pertwk Chapter 4 Returning Home
Chapter 4 Returning Home
"This is exhausting, and this is only the first day!"
"The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. To achieve mastery in martial arts, one needs a large amount of qi and blood tonics. At the very least, one must eat meat at every meal. If one eats cornbread every day, one will ruin one's martial arts skills sooner or later!"
"Yes, this can't go on for much longer. It sounds like we'll have to work again tomorrow morning!"
...
On the training ground, the many helpers were discussing amongst themselves.
Everyone came from humble backgrounds and had no money to buy tonics, so they could only tough it out, including Lin Qing.
He frowned slightly, pondering how to get his hands on some tonics and how to improve his diet.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw seven young men in brocade robes distributing pills not far away.
One of the young men, with a long face, had a particularly loud and harsh voice: "Those peasants don't have the money to buy blood-strengthening pills; they'll all be ruined in less than half a month!"
"Haha, Young Master Han is right!!" someone laughed and cheered.
For a moment, many people around Lin Qing showed resentment.
"Who is this guy? He talks so rudely! I really want to punch him!"
"Shh, judging from their demeanor, they should be members of the Han family in the inner city. They're different from us; they paid money to get in, so they don't have to endure years of hardship to learn martial arts and have a chance to become constables."
"Damn it, this world is so unfair."
"Unfair? Who told you you weren't born into a better family!"
...
Lin Qing listened to the discussions around him and was slightly moved. He thought to himself that these seven people must be from wealthy families. No wonder they had pills to eat.
He has a very calm mindset; if we don't have something, we'll find a way; there's no need to be jealous of others.
...
The next day.
Early in the morning, Lin Qing didn't go to work, but instead asked Shen Lian for leave to go home.
The helper has two days off each month, which can be used flexibly. He hasn't used his days off this month yet.
After registering his name in the janitor's office, Lin Qing quickly walked out the door.
Before long, he was walking on a main street in Jiangyin County, with various shops, blacksmith shops, general stores, teahouses, and brothels on both sides. It was truly a place of ancient charm and antique elegance.
Lin Qing carried two jin of rice wine in his left hand and a light blue cotton coat tucked under his right arm.
This was a gift he bought for his family with the two taels of silver when he passed by the tavern and cloth shop earlier.
He had returned home twice in the past month or so. His family treated him very well, which he appreciated and truly regarded as family.
Before long, he was standing at his own door, in front of an old courtyard house located in a lane in the western part of the city.
Lin Qing's family was not wealthy; the two elders ran a small general store and were among the poor in Jiangyin County.
He pushed open the door and entered, and the first thing he saw was a slightly hunched man sitting to the side, sharpening a knife.
His face shape is somewhat similar to Lin Qing's, but he has more wrinkles and his hair is gray.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, smiled, and said, "Oh, Qing's back!"
"Dad, you're back! I bought you two catties of rice wine and a cotton-padded coat for Mom!" Lin Qingying said as he drank.
"Aqing is truly filial," Lin Cheng said with a smile.
"Aqing, that's great! I'll go cook for you right away!" A woman's voice came from the house ahead; it was his mother, Han Ying.
"Okay, Mom, I'll help you!" Lin Qing entered the house and saw Han Ying washing vegetables, her hands red from the cold. He immediately went to help her.
Before long, the family sat around a wooden table and began to eat. The staple food was mixed grain rice. Unlike usual, there was a pot of fish soup today. This was the first time he had seen meat in the family in the month since he arrived.
The three of them ate and chatted.
"This fish was sent by Li Ping from next door. Eat more. Your brother Li is a generous and kind person, and we should always remember his kindness," Han Ying said softly.
"Okay, Mom." Lin Qing ate his rice silently.
"By the way, do you remember the second sickly boy next door? His real name is Zhou Wubing. He went to the Red Lantern Society before the New Year and I heard that he became a top disciple after mastering martial arts. Today, he has moved into the inner city. Everyone in the alleys of the west city envies him," Han Ying added.
