Homely Chatter

"There's no Xiao Hua, Xiao Hu, or A Zhu here. It's not fun at all."

"But there's lots of delicious food here! If you go back, you won't get to eat any of it."

"When we have time another day, we'll go back and visit them. You can bring them some tasty treats and fun things."

When Chen Xiaoxiao had first arrived here, she had been excited, but as time passed and she had no familiar playmates to keep her company, her spirits began to flag.

At that moment, she was nestled in her mother Yang Xiu's arms. Looking at her youngest daughter, Yang Xiu gently stroked her back and tried to comfort her.

Ever since her family and her eldest brother's family had moved to town, they had used the silver her eldest son left behind to buy a small courtyard.

The front of the property faced the street and held a shop, while the family lived in the courtyard behind it.

Her eldest brother's family lived in the neighboring courtyard. The two families had looked for a place together and bought their homes side by side so they could look out for each other.

Although they had moved into town, Chen Liangwu couldn't read more than a couple of characters and only knew how to farm. He truly had no idea how to make a living in the city.

Chen Liangyuan and Chen Liangwu didn't have the talent of the two young men in their family, and they couldn't sit around doing nothing, either.

As luck would have it, two months earlier, the clan head, Chen Yucheng, had come to town on business and stopped by to see them.

After hearing their worries, he gave them a suggestion.

The houses the two families had bought faced the street, so they could open a general store, a grain and oil shop, or a cloth and apparel shop.

With Chen Qinglin and Chen Qingshi's connections, no one within the Iron Sword Martial Arts School's sphere of influence would dare cause trouble.

And, just as Chen Yucheng had said, things went smoothly afterward.

Chen Liangwu opened a general store, selling everyday goods like knives, scissors, and assorted household supplies.

Chen Liangyuan, meanwhile, opened a Cloth Shop. For advice, he even went to his brother-in-law, Zhou Jin.

The Zhou Clan that Zhou Jin belonged to was one of the larger lineages in Qingyan Town.

However, Zhou Jin wasn't part of the main branch. He merely helped the clan manage its shops in town.

When he heard that his wife's family planned to open a shop, he was astonished.

He had known his two brothers-in-law for years. What sort of people were they, and how could they possibly have the money to open a shop in town?

When his eldest brother-in-law came to visit, he called his wife, Chen Liping, over to speak with him.

Only after a long conversation did he learn that his two nephews had come into such good fortune.

Once the shock wore off, Zhou Jin—though no important figure himself—knew how renowned Martial Artists were.

The Zhou Clan had built its fortune thanks to a Body Tempering Seventh Level Martial Artist. After turning the matter over in his mind, he immediately came up with a plan.

From then on, his own children would visit their uncles' homes often.

He carefully shared what experience he had with Chen Liangyuan. A few days later, after informing the clan about it, Zhou Jin made inquiries and learned some of the details.

Zhou Jin wasn't very worldly. He knew only that his two nephews were Martial Artists, not what level they had reached.

But the Zhou Clan head, Zhou Zhi, had discovered that Zhou Jin's nephew Chen Qinglin had gone to the County Town to take part in a Martial Arts Competition the previous year. A sect had taken notice of him, and he had become a disciple.

There was no time to be shocked. Zhou Zhi immediately told Zhou Jin to handle this family connection carefully from then on. He also called over the clan members who managed the cloth trade, had them pass all their experience on to Zhou Jin, and instructed him to teach Chen Liangyuan.

He told Zhou Jin to keep his family in close contact with Chen Liangwu's family. He also ordered that the Zhou Clan buy at high prices any goods the Chen Clan of Linhe Village brought to sell.

Only then did he send Zhou Jin home to make preparations.

Who would have thought that Linhe Village had produced such an extraordinary person as Chen Qinglin? He was destined to soar to the heavens.

I wonder if these arrangements will let the Zhou Clan share in some of his glory and help our own clan climb higher.

The people of Linhe Village lived off the mountains. Besides farming their fields, they gathered medicinal herbs from the nearby woods and hunted animals for their pelts, then brought these things to Qingyan Town to sell.

Ever since the brothers Chen Liangyuan and Chen Liangwu had opened two shops in town, they often bought the goods brought in from Linhe Village.

But Chen Yucheng stopped the Chen Clan from taking advantage of the two families. He personally went to town to confirm what the two Chen brothers' shops needed, then returned and set limits on what the village could sell to each shop.

After discussing it with Chen Liangyuan and Chen Liangwu, he also arranged for the Chen Clan to buy up the other villagers' surplus goods under the clan's name.

This greatly enhanced the standing of the Chen Clan in Linhe Village.

