Li Qingwan froze at his words. Then her eyes reddened, but she said nothing more. Hugging the rice and flour, she ran into the kitchen and began bustling about.
Ever since Brother Heng had fallen ill, he had truly become like a different person!
Still, Li Qingwan liked him much better this way.
Before long, waves of food fragrance wafted out. Soon after, Li Qingwan came in carrying the dishes. The two sat at the table and lowered their heads to eat.
"I'm planning to learn martial arts!"
Halfway through the meal, Cheng Heng suddenly spoke.
Li Qingwan, seated across from him, was clearly stunned. Then she said, "Brother Heng, you want to learn martial arts? The cost of martial arts training is even higher than studying. Can our family afford it?"
"You don't need to worry about the expense. I'll think of a way. This afternoon, I'll go to the ancestral home and see if I can borrow some more money from Grandfather."
Li Qingwan looked at Cheng Heng's resolute expression and said with utmost seriousness,
"Brother Heng, no matter what decision you make, I'll support you."
"I found work sewing clothes at a tailor shop. It pays three hundred coins a month. I can definitely help you too!"
Warmth rose in Cheng Heng's heart. He then took out eight hundred copper coins from his robe and handed them to Li Qingwan.
"If the Black Tiger Gang comes by again another day, give them the five hundred coins for incense money. Don't clash with them, understand?"
"Mhm!"
Li Qingwan nodded earnestly.
The man before her seemed to possess a kind of magic. As though with him here, this home could stand as steady as Mount Tai.
After buying rice and flour, setting aside some living expenses, and giving Li Qingwan eight hundred coins, he only had three taels of silver left. He would make another trip to the ancestral home that afternoon and see whether he could borrow some money from Grandfather.
That way, the martial arts expenses for the near future should be covered, and life could be considered back on track!
Li Qingwan was cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks.
"I'm going to the ancestral home. Wait at home for me to return."
"Come back early, Brother Heng!"
With that, Cheng Heng walked out through the courtyard gate and headed toward the ancestral home.
After crossing several long streets, Cheng Heng arrived before the ancestral home.
His grandfather and second uncle's family lived there.
The Cheng Family had been carpenters for generations, so Old Master Cheng, Cheng Heng's father, and his second uncle all knew carpentry. Their large family lived fairly well in the Outer City.
His grandfather had only two sons: his father and second uncle. His father was honest and simple-hearted, while his second uncle was somewhat idle and shiftless. Yet it was his second uncle who was usually favored by their grandfather.
The moment Cheng Heng stepped into the small courtyard, he saw it packed with neighbors. Several tables of food and wine had been laid out in the yard, and the local residents were brimming with excitement, as though celebrating some joyous occasion.
At the central table sat his grandfather, his second uncle and second aunt, as well as his cousin Cheng Qi.
"Today, all our neighbors have gathered here to celebrate my youngest son, Cheng Qi, formally entering Thunderclap Martial Academy to begin learning martial arts. Raise your cups!"
His second uncle, Cheng Fugui, stood and raised his wine cup, announcing the matter with high spirits.
Upon hearing the news, the many neighbors below immediately began offering their congratulations.
"That boy Cheng Qi—I've watched him grow up since he was little, and I could tell he was no ordinary fellow. One day, he'll surely take the Martial Examination and earn himself a martial graduate title!"
"Congratulations, congratulations! Your Cheng Family is about to produce an extraordinary figure!"
"Yes, yes. Once Qi becomes a great figure in the Inner City, don't forget us neighbors. When the time comes, let my son follow you and work for you too."
The neighbors' words of praise made Cheng Qi, seated at the table, feel as though he were floating on clouds. It was as if he had already become a martial graduate, and smiles repeatedly spread across his face.
After all, the saying "poor families pursue literature, rich families pursue martial arts" was not merely empty talk. For an ordinary family to support a martial arts disciple, no one knew how much silver would be spent before they even became an entry-level martial artist.
Not to mention the various medicinal herbs and supplements needed later on—the expenditure was even more staggering. Generally, only families with considerable wealth in the Inner City could afford it.
Cheng Heng stood at the entrance, secretly shaking his head.
Given his second uncle's idle habits, there was no need to think about it. The expense of supporting his cousin would surely fall on his grandfather's shoulders. It seemed borrowing money today would be rather difficult.
Just then, his grandfather Cheng Songtai spotted Cheng Heng standing at the gate. A trace of dimness flashed through his eyes before he quickly returned to normal and called out,
"Heng'er, why have you come? Hurry and take a seat. Your cousin officially entered the martial academy today to learn martial arts, and we're celebrating with the neighbors."
At those words, everyone turned their eyes toward Cheng Heng, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat delicate.
The neighbors all knew that Cheng Heng's father had gone to serve corvée labor in place of his second uncle Cheng Fugui. For a moment, everyone fell silent.
The Great Gan Dynasty had stood for over six hundred years. The officials were corrupt, bandits ran rampant, and the flourishing scene of peaceful, prosperous people from the dynasty's founding had long since vanished.
Once one went to serve corvée labor, it would be years before one returned, and one even had to bring one's own provisions. Everyone knew in their hearts that if he went now, the chances of returning would likely be very small.
These days, serving corvée labor was no different from being sent to one's death.
Cheng Heng's expression did not change. He entered the courtyard and took a seat. By then, the smiles had vanished from his second uncle and second aunt's faces, and they looked at him with complicated expressions.
"It seems my visit today has truly ruined your family's pleasant celebration."
An awkward expression flashed across Cheng Fugui's face. He picked up the thread of conversation and said,
"Heng'er, did you come today because something has happened?"
"Grandfather, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I came today to borrow five taels of silver."
At those words, traces of confusion flashed across their faces. Cheng Songtai asked,
"Heng'er, what do you need five taels of silver for? Do you want to buy books? Or has your home run out of grain? Five taels of silver is no small sum, after all!"
"No. I want to learn martial arts, but I'm still short on tuition. I'm hoping Grandfather can lend it to me. I'll definitely repay it in the future!"
The instant he said this, his second aunt's expression turned mocking. She hurriedly sneered,
"Oh my, don't tell me you heard that our Qi entered Thunderclap Martial Academy and now want to learn martial arts too? Everyone knows your father spent your entire family fortune supporting your studies, yet we've never seen you make anything of yourself."
His second uncle Cheng Fugui said without the slightest politeness,
"Heng'er, stop making trouble. Your cousin has only just taken a master and is at precisely the time when he needs money. If your family is facing difficulties, your grandfather and I will naturally help you, but don't keep being so ungrounded. Though you're older than Qi, you should strive to amount to something and learn more from him!"
Cheng Songtai's expression was stern as he lectured,
"Qi learning martial arts is a serious matter. It concerns the future of our Cheng Family. Heng'er, stop making a fuss here."
Though Cheng Songtai had accumulated some savings over the greater part of his life, he could only support one member of the younger generation in learning martial arts. As for Cheng Heng, he was now willing but powerless!
Cheng Heng had not expected that his former self had been so unreliable in daily life that they did not take anything he said seriously, believing that he was deceiving them.
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