I equip myself with everything in this chaotic world of martial arts.

Clang!

The bamboo basket fell to the ground, and the ceramic bowl shattered into pieces.

Outside the courtyard, Li Xiuhua, who hadn't gone far, stood frozen in place, her face instantly drained of color.

She turned around blankly, looking at Huang Yi's retreating figure, then looked down at her trembling hands, as if her soul had been ripped away.

A few breaths later, she suddenly woke up, lifted her skirt and chased after him, not caring about the broken bowl.

Uncle Tie Niu stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the two disappear into the alley, and sighed heavily: "This damned world."

A crowd gathered at the entrance to the archway.

Whispers and pointing fingers mingled in the wind.

Huang Yi pushed through the crowd, his arms stiff.

Then he saw it.

On the makeshift stretcher, Huang Jian was wrapped in blood-soaked burlap, his left leg a dark red.

But when he saw Huang Yi, he actually managed a smile.

That smile was like a blunt knife, suddenly piercing Huang Yi's heart.

His throat tightened, and he rushed forward, squatting down: "Brother..."

"It's nothing," Huang Jian said steadily, though he was short of breath. "The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) gave me good medicine; I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

He tried to raise his right hand, but couldn't.

Huang Yi grabbed that hand; his palm was icy cold.

"Let's go home first." Huang Jian glanced around. "We'll talk when we get home."

Huang Yi followed and looked.

The neighbors all looked away.

Some people lowered their heads and turned to the side, while others simply left.

No one stepped forward to help.

He understood.

The original owner's reputation for being sickly and lazy had already spread over the years. Now that the only person in the family who could earn money had fallen ill, who would want to associate with this family that was clearly on the verge of collapse?

The money that has been lent out may never be returned.

Moreover, at the beginning of the month, they had just paid the "mountain god incense money" forcibly collected by the mountain god gang, and every household's rice jar was empty.

That's just how the world is; you can't blame them for being cold-hearted.

"I'll do it."

Li Xiuhua squeezed in, panting, her face still pale, but her eyes had already regained their composure.

She squatted down at the other end of the stretcher: "Hold it steady."

The two men lifted the stretcher.

Huang Jian was not light, and the stretcher was simple, swaying with every step.

Li Xiuhua bit her lower lip, sweat beaded on her forehead, her fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, and she remained silent.

Huang Yi was in front, and he could hear his older brother's short, suppressed breathing behind him.

Each sound felt like being pricked by a needle.

As the crowd dispersed, whispers drifted over:

"The Huang family is finished..."

"Exactly, what good is Huang Yi's body?"

"I'm afraid we won't make it through this winter..."

The sound was low, yet clear and piercing.

……

The fence gate creaked open.

The two men carried the stretcher into the east room. Huang Jian's room was almost empty except for a wooden bed and an old cabinet.

Li Xiuhua skillfully laid out the cloth and then helped Huang Yi move the person up there.

After lying down, Huang Jian took a breath and then opened his eyes to carefully examine Huang Yi.

"Brother," he said softly, "you're walking...steadier now."

Huang Yi was taken aback.

Huang Jian's eyes lit up: "Your complexion is better... are you completely cured?"

Huang Yi's throat tightened, and he nodded, "Okay, brother, I'm really okay."

"Okay...okay...okay," Huang Jian said three times, but before he could finish the last word, he started coughing violently.

The person curled up, and the burlap sack of wounds was soaked with fresh blood.

"Brother Jian!"

Li Xiuhua hurriedly helped him catch his breath, her eyes red-rimmed, but she stubbornly held back her tears.

Looking at his elder brother's convulsing back and Xiuhua's trembling hands, Huang Yi felt a sense of powerlessness grip his heart.

He bent down and pressed on Huang Jian's uninjured shoulder: "Brother, don't worry about getting better. I'll take care of things at home."

As his cough subsided, Huang Jian leaned wearily against the headboard, his gaze shifting between the two of them before settling on Li Xiuhua's face.

Before he could speak, Li Xiuhua said softly, "Don't worry, I'll watch over him."

