A life of success begins with being a landlord.

I had no choice but to tell the truth: "When I went there last night, they made things difficult for me. They even brandished a watermelon knife and swaggered around in front of me, bragging and showing off..."

I didn't want to talk about the cartilage powder.

But now that I need to explain Chunyan's matter, I have no choice but to tell the whole truth.

We can't let Chunyan's innocence be implicated.

After hearing what I said, Sister Li was shocked: "Are you stupid? This is too dangerous! What if you can't handle them and get hurt?"

"But I managed to outmaneuver them, and they obediently paid up."

"Is this 'cartilage-softening powder' you're talking about really that powerful?"

Sister Li held out her hand: "Let me see it."

I pulled a plastic bottle of eye drops from my pocket: "This is dangerous, you'd better not touch it. Otherwise, you'll end up like Chunyan just now."

The cartilage powder was prescribed to me by my second uncle, who also gave me the formula: three Western medicines and two Chinese medicines.

It is colorless and odorless, and can make people's limbs go weak instantly.

Sister Li reached out her hand, but then stopped herself, frowning and pondering, "How could your second uncle, that cripple, know how to do these things? What did he do before?"

I shook my head: "My second uncle has been away for many years, and I don't know what he did before. Anyway, he used to make a living in the underworld, and he had some skills."

I really don't know what my second uncle used to do.

But I have a vague feeling that my second uncle didn't follow the right path when he was out there.

The story begins on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I went to Hu Xiaogang's home to pay my respects and visit his parents.

Hu Xiaogang is in jail and cannot return the gift. On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Hu Xiaoli, on behalf of her younger brother, came to my house to offer New Year's greetings and return the gift—this is a custom in our hometown, emphasizing reciprocity.

That day, my second uncle sat in his wheelchair in front of the door and saw Hu Xiaoli.

A few days later, Hu Xiaoli left her hometown and returned to Dongguan.

Before I left, Hu Xiaoli promised me that I could come to Dongguan City to see her anytime, and she would help me find a job.

I pestered my parents to let me go out to work, to make a lot of money, to live up to my father's expectations, and to bring honor to our ancestors.

Dad had been silent the whole time, smoked three cigarettes, and finally let out a fart:

"I can't make that decision. Go ask your second uncle. If he tells you to go, then go."

Ask my second uncle? I was completely baffled.

You know, my father and my second uncle were mortal enemies. They lived next door to each other but never spoke to each other.

My dad said my second uncle was a spendthrift, an unfilial son, and a big liar.

My second uncle left home in his twenties, leaving my grandmother behind. He took with him one hundred silver dollars left by my grandfather, as well as a set of ancient books. For twelve years, he disappeared without a trace.

When my second uncle returned, he was paralyzed, penniless, and destitute.

My dad said that my second uncle's two legs were broken, and that it was a good thing he did!

My second uncle returned to his hometown a few years ago and said that my father was a good-for-nothing, a gambling addict, and a good-for-nothing. He said that my father had gambled away all the 100 silver dollars that my grandfather left him, leaving the family destitute and barely able to support my mother!

I had no idea about the messy things between the two brothers from the older generation, so I went to ask my grandmother.

But Grandma would only shake her head and sigh, unwilling to say another word.

Three years ago, when my second uncle returned to his hometown, my dad warned me—stay away from that good-for-nothing liar next door, and if you run into him, you better stay away!

But to my surprise, my father told me to ask my second uncle about my going out to work, and let my second uncle make the decision!

On the evening of the ninth day of the first lunar month, I went to see my second uncle.

My second uncle sat in his worn-out wheelchair, smiling broadly.

Before I could even speak, my second uncle asked, "Are you going out to work and seeking refuge with Hu Xiaoli?"

I nodded and casually asked, "Second Uncle, did my father tell you this?"

Second Uncle shook his head: "Your good-for-nothing father last spoke to me last winter solstice, which was several months ago."

"How did you know I was going south to work for Hu Xiaoli?"

