Chapter 4

Dusk!

Outside the slanting sun, ten thousand white gulls, flowing water winding around the mountain village.

The assessment ended in the morning, and the students were on leave today. Many students chose to leave the Wu Tang and go home.

For the first six months, the Wu Tang required them to practice boxing every day. Many students whose homes were in the villages below hadn't been home for six months.

Lin Chen was going back to the village, and Gu Fei and the other two youths from the same village were the same.

The four of them went home together, laughing and talking along the way. Everyone had passed the assessment, and there was no pressure in their hearts. Even Lin Chen found that his steps were lighter.

Entering the village, the villagers saw the four of them and greeted them one after another.

"Back? How was it learning at the Wu Tang?"

"With you rascals gone, our village has been a bit quieter."

At the age of fourteen or fifteen, it was the age of being naughty. Lin Chen and the others hadn't done less mischief in the village before.

However, after half a year of life at the Wu Tang, everyone had matured a lot.

Learning martial arts at the Wu Tang not only represents hope but also pressure.

Pressure is what matures a youth the fastest.

"Lin Chen, want to come to my house and sit for a while?" Gu Fei asked.

"Forget it, I'll go home first."

"Alright, then we'll meet at the village entrance tomorrow morning."

After parting with Gu Fei and going their separate ways with the other two youths at the intersection, Lin Chen didn't delay and headed straight for his home.

His home was at the end of the village, and he had to walk through most of the village.

Arriving at the door, through the fence courtyard wall, Lin Chen saw his mother drying fishing nets.

"Mother!" Lin Chen shouted loudly.

"Chen'er?"

Lin's mother was stunned for a moment, then looked up through the fence at Lin Chen, her face full of surprise.

"You really have grown taller. Your eldest brother told me you had grown a head taller, and I didn't believe it."

Not having seen her son for half a year, Lin's mother was extremely excited looking at her youngest son who was already taller than her, spinning around her son.

Her eldest son, Lin Liang, had been to the Wu Tang several times and would tell her about her youngest son's situation when he returned.

"You've lost some weight." Lin's mother felt a bit heartbroken.

Lin Chen smiled: "Mother, I'm growing now, I'll definitely stretch out. It's normal to be thinner. Our instructor said that in a few months, I'll be sturdy. Are Father and Eldest Brother working in the fields?"

"Your father and brother are irrigating the crops in the fields. Why are you back today?"

"Mother, the child missed you."

"You only know how to say nice things to your mother. If you really missed your mother, you wouldn't have only come back once in half a year."

Lin's mother didn't fall for it, but her son's change made her very happy. Before going to the Wu Tang, her youngest son had a dull personality. She didn't expect that after going to the Wu Tang, he not only looked cheerful but also had a sweet mouth.

A sweet mouth is good; a sweet mouth is good for marrying a wife in the future.

"Did you pass the Wu Tang assessment?"

"Mother, you are truly divine. You guessed this too."

Lin Chen flattered her, and Lin's mother said proudly: "You were born by your mother; how could your mother not know what's in your belly? Since you passed the assessment, your grandfather should support you in learning martial arts. Tonight, Mother will tell your grandfather about this. You go to the fields to find your father and ask him to bring a pot of wine from the village entrance when he comes back; your grandfather loves to drink."

"Alright, then I'll go see if Father and Eldest Brother need help."

Lin Chen agreed, took the hoe from home, and walked toward their fields.

The father and his two sons were also happy to see each other for a while. Lin Chen saw that there was still a small piece of land in the field that hadn't been irrigated, so he helped carry water to finish irrigating the land, and only went back after finishing the work.

The father and his two sons returned home, put down their farm tools, and walked toward the ancestral house where the grandfather lived in the back.

The Lin family hadn't separated yet, and the whole family ate at the ancestral house.

"I was wondering why the younger sister-in-law took the initiative to organize cooking today; it turns out Chen'er is back." The woman sweeping the front courtyard saw Lin Chen walk in and spoke with a smile.

"Second Aunt." Lin Chen greeted the woman sweeping the floor.

