Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Three days later at noon, outside the side gate of the Shen residence.

Chen Jianghe took off the coarse cloth work clothes he had worn for three years and which smelled of fish, and put on the patched clothes he had brought with him.

Uncle Liu leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching his movements without saying a word for a long time.

Uncle Liu finally spoke, his voice low and somber: "Are you really leaving?"

Chen Jianghe handed over the neatly folded work clothes with both hands: "Uncle Liu, thank you so much for taking care of me these past three years."

Uncle Liu didn't answer, but just stared at him: "Jiang He, tell me the truth, is it because of that Black Tiger Gang thing? That bastard Wang Biao came to your house again to collect debts?"

Chen Jianghe shook his head: "No. I've made up my mind myself."

"Have you thought it through?" Uncle Liu's voice suddenly rose.

He then pressed him down, looked him up and down, and pulled him to a corner: "What have you thought about? Martial arts? Is that something people like us can even dream of? Yes, I heard you've scraped together the apprenticeship fee, ten taels of silver, right? But that's just the beginning! What about after that? Eating meat, taking tonics, medicinal baths... doesn't all of that cost money? How many copper coins can your mother earn weaving nets?"

He took a breath and, seeing that Chen Jianghe was only listening quietly, became even more anxious: "Listen to your uncle's advice. Stay at the Shen residence, and I'll put in a good word with the head steward and get you a long-term contract. You'll be in charge of the butcher's stall, earning one or two taels a month—a stable income. In a couple of years, I'll help you find a reliable girl and bring your mother out to live in a small room. Isn't that a stable life?"

Chen Jianghe waited for him to finish speaking before saying, "Uncle Liu, you're absolutely right."

"Then why don't you—"

Chen Jianghe raised his head and said solemnly, "But I want to try. When my father went to perform corvée labor for my uncle, he told me before he left that in this world, people without ability even have their lives taken by others. I don't want to wait until one day when someone asks me to die for someone and I can only nod in agreement."

Uncle Liu opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.

He recalled Chen Jianghe's appearance three years ago when he first arrived, as thin as a reed, unable to even bear to watch a chicken being slaughtered. Now, the boy stood before him, his shoulders broadened, his eyes deep, yet his words brought a pang of sorrow to his heart.

Uncle Liu sighed heavily: "Never mind, never mind!"

He then pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and stuffed it into Chen Jianghe's hand: "Take this."

When Chen Jianghe opened it, he found dozens of copper coins and a small piece of silver.

"Uncle Liu, I can't accept this."

Uncle Liu sternly said, "Shut up. This isn't a free lunch. Meet me at the side gate at 7:45 PM tonight."

"Uncle Liu?"

"Come when I tell you to!" Uncle Liu waved his hand, turned and walked towards the door, but turned back halfway and whispered, "Be careful on the way."

Chen Jianghe gripped the cloth bag in his hand and bowed deeply to Uncle Liu's retreating figure.

...

At three-quarters past the hour of Xu (7:45 PM), the side gate creaked open a crack.

Uncle Liu poked his head out and saw that Chen Jianghe was indeed there, so he beckoned him to come in.

The two walked one after the other in the dark to the small storage room behind the slaughterhouse.

Uncle Liu lit the oil lamp, and the dim light illuminated an old bamboo basket in the corner.

He lifted the cloth covering the meat, which contained several pieces of meat wrapped in oil paper, including pig liver, half a pig's trotter, and several dried salted fish.

"These are just scraps, the manor doesn't count them all." Uncle Liu pushed the basket in front of Chen Jianghe.

"Since you're determined to practice martial arts, you can't afford to deplete your vital energy. I'll get you some of these things every few days, and you can secretly take them back with you."

Chen Jianghe looked at the basket, his throat tightening slightly: "Uncle Liu, if the manager finds out... then..."

Uncle Liu waved his hand and said, "I won't notice. I've worked for the Shen family for over twenty years; do you think I don't know this much?"

He paused, his voice lowering, "When I was young, I also thought about practicing martial arts. Unfortunately, I didn't have the talent or the fate. Later, I got married and wanted to save some money, but she fell ill and passed away, without leaving any children."

Uncle Liu looked up at Chen Jianghe: "You're a reliable, hardworking, and skillful kid. I truly consider you... like my own nephew. If you want to make your way in the world, I won't stop you. But you have to promise me two things."

