Chapter 1: Money is hard to earn, martial arts are hard to learn

Qiaohe Town.

Early morning, the sky is just beginning to brighten, Chen Family Fish Shop.

"This knife fish is too small, two wen."

"Aunt Qin, this knife fish is so small, how could I take your money? Take it as a gift. Look at these black fish, just caught, I specifically saved them for you."

"The size is not bad, how much?"

"Twenty wen each."

"Twenty wen, isn't that expensive?"

"It's not cheap, but you aren't short on money. Originally, these black fish were to be sent to the county seat. Last week you said your daughter-in-law was pregnant, so I had the proprietor save them for you. These black fish are treasures; the old saying goes, eat black fish, hold a darling grandson."

"Fine, then pack them up for me, and give me these knife fish too."

"No problem, I'll pack them up for you right now."

A slender youth nimbly packed the black fish into the vegetable basket the woman handed over, and finally tucked two lake mussels into the basket. Seeing this, the woman smiled even more happily.

"Yo, Sister-in-law Zhang, coming early is not as good as coming at the right time, these two carp are very fresh..."

"Uncle Li, you came to buy fish yourself today? You really dote on our aunt, tell me what fish you want..."

"Uncle, the usual, I'll scrape the scales for you."

The youth grabbed a fish with one hand and held scissors in the other to scrape the scales, his movements extremely nimble, not even looking at his hands.

"Little Chen, have you considered finding a wife?"

"Still too early."

"Early what? At your age, you should be considering it. When I was your age, Little Bao was already born."

"Uncle, the scales are scraped, I've put them in your basket."

"Already done? Little Chen, your speed is indeed fast." The middle-aged man still wanted to chat a bit more, but seeing the youth take on another customer, he left carrying his basket, feeling a bit unsatisfied.

……

……

Half an hour later, the three baskets of fish in front of the youth had already hit the bottom.

The fish shop's proprietor walked over, smoking a dry pipe: "Little Chen, how about it? Consider coming here to be a shop assistant? I'll talk to the proprietor, the monthly wages will be ten wen more than a new assistant."

"Proprietor Yang, I'm still learning martial arts at the Wu Tang." The youth politely declined.

"Learning martial arts isn't that easy. If your family doesn't have money, you simply can't learn it. If you work as an assistant in the shop now, and do well, I'll recommend you to the proprietor, and you can be a proprietor yourself in the future."

"Many thanks for your kindness, then when I'm eliminated by the Wu Tang, I'll come to rely on you."

The youth wiped the fish slime off his hands, his skin chapped from scraping scales, and took the fifteen copper wen the proprietor handed over, still refusing in his words.

"With a good brain for business, why learn martial arts? Is that stuff something ordinary people can learn?"

The proprietor looked at the youth's departing back and sighed.

Don't learn martial arts if you have no money, otherwise, it's all for nothing in the end.

"Proprietor, this Lin Chen is too ungrateful. He just came up with a way to scrape scales, and you appreciate him so much, yet he still refused."

The shop assistant was very dissatisfied with Proprietor Yang's appreciation for Lin Chen; he could do this job too, and he scraped scales even more nimbly than Lin Chen.

"You know nothing!" Proprietor Yang turned his head and glared at the assistant unhappily: "You think it's just as simple as scraping scales? Those other fish shops followed suit, but they still don't sell as well as ours. This is his ability."

Proprietor Yang saw it clearly; Lin Chen's strength was in making these fish buyers become repeat customers.

But the assistant wasn't wrong about one thing: he appreciated Lin Chen and wanted him to be an assistant at the fish shop. However, although Lin Chen answered very politely today, he had absolutely no intention of being an assistant, so he couldn't let him do this odd job anymore.

Ten wen isn't much, but this was an extra expense. If given to the shop assistant, this ten wen wouldn't need to be spent.

He was just a proprietor and still had to answer to the proprietor. Besides, this was also a form of protection for Lin Chen.

……

……

Leaving the fish shop, Lin Chen sighed; this odd job of killing fish couldn't be done anymore.

Once is fine, but not twice; twice is fine, but not three times.

He had refused Proprietor Yang three times in a row; Proprietor Yang likely wouldn't let him continue doing odd jobs selling fish.

Although when he did this job, the fish sold better than other assistants, Proprietor Yang was just a proprietor, to put it bluntly, a high-level wage earner. It was clear this job could be done by an assistant, yet he still had to give him ten wen. Over time, it would be hard to answer to the proprietor.

This inquiry today was the last chance for him.

And even if Proprietor Yang hadn't asked today, he would have come a few more times at most before stopping.

The proprietors of the other fish shops around were already looking at him with some unkindness.

If he were a fish shop assistant, selling fish well naturally wouldn't be a problem; it would belong to the industry, relying on ability.

