Minor Mastery

As he neared home, he saw a young married woman in a plain dress and hairpin, holding the hand of a little boy as she waited. The pretty woman immediately broke into a delighted smile when she saw Gu Sheng.

"A-Sheng, you're finally back."

A smile appeared on Gu Sheng's face.

"Sister-in-law Erniu, and Xiao Wan, why are you here?"

The woman before him was Gu Erniu's wife, Li Lian, who had married over from the neighboring Li Family Fort. The boy was Gu Erniu's son, Gu Wan.

Li Lian's graceful figure was wrapped in her cloth skirt, yet her charm was still evident, making her quite different from ordinary farm women. However, faint calluses could be seen on her palms, proving she had not lived a life of luxury either.

Back then, Gu Erniu had gone to no small effort to marry Li Lian.

Though Gu Erniu was not a martial artist, his archery skills were superb, and he had offered many rare game animals as bridewealth.

Gu Wan giggled and circled around the fence.

After gently scolding him a few times, Li Lian smiled at Gu Sheng.

"A-Sheng, you went to the main family to chop wood today. You must be tired, right?"

She lifted the gray cloth covering the basket in her hands and took out a piece of smoked meat the size of half a palm, along with a small earthen jar. Handing both to Gu Sheng, she continued,

"Your Brother Erniu specifically told me to bring these. There was still some rabbit meat left from what he caught a few days ago, so take it and eat it. It'll help you build up some strength. Chopping wood every day is too much for your body."

"This jar contains the medicinal ointment your Brother Erniu used when he practiced archery. Rub some on the sore spots, and you'll feel much better tomorrow."

Li Lian introduced the items with a smile. Seeing Gu Sheng hesitate, she simply shoved them into his hands.

A warm current flowed through Gu Sheng's heart.

Times were hard, yet Gu Erniu's family still treated him this well. Knowing it was his first day chopping wood, they had specially prepared meat and ointment for him. Regardless of their value, this kindness weighed heavily on his heart.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Erniu. Thank you, Brother Erniu," Gu Sheng said softly, his gratitude held deep within.

Li Lian covered her mouth and smiled.

"If you truly want to thank your Brother Erniu, then live well. Work hard in the future, marry a wife, and have a big, healthy son. That'll count as comforting your father's spirit in heaven."

She was somewhat surprised as well.

In the past, Gu Sheng had barely dared to look directly at her and had even seemed a little shy. But now, he was completely at ease.

"All right, all right. Get some proper rest. I still need to go home and cook for your Brother Erniu. He went to the village to chat with the fellows he used to practice martial arts with. If he comes back and finds no food, he'll complain about his wife again."

Li Lian spoke with a smile. Though her words sounded like complaints, her eyes were full of affection.

Gu Sheng knew.

Gu Erniu and his wife had a wonderful relationship. In these troubled times, finding someone who could support each other was far from easy, which made such a bond all the more precious.

Li Lian called to Gu Wan and walked away with gentle steps.

Gu Sheng suddenly remembered something and called out loudly,

"Sister-in-law Erniu, once I've used up the ointment, I'll bring the jar back to you."

Li Lian merely waved her hand before turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

Gu Sheng shook his head.

Looking at the smoked rabbit meat and ointment in his hands, he could not help pursing his lips as saliva began to gather in his mouth.

It had been a long time since he had eaten meat. He truly craved it. On top of that, he had spent the whole day chopping wood and was exhausted. His stomach began rumbling like thunder.

Gu Sheng turned and entered the house.

He lit the fire and began cooking.

He scooped half a jin of rice bran from the rice jar, thought for a moment, then scooped out another half jin.

Chopping wood consumed a great deal of energy, and he needed to replenish it. Otherwise, his body would become severely depleted over time.

"If I'm going to practice martial arts in the future, I can't be this scrawny either. Starting today, I'll eat two jin of rice every day."

Gu Sheng gritted his teeth.

He decided to start eating more from today onward.

Now that he had the wood-chopping job, he could only earn two or three copper coins per day for the time being. But once his Chopping Wood reached minor mastery, or even major mastery, he would surely earn more and more. Gu Sheng needed to begin preparing for martial arts training in advance.

