A Young Man Should Harbor Soaring Ambitions

The Lin Family.

Lin Chen's little household.

Ten zhang away from the old residence.

Father Lin did not go home. Instead, he went straight to the Village Chief's house to ask him to draw up the household separation document.

"Chen, go study martial arts at the Martial Hall without worry. Your mother will find a way to solve the matter of money."

Mother Lin entered the inner room and soon came out carrying a cloth pouch. It held some loose silver, amounting to more than two taels when poured onto the table.

"Mother, where did you get this money?" Lin Liang asked curiously.

"Silly child, although all our family's money was handed over to your Grandfather, how could your mother not save a little in secret? With how biased your Grandfather is, if our family ever ran into trouble, dreaming of him taking out money would be easier. It isn't just me; your Second Aunt is the same."

The three Father Lin brothers handed over however much they earned, but their three wives had kept their wits about them.

Mother Lin and Second Aunt were alike. They would secretly stash away a little money. They could not possibly leave the family without a single coin.

"Chen, don't blame your mother for not giving you money these past six months. Practicing martial arts truly burns through money. You've seen how much your eldest cousin spent on martial arts. Your mother was scared too."

"Mother, your son understands."

Seeing the guilty expression on his mother's face, Lin Chen hurriedly shook his head. He would not blame her, because he understood her thoughts.

Lin Ming had spent far too much on martial arts. All the savings the Lin Family had earned over the years were not enough for Lin Ming alone. Though his mother loved him dearly, she had to consider the family's circumstances. They could not make the entire family go without food or drink just so he could study martial arts.

"Mother knew Liang would give you some money whenever he went to town, but how much could Liang save by secretly selling fish? Yet you still passed the assessment with that little money. Then Mother will support you in learning martial arts. You will surely have more promise than Lin Ming."

"Two taels of silver isn't much. Take it to the Martial Hall and use it for now. Since we've split the household, the money your father and elder brother make from selling fish won't need to be handed over anymore. We can save up one tael a month, and we'll send it to you then."

Mother Lin had originally worried that martial arts training would cost too much. But since her son had passed the assessment after spending so little, she would smash pots and sell iron if she had to in order to support him.

She would let Grandfather and Uncle's family see who the true Qilin Child of the Lin Family was.

"I'll spend sparingly at the Martial Hall. I'll definitely make something of myself."

Lin Chen promised earnestly. He knew his mother said this to put his mind at ease. Given Grandfather's favoritism, the family's only fishing boat certainly would not be allotted to them. Without a fishing boat, they could not go out onto the lake to fish. Setting fish traps was entirely dependent on heaven's favor, and earning one tael of silver was no easy task.

"Silly child, how could Mother not believe in you?" Seeing Lin Chen's earnest expression, Mother Lin smiled. "You are Mother's son. Since you want to learn martial arts, Mother will support you with all her strength, though your elder brother will have to suffer for it."

"Mother, I support Chen practicing martial arts. There is no hardship to speak of. Better for the money to be spent on Chen than on Lin Ming."

His elder brother Lin Liang gave a simple, honest smile. Seeing it, Lin Chen recalled the mouthful of thick phlegm his brother had spat at the ancestral residence. For someone as honest as his brother to do such a thing, one could imagine how deep the hatred in his heart had been.

"You two brothers must help each other. Liang is helping you now, Chen. In the future, you must remember your elder brother's kindness."

"Mother, there's no need."

Elder Brother Lin Liang hurriedly waved his hands, but Lin Chen smiled. "There is. Once I make something of myself through martial arts, the first thing I'll do is find Elder Brother a wife."

Mother Lin laughed merrily. "If your elder brother is to take a wife, it can only be Chen Family's Second Daughter. I think your elder brother has feelings for her."

"Mother, that's not true." Elder Brother's face reddened slightly.

"Not true? Mother saw you giving her Lotus Seed."

