“Cough, cough, cough...”
Shen Xiuhan was almost choked and hurriedly let out a few dry coughs.
“Mother, there’s no rush for marriage. We should open a restaurant first to build up a solid foundation. Only when we have money in hand will we have the confidence to find a better family to marry into, right?”
“That makes sense...”
Madam Zheng nodded in deep agreement, but then her expression grew anxious again. She rubbed the hem of her clothes with her fingers and said hesitantly, “But we’re just poor folk. Will anyone in the Inner City be willing to spend money on the simple food we make?”
Before Shen Xiuhan could reply, Shen Momo’s eyes lit up in his arms, and she said loudly, “Mother, did you forget? We can sell the delicious noodles that big brother made!”
Hearing this, Madam Zheng’s eyes lit up. “That’s right, we can sell Blanket Noodles!”
She had personally tasted the bowl of Blanket Noodles Shen Xiuhan had made last time.
Although he had only made it that once, its chewy, smooth texture and rich, savory flavor were still fresh in her memory.
For the past few days, Shen Momo had been clamoring every day for her to make Blanket Noodles.
Madam Zheng had tried twice, but she messed it up both times. Thus, she said with some embarrassment, “But... but your mother is clumsy and doesn’t know how to make such delicate food.”
“It’s fine. In a few days, I’ll find some time to teach you step-by-step. The recipe is very simple; you’ll learn it in no time,” Shen Xiuhan said with a smile.
“Hooray!”
Shen Momo bounced up and down happily, cheering, “Finally, I get to eat the noodles made by big brother!”
Hearing her bell-like laughter, Shen Xiuhan laughed and looked at Madam Zheng.
“Mother, once we move into the Inner City and open a noodle shop, you can do the cooking and handle the money while I practice martial arts at the hall. When we make money, we’ll send Momo to a private school to study and learn to read from a teacher. When she’s done with school, she can help serve bowls and dishes in the shop...”
Listening to the beautiful scene her son described—one without killing, hunger, or cold, only the warmth of everyday life—Madam Zheng’s expression gradually grew dazed with longing.
...
It was the fourth day since he killed Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu.
Early spring had quietly arrived.
On the road.
Shen Xiuhan saw a few swallows glide past, flapping their wings as they flew onto branches sprouting tender green buds.
In the Mei Courtyard, over thirty disciples were all present, sparring in pairs to practice their moves.
Shouts and cries echoed across the entire martial arts arena, and strong winds whipped up as fists and feet collided.
For some reason, Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting had been delayed and had not yet shown up.
Shen Xiuhan thus took it upon himself to act as the temporary supervisor.
“Your lower body is unstable, like duckweed on water. Your stance must be rooted like an old tree’s roots, otherwise no matter how much you practice, it’s just empty show!”
His Mystic Eagle Stance had reached Great Perfection, so he could spot the flaws of the outer courtyard disciples at a single glance.
Walking to a disciple’s side, Shen Xiuhan raised his foot and lightly tapped the back of the other’s locked knee, giving a low-voiced pointer, “Your strength is too rigid. If the stance is too loose, your blood qi will scatter; if it’s too tight, your qi will stagnate and blood will congest. You must find the balance between loose and tight yourself.”
“Yes, Senior Brother Shen!”
After scanning the area, Shen Xiuhan’s gaze fell on a certain figure, and he felt a trace of surprise in his heart.
Hmm... Xiao Wen’s stance work is becoming increasingly refined.
Over the past few days, Xiao Wen seemed to have had an epiphany, his stance work progressing by leaps and bounds.
He performed the Mystic Eagle Stance with fluid grace. Between his movements, there was even a faint hint of a goshawk spreading its wings, ready to take flight.
Judging by this form, he was not far from reaching Minor Accomplishment in his stance work.
Looking at the entire Mei Courtyard, those who could practice the Mystic Eagle Stance to Minor Accomplishment could be counted on one hand.
This kind of comprehension was truly top-tier in the outer courtyard.
