The Ming Dynasty: Starting with taking Old Zhu on a journey to the future

Zhu Chongba lowered his head.

This scene made Zhu Chongsi realize something.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Did you make a mistake?"

Zhu Chongba replied in his childish voice, "Big brother, I lost the landlord's sheep, and I can't find it no matter how hard I look."

"I was afraid you would blame me, so I hid here."

When Zhu Chongba learned that he had lost the landlord's sheep, Zhu Chongsi's expression turned solemn.

Losing even one sheep would be enough to cost Zhu Chongba half his life.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Chongsi did not blame him, but simply sighed, "I'll go with you to look again. If it really doesn't work, we'll just have to scrape together some money to compensate Master Liu."

Losing a sheep means either paying money or losing your life.

Zhu Yuanzhang, witnessing this scene, trembled and turned to Jiang Huan, asking, "Jiang Huan, do you have any money with you?"

Obviously.

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to get involved in this matter.

Lan Chen immediately spoke up, "Does Your Majesty wish to pay off the debts of your younger self?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, his eyes filled with melancholy as he recalled the past.

"I remember that my older brother and I couldn't find the sheep. Later, my parents and older brother borrowed some money to pay it back."

For Zhu Yuanzhang at this point, a sheep was utterly insignificant.

But for his family when he was a child, it was a considerable sum of money.

The money from one sheep is enough to feed their family for two months.

Especially since that sheep was a ewe.

"What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Lan Chen shook his head: "This humble subject is also unsure whether changing the past will affect the present."

I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know if it will cause a butterfly effect.

If you say you're just looking, it's not a big problem.

But if you pay money.

Really not necessarily.

"For example, Your Majesty, if you were well-fed, would you choose to rebel?"

"Of course not. My parents and elder brother all starved to death, so I had no choice but to become a monk. Later, the temple could no longer support me, so I wandered the world."

"After that, Tang He invited us to join the Red Turban Army."

This is where our great achievements begin.

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang understood what Lan Chen meant.

However... he really didn't want his family to be implicated in his own mistakes.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Then shall we assist you secretly? Is that feasible?"

Lan Chen waved his hand: "As long as you don't get too involved, there shouldn't be any major problems."

For example, giving Zhu Wusi a large sum of money directly.

Let them become landlords directly.

This will definitely influence the future trajectory.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately strode towards the home of the landlord Liu.

When Liu Hui learned that someone wanted to see him, he was somewhat surprised.

"Are you sure you're an outsider?" Liu Hui asked the servant.

The servant nodded: "He's definitely not from Taiping Township; he looks unfamiliar."

After much deliberation.

Liu Hui chose to meet with him.

Liu returned to the courtyard, frowned as he looked at the three unfamiliar people, and asked, "What brings you here?"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly turned around, looked at Liu Hui, and tossed a bag of silver in his hand to Liu Hui.

"Your sheep were lost by Zhu Chongba; this money should be enough to compensate for it."

Liu Hui opened the bag and looked at the silver inside with some surprise.

A person who can casually pull out a bag of silver must be of high status. With reason taking over his mind, Liu Hui said, "A sheep isn't worth that much."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand calmly: "Consider the rest as a reward from us."

"When they come to apologize tomorrow, just tell them that Li Zhen has already paid the money for them."

Oh, it's Li Zhen? Then there's no problem.

Li Zhen was a fairly large landowner, but his philanthropy meant his fortune would eventually be squandered.

However, although I don't understand, I respect it.

After all, the fewer landlords the better, so that one's own land can increase.

Liu Hui didn't stand on ceremony and put it away.

After doing all this, Zhu Yuanzhang left the landlord's house with Jiang Huan and Lan Chen.

They successfully located Zhu Yuanzhang's childhood home.

A mud house.

It's not very big, but it's not small either.

A heavily pregnant woman was doing needlework by the door, with a shirtless child beside her.

Zhu Yuanzhang recognized the two men at a glance.

One was her sister-in-law, Wang.

The two-year-old child is Zhu Wenzheng.

Soon, Wang noticed the three strangers in front of her.

Upon the arrival of strangers, Wang's eyes were filled with wariness: "Who are you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately laughed and said, "The three of us are passing through this place and would like to ask to stay here for the night."

After saying that, Wang immediately refused.

They were already poor; with three more mouths to feed, they would be even more hungry.

"I'm sorry, you'd better find another place to stay. We're poor, we don't have enough rooms or enough food."

When refused, Zhu Yuanzhang took out eighteen fen of silver from his pocket.

Approximately eight hundred.

It was exchanged from the landlord Liu Hui.

"We're not going to eat and stay for free. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. We've only had one meal and stayed one night."

Looking at the silver that was handed to him.

Wang still seemed slightly hesitant.

Until Zhu Yuanzhang slowly said, "Killing two chickens will suffice; the rest is for your trouble and lodging expenses."

A chicken costs about 215 coins.

Two is... how many was it again?

Wang pondered this for a long time.

After buying two chickens, I'll probably have over a hundred coins left, so this deal is a good one.

Moreover, they can also get a sip of chicken soup.

After much deliberation, Madam Wang nodded and said, "Alright!"

"However, let me discuss it with my family."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Good."

Wang, heavily pregnant, immediately prepared to go to the fields to discuss the matter with her parents and husband.

Looking at Wang's large belly.

If I remember correctly, Wang was pregnant with Zhu Wenzheng's younger brother.

It looks like it's been about seven or eight months.

"Jiang Huan, help him up."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan put Lan Chen down from his back and then helped Wang Shi to go to the fields to find Zhu Wusi.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Lan Chen waited at home.

About half an incense stick's time had passed.

An elderly woman was seen supporting Wang.

Looking at the old woman beside Wang, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes welled up with tears.

"daughter."

After Chen helped Wang to sit down, Wang slowly said, "Grandma, this is my aunt. My uncle is still busy in the fields and will be back later, but he has already agreed."

Aunt and uncle? Jiang Huan was somewhat surprised.

Chen also spoke up, "If you have no problem, then I'll go buy the chicken."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

With permission granted, Chen smiled broadly and strode towards the village where someone raised chickens.

They haven't had any meat in a long time.

After he left, Lady Wang brought Zhu Yuanzhang a chair: "Sit down."

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly said, "You're heavily pregnant, no need to bother, we'll move the chairs."

Seeing this, Wang went back into the house and continued her needlework.

Jiang Huan asked, puzzled, "Your Majesty, is that your mother?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Hmm."

"Who's in that room?"

"That's our sister-in-law."

"Then why did she call your mother 'Aunt'?"

Zhu Yuanzhang explained calmly, "This is the rule of the Song and Yuan dynasties. We changed it, so it's normal that you don't know."

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, daughters-in-law addressed their parents-in-law as "舅姑" (jiùgū).

When it came to him, he changed the way he addressed his maternal uncle and aunt to his parents-in-law.