"Th-that was because her family has a lotus pond. I helped her pick Lotus Seed, and she promised to give me several pods."

"Is that so? I think Second Sister Chen is a good girl. She would make a fine wife for Elder Brother." Lin Chen recalled Chen Family's Second Daughter from his memories. She was somewhat plump.

A little plump was good. Wide hips meant she could bear children, and she was sturdy besides.

The mother and her two sons chatted for a while before Father Lin finally hurried back.

"What were you talking about? Why is Eldest's face as red as a carp?"

Father Lin was quite curious. They had been brimming with anger at the ancestral residence just now, yet here they were joking already.

"Father, Mother and I were discussing finding Elder Brother a wife."

"Eldest wants to take a wife?" Father Lin froze, then asked.

"Father, don't listen to Chen. I'm not planning to take a wife yet. I'll go back to my room and sleep first."

Elder Brother Lin Liang fled somewhat hastily. Father Lin looked at Lin Chen. "Chen, you still have to go to the Martial Hall tomorrow. Go to sleep early."

"Mm."

Lin Chen knew his parents had something to discuss in private. He got up as well and entered the room he shared with his elder brother. The two brothers slept in one room, each with a plank bed.

Lying on his bed, Lin Chen could faintly hear his parents talking, though he could not make out the actual words.

Even without hearing them clearly, he could guess that his parents were likely discussing how to scrape together money for his martial arts training.

It was not that he was selfish, insisting on learning martial arts when the family had no money.

This was his only chance.

If he had transmigrated a few years earlier, he could have found a way to earn money first and improve the family's life. But he had arrived just after turning fifteen. One year later, and he would have lost his chance.

Even if he truly earned a great deal of money in a few years and could pay to learn martial arts, martial artists not trained by a martial arts school could only become guards for wealthy households, or join a gang in the county town and serve as thugs for those gangs.

Having lived through his previous life, Lin Chen clearly understood which path was the broad road to success.

As for making money quickly in a short time, he had considered it, but ultimately found no way.

A scholar was good for nothing.

He had been a liberal arts student in his previous life. His physics and chemistry grades had been average, and he had no technical means of making a fortune.

He did remember some transmigration novels mentioning that latrines and pigsties contained saltpeter, which could be used to make ice.

He had indeed found some saltpeter, but the ice he made was only a tiny amount. Without exaggeration, if he chiseled off a block of ice from Poyang Lake in winter, even what remained unmelted by the following spring would be more than what he could produce.

Without any technical way to make money, he could only rely on his mind.

He would have to depend on the knowledge from his previous life and see whether there were any business opportunities.

But after learning about Great Liang's laws, he discovered that this path was equally impassable.

Great Liang's laws strictly regulated the professions ordinary people could engage in.

To do business, one had to possess a Merchant Permit, because the authorities levied different tiers of taxes according to different registrations. Without a permit, it was unlicensed business, a serious crime.

A blacksmith shop paid Forging Tax. A fish shop paid Fish Tax. Those who owned fishing boats and caught fish had to pay Fishing Boat Tax. The only unrestricted occupation was farming; no matter what trade one pursued, one could farm.

With all these restrictions and his age, he had no other path besides learning martial arts.

Having come this far, and after today's sudden upheaval—

Learning martial arts was no longer merely his own affair.

He had to change not only his own fate, but his family's fate as well.

That night, Lin Chen rarely suffered from insomnia.

And he was not the only one unable to sleep. His elder brother could not sleep either.

Although Elder Brother lay still in bed, he usually snored when asleep. He had not done so today, and Lin Chen understood that his brother was pretending to sleep.

What had happened to the family today made it perfectly normal that Elder Brother could not sleep.

He did not know how much time had passed when he heard his elder brother's voice.

"Chen, are you asleep?"

"No."

Lin Chen's instant reply made Elder Brother Lin Liang fall silent for several breaths.

"Chen, train well in martial arts. You must make something of yourself and show Grandfather and the others!"