Chapter 9: First Rank, Lightness Step

Among the many courtyards of the Weapon Forging Shop, the treatment in the central courtyard was fairly ordinary, yet the head cook, Fatty Sun, lived more comfortably than the stewards of the other courtyards.

These days, anyone who can grow a layer of fat on themselves is no ordinary person.

"Three years of famine can't starve a cook"—that saying isn't just talk.

With the meals for over a hundred people, even just letting things pass through his hands was enough to live well, let alone the fact that Fatty Sun had the second Shopkeeper, Sun Ding, backing him?

When Fatty Sun, brandishing his big ladle, called Li Yuan into the kitchen, the apprentice odd-jobbers all looked over at him in unison, envy and jealousy in equal measure.

But seeing him being run ragged—chopping vegetables and swinging the ladle the entire morning—they couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.

"This cook's job isn't easy either!"

In front of the big stoves, Li Yuan was sweating buckets, his teeth on edge.

These three big woks were even larger than the ones he'd seen in the countryside in his previous life at weddings and funerals; calling it swinging a ladle was more like swinging a shovel.

First chopping three big woks' worth of radish and cabbage, then having to keep spinning between the three big woks stirring nonstop—even though his stamina had improved somewhat these past few days, his shoulders still ached.

"Not bad for endurance."

Fatty Sun leaned against the doorframe: "Stir more evenly. The one on the left doesn't matter much, but the other two need more care—if they burn, heh heh…"

Of the several courtyards in the Weapon Forging Shop, only his had no helpers. It wasn't that the shop refused to assign any, but that he couldn't bear to have anyone come and take a share of his little perks.

Apprentices, of course, were different.

Fatty Sun, who had watched for quite a while, actually had a good idea already. After a verbal warning, he picked up his knife and headed toward the small stove, his practiced Dao Gong drawing even Li Yuan's gaze.

But in just one glance, Fatty Sun had already pulled the cloth curtain shut.

"Shopkeeper Cao's small stove…"

Although he hadn't seen anything, smelling the aroma drifting from within, Li Yuan felt his stomach churning, his eyes growing hot.

That small stove was Fatty Sun's foundation—serving only the three Shopkeepers of the back courtyard and their families, with fine chicken, duck, fish, and meat at every meal, the fragrance overwhelming.

"Truly clear-cut three-six-nine ranks, not hidden at all…"

Circling the three big woks, Li Yuan was drenched in sweat, sighing inwardly.

Not to mention the Shopkeepers' small stove, even the three big woks before him weren't the same—the left one was almost pure boiled water, the one meant for them to eat, barely a trace of grease, though heavily salted.

"Hoo!"

Shaking his aching shoulders, Li Yuan took a deep breath, attempting the Liu Hu Xi Fa while also employing the force-exertion method of the Bai Yuan Stance.

The small cloth curtain blocked him, and naturally blocked Fatty Sun as well.

"Stance skill, hammer technique, breathing method… aside from the striking method I haven't seen yet, these three must have a way to be linked together…"

The kitchen fire and smoke filled the air, but Li Yuan's eyes were very bright.

His wielded weapon changed every two days. On his first day in the kitchen, naturally he used the 'Bone-Cleaving Knife,' but even without wielding the 'Training Hammer,' the experience of the masterful Cape Hammer technique was gone, but what he'd learned remained.

Taking advantage of Fatty Sun's absence, Li Yuan slacked off a bit, pondering how to master the Liu Hu Xi Fa.

In this state, much like slacking off at work in his previous life, the three woks' worth of food were quickly stir-fried and plated, and Fatty Sun, as usual, personally carried the food box to the back courtyard.

The job of serving the meals naturally fell to Li Yuan.

"Brother Li, you actually got into the kitchen? That's a good gig!"

"Hmph! With Fatty Sun's stingy, penny-pinching ways, it'd be a miracle if he got even a drop of grease!"

"I want some meat, sigh…"

……

Mealtime was the liveliest time in the central courtyard, with apprentices and helpers from every courtyard swarming in, very bustling.