"You've grown quite a bit, almost catching up to your father." Second Aunt looked at Lin Chen with a smile and was just about to say something else when a little girl walked in from the door, holding a green mud cake in her hand.

"Oh my, didn't I tell you not to go to the chicken coop? You're still holding chicken manure!"

Second Aunt couldn't sit still, ran over, and knocked the chicken manure out of the little girl's hand. The little girl giggled non-stop, her small eyes seeing Lin Chen, but she showed a strange expression.

"Xiao Xi, don't you recognize Fourth Brother?"

"Fourth... Fourth Brother."

Cousin Lin Xi had a habit: when thinking about things, she would subconsciously want to put her finger in her mouth to suck.

Babies like to suck their fingers. Some are weaned when they grow up, while others retain it until they are five or six years old.

The cousin still had chicken manure on her hand, and when she put her finger in her mouth, she was severely beaten by Second Aunt. This time she couldn't laugh and cried directly.

Seeing her cousin beaten to tears, Lin Chen was also a bit embarrassed, but this didn't seem to have anything to do with him.

"Why cry when it's time to eat?"

An old voice came out. Grandfather Lin Lin Chaoyang walked out of the main hall with his hands behind his back. When he saw Lin Chen, he was stunned for a moment, then shouted toward the back kitchen: "Chen'er is back. Youngest daughter-in-law, add two more eggs for Chen'er to supplement his body tonight."

"Thank you, Grandfather. The grandson has been learning for six full months at the Wu Tang." Lin Chen's words revealed a bit of information.

"Six months of learning is enough. It doesn't matter if you are eliminated. In the future, farm well. If you want to learn a craft, you can tell your father." Grandfather had a loving expression: "In a few years, it will be time to marry a wife."

"Father is anxious to hold a great-grandson. Unfortunately, Ming'er is learning martial arts, so we can only count on Hui'er and Chen'er."

Eldest Aunt and Eldest Uncle walked in from outside the door at this time. Eldest Aunt saw Lin Chen and smiled: "Our Chen'er has grown quite handsome and can marry a good wife."

"Eldest Sister-in-law, my Chen'er didn't come back because he was eliminated. He passed the Wu Tang assessment and came back to tell everyone this good news."

Lin's mother walked out of the kitchen. Listening to her eldest sister-in-law's words, she felt unhappy in her heart. What does "unfortunately Ming'er is learning martial arts" mean? Her son can also continue to learn martial arts.

As soon as Lin's mother finished speaking, the main hall was silent.

Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt's mouths were wide open, looking surprised. After a long while, Second Aunt reacted: "I remember the family didn't give you any money. Can you pass the assessment? When Lin Ming's strength reached two hundred catties, it cost three taels of silver."

"So, Chen'er has martial arts talent and will definitely be able to achieve something in martial arts in the future."

Second Aunt's subconscious words made Lin's mother beam with joy. Lin Chen noticed that Eldest Aunt's face darkened instantly.

"That's not how it's said. My Ming'er reached two hundred catties in the fourth month at the Wu Tang, and Chen'er only came back now, which means he reached it this month. There is still a gap."

Eldest Aunt's words made Lin Chen's mouth twitch. Give him three taels of silver, and he could also do it in four months.

"Besides, Father didn't give money, but the younger sister-in-law might have given it. And the eels Liang'er caught these past few months are getting fewer and fewer."

The implication was that Lin's mother had privately given money.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?" Lin's mother wouldn't have it, putting her hands on her hips: "What do you mean I gave money? The money every month was handed over to Father. Where would I get money? How much money can the eels Liang'er caught in a month compare to the money the family spent on Lin Ming?"

"I'm just afraid that some people secretly earned money and didn't hand it over. I didn't name names, so why are you feeling guilty?"

"You didn't name names, but aren't you talking about our family?"

"Alright, don't argue. Why argue in front of the juniors?"

Grandfather scolded, looked at Lin Chen, and Lin Chen didn't beat around the bush, directly saying: "Grandfather, you once said that if the grandson could pass the Wu Tang assessment, the family would support the grandson in learning martial arts."

"Does the family still have to bear the burden of a second person learning martial arts?"

