Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

"We're not getting on the bus!"

The calmest person in the room was Yao Yao, who stood with her hands on her hips like a little adult:

"I haven't sold all my bamboo baskets! If you want us to move, you'll have to buy all my bamboo baskets!"

Through daily exposure, Yao Yao learned how to argue and how to deal with vendors who were trying to take over their territory.

"Grandma, I've bought it."

Upon seeing this, Manager Pang hurriedly took out a fifty-tael silver ingot and handed it to Yao Yao.

The person next to him, who also sold bamboo baskets and crates, stared wide-eyed.

That's enough to buy up all the bamboo ware on the entire street!

Yao Yao held the silver ingot in both hands and handed it to Mu Mu:

"Sister Mumu, is that enough?"

"Ah..." Mumu nodded in a daze.

Yao Yao, like the head of the household, waved her little hand:

"Get on the bus!"

******

Dust filled the Zhou family's grain drying yard.

My aunt was bent over, drying the sifted grains one tray at a time, her temples covered in beads of sweat.

Her wooden rake moved incessantly, spreading the grains evenly.

"Take a break!"

The old man guarding the grain handed him a bowl of water, his voice full of concern.

Second Aunt waved her hand and took a breath: "It's alright, the master's grain is the priority, it needs to be dried evenly before it can be stored in the granary."

She couldn't stay idle after arriving in the city, so she found work at Zhou's grain shop.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the doorway.

Then, everyone saw a middle-aged man in a royal blue brocade robe, an old man in a black brocade robe, and several servants with knives following behind them, walking quickly toward the threshing ground.

"Master Zhou?!"

The old man guarding the grain was startled and hurriedly stood up, lowering his voice to say, "Aunt Ye, you've hit the jackpot! Master Zhou himself has come. Seeing how hard you've worked, he'll definitely reward you."

Auntie's heart tightened, and she quickly put down the wooden rake and straightened her coarse cloth jacket.

"Master Zhou..."

The second aunt didn't recognize which of the two people in front of her was Master Zhou, and her tone was full of cautious respect.

"Auntie! I'm not some kind of master. Call me Steward Zhou. I'm just doing my job for the Shen family."

The elderly man in the black brocade robe rubbed his hands together and said repeatedly, "Have you not yet paid your respects to Master Shen Zonghan?"

"what?"

Second Aunt hurriedly said, "Greetings, Master Shen."

"Are you the second aunt of the Ye family?"

"Ah...yes."

The middle-aged man in blue brocade bent down, grabbed a handful of grains, gently rubbed them, and then nodded: "The grains are plump, dry and crisp. From now on, the Zhou family's grain shop will belong to your Ye family."

"what?"

Auntie was stunned, her face full of disbelief.

"Previously, Manager Zhou received five percent of the profits; from now on, it will all be yours. You don't need to hand over the profits to the Shen family." Shen Zonghan's tone remained calm: "From now on, you just need to focus on doing business. As long as the Shen family doesn't fall, you won't fall either."

Upon hearing this, the elderly women working nearby were stunned, never expecting that the grain shop belonged to the Shen family.

Now it's been given to Aunt Ye?

Will she only fall if the Shen family falls?

In their eyes, Master Zhou was already second only to the five great families. Didn't that mean that Second Aunt's family had suddenly become a wealthy household second only to the five great families?

"You should thank Master Shen," Steward Zhou quickly reminded him.

The second aunt composed herself and quickly bowed, replying, "Thank you, Steward Zhou, thank you, Master Shen!"

"You're being too polite. You don't need to treat people like that in the future." Shen Zonghan shook his head and said, "My father invited you to a banquet. Before you came, he asked Steward Zhou to buy you some clothes. Go and pick out one that fits you... You can come back tomorrow to handle the handover."

******

Rock Martial Arts School.

Both the inner and outer courtyards were bustling with activity.

The area in front of the martial arts school was bustling with activity as people came to offer their congratulations, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xiao Hua's eyes were filled with excitement, and his face was beaming with pride as he accompanied Master Yang in welcoming and seeing off guests.

"Martial Arts Master Xiao! You are truly a promising young man, winning first place in the competition. On behalf of the Zhao family head, I have prepared these small gifts, hoping that Martial Arts Master Xiao will find them useful!"

The training ground was quiet. The disciples were all peering out from the wall, and when they heard any noise, they couldn't help but start talking.

"A meager gift! A few hundred taels of silver were tossed out casually!"

"If you can break through as fast as Senior Brother Xiao, others will do the same for you."

"Even if I break through to the Inner Strength realm, it won't work. Junior Brother Xiao Hua is the champion of the martial arts competition!"

The crowd's words were filled with envy, and they secretly counted on Xiao Hua's fingers.

"For this competition, each family sent a considerable amount of money and tonics!"

"Not to mention the middle-class wealthy families, even the Zhao family, Jin family, and Zhao family of the five major families have sent people here. Look at that Manager Wang just now, he even wants to send his son here so that Senior Brother Xiao can give him some pointers."