Chen Qinglin walked alongside Chen Qingshi until they reached a general store. At a glance, he spotted his father sitting inside.

Keeping his excitement in check, he went in and said,

"Dad, I'm back!"

"Welcome, cus— Qinglin?" Chen Liangwu had been sitting bored in the shop. When he heard someone come in, he thought a customer had come to buy something. He had barely gotten two words out before he realized it was his eldest son, Chen Qinglin.

"Lin'er, come in quickly! Qingshi, what are you doing standing outside?" Seeing Chen Qinglin, he was overcome with excitement. Then he noticed Chen Qingshi outside and hurriedly called him in.

As he spoke, he called toward the back courtyard.

"A Xiu, your son's back! Qinglin's back!"

Yang Xiu was in the back courtyard comforting Chen Xiaoxiao. When she heard her husband call out, she began to release Xiaoxiao from her embrace, but Chen Xiaoxiao excitedly wriggled free first.

Then she ran outside, shouting, "Big Brother's back!"

Chen Qingyun wasn't home. These days, he had been studying and learning to read and write at a Private School in town.

When Yang Xiu saw Chen Qinglin, she was overjoyed and in tears. She held his hand and kept telling him how thin he'd gotten.

Her son had made something of himself, but he couldn't stay by her side and care for her.

Parents felt both joy and a touch of loss.

Sometimes, there was simply no way to have it all.

After a long exchange of greetings and family chatter, Chen Liangyuan closed the general store.

The family went into the back courtyard.

"How long are you planning to stay this time?" Chen Liangwu asked. His son was a capable young man, destined not to remain by their side for long.

"About a month." Chen Qinglin thought over his situation, then looked at the anticipation in his parents' eyes and finally decided to stay a little longer.

Qingfeng Mountain would hold its Outer Sect Disciple Martial Arts Competition in two months, but it had nothing to do with him.

His cultivation wouldn't improve much in a short time, and he could practice his skills anywhere...

Well, the truth was, Chen Qinglin wanted to spend a little more time at home.

"Good, good! A month is plenty."

He glanced at his mother, who was very happy to hear it, too.

He took out, one by one, the things he had bought for his parents. Chen Xiaoxiao watched as all sorts of things seemed to keep appearing from her big brother's hands. Excited, she threw her arms around him and said,

"What about mine? What about mine? Did you buy me a present, Big Brother...?"

"Your present? No..." Chen Qinglin deliberately paused.

Chen Xiaoxiao looked disappointed and began to sulk.

"Of course I did." As he spoke, he brought out a whole pile of gifts that his senior sisters had picked out for her. Ling Ling, his junior sister, had bought the most.

"Wow! You're the best, Big Brother!" At the sight of the pile, Chen Xiaoxiao's face lit up, and she shouted happily.

Then she went through her presents one by one. There were lots of delicious treats, too...

Ignoring Chen Xiaoxiao as she happily forgot all about her big brother the moment she got her gifts, he turned to Chen Qingshi and said, "Brother Qingshi, I bought something for you, too."

As he spoke, he took out three bottles of Body Tempering Pills.

"These are Body Tempering Pills. With them, you'll soon break through to Body Tempering Third Layer. You might even reach Body Tempering Fourth Level."

Chen Qinglin couldn't look after his family while he was at Qingfeng Mountain, and Chen Qingshi was the only Martial Artist among them. It would be better for him to have a higher cultivation level.

As for pills like Qi Gathering Pills, Chen Qinglin didn't dare leave them with Chen Qingshi. In the wrong hands, those things would only bring disaster.

"These... are too valuable. I can't accept them." As soon as Chen Qingshi heard what the pills could do, he hurried to return them to Chen Qinglin.

"These pills don't work on me anymore. They'll be a great help to you."

"Besides, these things are nothing to me now. We're brothers, so keep them," Chen Qinglin said.

Then he smiled and added, "If I tell you to keep them, then keep them. I bought gifts for both Uncle's and Second Uncle's families, too. When you go back later, take their gifts to your parents."

"I'll bring Second Uncle's over to him myself later."

"All right, then. I'll accept them." Seeing Chen Qinglin insist, Chen Qingshi couldn't refuse.

Besides, ever since Qinglin had entered Qingfeng Mountain, his personality had stayed the same as before. Chen Qingshi no longer felt that distance between them.

He accepted the gifts.

When Chen Qingyun came home later and saw his big brother, Chen Qinglin, he was overjoyed, too. Then Yang Xiu sent him to invite his Second Uncle, Chen Liangpin, and his family over for dinner.

As for Chen Liangyuan's family, they lived nearby and were already there.

His father, Chen Liangwu, was so happy that he had invited his elder brother and younger brother over for dinner that evening.