Chapter 110: Rolling In It
“Master Chen, this Si He Fu Shi Mu from beyond the pass is the treasure of our Changchun Hall. If you burn iron and drink it with wine, it will make your ears and eyes sharp, with sounds like a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s howl. It’s just a bit costly, as three taels alone go for one hundred and fifty taels of silver…”
“I’ll take it! Prepare all the auxiliary medicines and medicated wine for me!”
“Oh, what wind blows Master Chen here… Huh? This Ziwei Gauze Soft Robe of mine is adorned with Ziwei Pearls that can deflect sabers and spears, woven from gauze silk that is impervious to water and fire. It’s better than soft armor, and you can’t get it for less than three hundred taels of silver.”
“I’ll take it! Here, a banknote from Guanghui Money House.”
“Esteemed guest, this is the Ten Excellences Medicinal Cuisine Bureau. Many esteemed martial artists in the county pre-order their daily dietary supplements here. For a second-rate expert like yourself, I recommend the Six Excellences Feast. It’s only thirty taels of silver a month. Oh, and if you place your order after the hour of You, everything in the restaurant gets a 10% discount. If you don’t mind, you could wait and come back.”
“Give me the Ten Excellences! What discount? I, Chen Mou, don’t care… A 10% discount is almost ten taels of silver, alright, alright, I’ll look around some more.”
Suddenly wealthy, Chen Shun’an was extremely extravagant.
He bought Great Medicine on the east street, a soft robe in the west market, and ordered medicinal cuisine in the south market.
He also went to the kiln terrace teahouse and found some craftsmen to plaster walls and repair roof tiles, preparing to renovate his old house.
He thoroughly indulged in the feeling of spending money like water.
However, as a person’s desires grew, what was initially a thousand taels of silver felt like a fortune to Chen Shun’an, but as he spent it, he felt it was nothing special and not enough!
He had also inquired about purchasing a two-courtyard siheyuan with a quiet room and a practice field in the east of the county, only to find it would cost no less than two to three thousand taels of silver.
Although Wuqing County was just a county town, due to its control over the Grand Canal shipping routes and its importance as a canal transport hub, it was considered “Chong, Fan, Pi, Nan” in terms of administrative difficulty, fitting the first three categories.
It was located on a main road with complicated official affairs and a fierce populace, leading to frequent homicides, making it a crucial appointment.
Therefore, the housing prices were comparable to Tongzhou City, only slightly lower than the Capital City.
Chen Shun’an had also considered buying some shops and estates, acquiring real estate to generate passive income.
But after careful calculation, he realized that once one’s assets became substantial, they would easily become a target and their weaknesses exploited.
Therefore, for the long future, seize the day!
Convert the usury into strength as soon as possible!
However, after inquiring about the prices of Great Medicine at Changchun Hall, Chen Shun’an regretfully discovered that the inflated medicine prices remained stubbornly high and had not fallen!
Two months had passed, and those middlemen and speculative unscrupulous merchants were still lurking in the shadows, like rats stealing oil, silently pilfering silver from Chen Shun’an’s wallet.
Chen Shun’an called for a horse-drawn carriage, loaded all the day’s purchases onto it, and headed towards Chaodou Hutong.
On the horse-drawn carriage, a cold glint flashed in Chen Shun’an’s eyes.
Don’t let Chen discover which middlemen are hoarding medicinal herbs and inflating market prices.
If I can’t beat you, Chen is always magnanimous and accepts his bad luck.
When I can beat you in the future, with ten-tenths certainty, I will settle the score.
If I can beat you…
Chen always holds a grudge.
…
The sky had grown dark.
Chaodou Martial Arts School.
Cries of exertion could occasionally be heard from the training ground converted in the back courtyard.
About a dozen young boys, ranging in age from eight or nine to fourteen or fifteen, dressed in rough cloth short outfits, were practicing a basic set of ‘Kai Shan Fist’ in a horse stance, with solemn precision.
Xiao Qingchou paced in the middle of the training ground with his hands behind his back.
Underneath his faded indigo tight-fitting clothes, his muscles were taut, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.
He held a smooth, thin bamboo stick, which he occasionally tapped lightly on a child’s arm, thigh, or waist.
Among these children, Li Dongyang and a few of the older boys were practicing the best, their qi and blood already abundant, on the verge of breaking through to gather force.
These young boys were considered a form of labor.
During the day, they either attended private school or worked to supplement their families’ income.
They could only practice martial arts in their spare time at night, often leaving early in small groups.
Xiao Qingchou initially taught martial arts for free, even providing a meal.
However, after a series of absurd incidents such as “You taught my child martial arts and ruined his health, so he can’t work and earn money during the day, and you must compensate for the lost income,” “He not only eats the meals himself but also takes them home and sells them outside,” and “Instructor Xiao, since you are so benevolent, why not buy my child some Great Medicine for replenishing blood, teach him your signature skills, or even help him in the martial arts examinations?”
Xiao Qingchou began charging half tuition, stopped providing meals, and no longer paid much attention to other students, except for Li Dongyang.
Even if that person possessed great aptitude for the martial path.
In this manner, the Chaodou Martial Arts School had fewer rumors and no troubles seeking them out.
A favor bestowed can be remembered like kindness, while a great favor can be forgotten, and that is how it is.
Xiao Qingchou’s ears twitched slightly, faintly hearing the gentle breeze blowing, heading towards the back room of the martial arts school.
Xiao Qingchou’s heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained calm.
“Li Dongyang, your Fist Intent is incorrect!”
Xiao Qingchou’s voice was loud and carried an unquestionable authority.
“The intent of Kai Shan Fist is not ‘shaking the mountain,’ but ‘shaking the peak’! Mountains are dead, but peaks are alive! You must have that unyielding spirit, that persistence to shake it little by little! Don’t rush to unleash all your strength at once; reserve three parts strength and cultivate seven parts intent!”
“Understood, Instructor Xiao!” Li Dongyang replied in a deep voice.
Two months had passed, and Li Dongyang had grown considerably taller, the childishness on his face had faded, replaced by a rare composure for a young man.
Li Dongyang’s aptitude for martial arts was not exceptional, merely average.
However, he never complained about hardship or exhaustion during his martial arts practice. He would even train extra after returning home, progressing step by step, exceptionally diligently, and was already on the verge of reaching the Third-rate Realm.
It was just that Li Dongyang found it strange; he was straining his body so much, honing his muscles and bones, experiencing mild soreness or even overdrawing his potential, and should have been unable to bear it long ago.
Yet, every time he woke up, he felt refreshed, with a rush of warm qi and blood circulating within his body, as if a certain force was about to be born.
Li Dongyang thought to himself.
Could it be that my martial arts aptitude is average, but I possess some peculiar endowment, like a Luohan in sleep and an immortal in dreams, with extremely strong recovery abilities?
Xiao Qingchou glanced indifferently at Li Dongyang and snorted inwardly.
“A growing boy costs his parents a fortune. I secretly give this kid massage every night using the secret medicine ‘Jin Ti Hu’ from Shu, which costs five taels of silver per bottle… I really owe the Li family!”
Xiao Qingchou gave a few instructions to everyone, and after the standing meditation and fist practice ended, he let them leave.
He then walked through the main house with his hands behind his back, lifted the curtain, and entered the back room.
He saw that at some point, three figures had appeared in the back room.
Money Grabber, Bai Manlou, and the Xin Character Hall Master were either standing or sitting, varying in height, build, and appearance, all having disguised themselves.
Upon seeing Money Grabber, Xiao Qingchou’s face lit up, and he said,
“Got the money? Can we redeem Jin Troupe Leader?”
