Chapter 6: Trouble
Chen Qing dragged his exhausted body back to his family's connected boat.
Pushing open the creaking cabin door, Han was mending a fishing net.
Hearing the movement, she immediately looked up, "A Qing, you're back? How was it today?"
Chen Qing smiled, "Mother, it's done."
"Really!?"
Han's heart filled with joy, then she worriedly said, "Then... is the apprenticeship fee expensive? Is Master a good person?"
"Master is very strict, but he follows the rules."
Chen Qing walked into the cabin, picked up a dipper, and drank a few mouthfuls of water, "The tuition fee... the silver that Hui Niang cousin gave me is enough for now."
Han breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, that's good. The beans are hot, hurry and eat."
Saying that, she brought out the mixed-grain beans.
The mother and son silently ate some warm mixed-grain beans.
The next day.
Chen Qing arrived at Zhou Yard before dawn.
He stepped onto the wooden pile again, striking the twisted and taut Tong Bei Stance.
The familiar torment of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain instantly swept through his entire body.
Chen Qing gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and sweat quickly soaked his thin clothes, rising in a faint white mist.
【Tong Bei Stance Entry (11/1000): Ten practices a day, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Minor Achievement in three months, Major Achievement in one year.】
Disciples arrived one after another, and when they saw Chen Qing, they were all a little surprised.
"That kid came really early."
"Yesterday I saw him struggling there; I wonder how long he can last," someone whispered.
Chen Qing buried himself in hard training, attracting many gazes.
Some were indifferent, some scoffed, and others thought he was just trying to show off in front of Master.
Unconsciously, a month passed, and the discussions gradually subsided.
The Disciples in the yard had grown accustomed to this silent and diligent figure; Chen Qing became the "newcomer who can endure hardship especially well."
The paulownia leaves on the Stance platform had widened a bit more.
Chen Qing stepped onto the three-inch-high wooden pile, his back straight as a spear, and new muscle lines were faintly visible under his clothes, his shoulders having broadened by more than half an inch compared to when he first entered Zhou Yard.
【Tong Bei Stance Entry (313/1000): Ten practices a day, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Minor Achievement in three months, Major Achievement in one year.】
That day, Zhou Liang strolled over and asked, "How long have you been in the yard?"
Chen Qing respectfully replied, "Reporting to Master, it's been a month."
Not long ago, Zhou Liang examined Chen Qing's Foundation once.
The final result was a lower-middle Foundation.
Zhou Liang's expression didn't change much; he just gave him a few perfunctory words of encouragement.
Clearly, he hadn't held much hope to begin with.
"Stance is for building Qi and strength, all to lay the Foundation for practicing boxing. Since your Foundation is stable, from today onwards, you can officially start learning fighting techniques."
Zhou Liang nodded slightly and looked at the surrounding Disciples, "Who wants to take Chen Qing under their wing?"
After a period of martial arts enlightenment, Zhou Liang would not personally teach all Disciples.
Only those with outstanding Foundation and true potential to inherit his Dao would receive his focused training.
And martial arts enlightenment was also considered an assessment of the Disciples.
Clearly, Chen Qing was not an unpolished gem in his eyes, but merely a grain of sand that had been filtered out.
According to Zhou Yard's custom, new Disciples were mentored by older Disciples to help them integrate.
There was a silence in the field.
These older Disciples were all very shrewd; mentoring a poor Junior Brother offered no benefits and limited future achievements.
Zhou Liang's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly frowned slightly.
At this moment, Sun Shun, seeing no one respond, couldn't help but say, "Master, I'll take Junior Brother Chen."
Many older Disciples breathed a sigh of relief, fearing he would be forced upon them.
In the yard, everyone knew Sun Shun was a good-natured person; he took on all the dirty and tiring tasks that others were unwilling to do.
"Then you will take Chen Qing."
Zhou Liang nodded and waved his hand, "The others, don't be lazy, continue training."
"Yes!"
The Disciples responded in unison.
Chen Qing cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Third Senior Brother!"
The awkward silence earlier made him realize that he was, after all, a marginal figure in this yard.
