Chen's Rice Noodle Factory.
Li Xiuwen had long since disposed of his hemp clothes and changed into loose everyday wear. He returned home as though nothing had happened.
Inside, his uncle-in-law and aunt-in-law were still awake.
They knew A Wen had gone to find Third Master. How could they not worry?
"I'm back," Li Xiuwen said softly as he closed the door.
His aunt-in-law looked out the window and whispered, "Is Third Master dead?"
Li Xiuwen nodded.
His uncle-in-law stood frozen. After years of being bullied, he had never once been able to relax.
Now that the Three Calamities had been eliminated, he felt as though he were dreaming. None of it seemed real.
"A Wen, you've really made something of yourself..." his aunt-in-law said. "It looks like you really have a chance at next year's Crossing River Association."
Before, she had thought A Wen was only joking.
Now, even if A Wen said he would become the second "Mr. Wen," she would believe him.
Li Xiuwen's expression turned serious. "You two must take this to your graves. No matter who asks, say you don't know anything.
"Third Master belonged to the Children's Gang, after all. Even if they're a disorganized rabble, someone might still have been backing him."
His aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law nodded vigorously. "Don't worry. We've both nearly died before. We'll take this secret to our graves."
Li Xiuwen took out the banknotes he had obtained from Third Master and counted them in front of his aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law. The total came to twenty-four thousand yuan.
For the vast majority of Fragrant Sea's poor, that was an enormous sum.
These days, honest work didn't pay.
The sight of so much money shocked his uncle-in-law and aunt-in-law-and pained them even more!
Longjin Road was small, and all their neighbors were poor.
Of those thirty thousand yuan, at least several thousand had come from their family.
This time, the money had returned to its rightful owners.
Li Xiuwen counted out some notes and smiled. "Uncle, I'll pay you back ten thousand first. I'll use the rest for my training. Once I've earned some money, I'll pay you back another ten thousand."
"No! I already told you, we're family. There's no need to pay us back!" His uncle-in-law shook his head and pushed the money away.
His aunt-in-law added, "A Wen, practicing martial arts costs a lot. You need this money more than we do. Keep it. We're happy enough knowing you care."
Li Xiuwen's tone brooked no argument. "What I've kept will cover my training for a while. Take it. I know what things are like at home!"
Rarely had his uncle-in-law and aunt-in-law seen A Wen look so stern. They lowered their heads.
Li Xiuwen sighed. "I'm not a child anymore. I know everything...
"Three years ago, when I came to Shenghai, all the money you'd saved went toward my ransom.
"For the past three years, gangs and thugs have squeezed the factory's profits dry, and customers have held back their payments.
"I've seen the accounts. This year, we only received payment for one shipment, and you spent it on my apprenticeship fee.
"To keep the factory running, you even borrowed money... I'm not wrong, am I?"
His uncle-in-law nodded, his face creased with worry.
His aunt-in-law rubbed her eyes, which had begun to redden.
Li Xiuwen softened his tone and sighed. "These ten thousand yuan will be enough to pay off the debt and keep the factory running for now."
His uncle-in-law nodded. "All right, we'll listen to you. I'll take the money. Thank you."
After a pause, Li Xiuwen hesitated briefly, then said gravely, "By the way, Uncle... I saw your examination report from the big hospital outside the Enclave the other day."
His uncle-in-law's expression shifted slightly. He turned to his aunt-in-law. "Didn't I tell you to put it away?"
His aunt-in-law burst into anxious tears. "I... I did put it away!"
Li Xiuwen's eyes reddened slightly. "It had nothing to do with Aunt. My hearing is good. I heard you talking and secretly looked for it myself.
"Uncle, why would you hide something like this from me? Did you think it would ease my burden so I could practice martial arts?
"You're wrong. I don't have any other family in this world. You're all I have! If you died, I'd spend the rest of my life grieving!"
His uncle-in-law sighed. "It might have something to do with my working environment. It's fine. I'll get better with some rest. Doctors only know how to scare people. They just want us to spend money."
Li Xiuwen shook his head. "Uncle, I'm not stupid. This isn't something a little rest will cure. You need to go to a proper hospital and get treated soon.
"Take some of these ten thousand yuan and find a good doctor. Buy some medicine. If it isn't enough, ask me for more. I'll figure something out.
"Take this seriously and get yourself healthy. Serious illnesses start as minor ones that people ignore until they've dragged on too long.
"Besides, you and Aunt haven't had a child in all these years. Could that be because you haven't been looking after your health?
"I know Aunt has always wanted a child. She's already sewn several pairs of little tiger-head shoes for a baby.
"Neither of you is young anymore. My training has started paying off, and I can look after myself.
"You need to think more about yourselves. Find a martial arts school that focuses on health. You don't have to train for combat. Learn some health-building forms and strengthen your bodies.
"Eat better and nourish yourselves, too. Aunt is thirty-five already. If you keep putting it off, it'll only get harder."
That day, Li Xiuwen talked at length, nagging just like his parents had in his previous life.
He had known about many of these things, but before, he hadn't had the ability to help. Speaking up would have been useless.
Now that he had some ability, he was the head of the household. They had to listen to him!
"All right, I'll take it. A Wen, come to me if you run short of money." His uncle-in-law rubbed his damp eyes and smiled.
"Third Master is dead," Li Xiuwen said with a smile. "We can hold our heads high now. Life will get better."
His aunt-in-law truly couldn't hold back her tears.
This time, they were tears of gratitude, a release for years of suffering.
"A Wen, thank you," she said, hugging him.
"Don't say that again. Without you two, I'd have died in the snake pit long ago."
"All right. A Wen, be careful from now on, too. Don't provoke anyone we can't afford to offend. What matters most is that our family stays safe, has enough to eat and drink, and lives a decent life."
"I know... All right, you two should get some rest. I'll go to bed, too."
After comforting his aunt-in-law, Li Xiuwen returned to his room.
He had been a little angry today because his uncle-in-law's illness might not have been curable even with the medical technology of his previous life.
"Ah..." He shook his head and put those worries aside for the time being.
Lying in bed, he stared at the ceiling and planned how to spend the fourteen thousand yuan.
First, he needed to buy fish pills, at least one a week. Although they contained poison, their benefits to his stance training were real.
The price was his future. People in the Enclave had no future. Right now, Li Xiuwen only wanted to stay alive and live well.
Second, he would increase his daily spending on Hard Qigong from twenty yuan to one hundred.
The Blood-Transforming Paste he currently used was the cheapest formulation. Although it worked, it drained too much of his body's potential, and its medicinal potency was too weak to replenish what he spent.
Switching to better medicine would both accelerate his progress in Hard Qigong and make his training sustainable, sparing him lasting harm down the road.
A martial art on the level of the Binding Armor Skill would be a treasured secret art even in a major gang. It was one of his greatest trump cards. He had to hurry and reach minor mastery!
After a quick calculation, Li Xiuwen felt despair well up.
This ten-odd thousand yuan wouldn't last long. It would barely carry him through to the Second-Floor Tournament.
No wonder people said martial artists seemed capable of making money, yet hardly had a penny in their pockets. Every last one of them was broke.
There was no helping it. Everything went into improving their strength, with more expenses than anyone could count.
This money will only cover an emergency, not solve the underlying problem. I'll have to give it my all when I challenge another school next month!
Once I've learned footwork, I'll have a much better chance of making it to the second floor. If I succeed, the monthly fees alone will save me quite a bit each year.
Before you continue