Otherwise, even if he managed to scrape together the tuition, it would probably still be difficult.

Once the rice was cooked, Gu Sheng began preparing the smoked rabbit meat.

He gave it a simple rinse with well water. There was no need to throw the water away; he could use it to cook wild vegetables, adding at least a little meaty flavor.

Once the rabbit meat was in the pot, the rich scent of meat soon spread through the air.

Gu Sheng's stomach rumbled like thunder, and he could no longer endure it.

He scooped the rice into a large bowl and, not caring that the rabbit meat was still scorching hot, stuffed it directly into his mouth.

"Haah, haah!"

Gu Sheng kept blowing out hot breaths, but he could not bear to spit out even a single bite. The fragrance filled his mouth, and he felt as if his entire being were immersed in bliss.

Although memories of his previous life had awakened, and he remembered countless lavish feasts and delicacies, meat was still a luxury to Gu Sheng in this life. Even when his father had been alive, they could only eat it on important holidays.

With the rabbit meat, even the wild vegetables tasted much better.

Gu Sheng ate ravenously, and the food in the bowl visibly dwindled.

Full and satisfied, Gu Sheng let out a burp.

If only I could eat meat every day!

After such a meal, the exhaustion in his body immediately lessened greatly. If he kept eating like this over time, his strength would surely grow quickly.

He sat and rested for a while before applying the ointment Li Lian had given him.

Only a thin layer of ointment remained in the earthen jar.

He used a twig to scoop out some. It was black and sticky, with an unpleasant medicinal smell. Gu Sheng's expression did not change as he carefully applied it to both arms. After thinking for a moment, he scooped out another small amount and rubbed it over his waist and abdomen.

"There's enough left for another two or three applications. By then, my body should have more or less adapted."

Gu Sheng felt even more grateful to Gu Erniu's family.

This was a tremendous favor.

But he could barely protect himself right now. Even if he wanted to repay them, it would have to wait until later.

Gu Sheng sat on the kang bed, kneading and relaxing his muscles while continuing to sort through his memories. Though his past-life memories had awakened, they were still chaotic. He wanted to see whether there was any way to quickly change his circumstances.

The next day.

Gu Sheng rose early and was surprised to discover that his arms, waist, and abdomen felt only slightly sore.

"Brother Erniu's medicine is remarkably effective."

Praising it inwardly, Gu Sheng got dressed, cooked himself a filling meal, stuffed several extra rice-bran cakes into his clothes, and headed toward the main family.

With yesterday's experience chopping wood, he was familiar with the work now.

Standing before piles upon piles of firewood, Gu Sheng's face shone with hope.

"Time to grind!"

Crack!

Crack!

The sound of chopping wood came and went, continuing until sunset.

Gu Sheng wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes brimming with delight.

Today's result: three hundred and twenty-four pieces of wood chopped!

During that time, he had another realization and found an even more efficient way to exert force. His Chopping Wood proficiency had reached 65%!

"Chopping Wood reaching minor mastery is just around the corner!"

Gu Sheng was greatly encouraged.

Standing before Gu He, he announced the number of logs he had chopped that day under Gu He's astonished gaze.

Gu He did not say much.

"Three copper coins for today. You still owe several dozen logs. Remember to make them up."

Gu Sheng simply nodded.

The third day.

Perhaps it was only his imagination, but after two consecutive days of hearty meals and constant wood chopping, Gu Sheng felt that his strength had increased somewhat.

There was about an hour left before sunset.

Gu Sheng was chopping wood in the back courtyard.

He skillfully stood a log upright on the chopping block and raised the axe high with both hands. As though enlightenment had struck him, Gu Sheng planted his right foot, pushed off and twisted, channeling force into his waist and abdomen before pouring it into his arms. The axe whistled through the air as it hacked down fiercely.

Crack!

A crisp splitting sound rang out.

The axe sank straight through to the bottom with incredible smoothness, as if it had encountered no resistance at all, splitting the wood cleanly in two.

Gu Sheng could not help opening the panel.

Martial Skill: Chopping Wood (Minor Mastery 0%)