"It's calculated."

My second uncle stared at me meaningfully and said, "But do you really know Hu Xiaoli?"

"I know she works as a clerk in an electronics factory..."

"What a load of clerical work."

The second uncle lit a cigarette and made the following comment about Hu Xiaoli: "She has a man behind her, and she has given birth to a son."

He even made a bet with me that if he was wrong, he would gouge his eyeballs out and give them to me.

When talking about Hu Xiaoli, the second uncle's smile was lewd, and his two cold, lame legs twitched as if they had been stimulated by something.

I said I wanted to work and earn money, not take my second uncle's eyeballs.

My second uncle threw away his cigarette butt and his expression turned serious: "You can go, but you'll have to train here for twenty days."

Training? I laughed.

What can you, a cripple, train me on?

My second uncle glared at me and said, "If you don't listen to me, I'll break your legs and make you a cripple like me, so you can never leave the house again."

I was a little annoyed and stood up: "Second Uncle, can you even hit me?"

My second uncle can move slowly on flat ground with the help of a wheelchair.

But he wants to break my legs. Maybe in my next life.

"Come here."

My second uncle was very calm and waved to me.

I thought my second uncle had something to say, so I went up to him.

But as soon as he took a step, his legs suddenly went weak, and he knelt down in front of his second uncle with a thud!

Holy crap, what kind of evil magic is this?

I knelt on the ground, feeling as if I weighed a ton, my chest tight and I could hardly breathe. I struggled, but I couldn't get up!

My second uncle turned his wheelchair around to my side, raised his jujube wood cane, and tapped my ankle.

Boom boom boom!

Damn, that really hurts!

"Tell me, can I break your legs right now?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I give up, Uncle, please let me up..."

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. I was controlled by my second uncle's sorcery, so I had no choice but to surrender!

Whoosh!

My second uncle brushed his dirty sleeve across my face.

I smelled a faint fragrance, and my breathing immediately became easier.

"Go wash your face with cold water before you come back."

Second Uncle waved.

I staggered to my feet, went to the backyard to wash my face, gradually returned to normal, and went back to my second uncle's side.

Uncle Er took a sip of tea: "That move just now was called a 'freezing technique,' nothing more than a trick in the martial arts world. Uncle Er has many other skills that I'll pass on to you. Let's see how many you can learn in twenty days."

I was still unconvinced: "I'm going out to work and earn money, what's the point of learning this?"

"Where Hu Xiaoli lives, there are no migrant workers, only a world of its own."

Second Uncle glared: "I'll say it again, either you stay at home and farm for the rest of your life; or if you go to find Hu Xiaoli, you must listen to me, otherwise, I'll break your legs."

"All right."

I sighed helplessly.

Actually, I have self-defense skills, which are the "Records of Zhuge Shanjun's Scouting" that my grandmother taught me to practice since I was a child, as well as the Seven Star Knife Technique.

I really don't understand why my second uncle went to all this trouble to train me.

Is it really that scary or complicated for me to just go out and find a job?

But I admire my second uncle for being able to subdue me with his immobilization spell, so I might as well learn it.

So, I spent twenty days at my second uncle's house receiving training. I learned a lot of random and incomprehensible things, which I copied into a notebook, filling an entire book.

Those twenty days were even more tiring than the sprint for the college entrance exam!

On the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head, I left my hometown and rushed to Dongguan the next day to meet up with Sister Li.

Unexpectedly, after only three days in Dongguan, the skills my second uncle taught me came in handy, and I subdued a few bastards in room 505.

Tonight, Sister Li pressed me for answers, and the matter of the "soft bone powder" has been exposed.

But Sister Li didn't know about the other skills my second uncle taught me.

As for my second uncle's evaluation of Sister Li, I can't say anything more.

Sister Li didn't press further, and simply nodded.

"You can't judge a book by its cover. A cripple like him has such abilities... When we have money in the future, we'll bring your second uncle over."

I was taken aback: "Why bring him here?"