Sun Shun patted Chen Qing's shoulder and smiled, "Don't be so polite. These next few days, I'll first explain the boxing manual and things to pay attention to when practicing. Once you've memorized them all, I'll formally start teaching you how to box in a few days. How does that sound?"
Chen Qing nodded, "I'll follow Senior Brother's arrangements."
Then, Sun Shun patiently and thoroughly explained the precautions for boxing, finally asking, "You don't drink alcohol, smoke opium, or indulge excessively, do you?"
Chen Qing shook his head, "Senior Brother is joking. My family struggles to even eat, so how could I drink alcohol or smoke opium? And Junior Brother is not yet married."
Sun Shun nodded and casually asked, "Good that you don't. By the way, where do you live?"
Chen Qing said, "Dumb Bay."
"I'm quite familiar with that place."
Sun Shun thought of something and warned, "The Jinhe Gang in Dumb Bay has recently been fighting with the Tiger Gang over territory, and many people have died. You need to be careful."
Tiger Gang?!
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's brows furrowed tightly.
If a new Gang took over, he wondered if the incense money would increase.
In this turbulent world, even single-mindedly studying martial arts was extremely difficult.
"You guys, it's time to work."
A rough shout echoed in the yard.
The apprentices in the yard, besides practicing martial arts, also served as Zhou Liang's odd-job workers, doing all sorts of chores: washing clothes, cooking, fetching water, chopping firewood, sweeping the yard, cleaning latrines, feeding horses, and cutting grass.
Then Chen Qing followed several Senior Brothers and began to clean the courtyard.
Sweeping the courtyard and feeding horses were not the most difficult tasks; the hardest was cleaning the latrines.
First, one had to use a long-handled wooden scoop to pour water and flush the latrine pit. After flushing, a layer of plant ash had to be sprinkled, which was dirty, tiring, and troublesome.
"Chen Qing, Qin Lie, today you two clean the latrines."
The Senior Brother responsible for assigning tasks dropped the words and turned to leave.
Today, Chen Qing's partner was another dark and thin Disciple from a poor family, named Qin Lie.
He entered Zhou Yard around the same time as Chen Qing, his parents had both passed away, and he only had an older sister at home.
The difference was that Zhou Liang seemed to value him highly, often personally guiding him and giving him special lessons.
Qin Lie smiled a little awkwardly, "Junior Brother Chen, why don't... I do it myself? I can manage."
"It's fine, two people will be faster."
Chen Qing waved his hand and directly started working.
The two of them worked with their heads down amidst the unpleasant smell.
The other Disciples in the yard chatted while working, some complaining about how hard martial arts training was, others dreaming of passing the Martial Examination and making a name for themselves.
Qin Lie scooped water to flush the pits and quietly asked, "Junior Brother Chen, are you... also learning martial arts to pass the Martial Examination?"
"To make a living," Chen Qing answered very honestly.
Qin Lie was stunned for a moment, then clenched his fists, his eyes showing a determined spirit: "I want to pass the Martial Examination! So my sister... can live a good life and not suffer so much anymore."
Chen Qing looked up and carefully observed this dark and thin boy.
The chores continued until dusk.
As twilight settled, the Senior Brother who had assigned the tasks rushed back, shouting directly at Qin Lie, "Junior Brother Qin, hurry and come with me! You won't have to do these chores anymore!"
Qin Lie's heart filled with joy upon hearing this, and he quickly said, "Yes, Senior Brother."
Watching Qin Lie's figure disappear behind the veranda, several Disciples nearby couldn't help but whisper, their tone tinged with envy:
"How long has Qin Lie been here? Why doesn't he have to do it anymore?"
"Hmph, how can you compare to him? He touched the threshold of Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) in less than a month! He's Master's precious darling!"
"I heard Master not only waived his tuition fee but also gives him special lessons every day!"
"..."
Qin Lie's hastily departing figure was like a thorn, making the Disciples present feel more clearly their own status in this yard, and how they were, after all, different from those Disciples in the front yard who received focused training.
Chen Qing also felt a bit of melancholy in his heart.
