The evening glow stretched Qin Meng's shadow long, casting it at an angle across the earthen courtyard wall.
He pushed open the courtyard gate. The yard was quiet, and Shen Qiuyue wasn't home.
He set down his basket first, then carefully poured the mixed grains into the nearly empty rice jar. He placed the bag of polished rice right on top.
Seeing the pile of rice rise inside the jar, Qin Meng felt a little more at ease. For the next half month or so, Qiu Yue wouldn't have to worry about food.
He expertly rinsed the rice, lit the fire, and left a pot of mixed-grain rice to steam. Then he carried two pheasants and a hare to the well to prepare them.
He plucked and cleaned the pheasants, then put them in a clay pot to stew slowly. He skinned and chopped the hare, then blanched it and set it aside...
As night fell, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.
Shen Qiuyue returned with ten jin of borrowed millet slung over her shoulder. The rich aroma of meat seeped through the crack beneath the door.
She pushed the door open in confusion, then froze!
Smoke curled through the kitchen. Her husband, who had once known nothing but drinking and gambling, was now wearing an apron and setting a steaming pot of soup on the table.
"You're back? Dinner's ready," Qin Meng said with a smile, looking back. A light sheen of sweat still covered his forehead.
Shen Qiuyue murmured, "Mm," set down her basket, and instinctively glanced at the rice jar.
The next moment, she covered her mouth in shock. The jar that had been nearly empty now held half a jar of mixed grains, with a bag of gleaming white polished rice on top.
A large basin of cleaned meat sat on the stove.
There were even scallions, ginger, garlic, and all the other seasonings they'd usually been too poor to buy.
"I had good luck today. I hunted some game and sold it for money, then bought food."
Qin Meng wiped his hands and took out a large bundle. "Oh, and these fabrics are for you to make yourself some new clothes. Don't go washing clothes for others anymore. That work is hard on your hands."
Shen Qiuyue held the fabric, her fingers brushing over the thick cotton. Her eyes gradually grew moist.
"You should save the money. You don't have to spend it on me..."
"My woman shouldn't have to keep wearing patched clothes." Qin Meng cut her off, his gaze resolute. "When we have money, I'll buy you rouge and jewelry."
Shen Qiuyue's eyes glistened at his words.
Beneath the oil lamp, the battered wooden table was laden with stewed pheasant, roasted hare, chicken giblets stir-fried with greens, and a heaping bowl of mixed-grain rice.
Shen Qiuyue only reached for the greens with her chopsticks, so Qin Meng served her a hare leg and a chicken leg. "Eat more. From now on, you've got me. We'll eat meat every day."
He shoveled in a mouthful of rice. "This house needs repairs, too. The earthen walls let in the wind, and the roof's about to give way. Once we've saved enough, we'll hire a craftsman to fix it up properly."
"Alright." Shen Qiuyue ate in small bites, her gaze falling on his face. "Mengzi, today you..."
"People can change." Qin Meng set down his bowl and gave her the explanation he'd prepared. "That fall knocked some sense into me. It made me realize that you're the only one in this world who's never abandoned me. I was a fool before. Besides..."
He paused. "I've realized I was born stronger than most people. I'm not the good-for-nothing they said I was. As long as I'm willing to work hard, there's hope."
"I, Qin Meng, will make my way onto the Martial Path. I'll make everyone who looked down on me look up to me."
A light shone in Shen Qiuyue's eyes. "I believe in you."
She murmured softly, "The man you are now is the husband I always wanted."
They finished their meal in a warmth they hadn't felt in a long time.
After dinner, Shen Qiuyue cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, a faint smile on her face.
Qin Meng went out into the courtyard and practiced his blade techniques beneath the fading light.
The moves of the Eight Blade Breaking Techniques unfolded clearly in his mind.
He chopped, slashed, swept, and hacked, each move carrying memories of battles from his previous life. As the blade flashed, Killing Intent began to rise.
After his physique had been enhanced, his grasp of blade techniques came with astonishing speed.
Once, twice, three times...
[Eight Blade Breaking Techniques—Dengtang Realm (145/200)]
[Martial Skill Progress: 5%]
By the fifth repetition, Qin Meng paused to rest, breathing slightly hard. The Martial Skill information on his panel had changed. One or two more repetitions would fill the proficiency bar, but the Martial Skill progress was rising at a snail's pace.
Just as he was about to continue, a fierce hunger surged through his belly, reminding him that he'd expended a great deal of energy today.
Back in the kitchen, Qin Meng wolfed down the still-warm chicken soup and mixed-grain rice. The food transformed into qi and blood in his belly, quickly restoring his strength.
When he returned to the courtyard, the moon had climbed high in the sky.
This time, Qin Meng's movements were clearly faster.
Sweat soaked through his clothes as he lost himself completely in the blade techniques.
With every swing, the memories of blood and fire in his mind grew clearer. With every change in his moves, his body and blade became more perfectly attuned.
