After the family split up, I achieved martial arts sainthood.

The sun is setting, and dusk is approaching.

Gu Xin carried a pot of wine and two boxes of peach shortbread as he walked toward Ping An Fang.

We arrived at Li Jinyu's home.

In the cramped courtyard of Li Jinyu's house, Li Rengui and Zhao Baoyin's father, Zhao Yongfu, sat under the eaves weaving bamboo baskets.

Opposite the two sat a man of similar age.

The man was thin, tall, with dark skin and an honest face.

Gu Xin could tell at a glance that this was a genuine farmer.

"Uncle Rengui, Uncle Yongfu."

Gu Xin arrived and greeted him familiarly.

"Is Ah Xin here?"

Upon hearing the greeting, Li Rengui turned around, immediately put down his bamboo basket, and excitedly got up to greet him.

Zhao Yongfu smiled and nodded in response to Gu Xin.

The thin, honest-looking man also glanced at Gu Xin furtively.

"Ah Xin, you must be tired from your journey!"

Taking the wine and peach shortbread from Gu Xin, Li Rengui warmly invited Gu Xin to sit down: "Mother, quickly pour a bowl of hot tea, Xin has arrived."

"Coming, coming!"

Li Jinyu's mother, Zhang Fang, responded from inside the house.

A moment later, she came out carrying a steaming bowl of tea.

Today, Aunt Fang is all smiles and full of energy.

The sorrow and silence of yesterday are gone.

"Xin, sit down and rest your feet for a bit. Auntie will cook a couple more dishes, and then we can eat!"

Zhang Fang put down the hot tea, gave Gu Xin some instructions, and then went back inside to keep busy.

"Ah Xin, come sit down!"

After inviting Gu Xin to sit down again, Li Rengui introduced him, "Xin, this is Xiumei's father."

Gu Xin looked at the thin farmer and smiled warmly: "So it's Uncle Chen. I've often heard Brother Jin Yu mention you. It's great to finally meet you today."

"Brother Chen, this child is Gu Xin. He grew up with Jin Yu and Bao Yin since he was little."

"I know, I know! Jin Yu mentioned it too."

Xiumei's father, Chen Quan, nodded with a smile.

He doesn't talk much and is unassuming.

"Uncle Rengui, Uncle Yongfu, Brother Jinyu, and Baoyin?"

After exchanging pleasantries with the three elders for a while, Gu Xin inquired about the whereabouts of his two good brothers.

"I've gone to get some wine."

Li Rengui tidied up the bamboo basket and put it down, then turned around and said with a smile, "It's rare for us to get together tonight, so we should have a couple of drinks, shouldn't we?"

"Father, the wine is back!"

Just then, Li Jinyu's voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Ah Xin, you've arrived?"

Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Gu Xin, Li Jinyu's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but smile broadly.

"We just arrived, and that's why we were asking you two where you were going."

Gu Xin smiled and stood up. Without any ceremony, he took Li Jinyu and Zhao Baoyin's arms and walked out of the courtyard.

"Where are you going? Dinner's almost ready!"

Li Jinyu accompanied them while asking questions.

"Didn't I tell you at noon that I had some good news to tell you two?"

"Is there really good news?"

Zhao Baoyin's eyes lit up: "Ah Xin, what's going on? Why are you being so secretive? Why can't we say it in the yard?"

Li Jinyu was also suspicious; this was too suspicious.

"Would you two like to learn martial arts?"

Gu Xin pushed the two of them to a corner outside the courtyard and then asked in a low voice.

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Baoyin and Li Jinyu were completely dumbfounded.

"I'd like to learn, but you know our family's circumstances."

Zhao Baoyin scratched his head and smiled wryly; he naturally knew the benefits of practicing martial arts.

Unfortunately, the combined wealth of the three families was only enough for Gu Xin to become an apprentice.

"If you want to learn, then you can!"

Gu Xin didn't waste any time: "I've already learned the stance training, and I'll teach you two tonight. If you're both willing to learn, then learn seriously. From now on, I'll come and teach you for a while every night after class."

what?

Li Jinyu and Zhao Baoyin's eyes lit up, and joy couldn't help but show on their faces.

"Is it okay, Ah Xin?"

Zhao Baoyin excitedly grasped Gu Xin's hand and pressed him for more information.

"Ah Xin, is this feasible? Will the martial arts school agree to let you teach us privately?"

