Archery

After breakfast the next morning, Zhao Youlin and Zhao Feng went to the home of Zhao Feng's eldest uncle, Zhao Youfu, at the western end of the village.

Zhao Youfu had always lived in the Zhao Family's old residence, a compound with two courtyards. After renovations, it looked even more spacious and bright.

When Zhao Youlin and Zhao Feng entered, Zhao Youfu and his wife remained seated in the main hall without moving, as though they were receiving servants.

Zhao Youfu had a noticeably healthier complexion than Zhao Youlin, and his face had a glow to it. Although he was two years older, he looked much younger.

His wife, Qian Shi, wore her hair in a neat bun. Her clothes were also made of coarse cloth, but they had no patches, and she dressed far more carefully than Yang Shi.

Their second son, Zhao Sheng, sat beside them filing his fingernails. He did not even raise his eyes when Zhao Youlin came in.

"Second Brother is here. Have you eaten?" Zhao Youfu asked with a smile.

"Brother, sister-in-law, we've eaten."

Zhao Youlin greeted them.

"Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt," Zhao Feng greeted them as well.

"Feng, you're here too." His Eldest Uncle nodded.

"Oh, is your madness getting better? Everyone in the village says you've gone simple-minded. If you ask me, you're lucky to have kept your life," Qian Shi teased from beside him, recalling how vividly the woman next door had described Zhao Feng howling as he was beaten, and the way he had been thrown into the water afterward.

She could not hold it in and burst out laughing.

Zhao Feng saw his father's face turn livid in an instant and lowered his head.

His Eldest Uncle laughed along for a while, then put away his smile and assumed a stern expression.

"You're old enough to know better. Hurry up and find something worthwhile to do instead of always making your parents worry. This is disgraceful." He adopted the airs of an elder as he scolded him.

Fuck, an ass-licker like you is lecturing me? Zhao Feng remembered how his Eldest Uncle had lived off his grandfather in his youth and inherited the old residence, then become a lackey to a wealthy young man in the county town before sending his eldest son there to carry on as a lackey.

He was hardly any better than the idle loafer who had previously inhabited this body.

"Brother, I came this time precisely because I want to find something worthwhile for Feng to do," Zhao Youlin said.

"Our family can't help you with anything. Besides, what work could he find with his madness?" his Eldest Aunt hastily interjected.

"I want to take back the five taels of silver Father left me," Zhao Youlin said.

The moment he finished speaking, the room abruptly fell silent.

"What do you need money for?" Zhao Youfu asked with a frown.

His Eldest Aunt's expression also turned hostile, her face darkening.

"Brother, Father left that money to me. I need it back for something urgent," Zhao Youlin said.

"What exactly do you need it for?"

"I want to send Feng to learn martial arts." As soon as he said it, the atmosphere grew strange.

"Pfft!" Zhao Sheng, who had not spoken until now, gave a derisive laugh.

"Second Uncle, do you think just anyone can learn martial arts? A wastrel like him thinks he can learn too? Don't go making a fool of yourself."

Zhao Youlin's face instantly flushed a deep purplish red.

"Second Brother, I hate to say it, but what nonsense are you playing at? Sending an idiot to learn martial arts? We have no money." His Eldest Aunt's face fell.

"Brother, sister-in-law, you just bought an ox, and you've sent Sheng to learn martial arts. Why can't I take back my silver to send Feng too? We divided the household long ago. That silver is mine," Zhao Youlin said.

"Second Brother, I'll be blunt. We have to pay for Sheng's martial training, so there's no money for you. Besides, Feng simply isn't cut out for martial arts. As your elder brother, I can't stand by and watch you make a mess of things," Zhao Youfu said coldly.

"You know perfectly well what Feng is like. Sending him to learn martial arts would only waste money. Nothing would come of it except people laughing at us. Hasn't he disgraced our Zhao Family enough already? Never mind that we have no money now-even if we did, I wouldn't give it to you to squander."

"If you ask me, everyone has a different lot in life, and you have to accept yours. Look at our Sheng. His instructor at the martial arts school just praised his talent. He's the true hope of the Zhao Family," his Eldest Aunt said smugly.

"Second Brother, I'm thinking of our entire Zhao Family. If our family is to produce a Qilin Prodigy, it will definitely be our Sheng. That's why both our households must work together to support him. When Sheng passes the Martial Examination, your family will share in his glory too, won't you? Sending Feng to learn martial arts is a complete waste of money, sheer nonsense. It would only invite ridicule and bring shame upon our ancestors," Zhao Youfu said, adopting a tone of earnest persuasion.

"Yes, the Martial Examination! Our Sheng is so outstanding, he's bound to pass!" His Eldest Aunt's eyes shone as she imagined herself dressed in fine silks and satins, with the villagers around her dying of envy.

"Father, Mother, once I pass the provincial Martial Examination and become a man of standing, not only will we be exempt from taxes, but our whole family can move into the inner city and live in a grand residence!" Zhao Sheng said with his chin raised, a trace of smugness in his expression.

"Good, good, good!"