Li Yuan's hand was steady—he didn't pull a cafeteria-auntie move like in his previous life.

Boiled vegetables with no grease to begin with, plus cornbread, and not even allowed to eat one's fill—that would spell trouble.

The kitchen helper's job wasn't easy; from just the morning shift, it was a bit more tiring than the other apprentices, but after noon, Li Yuan ate the most lavish meal he'd had since coming to this world.

Two cornbread rolls, one steamed bun, a big bowl of boiled vegetables that actually had half a bowl of fatty meat, and—wonder of wonders—two eggs!

"The three essentials for growing taller—still missing milk!"

In the small courtyard, Li Yuan felt his mouth watering.

In this past month or so, apart from the bits of shredded meat he'd bought and the occasional eggs his second brother sent over, he really hadn't had any greasy food to nourish himself.

So much so that now, seeing two pieces of fatty meat, his saliva secretion sped up.

Seeing him like this, Fatty Sun nodded in considerable satisfaction:

"Eat."

Li Yuan rolled up his sleeves and wolfed it down; cornbread dipped in meat broth became several times sweeter.

With that bowl of fatty meat—which in his previous life he wouldn't have bothered to glance at—down his belly, Li Yuan even felt a measure of contentment.

"Thank you, Head Cook."

Feeling Fatty Sun's gaze, Li Yuan wiped his mouth.

When the granaries are full, men learn propriety; when food and clothing are sufficient, they know honor and shame. When one is starved to skin and bones, any talk of honor and moral character becomes as weightless as floating clouds.

"Mm."

Fatty Sun paced with hands behind his back, casting a sidelong glance at Li Yuan. The latter rose, lowered his head, knowing the date had been eaten—now came the rules.

"You're not a helper assigned by the shop, so your monthly pay naturally stays the same as before. Other tasks you should do, you still have to do!"

Fatty Sun was very satisfied with Li Yuan's attitude; after the warning, his tone eased considerably:

"I won't dare speak for anything else, but the kitchen won't short you that bit of grease. As long as you follow the rules and are willing to work, in less than two months I can build up that body of yours!"

"Thank you, Head Cook!"

Li Yuan showed gratitude on his face, his heart settling.

This was enough.

……

……

Hoo~

Late autumn passed, the weather turned cold; a north wind blew through overnight, and inside and outside Gao Liu County, everything was blanketed in white.

Winter was bleak, yet within the Firewood and Fish Market, it had become the busiest time of the year.

Under tents erected with coarse cloth lay the Firewood and Fish Market, where charcoal sellers from even nearby towns shouted their wares loudly.

A continuous stream of pedestrians gathered from every district, coming and going.

Firewood, rice, oil, and salt—firewood ranks first; it is something every household cannot do without, especially in winter. Without sufficient firewood and charcoal, it is hard to survive.

In past years, before winter arrived, every household had long since prepared their firewood and charcoal, but this year's heavy snow came too early, making it even busier than in previous years.

There were even people from the inner city coming here to buy.

With the crowd thriving, merchants naturally increased; many fishermen also brought their final catch of the year here to sell.

"Brother Li, you've worked hard. Tomorrow morning, I'll definitely deliver it to your shop!"

"Brother Li, take care on your way!"

"Brother Li, I still have over ten of the freshest 'Banghua Fish' here. Do you want them?"

……

In the Eastern Market of the Firewood and Fish Market, a group of small vendors crowded around a youth clad in thick hemp clothing.

That youth looked fifteen or sixteen; though not particularly burly, his physique was no worse than his peers. His skin was somewhat dark, but his eyes were extremely bright, giving an impression of shrewdness and capability.

This was naturally Li Yuan.

"Thank you all. Today's purchases end here."

Li Yuan, having bought a batch of fish and charcoal, left amidst the vendors' enthusiastic farewells.

Since he inadvertently revealed his skill in mathematics, Sun Fatty had included him in the Middle Courtyard's procurement duties; this time, he even let him come here to purchase on his own.

