Chapter 13: I

They called him a little kid, but Chen Sheng was actually taller and sturdier than Zhao Jin. When Mu Shulan saw Chen Hong, she smiled and went to ruffle his hair. "Erhong, did you miss your big sister?"

Chen Hong obediently nodded. Chen Sheng ignored Mu Shulan and, looking thoroughly displeased, said to Zhao Jin, "Didn't you say we'd spar today? You never showed up all day. I only found out you were here after asking at your house. Come on, let's have a match."

"Look at the state I'm in right now. How am I supposed to fight you? I don't have a shred of strength left. I can barely even walk," Zhao Jin said with a rueful smile.

"That's right, that's right! Brother Xiaojin trained all day and he's worn out," Mu Shulan chimed in from the side.

Zhao Jin's weakened state was obvious at a glance. Chen Sheng's face immediately fell, and he said, full of reluctance, "I waited for you all day. I even brought out the wooden saber specially."

It was only then that Zhao Jin noticed the short stick in Chen Sheng's hand. Its shape was different from yesterday's—roughly the form of a saber, with a slight curve. Zhao Jin suddenly thought of the Japanese sword he had seen at his uncle's house. The size was different, but the shape was very similar.

Seeing this, Zhao Jin was even less inclined to spar. Not only did he lack the energy, but even if he were at full strength, Chen Sheng was now holding a weapon he was comfortable with and wouldn't underestimate him again. If they fought, he wouldn't stand a chance and would definitely suffer badly.

Right now, Zhao Jin was utterly exhausted and just wanted to go home, eat, and sleep. He had just taken a step when he saw Chen Sheng's crestfallen, dejected look. He stopped and said with a smile, "I won't fight you, but you can find someone else to spar with. Weren't there quite a few among those people yesterday who were stronger than me?"

Among the children at the goods yard yesterday, there were several taller and sturdier than Chen Sheng. Even if they couldn't win by surprise the way Zhao Jin had, they wouldn't necessarily be at a disadvantage against Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng could easily go and spar with them.

The moment Zhao Jin said this, Chen Sheng looked completely bored. He pursed his lips and said, "They won't fight me."

Well, in that case, there was nothing to be done. Zhao Jin shook his head, ready to head home. Chen Sheng continued, "I originally planned to beat the weak ones first, then challenge the strong ones. I never thought that after winning against a few of them, they'd refuse to fight me anymore. Cowards! So boring!"

Listening to Chen Sheng's indignant grumbling, Zhao Jin laughed. He had already figured out the cause and effect—after all, he had been through this stage himself. Zhao Jin spoke up, "Chen Sheng, I'll teach you a method. I guarantee people will spar with you."

At these words, Chen Sheng's eyes immediately lit up. It wasn't just him—even Mu Shulan and Chen Hong, who were standing nearby, looked over. The little girl also knew about Chen Sheng's situation. Hearing that Zhao Jin had a solution, she instantly grew curious.

"If you bring out pastries as prizes, everyone will be willing to fight you. But the moment they see they can't beat you, not only do they get nothing to eat, they also get beaten up by you. No one wants to go up there and suffer for nothing. You have to give them a little something sweet first," Zhao Jin spoke with ease and confidence.

The other three children couldn't help but widen their eyes. Although Zhao Jin had tried to explain it as simply as possible, Chen Sheng and Mu Shulan still found it very impressive. In his other life, Zhao Jin's job had involved dealing with people, and he was good at reading hearts. The simple thoughts of children naturally couldn't escape him.

But to the ears of the other children, this whole set of theories and analysis from Zhao Jin sounded very reasonable and quite remarkable.

Zhao Jin continued, "If you're willing to part with the pastries, why not let them fight each other first? Whoever wins gets a portion of pastries. Then you fight the winner. If they can beat you, they get two portions. That way, even if those people can't beat you, they still get pastries to eat. Of course they'll be willing to fight."

Chen Sheng tilted his head and thought for a moment. The wooden saber in his hand suddenly slashed downward as he clenched his little fist and said, "You're right! I'll do exactly this tomorrow. I'm sure lots of people will want to fight me."

Seeing Chen Sheng's face glowing with excitement, Zhao Jin felt happy in his heart too and decided to say a few more words. "If even then no one fights you, do this: say that anyone who can land a hit on you or make you step back will also get a reward. That way, everyone will think getting the pastries is easy, and someone will definitely spar with you."

