Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil - Chapter 45
Chapter 5.1 Fighting The Cross-Over Wife
This time, Zhou Yun Sheng and Cao Mo Kun fell into sleep almost at the same time. When he woke up in the Xinghai space, the world’s violent energy formed a huge whirlpool which flowed into Zhou Yun Sheng like a sea of knowledge, but a share was missing.
Zhou Yun Sheng launched a strong perception search, but he still couldn’t find the whereabouts of the energy.
Does he also have a space, like his own Xinghai space, independent of the Lord God’s world? This was the only explanation Zhou Yun Sheng could think of.
In order to determine whether his lover would really follow him into every time cycle, Zhou Yun Sheng didn’t sleep, he immediately jumped into the next world.
Now, he was lying on an antique pull-out bed. Beside him was a drowsy little girl lying on a footstool, a Bo Gu rack of incense was burning, filling the room with a sweet smell.
Zhou Yun Sheng avoided waking up the little girl as he got out of bed, he turned off the incense burner while looking at the AI’s information.
This world was very strange, there were men, women, and Ger. The so-called Ger were men who were able to have children, their appearance were the same as a man’s, but there was a Zhusha Zhi somewhere on their body, the purer the color of the Zhusha Zhi, the higher the Ger’s fertility.
This country was called Chu Yunguo, the reason is unknown, but woman’s fertility was getting lower and lower. They had decades or even a lifetime of infertility, and pregnancies birthed males, no females. Seeing the country’s dangerously low population, the courtiers were anxious, they attributed the plague to the emperor’s male lover, saying his existence angered God, and strongly urged the emperor to put him to death.
The emperor loved the man, so he naturally refused, but he built a sacrifice alter on the rooftop and gave God a sincere prayer. God was touched by his sincerity, and lowered a beam of light in the boy’s stomach- that man became the first Ger of Chu Yunguo.
Most women can only nurture males, but Ger can have female children and other Ger, and the children were generally more beautiful and healthy. Therefore in Chu Yunguo, Ger were very popular, in order to ensure population growth, the emperor of Chu Yunguo promulgated a law that forced all Ger to get married by twenty. Those who were unmarried were reported to the local bureaucratic, who had the authority to designate them a husband.
Zhou Yun Sheng’s body was a Ger named Zhu Ziyu. In the middle of his eyebrows, there was a pale pink Zhusha Zhi, so his fertility was very low, only a little better than a woman’s. Because Zhou Yun Sheng usually adjusted the data of the original body to the best status, his Zhusha Zhi had become a deep blood red.
Zhou Yun Sheng looked at mirror Zhu Ziyu and gave a self-deprecating laugh. He always boasted his ability to be stronger, he didn’t want any children, but he actually came to a world where the stronger you were, the better the children you birthed.
Even so, he didn’t want to adjust the body’s data back, firstly, health and strength were his most basic dependencies, and secondly, he was a hidden Ger, only the little girl and the nanny, Lushi, knew this secret.
Zhu Ziyu’s father had only one child in his lifetime, but because that child’s fertility was low, his husband would be slim pickings, and husbandless Ger couldn’t keep the family property and business. His solution was to raise Zhu Ziyu as a man. But, three years ago, Zhu Jia father went out to visit relatives, on the way he met mountain bandits and was killed, the family business was inherited by Zhu Ziyu.
Zhu Jia was located in Qing Min County, which was close to the capital, the land was very fertile, making it a very affluent County. And Zhu home had an excellent portion of the fertile land.
Zhu Ziyu was raised as a man, his ability and means were first-class, no outsider world doubt his identity. If the protagonist of this world didn’t cross over, he would’ve lived a very comfortable life. But things were not that convenient. After the protagonist arrived, Zhu Ziyu was immediately downgraded to a vicious male rival, then finally, cannon fodder.
Yes, this was a cross over rebirth world, the protagonist was a man named Zhang Shulin, a Ger. His wrist had a glistening red Zhusha Zhi, making him very popular locally. But his family was poor, and he had a group of brothers and sisters to look after, so he had yet to find a husband at 17 years old. In order to protect his parents, younger brother and sisters, the protagonist carefully persevered and eventually became a rich businessman.
And Zhu had the misfortune of being a stumbling block on his road to prosperity. He was kicked down by the protagonist’s loyal attack dog, and burned to ashes like a meteor.
When Zhou Yun Sheng woke up, Zhu Ziyu had already offended Zhang Shulin, robbed him of the means he used to support his family, and also threatened to destroy his brother’s promotion to the imperial examinations. By now, Zhang Shulin had met his injured and amnesia suffering future lover, who was actually a son of nobility, and a monstrously powerful military commander. This loyal dog was brought to their home for treatment, presumably, they’d already cultivated their feelings.
When the loyal dog recovers his memories, he would ride a tall horse and lead eight big carriages to marry the protagonist. The protagonist’s younger brother would also become a scholar, and rise to fame and fortune.
As for Zhu, he only suffered misery. He was hated by the protagonist and kicked into the mud by the loyal dog. Eventually, his identity as a Ger was deliberately exposed by the protagonist, who also bribed the matchmakers to marry him off to an infamous gambler. Not only did his family’s wealth waste away, he was also abused, and passed around to any pig and dog.
In short, the current Zhu Ziyu looked out at beautiful scenery, but his future was miserable. Therefore, Zhou Yun Sheng’s only task was to keep the Zhu family property secured.