Huang Jian wanted to laugh, but only managed a slight twitch of his lips before his eyelids drooped and he couldn't hold on any longer and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Xiuhua tucked the blanket in and turned to Huang Yi, having composed herself: "Xiao Yi, you go back to your room and rest. I'll go get some food and bring it over later."

Huang Yi looked at the dark circles under her eyes and her chapped lips, and nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Xiuhua."

I sat down in the west room, and anxiety welled up inside me.

My brother's injuries are quite serious. Although he has taken medication, he clearly needs time to rest and requires money.

Where is the money? In the original owner's memories, this family never had any spare money.

He thought of the [equipment slots].

The stone slab was enhanced, but it couldn't produce food or money.

What if... what if this cheat code could bring more direct "benefits"?

Thinking of this, he got up and went out, just as Li Xiuhua was leaving with an empty basket.

"Sister Xiuhua, could you lend me a penny?"

Li Xiuhua paused for a moment, then took out an old cloth bag from her bosom, opened it layer by layer, and found a dozen or so old copper coins inside.

She carefully pinched out one and handed it to her: "Is this enough?"

"That's enough, I'll return it to you later." Huang Yi took it.

Li Xiuhua shook her head, glanced at him, sighed softly, and turned to leave.

Go back inside and close the door.

He stretched out his arm, palm down, and with a slight thought, said, "Remove it."

The air in front of him blurred for a moment, and the bluestone slab appeared out of thin air, smashing to the ground with a "bang," raising a small cloud of dust and leaving a shallow crater in the ground.

Almost the instant the stone slab hit the ground, the warm, supportive force that had been supporting his body quickly dissipated.

Huang Yi staggered and grabbed the wall to avoid falling.

He carefully sensed the changes in his body: the weakness returned, but not as desperate as before.

At least I can stand and walk steadily, but I have much less strength and my breathing is more rapid.

It seems that some of the improvements brought by the equipment will remain after it is removed.

He silently noted down this discovery.

Immediately, he opened his palm and stared at the copper coin.

Take a deep breath.

"equipment."

The copper coins disappeared.

A semi-transparent panel appeared before my eyes:

[Equipment]: Copper Coins (Yanhan Tongbao)

[Attribute]: Gold

【Characteristics】: Wealth and Power (Normal).

[Effect]: Slightly improves wealth luck.

"Fortune..."

Huang Yi's eyes lit up instantly.

He immediately went out and walked around the streets and alleys of Yongqingfang.

Fifteen minutes later, beside a muddy ditch that was perpetually flooded, he caught a glimpse of a dark metallic reflection.

It was a copper coin almost completely covered in mud.

Fifteen minutes later, he found another one among the weeds at the base of the wall.

Two coins.

Huang Yi held the dirty copper coin in his hand, leaning against the wall, sweat beading on his forehead.

It's not that I'm tired, it's that the weakness from physical exhaustion has returned.

"no……"

He took a breath. "The 'wealth and power' trait might make it easier for me to 'encounter' money, but to rely on this kind of luck to pick up money to support my family and save up for martial arts training? That's just wishful thinking."

Unless, of course, you equip yourself with something more "valuable".

Silver? Gold? Or other items with the attribute of "wealth".

He dragged his weary body home and washed the copper coins.

Dinner was brought by Li Xiuhua.

Two bowls of wild vegetable porridge were prepared; the thicker one was given to Huang Jian, and the thinner one to Huang Yi. She kept half a bowl of clear broth for herself.

Huang Jian had already woken up and was sitting up against the headboard, while Li Xiuhua fed him porridge spoonful by spoonful.

He ate slowly, pausing after each bite, his eyes becoming clearer.

After Huang Yi finished his bowl, Huang Jian spoke up:

"Brother, I heard from Xiuhua that you borrowed a penny this afternoon?"

Huang Yi tightened his grip on the rim of the bowl: "Yes."

"What's it for?" Huang Jian asked calmly.

Huang Yi looked up and met his brother's calm gaze.

There was weariness, concern, and knowing anticipation in his eyes.

