Family Servant

(Someone, serve the distinguished guest some wine!)

(Apologies, the inn only has formaldehyde left...)

Great Chu, Qingyang Commandery, Yuquan Prefecture City.

Late autumn, with continuous drizzle and a gradually chilling temperature.

"Hurry up and get up, lest you miss the time."

In the quiet, dimly lit communal sleeping area, someone suddenly gasped for breath, their voice full of urgency.

Then, all sorts of messy sounds instantly filled the room. A few boys with swift movements, after a rustling, pushed open the thick wooden door and went out.

Gusts of cold air swirled in, biting at the necks of those still fast asleep, instantly raising goosebumps on their skin.

"Which son of a bitch left the door open again!"

Amidst the clamor, Xu Yuan sat up, rubbing his eyes. Along with several others his age, he put on coarse cloth clothes with a thin layer of cotton, tidied up in a flash, and walked out of the room.

The faint morning light was still gray and unclear all around. A few raindrops landed on his shoulders. Taking a couple of breaths of air, a chill spread through his stomach.

In front of him, a large crowd had gathered on the open ground. Most of them were tender-faced youths of fifteen or sixteen, who were now starting to get busy.

Here, the few boys who had just come out yawned, rubbed their reddened cheeks, and, as usual.

Washed up, started fires, cooked...

Before long, they were holding bowls of steaming hot vegetable porridge, topped with a small spoonful of diced pickles, and stuffing their bellies with gusto.

Xu Yuan felt the warmth churning in his stomach, tightened his collar, and joined the ranks of those doing odd jobs.

Chopping wood, fetching water, wiping away dust, mopping the floor – it was all the same.

"I've only been here for two and a half months, but I signed a contract for ten years. How am I supposed to endure this?"

Xu Yuan busied himself with nimble hands and feet, while grumbling inwardly.

In his previous life, he had a heart condition. While reading in the school library, he found a crucial point and took out his phone to take a picture.

Who knew he forgot to turn off the flash? Startled, a girl at the opposite table suddenly stood up, screaming that he was taking pictures of her!

Countless dagger-like gazes, and that fat face filled with madness and hysteria, made him unable to breathe. The cold academic credits instantly turned into a warm recommendation for postgraduate studies.

When he regained consciousness, he had already arrived in another world.

"Life at the bottom is even harder in this world!"

Xu Yuan sighed inwardly, but didn't dare to slow down his hands at all. The middle-aged servants looking around were quite sharp-eyed.

"It's a pity. If I had transmigrated earlier, I could have stopped myself from signing that contract and being sold into the Shangyang Family as a menial servant."

"If the rumored benefits were real, then it would be fine..."

Xu Yuan glanced around. Although he had enough to eat and received some monthly wages, the rules within this deep mansion were extremely strict.

Making a mistake could lead to beatings and scolding, withholding of food, and in severe cases, even the loss of one's life.

Clang!

Just then, the sound of something falling rang out. Xu Yuan instinctively looked up towards the kitchen entrance.

He saw Fatty Wang, holding an iron ladle, kicking over a young menial servant. His fleshy face jiggled as he said sternly and severely:

"You damn idiot! I suffered so much to learn this skill, and you want to steal it just by opening your pig's bladder eyes?"

"Head Chef Wang, I was wrong, I won't dare again..."

The young menial servant knelt on the ground, quickly kowtowing and begging for mercy, but he still received a harsh beating, crying out in pain.

The menial servants in the courtyard all fell silent, watching for a moment before returning to their work.

Inside the high walls, status and hierarchy were paramount. These menial servants were not even as good as the servants in the main courtyard, occupying the lowest rung.

Fatty Wang had been the head chef for a considerable time, so he naturally had the authority to scold and beat them as he pleased.

Xu Yuan watched coldly. When he first arrived at this courtyard, he didn't understand the situation and almost suffered the same fate.

"Take it easy, everyone. When the masters come later, delaying their meal would be a huge problem!"

Fatty Wang swept his beady eyes around, grumbled, and went back in, carrying his ladle.

The little menial servant who was beaten, despite wincing in pain, still got up without a word and continued working.

Xu Yuan knew that the "masters" he spoke of were the Martial Masters who taught Martial Students martial arts in other courtyards.

This huge courtyard, where cooking and laundry were done, was specifically to serve them, and their status was evident.

"And the Shangyang family members in the inner courtyard are even more noble, with dedicated servants attending to them. Menial servants can't even touch the door to that area."

Xu Yuan's hands didn't stop as he pondered inwardly.

