Iron Cloth Skill Beginner, Root Bone Improved

[Name: Zhou Qiming (15 years old)]

[Level: Skin Refining]

[Root Bone: 2.1/5]

[Iron Cloth Skill: Beginner 1%!]

The morning rooster crowed, and the Rising Sun crested the horizon.

Zhou Qiming wearily opened his eyes from bed and looked at the oily sheen on his skin, tough as cowhide.

Thanks to the innate talent of Four-Point Root Bone, he had brought the Iron Cloth Skill to the beginner stage in just one night and stepped into the first stage of Body Tempering, the Skin Refining Realm.

His skin was now like tanned cowhide, its defensive power greatly increased. Only exceptionally sharp blades and swords could cut through it.

His Root Bone Cap had increased by one point, and his aptitude had evolved once more.

It seems the Root Bone points I expend can be replenished over time and through the Precious Medicine I consume.

He had taken a section of ginseng yesterday, so his Root Bone Value had risen by 0.1 overnight.

That bottle of Brute Ox Skin Grinding Paste had also been completely used up. To maintain this level of training efficiency, he would have to buy medicinal ingredients from an apothecary and prepare more himself.

He had also looked over the Chinese Medicine listed in the prescription. Though all of them were common, the quantities consumed were enormous. Altogether, they would cost at least several dozen taels of silver a month.

Poor scholars and wealthy martial artists—Zhou Qiming now felt the pressure of making money. If he wanted his Body Tempering realm and supplies to keep up, he would need a great deal of money. Twenty taels of silver were nowhere near enough.

After washing up and eating breakfast, Zhou Qiming went to work at Haolai Restaurant.

"Brother Zhou, you're here." Chen Ping set down his bucket and greeted him warmly.

For a moment, Chen Ping could hardly believe it. Yesterday, they had both been Temporary Laborers, chopping firewood and selling their strength. Now, Zhou Qiming was already a chef's apprentice.

Not only had his wages multiplied several times over, but he no longer had to worry about being dismissed and driven away.

Once Zhou Qiming officially became a Chef, his status would be second only to Xu Hailai's. It could be said that he and the rest of them would no longer be on the same level.

Looks like I need to work myself to the bone like Brother Zhou too. I can't be lazy.

Chen Ping was happy for Zhou Qiming as well, encouraged and inspired by him.

"Morning. I'll go prepare the ingredients first." Zhou Qiming nodded in greeting and headed toward the kitchen.

The people nearby all cast him looks of envy and jealousy, their expressions complicated.

"Ah, why don't we have such good luck, meeting a Benefactor to help us?"

"That brat really guessed right. His opportunistic tricks are truly infuriating."

"Who knows what the boss saw in him!"

They discussed it endlessly. Some were green with envy, while others regretted that if they had worked a little harder and been a little more attentive back then, perhaps Xu Hailai would have taken notice of them too.

But only Chen Ping knew that the hardship Zhou Qiming had endured day in and day out for half a year was something these people could neither understand nor accomplish.

The brothers Wu Wen and Wu Wu gnashed their teeth even harder, their faces flickering with malice and resentment.

After Zhou Qiming's promotion, all the exhausting, dirty work of chopping firewood and washing dishes had been assigned to the two of them. And with that model firewood chopper setting an example before them, it was no longer convenient for them to slack off under the boss's watchful eye.

"Damn it, why does every good thing fall into his lap?" Wu Wen cursed.

Wu Wu was equally unconvinced. He said coldly, "Hmph, what's he so smug about? I think he's gotten so full of himself that he doesn't even see us anymore."

The two chopped firewood while plotting how to deal with Zhou Qiming.

As for Zhou Qiming, he paid none of it any mind, immersing himself in the work of preparing ingredients.

His hands and feet moved lightly, and he worked with crisp efficiency. In no time, he had washed a large basin of fruits and vegetables, stripped the leaves from the greens, rinsed the rice, and steamed several large pots of it.

