NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Starting with a Wife, Isn’t this a good thing?
“Li Mo, do you want a wife or not?”
In a village, an old man in a rough linen robe ran excitedly with his face full of excitement.
Rushing into Li Mo’s house, he spoke excitedly, “As long as you speak up, I will bring her to you right away!”
The one known as Li Mo was a young man in his early twenties.
Tall and straight like a pine tree, with a handsome face.
But even with such a handsome face, there was a black cloth covering his eyes.
Originally, he was blind!
Li Mo was not born blind, but became blind after crossing over.
A year ago, he accidentally crossed into this world and found nothing in front of him as soon as he arrived.
Later, he drifted to this village and was taken in by the kind-hearted village leader.
After learning about it, he realized that he had crossed over to the Warring States period.
And this village was a village not far from the capital of Han Empire, Xinzheng.
The current administrative division includes counties, townships, villages, pavilions, and units.
The village leader is roughly equivalent to the village chief, and the unit leader is the production team leader.
After listening to the village leader’s words, Li Mo shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly, “Uncle Zhang, don’t tease me. I’m a blind man. Which girl could look up to me?”
He’s blind, what can he do?
The answer is, plenty!
Matching bolts with nuts is all about feeling.
Moreover, although he lost his sight, he gained the talent of a simplified cultivation method.
Breathing can increase internal strength, and sleeping can strengthen the root bones.
Initially, it wasn’t very apparent, but now that a year has passed, Li Mo can clearly feel that his body has become much stronger.
Despite his thin appearance, there are muscles all over when he takes off his clothes.
The emperor of Qin, Ying Zheng, has not yet personally assumed power.
But Li Mo, who is familiar with history, knows that in a few years, the real chaotic times will come.
So, he decided to practice in this village for ten or eight years first, so that he would have the means to protect himself when the chaotic times come.
He can now discern positions with sound, and daily life is not a difficult task.
As for marrying a wife, who would look at a blind man like him?
Therefore, Li Mo did not take the village leader’s words seriously.
But the village leader grabbed his arm and explained desperately, “Hey, why would I deceive you?”
“Not only is it true, it is also a compulsory requirement of the court.”
“Yesterday, the court issued a decree that, in order to increase the population of our country, men and women of the specified age must marry. If anyone dares to violate the regulations, they will be sent to forced labor camps!”
Li Mo felt a stir in his heart. The territory and population of Han Empire are not large.
And in recent years, there have been several wars, following the methods of Qin Empire to increase the population!
Qin Empire stipulates that those who reach marriageable age but remain unmarried will be fined, but those who have children will receive rewards.
If Li Mo were in Qin Empire, he would be fined just for being twenty-three!
Now Han Empire is even harsher, sentencing those who do not marry to forced labor camps.
Want to get married but have no one in mind?
It doesn’t matter, the authorities will provide you with a partner!
Bring unmarried men and women together, pairing them off one by one.
Regardless of whether you knew each other before or had feelings for each other, taking them home for a deeper understanding will reveal everything, right?
At this point, the village leader said, “Li Mo, living alone is always inconvenient. If you can marry a wife, there will be someone to help you at home.”
“Moreover, you’re blind. If you were really sent off to the military camp, you wouldn’t even be able to distinguish the directions on the battlefield, would you?”
“Listen to my advice, whether this wife is good or bad, let’s get one back. After all, you can’t see, so it doesn’t matter how they look, right?”
Li Mo glanced at the village leader, picked up the bamboo pole next to the door, and walked out.
What he said makes so much sense!
Although I can’t see, I can imagine beauty!
I’ve seen a lot of celebrities and internet celebrities in my past life, like Mi Mi, Re Ba, Bing Bing, and Zha Na.
As long as your imagination is rich enough, you can have different experiences every day!
It’s quite exciting!
Seeing a blind man walking briskly, the village leader was not surprised.
He ran up to accompany him to the Pavilion Office.
Today, the Pavilion Office was especially lively, with more than a dozen single men from the units coming over.
The main hall of the Pavilion Office was divided into two sections.
On one side, there were a dozen or so weeping girls of all shapes and sizes.
Looking at them, they were still young. If placed in the past, they would still be in school.
On the other side, there was a group of single men standing on tiptoes, eager and hungry.