Grandfather hadn't answered yet, and Second Aunt's words were full of worry. Her son Hui'er didn't learn martial arts, and the family's money was all spent on Lin Ming. If Lin Chen was added, wouldn't their family just be working for the eldest brother and the younger uncle's family?

"Second Sister-in-law, this is what Father promised Chen'er. You didn't object at the time." Lin's mother immediately retorted.

"I'm not objecting to Chen'er learning martial arts." Second Aunt explained: "I'm saying our family really doesn't have that much money. Chen'er can learn martial arts, but I think we should divide the money given to Lin Ming every month and give a portion to Chen'er."

Anyway, the family money was only so much. Whether it was given to Lin Ming or Lin Chen to learn, it didn't matter to her family.

"No!" Eldest Aunt immediately refused: "Ming'er is at a critical moment in practicing martial arts and is about to cultivate essence and Qi. This is the time when money is needed. I heard Ming'er say that his fellow apprentices' families all give four or five taels a month. Ming'er is sensible and knows our family doesn't have that much money, so he didn't ask for more."

"Five taels of silver? Even if he dared to open his mouth, our family couldn't take it out." Lin's mother snorted: "It's not like no one in the village is practicing martial arts. Most give up after two years without cultivating essence and Qi. Only our family continues to support it. It makes other families laugh at us."

"How is it a joke? When Ming'er succeeds, he will be the first in our village to cultivate essence and Qi in the past three years. The fortune teller also said that Ming'er is the Qilin child of our Lin family."

"I'll give the fortune teller ten wen, and he can immediately change his words and say Chen'er is the Qilin child of our family."

"Stop arguing." Grandfather interrupted the argument between the two sisters-in-law with a dark face and looked at Lin's father: "Youngest, tomorrow you take Chen'er to find Master Zhang. I'll give half a guan of money to buy some gifts to apprentice, and follow Master Zhang to learn how to make bamboo strips."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted. He didn't expect his grandfather to disagree.

"Grandfather, the grandson wants to learn martial arts and doesn't want to learn how to make bamboo strips." Lin Chen's attitude was also very firm.

"Silly child, even if you passed the Wu Tang assessment now, what can you do? Learning martial arts costs more and more as you go. Your eldest brother has spent more than forty taels so far. You will need at least twenty taels. To support your eldest brother in learning martial arts, the family has already spent all the money. Even if we wanted to borrow, we couldn't."

"Grandfather, the grandson doesn't need that much money."

Grandfather Lin Lin Chaoyang shook his head. How much money learning martial arts costs is not something that can be determined by just saying it.

Ming'er also said he only needed twenty taels at the time, but he has already spent forty taels so far.

Three days ago, Ming'er came home from the county and said there was a secret medicine in the city. After taking it, he could cultivate essence and Qi, but this secret medicine was very expensive, needing ten taels per dose.

The last money in the family had already been taken by Ming'er.

After Ming'er cultivates essence and Qi, the family will have to scrape together tuition for the martial arts hall. By then, it's possible we'll have to mortgage the family's land deed to borrow money from the bank.

Ming'er has already spent so much on learning martial arts; we can't let him finally cultivate essence and Qi and have no money to pay tuition for the martial arts hall.

"Father, was it when Lin Ming came home last time that he found an excuse to ask for money again?" Lin's mother seemed to have thought of something, her gaze shifting between Grandfather and Eldest Aunt. Eldest Aunt didn't dare to look at Lin's mother.

Lin's mother knew in her heart that the family's money had probably all been taken by Lin Ming. She said coldly: "If Father is unwilling to give money, then I will go borrow it."

"Younger sister-in-law, don't be impulsive. Borrowing money has to be repaid." Second Aunt immediately opposed. The Lin family hadn't separated yet. If the third younger sister-in-law borrowed money, their family would also have to recognize a share.

"If you're afraid the money will be counted on your head, then separate the family!"

As soon as Lin's mother said this, the scene was silent again. Second Aunt's eyeballs rolled around, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Third younger sister-in-law, why are you saying such nonsense?" Eldest Uncle said dissatisfiedly.