"With Sheng, all we have to do is wait to enjoy a life of comfort." Zhao Youfu and his wife beamed, both grinning so widely they could not close their mouths.

The county town's inner city was a place they had dreamed of their entire lives.

They had completely forgotten Zhao Youlin and his son, immersed in fantasies of wealth and glory.

Zhao Feng watched coldly, knowing there was no hope of getting the money back.

"Father, let's go." He stood, took his father's rough, cold hand, and walked out.

"What does he think he is, dreaming of practicing martial arts?" Zhao Sheng's mutter came from behind them.

After leaving the old residence, Zhao Feng glanced back. He would never come here again.

"Feng, your father is useless. I've let you down," Zhao Youlin said shamefacedly.

"Father, don't blame yourself for other people's wrongs. We'll talk when we get home."

The two returned to their own courtyard at the eastern end of the village.

"Dear, did you get it back?" Yang Shi asked cautiously.

His face livid, Zhao Youlin shook his head.

He was seething with anger. Not only had he failed to get the money back, but he had suffered a needless round of humiliation.

"What? What gives them the right? That was Father-in-law's money! What right do they have to refuse?" Tian Cuihua exploded when she heard.

"I'm going to confront them!" She rolled up her sleeves, ready to go and argue.

"Sister-in-law! Forget it. Just consider that silver fed to the dogs." Zhao Feng stopped her.

"One day, they won't be able to get through our door even if they come bearing money."

"At worst, I'll hunt and save up the silver myself."

Over the next several days, Zhao Feng went up the mountain to practice archery whenever he was free from work. As the weather grew colder, there was less and less work in the fields, so he devoted most of his energy to practicing with his bow.

[Archery: minor mastery (235/2000)]

It was another day of grueling practice that left both his arms sore and numb. After finishing, Zhao Feng went into Great Green Mountain to try his luck, as usual.

This time, he planned to venture deeper into the mountains. Over the past few days, he had stayed on the outskirts, hoping to encounter rabbits or pheasants, but his luck had been poor and he had caught nothing.

Although entering the deep mountains was still rather dangerous for him, wealth and honor had to be sought amid danger. If he wanted valuable prey, he would have to venture farther in.

By the time he reached North Peak on Great Green Mountain, nearly three hours had passed. A thin layer of snow already covered North Peak, stretching white as far as he could see.

Then Zhao Feng noticed several chewed fragments of hazelnut shells scattered across the snow. The tooth marks along their edges were fresh.

There's an animal nearby! Zhao Feng immediately grew alert.

He looked carefully in every direction and finally discovered a faint trail of hoofprints. The two halves of each print were clearly separated, slender as willow leaves. The marks they left in the snow were shallow, suggesting that the animal moved lightly on its feet.

"It's a roe deer!" Drawing on the knowledge his father had taught him, Zhao Feng recognized them immediately.

Fortunately, only a light dusting of snow had fallen here on North Peak. Otherwise, such shallow hoofprints would soon have been covered.

Zhao Feng's heart leaped with joy. People called them foolish roe deer for a reason-as long as he could sneak close, he could kill one with a single arrow.

He quietly followed the barely discernible hoofprints.

A cold wind howled through the mountains, sweeping dead leaves past his cheeks. At last, more than two hundred paces ahead, he spotted three roe deer busily searching the snow for food, now nibbling branches, now rooting through dead leaves and earth. They looked to be a family of three.

Without betraying any excitement, Zhao Feng turned and made a wide detour, circling around to the downwind side of the three roe deer so they would not catch his scent.

Foolish though roe deer might be, he had finally stumbled upon an opportunity. Even a lion used its full strength to catch a rabbit; he had to leave nothing to chance.

He crouched and quietly approached to within a hundred paces of the three deer. At last, he could make out their features clearly. The largest had a pair of three-pronged antlers rising from its head, and its coat gleamed brown in the setting sun. Plump and sturdy, it weighed more than fifty jin. It had to be the buck.

The slightly smaller one without antlers was probably the doe, while the smallest was their fawn.

Zhao Feng fixed his sights on the buck. He had only one chance, so he would take the biggest.

I'll only be sure once I'm within thirty paces, Zhao Feng thought. He had to leave nothing to chance, so he lay down and crawled toward the deer inch by inch. As luck would have it, he was in a shallow gully that concealed his body.

Ninety paces...

Eighty paces...

Seventy paces...

Fifty paces...

Crack. A twig snapped beneath him with a very faint sound. Zhao Feng's heart leaped into his throat, but the buck and doe merely raised their heads with blank, innocent looks, slowly turned to glance around, then turned back.

Only the fawn seemed curious, swiveling its head about in search of the sound.

The elders really weren't lying when they called them foolish roe deer. Mountain goats, wild deer, or other animals would have been startled and fled long ago.

Zhao Feng held his breath, keeping his body low and utterly still. Just then, the wind picked up, howling past and stirring the fallen leaves into a rustle.

Under cover of the gust, Zhao Feng crawled closer bit by bit. At last, he judged that he was just over thirty paces away. Any closer, and he would alert them.