Chapter 34 - 30 The Matter Discussed

Words : 1711 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 34 - 30 The Matter DiscussedOn the second day, Xu Qing still rose early, subconsciously thinking about what kind of surprise he should bring his female master when going to the Feng Family to study, considering the great help she provided yesterday, and then suddenly coming to his senses. The content of the child student test was completed the day before, and in the upcoming period until the Government examination, he would be reviewing at home, preparing for the examination. Practicing "Crane Call" was very draining on the spirit, and Xu Qing slept very soundly at night. Perhaps because he knew the origin of the strange sounds at night, his Divine Soul was on alert, and he slept exceptionally solidly, no longer woken by the breathing of the Old Wutong Tree. Taking advantage of his early morning energy, Xu Qing first used "Crane Call" to train his spine. This was a dragon-like stretching exercise, where the most crucial point was that each time he finished practicing, the focus should fall on the tailbone. It was reminiscent of the Taoist concept of circulating the Microcosmic Orbit. Without this final step, the training of the spine would not form a complete Microcosmic Orbit, and naturally, the effect would be greatly diminished. If someone were observing, they would notice Xu Qing's back was continuously flexing, with his hands positioned as if trying to capture a great dragon. Snap! One Microcosmic Orbit cycle was completed; relying on the power of his Divine Soul, Xu Qing precisely controlled his body's center of gravity to fall on the tailbone, his spine bone moving like a snake, slowly pushing down leisurely, his body warming up as a lot of heat began to emerge. But his pores were tightly closed, firmly locking in the heat. Soon after, he felt the heat within his body buoying and expanding. He tightly guarded his mind, constantly compressing the heat, until it reached his lower abdomen. Focus on the Dantian, Refining Essence into Qi! In the end, the heat became even more refined, then dispersed into the limbs and bones; one stream rushed into the forehead's temple, slightly bulging, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated. Practicing "Crane Call" consumed his spirit, yet nourished by the last stream of heat, his mental fatigue faded considerably, replaced instead with the satisfaction and joy of a farmer reaping his harvest. "No matter studying or practicing Martial Arts, it's like the old farmer tilling the land. Seeing the results makes all the toils worthwhile," Xu Qing loosened his body and patted the Old Wutong Tree beside him. The branches and leaves trembled as if in agreement with Xu Qing's words. After he finished his Martial Arts Training, Xu Qing was still ravenous as usual. He had already reminded his aunt to prepare enough food for him in the morning. Xu Qing calculated the time; his aunt should have already prepared his meal, so he went over to dine. This hearty eating had continued for several days, leaving Zhou Family dumbfounded, who whispered, "Qing, you're not feeling unwell, are you? You eat so much every day." Xu Qing had to explain once again that his body was growing, and it was a critical time for his Martial Arts Training, which indeed consumed a lot. Zhou Family looked worried, "We haven't made any profits from the chicken farm, and with your current eating habits, plus your uncle's recent entertaining, our family's remaining money won't last much longer." Xu Qing: "Aunt, here's twenty Silver, you take it and make do with it for now." The money was originally given by Historian Li to Xu Qing as a dowry for getting married, but now Xu Qing, having topped the county exam, was in a position to make decisions for the household, so Historian Li gave him the money to handle himself. Zhou Family knew about this sum of money; she didn't accept it, lamenting, "I'm not worried about you eating, it's just that these days we're still running a deficit, and I don't know when it will end." Xu Qing: "Aunt, how much money do we have left now?" Zhou Family: "Your uncle received a large sum of betrothal gifts when he took office. However, with all the entertaining and household expenses, as well as the recent move into this mansion, more than half has been spent. Right now, we still have about twenty Silver left." Xu Qing thought to himself, "No wonder Aunt is anxious." With his appetite and the family's usual expenses, indeed they could not sustain for much longer. The profitability of the chicken farm would not be apparent until after his academy examination, at which point some results might begin to emerge. Right now, his main focus was still on the examinations and Martial Arts Training; it was true he couldn't give much attention to household affairs. Zhou Family, being a traditional woman managing the household, naturally felt insecure seeing