Lingering

At Hengjiang Wharf, as the golden scales left by the setting sun on the river surface gradually faded, the sweltering wind began to carry a hint of chill.

The dock laborers, having toiled all day, were lining up to collect their daily wages—perhaps the happiest moment of their day.

"Earned another 20 wen today, hehe, time to buy some meat to satisfy my cravings."

Zhang Tieniu pushed the twenty-five bamboo tallies from his pocket forward, exchanging them for 20 wen in copper coins.

"I don't know where you get such drive, earning around 20 wen every single day."

Liu Dachun looked at the dozen or so copper coins in his own hand, unable to hide his envy.

According to the wharf's rules, one had to haul one hundred and twenty catties of cargo to earn a single bamboo tally, meaning Zhang Tieniu's daily freight volume was around three thousand catties!

He was well-named Zhang Tieniu—Iron Ox—for he himself lacked that kind of strength.

Zhang Tieniu gave an honest smile: "This money is the tuition I'm saving up for the martial arts school; I can't afford to slack off."

His gaze then fell on Chen Yuan, who was waiting to the side, and he asked: "I've seen you hauling quite a bit too, Ah Yuan. You must have saved up a fair amount for the school as well?"

Chen Yuan only smiled: "I can't compare to you, Tieniu."

In truth, he had hauled no less than Zhang Tieniu today, collecting thirty bamboo tallies in total, which earned him twenty-four wen—hardly any different from a full-grown, sturdy man.

But he knew deep down that in these chaotic times, survival was the only truth; until he had the power to protect himself, he would keep a low profile.

Taxes were already harsh, and the local gangs, who sucked the marrow from one's bones, would cling to you to drain every drop of blood, never stopping until they had squeezed out every bit of profit.

Only by hiding one's light could one preserve a bit of capital.

Thus, in the three months since he had transmigrated here, he had silently assumed the original owner's identity, working diligently at the wharf every day, shedding countless drops of sweat.

He had even gradually increased his workload from twenty bamboo tallies a day to thirty, causing the foreman to take an extra look whenever he turned them in.

However, he always covered the number of tallies with his hand and quickly stuffed the copper coins into his pouch, unwilling to reveal even a fraction of his progress.

Of course, being able to increase his workload by half in such a short time was not because the original owner had been lazy or because he was exceptionally hardworking, but due to the Survival Path Panel that had transmigrated with him:

[Aptitude: 10]
[Constitution: 28]
[Cultivation: None]
[Technique: None]
[Survival Points: 2]
[Evaluation: Keeping a low profile, avoiding conflict, and understanding the principle of biding one's time—you have caught a glimpse of the path of survival. Daily Survival Points +2]

As the name suggests, the Survival Path Panel evaluates your daily behavior and grants Survival Points.

These Survival Points can be used to improve one's Constitution and Aptitude.

Chen Yuan remembered that when he first arrived, both his Aptitude and Constitution were at ten points, and it took ten Survival Points to increase an attribute by one.

Three months of accumulation had allowed him to raise his Constitution from ten to twenty-eight.

After all, in his view, Aptitude was something mysterious and elusive, and his current brain was sufficient for the time being.

The improvement in Constitution was much more tangible, directly reflected in the change in his bamboo tallies.

He believed that by the time he had saved enough for the martial arts school tuition, his Constitution would be sufficient to be accepted.

As for the goal of joining a martial arts school, it was something Chen Yuan had decided upon the moment he arrived.

With gangs clashing and the government squeezing the people dry, the only way to change one's fate was to practice martial arts!

Liu Dachun looked at his two ambitious companions and couldn't help but sigh:

"Who doesn't know that practicing martial arts can help you get ahead? But the hardships involved are also common knowledge. For people like us, just the apprenticeship fee takes years to scrape together, not to mention the food and medicinal supplements needed later..."

"Besides, how many actually manage to enter? If you ask me, martial arts is something for the wealthy; it's not for us."

He had seen a cousin of his insist on practicing martial arts, only to drain the family's savings and end up with nothing, which had long ago extinguished his own desire to pursue it.

"I have to try." Zhang Tieniu gritted his teeth. He knew the hardships of martial arts all too well, but he was already prepared.

Liu Dachun shook his head slightly and looked at Chen Yuan, advising:

"I won't say anything more to Niu, his father supports him. But you, Ah Qing, you need to think carefully. Is your biased father really willing to spend money to support you? If he won't pay, how many years will it take you to save up on your own?"

