Borrowing Money

Duan Xuan walked into his courtyard, looking disheveled.

He gently closed the weed fence, which was only half a person's height, and walked into the only house in a few steps.

"Squeak!"

The wooden door was made by a carpenter when my father was still alive.

Just like the world at this moment, everything was being swept away. No matter how lightly Duan Xuan moved, he couldn't help but make a sore-smelling sound.

"Xuan'er, is that you?" The oil lamp in the house had long since been extinguished.

To make it easier for his mother to get light, Duan Xuan dug a hole in one side of the wall and smeared tree sap on both sides.

Then throw dry old pine branches into the pit, and the broken wood with branches will gently ignite.

It brings a ray of light to the dimly lit home.

"Mother, it's me!" Duan Xuan coughed a few times and put the bow and arrows and the small curved knife within easy reach.

I immediately washed the handkerchief for my mother and put it back on her face.

While burning pine branches is a cost-effective method, its drawback is obvious: it produces a lot of smoke.

If this room weren't not not airtight, it would be filled with a pungent fumes year-round.

Their bodies could no longer withstand it.

"Xuan'er, why do you look so gloomy? Did you not catch any prey today? It's alright, it's alright, Mother has already eaten."

There's still a small bowl of thin porridge in the pot; Mom saved it for you.

Duan Xuan made a shushing gesture and walked to the broken door.

Through the dim light, I could see three burly figures passing by my house, and they took off their clothes after a while.

A large piece of rabbit meat, frozen with ice crystals, was placed on the earthen kang (heated brick bed).

"Uncle Li's family has been in trouble. It was those people from Wolf Village who did it!" Duan Xuan had long expected that Erbazi wouldn't let him go so easily.

Given that thief's personality, even if you're a penniless beggar, he'll still squeeze every last drop of oil out of you before he'll stop.

If it were a large piece of rabbit meat, it would certainly not survive.

So he left the piece that Zhao Rui had given him outside, pretending that he hadn't caught any more prey.

"Poor old Li's family, they have two unfortunate children."

Those beasts from Wolf Village deserve to die!

"There are still four days until the mountain god sacrifice. How are we supposed to get by?" Duan's mother, Zhou Fang, cursed angrily.

  

Tears welled in her eyes, as they had in the past.

Her husband was doing alright, but now all she has left is her short and thin son.

He's only a teenager, yet he has to endure suffering he shouldn't have to.

Duan Xuan naturally knew that his mother felt sorry for him, so he went over and gently patted his mother's hand: "Mother."

Everything will be alright, and I will definitely find my father.

cluck cluck~

Zhou Fang's stomach started growling uncontrollably.

Duan Xuan understood, of course, that his mother, being bedridden, believed she didn't need to eat and didn't deserve to eat.

All I need is for myself to come home and have a meal every day.

But the cold winter is not completely over yet, and it will be at least May or June before Shetougou can welcome warm weather.

Winter is the season for storing fat, and hunger is undoubtedly the most unbearable torture.

He stood up and ran quickly to the kitchen. The rice jar was already empty, with only a thin layer of rice bran left.

Crunch, crunch.

Duan Xuan used an incredibly thin spoon to scrape off all the rice bran stuck to the bottom of the jar with a few forceful snaps.

Then, with practiced ease, he used the snow he had saved earlier to wash away the bloodstains on the rabbit until the smell was no longer strong.

He then put the whole thing into the pot and stewed it together with the rice bran.

This allows the rabbit's oil to be used to the maximum extent.

"Xuan'er, when do you think your father will come back? How is he doing now?"

Has he really abandoned us, mother and child? Has he gone to live a life of luxury with nobles in the capital?

Zhou Fang stared at the rooftop with tears in her eyes.

Life was tough. She couldn't bear to imagine that her man was really dead, so she could only deceive herself with various excuses.

"Dad isn't that kind of person."

"Today, Chunmei and Xiaorui's parents passed by our house and went in for a look."

These two children are now leaving Shetougou.

Your mother wanted you to learn a skill so you wouldn't have to go up the mountain to hunt all the time, which is so hard.

Hunting is too dangerous, your mother is worried about you!

People in every era believed that having a skill to rely on would ensure they wouldn't starve, and that's certainly true.

"Learning a trade is good, but it must cost a lot of money, right?"

We need to save our money for those wolves in the wolf pack for now, otherwise my mother and I won't survive this winter.

Duan Xuan understood perfectly well that it would be a good thing to use the family's last savings to learn a trade.

What if the people from the Wolf Village come to demand money?

If they can't come up with the money, they'll lose their hands and feet, and the whole house might even be burned to the ground.

In this era, money isn't just money; it's our lifeline!

This is also the cleverness of gang bandits: constantly exploiting you so that you can't spend your money.