"Please speak."

"First, protect yourself. Martial arts gyms aren't exactly safe places, so don't be reckless or cause trouble."

"I remember."

Uncle Liu pulled out another small cloth bag from his pocket, but this time he didn't open it: "Secondly, here's five taels of silver, which I've saved up. Take it, it's for emergencies. Don't refuse, when I die, give me a proper send-off."

This time, Chen Jianghe didn't refuse. He took the cloth bag, lifted his clothes, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Uncle Liu.

"Uncle Liu, I can't thank you enough."

Uncle Liu quickly helped him up, his eyes a little red: "Alright, alright... hurry up and go, it's dark on the road, be careful."

Chen Jianghe picked up the bamboo basket, walked to the door, and then looked back once more.

Uncle Liu stood by the oil lamp and waved to him.

......

The boats in Mudskipper Bay swayed gently in the night.

Chen Jianghe hid the bamboo basket and went into the cabin. Lin was still awake, mending fishing nets by the light of a small oil lamp. When she saw him return, she quickly put down her work.

"Jiang He, you're back? Uncle Liu, he..."

Chen Jianghe sat down opposite her: "Mother, I have something to tell you."

Seeing his serious expression, Lin sat up straight.

Chen Jianghe took out a money pouch from his pocket and poured the silver inside onto the broken wooden table: "I'm going to a martial arts school to become an apprentice tomorrow. I have enough money. Ten taels of silver for a year's tuition, and there's still some left over."

Lin stared wide-eyed at the pile of gleaming silver coins: "So much? Where did you get it all...?"

"I saved up nine taels and seven mace of wages. Uncle Liu also lent me five taels, saying he would pay me back when I became successful."

"Wang Biao is dead. I guess it was in a gang fight. I heard he died a pretty horrible death." Chen Jianghe said without changing his expression.

Upon hearing "Wang Biao is dead," Lin's hand trembled, and she pricked her fingertip with the needle. Ignoring the pain, she grabbed Chen Jianghe's hand: "Jianghe, you...you weren't involved, were you? Those gang members..."

Chen Jianghe grasped her hand in return: "No. Mother, don't worry. I'm going to the martial arts school not just to learn martial arts. As long as I become a disciple, even if it's just in name only, someone like Wang Biao from the Black Tiger Gang won't dare to mess with us easily anymore."

Lin looked at him, her lips moved, but in the end she only asked, "Which martial arts school?"

Chen Jianghe said, "Xingyi Martial Arts School. I asked the broker, and out of the seven or eight martial arts schools in Yilin County, Xingyi Martial Arts School has the lowest fees, ten taels a year for tuition. Other martial arts schools charge at least twenty taels."

"At the very least, then is that...?" Mrs. Lin hesitated.

Chen Jianghe said firmly, "The martial arts school has declined, but my master is truly skilled. Mother, people like us have no choice. Getting in is an opportunity."

After a long silence, Madam Lin slowly released her grip, took out a small cloth bag from her bosom, and opened it layer by layer. Inside were several pieces of polished silver and a pile of copper coins.

She pushed the cloth bag in front of Chen Jianghe: "This is what your mother has saved up over the years. Take it."

"Mother, keep this money."

Lin interrupted him, saying in an unyielding tone, "Take it with you. You can't be out without some money. There's still internet at home, and Mother can still knit; you won't go hungry."

Looking at his mother's prematurely gray hair and rough, cracked fingers, Chen Jianghe felt as if something was blocking his chest.

He put away the small cloth bag and pushed his own money pouch back, saying, "You keep these. I'll keep five taels on me; that'll be enough."

Before Lin could say anything more, Chen Jianghe stood up and said, "Mother, get some rest. I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

He blew out the oil lamp and lay down on his bunk. In the darkness, he heard his mother's soft sighs and the sounds of her tossing and turning.

The next morning, Chen Jianghe left Mudfish Bay with fifteen taels of silver in his pocket.

The Xingyi Martial Arts School is located at the western end of the outer city of Yilin County, near the base of the city wall.

The location is remote and the storefront is old. The two wooden doors with peeling paint are ajar, and the gold paint on the plaque above the door, which reads "Xingyi Martial Arts School," has mostly peeled off.

Chen Jianghe stood at the door for a moment, then raised his hand to knock.

A lazy voice came from inside: "The door's unlocked, come in."