Chapter 140: Selling Dreams

Just then, a little girl of about five years old, wearing red cloth garments and sporting two hair buns, came skipping out from a small courtyard nearby. She trotted directly up to Zhao Zhigao, looked up, and called out, "Daddy, Mommy says it's time to come home for dinner."

This little girl was Zhao Zhigao’s daughter with his wife, Mistress Xu, and her name was Zhao Mi'er.

"Mi'er, what a good girl, knowing to call Daddy home for dinner." Zhao Zhigao picked her up, gave her little nose a playful pinch, and then turned to Song Yao and Pei Wangshu, saying, "You two ladies look quite travel-worn; you must not have had dinner yet. And since it’s almost nightfall, I assume you haven’t found a place to stay either. As it happens, my wife’s family has a spare room; you are welcome to stay there after you’ve had your meal."

Song Yao and Pei Wangshu had been worrying about where to spend the night, and here was an upright, NPC constable offering them ready-made lodging, complete with dinner. They were famished, and since they had logged in with their physical bodies, the hunger was quite real. Song Yao didn't overthink it; like other online games she had played, she assumed there would always be a kind, righteous NPC to guide and assist novice players. Clearly, the constable uncle before them was filling that role.

Thus, Song Yao and Pei Wangshu followed Zhao Zhigao into his in-laws' home. His parents-in-law were quite elderly, with heads full of white hair. Zhao Zhigao had wanted to bring them into the city to live, but they adamantly refused, fearing they would be a burden and unwilling to let their few acres of fertile land go to waste or rent them out to others. After all, to farmers, their land was their lifeblood.

Mistress Xu was very hospitable. Without even asking where Song Yao and Pei Wangshu came from, she ushered them to the table. In her eyes, anyone her husband brought home was a guest. The dishes on the table were simple home-style fare, but perhaps because they were so hungry, Pei Wangshu, who was accustomed to delicacies, found the rustic food surprisingly delicious.

"May I ask, what family do you both have back home?" Zhao Zhigao suddenly asked.

"My parents have passed away, and I have an older brother who went missing; I don't know where he is," Song Yao replied. This was, in fact, the truth.

"I..." Pei Wangshu paused, then said, "My family is in a place very, very far away."

Hearing their answers, Zhao Zhigao felt a secret thrill. If their family was in a far-off place, didn't that implicitly mean their families were all gone? It seemed both young women were orphans and on their own. That made things much easier.

Zhao Zhigao continued, "I see you both have reached the age for marriage; do you have any suitors?"

Song Yao and Pei Wangshu replied in unison, "No."

The corners of Zhao Zhigao's mouth curled upward. Half the battle was won! Perhaps it was destined by heaven that the Song family line should continue.

"I have a younger brother who, like me, works at the Yancheng Yamen as a squad leader. Though he is handsome and of a good age, he has yet to marry," Zhao Zhigao said.

Song Yao and Pei Wangshu exchanged glances. Hearing the NPC constable say this, it seemed he wanted to play matchmaker and introduce his NPC brother to them. Honestly, they never expected that on their first day in the game, they would be set up on a blind date, and with an NPC at that.

Pei Wangshu was twenty-six years old. Being an only daughter, she had been pressured by her parents into several blind dates before. The suitors her parents arranged were, naturally, wealthy second-generation heirs of similar status, so she had some experience with this. She asked Zhao Zhigao directly, "What is your brother's family background?"

"He, too, lost both parents and has only his younger sister to rely on," Zhao Zhigao explained. "He has raised his sister by himself since she was three. When she was little, he had to bring her to the Yamen every time he reported for duty; he cared for her with such meticulous devotion. He played both father and mother to raise her. You can see what a responsible, good man he is; he will surely make a fine husband."

Song Yao clicked her tongue. "Your brother is indeed a good older brother; he’s certainly much better than mine." Her unreliable brother had vanished without a word for days, leaving her worried sick and searching everywhere for him. She had even gone to the police station to file a report for his sake, yet she still didn't know if he was dead or alive. Such a brother was simply the worst; she must have owed him in a past life and was now being forced to pay the debt.

Seeing the two women fall into silence, Zhao Zhigao feared he hadn't made Song Ye’s prospects sound appealing enough, so he added, "Furthermore, my brother's younger sister is very promising. She has been admitted to the Xuanqing Palace and is now a disciple. Becoming an immortal master is within her reach. When that happens, my brother will be the family of an immortal master. If either of you marries him, you will have an immortal master for a sister-in-law."

Clearly, to trick a woman into carrying on the Song family line, Zhao Zhigao had begun to lie and spin grand tales. After all, whether Song Yan could even remain at the Xuanqing Palace for training was still an unknown.

Song Yao, seeing the constable’s intentions were now quite transparent, immediately stated her stance: "I have no plans to get married."

Pei Wangshu, however, smiled. "Uncle, since you speak so highly of your brother, why not bring him for us to see?" After all, it wasn't her first blind date; seeing him wouldn't hurt. Besides, this was just a game world, and who knew? They might even trigger some hidden quest during the process.

"It is settled, then. You two will stay here for now. In a few days, I will bring my brother to meet you," Zhao Zhigao said with a grin.

Of course, Zhao Zhigao dared not mention that Song Ye already had a marriage contract with the Princess of Li. He feared that if he let that slip, the two women would be scared off immediately. After all, they wouldn't dare compete with a princess for a man. Zhao Zhigao intended to have Song Ye meet them privately first to see if there was any mutual interest. After all, having children was a matter that required the consent of both parties. As for how to hide it from the Prince Xiang’s estate later, he would take it one step at a time.