Chinese martial arts: From human punching bags to martial arts mastery

As night deepened, the cool night dew condensed outside the old window frame, spreading out a layer of hazy white mist, making the night outside even more tranquil.

When Chen Feng pushed open the creaking wooden door, in the dim night, only a small oil lamp remained in the room. In the dim light, the outline of Lin Sao sleeping behind the partition was reflected—she was covered with a faded coarse cotton quilt, and her brows were relaxed a little, which meant that the medicine from the doctor who treated her sprained ankle had worked.

Chen Feng's gaze shifted slightly, landing on a small door that had been newly opened between the two partitioned rooms.

Xiao Aqiao was sitting quietly at the table, her fingertips still fiddling with her unfinished needlework. Seeing Chen Feng enter, she immediately stood up, her voice as soft as willow catkins drifting in the night, as if afraid to disturb the peace of the room: "Brother Feng, there are still some multigrain pancakes simmering on the stove, made with brown rice and pumpkin, they're still warm!"

Chen Feng waved his hand lightly, a satisfied burp unconsciously escaping his throat, a faint smile playing on his lips: "No need, I had a good meal at the boxing gym tonight!"

He paused slightly.

He suddenly remembered something important, and his eyes brightened: "That's right, Qiao! I didn't have time to go to Hu Qing Yu Tang today, I'll go and ask the doctor to come over first thing tomorrow morning!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Aqiao, who had just raised her head, slowly lowered it again, her dark hair falling down beside her cheeks, concealing most of her expression.

She twisted the hem of her dress between her fingers, her lips trembling slightly, but she ultimately didn't utter a single word.

That hesitant, unspoken look was like a peach blossom on a tender branch dampened by morning dew—delicate and endearing.

As Chen Feng watched, he felt a sudden surge of heat in his heart, as if a ball of scalding flame was rushing up his blood vessels, making his mouth and throat dry.

"Tsk tsk—"

He clicked his tongue in amazement: "That old man's nourishing soup was truly potent; it made me so agitated!"

These words were not spoken aloud, but it was as if Xiao Aqiao had seen right through them.

Her cheeks flushed crimson instantly, even the tips of her ears turned a faint pink. She lowered her head shyly, her long eyelashes drooping down, yet she couldn't help but blink rapidly, like the wings of a startled butterfly.

Chen Feng's heart tightened, fearing he might lose his composure if he continued watching. He quickly stood up and mumbled, "I...I'm going back to my room to rest!"

She turned around and hurriedly went back to her room, gently closing the curtain behind her.

Lying on the narrow bed, the heat in my chest did not subside at all.

Chen Feng simply turned over and stood up, adopting the Tongbei Quan stance – feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands as if holding a round stone, shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, focusing his mind and regulating his breath.

When practicing standing meditation during the day, it always takes a moment to concentrate and calm the mind.

But this moment was different. The lingering excitement in my heart transformed into a warm current, flowing slowly through my body along the method of stance training, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort to my limbs and bones.

Chen Feng clearly felt that the experience bar of the [Tongbei Fist Stance Skill] in his mind was slowly rising at a visible speed. With each increase, his blood and essence became more abundant, and a slight soreness rose between his bones, which was a sign that his strength was quietly growing.

What appealed to him even more was that the occasional dull pain he had experienced since he started practicing hard qigong seemed to have lessened after this nourishing soup!

This surprisingly good effect gradually calmed him down, and he forgot his previous tender feelings.

Time flies like a horse galloping by.

As dawn broke, a soft rustling sound came from outside, followed by a faint aroma of rice wafting into the house through the gap in the curtain.

[Tongbei Quan - Stance Training for Beginners: 80/500]

Chen Feng finished his stance training, pushed open the bedroom curtain, and saw his mother, Aunt Lin, standing by the stove, gently stirring the boiling rice porridge in the pot with an iron ladle. The steaming heat made her cheeks rosy, and compared to her previous haggard appearance, the dark circles under her eyes had faded a lot, her eyes were much clearer, and her complexion had improved significantly.

"Ah Feng, you're awake?"

Aunt Lin turned around, a kind smile on her face: "I'm much better now, so you don't need to bother going to Hu Qing Yu Tang anymore, and you don't need to waste money on doctors and medicine!"

"That won't do!"

Chen Feng immediately shook his head, his tone unwavering: "The head doctor at Hu Qing Yu Tang is very experienced; I need them to examine him carefully and make sure he's alright before I'm at ease!"