Without exception, there are family members accompanying them.
In this era, choosing a wife is not about good looks, but about whether she can work!
“Son, did your mother inform you when you came? If you want to choose, choose one with the same style as her, strong waist, and ample hips, that’s the kind that is good for bearing children! Understand?”
“Shugen, you first look carefully. We’ll choose the girl with big feet, big hands, thick arms, and legs. That kind of girl will have the strength to work!”
“Hey, hey, understood, father, I choose this one, this one has a big butt, guaranteed to be able to bear children!”
“Wow, this one, she’s a bit chubby, can eat well and probably work well, then let’s go with this one!”
Although everyone has a love for beauty, when it comes to marrying someone back, poor families first consider whether they can work and if they are good for bearing children.
After all, having more children in a family means more labor force in the future.
While these family elders teach their children how to choose a wife, village leader walked over with a stack of bamboo slips.
“Alright, enough talking, line up, first one, Sun Erwa.”
The Pavilion Head began calling the names, and whoever was called would step forward to receive a bride.
After the matching was complete, he would make a mark on the bamboo slip in his hand, and then the person could take the bride away on the spot.
As for the women’s wishes, no one would consider them.
This is the sadness of the times!
Li Mo and Village Leader arrived late, so they could only line up at the back.
Village Leader, seeing fewer and fewer girls, became anxious and scratching his head.
Li Mo, on the other hand, appeared calm. It was no use being otherwise, as he was late!
Amidst the crying of the women, a dozen or so girls were quickly selected.
At this point, it was finally Li Mo’s turn.
“Li Mo, it’s our turn, it’s our turn.”
Village Leader pushed Li Mo forward, nodding and bowing to Li Mo.
The Pavilion Head glanced at the two of them, pointed impatiently at the empty seats, and said, “It’s all over, can’t you see that all the girls have been chosen?”
He then saw Li Mo covered in a black cloth and scoffed, “Huh, really a blind man.”
Village Leader, after a moment of astonishment, became anxious, “No, is it over? How can it be over?”
The matchmaking is only for today, if Li Mo doesn’t get a bride, he’ll be taken away for military service!
The Pavilion Head glared at the two of them, “Who allowed you to be late? What can I do after it’s finished! Go back, go back!”
Just as Village Leader was sweating nervously, Li Mo approached and grasped Pavilion Head’s hand, saying, “Director, please think of a way. I can’t see, and if I don’t get a bride and am taken away for military service, it’s a dead end.”
The Pavilion Head, about to scold the blind man in front of him, was surprised to feel something hard in his hand.
After pinching it, his eyes, which were originally glaring, suddenly softened a bit.
Without a word, he put away the coins in his hand and looked more favorably at Li Mo.
After some thought, he said, “You’re right, a blind man like you would be sent to die on the battlefield. So be it, there’s one more in the backyard, you can take her!”
Village Leader’s face lit up, “Good, good, thank you, Pavilion Head, thank you, Pavilion Head.”
But at this moment, a nearby guard interjected, “Director, that woman has no identification, her identity has not been verified yet.”
Pavilion Head immediately glared and shouted, “Are you Pavilion Head or am I Pavilion Head?”
The guard shrunk his neck and dared not say more.
Pavilion Head then turned to Li Mo and said, “But let me tell you in advance, that woman is a mute, she can’t speak. She’s tall, but with thin arms and legs, she probably can’t do much work. Also, she has a black cloth over her face, who knows if she has sores or birthmarks.”
“If you take her back, you can’t change your mind.”
After saying this, he laughed, “Hey, anyway, you can’t see being blind, go ahead, I’ll take you over.”
– Pavilion Head (亭长): In ancient China, a Pavilion Head was a local official responsible for a small area, typically a few villages. They were responsible for maintaining order, collecting taxes, and overseeing public works.
– Village Head (村长): A Village Head is the leader of a village in China. They are responsible for representing the village to the government, managing the village’s affairs, and resolving disputes between villagers.
– Village Elder (里长): A Village Elder is an older, respected member of a village in China. They are often consulted for advice and may play a role in resolving disputes.
– Production Team Leader (生产队队长): During the era of collective agriculture in China, a Production Team Leader was the head of a production team, which was a sub-division of a village. They were responsible for organizing and managing the team’s agricultural production.