The worse you are, the stronger you become: My summoned beast is a photographer.

Three months later, Ming Luochen still made some preparations for the National University Alliance Humanities Competition—he went to the library to check the literary classics of this world and the situation of the Humanities Competition in the past five years. The spines of the books on the bookshelf were crooked, the pages were yellowed and brittle, and when he opened them, they were all flat narrative articles, like a primary school student's diary.

This gave him a clearer understanding of the world: orcs generally have low intelligence; the intelligence of an adult orc is roughly equivalent to that of an eight- or nine-year-old child on Earth, and even those called scholars are only at a middle school level. To him, an undergraduate, this felt like bullying, like a college student taking a kindergarten final exam.

Even if he encountered a genius at the high school level, the five thousand years of Chinese cultural heritage would be enough to crush them, even if he were just a plagiarist. He completely stopped caring about the competition and devoted himself entirely to the wedding preparations, spending his days in the kitchen and garden, thinking about how to give Aura a perfect wedding.

After finishing her 100-kilometer morning run and training, Aura went to the kitchen to find Ming Luochen. Her hair was soaked with sweat, clinging to her forehead and neck, and her four hooves were still covered in morning dew and mud: "Honey, let's change bodies."

"Okay." Ming Luochen habitually agreed, put down the dough in his hand, and wiped his hands on his apron. During this time, Aura complained that his body was too weak. Since she didn't have much to do, she used her high-level summoning skills to switch bodies every day and used his body to train—running, weightlifting, boxing, and putting his useless physique to the test.

However, every time she finished training and switched back, Ming Luochen felt sore and tired all over, as if her muscles had been disassembled and reassembled. The benefits were also obvious: she had lost a lot of fat, and could even vaguely feel the outline of eight-pack abs. The biceps on her arms were much firmer and no longer felt like soft, sagging fat, but rather had a firm elasticity.

He was very familiar with his wife's body, and at that moment he felt her weak and feverish, clearly because she had just finished her morning exercise. Sweat clung to her skin, her hair was wet, and her whole body looked like she had just been pulled out of the water.

"Let's go." Aura smiled brightly and ran towards the training ground. The fatigue from her morning exercise had completely disappeared after she swapped bodies with Ming Luochen. She felt refreshed and comfortable, as if she had been given a new body.

Moreover, her husband was exceptionally clean—he had not only washed his face and brushed his teeth, but also eaten breakfast, leaving her with a warm stomach. She didn't feel hungry at all, which made things incredibly convenient. As she ran, she stretched Ming Luochen's increasingly muscular arms, feeling so happy she wanted to hum a tune.

Watching his own body skip away happily, Ming Luochen smiled faintly, put down what he was doing, and turned to walk towards the washbasin. He had already eaten breakfast once, but Aura hadn't—she only knew how to practice martial arts every day, and even needed to be urged to eat.

"Dora, prepare some hot water for me to wash up."

"It's all ready." Dora couldn't tell if this was a young lady or a gentleman, but her deer ears perked up alertly. She diligently ran to fetch the toiletries and began brushing and grooming Aura's body, changing her into clean clothes. The mane comb slid patiently from the horse's back to its belly.

Ming Luochen meticulously cleaned his wife's centaur body, straightening each hair from mane to tail, and even gave it an oil treatment, leaving the horse's body shiny and smooth like silk. After eating the specially prepared nutritious breakfast—oatmeal porridge, boiled eggs, and neatly arranged sliced ​​apples—he continued his work.

Marina checked the list. The wedding venue was almost finished; pale purple drapery hung from the dome, and flower arches lined the walls. Invitations had been sent to all the nobles of Herma, the priest and band for the wedding had been arranged, and the wedding dress had arrived at the manor yesterday, hanging in the cloakroom, its white satin shimmering softly in the candlelight. All the wedding banquet ingredients had been ordered, and they were just waiting for the wedding to officially begin in ten days.

She went to the backyard of the kitchen, where, amidst the rising steam, she saw her daughter squatting in front of the boiler, distilling and purifying baijiu (Chinese liquor). Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her movements were as serious as if she were conducting an experiment. From her meticulous and diligent appearance, she recognized at a glance that it was Ming Luochen operating the equipment—her daughter, like her father, loved practicing martial arts and was completely indifferent to these delicate tasks in the kitchen, not even able to distinguish between salt and sugar.

