Carrying that precious bundle of medicinal herbs out of Huichun Hall, Li Bufan was filled with countless emotions. Winter sunlight fell across him, bringing a trace of warmth, yet it could not compare to the warm current surging through his heart because of Doctor Liu's selfless care.
"Old Doctor Liu... truly is a good man." He murmured softly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the medicine bundle. "If not for him, how could I have obtained this medicinal bath formula so smoothly, and even received the Complete Herbal Compendium... This kindness weighs as heavily as a mountain."
He recalled an old saying from his previous life: repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. What Doctor Liu had given him was far more than a mere drop of water. When he most needed help at the beginning of his martial path, it was support like charcoal delivered amid snow.
"Once I achieve something in the future, I must repay him properly." Li Bufan buried this gratitude deep in his heart and turned it into the force driving him onward.
Yet the pressure of money soon followed. He touched the purse at his waist, which had once again shrunk considerably, and could not help but reveal a bitter smile.
"Just the ingredients for three Medicinal Baths, and even at cost, nearly used up one tael of silver... At market price, it would probably cost more than double that." Once again, he deeply understood the meaning of the four words, "poor scholars, rich martial artists." Without enough money to support him, even the most basic cultivation resources would be difficult to secure, let alone better techniques and medicinal pills.
"Make money. I have to find a way to make money as soon as possible!" This thought had never been so intense.
On the way, he stopped at a cooked-food stall and bought several freshly baked, steaming, grease-slick meat pies, then had half a jin of braised meat sliced up before heading home.
When he pushed open the wooden gate, Ping'an had already dressed himself and gotten up. He was sitting on a small stool in a daze, but immediately looked over when he heard the sound.
"Brother, you're back!"
"Mm, you're up, little brother? Go wash up. I bought meat pies." Li Bufan raised the oil-paper package in his hand.
"Meat pies!" Ping'an's eyes instantly lit up. Though their meals had improved greatly these past few days, children could never resist such fragrant, oily street food. He gave a cheer, sprang up like a little rabbit, and darted toward the corner of the courtyard to wash up.
Seeing his younger brother's impatient expression and the little glances he kept sneaking toward the meat pies even while washing, Li Bufan smiled sincerely. This was how a child his age ought to be—innocent, lively, and full of longing for simple delicious food. He hoped Ping'an could preserve that purity and happiness forever.
"Brother, I'm done washing!" Ping'an wiped his face carelessly with his sleeve, then ran back excitedly. He stared eagerly at the meat pies on the table and even swallowed with exaggerated force.
"Little glutton, eat." Laughing, Li Bufan handed him the largest meat pie, then pushed the braised meat over. "Eat it with the meat. Don't choke."
Ping'an took the meat pie and tore into it with a huge bite. It was so hot that he sucked in cold air, yet he could not bear to spit it out. His cheeks bulged as he ate with his mouth full of oil, and he still managed to praise it indistinctly. "Mmm... so good! Brother, you eat too!"
Watching his younger brother devour the food with such happiness, Li Bufan's appetite grew as well. He picked up a meat pie and ate it slowly. This ordinary street food seemed especially delicious at that moment.
"Eat slowly. There's no rush, there's plenty," he reminded him softly, his eyes filled with affection.
The two brothers enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Afterward, Li Bufan tidied the bowls and chopsticks. Looking at the house and courtyard, still humble yet filled with the breath of life and hope, a thought stirred in his heart.
Seeing his younger brother full and content, his little face glowing with a satisfied smile, Li Bufan's plans for his family's future grew clearer than ever. He rose and briskly began clearing the dishes as he said to Ping'an, "Ping'an, hurry and wipe your face clean, straighten your clothes. Big Brother is taking you somewhere today."
Ping'an tilted his head up curiously. "Brother, where are we going?"
"To take a look at an Academy." Li Bufan smiled, his hands still moving.
"An Academy?" Ping'an's little face was full of confusion. "What's an Academy?"
Li Bufan set down the dishes, crouched, and met his younger brother's eyes as he patiently explained, "An Academy is a place where you learn knowledge and recognize characters. There'll be learned teachers like Old Doctor Liu from Huichun Hall and Steward Lin, who'll teach you to read and write, and tell you lots and lots of interesting stories. And there'll be many children around your age too. You can play with them and study with them."
He paused, then continued encouragingly in words a child could best understand. "Does little Ping'an want to become as capable as Big Brother in the future? Do you want to recognize lots of characters and be able to read martial arts manuals yourself someday? Do you want to eat meat and pastries every day?"
Ping'an's eyes grew brighter and brighter with every word. Especially when he heard "lots of children" and "meat and pastries every day," his little head bobbed like a chicken pecking grain. "Yes! Ping'an does! Ping'an wants to go to the Academy!"
"Good! Then let's go now!" Li Bufan laughed heartily. He straightened his younger brother's new cotton-padded coat, put his fur hat on properly, locked the house, and led him out of the alley by the hand.
He had already asked around. Not too far from his home was a Meng School, where an old scholar surnamed Wang taught. Its reputation was fairly good. Though the round trip would take nearly half a shichen on foot, for children in Huaiyuan County, it was considered close by.
