Free Web NovelChapter 358: Chapter 202: Racing Across the World, Soybean Motorcycle
Su Changliang was magnanimous about it. ’If doing *that* in a dream counts,’ he thought, ’then probably not many people are all that innocent.’
Su Changliang pulled Xiaoqian into his arms, telling her that none of it was her fault.
Su Changliang said, "Since I’ve seen your true form, let me show you mine."
Su Changliang brushed his legs, and from the waist down, his body visibly transformed into a large, cyan snake tail.
Xiaoqian’s eyes lit up at the transformation. "Wow! What a beautiful snake tail!"
Her inner fangirl was screaming!
Xiaoqian licked her lips, looking a little hungry.
Su Changliang quickly covered his snake tail with the blanket and said, "Wife, you can’t bite this!"
Su Changliang had seen his brother-in-law nibbling on his sister’s snake tail, so seeing Xiaoqian’s expression, his worry wasn’t unfounded.
Xiaoqian stroked the cyan snake tail, absolutely mesmerized. "So beautiful! So beautiful!"
Su Changliang turned off the light and lay down, holding Xiaoqian in his arms.
That night, it was just as Xiaoqian had said: "The fallen blossom is not without feeling; it turns to fertile earth to better guard the flower."
That same night, as Lu Yuan was on top of Su Liyan, he heard the system’s announcement.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a 5x passive reward: Eight Trigrams Mirror.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a 9x passive reward: Military God: Volume 2.]
Lu Yuan wiped away his sweat, and Su Liyan tugged at the collar of her nightgown.
Lu Yuan took out the exquisite Eight Trigrams Mirror and examined it for a moment. "Honey," he said, "do you recognize this mirror?"
Eight Trigrams Mirrors were common tools for Celestial Masters. A reward from the system was unlikely to be an ordinary one.
Su Liyan took the Eight Trigrams Mirror from Lu Yuan. She could feel a suppressive power emanating from it and figured it would be extremely effective against a Xingzi.
’Five times? A five-times... Nine times? A nine-times...’ Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then clapped his hands in realization. ’It’s the system reward from the Little Fox.’
"Don’t tell me the Little Fox consummating her marriage with my brother-in-law gives me a reward too? And my brother-in-law’s Multiplication Factor has gone up to nine," Lu Yuan muttered to himself.
Su Liyan shoved the Eight Trigrams Mirror back into Lu Yuan’s hands and pouted. "The young couple is consummating their marriage, and what are you thinking about? Am I not good enough for you?"
With that, Su Liyan wrapped her snake tail around Lu Yuan’s waist, draped her arms over the nape of his neck, and pulled him on top of her. "Don’t think so much," she said. "Again!"
Lu Yuan tossed the Eight Trigrams Mirror off the bed and got to work.
If any orthodox Celestial Masters saw how carelessly Lu Yuan treated this treasured Eight Trigrams Mirror, they would have coughed up two liters of blood in anger.
On the third day, a glowing Xiaoqian returned for the customary newlywed visit, holding Su Changliang’s hand.
Zhao Qiao’Er and Song Meiqin bustled about, preparing a large spread of food.
After Su Changliang’s wedding, Su Liyan’s mother didn’t return to Changliu Village but stayed at the Zhao Mansion instead.
It was late autumn, and the fields back home had already been plowed. With little else to do, the common folk began to settle in for the winter.
Su Liyan’s father wasn’t in a hurry to return to Changliu Village either. He was staying at the Su Mansion, the residence Lu Yuan had bought for Su Changliang’s family.
The meal for the newlyweds’ visit was exceptionally lavish, prepared not just for the new couple, but for Lu Yuan as well.
Lu Yuan had mentioned that after today, he would be leaving for Yandu.
The two aunts quietly grumbled that they hadn’t had nearly enough time to dote on their nephew before he had to leave again.
The two aunts were very envious of Liyan, who could travel the world with their nephew.
Song Meiqin, who had just recently become pregnant and couldn’t "have fun" with her nephew, still said reluctantly, "Nephew, take me with you this time. I may not know any Martial Arts, but I can warm your bed."
Zhao Qiao’Er, not to be outdone, raised the stakes. "And I can warm my darling’s feet."
Lu Yuan considered Aunt Zhao’s offer. ’Better not,’ he thought. ’If she warms my feet, I might get athlete’s foot in my mouth the next time she breastfeeds me.’
In truth, Lu Yuan adored both his aunts’ feet.
