve years old," Wang Shoujie said with a hint of displeasure in his tone. "Besides, my cousin is a direct descendant of the Gong Sun Clan, while our Luo Jing is only a collateral descendant, so it's not a good match."
"It's no big deal, no big deal." Gong Sun Qiang seemed not to have heard the implication in Wang Shoujie's words, and kept saying, "A good girl like Luo Jing, our family will not despise her bloodline."
Wang Shoujie rubbed his forehead, "You may not despise it, but our family does?"
Fortunately, at this time, Gong Sunhui came out to block the attack: "Brother, don't think too highly of it. Our family's Luo Jing is a Spirit Insect Master, with unlimited potential in the future. Just take her method of controlling the Nine-Star Insect King, in the future she will be the darling of the entire Changning Guard. The insecticide powder from Purple Palace Academy had such a big loophole, I don't think any family wants to use it anymore, right?"
After a pause, Gong Sunhui continued, "Take the Gong Sun family's 16,000 acres of fertile farmland for example, one season of medication, twice a year, the annual consumption of insecticide powder alone reaches more than 300 gold. If our Wang Clan just charges the Gong Sun Clan 200 gold, and the Spirit Insect Master Luo Jing comes in person to exterminate the pests, is this business worth doing or not?"
Gong Sunhui's words seemed to have awakened everyone.
Even Gongsun Mo took a deep breath, looking at Wang Luojing with great seriousness, as if looking at a gold mine.
The money-making ability of the Spirit Insect Master is really too strong.
Regarding this business, Wang Shoujie had actually considered it before. But relying solely on Luo Jing as a Spirit Insect Master, the number she can take care of in a limited time is necessarily limited, at most she can only protect about 50,000 to 60,000 acres.
But even so, just by helping various families exterminate pests, she can earn at least 700 to 800 gold a year, and that's at a preferential price.
Not to mention, the Spirit Insect Master is best at cultivating spirit insects, and among the spirit insects there are quite a few economically-type ones, such as spirit silkworms and spirit bees.
So Gong Sunhui said what was on Wang Shoujie's mind, Gong Sun Qiang, you're thinking too highly of it, who would want to marry off a family's golden child?
"Shoujie, you're really lucky." Gong Sun Qiang looked at Wang Shoujie with envy and jealousy, wishing his family could also have a Spirit Insect Master.
Unfortunately, a Spirit Insect Master is not so easy to come by.
First, the number of people with the talent of a Spirit Insect Master is too rare, they must have the talent to communicate with insects, which is a rather niche talent.
Secondly, the majority of families themselves do not have the inheritance of a Spirit Insect Master, it is difficult to screen out the talent of a Spirit Insect Master from their own people.
According to the intelligence gathered by the Gong Sun family, the entire Changning Guard area only has three Spirit Insect Masters, respectively from the Liu Clan of Shanyin, the Xu Clan of Changning, and one Spirit Insect Master serving in the City Guards Mansion.
This intelligence is more detailed than Wang Shoujie's, after all, the Shanyang's Gong Sun Clan is stronger in the spiritual clan.
Since the Gong Sun Clan and the Wang Clan have a good relationship with each other, the dinner was eaten in a harmonious atmosphere.
The next day.
The recovered Wang Luojing continued to tame the newly captured lacewings king and Nine-Star Insect King. With her previous experience, Wang Luojing seemed to have made some progress, and it only took her half an hour to tame several insect kings.
By the afternoon, she had already released the insect kings to the other two farmsteads, and the next step was for the members of the Gong Sun Clan to continue capturing wild lacewings and nine-star insects to supplement the wheat fields.
With the constraint and leadership of the insect kings, those lacewings and nine-star insects will not leave.
"Fourth Brother, the taming of those insect kings is still too shallow." After finishing all this, Wang Luojing said in a somewhat tired state, "I'm afraid it won't be long before their wildness recovers, so we'll have to come back in a few days. Fourth Brother, let's go to the Lu Clan of Yingxiu first."
"Luo Jing, I see you're a bit tired." Wang Shoujie said with concern, "Why don't you rest for a night before going?"
"Fourth Brother, I'm fine." Wang Luojing shook her head and said, "The signs of the insect plague are becoming more and more obvious, and if we go tomorrow, the Lu Clan will suffer a great loss. Fourth Brother, I know the relationship between you and the Lu Clan of Yingxiu..."
Yes, the relationship.
In fact, purely from the perspective of blood relationship, the Lu Clan of Yingxiu and Wang Shoujie are very close. Because his mother, who died of illness at an early age, was the young lady of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, and also the sister of Lu Zhengxiong, the current clan leader of the Lu Clan.
Furthermore, Lu Zhengxiong's wife is from the sixth generation of the main line of the Wang Clan, who is also Wang Shoujie's own aunt, Wang Liuling.
This custom of intermarriage between martial clans is often practiced. The intermarriage between the main lines of the two families will make the two families reach the peak of intimacy.
The only surprise was that Wang Shoujie's birth mother, Lu Mengxue, passed away when he was six years old, leaving behind a young son and daughter. In Wang Shoujie's memory, the memory of his birth mother is the most tenacious, and he still feels deeply pained whenever he thinks of her.
Fortunately, the stepmother Gong Sunhui has treated him very well since he was young, seeing him as her own, and gradually he has accepted the stepmother and reduced much of the trauma in his heart.
As the memories and emotions become more and more integrated, Wang Shoujie also gradually feels that he is more and more integrated into this world, as if he has been growing up in this world all along, and the memories of the earth have gradually become like a dream.
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]