Aunt Lin wanted to say something more, but faced with Chen Feng's unyielding gaze, she couldn't resist and could only nod silently, a hint of worry in her eyes: "We live in Swallow's Nest, and our expenses are already high. We can't put all the burden on your shoulders!"

Hearing this, Xiao Aqiao, who was tending the fire nearby, immediately chimed in, "Aunt Lin, Brother Feng, I can go work at the silk reeling factory!"

She looked up, her eyes filled with urgency and earnestness: "There are 37 silk reeling factories on both sides of the Suzhou Creek in Zhabei, and more than 8 female workers registered with the Municipal Council. I'm sure I can find work there. I heard that a day's wages can be 0.8 silver dollars, and after deducting the foreman's kickbacks, I can still get five or six catties of moldy rice!"

Before Chen Feng could speak, Aunt Lin had already frowned.

Little Aqiao probably didn't know that those registered female workers were already lucky; many more were bonded laborers sold and pawned, whose names were unknown to anyone. Among them were many child laborers who were still very young, working day and night in the hot and humid factory.

Among those silk reeling factories, some were backed by foreign capital, and some were infiltrated by Japanese capital. The Chinese-owned factories struggled to survive in the cracks and were the weakest.

The workers' situation was even more miserable.

The worst off were the bonded laborers, who were treated worse than pigs and dogs. Even the female workers who had the best pay had to stand and work for 14 hours a day with very little or no rest. If they were not careful, they would be caught in the silk reeling machine. If they were lucky, they would lose a finger or an arm; if they were unlucky, they would become nameless corpses floating on the Suzhou River the next day.

Looking at the entire map of Shanghai, the area surrounding the silk reeling factory was covered by a ring of shantytowns that looked like patches on the land—Fanguan Lane, Yaoshui Lane, Zhujiawan, Tanziwan, Panjiawan, and Yaojiazhai. These six shantytowns were crammed into a small space of 2.7 square kilometers. The number of impoverished people registered by the Municipal Council was more than 20. If you include the various refugees who fled, the number could reach more than 70 at its peak. You can imagine how terrible the environment was.

"No, the silk reeling factory is too hard, you absolutely can't go!" Aunt Lin shook her head repeatedly, her heart filled with reluctance.

Yes, she used to work in a silk reeling factory, which is why she developed tuberculosis.

"You're not allowed to go! I told you I'd take care of you!"

Chen Feng refused without hesitation, his tone resolute and unwavering.

Aunt Lin gently took Xiao Aqiao's hand and softly suggested, "Aqiao is a skillful girl. Why don't you learn to weave straw hats and shoes with me? We can work at home, which will help us take care of our health and supplement our income. It's much better than suffering in the factory!"

Little A's eyes lit up, and she nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to Aunt Lin and Brother Feng!"

Aunt Lin then looked at Chen Feng and instructed, "Feng, when you go to Hu Qing Yu Tang, stop by the Shiliupu Wharf and buy some lampwick. You'll need it to weave straw hats and shoes!"

Knowing that his mother was always busy, Chen Feng could only nod reluctantly in agreement.

He already had a plan in mind—during a casual chat yesterday, he learned from his fellow disciples that the leader of the Axe Gang, "Water Rat," had fled to the upstream dock of Wusong to recuperate and would not be causing trouble again for some time.

He still had the gold and silver jewelry he had obtained from Big Gold Tooth hidden in his hands, and he took this opportunity to sell it for silver dollars.

Firstly, it would allow her to buy some tonics to help her mother recover; secondly, it would allow her to pay for Xiao Aqiao's medical treatment and put her mind at ease; thirdly, the boxing gym's quarterly tuition of five silver dollars, as well as the tonics needed for practicing the Tongbei Quan stance, all required financial support; and fourthly, household expenses were indeed considerable, so saving more money would also ease the worries of Lin Sao and Xiao Aqiao.

Furthermore, the Shiliupu Wharf was Mr. Du's territory of the Green Gang, which conveniently avoided the eyes and ears of the Axe Gang and Master Gu, making it very suitable for him to carry out his plans.

With this in mind.

Chen Feng's eyes grew increasingly determined.

He gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, and the bustling scene of people coming and going at the Shiliupu Wharf seemed to appear before his eyes. At the same time, he also thought of the pawnshops hidden beneath the prosperity, where deceit and treachery were rampant.

"Come on! I've seen the telecom fraud in northern Myanmar before, I'm really looking forward to seeing what telecom fraud in Zhabei is like!"