“Whew...”
Xiao Wen slowly finished his stance.
He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Looking up and seeing Shen Xiuhan standing beside him, he called out somewhat anxiously, “Senior Brother Shen...”
“Not bad. Your foundation is very solid.”
Shen Xiuhan gave an approving look and patted his shoulder.
“If you keep practicing with this momentum, in due time, you will surely break through to the Blood Tempering Rank and enter the inner courtyard.”
“Thank you for the encouragement, Senior Brother...”
Xiao Wen smiled shyly, his lips twitching slightly as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, a sudden wave of noise and footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard.
Shen Xiuhan looked toward the source of the sound.
Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting were the first to enter.
Behind them followed seven or eight middle-aged men dressed in luxurious silk robes, who looked like stewards.
Further back was a long line of maidservants and pages carrying registers and tea sets.
In the blink of an eye, this crowd packed the empty space of the outer courtyard to the brim.
Xiang Yunting casually waved over an outer courtyard disciple and whispered a few instructions.
The latter nodded like a chicken pecking at grain and quickly ran into the inner courtyard with a few others.
A moment later, several grandmaster chairs and square tables were lined up under the courtyard’s veranda.
Several pot-bellied stewards in silk robes exchanged cupped-fist greetings and took their respective seats.
The maidservants and pages familiarly served warm tea, then stood aside with their hands lowered, completely silent.
This was...
The placement meet?
What a grand display!
Shen Xiuhan’s eyes flickered slightly. Xu Chuan had already walked over from the side and said in a lowered voice, “Junior Brother Shen, the placement meet is about to begin.”
“Besides you, the other skilled hands in our martial arts hall’s outer courtyard will also be brought out to show their skills. We’ll see if they can catch the eye of these noble families and merchant houses to secure a job as a guard or errand runner.”
Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly upon hearing this.
The Mei Courtyard’s income had always been singular, relying almost entirely on the disciples’ tuition fees to maintain operations.
This was completely different from other martial arts halls.
For example, the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall.
They had countless affiliated industries under their name, such as restaurants, casinos, and brothels.
Disciples with connections or strong enough skills could be easily absorbed internally.
But for the disciples of the Mei Courtyard to earn money, they could only seek opportunities in various noble families, chambers of commerce, and escort agencies through this placement meet.
In the courtyard, eight or nine disciples with solid stance work were selected by Xiang Yunting. They lined up and took turns performing with all their might in front of the stewards.
Xiao Wen was among them.
Perhaps due to nervousness, the first two disciples performed the Mystic Eagle Stance weakly.
The stewards merely watched with cold eyes, drinking tea and chatting without even raising their eyelids.
By the third disciple, it was a youth from a small family in the Inner City.
This man was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with robust muscles and bones, looking quite imposing.
As he executed his wide, sweeping stance work, his moves were fierce and overbearing, whipping up a whistling gale.
This finally made the stewards sit up straight. They stroked their beards, nodded, and began whispering to one another.
Once he stepped back, panting and cupping his fists, two stewards put down their teacups and offered their bids one after another.
“Changfeng Escort Agency is hiring three caravan guards!”
“If you are interested, the monthly pay is one tael of silver, plus one catty of salted fish, three catties of fresh fish, and two bowls of blood qi-replenishing medicinal soup. If we encounter bandits on the road and you dare to draw your blade and draw blood, there will be separate bounty per head!”
“Renxin Hall is recruiting two guards!”
“The monthly pay is also one tael. Meat is not included, but we provide three bowls of blood qi medicinal soup. There is also a benefit: anyone from our Renxin Hall can purchase one Blood-Nourishing Pill from the hall at cost price every month.”
Seeing that there were offers, the disciple’s face flushed with excitement.
But upon hearing the vastly different terms of the two offers, he hesitated.
After struggling internally for a moment, a smile broke across his face as he walked toward the fair and plump steward of Renxin Hall.
Rate on N.U.