The Academy stood in a relatively quiet alley, an ordinary small courtyard of gray bricks. From far away, they could hear the young yet earnest voices of children reading aloud within. Here, it was obvious that the surrounding households lived far better than those near Li Bufan's home. At the very least, they all had brick-and-tile houses, and the children's clothing rarely bore patches.
Li Bufan took a deep breath and led the somewhat nervous but curious Ping'an inside. An elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a square scholar's cap and looking somewhat stern, was supervising the students' reading in the courtyard. He was presumably Scholar Wang.
Li Bufan stepped forward and respectfully explained his purpose: he wished to enroll his younger brother, Li Ping'an.
Scholar Wang sized up the two brothers. Though Li Bufan was plainly dressed, his eyes were bright and his bearing steady; he did not look like an ordinary street thug. Little Ping'an was somewhat timid, but his eyes were clear and he looked clever. The old man nodded and casually asked Ping'an a few basic questions, such as his age and whether he could count. Though nervous, Ping'an answered them all.
"Mm, teachable material." Scholar Wang stroked his beard. "The rules of Meng School are fifty copper coins a month for tuition, while lunch must be brought from home. Brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books must be purchased separately. This old man can buy them on your behalf, or you may provide your own."
"Thank you, Teacher." Li Bufan nodded without hesitation. He counted fifty copper coins from his purse for the first month's tuition, then asked Scholar Wang to purchase a basic set of the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. Altogether, it cost nearly another fifty coins.
Watching almost half his purse deflate at once, Li Bufan once again lamented that raising a child, like practicing martial arts, burned through money. But he felt the money was well spent!
Once the formalities were complete, Scholar Wang led Ping'an into a classroom and assigned him an empty seat. Ping'an turned back nervously to look at his brother, and Li Bufan gave him an encouraging smile and waved.
Watching his younger brother settle into that small seat, curiously looking around at his new companions and the books on the desk, an indescribable sense of comfort and responsibility filled Li Bufan's chest. He stood outside the window for a while, only quietly leaving after the teacher began the lesson.
Leaving the Academy, Li Bufan headed straight home. He needed to seize every second to cultivate!
Today, he planned to try that potent medicinal bath! He took out one of the medicine bundles he had bought during the day, brought out the large wooden tub from his previous bath, set it up, boiled water, and tossed in the medicine.
Very quickly, a rich medicinal fragrance spread through the air. The liquid turned black as ink, yet faintly glimmered with a trace of crimson.
Li Bufan removed his shirt, exposing his muscular upper body. Once the medicinal liquid cooled slightly, he gritted his teeth and lowered himself entirely into it!
"Hiss—!"
A scorching sensation laced with stabbing pain instantly enveloped his entire body! The medicinal power was like countless fine needles, drilling madly through his pores and into his body, instantly producing a wondrous resonance and reaction with the Cinnabar Fruit's medicinal power that had settled within him!
He did not dare slacken. At once, he began circulating the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique's breathing method in the medicinal tub, laboriously moving his qi and blood and guiding the two powerful medicinal forces to madly temper his flesh!
This process was far more painful than ordinary cultivation, but it was also far more efficient!
The radiance of the [Heaven Rewards Diligence] fate shone with unprecedented brilliance!
Only when the sun had tilted westward and the medicinal liquid had faded to an extremely pale color did Li Bufan crawl out in utter exhaustion. Every muscle in his body was sore and stung, yet he also felt an indescribable sense of ease and strength.
He quickly dressed, cleaned away all traces, then hurried toward the Academy with his weary yet excited body.
By the time he arrived, the Academy had just let out. The children poured out in a chattering stream. Ping'an spotted his brother at once and ran toward him happily.
"Brother!"
"Mm, school's over? What did you learn today?" Li Bufan took his younger brother's little book bag, took his hand, and headed home.
Ping'an immediately grew excited. As they walked, he gestured with his little fingers. "Teacher taught us characters! One, big, heaven, sun, mouth... and lots more! Ping'an remembered them all!" He lifted his little face, wearing an expression that clearly said, Praise me quickly.
Seeing the sense of accomplishment on his younger brother's face, Li Bufan's heart softened completely. He praised him without holding back. "Really? Our little Ping'an is that impressive? You learned so many characters on your very first day! What a clever child!"
Receiving his brother's praise, Ping'an smiled even more happily and chattered all the way home, recounting amusing things from the Academy.
The setting sun stretched the brothers' shadows long. Once home, Li Bufan simply prepared dinner, and the two brothers chatted as they ate. After dinner, Li Bufan slowly practiced his fists in the courtyard under the moonlight, digesting the gains from his daytime cultivation. Meanwhile, Ping'an lay over the heated brick bed table, earnestly reviewing the dozen or so characters he had learned that day by tracing them in a sand tray with a tree branch under the weak glow of an oil lamp.
Inside and outside the house, one pursued letters and one pursued martial arts, yet both were filled with ordinary warmth and hope for rising onward.
Thus, this day quietly passed amid fulfillment and peace.
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