"The Firewood Guild and Fish Guild have complete stock and large quantities, but their prices are high. Buying in the scattered market can save one or two tenths. Unfortunately, this is Sun Fatty's operation; reach out and you'll have your hand chopped off."

Tucking the returned silver fragments back into his chest, Li Yuan was very careful. Now that winter had arrived, the Firewood and Fish Market was a mix of fish and snakes, and theft occurred frequently.

Touching the fist-sized small hammer at his lower back, Li Yuan felt slightly reassured.

"Standing posture, lifting the hammer—I can now maintain the Liu Hu Xi Fa throughout the entire session. Entering the initial stage should happen within these few days."

His bone constitution should be around average, but with the support of the Master-level Cloak Hammer Technique, his progress in martial arts seemed no different from someone with superior bone constitution; in just over a month, he had barely entered the initial stage.

At this moment, beneath his thick hemp clothing, his muscles and tendons had already become quite formidable.

"Brother Li is here again?"

A vendor at the street corner saw Li Yuan and greeted him:

"We've just received some good goods again. Take a look; is there anything Master Sun needs?"

The Firewood and Fish Market is large when considered large, and small when considered small. The total number of people doing procurement across all households is limited. Although Li Yuan didn't come often, these stall owners all recognized him.

"Master Sun instructed me to purchase only food ingredients and charcoal. Your stall here..."

Li Yuan glanced at the stall. This stall owner sold a very chaotic mix: spices, cured fish, cured meat, and also some miscellaneous items collected from who knows where.

"Oh? There are shoes too?"

Li Yuan's expression changed slightly. It was a black leather boot, with two obvious tears on the instep.

Seeing the shoe, the stall owner looked extremely unlucky: "Hey, this broken shoe was picked up by Liu Liu Laizi from the back street from who knows where. He insisted on selling it to me, and it's only one shoe. What kind of situation is this?"

"The material is decent, it's just the tears are a bit large."

Li Yuan casually flipped the shoe, and Bai Guang surged in his eyes.

【Black Leather Six-Part Boot (First Tier)】

【A boot stitched from six different types of leather. Because it incorporates 'Black Thread Spirit Snake' leather, it can barely be called a fine product...】

【Command Condition: All four limbs intact】

【Command Effect: Walk as if flying (Right)】

A First Tier shoe!

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

In the twenty-odd days since joining the kitchen, he had gone out seven or eight times. He had almost walked through the Rongsheng District and the Firewood and Fish Market. He had discovered a large batch of non-tiered weapons, but this was the first time he had seen a tiered one.

"Sigh."

The stall owner looked indignant:

"The shoe is a good shoe, but it's only one, and broken like this. That dog-biting Liu Liu Laizi insisted on selling it to me for one qian of silver. If you want it, take it for one qian of silver..."

I don't believe a word of you!

Li Yuan flicked his hand and tossed the boot back onto the stall.

In this era, productivity was low, and everyday items were very valuable, but selling a broken shoe for one qian of silver was obviously impossible.

"One qian of silver is for others. If Brother Li wants it, then, take it for forty copper coins."

The stall owner looked heartbroken.

"If you say that, then I'll just keep it myself."

Li Yuan was somewhat tempted, but he still haggled:

"How about this? Master Sun asked me to buy some spices on the side. I was originally going to check the Rongsheng District, but I think the spices on your stall are also decent..."

"Brother Li has excellent eyes! All of these are top-grade spices!"

The stall owner looked overjoyed and finally, with a heartbroken expression, gave away that single broken shoe as a bonus.

Voom!

In the dim space where the Weapon Talisman resided, on the small gray Dingxin Dingxin Shitai, non-tiered weapons like the Bone-Cleaving Knife were placed, and the broken boot also fell here.

"The first First Tier item!"

Looking up at the Troop-Tally Register with only a single star lit, Li Yuan felt a headache coming on again.

A thousand catties of pig iron, a hundred taels of silver, one tael of gold—these were the conditions required for the Troop-Tally Register to advance to its second tier; in his current state, he didn't even dare to think about it.

Broke!

(End of chapter)