Chapter 27: The Cheng Family

Old Man Chen arrived at Yazi Bay with a staggering gait.

"Eldest daughter's... Ah Qing..."

The straw mat was lifted, and Lady Han poked her head out.

Seeing it was the old man, a flash of surprise crossed her face, followed immediately by a hint of vigilance.

"Father?"

Lady Han smiled. "What brings you here, Father? Come in and sit."

She stepped aside to make way for the narrow entrance, her movements somewhat stiff.

Old Man Chen hunched his back as he squeezed into the boat cabin, met by a heavy scent of rice bran mixed with damp wood.

He instinctively reached for his tobacco pipe, but looking at the cramped little boat, he silently tucked it back away.

"Father, have some water."

Lady Han brought over a chipped coarse earthenware bowl filled with cloudy, lukewarm boiled water.

The old man took the bowl, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Eldest daughter..." The old man finally mustered his courage and whispered, "I came this time because there is something..."

Lady Han said nothing; she had already vaguely guessed what it was.

Avoiding Lady Han's gaze, Old Man Chen spoke with difficulty, "It's about little Heng. He said he has reached a critical juncture in breaking through to the Hidden Strength stage and urgently needs Blood-Qi Pills."

"Blood-Qi Pills?"

Lady Han cried out, "I heard those things are exorbitantly expensive!"

"I know, I know they are expensive!"

The old man interrupted hurriedly, his face burning. "But little Heng said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! He... he is the only hope for our Chen family!"

"The only hope?"

Lady Han repeated the words, her voice beginning to tremble.

Years of grievance, bitterness, and injustice surged forth like a breaking dam.

She stood up abruptly, pointing at the dilapidated boat cabin.

"Father! Look! Look at the life the two of us are living! In your eyes, only little Heng is the hope of the Chen family, but what about Ah Qing? Is Ah Qing not your grandson?! His father was taken away to work on the canal, and no one knows if he is alive or dead! He left us, a widow and an orphan, here in Yazi Bay, relying on this broken boat. I've nearly gone blind from weaving nets just to make ends meet! Ah Qing is also hardworking; he apprenticed himself to learn martial arts and has made it to the Bright Strength stage, yet we can't even afford a decent meal of meat! The sweat he sheds during training is mixed with rice bran porridge!"

Her tears flowed slowly, rolling down her weathered cheeks. "Do you know how the two of us have endured? To save a few copper coins for salt, we even lick the oil droplets from the vegetable soup! The money for Ah Qing's apprenticeship was secretly saved from Huiniang's dowry! We owe people a debt—how are we supposed to repay it?!"

"And now, because little Heng wants to break through some stage, you come to this broken boat to borrow money? Where would we get such money?! Can you scrape silver from these leaking floorboards? Or pour gold out of these rice sacks?!"

Old Man Chen's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The old man stood up unsteadily, appearing as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"Mother, I'm back."

Just then, a sound came from outside the boat.

"Grandpa!"

As the cloth curtain opened, Chen Qing spotted Old Man Chen at once.

"I... I'll be going now."

Seeing Chen Qing, Old Man Chen felt a sudden pang of guilt and stumbled out of the cabin.

Before Chen Qing could react, Old Man Chen had already departed.

Seeing Lady Han's swollen eyes, he hurriedly asked, "Mother, what happened?"

"It's nothing."

Lady Han calmly wiped the corners of her eyes with a corner of a cloth. Her movements were composed; though her eyes were still somewhat moist, her gaze was clear.

"He came to borrow money to buy that Blood-Qi Pill for your brother Heng. I just cried poverty so well that I drove him away."

She then walked toward the small stove in the corner and lifted the pot lid, releasing the rustic aroma of mixed grains and beans. "Eat while it's hot."

That tearful outburst just now—the talk of "going blind from weaving nets," "licking oil from vegetable soup," and "owing Huiniang's dowry"... every word was bloody, every sentence piercing.

It was not an uncontrolled vent, but a precision blade aimed straight at the old man's soft spot of guilt!

She knew this biased old man too well; direct confrontation would only bring accusations of "not considering the big picture." Only by tearing open her own bloody wounds could she shut that mouth that sought to take from her little grandson.

Chen Qing nodded as if realizing something.

Lady Han placed a bowl of steaming mixed grains and beans on the table, sat back down at her weaving station, and picked up her shuttle.

She gave a light snort. "Thinking of squeezing money from the gaps in our teeth to pave the way for his precious grandson's prosperity? Not a chance. Don't even dream of it!"

***

The next day, at the River Bureau.

Just as Chen Qing finished his roll call, Cheng Ming walked over.

"Ah Qing,"

Cheng Ming got straight to the point. "I see your training has become increasingly diligent lately. How is your blood and qi accumulation? Have you felt that 'membrane' yet?"

He was referring to the bottleneck between Bright Strength and Hidden Strength.

