From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 50 Family Letter
In the evening, Xu Xiaoniu returned to the camp after a hard day's work.

Their camp was not far from the mining area and housed several thousand people.

There are military patrols stationed around the camp to prevent anyone who has hidden gold or spirit crystals from escaping.

"Dinner is ready~~"

When Xu Xiaoniu heard the shouting, he took his bowl and chopsticks and went to queue up for food.

The food and fodder for the camp were all transported from Yunbian County. Xu Xiaoniu had also done the job of transporting food and fodder before.

The soldiers here are all doing physical work, so they have plenty of food and are guaranteed to be full.

Because Xu Xiaoniu was taller, he could get two more chicken legs than ordinary soldiers.

After filling his stomach, he was full of energy and practiced the Five Elements Posture in front of his tent. After arriving here, he did not stop his martial arts training and continued to practice the Posture every day.

Since there were many people practicing martial arts in the camp, no one paid special attention to Xu Xiaoniu.

He practiced the third level of the Five Elements Posture, the Fifteen-Posture Still Posture. Even if others could steal his postures, they wouldn't be able to master them without the accompanying breathing techniques.

"Hu~~"

As he practiced the stance again and again, his body became hot, and the nutrients in his stomach were transformed into essence and energy in his body, impacting his meridians and acupoints.

To master the third level of Zhuang Gong, one needs to open up twelve branch meridians and 576 minor acupoints.

He had been here for less than four years, and he had already opened up five branches and more than 200 minor acupoints, nearly halfway through the process.

At his rate, he would be able to master the third level of Zhuang Gong in four or five years.

At this moment, a loud shout echoed through the camp: "Squad leaders and above, assemble!"

Xu Xiaoniu was very familiar with the voice. It was General Guan Long, who commanded thousands of people in this camp.

One by one, the squad leaders, centurions, great centurions and thousand-man commanders gathered following the sound, and Xu Xiaoniu was among them.

Guan Long's breath was deep in his dantian, and his voice was loud and clear: "I have good news for you. The higher-ups are awarding military merits to everyone! For a sergeant, if you are awarded the fifth-class military merit, your family can be exempted from three years of land tax or one year of business tax.

Centurion, awarded fourth-class military merit, can receive ten acres of permanent tax-free land at home...

The great centurions and thousand-man commanders will be rewarded for their military merits at their discretion.

Now, sergeants and centurions can go to the logistics tent to get paper and pen, and write a letter home. The military merit and the letter will be sent back to your respective hometowns together."

Can I still write letters home?
Xu Xiaoniu's eyes sparkled. This was the first time they had awarded him military merit. He had been here for over three years, and his family hadn't heard from him whether he was dead or alive.

A group of people rushed to the logistics tent, scrambling to get paper and pens.

The news quickly spread throughout the camp, and ordinary soldiers were inspired, thinking about how to make merit and get promoted next.

Xu Xiaoniu got paper and pen and returned to the tent, where he wrote a letter under the dim light of an oil lamp.

He held the pen in his hand, but he hadn't written for several years and felt a little rusty.

Dad, Mom, Brother, Sister, Xiulian, Dahei... He hasn't seen them for so long, and he has so much to say.

The densely packed letter spanned more than a dozen pages.

When he was about to hand in the letter, he remembered that he had not written his hometown address, so he hurriedly wrote "Baihe Village, Tonggu County, Yuanli County".

----

Baihe Village, Xu family.

Four years later, Xu Fugui renovated the Xu family mansion, expanded the front and back yards, added two side rooms, and raised the courtyard wall.

A row of houses was also built elsewhere to provide food and accommodation for the long-term workers hired by the family.

In the early morning, when it was still light, people were practicing standing meditation in the spacious backyard of the Xu family.

Xu Fugui has reached the third level of standing meditation and has currently opened up four branch meridians and several minor acupoints.

Fifteen-year-old Xu Xiaoyun had only just mastered the first level of Zhuang Gong last year, and was now at the second level. He wasn't interested in martial arts, and no matter how Xu Fugui urged him, he couldn't muster any interest. Furthermore, his martial arts aptitude was average, so his progress in Zhuang Gong was much slower than that of his older and third brothers at the time.

Twelve-year-old Xu Xiaoan is very serious about practicing martial arts and never slacks off.

