A glimpse of opportunity: Start by marrying a mermaid bride.

This night was destined to be a sleepless one.

Zheng Xuan went home and enjoyed a comfortable meal of stewed fish. The fisherwoman asked curiously what had happened, but Zheng Xuan simply said he would find out tomorrow.

Sure enough, the news spread throughout the village the next day.

Last night was quite a spectacle. Zheng Daguo, in a fit of rage, went to Yang Sanli's house and gave Yang Sanli a good beating.

Yang Sanli was also wronged. After being beaten, he thought Zheng Daguo disagreed with their family's marriage exchange arrangement, since Feng Guiqin had vouched for it. He suspected that Feng Guiqin hadn't informed Zheng Daguo, so as soon as Zheng Daguo arrived, Yang Sanli apologized: "I'm sorry, Brother Daguo, this matter was kept from you by Sister-in-law Guiqin and me..."

Yang Sanli had barely finished speaking when Zheng Daguo swung his fist at him.

Then the two started fighting until Cao Baozheng arrived and separated them. This also revealed that Yang Sanli had switched the bride. The villagers clicked their tongues in disgust. The Yang family was truly despicable. Old Master Zheng had saved his life and even gave him thirty silver dollars when he opened his tofu shop to arrange a marriage for his grandson. Who would have thought that the Yang family would switch the bride?

That's incredibly immoral.

Yang Sanli was also wronged. He had given twenty silver dollars, and he got beaten up and his reputation was ruined. Why should he do that?

Meanwhile, the villagers heard that Yang Sanli and Feng Guiqin had made a private deal, and Feng Guiqin's reputation as a wicked stepmother spread.

Zheng Daguo only then realized what had happened, and when Feng Guiqin found out, she was so angry that she went straight back to her parents' home. Zheng Daguo went to Feng Guiqin's house in the middle of the night to apologize, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to bring Feng Guiqin home.

Feng Guiqin was truly pitiful. Although she wasn't defiled, her entire body was covered in mosquito bites. The mosquitoes in the woods in autumn are something only those who have been bitten know how bad they are.

Feng Guiqin spent the entire afternoon naked in the woods, feeding on mosquitoes. Her whole body swelled up, and she was so itchy that she wished she could cut her flesh off. It was truly a miserable experience.

Zheng Jin wasn't having an easy time either; Zheng Xuan threw him over the shoulder, causing him pain in his tailbone. This family of three was truly miserable.

Once they calmed down and took a look around, they realized something was wrong; there was someone who had ambushed them.

But who is this person?

The three of them spent a long time at home plotting and guessing who it might be, such as someone they had a grudge against in the village, or someone who was greedy for money.

Zheng Daguo said: It's very likely Yang Sanli. That bastard turned around halfway and snatched the money back.

Feng Guiqin dismissed Zheng Daguo's idea, offering her own perspective: "Could it be a woman? Otherwise, with my natural beauty, it's impossible that she would only rob me of my money and not my virtue!"

Zheng Daguo said: Then why did I take off your clothes?

Feng Guiqin: This is misleading!

After some deliberation, Zheng Jin said, "Could it be Zheng Xuan? I have a feeling something's off about him."

Zheng Daguo said, "Impossible, the timing doesn't match. When your mother had the accident, he was fishing in the Dawa River!"

……

Who attacked Feng Guiqin became the biggest unsolved case in Nanhe Village; no one knew who the murderer was.

But after this incident, Zheng Xuan made a fortune. He not only received twenty silver dollars, but also a silver bracelet and two gold earrings. These items cannot be easily sold now, but Zheng Xuan is not short of money. After all, his aunt helped him get back thirty silver dollars, and he still has some left over.

This book was first published on 2009.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

Besides this incident, Zheng Xuan also gained a reputation for filial piety in the village.

Yang Sanli and Feng Guiqin's reputations have also become quite tarnished. Yang Sanli's tofu shop business has plummeted, and the common people are cursing him behind his back for being ungrateful, saying that he has forgotten the kindness shown to him by Old Master Zheng after his death.

Feng Guiqin's reputation as a vicious stepmother spread far and wide. Although the Feng family was very powerful in the village, no one dared to say anything openly, but they all gossiped behind her back. In addition, there were rumors that Feng Guiqin had been stripped of her clothes and left in the grove, and that she had been violated by a passing lecher.

Of course, some people say that at her age, being taken advantage of by a womanizer is a reward from him. In any case, there are few entertainment options in the village, so gossiping and spreading rumors are the primary forms of entertainment.

Normally, Feng Guiqing is a major force in spreading gossip, but today she has become the subject of conversation. I wonder what she thinks about that.

In short, both families have ruined their reputations.

And so, Zheng Xuan spent a few comfortable days in the village. During these days, Zheng Xuan wandered around the village, looking for opportunities everywhere. But the village was only so big, and perhaps the opportunity had not yet arrived, or perhaps for some other reason, half a month passed, and there was not a single decent opportunity in the village.

Therefore, Zheng Xuan conceived a plan to enter the city.

These days, there are definitely more opportunities in the city than in the village. There are fewer people in the village, and they are all farmers, so there are only so many opportunities. But the city is a mixed bag, with all sorts of people from all walks of life, so there are bound to be opportunities there.

I can't stay in this village forever.

A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present!

Thinking of this, Zheng Xuan told the fisherwoman his thoughts. The fisherwoman had developed a good relationship with him these days, and now she was particularly attached to Zheng Xuan.

So Zheng Xuan told the fisherwoman that he wanted to leave the village and go to the city.

Upon hearing this, the fisherwoman panicked, thinking that Zheng Xuan no longer wanted her. She only breathed a sigh of relief when Zheng Xuan said he would take her into the city. But as soon as she relaxed, she couldn't help but say, "Husband, I've heard that everything costs money in the city. I think I'll stay here and save some money..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan said, "Money can't be saved. Besides, my husband needs you to take care of him. So come to the city with me. I'm worried about you being alone in the village."

As Zheng Xuan spoke, he grasped the fisherwoman's hand, and her face immediately turned red. Although they had become familiar with each other over the days and their behavior was quite intimate, she would still blush every time he held her hand or kissed her cheek. It was quite amusing.

"Alright then, I'll go with my husband."

The fisherwoman nodded in agreement.

"When shall we depart?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan said, "I'll leave tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the fisherwoman asked, "So urgent?"

Zheng Xuan said, "We don't have any businesses in this village, so there's nothing to miss. We'll leave tomorrow. Let's stay at an inn for now, and then we'll rent a house after I find a good job."

"Okay, I'll do whatever my husband says."

The fisherwoman said that the two of them agreed to go to the city together. They said this in the morning, and in the afternoon the fisherwoman started making flatbread. There was some flour left at home, and the fisherwoman said not to waste it, so she made flatbread to carry with her to stave off hunger.

Nothing more was said that night. The next day, Zheng Xuan hired a carriage and headed straight for Tianjin.

When the villagers saw that Zheng Xuan and his group were going to the city, they all came out to watch. When Feng Guiqin saw this, she crossed her arms and cracked melon seeds, saying, "Pah, two incompetent idiots. Going to the city, they'll starve to death."

Upon hearing Feng Guiqin's words, someone nearby said, "How can you, as a mother, talk like that?"

Feng Guiqin said, "What's wrong with me saying this? Do you think just anyone can get by in this city? My Ah Jin came to the city to learn martial arts; he's destined for great things. As for the two of them, haha, they're lucky to have found jobs emptying chamber pots in the city!"