In the end, it can only keep flowing into their hands.

"How about... we go to your grandfather's place and borrow it, and your mother will pay it back."

"My mother can now make several pieces of fur every day. In five to ten years, she'll definitely be able to pay back the money she spent learning the trade!"

Duan Xuan stared at the bubbling pot without saying a word.

……

The next morning, Duan Xuan prepared a bowl of warm rice porridge for Zhou Fang and took a good piece of cooked rabbit meat with him as he went out.

Shetougou is a giant village located in a valley in the Shiwan Mountains on the border of a dynasty.

It's more like a town than a village!

The people here have lived by hunting for generations, and a large portion of them came from other valleys.

They were ostracized by the locals and had no choice but to live on the outskirts.

As a result, Shetougou was divided into a new area and an old area.

Most of the residents in the old revolutionary base area are impoverished people who have lived in Shetougou for generations.

Duan Xuan's grandfather and second uncle's family lived here; two low, thatched-roof houses came into view.

Duan Xuan shouted something and went inside.

An ordinary old man, as plain as can be, sat upright in the center of the kang (a heated brick bed).

My grandmother, with her failing eyesight and gray hair, lay in a corner, leaning against the blanket.

The house on the right belongs to my second uncle's family, who were spoiled and pampered since childhood.

There wasn't a single callus on his hands.

They don't look like people from Shetougou at all.

Second Auntie must have eaten something; the oil on her face was much greasier than the oil on the rabbit in Duan Xuan's hands.

The child sitting next to Uncle and Aunt is Duan Xuan's younger brother, Duan Xu, Uncle's biological son.

This guy is three to five years younger than Duan Xuan, but he grew up under the care of his grandparents.

He was still half a head taller than Duan Xuan, and his protruding belly could fit two Duan Xuans inside.

Although the house was dilapidated, Grandpa Duan ran two small shops.

Although the Wolf Village people had taken most of the profits, there was clearly no sign that they were starving.

The elderly couple doted on their second uncle's family and their chubby grandson, saving every penny they could.

All the good food at home ended up in the mouths of these three people.

Duan Xuan put down the rabbit meat in his hand, and the quirky woman standing to his left took the rabbit meat from him with both hands.

This person was Duan Xuan's grandfather's third daughter, who was born late in life; she was also his aunt, Duan Xin.

He was only three to five years older than Duan Xuan.

He had an oval face and almond-shaped eyes, and his features were so delicate that he didn't seem to belong to this family.

"Xuan'er, you're here!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, but not delicate, and her personality was also quite good. She was the only person Duan Xuan could talk to in this room.

"Auntie," Duan Xuan nodded, and his aunt patted his little head. She picked up the rabbit meat and went to the kitchen.

"Oh, it's my nephew Xuan'er. What brings you to Grandpa's house?"

Second Aunt tried to hide something behind her back, but Duan Xu snatched it away.

He proudly showed off a plate of greasy pig's head meat without any hesitation.

Watching the large family enjoying themselves so much, Duan Xuan felt out of place, yet he saw everything very clearly.

The original host hated coming here since childhood because his grandfather's family was very biased.

Not only did they let my second uncle's family eat and drink for free here, but they also gave my second uncle the entire operating rights of the shop.

Looking at their own family, they offered help when the shop was facing its most difficult time.

As a result, the father didn't get any benefit at all; all the money he put out was spent by his second uncle.

Sometimes, my second uncle's family would even use my grandfather's name to borrow money from our home.

It was supposed to be a joint investment with dividends at the end of the year, but in reality, the money was all used for eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.

Thinking of this, Duan Xuan felt a surge of disgust.

The old man, Duan Jiantao, who sat in the main seat, always had a cold expression on his face.

He glanced at his eldest grandson, who was dressed very poorly, but made no move to offer him a seat: "Duan Xuan, what brings you to your grandfather's house so early?"

"We're starving..."

"Oh dear, my elder brother has been captured by those bastards from the imperial court. It's really tough on you two."

You're not getting any younger, you can't just stay at home eating and drinking for free all day, you have to learn to be like your second uncle.

Find a shop to do some business, and look, we can even eat pig's head meat at the end of the year.

"That's more than what your family earns from hunting!"

Duan Tao, the second uncle, seemed to be offering advice and finding a way out for Duan Xuan, but his words were full of boasting and disdain.

Duan Xuan ignored him. What right did a freeloader have to lecture him?

If it weren't for the old man's favoritism towards him, this guy wouldn't even be able to make a living by hunting.

"Yes, yes, your second uncle is only thinking of you!"

Duan Xuan tightened his eyelids as his cousin Duan Xu walked past him.

The fat, strong body slammed into him, almost knocking Duan Xuan forward.

Duan Xuan turned around abruptly and saw Duan Xu's lips curl into a smile.

