Quite a few people watched Lu Lin train and clicked their tongues in amazement. They'd lived in the neighborhood for years and seen all kinds of Martial Trainees, but a guy who kept mooing while he punched was a first.
Still, no one went over to bother Lu Lin. Everyone focused on their own training, at most planning to go home and talk about the strange sights they'd seen that day.
At three in the afternoon, there was still plenty of light outside, but Lu Lin could no longer keep training.
He'd clearly eaten three big bowls of rice at noon, yet now he felt as if he hadn't eaten in days. His stomach was so empty his front and back seemed to touch, and it kept rumbling, reminding him that it was time to eat.
[Technique: Mad Ox Strength Fist (Simplified) Third Layer (800/1000)]
In two hours, Lu Lin had performed the Mad Ox Strength Fist routine twenty-two times. His progress in the Third Layer had reached 800 points, meaning he was just 200 points away from advancing to the Fourth Layer.
But now, he could only go home to eat.
"Hope there's still some food left from what Mom made at noon."
Lu Lin muttered, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and hurried upstairs.
"Mom, is there anything left to eat? I'm starving to death!"
As soon as Lu Lin got home, he shouted.
"Huh?"
"You're hungry again already?"
His mother stood up from the sofa, speechless.
At noon, Lu Lin had eaten twice as much as usual, startling both her and Lu Ping. She hadn't expected him to be hungry again after just a few hours.
She hurried into the kitchen, looking troubled.
Martial Trainees needed to eat large amounts of carbohydrates and protein to train; she'd learned that back in school.
But their family's finances were what they were. They had enough to eat day to day, but couldn't afford big meals of meat and fish.
Lu Lin wanted something to eat, but they'd just run out of rice and flour, and she hadn't had a chance to buy more. What were they going to do?
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Seeing her standing silently in the kitchen, Lu Lin walked over and asked.
"We've run out of food," Chen Xiaoyan told Lu Lin, then turned and called to Lu Ping, who was resting in the bedroom. "Lu Ping, go buy a bag—actually, two bags of rice. And get half a jin of meat. Don't forget to ask for Iron Arrow Porcupine hind leg."
"Ah, oh, okay, sure."
Lu Ping answered and got out of bed in a daze, slippers on, ready to head out.
"Dad, wait. I'll go instead."
Lu Lin hurriedly said.
He'd graduated from middle school and started working. It was time for him to take on some responsibility for his family instead of living like a freeloader as he had before.
"Oh, all right. You go, then. I'll get you the money."
Lu Ping said as he pulled out cash for Lu Lin, muttering as he counted. "Five warehouses' worth of rice. A ten-kilogram bag is only 140 yuan, so two bags are 280. Iron Arrow Porcupine hind leg is 198 yuan a jin, so half a jin is 100. Forget it, I'll give you 400."
Lu Ping pulled out one hundred-yuan bill and four fifty-yuan bills. The rest was all small bills, fives and tens. But when he counted it out for Lu Lin, it came to just 378 yuan.
"Wife, do you have any money?"
"I do. Wait, I'll get you some."
Chen Xiaoyan answered, then took a fifty-yuan bill out of her little purse and handed it to Lu Lin. "There you go, son. Hurry up, and come straight back."
"Mm."
Lu Lin answered, turned, and pushed open the door.
For some reason, seeing his parents scrimp and save yet still buy meat for him made his heart ache.
Making money.
It wasn't as lofty as his dream of becoming a Martial Artist, but it was undeniably practical.
If he had money, he could make life better for his family.
As Lu Lin kept training, his need for Monster Cores and food would only grow greater and greater. His parents' meager salaries wouldn't be enough. And Lu Lin would have to wait at least another month to get his first paycheck.
How to earn more money during that month and give himself and his family a little breathing room was an urgent concern for Lu Lin.
An hour later, Chen Xiaoyan finished making dinner.
Although she'd deliberately cooked extra rice, Lu Lin's appetite still startled her.
Lu Lin ate one and a half pots of rice by himself, along with the vegetables and meat. If he hadn't held back, even half a jin of hind leg wouldn't have been enough for him.
"It's good to have an appetite. Eat up. When your dad was about your age, he ate about as much as you—actually, even more."
"Mm."
Lu Lin didn't have time to talk. He just kept shoveling food into his mouth.
Later, worried that Lu Lin still wasn't full, Chen Xiaoyan used the two soup bones the meat vendor had given her to make a pot of meat broth. Lu Lin ate it with rice, polishing it off in one go.
The couple exchanged a glance, both stunned by Lu Lin's terrifying appetite.
Lu Lin had always been able to eat, but he'd never eaten this much before.
After dinner, Lu Lin went back down to the fitness plaza to train.
This time, he didn't dare go all out. He did just six rounds, advancing the Mad Ox Strength Fist to the Fourth Layer before stopping.
He was afraid that if he kept training without restraint, he'd use up too much energy and have to eat another meal. At that rate, he might really eat his family into poverty.
[Master: Lu Lin] [Level: Advanced Martial Disciple] [Technique: Golden Bell Shield (Simplified) Fourth Layer (57/10000), Mad Ox Strength Fist (Simplified) Fourth Layer (16/10000)] [Points: 5.7]
The Mad Ox Strength Fist's Fourth Layer didn't give Lu Lin any special technique effect like the Golden Bell Shield had, but his punch force increased by another 1,000 kilograms. He estimated that his punch force was now just under 2,500 kilograms.
He'd know the exact figure tomorrow, when he went to the Martial Arts School and tested it.
He was only 500 kilograms short of reaching the Martial Artist level. If Lu Lin wanted, he could go to the Martial Artist Association in Dongshan City and take the test and register at any time.
After all, once he became a Martial Artist, he'd receive a 5,000-yuan allowance every month. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to ease his family's urgent financial strain.
When they'd signed the contract today, Li Jiangtao had mentioned that all official employees of the Martial Arts School could enjoy three free meals a day. At the time, Lu Lin hadn't had such a huge appetite, so he hadn't thought much of it.
Thinking back now, Lu Lin understood what Li Jiangtao had meant.
He'd leave everything until tomorrow: test his punch force, train the Mad Ox Strength Fist, and eat his fill.
If he could reach the Mad Ox Strength Fist's Fifth Layer tomorrow, Lu Lin would go to the Martial Artist Association and register first. As for learning the Vitality Cultivation Method, he'd have to make that a priority soon, too.
Lu Lin had made his plans and was about to head home when his phone suddenly rang.
"Hm, an unfamiliar number?"
Lu Lin reflexively hung up.
Even though this was Blue Star after the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, there were still plenty of people who called with all kinds of scams. Lu Lin didn't have any money, but they'd find a way to get him to take out a loan. It was best not to get mixed up in that sort of thing.
But just as Lu Lin slipped his phone into his pocket, it rang again.
Without a second thought, Lu Lin hung up again.
But the caller seemed tireless, determined to keep at him.
Lu Lin hung up; the other person called back.
After Lu Lin hung up more than ten times, even he gave in and pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Lu Lin, why do you keep hanging up on me?"
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