Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 6, Section 6: Arranging a marriage at home, practicing swordsmanship in the forest.
Chenjia Village, Datang Township.

The Chen brothers got up early as usual.

The year was not good, so in the mornings they would just boil some plain porridge and then prepare to go to work in the fields.

Farmers' sons never have a moment's rest, no matter how hard they work. Even if they are diligent and hardworking, after a year of busy work, they can barely make ends meet after taxes and other miscellaneous expenses.

Therefore, the Chen family's ancestral precept was that the family should strive for success through the imperial examinations. No matter how difficult it was, they had to cultivate a scholar. As long as one passed the examinations, one could enter officialdom, lead the family to prosperity, and bring glory to the ancestors.

The approach is undoubtedly correct.

Unfortunately, fate plays tricks on people; what can be done if you fail the exam?
At this moment, Liu the hunter arrived. He had come down the mountain, first passing by his own house, where he put his things down, before carrying two pieces of meat over his back.

Chen Tan was somewhat surprised when he saw it, and his gaze was quickly drawn to the meat. He couldn't help but swallow.

Being a hunter is not only a profession but also an occupation, something most people can't do. Climbing mountains and wading through rivers, fighting wild animals—danger is unavoidable. But with skill and ability, one can often get a good meal.

Chen Tan didn't know why Liu the hunter had come; judging from his appearance, it seemed like he was there to sell meat.

When hunters have a good harvest, the excess meat must be sold, otherwise it will be difficult to preserve and will easily spoil.

As for the price, it varies depending on the type of meat, and is quite fair among the villagers.

"We haven't had any meat at home in a long time, so I'll buy a pound, cook it, and send a bowl up the mountain for the young man to try..."

Thinking it over, Chen Tan immediately went up to him and said with a smile, "Brother Liu, I came to your house yesterday, and Shan Hua said you went hunting in the mountains."

Hunter Liu asked, "Did you need something from me?"

"Yes, that's a good thing."

"Good thing?"

Hunter Liu was taken aback: "What good news?"

Chen Tan pondered for a moment: "To be honest, my family is planning to arrange a marriage for the young man, and we have taken a liking to your daughter, Shanhua. That's why we came to talk to you and see what you think."

Formal marriage proposals require a matchmaker, but given the current situation, with nothing much going on, it's normal for the elders to sound each other out first.

Upon hearing this, Hunter Liu blinked, his mind racing:
In Datang Township, the Chen family was just getting by, owning a little over ten mu of land, barely enough to make ends meet. Villagers said that if it weren't for supporting Chen Jin's education and exams, the Chen family's life would be much better.

Originally, Chen Jin's father's scholarly title could have brought him some benefits, but unfortunately he died young.

Returning to Chen Jin, he is of decent appearance, with delicate features, but he is a bit thin.

If he succeeds in his studies and passes the imperial examinations, he will be a person of high status. Not to mention marrying a wife, he could even become a concubine.

But in the current situation, someone like him, stuck in an awkward position, has a rather embarrassing status, and his flaws and shortcomings are easy to spot:

Such as getting old;

Physically frail;

Both parents are deceased;

With a large family and limited land, if the family were to split up in the future, with three branches of the family and each branch having only three or four acres of land, would they be able to survive?

In addition, there's his personality issue; he's aloof and self-important, with a tendency to be overly ambitious...

Based on these points, they are definitely not a good match.

Thinking of this, Liu the hunter coughed and asked, "Is this Chen Tongsheng's idea?"

Chen Tan shook his head: "We haven't asked him yet."

Chen Yuan strode over and said in a deep voice, "The affairs of children are determined by their parents and the matchmaker. As long as we reach an agreement, that's fine."

Hunter Liu quickly waved his hand: "That's not how it works... Chen Tongsheng is a scholar with his own ideas. Besides, my Shanhua is wild and rough, he probably wouldn't be interested in her."

Upon hearing this, the Chen brothers exchanged a glance and knew that they had been politely refused.

It's nothing. If one shop isn't doing well, another will. If one doesn't work out, try another.

Chen Tan asked, "Brother Liu, how much is this meat? If it's a good deal, cut me a pound."

Chen Yuan also had his eye on the roe deer meat, but when he heard his third brother say he wanted to buy a pound, he couldn't help but frown slightly. This meat wasn't cheap; in his opinion, half a pound would be more than enough. He could chop it up, stew it in soup, add plenty of water, and it would be enough for the whole family to have a big bowl, a satisfying treat.

With the year going badly, I have to tighten my belt and save up some money to give to Chen Jin, hoping to find him an easier job in the county town.

Chen Yuan had inquired and found out that his nephew had passed the preliminary examination and, if he was willing to spend money to pull strings, he might have a chance to work in the county government's clerical office.

Of course, that's a lot of money.

Hunter Liu unloaded the meat and laughed, "No need to buy it, all of this is yours."

The Chen brothers were taken aback, looked at each other in bewilderment, and asked in unison, "What happened?"

Hunter Liu recounted the whole story, and finally sighed, "With Chen Tongsheng's luck, his fortunes will turn around sooner or later, and he will pass the imperial examination with flying colors."

At this point, my heart skipped a beat: Should we reconsider the marriage between the two families?

However, it was not convenient to say more at this moment, so I took my leave.

Inside the courtyard, Chen Yuan and Chen Tan stared in astonishment at the two large pieces of roe deer meat, speechless for a long time.

After a long pause, Chen Yuan asked, "Third brother, what do you think?"

Chen Tan's eyes lit up: "Braise it for lunch, stew it for dinner, and cook the rest thoroughly, rub it with salt, and store it to eat slowly."

Chen Yuan: "..."

With veins bulging on his forehead, he shouted, "I'm asking you what your opinion is on this matter!"

"what's up?"

Chen Tan was somewhat bewildered.

Chen Yuan was furious: "Don't you think it's strange that Xiao Lang was able to hunt a roe deer?"

Chen Tan thought for a moment: "There are many birds and beasts in the desolate mountains. It's reasonable that the young man was lucky enough to hunt one."

Chen Yuan snorted: "Luck can't always be on your side. I'm worried that if he gets a taste of success, he'll keep running into the woods. If he runs into poisonous snakes or wild beasts, that would be terrible."

Upon hearing this, Chen Tan also became worried.

He would rather go without meat than let his nephew put himself in danger.

……

A whooshing sound rose from the forest, startling the birds into flight.

The temple was cramped and not conducive to practice, so Chen Jin simply went to a clearing in the woods to practice his swordsmanship.

The forest environment, with its complex terrain, provides excellent training for body shape and footwork.

They can also view various trees as imaginary enemies and use sword techniques to counter them, thus increasing their practice experience.

It's a pity that I didn't get a real sword to use.

Wooden swords are crude, and no matter how much they are repaired, they can never compare to real swords.

However, owning a real sword, especially a good one, is not easy. There are no channels to obtain one, and the price is sky-high, making it unaffordable.

There's no other way but to practice like this for now, and master the eight sword moves first.

Several days passed in a flash.

During this time, his uncles Chen Yuan and Chen Tan both came to visit him and tried to persuade him to go home.

But Chen Jin was satisfied with his current life and refused to agree.

Seeing that he looked radiant and energetic, and seemed to be living a comfortable life, his uncle and the others gave up and didn't insist. They brought up a large bag of daily necessities: clothes, bedding, oil, salt, rice, and a can of lamp oil.

Chen Jin's lifestyle became more stable: sword practice, breathing exercises, hunting...

On this day, someone came up the mountain, breaking the peace.

(End of this chapter)