Volume 1: The Son-in-law of a Merchant from Jiangpu Chapter 6: Fear of Losing One's Tool While Trying to Catch a Mouse

  There is an old saying called "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", which means that when you are in a strange environment, you have to figure out the rules of this environment, just like playing a new game, first you must remember the rules of this game.

  As a traverser, when you don't have enough ability and qualification to establish a new rule, you must learn to adapt to the old rules.

  Xiao Fan had a vague understanding of some ancient etiquette in his past life, but he didn't know much. Some things he only remembered vaguely, to put it simply, he was just a half-baked goods.

  So when he said the word "Tong Fang Ya Tou" with a straight face, he was still somewhat pleased in his heart, thinking that he had found a loophole in the rules of this era's game.

  Tongfang yaotou is a unique product of ancient China's feudal society, generally served by the personal maidservants of young ladies from large households. When the young lady gets married, her personal maid naturally becomes the tongfang yaotou of the husband's household.

  It is well known that a ya tou is a servant, and a tong fang ya tou, strictly speaking, also belongs to the category of servants, but their status is slightly higher than that of ordinary servants, falling between that of a concubine and an ordinary servant.

  The responsibility of the tongfang yaotou is very important, not only to take care of the young lady and her husband's food and daily life, but also to be responsible for fanning in summer and warming the bed in winter, like a human-shaped air conditioner. Most importantly, the tongfang yaotou also has to act as a firefighter and temporary substitute during the master's ***, even helping to push and massage the chest, to increase the pleasure of the bedroom. From this point of view, the tongfang yaotou is equivalent to a sex toy, its function similar to that of modern vibrators and inflatable dolls.

  Behold, how corrupt and degenerate the life of the ancient upper class was, while the fate of the broad masses of laboring people was so miserable and pitiful!

  Xiao Fan was deeply in love with ancient times.

  I don't know who invented the term "tong fang ya tou", but he's absolutely a genius!

  For a man, these feudal rules of ancient times are really humanized. Compared to modern women who would rather ride on men's necks and pee, Xiao Fang feels that the days of crossing over are too happy.

  Unfortunately, this time-traveling rookie didn't know that not all sons-in-law are qualified to enjoy the privilege of having a concubine, and an uxorilocal son-in-law actually had such unrealistic thoughts, which is truly ignorant and fearless.

  Compared with Xiao Fan's current ecstatic mood, Chen Si Liu had a thought of giving up his life.

  Matchmaker...

  A poor and penniless farmer's son, who can't even afford to marry off his own daughter, is actually thinking of taking a concubine? Do you have the qualifications for that?

  "Do you still want to be a concubine?" Chen Si Liu sneered, with deep ridicule flowing from his eyes.

  Doesn't this poor kid know what "overestimating oneself" means?

  Xiao Fan was pierced by Chen Si Liu's gaze, but still smiled politely with a slightly shy smile: "If Father-in-law really can't bear to part with me, it doesn't matter if the son-in-law doesn't share a bed with his wife. After all, the son-in-law has been living in the Chen household for four years and is already very embarrassed. We are family, no need to be too formal..."

  Xiao Fan finished speaking and waved his hand, then stared at Chen Si Liu, still smiling on his face, but with the same sarcastic look in his eyes.

  Chen Si Liu was speechless, Xiao Fan's words were very elegant, not only did he lightly and easily get away with the affair of being rude to the maid, but it seemed like he was giving him a huge favor, and whether in his words or expression, there was an air of rascality about him - what kind of medicine had the doctor given this guy after his serious illness?

  Chen Si's eyes stared straight at Xiao Fan, his mouth a little bitter.

  In theory, as a dowry for a wealthy family, if Chen Ying'er really married Xiao Fan, Bao Qin would naturally have to be given away as well. However... this is just in theory!

  Many things that work in theory are fundamentally impossible in reality. If we trace back to the origin, theoretically speaking, eighteen years ago, Chen Si Liu should not have gotten drunk and definitely should not have easily given his daughter to a poor farming household's son.

  As far as he knew, no son-in-law had ever dared to make such a request to his father-in-law with such confidence and audacity. Chen Si Liu really didn't know how to describe Xiao Fan's fearless spirit - was it "swallowing mountains and rivers"?

  The Chen family now has a large business, with grain stores, restaurants, silk shops, and even a carriage rental shop, but the bigger the business gets, the harder it is to get back on its feet.