He knew he couldn't hide it, and he didn't want to.

"Brother," he put down his bowl, sat up straight, "I want to learn martial arts."

The room fell silent.

Li Xiuhua's hand, which was feeding porridge, stopped in mid-air.

Huang Jian looked at him for a long time before slowly saying, "Why do you suddenly want to learn?"

"I'm better now, and I can't keep relying on you to support me. The world is getting more and more chaotic. Today you're injured, tomorrow it could be something else. I want to learn martial arts, firstly for self-defense, and secondly... to find a way to earn money."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "I don't want to be a burden to you anymore."

Li Xiuhua turned her face away and secretly wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

Huang Jian remained silent, his gaze lingering on his younger brother's face for a long time, as if trying to etch it into his eyes.

Finally, he sighed softly, a sigh that contained both relief and heaviness.

"I'm glad you think that way."

He moved with difficulty, groping around at his waist with his uninjured right hand. After a while, he untied a dirty, patched little cloth bag and handed it over with trembling fingers.

"There are fifteen taels of silver in here."

Huang Yi didn't answer; his heart clenched.

Huang Jian continued speaking, his voice steady, yet every word struck the heart:

"The head镖师 gave me... compensation for recovering from my injuries. I've specifically inquired about it. With your physical condition, you're best suited to practice martial arts like the Five Animal Frolics, which work from the outside in and strengthen your foundation. It would be most suitable for you to become an apprentice at the newly opened Five Elements Boxing School in the city. Take ten taels with you; that should be enough for the school master to accept you and teach you properly for a few months."

"The remaining five ounces should last until my injury heals if the family uses them sparingly."

Huang Yi stared at the cloth bag but didn't reach out.

Fifteen taels? My brother's monthly salary is barely a tael! What kind of "compensation for injury recovery" is this generous?

Unless... this isn't money for medical treatment.

It's "cut-off" money.

Seeing that his elder brother was seriously injured and difficult to heal, the security company simply paid him off with a sum of money, saving him the trouble and medical expenses of his "retirement money".

Then he thought that his elder brother had been "carried back" by his colleagues and left at the archway, rather than being sent home, and that the escort agency hadn't even sent anyone to check on him... Huang Yi's heart sank little by little.

It's very likely that the eldest brother has lost his job as a bodyguard.

He looked up at his elder brother.

Huang Jian was also looking at him, his eyes calm, even with a hint of encouraging smile, as if what he was handing over was not the last bit of money his family had to live on, but just an ordinary thing.

This laughter, even more suffocating to Huang Yi than the forced laughter on the stretcher, made him feel even more suffocated.

He knew he should refuse.

He knew the money was too hot to handle.

But he also knew that if he refused, he could only watch the family slide into ruin.

Relying on picking up a few coins? That's a joke.

The equipment slots were his only hope.

To realize this hope, we must first "stand up".

Learning martial arts is the most practical path right now.

Silence spread through the room.

Finally, Huang Yi reached out and took the cloth bag that was both light and heavy as a mountain.

When their fingertips touched, the older brother's fingers were icy cold and trembling slightly.

"Brother," he said hoarsely, clutching the cloth bag, "I will learn as soon as possible."

Huang Jian's smile became more genuine.

He nodded, as if exhausted, and slowly leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes.

"Go ahead, go tomorrow."

Li Xiuhua got up to collect the bowls, her movements very gentle.

As she passed Huang Yi, she stopped and whispered, "I have some savings of my own. If you need them, just say so."

Huang Yi shook his head and clenched the cloth bag tightly in his palm.

The silver was rough and angular, and it hurt to the touch.

Late at night.

Huang Yi lay on the hard bed, his eyes open to see the dark ceiling.

Suppressed coughs occasionally drifted from the east room next door, each one making his eyelids twitch.

He was holding the copper coin that had already been "removed" in his hand.

Tomorrow, I'm going to become an apprentice.

Ten taels of silver for an opportunity.

An opportunity to seize a glimmer of hope in this chaotic world.

He closed his eyes and pressed the copper coin to his chest.

Cold and hard.

Like the world these days.