"What's wrong with what I said?" Lin's mother directly shouted and interrupted Eldest Uncle: "Why can your family's Lin Ming learn martial arts, but our Chen'er can't?"

"Isn't it because the family has no money?" Eldest Uncle said helplessly: "If there was money, Father would definitely let Chen'er learn martial arts."

"If there's no money, go borrow it. Otherwise, why should the money we earn be spent on Lin Ming? Now that our Chen'er wants to spend money to learn martial arts, your family is unwilling to bear it? Does your family want to occupy all the good things in the world?"

Lin's mother's words made Eldest Uncle speechless. Eldest Aunt saw this and interjected: "Third younger sister-in-law, our family has already borrowed a lot of money and can't borrow any more."

"Whether you can borrow it or not is my business. You don't need to worry about it. Just say whether your family recognizes this account or not."

Lin's mother's eyes were sharp, staring at Eldest Aunt. Eldest Aunt felt guilty, and her line of sight didn't dare to meet Lin's mother's.

Lin Chen saw the silent grandfather and the guilty expression of Eldest Aunt, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.

He understood. Eldest Aunt only wanted to suck his family's blood and didn't want to bear the money for his learning martial arts.

As for his grandfather, it wasn't just because of the sunk cost that he let his eldest cousin continue to learn martial arts, but true favoritism.

"Youngest, you let your wife talk like this?" Grandfather Lin Lin Chaoyang frowned and looked at Lin's father.

Lin's father pleaded: "Father, Chen'er wants to learn martial arts, so let him go. Even if we borrow money, our family will pay it back."

"What do you know? Learning martial arts is a bottomless pit. Do you think it's just a matter of a few taels of silver? What will your family use to pay it back then?"

Lin Lin Chaoyang shouted loudly, but Lin Chen couldn't help but say coldly: "So the eldest cousin learning martial arts is not a bottomless pit? May I ask Grandfather, is it only the eldest cousin who is your grandson?"

"Bastard!"

Lin Lin Chaoyang's face was livid: "Youngest, this is the good son you taught, talking to me like this!"

"No need to talk about my husband and son." Lin's mother was like a furious lion: "When the grandfather is biased, why should the small ones be filial?"

"Actually, separating the family is quite good. Chen'er wants to learn martial arts, so let the younger uncle's family figure it out themselves."

Second Aunt muttered in a low voice on the side. Her family was also being sucked blood by Lin Ming, and she had long wanted to separate the family.

Lin Lin Chaoyang glared at his second daughter-in-law and looked at Lin's mother with a dark face: "What if I don't agree to separate the family?"

Lin's mother was fearless: "If we don't separate, I will go all over the village and talk about this ugly matter of our family. The grandfather is biased. The eldest grandson can spend dozens of taels to learn martial arts, but the younger grandson can't get a penny. Let's see whose face is lost, and let's see if your good eldest grandson can still hold his head up in the village!"

These words hit the grandfather's soft spot.

Grandfather Lin Lin Chaoyang's face was livid, his whole body was trembling, and he threatened: "If you want to separate, the land in the family will have nothing to do with your family."

"We don't want it. We only want the two mu of land we reclaimed ourselves. The Lin family's land will be left to your good eldest grandson. Liang'er, Chen'er, let's go. This place is not our home from now on."

Lin Chen looked at his grandfather deeply, turned around, and silently followed behind his mother. Eldest brother Lin Liang suddenly spat a thick phlegm on the ground. He also hated in his heart.

He originally thought that his grandfather let Lin Ming learn martial arts because Lin Ming was the oldest and had the advantage of learning martial arts early. He had been catching eels and sending them to his eldest uncle's house without complaint. Now it seems that his grandfather only cared about Lin Ming.

He and Chen brother are not even worth a fart as grandsons.

"Liang'er, what are you doing?" Eldest Uncle's face stiffened.

Lin Liang didn't pay attention, followed Lin Chen one after another, supporting his mother out of the courtyard gate.

"Father, the child is unfilial." Lin's father looked at his departing wife and children, and also followed without hesitation.

"Bastard, truly a bastard!"

In the old house, the grandfather's furious voice came from far away...

(End of chapter)