Minister Gu Ming, the County’s official, had a heavy hand, he quickly took out any ruling opposition parties, he couldn’t deal with him right now, Zhou Yun Sheng thought while covering up his Zhusha Zhi.
“Oh, young master, you woke up and didn’t call me?” The girl lying on the footstool slowly woke up, she quickly went to the bronze mirror to greet him, but was stunned, ” Whaaa? Young master, how did your Zhi change color?”
The little girl had never seen such a pure blood red on any other Ger. If young master had this color from birth, why would he worry he couldn’t find a good husband? Why would master bother to conceal his identity?
“I don’t know how I got it, it was like that when I woke up. Help me thicken this powder, it’s too thin to cover it now.” Zhou Yun Sheng handed the box over.
The little girl returned from her shock, while pouring some thickener into the powder, she hesitantly opened, “Young master, the color of your Zhusha Zhi probably changed after you recovered from your fever. Master, you not only look better, even the color of your Zhusha Zhi looks pure. Now, marring a dignitary isn’t impossible, then we’ll see who would dare covet Zhu’s family property.”
“Tweety, your thoughts are too simple.” Zhou Yun Sheng smiled and waved his hand, “How can you know that the dignitaries wouldn’t look down on our family business? Dignitaries aren’t exactly known for their noble characters. Zhu is better off under my guard.”
“But young master, that means you’ll spend a lifetime all alone, how sad!”
“I’ll not be alone, someone is waiting for me.” Zhou Yun Sheng assured. Although he didn’t know who that guy currently was, but he had a feeling they would meet again, love each other, and spend their life together, just like in the past.
Tweety gave a sweet smile at these words, then she smeared the adjusted powder on the Zhusha Zhi until it was undetectable.
Zhou Yun Sheng ate breakfast, then entered his study to read the account books. His brain was comparable to a super computer, just a few glances, and the items were stored in his mind.
About a quarter of an hour later, he had mastered all the circumstances of Zhu Jia. He was preparing to send Tweety to make a series of production adjustments, when he heard a knock. Zhu’s head butler, Zhu Lao Si, was waiting outside.
Zhu Ziyu was spoiled by his father, his character was very high-handed and selfish, so he often extorted the villagers, and Zhu Lao Si was his most effective minion.
He had been ordered to seize Zhang Shulin’s preserved egg recipe. Zhang Shulin relied on selling preserved eggs to earn money, he’d saved enough money to send his brother out of the County to study, and even earned enough to repair his house. These eggs were obviously profitable, which lead Zhu Ziyu to demand the recipe, and also forbid him from selling them, so he could monopolize the market.
Zhang Shulin was unquestionably unwilling, but his brother Zhang Jiarui was about to participate in the the examinations, and if Zhu scared away the guarantors, his brother would lose his qualifications.
For his younger brother’s future, Zhang Shulin had to hand over the recipe.
At the moment, Zhu Lao Si was handing over this secret recipe to Zhu Ziyu, expecting praise, but he instead heard the boss ask, “What’s this?”
“Th-this is the recipe for preserved eggs, young master, didn’t you order me to take it?”
“Hmm, was there something like that?”
“Young Master is so busy, perhaps you forgot?”
“Is that so… oh well, these are just petty profits, I don’t want to bother with it. Take it back.” Zhou Yun Sheng waved.
Zhu Lao Si didn’t ask anymore. Although he promised, he didn’t return the recipe, instead, he opened a shop under the boss’s name, and let his wife sell the preserved eggs to earn a profit.
Zhou Yun Sheng had received Zhu Ziyu’s memory, of course he understood Zhu Lao Si’s greedy nature, he knew exactly what he’d do with the recipe. So, it was all in his plans.
He was now only a small landlord, he couldn’t afford to offend the officials, so building some good will was necessary. But he couldn’t simply do a few small good deeds, it was too low effort and the effect wouldn’t be good enough, he needed to go big. Plus, he wanted the protagonist to attack first. Anyway, he wasn’t in a hurry.
Through the data transmitted over 007, he knew that the next few months would have a vast drought. The protagonist was good at reading weather, he reminded the villagers to save food and saved a lot of lives. Zhu Ziyu also took his advice and stored a lot of food, but he took advantage of the desperate environment and sold grains at high prices, he was a profiteer. Because his actions were so immoral, after the displaced people and bandits looted his manor, the army refused to rescue him and he almost died.
This was the starting point for the downfall of Zhu.
Of course, now it had become the starting point for Zhou Yun Sheng’s self-help.
He lived comfortably for a month, when the drought was nearing, Zhou Yun Sheng finally put on some casual clothes and went to oversee the harvest fields.
“Good Boss.”
“You’re here.”
“Where do you plan to inspect, do you want us to lead the way?”
The laboring tenants saw him and bowed to grovel.
“Keep busy, I’ll just look around.” He took two steps, then saw a tall, handsome, muscular man, standing in Zhang Jia’s paddy fields. He couldn’t help but stare at him. This should be the mighty Shen Wei Hou Shizi, Qin Ce.
The other man frowned, his eyes sharp.
——————————————————
T/N:
Ger- 哥兒Older Brother, I thought it would be too confusing to call them older brothers, so I’m leaving it in Chinese
Zhusha Zhi- Cinnabar mole. Imagine this:
Tweety- Cui Er, Tweety, as in . I left it as Tweety, cause why not?
Shen Wei Hou Shizi- A super title. Shen- God/ Wei – Mighty / Hou- His family name / Shizi- heir of a noble house