Meat and Martial Arts

The sun gradually sank westward, dyeing the clouds at the horizon a brilliant orange-red.

Ning Family Courtyard.

Ning Chuan slowly drew his fists back and let out a long breath of stale air, his breathing carrying the steady rhythm unique to the Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique.

After practicing the Spirit Rhino Bull Fist all afternoon, though he had not used Soul Power, he could still feel his blood and qi surging through his body, his muscles slightly hot, and his entire body pleasantly relaxed.

As for his younger sister Ning Xiaohe, the little girl also imitated her brother and withdrew her fists to stand still. Her little face was flushed red, fine beads of sweat hung at her temples, and her breathing was slightly rapid, yet her eyes were especially bright, brimming with excitement and energy.

"Brother, this fist technique is so fun! After practicing it, I feel all warm inside, like I have endless strength!" Ning Xiaohe skipped over to Ning Chuan, grabbed his arm, and cried excitedly.

Ning Chuan smiled and rubbed his sister's head. Feeling the warmth from her palm and her noticeably stronger grip, he felt at ease.

With the effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill and the guidance of this beginner-level fist technique, his sister's physique was improving even faster than he had expected.

"Practicing martial arts is a good thing. It strengthens the body," Ning Chuan said gently. "But too much is as bad as too little. Especially at the beginning, you must take things step by step. This is enough for today. Any more, and you might hurt your muscles and bones."

He then pointed at Ning Xiaohe's stomach. "Besides, practicing consumes nutrients, and you need food and sleep to replenish them. Tell me, isn't your stomach hungry?"

Hearing that, Ning Xiaohe instinctively rubbed her little belly. Sure enough, a soft gurgle sounded from it.

She smiled sheepishly. "Mm! I'm hungry! Brother, what tasty food is Mom making tonight?"

Seeing his sister's innocent, cheerful appearance, Ning Chuan felt a little troubled over how he and his sister should reasonably obtain cultivation resources in the future.

Martial arts training, especially during the foundation-building stage, demanded far more nutrition than usual.

The generation of blood and qi, the growth of muscles, and the strengthening of tendons and bones all required large quantities of high-quality food to support them.

The family's usual fare of coarse rice, pickled vegetables, and the occasional bit of grease was nowhere near enough.

He had to make his parents realize this, and... find a way to improve the family's diet.

And improving their diet meant needing more money.

By evening, the family was gathered around the wooden table.

The food on the table was still simple: a bowl of thin porridge, a plate of pickled vegetables, several mixed-grain buns, and the only dish that could count as something substantial—a small bowl of greens stir-fried with pork cracklings, glistening with oil and fragrant.

Seeing the clearly rosier complexions and much better appetites of their children after practicing martial arts, Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan both wore relieved smiles.

Ning Chuan shoveled down several mouthfuls of food, but the hunger in his stomach did not ease much. Instead, it became even stronger because of the exercise he had just done.

He knew it was time to speak up.

Setting down his bowl and chopsticks, Ning Chuan wore a serious expression as he looked at his parents. "Dad, Mom, there's something... I want to discuss with you."

Seeing their son's solemn expression, Liu Lan and Ning Dazhuang both put down their chopsticks.

"What is it? Go ahead," Ning Dazhuang said in a muffled voice.

Ning Chuan organized his thoughts, trying to make his words sound reasonable rather than like he was simply asking for money. "Dad, Mom, I taught Xiao He that fist technique today, and I feel like... it seems to consume quite a lot of stamina."

He pointed at himself and his sister again. "Look, we practiced for less than two hours, yet our appetites seem much bigger than usual. I was thinking, if we keep practicing for a long time, just eating this much... I'm afraid our bodies won't be able to keep up. We might even harm ourselves from training."

Hearing this, Liu Lan looked at the porridge in her son's bowl, which was nearly gone, then at Xiao He happily munching on a grain bun. She nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. The more active you are, the more you eat. Those martial artists in the village back then, which one of them wasn't able to eat and drink plenty?"

Ning Dazhuang said nothing, only furrowing his brow slightly as though he had thought of something.

Ning Chuan struck while the iron was hot and continued, "And the fist manual seemed to mention that when practicing this technique, it's best to nourish the body with meat, so you can build strength and fortify your tendons and bones. If we only eat vegetables, I'm afraid the results won't be very good."

