Returning home, Liu Apo was already back, her frail body sitting on the doorstep, lost in thought.
Liu Sheng called out a few times before she reacted, forcing a smile at Liu Sheng:
"You're back? I made you some wild vegetable dumplings…"
The main ingredients for wild vegetable dumplings were 80% chaff and 10% stale flour, making them coarse, dry, and difficult to swallow. When common people ran out of food, they often used these to fill their stomachs, a saying went, "Half a year of chaff and vegetables, half a year of grain."
Clearly, even with Liu Apo putting aside her dignity, she only managed to borrow some chaff and stale flour.
But, having something to eat was always better than starving.
What's more…
"Grandma, we're having meat today."
Liu Sheng stepped forward, helped her into the house, and took out the ten-plus-pound Rat Snake from his cloth bag.
When he left Zhao Lei's house earlier, he had intended to cut a piece as a thank-you for Zhao Lei's continuous help, but Zhao Lei firmly refused, so he had to give up.
He would repay him when he became successful in the future.
"This… where did this Rat Snake come from… did Shitou give it to you?"
Liu Apo was startled, then shook her head, saying sternly:
"It's too valuable. His whole family isn't easy either. We can't accept it; we must return it."
Grandma is poor but not without ambition, thumbs up!
Liu Sheng praised her in his heart and quickly said:
"I found it in the woods…"
He was worried about arousing Grandma's suspicion, so he planned to change little by little, subtly allowing her to accept the changes in her "grandson."
For this, he had even given her a heads-up, saying he planned to learn hunting from Zhao Lei to support the family from now on.
Liu Apo's attention was indeed diverted. Seeing her grandson's initiative and considering their future livelihood, the wrinkles on her face seemed to fade a bit.
She looked at the snake meat in her hand and whispered:
"Hunting is their livelihood skill; they can't teach you for free. Cut half of it as tuition…"
"Grandma, you decide."
Liu Sheng responded with a cheerful smile and left the rest to Grandma, while he prepared for tomorrow's trip to the city.
The ostensible purpose of this trip to the city was to get some throwing knives, but his true objective was to collect Qi to deduce the Incarnation.
Qi is mostly found in old objects, such as antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jewelry, and heirloom armor, which have a higher probability.
"So, I need to visit jewelry stores, bookstores, pawn shops, and some second-hand markets…"
Liu Sheng pondered for a moment and made up his mind.
Besides that, he also needed to prepare some money, otherwise, he might not even be able to enter these shops.
What's more, throwing knives weren't cheap; one could cost dozens of copper coins…
But the family was so poor they were out of food, where would the money come from?
He sighed, his gaze shifting, and when it fell on the books and paper and brushes in the room, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Although these things had been used for several years, they were well-maintained. If he took them to the city…
Perhaps he could sell them for some silver?
"Good grandson, are you not planning to… study for the imperial examination anymore?"
Liu Apo helped carefully wrap the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with several books, and put them into the bamboo satchel. Her voice was low, unable to hide her disappointment.
Back when the old man was still alive, to gather enough money for his grandson's studies, he painfully sold an acre of land, just to seize an opportunity to rise above others, but in the end…
"Grandma, studying can't save our family."
Liu Sheng said softly, looking down at the bamboo satchel. The bamboo strips were polished smooth, the satchel lid slightly bowed like an old man's hunched back, and hemp rope patches crisscrossed the cracks, resembling crawling centipedes.
Recalling how his grandson was beaten half to death by the yamen runner that day, Liu Apo's eyes dimmed, and she fell silent.
Perhaps studying… was never something people like them, the common folk, should even think about.
She perked up, forcing a smile and saying:
"Good grandson is right. Keeping them would only be a source of trouble. It's better to sell them…"
—
In the early morning, before dawn.
A Sparrow flew into the room through the open window, and amid the rising white mist, Liu Sheng's figure appeared.
"Tong Bapi really went all out. He even provided nourishing soup for these martial arts household guards…"
Recalling what he had seen and heard earlier in the Tong Family Courtyard, Liu Sheng's mouth felt a bit sour.
