A Long River Myth

The earthen stove, built of yellow mud, was blackened and shiny from burning.

Li Hong sat on a low stool, looking around at the dilapidated courtyard outside the door, and somewhat absentmindedly stuffed a handful of firewood into the stove.

"A slip-up boosted the Universiade's performance, and now they're facing this impending disaster?"

He sighed inwardly, realizing that in this life he was a poor child from the bottom of society.

The only saving grace was that the original owner of this body was born with a healthy body.

He was sent to the martial arts training hall in the outer city last autumn to learn martial arts.

In today's world, practicing martial arts can lead to success.

It is one of the few opportunities for poor families to completely turn their lives around.

His already impoverished family did everything they could to support his martial arts training.

But Li Hong knew that although the original owner had met his family's expectations, he was actually of average talent and could not endure the hardships of martial arts training.

Instead of seizing this only opportunity to turn their lives around.

He began to neglect his studies with his fellow disciples and even tried to curry favor with those disciples from wealthy families.

He asked his family for money several times to keep up with others, which gave off a feeling of "I want to buy a bottle of Stamcon".

"What a piece of trash."

As memories flooded back, Li Hong felt a growing indignation at the original owner's naivety and immaturity.

Just then, the gaunt woman who had been busy preparing the meal in the courtyard suddenly called out:

"Hong'er, the meal is ready. I've also cut some cured meat for you."

She is Yao, Li Hong's mother in this life.

The original owner's father was the eldest son in his family and died of illness at an early age.

Without the care of the grandfather's family, the mother and son's life would have been incredibly miserable.

The old man sitting at the stone table at this moment is my grandfather, Li Fulin.

The old man had stirred his bowl of porridge three times already.

Only after making sure all the rice grains were in his grandson's bowl did he pick up his drink and begin to sip.

Li Hong turned his head and took in everything, then silently got up.

He couldn't resist taking some of his own bowl of rice porridge, which was covered with six or seven slices of cured meat, and scooping it out of Li Fulin's bowl.

Li Fulin immediately frowned and pushed the food away, saying, "Hong'er, your martial arts training is more important. Eat well."

Madam Yao also regarded the piece of cured meat that Li Hong had picked up as her "private property," and declined, saying, "Hong'er, listen to your grandfather."

Li Hong nodded silently, knowing he couldn't persuade him otherwise, and didn't try to persuade him any further.

The fact that his whole family worked together to support his martial arts training speaks volumes.

What's infuriating is that the original owner of this body had been deceiving his family and creating an image of himself as a very hardworking person.

His family is still kept in the dark, all believing that he will surely achieve great things in the future.

Only Li Hong knew... that the original owner's fate could actually have been foreseen long ago.

Judging from his behavior and martial arts training, being kicked out of the martial arts academy is imminent.

Two months later, this "thunder" will explode, and... it will probably blow the whole house to pieces!

"Sigh, it's true what they say about birth. At least it's a little different from yours..."

Li Hong cursed inwardly, and a panel appeared before his eyes:

[Introduction to Hundred-Refined Standing Posture Exercise (31/200)]

[Introduction to Hundred-Refined Boxing (73/200)]

......

This is the panel he just awakened, and it seems to have the function of "continuous improvement without bottlenecks".

Thinking about it, he started drinking his porridge and began to look around the dilapidated courtyard.

There are four rooms in total, including the main house and side rooms. The back of the main house is connected to the general store run by my grandfather.

It is also currently the main source of income to support the protagonist's martial arts training.

While the family was eating breakfast.

Suddenly, some noise came from inside the shop.

A dark-skinned middle-aged man rushed through the main room into the courtyard, his voice trembling slightly:

"Father, Master Qin from the Huang Lin Gang is here!"

This man is Li Hong's second uncle, Li Dajiang, who usually runs a general store with his grandfather.

The old man lost his wife in middle age and had two sons and one daughter, excluding his second uncle, Li Dajiang.

The original owner also had an older aunt, but due to some conflicts with her family in her early years, she became very cold towards them after getting married.

"Qin Si?"

Li Fulin was taken aback, put down his bowl, and his expression suddenly turned serious: "What's he doing here? Didn't we already pay the peace money last month?"

"Hey, you should go check on it, it's probably something else!"

Li Dajiang seemed somewhat lost and flustered.

Li Hong also put down his bowl, his brows furrowing slightly.

As far as he knew, the Huanglin Gang was a gang that occupied several streets in the vicinity of the outer city of Muyang, and had many strongmen under its command.

The northern part of the outer city was already chaotic, with numerous gangs.

Besides the government, these gangs are the mountains that weigh heavily on the heads of ordinary people.

When ordinary people encounter such powerful figures, which one wouldn't be like a mouse seeing a cat?

"Wait a minute! Mr. Li, please eat your meal. I'm just here to ask you for a favor."

Just as the family was in a panic, a burly man with a loud voice walked into the main room.

His arms were muscular and his jacket swayed as he walked, with the hilt of a dagger faintly visible at his waist.

This man was Qin Si, a minor leader in Huang Lin's gang who managed Jinshui Street.

But when he said he was asking for a favor, he didn't look like he was asking for a favor at all; his face revealed his determination to get what he wanted.

Li Fulin forced a smile, his brows furrowing even deeper, and stood up, saying:

"Master Qin, you're joking. My family is barely scraping by, I really don't know how I can help you..."

Qin Si continued walking, his smile fading slightly.

"You're joking, old man. Look, I heard your eldest grandson is learning martial arts at the martial arts hall. You're the lucky one in the future."

