The sickly son died young? After the marriage exchange, I will bring prosperity to his entire clan f

"How about turning your current room into a study for your research, and moving into my room?"

Not really.

But she seemed unable to refuse.

Regardless of whether Ling's mother would say it, her own mother would definitely urge her.

Although she also had feelings for Ling Silang and knew they would eventually become a real couple, she still felt unprepared and awkward about moving in together like this.

Ling Silang noticed Du Mingxian's hesitation and knew she might have concerns. "It's alright, it's nothing serious. I'll tell my mother later that I need quiet to study, and she won't blame you."

"OK?"

"Nothing is impossible."

After struggling with her decision, Du Mingxian didn't say anything more. She was only sixteen this year, and it would be best to wait until she was eighteen before having sex. After all, she was too young, and having sex too early was not a good thing.

With Ling Silang taking the lead, this is no big deal.

Ling Silang and Du Mingxian had just finished talking at noon when Ling's mother quietly called Ling Silang to her room in the afternoon.

"Now that you've passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, there are some things your mother wants to talk to you about."

"You say."

“Mingxian has been married for almost a year now. It’s time for you two to live together. After all, you’re a couple, and it’s not a good idea for you to always live separately.”

Ling Silang's eyes flashed with complexity. "Mother, I have to take exams again in August. I need to study hard during this time. If you live with me, I'm afraid it will distract me."

Ling's mother's expression changed slightly. "Fourth Prince, tell me, do you dislike Mingxian?"

"No," Ling Silang answered immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

Ling's mother frowned, puzzled. "If you don't dislike it, why don't you want to live together? Mingxian is a good girl. She won't affect you. Besides, you can't overwork yourself. With her watching over you, she can prevent you from staying up late and hurting your health."

"Son..." Ling Silang had no choice but to say, "My son won't live past twenty. If she lives with him, and he passes away, it will be difficult for her to find someone else..."

Ling's mother was heartbroken and furious. She stood up abruptly, stared at him blankly for a long time, and then slumped back onto the bed. "You, you really think that way?"

"Yes."

“But from the moment she entered the Ling family, she was your wife. Regardless of whether you lived together or not, and regardless of whether you might… get into trouble in the future, in the eyes of outsiders, she is a widow.”

"But my son wants to clear her name, so it will be better for her in the future."

Ling's mother was heartbroken. "Have you thought this through?"

"Yes, son has made up his mind."

"Alright, you can make your own decisions. I won't force you."

Ling Silang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing his mother's sad appearance, he felt sorry for her, but he didn't tell her the truth.

"Alright, alright, since you're willing, it's up to you. Now that you've passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, you have tax-exempt land under your name. I'm thinking of transferring your elder brother's land to your name."

“Yes, we’re family after all.” Ling Silang had no objection.

“There’s another problem now. When I was wandering around the village, someone sounded out our family, probably thinking of registering the land under your name.”

“In our village, everyone with the surname Ling is within the fifth degree of kinship. You need to be prepared for who can and cannot hang the coffin, as this may upset quite a few people.”

Ling Silang said, "Mother, there are only two hundred mu of land available under the name of a scholar now, which is not many."

"Because there are limited spots, deciding who to include and who not to include is a problem." Ling's mother gets a headache just thinking about it. "I don't want to waste my time anymore, so you can figure it out yourselves."

"Alright, I'll handle this. Mother, you don't need to worry."

"We need to weigh the pros and cons; it's best not to provoke anyone."

"I understand, son." Ling Silang came out of his mother's room and saw Du Mingxian standing in the courtyard. His expression changed slightly.

I wonder if she heard their conversation inside the house. She was probably too far away to hear it.

Du Mingxian did hear it. She wasn't eavesdropping on purpose. She came out of the house and was heading to the kitchen when she heard the two people talking in the middle of the yard.

She already had good hearing, and now with the blessing of spiritual water every day, her hearing has become even better, which is why she heard Ling Silang say that he wouldn't live past twenty.

She felt a little guilty, but it would be too strange for her to take the initiative to go up to Ling Silang and say, "Let's live together."

She simply pretended not to know.

"Are you going to cook?" Ling Silang asked first.

Du Mingxian nodded.

Wang was injured, and Granny Zhao was sent to help Ling Dalang, so Granny Zhao was not there when cooking.

"Then I'll go help you start a fire."

"Okay."

One of them tended the fire, while the other cooked. Ling Silang listened to her busy work and said, "The scholar has two hundred acres of land under his name that are tax-exempt. Apart from our own land, there are still quotas left for those who share land. Some people in the village have already set their sights on this."

Du Mingxian thought about it and realized that there were already so many problems with the current scholar; if he were to pass the imperial examination in the future, there would be even more issues. It would be better to just nip the villagers' hopes in the bud.

It saves a lot of trouble and avoids offending anyone.

“We used to run the clan school for the children in the village, but we have always paid for the teacher’s expenses. Now that you have passed the imperial examination and your future will be bright, it will be difficult to support the whole village alone. Why don’t we buy some land and give it to the clan to use as a clan school? The land can be registered in your name and exempted from taxes.”

"This way, the clan leader can have money to cultivate some good talents, which will be an aid to you in entering officialdom in the future. Secondly, it can also avoid those who have designs on you."

Ling Silang had naturally thought about this, "but that would be very expensive. More than a hundred acres, and at five taels per acre, that's a lot of money."

“Our family now has a workshop and a scholar. Giving some benefits to the clan can be considered a way to win people’s hearts. Money is not a problem.”

Seeing that Du Mingxian said this, Ling Silang said nothing more. "After dinner, I will go and discuss it with my father, and then go to see the clan chief and the village chief."

"Yes, it needs to be implemented as soon as possible. I'm afraid someone will come knocking on our door because of the land issue, and that would be awkward."

"Mm." Ling Silang responded verbally, feeling extremely grateful to Du Mingxian. Everything she did was for him, and she always considered his needs. Moreover, her vision was far broader than that of ordinary women.

At this point, Du Mingxian couldn't help but explain, "The reason I didn't want to live together is because... I'm too young. I think it would be better if we lived together when I'm eighteen."

Ling Silang's heart pounded like thunder. She was explaining to him that this was what she thought. She was indeed a bit too young. "Okay."

"You're not angry?"

Why am I angry?

"because I……"

"You can make me angry over such a small thing? We're husband and wife, whether we live together or not. You're my wife, and I should respect your thoughts even more."