But what puzzled Xu Fugui was that Xu Xiaoan started practicing the Five Elements桩功 shortly after Xu Xiaoniu joined the army. It has been almost four years now, and he is still at the first level of桩功. His martial arts talent seems to be worse than Xu Xiaoyun's.

There was another person present practicing the Five Elements Posture, Xu Xiaogou. He wasn't practicing the first, second, or third level of the Five Elements Posture, but rather completing the first level, five-posture static stance, the second level, ten-posture static stance, and the third level, fifteen-posture static stance from beginning to end.

He is turning to practicing martial arts standing meditation!

Three years ago, he mastered the second level of Zhuang Gong, entering the realm of a high-level warrior. After learning the third level of "Bear Tiger Zhuang Gong" from Du Hai, he stopped practicing martial arts with Du Hai and instead practiced at home.

Half a year ago, at his father's request, he began to practice the "Five Elements Posture Meditation".

Although martial arts stance exercises have their own characteristics, their essence is the same: refining essence into qi and blood, cleansing the marrow, unblocking meridians, strengthening the body, and opening up the meridians and acupoints.

Xu Xiaogou had mastered the second level of the Bear and Tiger Posture. The seven main meridians, the thirty-six life and death points, and the one hundred and eight main acupoints had already been opened. Therefore, it was not difficult for him to switch to practicing the "Five Elements Posture" without having to start over from the first level.

He just needs to practice for a while longer to let his body become familiar with the characteristics of the Five Elements Posture.

The one and a half hour morning exercise is over.

"Hu~~"

The four of them withdrew one after another.

"Dad, I feel like I've completed my transformation. Now I just need to practice the third level of the桩功. This桩功 is more sophisticated than my bear and tiger桩功, so I'll make faster progress."

Although Xu Xiaogou wasted half a year to change his practice, his own style of standing meditation has improved his efficiency more effectively.

What puzzled him was that he did not realize the "special characteristics" of his own standing meditation.

The Xionghu stance has the qualities of a tiger's back and bear's waist, while the Vajra Arhat stance has the qualities of a bronze skin and iron bones. His stance seems ordinary and has no special qualities.

Xu Fugui did not tell anyone the secret of the Five Elements Posture.

At this time, a maid called out from outside the backyard gate: "Master, the meal is ready."

"understood."

Xu Fugui responded and walked out to the backyard with his sons to eat.

His family now has two maids who cook and wash clothes, and a servant girl.

Everyone sat around the dining table.

The food on the table was very rich, with fish, meat, vegetables and soup.

Xu Xiaogou, Xu Xiaoyun, Xu Xiaoan, and Xu Xiaohou who sat on Jiazhen's lap and didn't want to be held by the maid.

Xu Xiaohou is almost three years old.

Xu Fugui named him with the intention of hoping that he would be "honest and kind". In fact, when naming him, Xu Fugui was thinking that he hoped this would be the "last" child born to Jiazhen.

Perhaps due to the influence of the family treasure tree, Xu Fugui had a high probability of having sons. Of his six children, five were sons.

Xu Xiaoxia married an ordinary merchant in the county town three years ago. Her husband is the only son in the family, well-educated and trained in martial arts.

Xu Fugui saw that the family had good traditions, and that the man liked Xu Xiaoxia very much and had good character, so he agreed to the marriage.

"San Gou, how are you and the girl from the Fu family doing?"

Xu Fugui asked about Xu Xiaogou's recent situation.

Xu Xiaogou was nineteen years old and should have been married long ago. Two years ago, with Wang Qian's help, he introduced many girls to him.

There are daughters from wealthy landlord families, daughters from wealthy merchants in the city, and daughters from civil service families...all of them come from good families, are well-educated, well-mannered and generous.

But Xu Xiaogou was picky and didn't like any of them.

Last year, he worked as a bodyguard in the county and met the daughter of the escort agency owner. The escort agency owner was no ordinary person, but the leader of the Vajra Sect.

The Vajra Sect is a martial arts school. The stance training it inherits is the most famous and best stance training that can be learned publicly in Tonggu County: Vajra Arhat Training.

The sect leader Fu Yuanzhen is a martial arts master, equivalent to the middle stage of Qi training!

He runs the largest escort agency and martial arts school in Tonggu County. His status and position are so high that even the Qigong and immortal cultivation families have to give him face.

The Xu family is a well-known wealthy family in Baihe Village, but compared with the Fu family... there is a world of difference.

(End of this chapter)