With eyes the size of mung beans and a smile full of joy, she asked, "Cousin, are you really that skinny to hunt?"

"That's true, even wolves and tigers wouldn't have the slightest appetite for you!"

"Grandpa, I want to learn a trade, but we're out of money. I'd like to ask you for a loan..."

Duan Xuan ignored his cousin's and second uncle's teasing. There was no point in arguing with these snobbish relatives; it was too childish.

"Learning a trade is good. If you learn a trade, you won't starve. At least you won't end up like your father, who couldn't even afford to build a house."

We can only go to the outer districts, what will happen in the end?

He didn't even get a good ending; he was conscripted by the imperial court and hasn't even replied to a letter since.

The old man, Duan Jiantao, snorted coldly, clearly showing no concern for his eldest son.

On the contrary, they were not satisfied at all.

"Alright, the eldest has his own difficulties..." The grandmother in the corner interrupted Duan Jiantao.

No matter how old a child is, they are still a piece of flesh that fell from their mother's body, and the grandmother felt guilty towards Duan Xuan's father, Duan Jian.

The reason Duan Jian insisted on separating the family was because it was really difficult for the whole family to share meals.

If he doesn't leave, the whole family will be in dire financial straits.

The reason they chose to hunt was because the money earned from their family shop couldn't support everyone.

In fact, it was my second uncle who truly enjoyed hunting.

Although Duan Tao is lazy and loves to eat, he is quite good at hunting.

If the eldest son didn't move out and the second son chose hunting, then the imperial court would come to Duantougou to conscript hunters.

It's likely that the fate will fall on him.

The one who hasn't been heard from yet is the second son.

"It's good that you're interested in learning medicine, but don't go astray like your father and end up getting things for Xuan'er..."

"My dear husband, where would we get the spare money to teach Xuan'er a trade?"

Have you forgotten, old man?

The meat we're eating was a gift from the Scaled Python Martial Arts School; Xuan'er has already caught the eye of their master.

"I'm planning to take him on as my disciple!" Second Aunt interrupted Duan Jiantao.

"Yes, yes, we don't have any spare money left. We need to save the money for Xuan'er's tuition."

The owner of the Scaled Python Martial Arts School carries considerable weight in the entire Yellow Snake County.

If we become his disciples, will the Wolf Pack still dare to bully us?

Xu'er is only thirteen years old this year, with a bright future ahead of him, and it is fortunate that he has been chosen by Master Lin.

Sending someone to deliver meat indicates that the meat must be of exceptional quality.

When we've mastered our skills and become martial arts graduates or champions, our family will be prosperous!

But if this tuition fee isn't enough, even if Master Lin is very fond of talent, he probably won't be able to let Xu'er into the family!

Seeing that Duan Jiantao was still hesitant, his second aunt simply went to greet him.

He handed the scraps that Duan Xu had eaten to Duan Jiantao: "Father, look, this is meat that Xu'er specially saved for you."

Just now, Xu'er said that the meat must be given to Grandpa first, so that he can become the top martial arts champion in the future.

I will definitely take good care of you.

They want to buy you a house that only emperors can live in, and they also want to build you a very large mausoleum.

Even after you pass away, we will ensure you enjoy a life of happiness!

After hearing this, Duan Jiantao's expression clearly changed.

He certainly knew what it meant to become a disciple of a martial arts school.

They understood even more what it would mean if their grandson could pass the martial arts examination and become a martial arts champion.

From then on, the Duan family became one of the world's top families.

Enjoy all the riches and honors of the world.

"Xuan'er, you heard it too, your younger brother has been chosen by Lin Mang Martial Arts School."

I never expected him to be able to bring such a great honor to the Duan family. You should feel honored.

Let's leave the learning of the trade for now. Once your younger brother has mastered it, I'll teach you a couple of tricks that will be enough for you for the rest of your life.

Being a henchman or a bodyguard for some rich family will cost you less and earn you more than learning a trade.

Do you understand Grandpa's good intentions?

Uncle Duan Tao and Aunt Duan Tao breathed a sigh of relief, then exchanged a glance in the dim light.

There's no way you can get money out of them.

My precious son is about to become the top martial arts champion, so no one can mess with him!

Duan Xuan looked up again. His grandmother in the corner was silent, while his grandfather was lost in his fantasy.

I fantasize about living in a big house in a few days, a house that is magnificent and splendid, and no longer sleeping on a kang (heated brick bed).

Instead, they lived in a soft, large bed warmed by servants.

They devoured delicacies from land and sea, taking big bites.

As soon as he steps out, his neighbors shout "Master Duan!"

That tasted so good!

He picked up a piece of pork head scrap and stuffed it into his mouth.

Duan Jiantao suddenly realized how wonderful it was to have a grandson who was a martial arts champion...