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Wang Xiumei was stunned, staring blankly at the bracelet before looking up at Li Chuan, wanting to say something.

Li Chuan understood his mother's intent and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mother. A senior brother from the martial arts school recommended me for a position at his family's pharmacy, which pays three taels of silver a month. I also just received a three-tael reward for delivering a batch of medicine, so I have plenty of money."

Hearing this, Wang Xiumei finally set her heart at ease.

She had been terrified that Li Chuan had scrimped and saved just to buy back this bracelet.

"Xiumei, what did you just say?!"

Li Nian pushed the door open and limped out.

His leg had not fully healed and he still needed a crutch, but he moved faster this time than ever before.

"Father, Chuan'er has successfully broken through the barrier."

Li Nian looked at Li Chuan in disbelief. "A-Chuan, did you really succeed?"

Li Chuan nodded with a smile.

Receiving the affirmative answer, Li Nian burst into hearty laughter and exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row.

He then tremblingly pulled a crumpled, old cigarette from his pocket.

To save a tael of silver for Li Chuan's food expenses, he had quit smoking a long time ago.

These few cigarettes had been rolled months ago, and he had never been able to bring himself to smoke them.

Now that a great weight had been lifted from his heart, it was only natural to celebrate.

In the snowy night.

Li Nian lit the tobacco, took a deep drag, and finally calmed down a little.

His grandmother, Lin Shi, also ran out.

Li Chuan said helplessly, "It's just a breakthrough to Bright Force, nothing to make a fuss about. Let's go inside first."

After the group went in, Wang Xiumei slammed the door shut and locked it with a wooden bolt.

It was as if she were venting all the gloom she had bottled up during this time.

Inside the house, Qin Sanfeng and Li Qing were already seated.

Li Qing's eyes were complex as he said in a low voice, "A-Chuan, Grandfather's choice back then was the right one."

Having spent two or three months lifting stones at home, Li Qing had become increasingly aware of how difficult it was to practice martial arts.

If it had been him at the martial arts school, he might not have succeeded in breaking through the barrier.

Li Chuan scolded him with a smile, "Big Brother, you're being too formal. Why say such things between family? Once I earn enough silver in the future, I will definitely send you to the martial arts school as well."

Upon hearing this, Qin Sanfeng couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear. "A-Chuan, your brother's matter can wait; take care of yourself first."

Before Li Chuan had broken through the barrier, those words hadn't meant much.

But now that he had reached the Bright Force, the mention of this topic carried a completely different weight.

Li Chuan placed the roasted chicken, beef, and yellow wine he was carrying onto the table.

Wang Xiumei took some lamp oil and lit the oil lamp, a rare occurrence.

Under the warm yellow light, the steaming roasted chicken wafted with a fragrant aroma.

Li Chuan tore off a chicken leg and gave it to Li Qing. "Big Brother, you are currently tempering your blood and energy, you need to eat more meat."

He then divided the remaining chicken leg among his grandparents, mother, and aunt.

Li Nian hesitated and said, "A-Chuan, even though you've succeeded in breaking through, you still need to be frugal with your money. We can manage on salted vegetables; you mustn't let your own martial path fall behind."

Li Chuan replied, "Don't worry, Grandfather. I've taken a position at the Luo Family Pharmacy with a monthly salary of three taels. From now on, you don't need to give me any food money; keep the silver to improve your own meals. How can we eat salted vegetables every day?"

"A monthly salary of three taels? A martial artist who has broken through the barrier is truly different. No wonder so many people scrimp and save just to send their children there!" Qin Sanfeng said in surprise.

Li Qing said in a muffled voice, "Mother, that's because A-Chuan has great natural talent. I've heard that many Bright Force martial artists only earn about one tael a month, and two taels is considered a lot."

Qin Sanfeng shook her head in disbelief. "Our family has truly produced a candidate for Martial Scholar!"

