Chapter 235: A Giant Demand
Chapter 235: A Giant Demand
Gao Jing had brought with him to the Great World this time a total of 5,000 tons of pure grain Baijiu.
All the Baijiu was sealed into jars and filled uniformly at Shan Yue Village. Gao Jing went to Qinghe City first, and after that, Shan Tai led a team bringing exactly 500 jars of Baijiu along with furs and other gifts. They went to Qing Lan’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage.
The proposal went fairly smoothly.
Shan Tai was already a Novice Great Totem Warrior. His strength placed him among the top fighters within a thousand-mile radius of the Great Wilderness Humans. Even though he hailed from a rural tribe, his status somewhat matched Qing Lan’s.
Most importantly, Qing Lan and Shan Tai were deeply in love. Her parents had no wish to be villains forcing them apart.
They accepted the gifts brought by Shan Tai.
But…
But thinking they could just take away Qing Lan—the “Pearl of Qinghe”—like that? That was a huge mistake!
Things weren’t that simple!
Qing Lan’s parents laid down several conditions.
First, Shan Tai had to buy a residence in Qinghe City. It had to be spacious enough—three rooms and two courtyards at minimum.
This way, after Qing Lan married, when she returned for visits during festivals,
she would have a comfortable place to stay in the city.
Second, one of the children Qing Lan and Shan Tai would have in the future must carry Qing Lan’s surname and be raised by her parents.
This house would eventually go to that child!
Moreover, Qing Lan’s family demanded that Shan Tai provide a betrothal gift fitting Qing Lan’s status.
The list they gave was: 1,800 jars of Baijiu, 500 Shell Pearls, and ten Second-order Demon Beasts!
Holy cow!
Upon hearing this from Shan Tai, Gao Jing gasped, feeling blood rush straight from his soles to his scalp. Instantly, two giant words seemed to appear over his head:
This wasn’t just greedy—it was a giant demand!
Qinghe was the only city for a thousand miles around, the most bustling place anywhere near.
From what Gao Jing knew, residential properties in the city were extremely expensive. Even having money didn’t guarantee getting a satisfactory residence—they had their requirements.
As for having a child take the maternal surname, as long as Shan Tai was okay with it, no big deal.
He and Qing Lan could work hard and have several kids; that was no problem.
The key was that betrothal gift!
1,800 jars of Baijiu. If each jar contained 10 tons, that would be 18,000 tons!
Gao Jing’s previous purchase of 5,000 tons cost almost 200 million. 18,000 tons would be at least 700 million!
Gao Jing felt his poverty all over again.
Plus, there were 500 Shell Pearls and ten Second-order Demon Beasts…
His liver trembled.
“Gao Jing, I’m sorry.”
Shan Tai smiled bitterly. “I had no idea Qing Lan’s family would ask for so much. Maybe, maybe we should just forget it.”
The Great Warrior of the Shan Yue Tribe knew all too well how much Gao Jing had already done for him.
The size difference between Giants and Abyss Dwellers was tremendous. Their resource scales counted entirely differently.
One meal for a Giant could feed a thousand Abyss Dwellers. What resources Abyss Dwellers provided for Giants had to be multiplied a thousand times. The thought of 1,800 jars of Baijiu was terrifying.
How could he possibly heap this unbelievably heavy betrothal gift onto Gao Jing?
Gao Jing couldn’t help but ask, “What do they want all that Baijiu for?”
1,800 jars? How long would that take to drink?
Shan Tai and Shan Mao beside him exchanged a look. The latter coughed and said, “It’s for the entire Qinghe Tribe.”
It turned out that before the New Year, Qing Lan had succeeded in advancing her cultivation. She was now a High-tier Totem Warrior.
Given her age and talent, becoming a Great Totem Warrior in the future was practically certain.
Qing Lan’s father was an elder of the Qinghe Tribe. Her uncle was Qing Kui, Lord of Qinghe City. Calling her the princess of the tribe might be overstating it, but with such martial prowess, hoping to marry her easily was an impossible dream.
Besides, Qing Lan was originally supposed to marry into another tribe.
In this matter, even Qing Lan’s parents couldn’t act entirely as they wished.
The 1,800 jars of Baijiu were exactly that—an explanation owed to the tribe!
Gao Jing was speechless.
Put that way, it made some sense.
Shan Mao added, “Actually, Qing Lan’s father also said that if Brother Shan Tai were willing to marry into their family, they would forget all about the betrothal gift. They would even provide dowry gifts instead, including arranging for that city residence.”
Marry into Qing Lan’s family?
Gao Jing instinctively looked at Shan Tai.
Shan Tai’s face flushed crimson. He sat uneasily on his stool, wringing his hands. He shook his head, saying, “I can’t. I can’t just abandon my tribe. No, I can’t!”
If he married into Qing Lan’s family, he would become part of the Qinghe Tribe. His connection to the Shan Yue Tribe would be all but gone.
He would even have to abandon his existing wives.
This was something Shan Tai could never agree to!
Gao Jing nodded.
He felt that demanding such an extravagant betrothal gift was Qing Lan’s family’s real strategy—to force Shan Tai into marrying into them instead.
By gaining a young Novice Great Totem Warrior, the Qinghe Tribe’s strength and foundation would undoubtedly grow. Qing Lan wouldn’t need to marry outside the tribe either. They stood to gain massively!
They had played this perfectly.
If that was the case, then…
Boom!
Someone slammed open the door to the inn room right then, startling everyone inside who was discussing.
“Qing Lan!”
Shan Tai jumped up, startled. “What—what are you doing here?”
Barging in was none other than Qing Lan herself.
She wore a simple, elegant dress that softened her usual heroic bearing, adding much gentleness and grace.
Her eyes were swollen and red.
“Shan Tai.”
Ignoring everyone else present, Qing Lan threw herself into Shan Tai’s arms, choking back sobs. “My father and mother—they’re being too much! I don’t want any betrothal gift. I’m coming back to Shan Yue Village with you now!”
“Qing Lan.”
So moved by her depth of feeling, Shan Tai pulled her tightly against him, tears welling in his own eyes.
“Ahem!”
Blind-sided by this sudden torrent of public affection, Gao Jing choked out a cough. Please! He still had something to say!
But his voice didn’t cut through. Shan Tai and Qing Lan were completely deaf to it.
Out of options, Gao Jing pulled out his trump card.
He retrieved a megaphone from his Storage Space, switched it on, and pointed it at the star-crossed Giant couple. “Big Brother Shan Tai! Sister-in-law Qing Lan! Both of you—listen to me first!”
This time, both love-struck Giants heard him loud and clear.
Qing Lan’s face flushed as she pulled free from Shan Tai’s embrace.
Shan Tai scratched his sheepishly. He turned to Gao Jing. “You—what did you want to say?”
Gao Jing took a deep breath, put the megaphone down, and said loudly, “I said—I’ll figure out how to get the betrothal gifts!”
Gao Jing had already thought it through.
First, Qing Lan running off to Shan Yue Village was the worst possible choice. Completely foolish.
Shan Tai couldn’t marry into Qinghe Tribe.
The only way was to agree to the family’s demands!
18,000 tons of Baijiu? 700 million? He’d find a way!
For the 500 Shell Pearls and the Qinghe City residence, Gao Jing thought he could ask Zhiqi.
Worst case, he’d buy more Cigars and Whisky in the Primary World.
Hmm, and Red Star Erguotou too!
As for the ten Second-order Demon Beasts? Well, Shan Tai himself could definitely handle that.
Actually, if he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t such an insurmountable problem!