His aunt

After driving away Zhang the Widow and her daughter, Zhao Feng ate a little porridge, then took a large bundle of roe deer meat, along with two hides and the antlers, and boarded the donkey cart of Old Ding, the village peddler, bound for the county market.

Five other villagers traveled with him, all heading into town to shop or run errands. Since they were fellow villagers, each only had to pay two copper coins for the ride.

"Feng, I hear you want to learn martial arts?" Old Ding asked on the way.

As soon as he spoke, the other villagers turned to look at Zhao Feng, their eyes full of doubt, as though they were looking at a madman. In fact, that was exactly what the people of Jiazi Ravine Village thought he was.

"Old Uncle Ding, who told you that?" Zhao Feng asked.

"You didn't know? Your eldest aunt tells everyone she meets, treating it like a joke. You should see how brightly she laughs. She even says..."

"She says you went mad after falling into the water, that you don't know your own weight and are indulging in foolish dreams," another villager finished for him.

Zhao Feng remained calm. "I do want to learn martial arts. Old Uncle Ding, I heard the tuition fee is ten taels of silver?"

"Feng, the martial arts schools in town used to charge around ten taels for the Tuition Fee, but most have raised their fees now. And that only covers the first few months. Once that runs out, you have to pay again," Old Ding said.

Zhao Feng wasn't surprised. This was much as he had expected. His father had thought ten taels would cover everything, but nothing came that easily.

"Old Uncle Ding, you go into town often. Could you tell me which martial arts schools are good?" As he spoke, Zhao Feng slipped Old Ding a handful of chestnuts.

"The two most famous schools in town are the Heaven Gathering Martial Arts School and the Vast Sea Martial Arts School. I hear their instructors are experts renowned far and wide, but their Tuition Fees are high, too. Just enrolling costs fifteen taels now," Old Ding said, accepting the chestnuts.

"The other schools, like the Zheng Clan Martial Hall, the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, and the Triumphant Reach Martial Arts School, all charge twelve taels now."

"And none of those Tuition Fees include lodging."

Zhao Feng frowned slightly. Without lodging, he would have to rent a room-his village home was dozens of li from town, so traveling back and forth every day was impossible. That would be another expense, making the burden even heavier.

"Oh, right, I just remembered. A Martial Master surnamed Huo retired from Prefecture City last year and opened the Huo Family Martial Arts School. His Tuition Fee might be lower. I can ask around for you," Old Ding said.

"Thank you, Old Uncle Ding."

After they passed through the town gates, everyone on the donkey cart went their separate ways. Some headed to the market, others to an apothecary, and others to visit relatives. Old Ding's cart would wait for everyone at the town gate at a quarter past three that afternoon.

Zhao Feng first took his bundle to his youngest aunt's home in the outer town.

Zhao Feng's grandfather had had three children: his eldest son, Zhao Youfu, his second son, Zhao Youlin, and his youngest daughter, Zhao Youfang. Unlike his eldest uncle, his aunt Zhao Youfang had always been close to Zhao Youlin since childhood. She also cared deeply for her two nephews, Zhao Shuo and Zhao Feng, and often brought them food from her husband's home. The padded jacket Zhao Feng wore had been sewn by her.

As he walked along the narrow, rubbish-strewn streets, the damp smell of mildew and an unidentified foul odor crept into his nostrils. Both sides of the street were lined with low, dilapidated mud-brick houses, many with broken roof tiles patching holes in their drafty walls.

The residents' clothes were covered in patches, hardly any better than those worn in the village.

Zhao Feng knew that Big Stone County, like every other county town, was divided into an outer town and an Inner City. They were two different worlds. The Inner City housed wealthy families and officials; not only was the environment much better, but security was stronger, protecting them from harassment by displaced wanderers and bandits.

Every ordinary resident of Big Stone County dreamed of living in the Inner City.

His aunt lived in a rundown courtyard on the western side of the outer town. Her husband was a local who scraped out a living doing a little business, with an older brother and an older sister. He and his brother had yet to establish separate households and still lived with their parents.

The original owner of this body remembered that his aunt was treated very poorly in this household because she had not borne a son.

When Zhao Feng arrived, his aunt and his cousin Qiao'er were washing clothes in the courtyard. His aunt looked surprised to see him, while twelve-year-old Qiao'er, her face sallow with hunger, hid behind her.

"Feng, what brings you here? You must be tired!" His aunt wiped her hands as she greeted him.

Seeing three large tubs filled to the brim with clothes for his aunt and cousin to wash in the depths of winter, their hands frozen red in the cold water, Zhao Feng couldn't help frowning.

Just then, his aunt's husband, Tao Qing, came out of the main room. "Uncle," Zhao Feng greeted him. Tao Qing ignored him, went straight back inside, and slammed the door with a bang.

As for the rest of the Tao Family, none of them even came out, let alone greeted him.

"Feng, come inside and sit down," Zhao Youfang said, looking a little embarrassed.

"Aunt, I won't go inside. I'll just sit in the courtyard for a bit." Zhao Feng knew he wasn't welcome and had no intention of inviting a snub.

"Feng, I went to see you after your accident. You were still out of your mind then. I'm just glad you're all right now. You mustn't do anything so reckless again." As she spoke, Zhao Youfang began wiping away tears.

"Don't worry, Aunt. I won't do anything foolish again."

"I hunted a roe deer and brought you some meat." Zhao Feng took out a piece weighing about two jin.

Zhao Youfang hurriedly refused. "Feng, how could I take this from you? You could sell it for quite a bit of money. I can't accept it."

"Aunt, you watched me grow up and treated me like your own son. What's a little meat compared to that? Now that I know how to hunt, I'll bring you more." Zhao Feng insisted that she accept it.

Deeply touched, Zhao Youfang happily took the meat and headed toward the kitchen. As she went, she deliberately called toward the main room, "My nephew brought me roe deer meat! A full two jin!" Her face shone with pride. She wanted the whole family to know.

"Cousin, I still have errands to run, and I have to get back this afternoon. I'll be going now. Say goodbye to your father for me." After speaking to Qiao'er, Zhao Feng left.

He had barely stepped through the gate when Zhao Youfang hurried after him.

"Feng, why don't you stay for lunch before leaving?" she asked urgently.

Seeing that Zhao Feng was determined to leave, she anxiously caught hold of him.

"Feng, I heard from my eldest sister-in-law that you want to learn martial arts. Whatever anyone says, you have my support." Changing the subject, she quietly took a little broken silver from her pouch.

"I saved this up doing weaving and mending. Make sure you study hard, so you'll have a way to earn a living someday."

It added up to nearly one tael of silver, and she pressed it firmly into Zhao Feng's hand.

"Aunt, I can't accept this. How could I take your money?" Zhao Feng tried to refuse.

"Feng, consider it a loan from me. You must make something of yourself and win a little honor for your parents and for us," Zhao Youfang said earnestly.

"I will!" Zhao Feng drew a deep breath.

That tael of broken silver weighed very little, yet in his heart it felt heavy-so very heavy.

After leaving his aunt's home, Zhao Feng headed toward the market. Just as he was nearing it, a sudden burst of battle cries and terrified screams came from behind him, and he turned.

Two burly men dressed in black, covered in blood and carrying steel sabers, burst out of the alley behind him. A jumble of footsteps followed, as though several people were pursuing them.

"Out of the way!"

"Get out of the way!" one of the two black-clad men roared, wildly swinging his saber at Zhao Feng, who stood in his path.