Everything had to be prepared before the lunchtime rush, or it would hold things up.

"Little Zhou, start learning to cook today. Watch from the side."

When Head Chef Liu arrived, he nodded approvingly and gave the order with a smile.

Yesterday, he had thought Zhou Qiming was too young and inexperienced, and that he had only been promoted to apprentice under him through the boss's connections.

But after spending a day together, Liu Fu had come to appreciate Zhou Qiming's strengths. His willingness to endure hardship and work hard alone meant he could learn Cooking well.

The kitchen had been cleaned until it gleamed, and all the fruits and vegetables had been preprocessed. When it came time to cook and stir-fry, there was nothing left to worry about. Liu Fu had seen it all.

"Thank you, Master Liu. It's only what I should do." Zhou Qiming hurriedly thanked him.

If he had not earned Liu Fu's trust, he reckoned he would have had to do odd jobs for another ten days or so before learning anything worthwhile.

Throughout the entire noon rush, Zhou Qiming stayed at his side, his eyes and mind both focused as he memorized the procedures and techniques. Whenever he did not understand something, he immediately asked.

When the restaurant's customer traffic dwindled in the afternoon, Zhou Qiming hurriedly lit the stove and practiced, making every dish he had learned that morning.

Only by practicing more while the memories were still fresh could he turn those techniques into his own.

"The heat is too high."

"You added too much salt."

"Your knife work is wrong. It needs to be more precise."

After tasting the dishes, Liu Fu gave Zhou Qiming pointers at the right moments.

What surprised Liu Fu was how quickly the boy absorbed everything. It was as though he had been born with a talent for being a chef. He basically never made the same mistake twice, and every problem pointed out to him was corrected at once.

"Not bad, not bad. He can make a living from this." Liu Fu nodded to himself, thinking even more highly of Zhou Qiming.

In just one afternoon, every dish improved after being made a few times. It was already far beyond what a novice could achieve.

Even by Liu Fu's standards and palate, he could not find many faults. All that remained was the slow grind of time—more practice, more improvement.

[Cooking (Beginner 1%)]

[Root Bone: 3.1/6]

"I finally reached the beginner stage, and my Root Bone rose again!"

Zhou Qiming looked at the panel, joy appearing on his face. His efforts had finally paid off!

After stir-frying all day, his proficiency had surged. Not only had he acquired the Cooking skill, but his Root Bone Cap had continued to increase.

However, Zhou Qiming also knew that these attribute points were like stacking boxes—the higher they piled, the harder it became.

Improving his cooking could still bring him a point of improvement now, but once the boxes were stacked higher and higher, such ordinary skills would offer little gain. He would have to learn martial arts of a higher level to continue transforming.

That evening, while the iron was hot, Zhou Qiming took on some simple home-style dishes himself, relieving Liu Fu of quite a bit of work.

Chef Zhang and Chef Li beside them both cast envious looks at Old Liu. "Tsk, that kid really is talented. I remember he only got here yesterday, didn't he?"

After only one day as an apprentice, he could already help Liu Fu shoulder the workload. It seemed Zhou Qiming must have had prior experience and a foundation. Head Chef Liu had found a treasure.

No one could have imagined that just that morning, Zhou Qiming had been a complete novice at cooking. Yet now he was increasingly like an old hand, highly skilled at tossing the wok and controlling the fire.

"Tsk, the texture of this dish has improved again. Perhaps I can retire early." Liu Fu reached out, tasted a bite, and nodded appreciatively.

No wonder Boss Xu had been so eager to promote Zhou Qiming. The boy was truly cut out to be a chef, and he improved at a breakneck pace!

At last, it was time to get off work. Zhou Qiming was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, but his gains had been enormous, and his Cooking proficiency had risen by quite a bit again.

"Xiao Ming, let's go to the Music House and celebrate together." Wu Wen walked over with a smile and extended an invitation.

The two harbored ill intent, preparing to fleece Zhou Qiming for all he was worth.