116 A Clash of Titans

"Grace!"

"Oh! Grace is here!"

"Good day! Grace! You're so late today!"

These voices, brimming with unmistakable delight, were all full of vigor. The objects of these calls were full of vitality, and the women who immediately stopped their work were all radiating charm.

Each one was a perfect crystallization of strength, physique, and charisma.

Elena, Stacey, Lillian.

The three most beautiful women who would certainly rank in the top ten in the hearts of all the young men in Acli Village had appeared simultaneously, shimmering before the eyes of old William’s family.

Upon hearing these voices and seeing these figures, Wu Qingchen felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Instinctive self-preservation caused him to immediately stumble backward, and it was only after several unsteady steps that he managed to regain his footing.

This was only natural. These three quintessential beauties of Acli Village were all thick-waisted and broad-shouldered, with powerful, sturdy frames—the typical build of a matriarch from a warrior race.

To be honest, such a physique—common among the warrior-race matrons—was actually quite rare in Acli Village, where food supplies were generally scarce. Whenever Wu Qingchen had seen them in the past, he had felt nothing special other than a vague appreciation for their nutritional status.

However, at this very moment, as these beauties donned ill-fitting, undersized dresses and truly unleashed their charm, the eyes of a 21st-century man from Earth could not handle such an intense visual assault.

At the same time, a realization finally dawned on the slow-to-react Wu Qingchen:

So that was it!

All those greetings along the way, and these beauties before him, were all here for Grace!

They were here for the spot of the second daughter-in-law of the cowherd's family!

Just as Wu Qingchen realized this, what the three beauties said next confirmed his suspicions.

"Grace, come over here! There’s shade here, it’s not hot!"

"Grace, it’s better over here! This side is further away from the beehives!"

"Look here! Grace, there is..."

Did confessions of love exist in the medieval world as well?

The simple, rustic methods of these girls made Wu Qingchen shudder, his skin crawling with goosebumps.

At this moment, old William patted Grace on the shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips: "Grace, which side do you want to go to?"

So Father had known all along?

Not only did he know, but it seemed he even leaned toward supporting free love?

Wu Qingchen shuddered again, thunder rumbling in his mind.

Then, Idra also patted Grace on the shoulder: "Grace, look over there—that’s Yolanda’s cousin... Elena is a good girl."

So Idra had known all along too?

Not only did he know, but he seemed to be assisting the relative of his own fiancée?

Wu Qingchen shuddered a third time, in total disbelief.

Hearing the teasing from his father and brother, Grace’s face flushed slightly. Carrying his farm tools, he walked toward the shade, stuttering as he went: "I... the sun is too strong today, it’s... it’s... it’s too hot..."

So Grace had known all along too?

Not only did he know, but he actually seemed shy!?

Wu Qingchen continued to shudder, feeling that the scene unfolding before him was entirely absurd.

One could not blame Wu Qingchen for being so slow. Since entering the medieval world, he had been struggling against a harsh living environment and an even harsher social climate. His entire focus had been on food, safety, status, and other factors directly linked to his standard of living; he simply had no energy to spare for the romantic entanglements of the medieval world.

On the other hand, the team back on Earth had long since detected these faint stirrings, but at this stage, Wu Qingchen lacked the time to fully absorb intelligence on wilderness survival, social hierarchies, or grain reserves—how could he possibly squeeze in a precious quota to be diverted toward a rural romance?

Therefore, it was only at this very moment, when the top ten beauties of Acli Village appeared before him in unison, that this extremely poor and backward medieval village revealed its delicate side—one filled with love, charm, hormones, female marriage-hunting, and the matchmaking efforts of fathers and brothers.

As for why similar scenes hadn't occurred in the plots of land he had passed earlier, the reason was simple.

The location the Earth team chose for the beehives was the part of the land owned by the Wu Qingchen/Ross family that was furthest from the forest, the flattest, and the largest in area.

This choice ensured that the effects of the beehives would be displayed to the maximum extent in the future.

This choice also created another logical chain: the largest plot of land—naturally meant the Wu Qingchen family spent the most time working there—and families who were quick-witted enough to specifically change their farming tasks to this plot meant their daughters naturally had the most time to spend with Grace.

While Wu Qingchen was vaguely pondering these things, Grace had already reached the shade.

In the plot near the shade, a beauty was plowing the field. Seeing Grace choose her direction, her face flushed, and she could not hide her excitement. After casting a soulful, lingering glance at Grace, the beauty exerted double the strength in her arms, her veins bulging. The next moment, the plow, pulled by the woman alone, surged in speed, nearly catching up to the plow pulled by an ox in the adjacent field.

Where there is triumph, there is naturally disappointment.

With the first beauty taking the lead, the other two were naturally disheartened. However, ginger is spicier when it's old; the fathers of these families, capable of devising the strategy to switch plots, were clearly no pushovers.

Wu Qingchen saw the fathers of the other two beauties walk to their respective daughters almost simultaneously. After a few words, both women quickly perked up.

The second beauty immediately picked up a wooden bucket and headed toward the stream near Grace.

Reaching the bank, she set down the bucket, filled it with water, and quickly stood up.

Then, carrying four buckets full of water simultaneously, she walked with a light, vigorous, and imposing stride past Grace. She first batted her eyelashes at him, then shot a series of provocative glares toward the beauty with the plow.

The third beauty did not show any weakness either. She walked slowly to a spot near the Wu Qingchen family's plot, standing beside the three piles of hay that had been bundled just the day before.

First stacking the three bundles of hay, the beauty crouched down and wrapped her arms around them all. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself for a few seconds, she suddenly shouted: "Up!"

After psyching herself up and successfully capturing Grace’s attention, the woman's strong arms exerted force, lifting all three bundles of hay at once. In the dirt, there immediately appeared...