The compliments sounded fake, and she glanced at Li Hong, unable to hide her contempt.

As the head of a street, Qin Si naturally had some understanding of the dozens of households on the street.

How could he not know the true nature of the grandson of the "Fulin" grocery store owner?

He had practiced martial arts in the training hall for half a year, and he had already heard that he was just a pretty face with no substance, and was not taken seriously at all.

"Well, I have two relatives from afar who have come to stay with me. You know how tough life is these days... how difficult it is to make a living."

As Qin Si spoke, he walked around Yao Shi and, with a rather authoritative air, reached out his large hand and patted Li Hong on the shoulder.

Then, he walked up to Li Fulin and continued:

"I was thinking of arranging for me to work at your shop first, and help you out... I wonder if you would be willing to do me that favor?"

"this......"

Faced with Qin Si's sudden "request," Li Fulin frowned.

His family's grocery store was doing alright, but it was barely enough to make ends meet.

In addition, Li Hong practices martial arts and needs money from time to time, so how could he afford to support two more employees?

These days, I'm barely managing to pay my monthly "peace money."

Moreover, having lived in Jinshui Street for decades, the family was well aware of the ruthless exploitation tactics of these gangs.

In Qin Si's words, this was hardly an arrangement of relatives... it was clearly just sending some unfamiliar henchmen to hang around in name only.

He might show up on the first day at most, then come back once a month for paychecks, and still have to pay them...

Even a single penny less becomes a pretext for them to cause trouble in the future.

Even Li Hong knew about Aunt Wang's oil mill from last year.

It was Qin Si and his gang who used this method to seize it by trickery and force.

First, they would arrange for a few "relatives" to register their names, and then, when the income was insufficient to cover expenses, they would use various excuses to collect more "peace money".

If you can't pay up, the shop will no longer be yours; you'll go from being the "boss" to a worker overnight.

Of course, some residents of Jinshui Street refused from the beginning.

For example, Liu Sanquan of Liu's Mill refused... and then one morning, he was found hanged under a crooked old tree by the Xishui River...

Second Uncle Li Dajiang stepped forward, hurriedly clasped his hands, and pleaded with Qin Si in a fawning manner:

"Mr. Qin... business is tough. Our shop has been losing money for months, it's really..."

Did I ask you?

Qin Si suddenly glared coldly and interrupted Li Dajiang without any further courtesy.

The sudden, sharp sound sent shivers down the spines of the entire family in the courtyard.

Li Dajiang glanced at the other person's gnarled arms, which were as thick as roof beams, and could only lower his head like a quail.

Qin Si's infamy is no joke.

As a man from the lower class, with a weak physique, he naturally dared not confront them head-on.

"Old Master Li, the world is in chaos these days... Having a couple more helpers would be beneficial, you should think it over carefully."

Qin Si was somewhat pleased with his "prestige," looking around at the family who were suffocating under his weight with just a few words.

Li Hong was also slightly alarmed. Facing Qin Si... with that solid physique, how could three or five ordinary people possibly get close to him?

Although he had been practicing martial arts for half a year, the original owner of this body was only inconsistent in his practice and had never really put in much hard work.

Physically, he was a level below him; despite his physical strength, he wasn't much better than the average person.

Even now, the Hundred Refinements Boxing Techniques taught at the Martial Arts Hall are still performed in a way that resembles fancy but ineffective moves.

I reckon that if he were to face Qin Si, he would suffer a great loss within a few moves.

Li Fulin felt the needle-like gaze, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, and he trembled for a long time without being able to speak.

Qin Si lost his patience, suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, and his smile returned:

"Alright, stop dawdling! Grandpa, it's settled then, I'll bring the person over to you tomorrow..."

Qin Si didn't give the family another chance to speak and "finalized" the matter himself.

Then, with a swift stride, he strode away.

The two workers' "wages"...the family scrimped and saved to the limit, and could manage to get by for a few months.

But if things get really bad now, it probably won't even last a few months...

Li Fulin watched Qin Si's retreating figure, wanting to speak several times, but ultimately swallowed his words after weighing the options.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief only after Qin Si left.

"Oh... Dad, what are we going to do? We can't live like this anymore."

Li Dajiang looked worried, Li Fulin had no better ideas, and Yao, being a woman, was even more helpless.

That's just how the world is; people at the bottom have absolutely no ability to resist.

It is said that a common man's anger can cause blood to spill five steps away, but this is a world where martial arts exist.

If you're pushed too far, you might not even get a hair on their head; you'll just lose your life in vain.

Otherwise, why would the whole family have gone crazy to support Li Hong in learning martial arts?

Only by mastering martial arts can one change the current situation.

"Let's leave it at that for now. Second brother, you should stay home for the next few months and grow some vegetables. I'll take care of things at the shop for now."

Li Fulin slumped down, his face seemed to have more wrinkles, and his voice betrayed a sense of helplessness:

"Who knows how long the Huanglin Gang can stay in power? They might switch to another gang someday. We shouldn't offend them..."

"Where there's life, there's hope..."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously swept over Li Hong, and he didn't continue.

In this day and age... if a family truly had a strong martial artist among its members, how could they be subjected to such oppression?

The sun had already risen high in the sky...

Warm light shone into the yard.

However, the dark cloud that had been hanging over the family could not be dispelled for a long time.

Li Hong's expression had returned to normal. He sat down silently, finished his porridge, and stuffed several slices of cured meat into his mouth to chew.

...............