After all, many people had fantasized about being an unpolished gem, stumbling forward, only to open their palms years later and discover they were just a pebble.
A moment later, after all the work was done, everyone dispersed.
On the street, pedestrians were sparse.
From time to time, Gang members would dart out, which undoubtedly added a few points of danger.
Chen Qing quickened his pace and bypassed them.
Before long, he arrived home.
The dim oil lamp flickered on the table, illuminating Han's hunched figure.
Her rough fingers moved back and forth through the fishing net, and without looking up, she asked, "A Qing, you're back. Are you tired today?"
Chen Qing took off his training cloth shoes, "Mother, I'm alright. Have you eaten?"
"I just had some gruel."
Han's hands did not stop, threads flying between her fingers, "A month has passed now, and there are two more months until the tuition fee is due."
She bit off a thread and gently shook out the mended clothes.
Although practicing martial arts at a Martial Master's yard was much cheaper than going to a martial arts school, it was still a considerable expense for this family.
These days, Han had been weaving nets day and night, almost ruining her eyes.
"Mother, there are still two months. Don't worry about the tuition fee."
Chen Qing squatted down, helping to tidy up the fine threads scattered on the floor.
"If Mother doesn't worry about you, who else will?"
The oil lamp gradually dimmed, and Han moved to the door, continuing to mend by the moonlight.
"Clang--!"
Just then, the cabin door was kicked open.
Han's needlework trembled, almost pricking her finger.
Chen Qing quickly looked in the direction of the sound.
He saw Qian Ye swaggering in with two burly followers. A short knife was tucked into his waist, and the flesh on his Face quivered with each step.
"Oh, still embroidering handkerchiefs so late? Aren't you afraid of going blind?"
Qian Ye said in a sarcastic tone, his eyes, however, staring intently at the nearly finished embroidered handkerchief in Han's hand.
Chen Qing stepped forward, instinctively shielding Han behind him, and said, "Qian Ye, is there something you need?"
"Don't be nervous, A Qing." Qian Ye grinned, revealing a few black and yellow teeth, "This time, I've brought you good news."
Good news!?
Chen Qing sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he looked puzzled and said, "I wonder what Qian Ye means?"
"Dragon King has been gracious and bestowed meat!"
Qian Ye clapped his hands sharply, and his two followers immediately carried a slab of rotten meat and slammed it heavily onto the boat deck.
Immediately, a nauseating stench permeated the air. It was the meat of a dead pig that had been soaked for many days, its skin already a strange blue-gray, and maggots were faintly visible wriggling within its decaying flesh.
The so-called 'meat bestowed by the Dragon King' was actually a scheme by the Jinhe Gang to tie diseased pigs to navigation lights, let them rot, and then forcefully sell them to the fishermen.
Chen Qing's Adam's apple bobbed; he suppressed his nausea and said, "Qian Ye, you know my family just paid the incense money..."
"What, you won't even give Dragon King Face?"
Qian Ye's hand was thick and strong, slapping heavily on Chen Qing's shoulder, "A Qing, you are a smart person, don't be foolish."
Chen Qing took a deep breath and said, "Qian Ye, give me some time."
Qian Ye, upon hearing this, unexpectedly did not get angry. Instead, he stood up and patted Chen Qing's shoulder: "Alright, I'll give you three days to gather the money."
Qian Ye stood up and left with his two followers, striding quickly.
After the sound of the three men's footsteps completely disappeared, Han's lips trembled: "A Qing, what are we going to do?"
The family had barely any money left even for buying rice bran. If they didn't buy this rotten meat, with Qian Ye's vicious methods, Han didn't dare to think further.
"Don't worry."
Chen Qing narrowed his eyes. This Qian Biao had failed to coerce him into taking out a usurious loan last time, and now he was resorting to force.
Why was he so eager to sell the 'water lantern meat,' and why did he come at night instead of during the day? Was he afraid of something?
It was very possible that the Jinhe Gang was at a disadvantage in their territorial dispute with the Tiger Gang, and Qian Biao wanted to make a quick buck and run away.
After a moment of thought, Chen Qing seemed to understand something and whispered, "Mother, leave this matter to me."