Li Jinyu, on the other hand, was much calmer, but instead frowned, her face showing worry.

"The martial arts school didn't say there was a rule against sharing this..."

Gu Xin thought for a moment and said frankly, "Moreover, I have good aptitude. My master has accepted me as his disciple today, and I will inherit his mantle in the future."

"I assume there shouldn't be any problem with me privately having religious followers. However, to avoid causing any trouble, you two can keep this a secret; it's fine as long as the three of us brothers know about it."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinyu immediately understood.

"Thanks, Ah Xin!"

"Hey, why are you being so polite, the three of us brothers?"

Gu Xin smiled and instructed, "Since you two want to learn, try to drink less alcohol during dinner later."

"No, I won't drink a single drop!"

Zhao Baoyin hurriedly raised his hand to swear an oath, appearing eager and excited.

Li Jinyu chuckled and responded enthusiastically.

After the three brothers made their agreement, they stopped being reserved and started chatting.

"By the way, I went to the inner city today. My master took me there."

Gu Xin brought up his trip to the inner city today. After leaving Tianxiazhen, he had taken a stroll around the inner city with his master and senior brother.

"real?"

Zhao Baoyin exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Xin, how's the inner city? Isn't it especially beautiful? I heard the food and drinks there are much better than in the outer city."

"Even the women in the brothels are prettier than those in the outer city. Their breasts are bigger than their heads, isn't that true, Ah Xin?"

Ok?

Gu Xin and Li Jinyu both turned their heads, looking at Zhao Baoyin with expressions of utter disbelief.

Why are you looking at me?

Zhao Baoyin looked suspicious: "That's what the storyteller said."

"..."

Gu Xin's lips twitched slightly: "What else did the storyteller say?"

"And you know what... the ladies of the inner city's wealthy families all smell like seafood, so salty. Ah Xin, is that really true?"

"..."

Gu Xin's face flushed red for no reason: "You should listen to these storytelling performances less often in the future."

"What's wrong?"

Zhao Baoyin scratched his head, looking at Li Jinyu in confusion: "Did they say something wrong?"

Li Jinyu rolled her eyes at Zhao Baoyin, ignored him, and turned to put her arm around Gu Xin's shoulder as they returned to the courtyard.

By this time, the dishes were almost ready and began to be brought out of the house and served.

Li Rengui tidied up the tables and chairs, while Aunt Fang and Zhao Baoyin's mother, Liu Sufeng, brought out bowls of food.

"Ah Xin, come and sit down! Dinner's almost ready!"

Under Li Rengui's enthusiastic arrangement, Gu Xin and Zhao Baoyin took their seats on the left.

Li Rengui and Xiumei's father, Chen Quan, sat in the seats of honor, while Li Jinyu sat on the right and poured wine for everyone.

As the last dish was served, Liu Sufeng and a short, middle-aged woman walked out of the room and sat down in the lower seat.

"Xiumei, go sit down, don't worry about your aunt."

Aunt Fang then pushed a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl to Li Jinyu's side.

The girl had an oval face, wheat-colored skin, and her head was slightly lowered, with a shy expression.

Standing next to Li Jinyu, he clutched the hem of his clothes with both hands, not daring to look up at her.

Gu Xin glanced at the other person casually and immediately knew who they were.

Li Jinyu's partner is Chen Xiumei.

She's the girl-next-door type, all sweet and innocent.

No wonder that scoundrel Cao Bao took a liking to him at first sight.

Girls with this kind of looks would be the envy of any young, blond-haired guy in the modern world.

"Ah Mei, come sit down!"

After pouring the wine, Li Jinyu considerately pulled out a bench and led the shy Chen Xiumei to her seat.

"Amei, that's Xin, the one I told you about."

After Chen Xiumei took her seat, Li Jinyu pointed to Gu Xin across the table and introduced her: "Xin, this is Xiumei, my future wife. You'll have to call her sister-in-law."

As soon as the words "daughter-in-law" came out, Chen Xiumei's cheeks flushed bright red, and even the roots of her ears turned blush.

Seeing this, Gu Xin couldn't help but smile and call her "sister-in-law".

Embarrassed, Chen Xiumei buried her head in Li Jinyu's arm, making everyone at the table burst into laughter.

The atmosphere in the courtyard gradually became lively, harmonious, and festive.

But this joyful atmosphere didn't last long before it was disrupted by inappropriate people.