Chen Sheng nodded heavily. He grabbed Chen Hong's hand and was about to leave when another thing occurred to him. He asked with a smile, "Zhao Jin, I heard you've started learning martial arts too. You could knock me down before, so after learning martial arts you'll definitely be even more formidable. When can we spar again?"

"Once I'm not this tired anymore, I'll definitely fight you!" Zhao Jin answered with a laugh.

Chen Sheng dragged his younger brother away in high spirits. After standing for this short while, Zhao Jin had recovered a bit. He and Mu Shulan slowly started walking back.

After walking down this street, Mu Shulan stared at Zhao Jin and said, "I never noticed before that Brother Xiaojin is so amazing!"

Zhao Jin found this amusing and asked, "Did you think I was really lousy before?"

Mu Shulan nodded instinctively, then immediately caught herself. She grabbed Zhao Jin's arm and shook it wildly, her face full of reproach. Zhao Jin burst out laughing, and much of the day's fatigue seemed to fade away.

All of this was taken in by Zhao Zhenxing, who was following behind them. He was quite surprised in his heart. His nephew used to be timid and awkward around Mu Shulan, but now he was natural and proactive. And he could talk so freely with other children. Before, his nephew had been shy and reserved in front of outsiders, but now he had opened up. And then there was what he'd discovered during martial arts training today. From this serious illness, his nephew had truly found a blessing in disguise.

He followed them to the street where the Zhao family lived. Seeing that Zhao Jin was almost at the door, Zhao Zhenxing turned around and went back.

A middle-aged man stood in front of the Zhao family's gate. He wore a black robe, and his hair was simply tied up. He looked very different from the people on the street, yet his attire wasn't that of a scholar. The middle-aged man was quite handsome, with a long beard under his chin, giving him an air of elegant ease.

Seeing this middle-aged man, Mu Shulan let go of Zhao Jin, happily called out "Dad," and ran over, skipping. Zhao Jin politely greeted him, but the middle-aged man merely nodded indifferently and led Mu Shulan away.

It was only then that Zhao Jin vaguely remembered: it seemed Mu Shulan had lost her mother long ago.

When he got home, the meal was already prepared. Seeing Zhao Jin looking as if he was about to fall apart, He Cuihua felt another deep pang of heartache. Along with the leftover flatbread from lunch, He Cuihua had stewed a bowl of meat.

Dinner was uneventful. Zhao Zhentang came back and they ate together. Seeing Zhao Jin's exhausted state, he sneered, "You brought this on yourself," but said nothing else.

Before bed, Zhao Zhentang came over to loosen Zhao Jin's muscles and bones. Zhao Zhentang used considerable force, making Zhao Jin yelp and holler. But after he was done, Zhao Jin felt the soreness had lessened significantly. It seemed his father's skills weren't limited to just executions.

Once finished, Zhao Zhentang gave Zhao Jin a hard slap on the buttocks, making Zhao Jin cry out in pain. Zhao Zhentang snorted and said, "No ambition. Two years of studying and you barely recognize a few characters, but the moment you start learning martial arts, you're full of energy. You're destined for a life of hardship."

It seemed a lot had happened in the past. Sleepiness washed over Zhao Jin, his eyelids fighting an irresistible battle. He couldn't even feel the slap on his buttocks anymore. Just then, He Cuihua came into the room, blew out the lamp, and pulled the blanket up over Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin asked groggily, "Mom, Second Uncle said Xiaolan comes to our house to play because she's afraid of kidnappers. What's a kidnapper?"

He Cuihua paused for a moment, then sat down beside Zhao Jin. Patting him gently with one hand, she explained, "Xiaojin, kidnappers are those rotten scoundrels who deserve to die a thousand deaths. They trick little children and take them away to sell to other people."

Zhao Jin had brought this up purely as idle chatter, but unexpectedly, it set He Cuihua off. "... They kidnap children. If they sell you to a good family to be a son or daughter, that's one thing. But some are sold into a living hell, some are sold directly to be worked like cattle and horses, and some are sold to others for medicine. Down south, there are some beasts..."

"What are you prattling on about in there? The child's already asleep!" Zhao Zhentang's low shout came from outside the door. Only then did He Cuihua tuck in the corner of Zhao Jin's blanket and leave the room.