The Shangyang Family was a prominent clan in Yuquan Prefecture City. They had over a thousand members, countless household servants, and vast, extensive businesses. Even the government officials had to show them deference.

As the saying goes, "An official at the prime minister's gate is a seventh-rank official."

For such a large family, even the gatekeepers next door would be full of swagger and pride when they went out.

So, even though they were considered menial laborers, when it was mentioned they were under the Shangyang Family, others didn't think too lowly of them. However, being called "dogs relying on their master's power" behind their backs was unavoidable.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

"Dinner's ready, dinner's ready..."

When the sun grew strong and the air warmed up, basins of lunch were finally brought out, bringing smiles to many of the laborers.

Although the work in the manor was tiring, they certainly didn't skimp on food. It wasn't gourmet, but at least it was better than starving outside.

Everyone hurriedly grabbed their coarse ceramic bowls, carefully packing them with rice, and began to eat heartily.

Gulp!

At this moment, someone's swallowing sound could be heard.

Xu Yuan turned his head with the others and saw that in the bowls of the Martial Masters who had finished eating, there were still a few chunks of meat glistening with thick sauce.

The meat chunks were extremely fatty, but their trembling, glistening texture directly hooked the noses of the young laborers.

Xu Yuan turned his head back with difficulty, continuing to deal with the japonica rice and vegetable stalks in front of him, but his mouth lost its flavor.

Laborers only got to taste meat once a month, on the tenth day of the month, and even that was enough to make them extremely satisfied.

Most people outside couldn't even get enough to eat.

If they had the chance to eat a piece of fragrant, fatty meat, it would be the greatest fortune imaginable.

"Go away, go away! What's so interesting? Go back to eating your own food!"

Fatty Wang came out wearing a greasy, stained kitchen apron, cursing a few times. With swift movements, he scooped up the bowl of meat.

Looking at his waist, which was thicker than a water bucket, some of the young laborers couldn't help but spit softly.

"That fatty just stuffs his face, hope he chokes on it!"

After eating, the laborers got back to work, almost without a moment's rest.

Apart from the time for eating and sleeping, they had no free time.

When the afterglow of the sun spread and dusk deepened.

After serving the Martial Masters, the autumn night quickly grew dark, and soon it was impossible to see anyone.

The laborers shed their tired outer clothes and scrambled into the large communal beds, enjoying the rare warmth.

Xu Yuan, wearing coarse cloth clothes full of patches, went to a secluded spot in the large courtyard.

Seeing that no one was around and everyone had gone to rest.

He took a deep breath and slowly began to practice a set of fist techniques.

Although it was called fist technique, it was leisurely and relaxed, clearly more like a form of exercise. The movements were fluid and graceful, clearly the famous Tai Chi Fist.

[Name: Xu Yuan]
[Skill: Tai Chi Exercise (Beginner 99%)]
[Talent: 1 (Mediocre)]

"Just a little more, and I can break through."

After finishing a set of fist techniques, Xu Yuan was sweating, but he felt refreshed all over, and much of the day's fatigue disappeared.

Looking at the numbers on the panel before him, he was filled with great curiosity and decided to practice again.

Like most predecessors, he had a system panel after transmigrating.

As a seasoned reader who had spent 21,900 hours on Tomato Reading, Xu Yuan quickly realized this was his golden finger.

After many attempts, he successfully activated the panel using the Tai Chi Fist he had learned as an elective in university in his previous life.

He had been practicing for nearly two months, and besides seeing the progress of his fist technique, he hadn't seen any other use for it.

"I hope it has some effect?"

Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel dejected.

This body was not an orphan; he still had an elder brother and sister-in-law at home. Due to their difficult living conditions, they had no choice but to join the Shangyang Family.

Only when they had their monthly day off could he spare the time to visit them.

"It's almost time for the holiday, just two more days."

Xu Yuan pondered, demonstrating each move with practiced ease, his posture light and his movements smooth.

In less than half an hour, after completing a full set of Tai Chi Fist, Xu Yuan stopped, wiping the fine sweat from his brow.

At the same time, his body trembled as if a warm current flowed from top to bottom, making him feel as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring, and he couldn't help but let out a soft hum.

"Could it be that the Tai Chi Fist has broken through?"

He was surprised and uncertain, and quickly looked at the panel.

[Name: Xu Yuan]
[Skill: Tai Chi Exercise (Minor Accomplishment 1%)]
[Talent: 3 (Average)]

At a glance, it was clearly different.

The talent section, which was previously mediocre, had clearly changed!