That was half true and half false. The original Bull Strength did indeed mention the need for nutrition, but nowhere near as importantly as Ning Chuan made it sound.

He was laying the groundwork for asking for money to buy meat later.

"Meat?" Liu Lan froze for a moment, her face showing difficulty. "But... meat is so expensive. With our family's circumstances..."

Ordinary farming families in Holy Soul Village might not eat meat more than a few times throughout the year.

Usually, having a little pork crackling to stir-fry vegetables with already counted as an improvement to their lives.

Ning Chuan knew his mother would say this. He took a deep breath and steered the topic toward the heart of the matter. "Mom, I know meat is expensive. So I was thinking... could we take part of the money from selling that stone last time and improve the food at home? Especially by buying more meat and eggs to nourish Xiao He and me?"

After speaking, he paused again, his tone earnest. "I know that money is something Dad and Mom saved for important things. But I think spending it to keep our whole family healthy is better than anything else. Only if Xiao He and I are healthy can we have a better future, right?"

Ning Chuan's words touched Liu Lan deeply.

As a mother, what she cared about most was her children's health.

Seeing her daughter, who had once been so sickly, now lively and energetic, made her happier than anyone.

If eating better food could truly make her children stronger, she would be willing a hundred times over.

But Ning Dazhuang managed the money, so she could not help looking at her husband.

Ning Dazhuang had listened in silence the entire time. There was no expression on his dark face, but the hand holding his grain bun had stopped in midair.

The money from selling that "stone" was a huge sum to the Ning Family.

He had originally planned to use it to repair the roof that was about to leak, save some for his son's future marriage, or perhaps, if an opportunity arose, send his son to the city to learn a trade...

But now, his son wanted to use the money to improve their meals, and it was all for practicing a fist technique whose reliability was uncertain.

Ning Dazhuang felt conflicted.

It was not that he was unwilling to spend money on his children. It was simply that the caution and long-term planning ingrained in ordinary people made him hesitate.

"Honey..." Liu Lan called softly, her eyes filled with expectation.

Though Ning Xiaohe did not really understand what the adults were discussing, she could sense that the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy. Blinking her big eyes, she said quietly, "Dad, Mom, I can eat less from now on... It's just that after practicing, my tummy always rumbles..."

The little girl's innocent words softened Ning Dazhuang's heart.

He looked at his son's determined gaze, his wife's expectant eyes, and his daughter's innocent little face, now obviously much healthier and rosier. Then he remembered what his son had said about the "mysterious old man" and the miraculous pill...

Perhaps this truly was Heaven giving the Ning Family a chance to change? His children's health was their greatest asset.

After a long while, Ning Dazhuang let out a heavy sigh, as though he had finally made up his mind.

He picked up his chopsticks, placed a large helping of pork cracklings and greens into Ning Chuan's bowl, then gave Ning Xiaohe a helping as well.

"Eat." His voice remained low, but it carried an unquestionable resolve. "Tomorrow, I'll go into town and buy two jin of meat. From now on... we really do need to improve the food at home."

After saying that, he looked at Ning Chuan again, his gaze complicated. "Since you want to teach Xiao He that fist technique, teach her properly. But remember, know your limits. Don't push yourselves too hard."

"Yes! Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!" A huge weight lifted from Ning Chuan's heart, and he quickly replied, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

Liu Lan also relaxed, a smile appearing on her face. "Good, good! Tomorrow, Mom will make meat buns for you two!"

Hearing there would be meat buns, Ning Xiaohe clapped happily. "Yay, yay! Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!"

Because of this little episode, the atmosphere at dinner instead became even warmer and more harmonious.

Although Ning Dazhuang had made his decision, the heaviness between his brows, born from the burden of supporting the family, did not entirely fade.

The money from selling the "stone" seemed like a lot, but if they only spent it without earning more, it would not last forever.

Ning Chuan saw his father's expression and understood.

The windfall gained by selling items from the Garbage Station was ultimately only a temporary measure, and it carried considerable risk.

If he truly wanted to improve the family's circumstances and put his parents at ease, he had to find a stable, sustainable source of income.

And that source might still have to come from the Heavens Trash Recycling Station.

He simply needed to be more careful and more clever in turning it into wealth recognized by this world.