Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Nakata's eyes lit up at the news, but her gaze quickly dimmed.

In ancient times, the groom's dowry and the bride price given by the bride's family were the groom's private property. Even if they divorced, they could take them back intact, and Zhongtian would have no connection with them at all.

These are the man's source of confidence and his way out; she can't accept them!

So she took the snacks Xie Muning brought and ate them slowly.

The pastry was delicious and fragrant. Xia Muning was not good at making these kinds of things, but he refused to give up and tried again and again in the kitchen until the taste was delicious enough. Only then did he present it to Zhong Tian like a treasure.

Xia Muning propped her chin up and watched Zhong Tian eat his snacks, feeling quite satisfied.

Zhongtian looked at Xia Muning, picked up a piece and put it in Xia Muning's mouth. Xia Muning opened his mouth and ate it, and the crumbs fell to the side of his mouth. Zhongtian gently wiped them away with his finger.

He said softly, "You have to experience the consequences of your own actions. You also have to protect your own property!"

Xia Muning sat down next to Zhong Tian, ​​the two of them very close: "Husband and wife are one, and your rejection of me today is treating me like an outsider."

Xia Muning looked at Zhong Tian with a somewhat aggrieved expression. This aggrieved expression was 80% fake and 20% real. Perhaps it was because they had just gotten married, and Zhong Tian always treated him with a bit of politeness!

"Mu Ning, I really don't consider you an outsider. Business is unpredictable. This time I might lose everything. You keep your money and shop. When I return in a sorry state, you are my way out."

Xia Muning wanted to say something more, but Zhong Tian looked at him gently and said, "Don't say anything, my mind is made up."

Once his wife had made up her mind, Xia Muning couldn't say anything more.

Zhongtian was thinking that he could withdraw some silver from the money shop, but the interest rate might be higher.

Summer is almost here, and all kinds of flowers in the garden are vying for attention, but Zhongtian has no time to appreciate them. She is in a hurry and unexpectedly runs into Ding Yucheng, whom she hasn't seen in a long time, in the garden.

Ding Yucheng wore a black robe without any jade or precious jewels. She simply used a jade hairpin to tie up her hair, which made her look much prettier. She was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any embellishment.

Upon seeing Zhong Tian, ​​he seemed quite flustered. After nodding in acknowledgment, he hurriedly retreated with Liang Yun.

Zhongtian recalled that Ding Yucheng had been recuperating in his Chaolu Pavilion for the past few months. After coming out a few days ago, he saw Zhongtian, but he knew how to avoid suspicion and would stay far away from him when they met.

Zhongtian was satisfied with this development. She and Ding Yucheng didn't need to be close or ambiguous; they could just be nodding acquaintances. If necessary, it would be fine for them to remain strangers.

But Ding Yucheng didn't want to be a stranger!

He's going crazy! Xia Muning stared at him, her eyes glued to him. The entire mansion was under Xia Muning's watchful eye!

Therefore, he was extremely careful when instructing Liang to transport the silver.

Before Zhongtian could even step out of the Xia residence, Liang Yun stopped her and quietly handed her a stack of silver notes.

Liang Yun's eyes darted around as he spoke rapidly: "My master said that the Xia family should help each other through thick and thin. I heard that Madam Zhong is having some financial difficulties recently. This is some of our master's personal savings. Please don't refuse it, Madam Zhong!"

Zhongtian looked at the silver in Liang Yun's hand and felt it was burning hot. She felt that this was not silver, but the intricate threads connecting Ding Yucheng and her!

Once she accepted the money, she and Ding Yu were entangled once again.

"I don't want it." Zhongtian thought for a moment. No matter what Ding Yucheng's intentions were, his act of bringing silver should not be met with cold words.

“Brother-in-law Ding is now all alone. If I take this money, I will be an unrighteous person. Go home and tell your brother-in-law that I also did not take Mu Ning’s money.”

Listening to Zhongtian repeatedly calling him "brother-in-law," Liang Yun was thankful that Ding Yucheng wasn't there, otherwise he would have gone crazy. Since Zhongtian didn't want it, he had no choice but to take the silver and go back.

When Ding Yucheng saw Liang Yun return and noticed the undelivered silver notes in his hand, he understood everything. "Did that poisonous man Xia Muning see you?"

Liang Yun shook his head: "No."

"He didn't take my money, but did he take that poisoner Xia Muning's money?"

Liang Yun shook his head again: "I don't want it."

Liang Yun waited for Ding Yucheng to go crazy, but when he quietly looked up, he saw relief and understanding on Ding Yucheng's face, which finally settled on resentment.

After Liang Yun left, Ding Yucheng looked at himself in the mirror. His face was smooth and delicate, with no trace of Xia Muning left on it, so his mind started to wander again.

Now that he has leverage over Nakata, he will surely be able to control Nakata.

If he can control Zhongtian, Xia Muning will also be under his control.

When Zhongtian returned to the warehouse, Lin Qingzhi was already waiting there. Zhongtian felt somewhat embarrassed towards his creditor. He was about to formulate his words to ask Lin Qingzhi for some more time.

Lin Qingzhi spoke first, his eyes filled with doubt, envy, and a mixture of emotions.

"Lin Qingzhi, just say what you want to say. Don't look at me like that, it makes me feel uneasy."

"You have a wonderful husband!"

“My husband is naturally excellent,” Nakata affirmed first, then asked with suspicion, “What did he do?”

“He just came over with Shishu. He paid back all the money he owed me and brought half a warehouse of grain. He also said a few things and asked me to pass them on to you.”

"What?"

Lin Qingzhi imitated it perfectly. "I will not shy away from the green hills, I will follow her and stay with her. I will not be her way out, I will be her partner on the road ahead, hand in hand, through thick and thin."

Nakata was unusually embarrassed, her face slightly flushed: "Why didn't he tell me himself?"

It was quite embarrassing to do it in public.

"Because you've already rejected him."

Lin Qingzhi, a person who had spent her days immersed in the mundane world, naturally knew that true love was hard to find. She said earnestly, "Gold is easy to obtain, but true love is hard to find. Don't let such a good man down!"

Nakata will certainly not let him down.

She inquired in detail about the money Xia Muning had spent this time, and said that she would repay him once she had some funds left, with the interest representing all the love she could give him for the rest of her life.

With Xia Muning's financial support, Shun Ning Express spread rapidly throughout Yangcheng and then to every corner of Zhaohua Kingdom.

In July, the imperial court sent a minister to Shandong to control the locust plague. After three months of efforts, the locusts were basically eradicated, and some refugees returned to their hometowns, but many more remained.

Nakata changed their payment from grain to copper coins. If these refugees worked diligently, it would be much more profitable than growing crops for a year.

After nearly three years of losses, Shunning Express has finally started to make a profit.

When the imperial court was rewarding those who had contributed to the locust plague, in addition to promoting the officials who had managed it by two ranks, they were also surprised to find that the number of civilian deaths caused by the locust plague was two-thirds less than before.

After investigation, Shunning Express came to the emperor's attention, and the person in charge of Shunning Express was Zhong Tian.

In November, the Xia family, who were preparing for the Chinese New Year, received two imperial edicts from the capital.