A Family

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Shen Xiuhan nearly choked. He hurriedly coughed dryly a few times.

"Mother, there's no rush for marriage. Let's open a restaurant first and build up more capital. Only with silver in hand will we have confidence, and then we can find a better in-law family, right?"

"That does make sense..."

Madam Zheng nodded in deep agreement, but then her expression grew uneasy. Her fingers kneaded the hem of her clothes as she hesitated.

"But we're poor folk. Would anyone in the inner city be willing to pay for the rough food we make?"

Before Shen Xiuhan could answer, Shen Momo's eyes lit up in his arms, and she called out loudly.

"Mother, did you forget? We can sell the yummy noodles Big Brother made!"

Madam Zheng's eyes brightened. "That's right! We can sell Blanket Noodles!"

She had personally tasted the bowl of Blanket Noodles Shen Xiuhan had made last time.

Though he had only made it once, its springy, smooth texture and rich, savory fragrance had remained vivid in her memory even now.

These past few days, Shen Momo had clamored every day for her to make Blanket Noodles.

Madam Zheng had tried twice, and messed it up both times. Somewhat embarrassed, she said,

"But... but Mother's hands are clumsy. I can't make such delicate food."

"It's all right. In a few days, when I have time, I'll teach you step by step. It's very simple—you'll learn it at once." Shen Xiuhan smiled.

"Yay!"

Shen Momo bounced happily, cheering with delight. "I can finally eat the noodles Big Brother makes!"

Listening to her silver-bell laughter, Shen Xiuhan laughed heartily and looked at Madam Zheng.

"Mother, once we move into the inner city, we'll open a noodle shop. You'll cook and collect the money, while I train at the Martial Arts School. Once we make money, we'll send Momo to a private school to study and learn to read with the teacher. When she gets out of class, she can help carry bowls and serve dishes in the shop..."

Listening to the beautiful scene her son described—a life without killing or fighting, without hunger or cold, with only the everyday necessities of firewood, rice, oil, and salt—

Madam Zheng's expression gradually turned dreamy.

The fourth day after killing Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu.

Early spring arrived quietly.

On the road.

Shen Xiuhan spotted several orioles skimming past, flapping up onto branches where tender buds had begun to sprout.

At Plum Academy, more than thirty disciples had all arrived and were sparring in pairs.

Shouts rose all around the training ground, while fierce winds stirred with every collision of fists and feet.

Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting had apparently been delayed by something and had yet to appear.

Shen Xiuhan therefore took it upon himself to serve as temporary supervisor.

"Your lower stance is unstable, like duckweed floating on water. Your stance frame must root itself like an old tree with tangled roots. Otherwise, no matter how much you practice, it will only be a flowery display!"

His Mystic Eagle Stance had already reached perfection, and with a single glance, he could spot the shortcomings in the outer academy disciples' practice.

Walking to one disciple's side, Shen Xiuhan raised his foot and neither lightly nor heavily kicked the back of the other's locked knee, offering solemn guidance.

"You're holding your force too rigidly. If your stance is too loose, your qi and blood scatter; if it is too tight, qi stagnates and blood congeals. Between looseness and tension, you must grasp the proper measure yourself."

"Yes, Senior Brother Shen!"

After making a round of inspection, Shen Xiuhan's gaze landed on a figure, and he was slightly surprised.

Hmm... Xiao Wen's stance training has gained more and more substance.

Over the past few days, Xiao Wen seemed to have suddenly found enlightenment. His stance frame had advanced a thousand miles in a single day.

He performed a full set of Mystic Eagle Stance as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water. In every movement, there was even a faint hint of a goshawk spreading its wings, ready to soar.

At this rate, he was not far from achieving minor mastery in his stance training.

Across all of Plum Academy, those who had trained Mystic Eagle Stance to minor mastery could be counted on one hand.

Such comprehension was truly outstanding among the outer academy.

"Hah..."

Xiao Wen slowly withdrew his stance.

