Chapter 3: Crossing

"You’re not standing correctly. The Horse Stance places emphasis on rising up and crouching down as if riding a horse, and reaching up into the air with an open spirit." "This rising and falling, you need to manifest the form of a horse out of thin air. You must control both the rising force and the crouching force. Otherwise, the body’s center of gravity will rest on the knees, and standing for too long will inevitably lead to problems." "Reaching up into the air means to look far into the distance and have a broad view. Our home’s floors are too low, which isn’t ideal. As a beginner, Tuan Zi, you should stand on the balcony and look outside." Jiang Shu taught her, guiding her hands. Tuan Zi was the new nickname he had given Jiang Yanyue during the New Year. At that time, their parents, in a burst of nostalgia, dug out some photos from the siblings’ childhood. The pictures of his sister as a baby were particularly adorable, with her little round, tender face. Jiang Shu instantly thought of the viral emoticon from his past life—the Budding Yanyue Tuan Zi. He immediately took a pen and drew a few strokes on a piece of paper. Yue means round, doesn’t it? Yanyue, Yantuan, no difference. Jiang Yanyue, Budding Yanyue Tuan Zi, absolutely no difference! As Jiang Shu instructed his sister on the correct stance, he gradually relaxed. He had been pushing himself too hard over the past three months. That world was not as peaceful and wonderful as the one on Xuanxing. The county office, wealthy households, gangs. Like three heavy mountains pressing down on the ordinary people of Pingling County, not a single one could avoid them. Before they even set up their stalls, the exploitation had already come layer upon layer. The only way to change one’s fate was... to practice Martial Arts. The county office had the most Martial Arts, but without connections, who could get in? The wealthy households and gangs also offered Martial Arts training, but without exception, you had to sell your life to them. The only option that didn’t require connections or selling oneself was to enter a martial arts school. Ten taels of silver for one month’s tuition! To the ordinary people under all this exploitation, who couldn’t save even a single tael of silver after a year’s hard work, this sum was a fortune they could scarcely amass in a lifetime. Even if two generations saved up, working tirelessly, using every trick to stash away ten taels of silver to enter a martial arts school, that money was only enough for a month’s worth of lessons. After a month, what then? It was back to where they came from. Practicing Martial Arts is difficult, like reaching the sky. Jiang Shu was glad he hadn’t been born entirely in that world. Xuanxing also had gold and silver. Although the price of silver wasn’t as high as gold, it was basically stable at around five dollars per gram. Ten taels, five hundred grams, two thousand five hundred dollars. Even as an ordinary high school senior, he naturally couldn’t afford that sum, but he had his parents, didn’t he? Thinking of what his parents had promised him over the New Year, Jiang Shu couldn’t help but get a bit distracted, while Jiang Yanyue’s bright and excited eyes had gradually turned to despair. Only after standing did she realize that this seemingly simple Horse Stance was a devilish exercise. Her brother, who would often stand in the stance all day long, even eating while perched on a stool, standing in the Horse Stance—is he a devil? I, Jiang Yanyue, am a learning genius. He, Jiang Shu, is a Martial Arts genius. Fair, right? Very fair. Self-doubt, self-persuasion, willingly giving up. True to her scholar-girl form, Jiang Yanyue quickly adjusted her mindset, gave up struggling, and collapsed on the sofa. Genius is immeasurable. Genius cannot be compared. If Jiang Shu can stand in a stance all day, it’s because he’s a Martial Arts genius, and I, Jiang Yanyue, am not! This Martial Arts thing, I don’t want to practice for even a minute anymore. As for preserving one’s youth, if Martial Arts can achieve it, surely skincare products can too, right? In the future, as CEO Jiang, I’ll spend money to have a research institute work on it specifically. This is much more reliable than training in Martial Arts. Yes, that’s the way to go! Watching Jiang Yanyue’s sprawled posture reminiscent of the Ge You slouch, Jiang Shu suppressed the urge to sketch the scene. He casually picked up the remote control, selected a movie to play, and sat on the sofa, ready to rest for a while. By the time there were only ten minutes left in the movie, Jiang’s father and mother returned home together. Seeing their children, one sitting and the other sprawled on the sofa, the couple didn’t say a word. They carried the groceries into the kitchen and began to wash and chop the vegetables. Unlike some families, Xu Lizhi had opened a store years ago, working from dawn till dusk. The major task of cooking at home was mostly left to their father, Jiang Yongyi. "Dad, do we have spare ribs? I want to eat sweet and sour pork ribs today!" Stirred by the noise from the kitchen, Jiang Yanyue perked up and called out with her head held high. "Your brother is training in Martial Arts, so I’m making a nutritious rib and radish soup to aid digestion." Jiang Yongyi answered promptly. Ever since his son decided to practice Martial Arts, he had specifically researched what should be included in his diet. As long as his son was home, he wanted to cook a variety of dishes every day that would both help with Martial Arts training and make his son happy. "Understood. It means you don’t love me anymore. Don’t ask; asking means you used to love." "I’ll make some for you in a bit." "Alright!" After bustling about for nearly an hour and bringing the final dish of rib and radish soup to the table, Jiang Yongyi called out. "I’m coming!" Jiang Yanyue was always the first at the table, with the sweet and sour pork ribs placed closest to her. "Dad, I knew you loved me the most!" "Not anymore, just in the past." "Pah, pah, pah! I was just kidding. A grown-up doesn’t hold grudges over childish slip-ups, hehe. Let me satisfy my craving first." Jiang Yanyue’s hands moved quickly as she picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork