NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Surprising Wealth
Chapter 5: Surprising Wealth
Su Liyan watched her new husband with curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Was his family truly wealthy? It seemed impossible, given what she knew.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan reached into what appeared to be thin air and suddenly produced two large silver ingots.
Su Liyan stared in astonishment, not comprehending where her husband had conjured this money from. But those ingots—they must be worth at least a hundred taels!
This was an extraordinary sum. In their world, even working as a server in Taining City would earn someone only two or three copper pieces a month. Farming families might earn just three to five taels annually after selling their harvest—and that was before accounting for daily necessities. One bad season or illness could eliminate even those meager savings.
The sudden appearance of a hundred taels terrified Su Liyan. In her entire life, she’d never seen this much silver in one place.
“Don’t worry about money,” Lu Yuan said casually. “We have plenty.” He put the silver away, neither offering it to Su Liyan nor suggesting she manage it. In this society, financial matters belonged to men—that’s why they were called “shopkeepers,” after all.
Lu Yuan had no intention of hiding his wealth from his wife. He planned to eat well in the future—meat and wine would be essential—and naturally wanted to share these pleasures with her. What kind of husband would feast on delicacies while his wife nibbled on plain steamed buns at home?
Noting Su Liyan’s stunned expression, Lu Yuan offered an explanation before she could even ask: “My great-grandfather was the county magistrate and took advantage of his position. I’ve kept this money private, and living alone, I had few expenses. The villagers know nothing about it. Now that we’re married, I want you to enjoy the finest things. Don’t worry—we have enough to eat meat and drink wine every day for the rest of our lives.”
With that, Lu Yuan pushed open the door and entered the house.
Su Liyan remained frozen at the threshold, thoughts swirling. My husband is so good…
A flash of insecurity struck her. Why would a man of such means choose her? With his wealth, he could have married the daughter of any prosperous city merchant.
“Why are you still standing there?” Lu Yuan called. “Come in! There’s food in the kitchen—prepare something. I haven’t eaten since morning, so let’s have a meal together.”
Inside, Lu Yuan sat in the main hall with his legs crossed. Wasn’t this the point of marriage? To have someone attend to your needs?
Su Liyan snapped back to reality, acknowledged his instruction, and hurried inside. She set down her small bundle of belongings and headed to the kitchen as directed.
Lu Yuan seized this opportunity to access his system space. Ignoring the silver, he immediately located “The Holy Eucharist” and examined its description: “No taboos, no evil.”
It seemed designed specifically for this world. Without hesitation, Lu Yuan activated it.
Immediately, he felt mystical energy surging through his body. More than anything, he sensed limitless strength flowing into his previously weak frame. His vision, once blurry from late nights reading scrolls, now sharpened to crystal clarity.
It felt like those stories where an ordinary person gains supernatural abilities overnight. Lu Yuan examined himself, pulling at his clothes. No sculpted muscles had appeared—his physique remained as slender as before—but he sensed newfound power. Earlier, holding a hundred taels of silver in one hand had tired him slightly. Now he felt capable of carrying a hundred kilograms of silver and leaping great heights without effort.
While Lu Yuan marveled at his “Holy Body,” Su Liyan emerged from the kitchen looking perplexed.
“…Brother…” she said hesitantly, “it seems there’s nothing in the kitchen…”
Su Liyan had struggled with how to address him. “Shopkeeper” or “husband” felt too intimate and embarrassing. “Father of my children” was premature since they had none. She settled on “brother,” though it felt strange on her tongue.
Lu Yuan blinked in surprise. No food? He rose and investigated the kitchen himself.
Indeed, the rice jar that had contained flour earlier was now empty. They must have finished it without his realizing.
“Let’s go to town for a meal,” he decided. “Since you’ve just moved in, we should buy household items anyway—bedding, pillowcases, washbasins.” Besides, even if they’d had flour, Lu Yuan couldn’t imagine eating plain bread. As someone who had traveled across dimensions, he required more substantial fare than simple staples.
“I forgot,” he admitted, “I’ve lived alone so long I’ve neglected things. Let’s eat in town. Since we’ve just married, we should decorate the house to create a festive atmosphere.”
Su Liyan nodded agreeably, her sweet smile warming him.
Soon they were ready to depart. As they stepped outside, Lu Yuan felt a sudden weakness in his hand. Turning, he discovered Su Liyan shyly slipping her soft hand around his arm.
Never having had a partner back on Earth, Lu Yuan found himself unaccustomed to such intimacy. Yet here he was with this beautiful bride. It felt surreal.
On their way through the village, they passed the ancestral hall where crowds still lingered. Some villagers who had witnessed the wedding remained, while others from neighboring communities had arrived to observe the proceedings. Many women who had traveled from distant villages that morning were resting before their afternoon journey home.
The matchmaker spotted them and called out to Su Liyan with a smile: “I can see your happiness from here! Are you satisfied with your new husband?”
Su Liyan lowered her head shyly without answering, but her expression revealed her contentment.
The matchmaker felt relieved. She could report positively to Su Liyan’s mother. Having spent considerable time with the young woman, the matchmaker had grown fond of her. Such a lovely, sensible girl—why did everyone reject her with superstitious talk of bad luck and monsters? At least Su Liyan had married a well-mannered man. Though his household seemed poor, he appeared decent enough.
“Why are you out so early?” the matchmaker inquired. “Shouldn’t you be doing chores at home? I won’t be leaving until after noon.”
Su Liyan raised her head slightly, happiness radiating from her face. “My husband wishes to take me to town to purchase household items.”
Hearing this, nearby women turned to listen, especially those who had accompanied Su Liyan to the wedding. Envy filled their eyes.
This man clearly cherished Su Liyan deeply. As village women who married into larger communities, they knew such consideration was rare. Many brides began laboring in fields immediately after their wedding night. While work was expected—no one married for leisure—some women arrived at gatherings with bruised faces mere days after their weddings.
In this world, women held little value. Once married, they simply endured whatever life dealt them.
Seeing Su Liyan with such a thoughtful husband inspired jealousy among the observers. Though he might lack wealth for extravagant gifts, even purchasing a sheet of red paper to brighten their home showed genuine care.
How wonderful indeed…
By midday, cabbage soup was prepared in the ancestral hall, and everyone gathered to eat.
Suddenly, two ox carts appeared on the village’s main road. An elderly man leading them surveyed the crowd at the ancestral hall, dismounted with a smile, and bowed respectfully.
“Pardon me, where might I find Lu Yuan’s residence?” he inquired politely. “We’ve come to deliver goods to Master Lu.”
Everyone stared at the old man, then at his carts loaded with sacks of flour, half a butchered pig, several wine jars, and what appeared to be expensive fabric.
The villagers exchanged bewildered glances.
Wasn’t Lu Yuan extremely poor?