With his current wealth and strength, marrying a wife posed no real pressure

on him.

However, as he wholeheartedly pursued immortality, taking a wife now could potentially introduce some distractions to his cultivation.

After all, he was a man of flesh and blood, and marrying a beautiful wife was bound to lead to a harmonious marital relationship.

Many books mention that the allure of women can easily corrupt one’s dao

heart.

If his wife were to get pregnant and bear one or two children, that would be even more troublesome.

He could understand Wang Furen’s concerns. In these turbulent times, with his daughter Wang Wanyan being so beautiful, it would be more secure for her to marry earlier.

However, if Qin Niu wasn’t powerful enough, even marrying him might not ensure her safety.

If a strong man coveted her beauty, he would have the power to take her by force.

Such incidents were too numerous throughout history.

Powerful figures lusting after some beautiful married woman, and then using their influence and power to coerce, intimidate, or seduce her, leading to her family’s ruin, were plentiful.

Beautiful women, money, and power were generally considered the three resources fought over most fiercely.

These three resources were also something men couldn’t resist.

Even if Qin Niu were to marry Wang Wanyan, if he wasn’t powerful enough, it was very likely he would be framing himself for disaster.

But he and Wang Wanyan were childhood sweethearts and their affection for each other was mutual, so he wouldn’t have too many worries.

If he couldn’t even protect the one he cared about, what was the point of cultivation and seeking immortality?

After reaching a verbal agreement with Wang Furen, Qin Niu made a detour to Auntie Hua’s house.

The door was closed tightly, but movements could be heard inside.

Upon hearing that the army of the Nine Insect Gang was coming and seeing Qin Niu flee, the villagers were prepared to escape. They all closed their doors tightly, watching and waiting.

Qin Niu stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Immediately, the house fell silent.

Auntie Hua’s family was probably scared out of their wits.

“Auntie Hua, it’s me, Qin Niu!”

Qin Niu shouted, raising his voice.

“Oh, it’s Master Qin! You’ve scared us to death! Master Qin, please come in and have a seat!”

Upon hearing it was Qin Niu, Auntie Hua hurriedly opened the door.

“No need to sit, I just came to tell you some good news. The forces of the Nine Insect Gang have been defeated by Deputy City Lord Bai; the dead have died, and the rest have fled. You don’t have to worry about the army of the Nine Insect Gang invading the village anymore.”

Qin Niu glanced at Auntie Hua’s family.

Packed up in big and small bags, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

“Oh, that’s such great news! Thank heavens!” Auntie Hua said, patting her still plump chest and smiling joyfully. “Thank you for coming to tell us this good news, Master Qin. Come in for some tea! Xiao Qing, you come too.”

She enthusiastically invited them both.

“I’ll visit another time! I have another matter I’d like to ask you. I’d like you to go to Wang Furen’s house to propose a match. I want to marry Wang Wanyan as my principal wife. You decide on what bridal gifts are required; you can handle all the preparations. I won’t let your hard work go unpaid.”

Qin Niu, busy with cultivation and rearing insects, naturally needed to delegate such trivial matters to someone else.

“Oh, hahaha, done, done, done! This is a momentous occasion. Rest assured, Master Qin, I’ve got this. 1’11 make sure everything is done beautifully,” Auntie Hua responded, all smiles upon hearing business was coming her way.

Matchmaking was her specialty after all, and having the chance to do such a big favor for Qin Niu was something she wholeheartedly welcomed.

Not to mention, just by virtue of being Qin Niu’s matchmaker, she could reap huge benefits in the village in the future.

Moreover, it’s a long-term benefit.

For bullies like Wang Haikun, if they want to bully her, they must consider her significant status.

Also, if anything good happens in the village, the village chief Xu Zhenchang certainly can’t forget her.

“How much silver money do you think is needed to handle the betrothal gifts?”

“Uh… let’s follow the tradition of ‘the three matchmaker’s gifts and the six betrothal gifts’! We should first arrange for a matchmaker, and then wait until both parties’ elders have agreed before presenting the betrothal gifts.” Auntie Hua seemed very professional and was also crystal clear about the wedding procedures.

To present the betrothal gifts without arranging for a matchmaker first is very reckless.

If the bride’s family feels disrespected, the marriage proposal would likely fall through.

“Rest assured, I’ve just come from Wang Furen’s home, and Uncle Wang has agreed. Of course, to honor tradition, you can still visit first on my behalf to formally ask for her hand in marriage. As for the betrothal gifts, handle it generously, I’m not afraid to spend silver money.”

Qin Niu was not stingy at all when it came to marrying a wife, which was a lifetime matter.

Moreover, for him, even spending a few hundred taels of silver money was still but a drop in the bucket.

Lately, he had killed quite a few experts from the Nine Insect Gang and accumulated quite a fortune from the assets of the deceased.

Marriage and acquiring land were all things he could achieve with ease.

“Haha, very good, very good, it’s easy since Wang Furen has agreed! Master Qin is deeply in love with Miss Wang and is willing to spend money; I believe this will make both Wang Furen and Miss Wang very happy. You are like a child 1 watched grow up, and Old Man Liu didn’t leave you much inheritance. You’ve built such an impressive house, which must have cost a lot of money, and if you handle the betrothal gifts generously, I’m afraid it could cost forty or fifty taels of silver money.

If you go for a mid to high standard, twelve or thirteen taels of silver money can also make a grand ceremony.

I believe the Wang Furen’s family won’t have any objections to that either.” Auntie Hua was not only eloquent but also kind-hearted.

She was worried that Qin Niu had just built a house and might not have enough silver money at hand.

After building a new house, many families need to tighten their belts for several years.

Because building a house requires a lot of money, people usually borrow some from relatives and friends. After the house is built, they need to make money to repay the loans.

Qin Niu’s house was even more imposing than those of Xu Zhenchang and Wang Furen and was Shuangfeng Village’s most luxurious mansion; naturally, it cost quite a bit of money.

In Auntie Hua’s opinion, Qin Niu might also have some debts.

In such a case, naturally, one would save where possible when arranging a marriage.

“Auntie Hua, you don’t need to worry about the money. 1 have only one request: to marry Miss Wang with dignity and not to slight her in any way. Here, take fifty taels as silver notes to start with; if it is not enough, you can always come to me later.”

Qin Niu directly and boldly took out a silver note worth fifty taels.

This was an absolute fortune.

He hadn’t given a silver note of a hundred taels, and he had his own reasons for that.

To prepare the betrothal gifts, actually, a few taels of silver money would be enough. Moreover, it could be made quite generous.

The rest of the silver money was mostly given in cash to the bride’s side.

The betrothal gifts typically included a pair of roosters and hens, one pig, one sheep, a pair of carp, and the rest would be cloth and the like.

“Oh my, Master Qin is simply like the God of Wealth! Auntie Hua has been a matchmaker all her life and this is the first time I’ve seen a silver note!”

Auntie Hua took the silver note, examining it as if it were a rare treasure.

“I’ll leave this matter in your hands, Auntie Hua. When picking the cloth and other items, be sure to choose the best satin available, don’t worry about the cost.”

“Sure, sure, I will definitely choose the best. But where 1 can save you money, I still will,” Auntie Hua said as she took the silver note, nodding her head repeatedly in agreement.

“Be careful when you go to town and consider bringing a couple more people with you,” Qin Niu admonished, before he went up the mountain with Xiao Qing and the strong Green Ox..