"Neither the Shen family nor the Han family came..."

"Are you blind? Miss Han personally escorted Senior Brother Xiao back, and she took out five hundred taels of silver at the time."

"If Senior Brother Xiao Hua is willing, he can choose any of the five major families for a marriage alliance and he will definitely receive their full support."

This scene has been going on for more than an hour.

Everyone showered him with praise: "Exceptionally talented," "A young hero," "A promising future."

"Shen Wanzhou has come to pay a visit!"

Suddenly, a shout came from outside the door. Yang Shi, who was in the main hall of the backyard, was talking with a wealthy man. When he heard the name Shen Wanzhou, he was startled and then stood up.

"Quickly, please invite Master Shen in! Wait... I'll go greet him myself!"

Seeing this, the wealthy man wisely got up and took his leave.

Without even trying to persuade him to stay, Yang Shi hurried towards the door, whispering instructions to Xiao Hua beside him as he went:

"Xiao Hua, hurry! Shen Wanzhou is the head of the Shen family, one of the five great families. Don't be impolite!"

"It's actually the head of the Shen family!"

Xiao Hua was overjoyed, his smugness spreading even wider. He thought to himself: There are martial arts competitions in the county every year. Although there are few geniuses, people like them must have seen some. Therefore, many heads of ordinary wealthy families came to offer their congratulations, but the five major families only sent their managers to establish good relations, and none of the family heads came to offer their congratulations.

The Shen family truly lives up to its reputation; there's a reason why they've become wealthy.

Their attitude towards someone with my talent in martial arts was different from that of other families.

This family is the head of the five major families.

"The Shen family has sent someone! And it's the patriarch himself!"

"My goodness... This is such high regard for Senior Brother Xiao! The clan head actually came to visit him personally!"

The disciples were all talking amongst themselves, and no one was practicing martial arts anymore; they were all hiding to the side to watch.

Master Yang walked quickly towards the gate, turning back to Xiao Hua and instructing him:

"The Shen family is more than ten times more important than the Han and Jin families. You should talk less and listen and observe more later."

"Yes, Master."

Xiao Hua quickly straightened his clothes, straightened his back, and followed closely behind Master Yang, looking quite spirited.

Before the two even reached the door, a unique fragrance wafted to their noses.

Xiao Hua thought to himself: Master Shen is indeed extraordinary. Even his procession is surrounded by fragrant scents, unlike ordinary people.

At the entrance, an elderly man in brocade robes strode over. He was about sixty years old and had a vigorous and upright posture. What caught the eye was the three large sachets hanging on his body, which did look rather strange.

Two servants followed behind him, carrying an exquisite ebony box.

Master Yang hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply: "Master Shen, your presence is an honor to my humble abode. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner!"

Shen Wanzhou cupped his hands in greeting and said with a cheerful smile, "Master Yang, you're too kind."

After saying this, he gestured to his attendant to hand over the ebony box.

"I have long heard of Master Yang's excellent teaching methods. The fact that Pan Shi Martial Arts School has been able to establish itself locally and gain a reputation in just a few years is all thanks to Master Yang's meticulous management. This small gift is nothing but a token of my respect, please accept it, Master Yang."

The attendant carefully opened the ebony box, which was filled with gold, neatly stacked. A rough count revealed that it contained more than a thousand taels.

A disciple who had been spying on this suddenly turned around and punched the disciple next to him.

"Gold...gold bars!"

Gold bars are a form of hard currency; roughly one tael of gold can be exchanged for five to ten taels of silver. However, the gold delivered by Master Shen was of exceptionally high quality, with an alluring luster, making it a top-grade gold bar.

When Xiao Hua saw such a valuable item, his eyes almost popped out. The Shen family truly lived up to its reputation as the head of the five great families; they were much more generous than the others.

Master Yang's pupils contracted, and he cupped his hands politely, saying, "Master Shen, you are too kind to give such a valuable gift to my apprentice..."

"Teacher Yang, you've misunderstood!"

Shen Wanzhou raised his hand to interrupt him, and said with a smile:

"This gift from Shen is for Master Yang, to cover the expenses of teaching students at the martial arts school."

The third senior brother, Jiang Du, came over from the backyard at this moment. Seeing this scene, he whispered to Fang Cheng beside him.

"Second...Second Senior Brother, for Master...Master, then...I...I get a share too?"

Fang Cheng tugged at his sleeve, signaling him not to speak, because it sounded very unpleasant.

"Mr. Shen, you are too kind. I shall gladly accept your invitation!"

Master Yang was surprised, but he did not refuse any longer and quickly ordered Fang Cheng to put the gold bars away.

Fang Cheng quickly stepped forward and took the ebony box.

"They gave their master a thousand taels of gold! The Shen family is truly wealthy!"

"Yes... it has to be the Shen family. They're much more generous than the others. It seems they really value Senior Brother Xiao."

The disciples whispered amongst themselves.

Shen Wanzhou looked around and said with a smile, "Teacher Yang, won't you invite me in for a seat?"