Li Nian finally set his mind at ease and focused on enjoying the long-awaited meat.

The family drank yellow wine and ate chicken and beef, occasionally chewing on fine white rice, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Every face was brimming with joy and happiness.

Li Chuan downed the rest of his yellow wine in one gulp and smacked his lips.

The alcohol content isn't even as high as the beer from my past life; it barely tastes like alcohol at all...

Ancient brewing techniques were immature, and high-proof alcohol was rare.

No wonder there are sayings about drinking a thousand cups without getting drunk; it's practically like drinking water. Even with my "three-cup" tolerance, I could probably down several pounds of this, Li Chuan thought to himself.

After eating, Li Chuan took Li Qing to lift stones while teaching him several other training methods.

For instance, tying stones to his legs while lifting weights would yield even better results.

About an hour later, Li Qing took the initiative to tell Li Chuan to go back and rest.

After staying home for one night, Li Chuan prepared to leave.

Bright Force was not the end, nor did it mean everything was secure.

The Martial Exam would be held in half a year.

If he could pass as a Martial Scholar, he would gain a semi-official status, along with an exemption from taxes and corvée labor for three generations.

If it were only taxes, he wouldn't be too worried, as he could earn money.

But the corvée labor was the most lethal.

When corvée labor was levied, every household had to provide one or two able-bodied men.

Even with his background at the Pine Wind Martial Hall, he might not be able to stand against the county magistrate.

He could end up being dragged straight from the stable martial hall to go dig canals...

That was a high-risk job; few who went to serve corvée labor ever returned.

If I can get the exemption, I can also bring Father and Uncle back, if they are still alive...

Li Chuan sighed.

He didn't have deep feelings for the father and uncle of this life.

After all, they had already been gone for months by the time he transmigrated.

His motivation was more about reuniting the family.

Although his grandfather didn't say it, Li Chuan could feel that he often missed his two sons.

They were his own flesh and blood, after all.

He just rarely showed it in front of him.

The Martial Exam only takes the top fifty. There are many martial halls in Anning County; Pine Wind Martial Hall alone has eight or nine disciples at the Dark Force level. To safely make the top fifty, Dark Force alone isn't enough—my combat techniques must also keep up, Li Chuan calculated in his heart.

Based on this situation, he needed to break through to Dark Force within half a year, his Through-Arm Fist needed to reach at least Great Accomplishment, and it would be best to master an additional combat style to make himself even stronger.

Having thought it through, Li Chuan stepped into the market, prepared to select a type of meat to consume long-term.

Although pork was cheap, it was no longer enough for him now that he had reached Bright Force.

Eating his fill only replenished seventy percent of his blood and energy.

The remaining thirty percent simply couldn't be filled.

Based on this, Li Chuan had a theory:

I'm afraid that once you reach Bright Force, the "quantity" of blood and energy required increases, and the requirements for "quality" also become higher.

Eating pork could at most pile up the quantity, but it couldn't improve the quality.

Therefore, he had to consume higher-grade meat.

Li Chuan's gaze swept back and forth across the butcher stalls.

Venison was a great choice, but it cost one hundred and fifty wen per catty!

Li Chuan gave a bitter smile.

That was too expensive for him; he basically needed to eat two catties of meat a day.

That meant three hundred wen a day, or nine taels of silver a month!

His monthly salary was only three or four taels; he couldn't afford to eat like that.

"Roe deer meat, pangolin, and bear paw... one tael per catty? Why don't you just rob me!"

Everything was getting more expensive!

After searching for a while, Li Chuan finally found a suitable option.

Donkey meat!

As the saying goes, "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground."

Donkey meat not only tasted good, but its nourishing effects were also outstanding.

Most importantly, it cost fifty wen per catty.

Two catties a day would be one hundred wen.

Three taels a month—it was the best meat he could afford.

Li Chuan picked up six catties of donkey meat and returned to the Pine Wind Martial Hall.