Chen Qing smiled. "I'm still accumulating; I feel I'm still a hair's breadth away."

Once the blood and qi accumulation reached a certain level, he could attempt the breakthrough.

Cheng Ming nodded, speaking with the sentiment of an experienced practitioner. "This second breakthrough requires not just steady effort, but real 'firewood'! Large amounts of meat for nourishment, top-grade Blood-Qi Powder or even Blood-Qi Pills—those are all built upon piles of silver!"

"At your age, you are in the golden period for breaking through. If you miss it, it will be difficult. The martial examinations are approaching; relying solely on your River Bureau salary and the pittance from your family won't be enough. The Cheng family... might be able to give you another hand."

During this time, he had observed closely and found that Chen Qing's skills far exceeded his peers, certainly not comparable to an ordinary Bright Strength practitioner.

Moreover, he was diligent, hardworking, and possessed a resilient temperament. If he were lucky during his second breakthrough, he might well become a formidable expert; his potential was not to be underestimated.

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and he looked up at Cheng Ming. "Chief, do you mean...?"

He indeed desperately needed the medicinal supplements that could accelerate his progress.

"I'll go back and discuss it with my family."

Cheng Ming didn't give a definitive answer, but his eyes were serious. "To see if we can set aside some more Blood-Qi Powder for you. But I can't make the decision; I have to ask my eldest sister."

The Cheng family had rules; sponsoring a talent required the approval of the head of the household.

"Thank you, Chief!"

Chen Qing solemnly cupped his hands, a warm current surging in his heart.

Cheng Ming truly treated him with sincerity.

***

That night, in the inner hall of the Cheng residence.

The flickering lamplight cast shadows on Cheng Huan's somewhat serious face.

After listening to Cheng Ming's account of Chen Qing, she frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop.

"Ah Ming,"

Cheng Huan spoke. "It's not that I am stingy. Sponsoring a Bright Strength disciple with ten catties of meat and one tael of Blood-Qi Powder every month is already a favor to you. Now you're asking for even more? Our Cheng family is not a charity!"

She paused, her gaze sharp as she looked at her brother. "You've looked favorably upon several talents before, but which one ever truly came to fruition? Didn't all the silver invested just go down the drain? That Blood-Qi Powder costs one tael of silver per packet; it doesn't grow on trees! We have two boats to maintain, hundreds of acres of land to pay rent on, and dozens of mouths to feed. Where is there money to be found?"

Cheng Ming said urgently, "Sister, this time is different! Chen Qing, he..."

"How is it different?"

Cheng Huan interrupted him, her tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "His foundation is mediocre; it took him nearly three months to break through to Bright Strength! Such talent is a dime a dozen in martial arts halls! You expect him to break through to Hidden Strength? Even if he succeeds by luck, so what? Do you think the martial examinations are easy to pass? Look at those old patrols in the River Bureau; even those with Hidden Strength spend half their lives wasting away. Our Cheng family is a small household; we cannot afford to throw silver into the water time and time again!"

She stood up and walked to the window, looking out into the heavy night. Her tone softened slightly. "Ah Ming, for our Cheng family to establish itself and climb higher, every bit of silver must be spent where it counts. When sponsoring someone, you either cast a wide net to catch a big fish, or you find someone with true potential who can bring a return! This Chen Qing... I don't see where his 'edge' lies."

Cheng Ming opened his mouth, but seeing the faint strands of white hair at his sister's temples and remembering how she had labored tirelessly for the Cheng family all these years, he swallowed his words.

Did his sister's concerns not make sense?

A small family like the Chengs truly could not afford too much trial and error.

He sighed and said softly, "Sister, I... I understand."

Having said that, he turned silently and walked out with heavy steps.

Looking at her brother's disappointed silhouette, Cheng Huan's heart softened.

Her brother was a man of deep emotion and loyalty; his service at the River Bureau was also to provide another path for the family.

But in this world... how could loyalty alone support a family?

Just as Cheng Ming's hand touched the doorframe, Cheng Huan's voice rang out again.

"Wait."

Cheng Ming paused, turning back in astonishment.

Cheng Huan did not look at him; her gaze remained fixed outside the window, her tone flat yet decisive. "If you truly think the boy is decent... a little bit of silver won't break the family's back."

Cheng Ming was stunned at first, then a massive surge of joy rushed to his heart. "Sister! You agreed?!"

Cheng Huan turned around, her face expressionless, merely waving her hand. "Go, go. Don't let this happen again."

"Yes! Thank you, Sister! I'll go tell Ah Qing right away!"

The gloom vanished from Cheng Ming's face as he rushed out of the inner hall with light steps.

"It's just a few taels of silver, anyway."

Cheng Huan let out a silent sigh of relief, as if convincing herself.

She sat back down at the table and picked up the ledger, but her mind had already drifted far away.

(End of Chapter)