But as someone doing odd jobs, he had stolen their business and would certainly be resented.

Lin Chen shook his head. Over the past few months, he had done many odd jobs in town, leaving after working for a month or so each time; the reason was exactly this.

……

……

Lin Chen returned to the town's Wu Tang.

In the Wu Tang's practice arena, many youths were practicing boxing, the sound of shouting continuous.

"Chen-zi, you're back."

A youth in the practice arena saw Lin Chen return, leaned over, and whispered: "This is the last month soon. If your strength doesn't reach two hundred jin, you'll be eliminated. If you don't have enough money, I still have some here. Take it and use it first, don't go out and take jobs anymore and delay your martial arts practice."

Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart: "Don't worry, if I really don't have enough, I won't be polite with you."

The youth beside him was from the same village as him; the two had played together since childhood and belonged to the kind of good brothers who had shared everything.

"Your grandfather is really something. When your eldest cousin learned martial arts, he gave money, but when you learn, he doesn't." Gu Fei muttered.

"My family has already spent a lot of money on my eldest cousin's martial arts."

Lin Chen also felt a bit helpless in his heart; he had transmigrated too late.

He had only transmigrated to this world half a year ago. His eldest cousin had already been learning martial arts for two years, and the family's savings had all gone to his cousin's martial arts. Being able to come to the Wu Tang was something he had fought for by threatening to die.

He had to learn martial arts.

Because in this world, there is no such thing as studying to attain official rank; this is a Martial Way World, where martial artists are respected.

High officials and noble lords are all martial artists.

All pursuits are inferior, only learning martial arts is superior.

It's just that the cost of learning martial arts is extremely high. The tuition for the Wu Tang alone is ten taels. And Linhu Village, where Lin Chen is from, because an incredible Martial Scholar came out of it ten years ago, won the benefit of free martial arts practice for Linhu Village.

Free for ten years, this is the last year.

Lin Chen knew very well that if he missed this year, it would be even harder for him to learn martial arts. Earning ten taels of silver is not an easy task, and the Wu Tang only recruits students under sixteen; by next year, he won't meet the criteria.

Having absorbed the original body's memories and understood these circumstances, he threatened his grandfather with death to go learn martial arts, and only then did his grandfather make an agreement with him.

If he could pass the assessment in the Wu Tang in six months, the family would support him in continuing to learn martial arts; if he couldn't pass, he would give up learning martial arts.

And during these six months, his grandfather wouldn't give him money, only sending a few bags of grain to the Wu Tang at the start of school, exchanging them for meal tickets for the cafeteria.

Lin Chen knew his grandfather's intentions: without money, he couldn't eat meat to supplement his Qi and blood, and if he couldn't meet the Wu Tang's six-month assessment requirement, he would be eliminated and sent home, and then he couldn't make a fuss about continuing to learn martial arts.

Even knowing this agreement was very unfair to him, he still agreed.

If he didn't agree, his grandfather would absolutely not let him go to the Wu Tang.

He had no choice!

Lin Hui from his second uncle's family had also made a fuss about learning martial arts, but his grandfather scolded him directly and didn't give him any chance to sign up for the Wu Tang.

Children from Linhu Village can enter the Wu Tang for free, but they must obtain the consent of the head of the family. The Lin family hasn't divided the family yet, and the power of the head of the family is in his grandfather's hands.

If his grandfather doesn't agree, he can't enter the Wu Tang.

After entering the Wu Tang, Lin Chen realized that practicing martial arts was even more difficult than he had imagined.

Without money, it is truly difficult to move forward.

The boxing technique taught by the Wu Tang, Warm Sun Boxing, has no practical combat use; it is more like some kind of gymnastic boxing technique, and its function is to allow them to make their Qi and blood flow more smoothly and accelerate the growth rate of Qi and blood.

But there is a prerequisite: nutrition must keep up; besides eating enough, one must also eat well.

Beef in the cafeteria is fifteen wen a jin. Some students eat it every meal, while he hasn't bought it even once until now.

But even so, he still hasn't given up.

One reason is that he has lived two lives, and he clearly knows that learning martial arts is the only opportunity for him to stand out in this world, so he must never give up.

Another reason is the panel that appeared when he transmigrated.

【Name: Lin Chen】

【Profession: Martial Artist】

【Qi and Blood: 802/3000】

【Fate: 【Water Flows, Channel Forms】: First Stage of the Martial Way, perseverance, step-by-step progress, unstoppable, no bottleneck troubles.】

Having read many web novels in his previous life, he understood that this was the golden finger he brought with him when he transmigrated.

This panel was the motivation for his persistence.

Every time he saw other students eating meat in big mouthfuls while he ate free vegetarian dishes, he would bring up the panel to look at it, and seeing the changes in the Qi and blood values on it, he would be filled with motivation again.

