Dad's Little Padded Jacket

"Dad, you're back! Sit down, quick—I'll massage your shoulders!"

Qin Xiaoxi immediately pounced over like a happy little bird, pressed her father into a chair, and began kneading his shoulders with her small, practiced hands.

"Oh, that feels good... really good..." Qin Shouzheng narrowed his eyes in comfort and smiled. "Xiao Xi, you're getting better and better at this."

"Of course! I'm Dad's little padded jacket. Only Dad in the whole world gets to enjoy these skills."

Qin Xiaoxi proudly lifted her little face. "Brother and Mom don't get to!"

"Alright, alright." Father Qin laughed happily, and the weariness in his eyes seemed to fade quite a bit.

Qin Yan watched the warm scene, and his heart felt warm as well.

Their family might be poor, but the deep affection and mutual support they shared were precious treasures that nothing could replace.

His mother took Father Qin's dirty work clothes away to wash, leaving only the father and his two children in the living room.

At that moment, Qin Shouzheng seemed to remember something, and his expression turned complicated.

He looked at Qin Yan and said, "Xiao Yan, the college entrance exam is only three months away. Your dad isn't very capable, and there's not much I can do for you...

"Later, I'll have your mom transfer twenty thousand Huaxia Coins to you. Make sure you eat and drink well at school. Don't deprive yourself. Training takes a lot out of you, so you need to keep up with your nutrition."

There was a trace of barely noticeable guilt and self-reproach in his voice. He hated that he could not provide his son with better support for martial arts. He thought of the workshop supervisor's son at the factory, who had gotten into a key Martial University last year. He had heard that his family provided him with five Blood Qi Potions every month, along with all kinds of expensive medicinal meals and supplements...

What those children spent in a single month even exceeded his son's expenses for an entire year.

"Okay, Dad. I definitely won't let you down. I'll definitely get into a Martial University."

Qin Yan did not refuse his father's kindness.

Although he did not know where his father had gotten the twenty thousand from.

He needed the money badly right now. The college entrance exam was the most important thing in his life at the moment.

And with the support of those twenty thousand Huaxia Coins, he would have a much greater chance of getting good results in next month's Monthly Exam.

As long as he got into a Martial University and became a Martial Artist.

Then every problem would be resolved.

Forget twenty thousand—even two hundred thousand, he would be able to pay it back.

"Xiao Yan, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's alright if you can't get into a Martial University. You can still find some work in the liberal arts in the future."

His mother, Chen Juan, walked over and spoke.

Watching her son leave early and return late every day pained her deeply.

Qin Yan shook his head.

If he did not have the Martial Arts Skill panel, he might have accepted his mother's suggestion.

But now, while his future was not completely smooth sailing, it was still bright.

Seeing this, Chen Juan knew she could not persuade him.

His father smiled tiredly, spoke softly with his mother for a few moments, then returned to their room with her to rest.

Only Qin Yan and Qin Xiaoxi remained in the room.

"Brother." Qin Xiaoxi moved closer, unable to hide the worry in her voice. "Where did Dad get that money from?

"He wouldn't... he wouldn't have agreed to do some especially dangerous or exhausting work at the factory, would he?"

She knew their family's situation very well. Over the years, they had not managed to save twenty thousand Huaxia Coins while supporting Qin Yan.

In the past, their father and mother had asked relatives to borrow money.

But their relatives' sons and daughters also had to take the college entrance exam.

They too needed to spend huge amounts of money. They did not even have enough for themselves, so how could they lend any to Qin Yan's family?

Only their younger aunt's family had lent them ten thousand at the time, and even now, they had never urged Father Qin to repay it.

The brother and sister had always remembered that kindness.

"Don't overthink it." Qin Yan reached out and ruffled his sister's hair, pretending to comfort her casually. "Dad's worked at that factory for so many years. He's an old employee. Maybe it's some special bonus or overtime pay from the factory.

"He's such a steady person. Why would he do something dangerous?"

But though he said that, his heart felt just as heavy as his sister's.

He knew a little about the situation at his father's factory. Some workshops involved extremely intense labor and even exposure to harmful substances, so the corresponding allowances were higher.

The calluses on his father's hands and his increasingly graying hair flashed through his mind. His sister's guess was very likely true.

"Xiao Xi, don't worry."

Qin Yan's tone was utterly serious. "I promise you, I'll definitely get into a Martial University! When that happens, I'll make sure Mom and Dad live good lives, and I'll earn you lots and lots of spending money so you can buy whatever you want!"

"Tch, Qin Yan, you're bragging. Don't I know your grades? You ranked thirty-fifth in the class last time."

"With those grades, you're still just a tiny bit short of getting into a Martial University."

"That was last time. I've improved like crazy lately. Coach Gu Feng even praised me. He said that if I work hard enough, I might even get into a key Martial University."

"And with Dad's support now, getting into a key university is practically guaranteed."

"You're not lying to me?"

"Go ask around at my school and you'll know."

Hearing that, Qin Xiaoxi's eyes lit up. She clearly believed Qin Yan.

She knew Coach Gu Feng's name. He was a genuine Martial Artist, strict in his teaching and sharp-eyed. It was said that he had trained quite a few students who had gotten into Jianghai Martial University.

Since even he thought so highly of her brother, there had to be a great chance!

Even if he could not get into a key university in the end, getting into an ordinary Martial University would still be an enormous joy!

"Hmph, you said it!"

The little girl's mood changed quickly, immediately filling with beautiful hopes. "After you get into a Martial University, you have to give me lots and lots of money! No going back on your word, Qin Yan!"

"Pinky promise. No changing your mind for a hundred years!" Qin Yan said with a smile, holding out his little finger.

"Oh, right, Xiao Xi." Qin Yan remembered something and instructed her, "Tomorrow, you can tell Mom and Dad the good news first—that I've improved quickly and have a great chance of getting into a Martial University. Let them be happy and relax a little."

He had not had time to tell his father about it earlier before his father went back to rest.

"Mm! Leave it to me!" Qin Xiaoxi nodded hard, as though she had been entrusted with a glorious mission.

After chatting with his sister for a while longer about interesting things at school, the brother and sister returned to their rooms to rest.

Meanwhile, in their parents' room.

Meanwhile, in their parents' room, Chen Juan looked at her husband worriedly. "Brother Qin, did you agree to do special-duty work for the workshop supervisor? That work is exhausting and dangerous. The allowance is high, but your health..."

"It's nothing if I suffer a little."

Qin Shouzheng held his wife close, his voice tired but firm. "We've already held Xiao Yan back all these years. Before the college entrance exam, as his father, I have to give it everything I have and help the child this once."

Chen Juan sighed, her eyes slightly moist, and gently tucked the blanket around her husband.

Under the light, the calluses on Qin Shouzheng's hands and the fresh wounds on them stood out starkly.

For those twenty thousand Huaxia Coins, no one knew how much sweat—or even danger—he had endured.