Even so, Lu Yuan still had to refuse them. "Aunt Song," he said, "you’re newly pregnant. The first few months aren’t suitable for a bumpy journey, so you should stay home and rest. Aunt Zhao, Huanhuan is still little. She’s just learned to roll over and can’t be without her mother."
As he spoke, Lu Yuan patted Aunt Zhao on one side and Aunt Song on the other, consoling them until they reluctantly accepted his decision.
Lu Yuan wasn’t just one person anymore; he had to strive for his entire large family.
The day after Xiaoqian’s newlywed visit, Lu Yuan set off for Yandu with his wife and a dozen of his trusted men. He was going to check on that fellow Gu Gaoxu, but more importantly, to collect his dividends.
This quarter’s dividend payment would be enough to support Lu Yuan’s large family for a long time.
The Court had already issued a decree stating that all Spirit Stone Mines would now belong to the Court. From now on, private excavation of Spirit Stone Mines was forbidden.
Following the decree, private Spirit Stone Mines would be shut down one by one over the next few months. At that time, the Spirit Stone Mine under the Zhao Mansion’s name would also be reclaimed by the Court.
The Zhao Mansion’s Spirit Stone Mine had been mostly depleted after years of excavation anyway. If the Court wanted to reclaim it, they could just hand it over.
In the future, the Zhao Mansion’s main sources of income would be its two factories and the shops in the nearby county towns.
Lu Yuan was driving a small, two-seater car with his wife beside him. The seats were covered in fluffy sable fur, making them more comfortable.
The car may have been small, but it had a hatchback design, with a rear compartment for storage.
The small car wasn’t big, but it was much better than a motorcycle. At least after a few days on the road, you wouldn’t end up with a sore butt and an aching back.
The last time, the situation had been urgent, which was why he had modified a bicycle into a motorcycle.
While the motorcycle was fast, it had many drawbacks.
Besides the poor comfort, it could carry very little. Last time they went to the Northern battlefield, they could only bring a single Mortar, and they had to disassemble it with each person carrying a part.
This time, with ample preparation, Lu Yuan built seven or eight small cars, with two of his trusted men sharing each one.
The small cars were even a bit faster than the motorcycles, with a top speed of seventy to eighty kilometers per hour.
Any faster was impossible. The official roads were wide but uneven, and going too fast would make your stomach churn violently.
Compared to the cars his men drove, Lu Yuan’s was naturally more luxurious and comfortable, with a specially tuned chassis.
The cars for his men were a bit lacking, and a few of them even got carsick.
The factory in Taiping City had already begun producing motorcycles and two-seater cars, but since they weren’t personally tuned and produced by Lu Yuan, the quality was somewhat inferior.
Even so, the motorcycles being produced were highly sought after by many nobles.
Lu Yuan had even given the motorcycles a brand name: Soybean Motorcycles.
The product was promoted in the Shenling Daily with the slogan: "Speed Across the World, Soybean Motorcycles!"
The production rate for motorcycles sold to the public was low. Nobles who wanted one could place a pre-order but would have to wait one or two months to receive it.
A deposit was required beforehand, and it was repeatedly stated: All deposits are non-refundable.
The production efficiency for the small cars was even lower, and they were not for public sale, as Lu Yuan intended to use them himself.
As for purchasing the motorcycles, nobles were of course wealthy. Anyone who paid the deposit was guaranteed not to regret it; they just had to wait a while.
It’s not like the nobles were short on cash for a vehicle, right? They wouldn’t pay a deposit just to show off, would they?
Lu Yuan and his group drove their awesome little cars straight for Yandu, not even stopping to look around when they passed through Dongchang City.
They had just left Dongchang City a short while ago. What was there to see? All the corrupt officials had already been arrested or beheaded, as they should have been.
The incredibly cool cars naturally stirred up another commotion, sending pedestrians scattering in fear.
The common folk had never seen such things before, so it was only natural for them to be afraid.
Even the Court’s watchdogs, the Jinyi Guard, had never seen these things. When you’re out and about, it’s inevitable you’ll be spotted by them.
The Jinyi Guard reported what they saw to the Court.
The Emperor looked at the secret report submitted by the Jinyi Guard. It read: "Prefect of Dongchang Lu Yuan was seen riding an unidentified contraption (or Demon Beast), speeding along the official road, causing a public disturbance. He passed through Dongchang City and is headed for Yandu!"
The Emperor slammed the secret report down on his desk with a loud THWACK. "You son of a bitch," he roared, "what kind of garbage report is this?"
