“Good, good, good.”
Qiu Huang was delighted.
He had originally planned to take all of these women anyway.
In modern society, he had been nothing more than an overworked wage slave. Even after exhausting himself, he still could not save enough money for the bride price required for marriage. Now that he had finally transmigrated to ancient times, he naturally intended to enjoy himself.
As for whether he could support them, he wasn’t worried at all.
He had a system.
He was basically a cheater with a golden finger. With the power of the system backing him, there was nothing in this world he couldn’t accomplish—only things he hadn’t thought of yet.
“Thank you, Officer.”
Qiu Huang quickly stepped forward and pressed his thumbprint onto the document.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have married ten beautiful wives and received 10 Strength Points.]
A notification appeared in his mind.
Qiu Huang immediately looked at the system panel.
Host: Qiu Huang
Race: Human
Strength: 10
[One Strength Point is equivalent to the strength possessed by an average adult.]
Basic Skills: None
Spouses:
Tang Shiyi
Yan Roujun
Yan Roujiao
Murong Shiyun
Wanyan Meiling
Song Yuwei
Song Yufei
Su Yuexue
Chen Yuanyuan
Shan Feng
Evaluation: Your body has been greatly enhanced. You now possess the strength of ten adults and can fight ten people alone. Great strength overcomes all techniques.
“Marrying wives gives me Strength Points?”
Seeing the change in his status, Qiu Huang began to understand how the system worked.
He had married ten wives and gained ten Strength Points.
That meant one wife equaled one Strength Point.
Following that logic, if he wanted more Strength Points, he simply needed to marry more wives.
“What does this Basic Information mean? Let’s take a look.”
Curious, Qiu Huang opened the information beside their names.
Tang Shiyi, 18 years old, daughter of farmer Tang Li from Qingyang Village. Her monthly cycle is very regular, usually on the fifteenth and sixteenth of each month. She can work in the fields, is diligent and hardworking, suffers from mild malnutrition, and has a lively and adorable personality.
Yan Roujun, 18 years old, daughter of farmer Yan Lin from Dongyue Village. She and Yan Roujiao are twin sisters. Her monthly cycle usually falls on the third, fourth, and fifth of each month, though it is occasionally irregular and may come earlier or later. She can weave cloth and make clothes, is diligent and hardworking, suffers from mild malnutrition, and has a playful and clever personality.
…
After reviewing the information, Qiu Huang gained a preliminary understanding of the ten women.
They all came from different places.
Among them was a pair of twin sisters, Yan Roujun and Yan Roujiao.
In addition, Song Yuwei and Song Yufei were also sisters, though not twins. Song Yuwei was the elder sister, one year older than Song Yufei.
“Work’s done. Time to head home.”
Once Qiu Huang had left his thumbprint and the marriage arrangements were officially completed, the officers wasted no time and departed.
Sigh…
Zeng Youde let out a long sigh.
At this point, the matter was settled, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Qiu Huang, if you run into any difficulties in the future, come find me.”
He patted Qiu Huang on the shoulder.
Clearly, in his eyes, there was almost no chance that Qiu Huang could support ten women with his abilities.
“Thank you, Village Chief.”
Qiu Huang expressed his gratitude.
Although he knew the promise probably wouldn’t amount to much, it was still necessary to say the proper words.
He then turned toward the ten women.
At that moment, all ten of them were still in a dazed state.
Although Qiu Huang looked better than the crippled men who had come before, and they had been willing to let him choose them, that didn’t mean they had expected all ten of them to marry the same man.
One or two wives might have been manageable.
Ten was an entirely different matter.
The difficulty of supporting so many people was enormous, and hardship seemed inevitable.
The main reason they had ended up in this situation was because their original families could no longer afford to support them.
They were seen as burdens.
Their families only wanted them married off as quickly as possible to reduce household expenses.
“My wives, please follow me.”
Qiu Huang turned and walked away.
The ten women exchanged glances and silently sighed.
The marriage documents had already been signed.
Their marriages to Qiu Huang were now legally recognized.
There was nothing they could do except accept their fate.
As for running away or resisting, they didn’t even dare think about it.
If they were caught after escaping, they would face brutal punishments specifically imposed on women—punishments so cruel that death would seem preferable.
Following Qiu Huang to their new home only deepened their despair.
The house was bare.
The space was cramped.
Cold wind leaked through the windows.
Compared to their original homes, this place was even more dilapidated.
They couldn’t imagine how they were supposed to survive in the future.
“Qiu Huang, how did it go? Did you bring back a wife?”
Miao Cuihua walked out of her house.
Qiu Huang nodded.
“Sister-in-law, I did. They’re right here.”
They?
Miao Cuihua looked at Tang Shiyi and the others and nearly jumped in shock.
“Ten? Why are there so many? How are you supposed to support them?”
She had assumed he would bring back one woman, perhaps two at most.
Never had she expected him to bring back ten at once.
What did ten women mean?
Ten mouths to feed.
The daily food expenses alone would be a massive problem, not to mention taxes and other costs.
Qiu Huang put on a miserable expression and said pitifully,
“I couldn’t do anything about it. The officers insisted on assigning all of them to me. I had no way to refuse.”
In reality, he was overjoyed.
The moment he had seen the ten women, he had already decided to take every one of them.
“Ridiculous! Those officials only care about themselves. They never think about the lives of ordinary people like us.”
Miao Cuihua was furious.
The current world was a cruel one that devoured people.
The corruption and chaos among the ruling class ultimately became burdens borne by common folk.
“But this is partly your fault too. Why were you sleeping in instead of getting up early?”
If Qiu Huang had arrived at the village entrance earlier, he could have chosen women according to his actual needs.
The women assigned to him were all thin, malnourished, and petite.
None of them looked particularly suited for heavy labor.
If they couldn’t work, how would this large household survive?
“You’re right, Sister-in-law. You’re absolutely right.”
Qiu Huang apologized repeatedly.
He knew she genuinely cared about him.
From the original owner’s memories, Miao Cuihua had always treated him well and often looked after him.
Seeing him obediently admit his mistake, most of her anger faded away.
Now that everything was settled, neither of them could change the outcome.
They could only accept the harsh reality.
“Your house probably can’t fit so many people. They can sleep at my place for now. I still have some extra space.”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
Qiu Huang thanked her sincerely.
Miao Cuihua truly was a kind-hearted person.
Unfortunately, in a world like this, good people rarely received good rewards.