Chen Jianghe stepped onto the boat and pushed open the creaking cabin door.
Lin was crouched by the stove, blowing on the fire. When she saw her son return, she hurried to her feet and wiped her hands. "Jianghe? Why are you back today?"
"Mother, pack your things. We're moving today." Chen Jianghe spoke decisively, but a smile played on his face. "Master agreed to let you stay at the martial arts school. The woodshed in the back courtyard is a little shabby, but we can fix it up so it's livable. It's better than here."
Lin froze. She unconsciously rubbed her hands against her apron. "Really... he really said I could go? Is that appropriate? I'm just a woman. If I live inside the martial arts school, won't people gossip?"
Chen Jianghe took his mother's rough hands, his voice steady. "Since Master has agreed, it's the school's arrangement. You'll help with odd jobs—washing clothes, cooking, cleaning the courtyard. Those are all proper tasks. Who would gossip about that?"
He paused, then added, "The Sun Moon Cult was preaching to a crowd at the Outer City street entrance today. It's only a matter of time before they turn their attention to Loach Bay, too. And the Black Tiger Gang will definitely keep searching for whoever killed Li Gouzi. Mother, no matter how run-down the martial arts school is, at least it has a signboard out front."
Lin nodded, then looked around the shabby cabin where she had lived for more than ten years. "All right. I'll listen to you."
Chen Jianghe supported her by the arm. "Let's go, Mother. Uncle Liu said he'd bring some things over later. We shouldn't leave him waiting for nothing."
The mother and son had just reached the bank when a familiar figure appeared at the mouth of the alley.
Uncle Liu hurried over, carrying a bamboo basket. "I was just coming to find you!"
He thrust the basket into Lin's hands. "Take this to eat on the way. There are a few steamed buns and some pickles inside."
Lin accepted the basket, her voice choked with emotion. "Uncle Liu, you've looked after us all these years. We owe you so much..."
"Why bring that up?" Uncle Liu waved her off, then looked at Chen Jianghe with a complicated expression. "You're really leaving?"
Chen Jianghe nodded. "Master agreed to let my mother do some odd jobs at the school and stay in the woodshed for now."
Uncle Liu fell silent for a moment, then gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Maybe you're right, Jianghe. Things are getting more and more unsettled out there. Three more people died behind Shen Mansion yesterday. They say the Black Tiger Gang and Iron Hand Gang were fighting over territory... Ah, what a world."
He fished a small cloth bundle from inside his robe and pressed it into Chen Jianghe's hand without giving him a chance to refuse. "Take it."
Chen Jianghe squeezed the bundle and knew at once it was money. He hurried to push it back. "Uncle Liu, I can't take this! I haven't even used up what you gave me last time..."
Uncle Liu glared. "I said take it, so take it! Your mother may have food and lodging at the martial arts school, but she'll still need money for everyday expenses, won't she? And practicing martial arts is a bottomless pit! I'm old, with no wife or children. I have no use for this money. Just train hard. When you make something of yourself, buy me a jug of good wine. Then we'll call it even."
Chen Jianghe felt his throat tighten. "Uncle Liu..."
"That's enough, enough. Get going!" Uncle Liu turned away and waved them off. "Take care on the way."
Chen Jianghe bowed deeply toward the stooped figure.
"Mother, let's go."
Three months flew by in the blink of an eye.
Every day, Lin rose before dawn to heat water, cook porridge, wash clothes, and sweep the courtyard.
She was quick with her hands and spoke little. The martial arts school's disciples gradually grew used to the taciturn woman. After training, they would sometimes call out, "Aunt Lin, is there any water?"
Chen Jianghe, meanwhile, had thrown himself completely into martial arts training.
Over these three months, his body had grown sturdy as if it had been pumped full of air. His shoulders and back broadened, the muscles in his arms bulged in thick knots, and his once-gaunt face had taken on sharper lines. His coarse cotton jacket strained across his shoulders, already too tight.
[Life Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, and Diligence Shall Be Rewarded]
[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 23%]
[Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Beginner)]
[Progress: 78%]
[Effects: None]
Though life had settled into a brief period of peace, Chen Jianghe didn't dare slacken for even a moment. A woodshed was still a woodshed—freezing in winter, sweltering in summer. It wasn't somewhere they could stay for long. His mother was getting older; she couldn't live here forever.