This morning, while observing the martial arts practice, Master Wu intentionally showed off the master's benevolence, emphasizing the value of the nourishing soup.
The nourishing soup strengthened the body and enriched the blood, containing expensive medicinal herbs such as Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa, and Panax notoginseng. One bowl alone was worth over a hundred copper coins.
Calculated at one bowl per person every ten days, the monthly expenditure for nourishing soup alone was equivalent to the value of an acre of medium-grade land.
And this didn't even include their daily expenses for martial arts training and meat…
"This Tong Family… their ambitions are probably not small…"
Liu Sheng's eyes flickered a few times, and he made a mental note of this.
He then assumed a stance and began practicing the Black Tiger Stance.
Perhaps because he had eaten two or three pounds of snake meat yesterday, he held the stance for much longer today, lasting about 50 breaths, breaking into a light sweat.
"Those martial arts household guards in the Tong Family can generally hold it for 100 breaths. I'm not even as good as the weakest among them…"
Liu Sheng moved his sore feet and arms, frowning involuntarily.
Reaching the point in stance training where one can sense Qi and blood is considered entry-level. Achieving this within three months is considered having martial arts talent.
Now, he had just started, and there was already such a large gap…
Could it be…
He had no martial arts talent?
It's fine, anyway, I have a Golden Finger. As long as I continuously refine Incarnations and stack various talents, I will definitely be able to stage a Heaven-Defying comeback in the future.
He comforted himself, his expression gradually calming down.
Not long after, Zhao Lei arrived, carrying a three-foot-tall carrying basket on his back.
Liu Sheng said goodbye to Grandma, then picked up his satchel and left with him, heading straight for the county town.
Shanyang County is located at the southern foot of Black Wind Mountain. There are over ten thousand households in the city. Due to its proximity to Black Wind Mountain, it is rich in resources and has a prosperous trade. Merchants come and go in an endless stream, so the actual population exceeds one hundred thousand.
The original body had been here before, so Liu Sheng was not unfamiliar with it.
Walking on the street paved with bluestone slabs, looking at the rows of restaurants, inns, shops, and teahouses on both sides, his eyes gleamed.
Many of these shops were old establishments that had been passed down for generations, and they must contain many old objects, but he wondered…
Did they contain Qi, and how much?
He agreed on a time to meet Zhao Lei at the West Market and then hurried to Qinghe Bookstore on Nanhou Street.
"This set of Songyanzhai's brush, ink, and inkstone is well-preserved. Our shop is willing to buy it back for one tael and two qian of silver. As for these few books, the covers are heavily wrinkled. If you are willing, they are valued at 500 copper coins…"
Manager Chen of Qinghe Bookstore was about forty years old, of medium build, with a fair complexion. He calmly sized up Liu Sheng, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Another commoner who dreams of rising through studying!
In his more than twenty years as a bookstore manager, he had seen too many such people.
They buy the cheapest set of writing tools and a few books, and they think they can achieve fame and success.
These commoners don't even think, if studying could truly change one's fate in a Heaven-Defying way, would it even be their turn?
This is just… a carrot dangling in front of a mule, always seen but never touched.
"The original body spent over six taels to buy these, and now they're only worth one tael and seven qian… That's really dark!"
Liu Sheng cursed inwardly but could only nod in agreement. Then he asked if there were any rare books by famous authors for sale.
"The customer is joking. Rare editions by famous authors have always been valuable. Our shop operates on a small scale, how could we have any?"
Manager Chen settled the payment, smiling politely but awkwardly. He pointed to a pile of second-hand old books in the corner and said:
"However, among these old books, there are occasionally unique copies. Would the customer like to take a look?"
"That's exactly what I intended."
Liu Sheng raised an eyebrow and immediately went to the pile of old books, touching them one by one.
A moment later, his eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.
【Qi Point +1】
【Qi Point +3】
【Qi Point +2】