After Liu Dachun finished speaking, Zhang Tieniu also gave Chen Yuan a deep look.

Although he hoped Chen Yuan could join the school with him, he knew the situation in Chen Yuan's household.

"There will always be a way," Chen Yuan replied helplessly.

After parting ways with the two, he walked home alone, his mind still occupied by Liu Dachun's words.

He had a father and a grandfather above him, both carpenters in Lotus Lane; they weren't exactly wealthy, but after many years, they should have some savings.

If they could support his martial arts training, that would naturally be for the best.

However, Chen Yuan's mother had died in childbirth, and after the mourning period, his father, Chen Dashan, had immediately remarried, taking Li as his wife and giving birth to another son, Chen Kai, a year later.

In Chen Yuan's memory, his father and Li were extremely partial to his half-brother, Chen Kai, always giving him the best of everything.

Only his grandfather was somewhat fair and looked after him, though he was inevitably influenced by Li.

He had brought up the matter of practicing martial arts at the dinner table earlier, but Li's face had darkened immediately, and she had launched into a tirade, telling him not to indulge in wishful thinking.

His father, Chen Dashan, had also made his stance clear, telling him with a cold face to just honestly work at the docks.

However, things had reached this point, and Chen Yuan did not want to argue; at worst, he would just save money slowly.

Now that his aptitude was steadily improving and his ability to earn money was getting faster, combined with the savings of the original owner, he would be able to scrape together enough money for the martial hall in less than a year.

He was seventeen this year; if he gritted his teeth, he could still afford the delay.

Pushing open the door to the house, a scent of meat wafted over before he even saw anyone; they must have stewed some meat.

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what good news there was that the family would go to such lengths to stew meat.

Usually, having a little bit of meat in the vegetables was considered good, and even then, it all ended up in Chen Kai's stomach.

He washed his hands and sat down at the table to take a look; sure enough, there were two or three meat dishes, so he figured he would be able to treat himself today as well.

When Chen Kai saw his older brother Chen Yuan, he didn't offer a greeting, but instead pinched his nose, putting on an act of disgust at the smell of sweat on Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was used to it and asked Chen Dashan, who was at the head of the table:

"Dad, what's the occasion today? Why is the meal so lavish?"

Chen Dashan looked at his younger son, Chen Kai, with doting eyes, and even his response to Chen Yuan carried a smile:

"Today, your stepmother took Kai to Green Pine Martial Hall for a bone-testing. The martial instructor said that Kai has a Grade D-High aptitude; as long as he practices diligently, there is a good chance he can enter the path."

Chen Yuan was stunned. His own goal was to enter the martial hall, so he naturally understood the aptitude rankings.

A Grade D-Low aptitude meant there was a chance to enter the martial path, and since Chen Kai had tested at Grade D-High, the instructor had been speaking the truth.

However, he also caught the implication in Chen Dashan's words and asked in a low voice:

"Dad, are you sending Kai to the martial hall?"

Just then, Li walked out of the kitchen with the last dish of greens, and his grandfather, Chen Dahai, walked in with his pipe in his mouth.

Hearing Chen Yuan's question, Li answered first with a smug tone:

"That goes without saying. The status of a martial instructor is highly respected. If he can pass the martial examinations and become a martial scholar, it will be a case of one person attaining the Dao and their whole family ascending to heaven. Our Chen family will rely on Kai to bring honor to our ancestors."

Grandfather Chen Dahai put down his pipe, his wrinkled face also full of smiles as he looked at Chen Kai with affection:

"Indeed. Since there is an opportunity to practice martial arts and change his fate, and Kai has the ambition for it, we must naturally support him with all our might."

Chen Yuan fell silent, once again experiencing the blatant favoritism of his family.

Although Chen Kai had good aptitude and supporting his martial training was understandable, he himself hadn't even been given the chance to have his bones tested.

Chen Yuan also knew that even if he were tested and found to have good aptitude, the family wouldn't necessarily support his training.

Now that Chen Kai had started spending money on martial arts, it was even less likely.

He sighed in his heart and stopped dwelling on it; at worst, he would just save money slowly.

Looking on the bright side, thanks to Chen Kai, at least he had some meat to eat now.

But just as he reached out with his chopsticks, Li said nonchalantly:

"Chen Yuan, as the older brother, you should support your younger brother's training. I have already taken the silver you kept in your room. From now on, you will provide two silver coins every month to improve your brother's diet; a person practicing martial arts cannot go without meat."