rib and chewed it carefully, her bright eyes squinting into a thin line at that moment. "Eat slowly. Li Zhi, dinner is ready." "Coming." By the time Xu Lizhi had tidied up the room and come out, one adult and two children were already sitting at the table waiting for her. She took out her cellphone and transferred money to Jiang Shu via WeChat, saying, "Mom also needs money for her business recently, and the bank deposit hasn’t matured yet. I’ll send you 5,000 for now. Is that enough?" Her son’s academic performance had never been strong, but from childhood up to now, he had almost never given them cause for anger. After practicing Martial Arts, he exuded a kind of maturity that couldn’t quite be put into words, as if he had grown up a lot all at once. Therefore, when he mentioned he needed money, as his mother, I must support him wholeheartedly. Even though, up to now, his father and I don’t know what our son needs the money for. Even though, our son is still a high school senior. "That’s enough. Thanks, Dad and Mom." Without looking at his cellphone, he served each of his parents a bowl of spare rib soup. Then he got up, filled a big bowl of rice for himself, grabbed a piece of spare rib, and immediately started eating. The 5,000 transfer seemed like nothing had happened to the three of them. Only Jiang Yanyue, on the side, was gaping in shock. How much? 5,000? The sweet and sour pork ribs in my mouth suddenly don’t taste so good anymore. Indeed, it was just a passing love. My pocket money has never exceeded 50! I’m suffering, but I won’t say it. I’ll just have another piece of sweet and sour pork rib. Jiang Yanyue turned her sadness into motivation and devoured two more pieces. Even if it isn’t delicious, I have to eat it! And eat a lot of it! I won’t leave a single piece for that bastard Jiang Shu! He already got 5,000, and he still dared to take my 800 red envelope! Even lying to his own little sister! He really deserves to die! "Li Zhi, have you noticed that meat prices have gone up again?" Jiang Yongyi said after taking a sip of the rib soup. "And I’ve noticed some of the nicer liquors on the market have gone up in price too." For ordinary people, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are always their most pressing concerns. "What happened?" "I think it’s related to Martial Arts training. Practically all meats have gone up in price. Chicken and duck are still okay, but pork, lamb, beef, and fish have all gone up by about ten percent. So, I’m actually more and more convinced by Jiang Shu’s judgment. Our country will surely promote Martial Arts vigorously in the future. Those in the world of Martial Arts are now like pigs in the wind—if they can hold on, they’ll be the first to take off." Jiang Yongyi glanced at his son. Ever since his son had decided to switch to becoming a Martial Arts Student and practice Martial Arts, he, as a father, had been paying attention to the changes in the national Martial Arts environment. "But don’t feel too pressured, Jiang Shu. Your dad knows that training in Martial Arts requires connections and some kind of cultivation method. We have none of that; just hitching a ride will do. If you can get into an undergraduate program with this, that would be ideal. But if you underperform and end up in a community college, that’s fine too." "Your mom and I saved a considerable amount of money before, so you won’t have a hard life in the future." "Dad, I will work hard." Not revealing that he had already achieved small success in the Horse Stance, Jiang Shu filled a big bowl with spare rib soup. Success comes from secrecy; surprises should always be revealed at the last moment. As the family chatted, lunch ended. Jiang Shu stood up and took the initiative to clear the table. In the kitchen, with an apron tied around him, he began washing the dishes. Jiang Yanyue, seeing her parents return to their room, tiptoed closer and spoke in an appeasing, lowered voice, "Brother?" "What is it?" "Hehe, Mom and Dad already gave you 5,000. So, when do you think you could give back the 800 to your most adorable and well-behaved little sister, hmm?" I had intended to act magnanimous in front of my big brother, to offer timely help—a touching gesture that would have him in tears. But I didn’t expect his willpower to be so high that he wasn’t really touched. That was one thing. But then Mom and Dad hit me with a royal flush—5,000! When did the three of them discuss this? Why didn’t I know anything? Now, instead of being seen as offering timely help, I can’t even be considered as adding flowers to the brocade. Jiang Shu is pleased. And what about me? All my tasty snacks, gone. My cute dolls, gone. In the future, I fear I won’t even be able to afford adding toppings to my milk tea. No, not even milk tea! Everything is gone! At this thought, Jiang Yanyue couldn’t help but feel overcome with sadness. Now, I only hope my brother has a bit of a conscience and returns the 800 that doesn’t belong to him. At that moment, hot water poured into the sink, slowly dispersing the grease on the plates. Jiang Shu glanced sideways at his sister and said, "Have you ever seen a rice bucket spit out what’s been put into it?" "AHHH! Jiang Shu, I’m going to fight you!" 「In the Da Jing Dynasty, the daytime and nighttime hours were exactly opposite to those of Xuanxing.」 It was now the hour of Mao, around six in the morning. Unlike the clear sky on Xuanxing, the sky in this world always seemed dim. Even the rising sun looked as though it had reached the end of its life, its light weakly shining on Pingling County. Inside a small house, merely a dozen square meters and constructed from clods of earth, Jiang Shu’s figure materialized. He sat on the bed, then got up and looked around the room to confirm that all the hair strands placed under the furnishings hadn’t moved. Only then did he relax. He checked his slightly long wig, put on a semi-worn-out coat, and placed the bits of silver he had specifically bought from the Xuanxing Gold Store into the small pockets he had sewn into the coat. Next, he stuffed three small bags of lime powder into his sleeves, tucked the stun gun behind him, and stepped out the door. 「Here.」 Pingling County’s outskirts, Qu She Alley.