  The whole Jiangpu County now knows that Chen's daughter is engaged to Xiao Fan. If she really drives him out, judging from his behavior today, if she lets this poor boy wander around the streets and tells people how the Chen family is unfaithful, looking down on the poor and loving the rich, then the Chen family's reputation, business credibility will be trampled, even the moral character of the Chen family members will be questioned.

  The lifeline of the Chen family is the two words "integrity", and Xiao Fan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, has grasped the pulse of the Chen family tightly.

  Chen Siliu's determination to drive Xiao Fan out of the house began to waver, he did not expect that Xiao Fan, who had always been honest and weak, would be so difficult to deal with today. The Chen family's property was the result of his hard work for most of his life, and he could not allow the Chen family to have any setbacks because of a mere farmer's son.

  Looking at Xiao Fan's face, which was so refined that it deserved to be punched, Chen Si Liu opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. After a long silence, he finally waved his hand and said weakly: "Today's matter will end here. In the future, you should guard your moral integrity as a person and never do such immoral things again. You... can withdraw now!"

  Xiao Fan still maintained a gentle and elegant demeanor, bowing deeply to Chen Si Liu, before turning around and walking away with an air of elegance.

  Chen Siliu raised his head, his face a sheet of iron, staring at Xiao Fan's back, his teeth chattering with anger, and in his eyes, besides resentment, there was also a hint of doubt.

  What's wrong with Xiao Fan today? He used to be timid and introverted, but now he's completely changed. Is it because of his serious illness that his personality has undergone a huge transformation?

  Chen Siliu really didn't understand, a honest and down-to-earth young man, why he had become as troublesome as a rogue, couldn't be driven away, and yet couldn't be kept either. This Chen family's son-in-law was gradually turning into a disaster for the Chen family, which wasn't a good omen at all.

  We must think of a way to get rid of him as soon as possible! What makes him worthy of his own daughter? He married Yan'er, what good will it bring to the Chen family?

  Chen Si Liu gazed at Xiao Fan's back, secretly clenching his fists.

  The Chestgate incident on the noisy dust, in one side's cautiousness and the other side's fearless and bizarre atmosphere, was repeatedly raised and then lightly dropped, and it was over.

  Xiao Fan turned around, and his elegant smile slowly solidified, then turned into a bitter smile.

  Chen Siliu's meaning was expressed so clearly, how could Xiao Fan not understand? If he wasn't new to the place and couldn't bear to leave Chen Manor, why would he be willing to stay here with a guilty conscience?

  Xiao Fan is not stupid and does not have a bad habit of being inferior.

  The outside world was too unfamiliar to him, he didn't know what this ancient world looked like, and even more so, he didn't have the ability to invent things like other protagonists who traveled through time, rushing to gather followers and dominate. In fact, Xiao Fan felt a sense of fear and resistance towards the outside world, before fully understanding this unfamiliar environment, he had to find a relatively familiar environment to survive, which is the nature of humans and all animals.

  A person who rushes into something without understanding the external world at all is an absolute fool.

  Xiao Fan is not a fool, he is at most just a madman, and this madman is not foolish.

  Chen Si Liu played the "Xuan Ge" for a long time, but Xiao Fan was completely unaware of its "elegant meaning". This was also a helpless pretence. In any case, he had to stay in the Chen Mansion, because if he were driven out, he would have nowhere to survive.

  Living under someone's roof always has some unavoidable bitterness. If there were other choices, who would be willing to live at the mercy of others?

  Xiao Fan also knew that although this small wave was considered over, the Chen family could not tolerate him and he would eventually be swept out of the door. So what Xiao Fan had to do now was to familiarize himself with the outside world in the shortest time possible, and then leave the Chen family in a domineering manner to create his own life.

  This ideal is not grand, but it's very practical. There are no great leaps forward and no exaggeration. Being able to set such a pragmatic and steady goal makes Xiao Fan more and more confident that those who call themselves crazy have blind dog eyes.

  Since he wanted to get familiar with the outside world, Xiao Fan's first task was to go out and take a stroll. How could he get familiar without strolling?

  So Xiao Fan returned to his humble and remote courtyard, which was overgrown with weeds and had a poorer decoration than the thatched cottage of the Chen's mansion. He took out a purse from under the greasy bed board, where he had saved all his savings for four years - ten taels of silver.

  For the rich, ten taels of silver is really not a lot, and maybe one luxurious meal would be gone.

  For the poor, however, ten taels of silver is a considerable sum, enough to let a middle-class family live a comfortable life for at least half a year.