the income not covering expenses. Nevertheless, with the Government examination looming, he shouldn't create any distractions. Xu Qing advised, "Aunt, please don't worry. Once I pass the Government examination, I'll find a way to earn some income." He then turned the conversation, "Perhaps, with Uncle's good luck, he might handle a big case over property disputes in a few days and see some income then." The Government Office relishes cases where wealthy families dispute over inheritances; the longer they drag on, the more they profit. Devour the plaintiff first, then the defendant. In short, it's a delightful feast for them. S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, the average affluent family would never resort to litigation. Zhou Family: "Ever since the county examination, your uncle has been leaving early and returning late, occupied with working alongside inspectors in capturing local bandits. Even if the kind of case you mentioned arrives at the Government Office, he can't get a substantial share, only a taste of the broth." Xu Qing learned that Zhao Xiong and his cronies were behind this scheme. Because Zhao Xiong was the brother-in-law of an inspector. They were exploiting the county's security issues to stall Historian Li's organization of internal affairs within the Government Office, facilitating Zhao Xiong and his gang to tidy up loose ends, disengage from the County Government, and then regroup at the Government for another attempt. "Uncle is still a bit too lenient; if it were Guo Zhuang and the others, they would be more ruthless. For these constables of Zhao Xiong's group to transfer to the Government as officers, they'd have to be skinned first," Xu Qing sighed internally. This was also the reason why Xu Qing wanted to support Guo Zhuang in becoming the head arrest officer of the County Government. Guo Zhuang was inherently a tough man. However, the only one who truly cared for him in this world was indisputly Li Gongpu. If Xu Qing were indeed to die in more than two years, he would surely strive to leave a considerable fortune for Li Gongpu and his wife, enough to ensure their comfortable twilight years. Xu Qing was not annoyed by Zhou Family's nagging, and patiently soothed her for a while. For women in this era, no matter how big the trouble, as long as you coax them, it would always be manageable. If you always try to satisfy their unreasonable demands, you'll wear yourself out, and they'll never be content. On the contrary, sweet talk and cajoling is the most effective strategy. After dealing with Zhou Family, Xu Qing returned to the eastern courtyard to review the classical essay collections taught by his female mentor under the Parasol Tree. He had already memorized the content and grasped the gist; now all that was needed was to cogitate repeatedly over time and integrate it thoroughly. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and branches of the Parasol Tree, casting sprinkles of light onto the shoulders of the studying youth. The old tree in the courtyard silently grew a sense of nostalgia. ... ... "Big brother, what did Magistrate He say?" Zhao Bao's last attempt to make amends left him with many scars, and now in the summer, his shirtless, scarred arms were quite a gruesome sight. Zhao Xiong: "I told the Lord Prefect about the kid going to study at Feng Xifeng's home, and the Lord Prefect only had one comment." "What did he say?" "He knows." Zhao Bao was deeply surprised, "What does Magistrate He mean by that?" Zhao Xiong: "This time Magistrate He used me just as a blade to achieve the collection of the summer and autumn taxes. I gave him an excuse to deal with that kid, so he should have hinted at something. But he only said 'he knows,' which suggests that kid has somehow gained favor with Magistrate He." "So it means that the kid will also pass the Government examination." "He is the top scholar of the county exam; even with an excuse, Magistrate He would not dismiss him. I just didn't want him to become the top scholar of the Government exam," sneered Zhao Xiong. "So what should we do?" Zhao Xiong: "You start by spreading the word far and wide about the kid taking on Feng Xifeng as a mentor, and make a specific point about the association between Feng Xifeng and Magistrate He being from the same school." "Big brother is truly brilliant; this move will make Magistrate He worry about public opinion, and he wouldn't dare to choose that kid as the top scholar," praised Zhao Bao. "That's why I tell you to use your brain more when doing things; violence and killing don't solve everything," Zhao Xiong patted his younger cousin's shoulder. Zhao Bao nodded in agreement but remained skeptical. It's not that violence and killing wouldn't work; it was just that their fists weren't strong enough. His older cousin was ultimately getting on in years!

Chapter 34 - 30 The Matter Discussed

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