"Please come in!"

Master Yang realized what was going on, then stepped aside to lead Shen Wanzhou into the house, exchanging pleasantries as they went:

"My disciple Xiao Hua is exceptionally talented. He is the fastest disciple in our martial arts school to break through to the Inner Strength realm. His future is very promising!"

Xiao Hua quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply, his posture extremely humble, his face full of expectation, and his voice respectful:

"Disciple Xiao Hua greets Master Shen."

He had already prepared his response in his mind. As soon as Shen Wanzhou praised him, he would respond with feigned humility, displaying his youthful vigor.

"Not bad, not bad."

Shen Wanzhou glanced at it perfunctorily, his face still beaming:

"Master Yang's teaching is excellent, and all his students are outstanding. Your disciple Jiang Ding'an is also quite good."

Xiao Hua's bowing posture froze, his face showing utter embarrassment. Was Master Shen really bad at socializing?!

Who is truly the champion of the martial arts competition?

Surely we're not trying to discredit Senior Brother Jiang?!

Master Yang was also taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "That kid Jiang Ding'an is indeed quite good, but he's been too busy with the escort agency's affairs and has neglected his cultivation a bit... However, Xiao Hua practices diligently every day and is also humble; he's a promising talent."

"It's all good, it's all good."

Shen Wanzhou exchanged pleasantries while secretly sniffing the air, wondering if he had washed himself properly.

Guided by Master Yang, the group entered the main hall. Senior Brother Fang Cheng brought over celadon teacups, the tea soup was clear, and the aroma was wafting.

"Master, Master Shen, Junior Brother Xiao, please have some tea."

Shen Wanzhou raised his hand, picked up the teacup, took a small sip, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was gentle:

"Good tea..."

"Mr. Shen, you flatter me. It's just ordinary tea, nothing to your liking. I'm glad you don't mind."

Master Yang smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued:

"Although this Dark Force Grand Competition hosted by Commandant Qin only allowed disciples who had broken through to the Dark Force level within the past year to participate, all of them were veteran Ming Force disciples from various families, each with considerable strength. It is truly remarkable that Xiao Hua was able to win first place in the competition..."

"What kind of martial arts competition?"

Shen Wanzhou put down his teacup and asked casually.

On his way back, he didn't even have time to eat. The first thing he did was take a bath and change his clothes. Even after the maids scrubbed him for more than an hour, he still smelled terrible.

In the midst of his busy schedule, he remembered to arrange for someone to pick up Ye Ci's family. After finishing his own preparations, he hurriedly went to the martial arts school, unaware that Commandant Qin was holding a grand competition in the county.

But that casual remark was like a bucket of ice water poured over Xiao Hua's head, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

Teacher Yang was also stunned for a moment, completely baffled.

"You didn't come to congratulate Silver?"

Who is Adam Silver?

Shen Wanzhou became puzzled, but being a smooth and tactful person, he simply laughed it off:

"He must be a highly accomplished student of Master Yang. The Rock Martial Arts School truly lives up to its reputation."

Yang Shi instantly realized that Shen Wanzhou had not come for Xiao Hua at all, and did not even know who Xiao Hua was!

Since they gave a thousand taels of gold to the martial arts school, they probably have something else to ask me to do.

He quickly cupped his hands to Shen Wanzhou and said, "Master Shen, you flatter me. The Panshi Martial Arts School owes its success today entirely to the care and support of you and other distinguished guests. We hope you will continue to offer guidance in the future."

The disciples who were eavesdropping outside the hall also heard this conversation. They looked at each other in bewilderment, and their original envy and admiration turned into whispers.

"So, Master Shen didn't come to congratulate Senior Brother Xiao? He doesn't even know who Xiao Hua is..."

"No, didn't Senior Brother Xiao Hua already introduce himself when Master Shen first came in?"

"My God, Senior Brother Xiao was just so smug, but now his face has turned pale!"

"That's right! I thought Master Shen came specifically to admire Senior Brother Xiao, but it turns out he didn't take this competition seriously at all!"

"Even a thousand taels of gold have nothing to do with him!"

"..."

Xiao Hua felt a burning pain on his face, gripped the teacup tightly, stood up and said, "Master, I'll go down now."

"And who is this?" Shen Wanzhou asked politely.

He figured that since he was a guest, the fact that Master Yang had this person accompany him meant that he must be an important figure in the martial arts school.

Master Yang replied, "That is Xiao Hua."

Shen Wanzhou chuckled as he sipped his tea, praising, "Oh, not bad, not bad, you seem to have some skill."

It looks like?

Xiao Hua felt that he had never been so humiliated. He had already told Master Shen his name when he greeted him.

In fact, Shen Wanzhou thought to himself: How could I remember who anyone is just because they greeted me?

He didn't remember the first time Ye Ci greeted him.

Xiao Hua stood there, stunned. He found Master Shen's perfunctory praise incredibly ironic.

He didn't even deserve to be remembered by the other party.