  Xiao Fan's entire fortune is now these ten taels of silver.

  Xiao Fan planned to put it in his pocket and go out on the street to find an investment project that would yield a profit of ten thousand times.

  As a traverser, I naturally have many more advantages than people of the same era, including knowledge, experience, and various modern knowledge that ancient people dare not think about. As long as you are willing to put your mind to it, becoming a rich man is not a difficult task.

  When he arrived at the Chen's mansion gate, Xiao Fang happened to run into Old Chen, the steward of the Chen's household.

  Lao Chen was over thirty years old, wearing a black short shirt with thick woolen padding inside. He looked very ordinary, with two eight-shaped whiskers and his hair combed neatly, shiny and oily, with a fashionable jade pin inserted at an angle in the bun on top of his head, looking rather sulky.

  Lao Chen looked at him coldly, his eyes emitting a strong sense of disgust and mockery that he didn't even bother to conceal, as if looking at a drowned dog.

  Xiao Fang smiled at him and pointed to the gate, saying in a warm voice: "Housekeeper Chen, may I go out for a walk?"

  "Of course you can," Chen Guan said with a sarcastic smile, "Our Chen family is a virtuous household, not a prison. If you want to go out, you can certainly go out."

  Xiao Fan frowned, Chen Guan's sarcastic tone made him somewhat dissatisfied.

  Taking a deep breath, Xiao Fan endured it and casually nodded to Chen Guan's house, saying lightly: "Thank you, I'll go out for a walk and come back."

  "Brother-in-law, it's very big outside, if you get lost..." Chen Guan said with a cold smile.

  "How?"

  "It's better not to go back, being a monk in a small temple is much better than being a son-in-law in the Chen family..."

  The gatehouse attendants burst out laughing loudly, their laughter unrestrained and full of ridicule.

  Chen Guanjia also laughed, as if he thought he had just told a very funny joke.

  Xiao Fan also laughed along with them, laughing even more happily than they were: "Chen Guan Jia is really humorous, but I think you might not be able to laugh for long..."

  Chen Guan's smile indeed froze, and he stared at Xiao Fan with a serious expression: "What do you mean by this?"

  Xiao Fan asked with a smile: "Just now, Master called me to the front hall, did you know about this?"

  Chen Guan's family nodded: "What about it?"

  "The old man is looking for me, it's actually related to you."

  Chen's face began to look unnatural: "What does it have to do with me?"

  Xiao Fan smiled and nodded: "Actually, it's not a big deal. The old master found that you've been looking at my mother-in-law's chest with an unsteady gaze lately, so he called me over to ask if you've bullied or exploited the servants in the mansion, such as withholding their wages..."

  "Nonsense! I didn't sneak a peek at the mistress's breasts..." Chen Guanjia's face finally changed, sneaking a peek at the mistress's breasts and embezzling wages seemed like two completely different things, but when Master mentioned them at the same time, it had a different flavor to it.

  This matter is very serious and has a close relationship with Chen Guan's rice bowl.

  Staring dead at Xiao Fan, Chen Guan's voice was menacing: "How dare you talk back to Master?"

  Xiao Fan's face was full of sincerity: "Of course I don't know, you were stealing glances at my mother-in-law's breasts when I wasn't around..."

  Chen Guan's face turned white with fear, and he shouted loudly: "Don't talk nonsense! I never glanced at the lady's chest!"

  "......Alright, you didn't steal, so I told Master that for some things, it's better to listen to the steward's explanation. After all, Steward Chen has worked hard and made great contributions to the Chen family, we can't accuse him without evidence, right?"

  Chen Guan's face stiffened for a moment, then he sneered coldly: "What you're saying, is it true or false? I've always walked upright and straight in the Chen household, never overstepping by half a step. Why would Master suspect me without reason? Are you spreading rumors? Do you think I'd believe this nonsense of yours?"

  Xiao Fan sighed and muttered to himself: "I kindly told him, but he actually suspected me of lying. It's really hard for good people to do good deeds in this world..."

  Shaking his head, Xiao Fan walked out of the side door and gradually disappeared into the distance.

  Chen Guanjia stood at the door, his face alternating between pale and red, hesitating for a moment before finally stamping his foot: "No! I have to explain this to Master, I really didn't steal Madam's treasure..."

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  This chapter is 4,000 words long, which is a big chapter. I have something to do tonight and don't know if I can update on time, so I'll release it in advance. If I come back too late tonight, I'll update again tomorrow...