Although my meal has no meat, I use hope as my dish.

Although the growth of Qi and blood is small, it is not standing still.

What's more, his fate is 【Water Flows, Channel Forms】. From the annotation of the fate, he understood its power.

Having read so many martial arts novels in his previous life, he knew how many geniuses were trapped at realm barriers and unable to break through. Since he has no bottlenecks, he can catch up from behind.

The future is bright, the road is tortuous. As long as he walks through this tortuous road, there will be a bright future waiting for him.

……

……

Noon.

The students in the practice arena left in twos and threes, but Lin Chen was still practicing Warm Sun Boxing.

Gu Fei accompanied him on the side.

It wasn't until a quarter of an hour later that Lin Chen stopped his boxing.

Without money to buy meat, he could only practice more.

Lin Chen was very grateful for his panel, which allowed him to clearly see the growth of his Qi and blood.

When he first entered the Wu Tang, his Qi and blood were 500 points. When he was full, his Qi and blood would increase by 1 point every day.

Lin Chen knew clearly what was going on with the 1 point of Qi and blood added.

At his age, as long as he is full, his Qi and blood will naturally increase.

And after testing Warm Sun Boxing for a few days, Lin Chen derived a pattern: according to the school's requirements, practicing boxing for four hours a day increases Qi and blood by 5 points in three days. Excluding the 3 points of his own growth, Warm Sun Boxing brought a 2-point Qi and blood bonus.

But if he practices boxing for five hours a day, his Qi and blood increase by 2 points a day, which is 6 points in three days.

This 1 point increase in Qi and blood is something those students with good family backgrounds don't care about, but for him, 1 more point is 1 more step of progress, closer to reaching the assessment goal.

When Lin Chen and Gu Fei rushed to the cafeteria, some students had already finished eating and were walking out, and there were not many people left at the window where dishes were served.

Students bring grain to the Wu Tang and exchange it for the corresponding weight of rice.

Vegetarian dishes are free.

Meat dishes cost money.

Lin Chen, as usual, finished his rice and vegetarian dishes and walked to the bucket containing beef soup.

The cafeteria's beef soup is very distinctive; the beef slices are characterized by melting in the mouth, but because it is free, no students have any objections.

Looking at the beef soup that had hit the bottom in the bucket, Lin Chen served himself a bowl. He would come to the cafeteria late, besides being able to practice a little longer, it was to sponge off this free beef soup.

The cafeteria's beef soup is placed next to the meat dish window. Although it is free, it is actually attached to the students who buy meat, and the portion is boiled by the kitchen according to the weight of the beef.

If students rushed over to sponge a bowl of beef soup as soon as the cafeteria meal time arrived, and the students buying meat later had no soup, they would inevitably make a fuss.

Only after most students have finished eating and there is leftover beef soup, and coming to sponge a bowl of beef soup at this time, will the cafeteria staff not have any objections.

"Sponge off the cafeteria's free beef soup every day, is this coming to learn martial arts? Those who don't know would think it's because there's no food at home, coming to the Wu Tang to sponge food and drink."

Lin Chen carried his food back to the table, and a student at the next table spoke sarcastically.

Facing the other party's mockery, Lin Chen didn't pay any attention.

"Zhang Tao, what are you saying!"

Lin Chen didn't pay attention to the other party, but Gu Fei slapped the table.

"Am I wrong? Can't even afford beef, why learn martial arts if you have no money?" The other party glared back without fear.

"No need to argue with him."

Lin Chen held Gu Fei back; the Wu Tang does not allow students to fight or brawl in private, and the punishment is very severe.

His gaze coldly swept over the other party. If his golden finger were a genius cheat, today he would let this Zhang Tao know what it means to have already embarked on a path to death.

Unfortunately, he is not.

Many students in the cafeteria heard the quarrel here and looked over. When they saw it was Lin Chen, several of them showed expressions of mockery on their faces.

This person, Lin Chen, is quite famous in the Wu Tang.

Not because his grades are good, but because he is stingy!

Sponging free beef soup and vegetarian dishes every day.

In the words of the people working in the cafeteria, over these years, Lin Chen is the only student in the cafeteria who hasn't earned money but has even subsidized quite a bit.

"Chen-zi, I'm full, you help me eat this beef, otherwise it's a waste."

Gu Fei pushed the remaining half plate of beef toward Lin Chen. Lin Chen knew that Gu Fei was deliberately serving more to give to him, but he had refused in the past.

"Fine, then I won't be polite."

"I really eat..." Gu Fei was stunned. In the past, he used the excuse of sharing half the beef with Lin Chen, but Lin Chen always refused. He subconsciously thought Lin Chen would still refuse and was preparing to continue persuading him, but he didn't expect Lin Chen to accept it this time.

So Zhang Tao's mockery was still effective?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 2 =====