"Ming Luochen, why are you distilling wine again? Didn't you already make plum wine?"

"Make some cooking wine to prepare first." Ming Luochen rubbed his hands together, letting the hand cream moisturize his skin, a faint scent of Lanniya flowers wafting from between his fingers. He didn't like doing hand care, but this was his wife's body, and the key was that his wife was too rough around the edges—the calluses on her hands were thicker than her father-in-law's, and there was always dirt stuck under her fingernails. He had to help her take good care of her.

Marina didn't know what cooking wine was, but she smelled a rich, mellow aroma, mixed with the sweetness of fermented grains—much better than the beer her husband usually drank. She watched Ming Luochen rubbing her hands incessantly; her daughter's hands, long wielding swords and guns, had a smooth, glossy sheen, and didn't look like she was rubbing mud. She asked, "What are you rubbing?"

"Apply hand cream. Mom, would you like some?" Ming Luochen said, taking out a small ceramic jar, opening the lid to reveal a pure white, creamy substance with a smooth surface like solidified lard.

Marina smelled the fresh and delicate scent of the Lanniya flower. She reached out and scooped some out and applied it to her hands. The cream melted under her body heat, and she immediately felt much more moisturized. The dry lines on the back of her hands even faded a bit. "This is nice. Share some with me."

"You can use them together." Ming Luochen handed the small ceramic jar to his mother-in-law, then took out another jar from his pocket. "This one tastes different, you can try it."

"My hands are so slippery, can I put this on my face?" Marina asked excitedly, turning her palm upside down in the light to see the healthy glow on her skin. She felt that Ming Luochen, using Aura's body, was more like her daughter, especially knowledgeable about a refined life, unlike the father and son at home, one only knew how to fight and the other only knew how to practice martial arts.

"That's possible, but I have a special hand cream. I'll make it in a couple of days when I'm done with my work, and we can use it together." Ming Luochen didn't dare to apply the hand cream directly to her face. Many of the ingredients in this world are different, so she needed to test it on the inside of her arm first. She would make a hand cream first to test the waters, and only apply it to her face once the formula was stable.

"It's so good to have you here. Unlike Aura, who's just like Valerius, all she knows is fighting and killing." Marina grew increasingly fond of Ming Luochen. With him around, she had someone to talk to and confide in, instead of having to deal with her husband who only knew how to "uh-huh" every day. Besides, he and Aura were a perfect match—one was intelligent, and the other was strong and powerful. The two complemented each other perfectly.

Especially since her daughter is all smiles now, with a smile on her face from morning till night, she's very happy, and that makes her mother content. She had secretly observed that Ming Luochen was genuinely good to Aura, not just in words, but in every little detail.

"Having a hobby is good, at least it can keep you healthy." Ming Luochen spoke up for his wife. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the grape trellis. He picked a grape from the trellis and popped it into his mouth. It was so sour that he squinted. He then chatted with his mother-in-law, "Mom, after the wedding, let's go earn some money. That way we'll have something to do and we can earn some extra income for the family."

Marina's eyes lit up. She had long considered making money using Ming Luochen's technology; any one of those refined salts, gourmet foods, or health-preserving wines would be incredibly profitable. She leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "How do I do it? I'll do whatever you say."

"Let's make money off the rich first. How about hand cream?" Ming Luochen picked up his jar of hand cream and twirled it in his hand. The earthenware jar gleamed warmly in the sunlight. He planned to earn some money for himself as a little savings, just in case—as the old saying goes, everyone faces hardships, and having more money can help him withstand risks. He couldn't always rely on his wife's family for a living; even his wedding was paid for by his in-laws.

"Yes. Your refined salt, gourmet food, and health-preserving wine are also good options. What do you think about opening a shop to sell them, or how?" Marina asked expectantly, finding Ming Luochen intelligent and wanting to hear his opinion. Although she managed the Earl's family's finances, her income was barely enough to maintain a respectable lifestyle in aristocratic circles, and she couldn't save much at all.

In this magical fantasy world set in the Middle Ages, opening a shop seems like the best option. However, there are risks involved. If other powerful families set their sights on a shop, steal the recipe, or even send people to rob it, things could get quite complicated.

