Chapter 10: Entering the City, Going to Market! Having Children!

Early morning.

Inside the small courtyard.

Duan Yu was lifting a large stone weighing about fifty kilograms.

Before transmigrating, working out had also been one of his daily required courses.

And now, with the added system rewards, he naturally had to work even harder.

"Five hundred fifty-five."

"Five hundred fifty-six."

"Five hundred fifty-seven..."

Beads of sweat rolled down Duan Yu's forehead.

The muscles on his bare torso, exposed to the air, were visibly engorged with blood.

Blood vessels and veins bulged, and the surface of his skin was faintly red.

Every lift looked as though it exhausted all his strength.

But after the next time, the potential within the body could still be squeezed out.

If the [Strong as an Ox] entry had not been upgraded yesterday, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to complete six hundred lifts holding a hundred-catty stone.

A stone is not a dumbbell; holding it is inherently less convenient than gripping a dumbbell.

So every single lift was extremely strenuous.

Moreover, a hundred catties, lifted consecutively six hundred times.

This had long since shattered the limits of humanity.

"Six hundred and one..."

Duan Yu still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Strength.

Is the source of everything.

Only with great strength can one draw a stronger bow and wield a stronger weapon.

Archery skill alone is useless.

Between two people with equally superb archery skills.

One who draws a thirty-catty strong bow, and one who draws a sixty-catty strong bow—the difference in skill is immediately apparent.

The disparity in range and power is not just a little bit.

That was why he was not in a rush to practice archery now, but was instead increasing his strength first.

"Hus... Husband..."

At the door of the house, Diaochan stood at the entrance.

With a soft and shy voice, she called out to Duan Yu.

Husband...

Duan Yu laughed and heavily threw the stone in his hands onto the ground.

[Ding, the [Tenfold Entry] takes effect. The host forges his strength, and the effect increases tenfold. Congratulations to the host for gaining experience, [Strong as an Ox - Blue 628/1000]]

Holding a basin of hot water with a silk cloth draped over it, Diaochan walked gracefully up to Duan Yu.

Then she set the basin down and washed the silk cloth in the hot water.

"Didn't I tell you to rest more, why are you up so early?"

Duan Yu wanted to take the silk cloth from Diaochan's hands.

But Diaochan had already taken the initiative to press the silk cloth against his chest muscles, and then gently wiped him down.

Last night was their wedding night.

The two of them now had no barriers between them whatsoever.

After deep communication, they could be considered husband and wife merged into one.

"Husband has worked hard..."

"Husband toiled in the mountains all day yesterday, yet today you still train your strength so painstakingly."

"Husband, please wait a moment, Chan'er will go prepare meat for Husband right now."

"In the past, Chan'er heard Father say that martial practitioners must eat three meals a day, and must have meat at every meal to forge a strong physique."

Duan Yu nodded in agreement.

"Father-in-law is quite right."

"Practicing martial arts is not like studying, where sufficient talent and intelligence will suffice."

"Martial practitioners must constantly nourish their bodies to forge a strong physique."

This is what later generations would call poor for letters, rich for martial arts.

Not to mention in later generations.

Even in the present era, ordinary people simply do not possess the conditions to practice martial arts.

Even if they have talent, it is of no use.

Let alone meat, if they cannot even eat their fill of coarse rice, what would they practice martial arts with?

Like those fierce generals in the Three Kingdoms who could stand against a hundred and slay enemy commanders in battle—such as Xu Chu, Zhao Yun, and Zhang Fei—which one of them was not born to powerful and wealthy families?

"Husband, please rest for a bit, Chan'er will go cook for Husband right now."

After a bout of gentle wiping, Diaochan wanted to turn around to go cook.

Duan Yu let out a loud laugh.

Then, taking advantage of the moment Diaochan turned, he grabbed and hugged her from behind.

Following that was a princess carry.

"Your husband has plenty of strength."

"Cooking is not urgent, let me show you your husband's prowess first!"

Saying this, Duan Yu smiled and carried Diaochan as he walked toward the inside of the house.

"Husband~" Diaochan let out a soft moan as she was held in Duan Yu's embrace.

"Husband, stop fooling around, your health is what matters."

"Chan'er... Chan'er will go cook for Husband, Husband should still rest a bit."

Although she had become a wife last night.

She still could not conceal a young woman's shyness.

At this moment, leaning against Duan Yu's embrace, Diaochan only felt her hands and feet go weak.

Recalling the sensations of last night, her body could not muster a single trace of strength.

But more than that, she was worried that Duan Yu's body would not be able to take it, and could not help but worry:

"My lord ran about in the mountains all day yesterday."

"And at night even..."

Just as she was thinking about it.

Diao Chan's vision went dark; Duan Yu had already scooped her up and carried her into the room.

"My lord..." Diao Chan gave a soft cry.

Duan Yu chuckled: "My lady, your husband is here..."

More than half a shichen later.

Face flushed pink, even the skin below her neck a rosy hue, Diao Chan stepped out of the room, gently tying the silk ribbon at her waist, pinching her fingers like an orchid to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

After breakfast, Diao Chan diligently cleared the bowls and chopsticks, then began settling down Auntie Ren.

Duan Yu, meanwhile, began packing the goods they planned to sell in the city today.

One complete leopard skin.

And the pelts of two fire foxes and one white fox.

Two rabbits and the long tail feathers of pheasants.

These things were of little use to common folk.

But they were items favored by high officials and nobles.

Fox pelts and rabbit skins could be made into fur cloaks for warding off the winter cold.

The leopard skin could be hung at home to display prestige, or spread on a bed for warmth.

After Diao Chan finished clearing the bowls and chopsticks, Duan Yu had also packed all the pelts and hoisted them onto his back.

The two then walked out of the courtyard gate together and joined the large group heading into the city.

Wucun Village was only about ten-plus li away from Jinyang City.

On every third and fifteenth day of the month, there would be a market in the city.

Commoners from the surrounding villages would all go to Jinyang for the market.

Now, it happened to be the time for spring sowing, so the commoners also had to enter the city to purchase seed grain, or sell some of their stored grain in exchange for seeds for spring planting.

Therefore, for this grand market on the third day of the third month, people from the surrounding villages all set off with their goods and money.

In the village where Diao Chan lived, almost every household had someone heading to Jinyang.

Because Duan Yu had hunted so much game in one go yesterday.

Coupled with his charitable act of distributing meat, Duan Yu quickly became known to everyone in the village.

People passing by all greeted Duan Yu warmly.

Especially the young men of the village.