The Dual Cultivation Record in a Humble Temple

Yingluo, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Father, my eldest and second brothers sent letters the day before yesterday saying that the shipment went smoothly and they'll definitely be home before the New Year! My third and fourth brothers also wrote, saying they'll be coming home this year!"

Old Man Zhou grunted in agreement, then turned to Jia Yun and explained, "You have four good-for-nothing senior brothers who are my sons. Two of them are currently working at the 'Weiyuan Escort Agency' near the capital, and the other two are making a living in Tianjin. If you encounter any difficulties with your martial arts skills in the future, you might be able to ask them for help."

Jia Yun then realized that the Zhou family didn't just consist of the three people in front of him; there were four other men working away from home. He gained a deeper understanding of the Zhou family's impoverished yet remarkable situation. He quickly said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. My four senior brothers must be working very hard away from home."

"Running around doing manual labor, it's not hard work, it's all part of the job," Old Man Zhou said calmly, but a hint of concern flashed in his eyes when he mentioned his son.

From that day on, Jia Yun began a life of almost austere routine between the Iron Threshold Temple and this dilapidated Taoist temple.

He would get up before dawn every day, around 5 a.m.

The temple mornings in the twelfth lunar month were bitterly cold. He would put on his robe and sit by the window by a solitary lamp, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics as well as other classical texts, or grinding ink to practice calligraphy, or copying books for Jigu Hall.

The county examination will be held next February. If he fails to pass the county-level examination, he will be like a tree without roots, and the subsequent prefectural and provincial examinations will be nothing but a mirage.

The county examination in Shuntian Prefecture under the capital was not actually that difficult. First, one had to memorize ten articles of the "Great Han Law" without any mistakes or corrections. Second, one had to write a piece of the Four Books in the eight-legged essay format. Third, one had to write a poem for the examination, which had to be five characters long and six rhymes.

But nothing is absolute, and the pressure still weighed on Jia Yun's mind, preventing him from slacking off in the slightest. The sound of reading aloud mingled with the morning bell and the sound of pine trees, echoing in the quiet courtyard, which was quite unexpected.

Around 3:45 AM, Jia Yun went to the abbot's meditation room to find Monk Sekong.

At first, the old monk just gave perfunctory answers, picking out some unimportant things like temple rules and the source of incense offerings to talk about.

But seeing that Jia Yun came every day without fail, and was very respectful and attentive, listening very carefully, and humbly asking for help when he didn't understand something, and even taking out a small notebook to record it, Sekong gradually began to take him seriously.

On this day, Sekong was talking about the list of money and goods that each branch of the clan sent to the Iron Threshold Temple for sacrifices every year. The long list was full of complicated numbers and numerous items.

"...Look at Master Zhen's household in the Ning family. Every year during Qingming Festival, Ghost Festival, and New Year's Day, it's a fixed fifty taels of silver, plus sacrificial offerings of three kinds of animals, incense, candles, and paper horses; Master Zheng's household in the Rong family also pays fifty taels, but the sacrificial offerings are more elaborate; as for Master Rong's household in the East family..." Se Kong pointed out as he flipped through the old account books.

Jia Yun listened intently and suddenly asked, "Abbot, I saw in last year's account that Granny Lai's family also sent twenty taels of incense money? They are not the masters, so why...?"

Upon hearing this, Sekong's eyes flashed with surprise, then he smiled and said, "Benefactor, you are indeed thoughtful. Although Granny Lai is a servant, she is the most respected elder in the old lady's household, and her son, Lai Da, manages many estates and shops outside the mansion, making them quite wealthy. This twenty taels is both a tribute to Buddha and... hehe..."

The monk's expression brightened slightly, and his voice unconsciously lowered: "It also maintains the social connections between people inside and outside the manor. In this manor, although the masters seem noble, the old servants who have served for many years are deeply entrenched and their influence is not to be underestimated."

"Even someone as decisive and ruthless as your Second Madam Lian has to show some respect to these elders, doesn't she? Doesn't she call Zhou Rui's wife 'Sister Zhou'? Being humble is one aspect, but giving face to Madam Wang is another. Winning over those who need to be won over, and giving them a warning when necessary—there's a lot to learn here!"

Jia Yun nodded thoughtfully, gaining a deeper understanding of Wang Xifeng's situation.

She seemed to hold great power, but in reality, she was at the center of a vortex. She had to please Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, deal with the obstruction from Lady Xing and others, balance the power of various managers in the mansion, and deal with the turmoil on the official front... She truly could not afford to make a single mistake.

He increasingly felt that Wang Xifeng's decision to let him temporarily leave that place of trouble was the most correct one.

After an hour of study, Jia Yun had a simple vegetarian meal at the temple.

Just after noon, he set off for the Sanqing Temple to begin his afternoon of "torture".