He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow. Looking up and seeing Shen Xiuhan standing beside him, he called out somewhat awkwardly.

"Senior Brother Shen..."

"Not bad. Your foundation is very solid."

Shen Xiuhan looked approvingly and patted his shoulder.

"Keep training at this pace. Given time, you will surely knock open the gates of the Blood Tempering Realm and step into the inner academy."

"Thank you for your encouragement, Senior Brother..."

Xiao Wen smiled shyly. His lips moved as though he had something to say.

But before he could speak, a burst of noisy clamor and footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Shen Xiuhan looked toward the sound.

Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting were the first to enter.

Behind them followed seven or eight middle-aged men dressed in brocade and fine robes, all appearing to be stewards.

Farther behind was a long procession of maids and servants carrying registers and tea sets.

In the blink of an eye, this group packed the outer academy's open space to the brim.

Xiang Yunting casually summoned an outer academy disciple and gave him a few quiet instructions.

The disciple nodded like a pecking chicken and swiftly led several people running into the inner academy.

A moment later, several grand armchairs and square tables were arranged in a row beneath the covered corridor.

The several plump stewards in brocade exchanged cupped-hand greetings, then each took a seat.

The maids and servants skillfully served warm tea, then stood with their hands lowered at their sides in utter silence.

This was...

An employment fair?

What an imposing display!

Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered. Xu Chuan had already walked over from the side and lowered his voice.

"Junior Brother Shen, the employment fair is about to begin."

"Besides you, the capable outer academy disciples in our Martial Arts School will also be paraded out for a showing, to see whether they can catch the eye of these noble families and merchant firms and secure work as courtyard guards or errand runners."

Shen Xiuhan nodded lightly at this.

Plum Academy's income had always been limited, relying almost entirely on disciple tuition to maintain its operations.

This was completely different from other Martial Arts Schools.

Take Through-the-Back Martial Hall, for example.

The restaurants, gambling houses, hidden brothels, and many other hall-run businesses under its name were too numerous to count.

Disciples with connections or sufficiently hard fists could be absorbed internally straightaway.

But if Plum Academy disciples wanted to earn money, they could only seek opportunities with major families, merchant associations, and escort agencies through this employment fair.

In the courtyard, Xiang Yunting selected eight or nine disciples with solid stance training and lined them up, having them demonstrate with all their might before the stewards one by one.

Xiao Wen was among them as well.

Perhaps because they were nervous, the first two disciples performed Mystic Eagle Stance weakly and without force.

The stewards merely watched coldly, drinking tea and chatting. They did not even raise their eyelids.

The third was a child of a small inner-city lineage.

The man was broad-shouldered and round-waisted, with sturdy muscles and bones. He looked quite imposing at a glance.

As he unfolded his stance in wide, sweeping movements, his techniques were fierce and overbearing, whipping up a gust of whistling wind.

At last, the stewards sat up straight, stroking their beards and nodding as they began whispering among themselves.

After he withdrew with cupped fists, panting heavily, two stewards set down their tea cups and called out offers in succession.

"Longwind Escort Agency is hiring three outer-route escort hands!"

"If you are interested, the monthly pay is one tael. In addition, you'll receive one jin of salted fish, three jin of fresh fish, and two bowls of medicinal soup to nourish qi and blood. If you encounter an ambush while escorting goods and dare to draw blood with your blade, additional rewards will be calculated by the number of heads!"

"Benevolent Heart Hall is recruiting two groundskeeping courtyard guards!"

"The monthly pay is also one tael. Meat is not included, but you'll receive three bowls of qi-and-blood medicinal soup. There is another benefit as well: anyone from Benevolent Heart Hall may purchase one Blood-Nourishing Pill from the hall each month at cost price."

Seeing that people were making offers, the disciple's face flushed bright red with excitement.

But upon hearing how entirely different the two sets of terms were, hesitation grew beneath his feet.

After struggling for a moment, he piled a smile onto his face and walked toward Benevolent Heart Hall's pale, plump steward.

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