Chen Jianghe had been calculating the cost. He needed to rent a small room near the martial arts school. No matter how tiny, it would be a real home.
Besides, martial arts training was a bottomless pit. After his stance training reached minor achievement, his need for qi and blood had grown even greater.
The ten jin of meat the school gave him each month, combined with the portion he "traded" from Third Senior Brother, was just barely enough to sustain his training. If he wanted to advance and breach the Bright Strength threshold, he needed an extra source of income.
One afternoon, after practicing a round of Five Elements Fist, Chen Jianghe wiped his sweat and walked to the covered walkway.
He Shouzhuo was crouched beside a stone lock, polishing a pair of bracers with coarse sandpaper. When Chen Jianghe came over, he looked up and asked, "Your stance training has improved again?"
Chen Jianghe sat beside him and gave a wry smile. "What good is improving? My pockets are still empty."
He Shouzhuo paused, then glanced at him. "Short on money?"
After a moment's silence, Chen Jianghe said, "Senior Brother, I... wanted to ask you about something."
"Go ahead."
"Do disciples like us have any way to earn money besides training?" Chen Jianghe chose his words carefully. "My mother can't stay in the woodshed forever. I want to save up and rent a small room nearby."
He Shouzhuo nodded, walked over to the covered walkway, and sat down, patting the stone step beside him. Chen Jianghe understood and sat next to him.
"For people from poor families like us, there are only a few ways to earn money with our martial skills." He Shouzhuo paused. "The most common is taking a position."
"Taking a position?"
"Right." He Shouzhuo explained, "You sign on with an escort agency, shop, or wealthy household, but you don't have to report every day. You only step in when they need you. You receive a fixed amount of money and provisions each month. It isn't much, but it's a steady income."
Chen Jianghe's interest stirred. "Senior Brother, are there any rules or requirements for taking a position?"
"There are plenty." He Shouzhuo sighed. "First, you need strength. At the very least, you have to reach Bright Strength, or no one will pay to keep you around. Second, you need someone to recommend you. In this world, opportunities don't just fall into your lap."
He paused, then continued, "Big outfits like the Yuanwei Escort Agency and He Family Weaponry are very strict about hiring. They don't just require a certain level of cultivation; they also look at your aptitude, age, and background. Just look at Senior Brother Zhao Mingyuan."
"I've never met Senior Brother Zhao."
A complicated look passed through He Shouzhuo's eyes. "His aptitude was exceptional. He broke through to Bright Strength after just one year at the school, and the Zhao Family in the Inner City took a liking to him and recruited him outright. He was promised a monthly salary of twenty taels when he first reached Bright Strength, plus all kinds of medicinal baths and tonics. He had it made. Now he's an instructor for the Zhao Family Bodyguards. But people like us..."
He shook his head and didn't finish.
Chen Jianghe fell silent for a moment, then asked, "If you haven't reached Bright Strength, are there no opportunities at all?"
"There are." He Shouzhuo gave him a look. "Dockside warehouses and shops on the street also often hire martial artists to guard their premises. The pay is low, though, and the risks aren't small. If gangs start fighting or local thugs cause trouble, you have to step in."
He patted Chen Jianghe on the shoulder. "Jianghe, I know you're anxious. But the greatest taboo in martial arts cultivation is letting yourself get distracted. You're at a crucial point in your attempt to break through to Bright Strength. If you run around chasing money now and neglect your training, you'll lose more than you gain."
Chen Jianghe nodded. "You're right, Senior Brother."
He Shouzhuo sighed. "Jianghe, let me be honest with you. For people from poor families like us, it's hard to change our lot through martial arts. How many people have come and gone from the school over the years? You can count on one hand those who've actually made something of themselves."
He paused, then added, "Even I have been here nearly three years, and I've only reached Bright Strength. The little I make from taking a position each month barely covers my own expenses, let alone leaves anything to send home."
With that, he picked up the stone lock, walked to the other end of the courtyard, and resumed his training in silence.
Chen Jianghe watched He Shouzhuo's figure, lost in thought.
His senior brother was usually quiet and reserved, but he trained harder than anyone. Three years of grueling practice, and he had only reached Bright Strength. One could imagine the hardships behind it.