"The inner city is great, no need to worry about thieves. A few days ago, Yang Erniang from the tofu shop hanged herself. At first, they said she was haunted by evil spirits, but yesterday the yamen posted a notice saying that a demon from the Yin Yuan Sect had caused trouble and violated Yang Erniang, leading to her suicide. Sigh, what kind of world is this? It's too chaotic!" Lin Cheng sighed.
Lin Qing listened and suddenly said, "Father, Mother, don't worry. It won't be long before I take you to live in the inner city. I originally wanted to give you a surprise later, but it's fine to tell you now. Yesterday I transferred to the Night Patrol Division, and I can become a constable within six months!"
The two were taken aback at first, then both showed delight on their faces.
"That's great! I told you, Xiao Qing is promising. No matter what, a constable is still a government official, better than his father!" Lin Cheng said proudly.
"I heard that the Night Patrol officers often have to deal with evil spirits. Isn't that dangerous?" Han Ying was initially happy, but then she became a little worried.
"Mother, don't worry, the corpse collectors are the safest in the Night Patrol, nothing will happen to them," Lin Qing reassured her.
"That's good." Han Ying nodded, then sighed. "Your sister hasn't written home for a while. I wonder how she's been doing lately?"
Lin Qing also has an older sister who married far away. He has never met her, but from the original owner's memories, this sister was very beautiful and a real beauty.
"Don't worry, the Zhao family is a prominent family in Sichuan, so Nizi won't have to worry about food and drink," Lin Cheng said.
"I'm not worried about food and drink, but I'm afraid she'll suffer any injustice," Han Ying said.
"Don't overthink it. By the way, Xiaoqing, be careful when you go out tomorrow. The Bailang Society and the Red Lantern Society next door are fighting again. Rongfutong is going to start some kind of Baidi Society. Every household has to pay money, 100 coins per family. They're really animals." Lin Cheng changed the subject.
Lin Qing nodded: "I understand, Dad. I'll figure out the money problem, you don't need to worry."
The outer city was in chaos, and the government was inactive, so gangs ran rampant. The White Wave Gang controlled the alleys and lanes of the western city, and its leader was Rong Futong.
The so-called White Emperor Festival, ostensibly a worship ceremony for the deity White Emperor, was in reality just a pretext to exploit the people.
"This world is too chaotic, with evil gangs running rampant. To survive, one must become a powerful martial artist," Lin Qing murmured to himself, finishing the last mouthful of fish soup in his bowl.
...
Early the next morning.
Lin Qing returned to the Soul Suppressing Division and resumed his bone-grinding work as usual.
in the afternoon.
Lin Qing, along with the other twelve boys from the courtyard, went to the training ground and practiced until they returned home in the evening.
On the third day, Jiang Baihe reappeared.
"Today, I will teach you the specific moves of the Eight Strikes of the Serpent. Listen carefully, I will only explain it once!" Jiang Baihe maintained a smiling expression throughout.
"The Eight Strikes of the Serpent consist of eight forms, specifically designed to temper and refine one's Qi and blood."
"First move, 'The Serpent Emerges from its Cave,' the rear foot pushes off the ground, the fist strikes out from the center line, like a serpent extending its head, swift as lightning..."
"The second move, 'The Serpent Whips Its Tail,' twists the waist and hips, the legs like long whips, power reaching the instep..."
"The third move, the giant python coils around the body, a close-range lock and grab..."
...
As Jiang Baihe explained, he also made gestures, which, from a distance, truly resembled a nimble snake dancing, conveying both spirit and intent with remarkable realism.
Every movement contains a wealth of details, which Lin Qing found extremely complex. He wondered how much hard work it would take to fully master it.
Half an hour later, Jiang Baihe slowly finished his practice and said with a smile, "The Eight Strikes of the Spirit Serpent may seem to have only eight moves, but there are countless details involved. You all need to study and practice diligently. If you can master them within half a year, you can be considered a talented person."
As for achieving even a minor level of success, unless you're a genius, don't even think about it without three to five years of dedicated effort.