The key issue is that his wife's family is an earldom, which makes them too vulnerable to financial losses; they're no match for truly wealthy families. Ming Luochen shook his head: "It's better if we handle the supply and branding, cooperate with the city lord, and let them handle the sales."

"Isn't this letting others make money?" Marina didn't understand. Those were all good products, they shouldn't have trouble selling, so why should the profits be shared with others? Her brows furrowed slightly, and she tapped her fingers on her knee.

"It's safer to earn less money sometimes. Besides, cooperation isn't bad either; it's like having someone run errands for us, which can promote a win-win relationship." Ming Luochen had no intention of being greedy for that little bit of money. Back then, the internet celebrity factory girl's boyfriend broke up their original trio over profit sharing. The factory girl kicked her online friend and boyfriend out, causing a huge uproar online. Her ex-boyfriend betrayed her and reported her, and it took her a year and professional PR to calm things down. That year, she lost 20 pounds, and her eye bags were bigger than her eyes.

On the contrary, although he earns less money, it's stable. He doesn't have to entertain clients or take on responsibilities. Compared to many of his peers, his income is quite substantial. The factory girl he used to date was constantly watched after she made a lot of money. She had to go out with bodyguards and even had to think twice before posting on social media.

He had also heard the factory girl say: "When you have a certain amount of money, you often lose control of your own life. And the more you earn, the more you spend, especially since everyone thinks you earn a lot, and they all want to take a bite out of you. Relatives, friends, business partners, everyone wants a piece of the pie."

Ming Luochen didn't want to put his wife and family in a difficult position for a little money. Improving their quality of life was already his ultimate goal. He didn't want to be incredibly wealthy; he just wanted to live a peaceful and stable life with Aura.

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Marina trusted Ming Luochen's judgment. Anyway, the family wasn't short of money, so she'd just treat it as entertainment to pass the time. She patted Ming Luochen's hand, her eyes full of trust.

Valerius, shirtless and muscular, walked into the kitchen after training. Sweat streamed down his strong muscles, and the scars on his chest gleamed a dark red in the sunlight. He found some chilled lemonade in the freezer, unscrewed the cork, and gulped it down in a few large gulps. His Adam's apple bobbed as the icy liquid slid down his throat, and he felt his soul cleansed, as if drenched in a downpour.

Smelling the aroma of wine wafting from the backyard, a rich and mellow fragrance with a hint of fruity sweetness, he couldn't resist walking over. His eyes lit up as he stared at the clear liquid flowing from the still, and he asked excitedly, "Ming Luochen, are you brewing wine again? Let me taste it and see what it tastes like."

"It's for cooking, not for drinking." Ming Luochen glanced at her mother-in-law—she was sitting under the grape trellis, holding a jar of hand cream, her gaze already drifting over, like an invisible knife. She didn't allow her father-in-law to drink too much; last time he got drunk, he performed a set of drunken boxing in the yard, trampling the flowerbeds to pieces.

"Try what?" Marina glanced at Valerius, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly, carrying a strong warning, as if to say, "You dare to try a sip."

Valerius's smile froze instantly, as if someone had pressed the pause button. Fearing Marina's anger, he quickly changed his tune, speaking as fast as if reciting lines: "I was just tasting the wine my son-in-law made, so that if it didn't taste good, I could adjust it in time and not embarrass myself at the wedding..."

"Try my ass! Last time you brought your friends over to try the new wine, and they drank it all! That was all prepared for the wedding, forcing us to stay up all night redoing it. You dare to try it again?" Marina was furious at the word "try," her voice rising three octaves as she slammed the hand cream jar on the table with a loud thud. Neither her husband nor her daughter was easy to deal with; one secretly drank alcohol, and the other neglected her skin. Ming Luochen was the one who had to clean up their messes.

"I'm not tasting it, you guys go ahead with your work." Valerius was so frightened that he quickly ran away, his bare feet making a "pat pat pat" sound on the stone pavement. He was three times faster than when he came, and disappeared around the corner in a flash, forgetting even to take the lemonade.

Ming Luochen watched his father-in-law's hasty retreat and couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head and continued stirring the wine in the pot. In the rising steam, the corners of his mouth curved into a gentle smile.