Old Man Zhou remained lazy, spending most of his time meditating or sleeping, leaving the task of instructing Jia Yun primarily to Zhou Yingluo. Jia Yun's martial arts progress was extremely slow.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and he was still struggling with that heavy spear.

Although it's not as bad as it was at the beginning, and it can hold the gun horizontally for a while, it's still far from the standard of holding a gun horizontally with one hand and not being able to move an incense stick.

His arms, back, and legs ached almost daily, making writing increasingly difficult lately. While he could manage his own everyday writing, the work at Jigutang required meticulous attention to detail.

"You're really so stupid! Your waist is your waist, your legs are your legs, your strength comes from the ground, flows through your waist, reaches your arms, and is used at your fingertips! How come you're always so out of sync?" Zhou Yingluo's words were still sharp, but her guidance became more and more detailed.

Sometimes, when he couldn't hold on any longer, they would throw him a water pouch or deliberately say something witty to distract him.

Jia Yun was on the verge of tears. "How can I, a self-taught practitioner, be compared to you who have practiced monastic skills for children? Why don't you compare calligraphy and classic texts with me?" Of course, fearing the opponent's fists, Jia Yun dared not speak out against the violence.

"Hey, junior brother, do you think that Second Madam Lian in your manor is really that powerful? I heard she manages hundreds of people in the manor perfectly, even better than a man?" During a break from practicing shooting that day, Zhou Yingluo suddenly leaned closer and asked with her bright eyes.

Upon hearing that person's name, Jia Yun gritted his teeth and answered breathlessly, "Second Mistress...is indeed...decisive and efficient, with clear rewards and punishments. In the manor...big and small matters, without her...it really wouldn't function."

"Hmph, no matter how capable she is, she's still a woman. What's the point of confining her to the inner quarters?" Zhou Yingluo said dismissively, but a hint of barely perceptible curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Have you ever seen that Second Master Bao, who was born with a jade in his mouth? I heard he's even more handsome than a girl?"

"I've met him a few times. Uncle Bao is indeed outstanding in appearance, but..." Jia Yun wiped his sweat and laughed, "His personality is different from ordinary people. He likes freedom the most and hates all this studying and officialdom."

"I think his genuine nature is quite good." Zhou Yinglu tilted her head and casually twirled her sword. "He's much better than those pretentious scholars who only care about fame and fortune all day long."

These words had a veiled insult connotation, and Jia Yun dared not respond further, lest he get himself into trouble again.

For dinner, Jia Yun usually ate at the Sanqing Temple. Zhou Yingluo couldn't cook, but her sister Zhou Wanyan was surprisingly good at it. Although it was simple food, it was refreshing and delicious.

After dinner, he dragged his tired body back to the Iron Threshold Temple and studied by lamplight until late at night.

The weather has been getting colder these days, and the starving corpses frozen to death on the roads outside the city are often seen, making the temples and Taoist monasteries seem like isolated islands in a chaotic world.

Jia Yun's knowledge of human relationships and worldly affairs has improved considerably under the occasional guidance of Abbot Sekong, and he has also become increasingly familiar with the scriptures and articles.

Although his martial arts skills had not made significant progress, his physique had become noticeably stronger, and he was no longer the frail scholar who would be blown away by the wind. This amazed the Zhou family father and daughter with his talent.

He's only been practicing for a few days, but Jia Yun's energy and spirit are already different from before.

Abbot Sekong's attitude became increasingly amiable. Sometimes he would even invite him to stay for tea and tell him about old news and interesting stories from the manor. It was as if he was already treating him as a junior with whom he could talk.

On the tenth day, Sekong sighed and said, "Yun-ge, I see you are ambitious. Are you confident about the county examination next February?"

Jia Yun smiled wryly: "I will do my best, but when it comes to scholarship, I dare not say that I am completely confident."

"Yes, the path to the imperial examinations is like a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge. If you pass, you'll become a scholar, a different status. Naturally, you'll have to return to your residence to focus on preparing for the subsequent prefectural and provincial examinations, and it's unlikely you'll ever come to my little temple again." Sekong nodded, his words carrying a barely perceptible sigh. "If... if the opportunity hasn't come yet, staying here to continue studying and gaining experience isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least, it'll be peaceful."

Jia Yunming understands the meaning of "white emptiness".

If he passes the county examination, he will have a starting point for officialdom and must return to the larger stage of the Jia family to face a more complex situation and be more directly involved in various disputes.

If that doesn't work out... perhaps he can continue to use the "quiet place" of the Iron Threshold Temple to study hard while training his body and building connections with Old Man Zhou, like a dragon lurking in the abyss waiting for the next opportunity.

The future is uncertain, but the path ahead is becoming clearer.

Whether it was for his mother's expectations, to live up to Wang Xifeng's appreciation, or for his own dissatisfaction with the future.

Jia Yun could only move forward, not backward.