The flashes of his blade nearly merged into one, carving silver arcs through the moonlight. His technique grew ever more refined, until several lines of text appeared before his eyes:
[Eight Blade Breaking Techniques—Proficient (1/500)]
[Special Effect: Physique Enhancement (Moderate)]
Physique Enhancement: Moderately enhances physical attributes.
A tremendous force burst forth from within him, coursing through every limb and bone. Qin Meng's bones crackled, and his muscles swelled with heat before slowly settling back down. His strength, agility, stamina, and other attributes all soared.
He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked sharply.
The enhancement was remarkable. His strength had increased by at least half.
Combined with the strength this body had already possessed, he could now lift several hundred jin with ease, putting him on par with the militia practicing martial arts inside the fort.
Those who practiced martial arts advanced through the Boiling Blood, Blood Changing, and Body Forging stages. Qin Meng didn't know the details, but those at the Boiling Blood stage were no stronger than this.
Qin Meng looked up at the moon. It was already the dead of night, so he abandoned the idea of practicing archery, rinsed himself off by the well, and changed into dry clothes.
But when he went inside, he saw that the oil lamp was still lit in the inner room.
Shen Qiuyue was mending clothes by its gentle glow.
"Mengzi, drink this." When she saw him enter, a smile appeared on her face. She put down her needlework and brought him a bowl of honey water.
"You can't keep staying up late. You should get to bed earlier."
Qin Meng took the bowl and drank it dry, then set it on the table and took Shen Qiuyue's hand. Her hands were rough, not at all like those of a woman in her early twenties. Her palms were covered in calluses, and several cracks ran across her knuckles.
His heart ached at the sight. He took out the ointment for cracked hands that he'd specially bought that day and carefully applied it, his touch as gentle as if he were handling fragile porcelain.
"Apply this ointment every night before bed. The wounds will heal soon."
Shen Qiuyue lowered her head, feeling the warmth of his touch on the back of her hand. Her eyes reddened again.
After applying the ointment, Qin Meng turned to leave.
"Mengzi..." Shen Qiuyue suddenly caught the hem of his clothes, her pretty face flushed red.
Only then did Qin Meng take a good look at her. Beneath the oil lamp, she wore a simple dress of coarse cloth, but it could not conceal her graceful, shapely figure.
Long-term malnutrition had left her somewhat pale, but her features were delicate, and her brows and eyes held a gentle warmth.
At that moment, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glistened. She looked alluring and lovely.
He really couldn't understand why the original owner hadn't appreciated such a good woman, and had even once wanted to sell her to a brothel for gambling money. He'd been less than human.
"Sister Qiu Yue," Qin Meng said sincerely, meeting her shy gaze. "Once I've paid off our debts, I'll marry you properly, with all the pomp and ceremony. Everyone in the fort will know that you're Qin Meng's wife."
Shen Qiuyue's eyes reddened. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't speak. She could only nod with all her strength.
With Shen Qiuyue's tearful gaze on his back, Qin Meng turned and went to his room, where he promptly collapsed into bed.
The exhaustion of the day swept over him like a tide, and he sank into sleep almost at once.
The night passed peacefully.
The next day, Qin Meng got up before dawn.
After a quick wash, he rinsed the rice and put it on to cook into porridge, then went out into the courtyard. Using a charred piece of firewood, he drew bull's-eyes on several wooden stakes, propped them against the wall, and retreated dozens of paces before raising his bow to practice.
Whoosh, whoosh...
One arrow, then another.
As the memories of archery in his mind grew clearer, his body began to master the bow and arrow, and he grew increasingly adept at nocking and drawing.
He drew an arrow, took aim, and released. His movements flowed like water, growing faster and faster.
After shooting seven or eight arrows, he walked over to pull them out, returned to his spot, and continued practicing. Every time he drew his bow, his movements were steady and powerful.
Qin Meng seemed completely absorbed in archery.
His mastery of Chain Arrow deepened, and his proficiency steadily increased.
With his physical attributes enhanced, he felt as if he had endless strength. Even after practicing for half an hour, his arms remained steady and his breathing hadn't grown ragged.
At last, as the sky grew bright, Shen Qiuyue called out cheerfully from the kitchen.
"Mengzi, breakfast is ready!"
A faint smile played on the woman's face. She'd slept soundly the night before.
When she woke, she saw Qin Meng practicing archery in the courtyard. Then, when she went to the kitchen to make porridge, she found the clay pot on the stove already steaming.
The woman had stood there frozen, her eyes reddening again. This man really had changed.
The rich aroma of pheasant meat pies drifted out, carrying a hint of joy with it.
"Coming!"
Qin Meng caught the delicious aroma, and his stomach rumbled nonstop. Only then did he lower his bow and gather his arrows one by one into his quiver. When he returned inside, thick millet porridge and chicken pies were already on the table.
Morning light streamed through the window lattice, illuminating Shen Qiuyue's gentle profile.
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