This martial saint is too cautious.

Learn martial arts!

The atmosphere in the courtyard changed instantly after Lin Yan uttered those words.

Aunt Liu wiped the water stains with her hands, somewhat at a loss, because she never expected her nephew to say that he wanted to learn martial arts.

"Mom, I got a beating."

Just as Liu was at a loss for words, a mischievous child pushed open the door and walked in.

Lin Mo's eyes were red and swollen, and there were several black marks on his face from wiping with his fingers, which were clearly from crying.

Although the little guy was calling out to his mother, his eyes were fixed on Lin Yan.

The two brothers have a very good relationship. In the past, when he was bullied, his older brother would always be the first to help him get revenge.

But today, Lin Yan did not move.

Seeing that her mother ignored her and her older brother was unmoved, Lin Mo felt extremely wronged and burst into tears.

Liu glared at him: "Wash your hands, then go eat. If you cry again, you won't get any food today."

The crying stopped abruptly.

Lin Mo's eyes darted around, sensing that something was wrong. He walked towards the well while sobbing, obediently washed his hands, and then headed towards the main house.

"Yan'er, why do you suddenly want to learn martial arts?"

Looking at her nephew, Liu felt she had to find out if someone was deceiving Yan'er.

"Auntie, when I was in the shop, I heard a customer say that a county in Qingzhou Prefecture was hit by a disaster. Grain prices have skyrocketed several times over. Many families that were originally well-off are now struggling to survive. Guangping County has had good weather these past few years, but you never know when floods or droughts might come."

"Even if a disaster strikes, having some food stored at home in advance will always help us get through it. Isn't that how everyone has done it?"

Liu was a little confused. Why would her nephew bring this up? What did it have to do with learning martial arts?

"Auntie, even if we have enough food at home to get through this period, life will only get harder than before. If it continues for several years, we won't even be able to survive."

Lin Yan's words made Liu's face turn pale: "That...that's God eating people, but...God is merciful, it won't go to that extent, and our county has had good weather and abundant harvests in the past few years."

"Auntie, our county hasn't had any major disasters in recent years. Logically speaking, even if grain prices don't drop, they shouldn't rise. But the price of grain at the rice shop keeps going up. It's because there are more people. A family has two sons, and those two sons have four grandsons... But there's only so much land, and the grain won't increase. With more people and less grain, of course the price of grain has to go up."

Lin Yan sighed inwardly as he saw the doubt still lingering on his aunt's face.

It's not that my aunt is stupid, it's just that she received a different kind of education.

The aunt didn't understand what the impact was of productivity not being able to keep up with population growth.

Liu didn't really understand what productivity was, but she understood what her nephew was saying.

Take her maternal family as an example. There are only four siblings in her generation, but there are more than a dozen nephews and nieces in her maternal family, so the amount of food needed is indeed much larger.

"Auntie, the money I earn in a month can buy three bags of rice now, but in the future it might only be two bags. If a natural disaster really comes one day, I'm afraid I won't even be able to buy one bag."

Lin Yan said seriously, "Of all the major disasters in the county over the years, the only ones that have remained unaffected are the families of martial artists. If our Lin family wants to continue its lineage, the only way is for us to learn martial arts and become martial artists ourselves."

The continuation of ancestral worship is an extremely important matter for people around the world.

As Lin Yan had expected, his aunt's expression became flustered when he mentioned that the family line had ended.

"Yes, big brother should learn martial arts. Once he learns martial arts, no one will dare to bully me anymore."

Lin Mo, holding a rice bowl, also appeared at the door, his eyes shining: "Wang Dachui dared to hit me, isn't it because his sister married a martial artist?"

"Go back and eat your meal. All you do all day is cause trouble and get into fights. Haven't you had a good beating in a while?"

Hearing her son's words, Liu was furious. Over the years, in order to live up to her elder brother and sister-in-law's expectations, she had always strictly disciplined Yan'er, but had neglected to discipline Mo'er.

"I...I didn't cause any trouble. It was Wang Dachui and the others who said that you were a widow, and...they also said that my older brother slept in the same bed with you at night."

Liu's face turned pale, while Lin Yan's expression darkened: "Little brother, shut up."

Gossip is inevitable everywhere.

This is especially true for people at the bottom of society. They can only gain a slight sense of superiority by spreading rumors and making others look bad.

"Yan'er, come with me."

After a long while, Liu made her decision and walked to the side room on the left.

Besides the main house, the Lin family also has side rooms on the left and right. Lin Mo is currently living in the main house with his aunt, while Lin Yan lives in the right side room. The left side room is used to enshrine the ancestral tablets of the Lin family.

Follow my aunt into the left side room, where the ancestral tablets of the Lin family and his parents are enshrined.

First, Liu picked up the incense on the table, lit three sticks, and placed them in the incense burner. Then she carefully straightened the slightly crooked incense burner before speaking: "Yan'er, your grandparents had three sons and one daughter, but your second uncle and your third aunt died young, leaving only your father and your uncle's brother."

"Your grandmother passed away early, and your grandfather also passed away the year after your father and mother got married. At that time, your father was only eighteen years old, and your uncle was only nine years old. Before your grandfather passed away, he told your father to raise your uncle to adulthood."

"The eldest brother is like a father. Your father was very responsible, and your mother was also a good sister-in-law. In order to raise your uncle, she did not rush to have children. She waited until your uncle grew up before he married me, and then your mother became pregnant and gave birth to you."

With a look of reminiscence on her face, Liu said, "When I first married your uncle, I couldn't get pregnant for the first two years, and the neighbors gossiped a lot, saying that your uncle had married a hen that couldn't lay eggs. It was your mother who stood up for me, went to their door to scold those gossipy women, and kept comforting me. Later, I finally got pregnant. Your uncle was clumsy and didn't know how to take care of people, so it was your mother who took care of me so hard, from ten months of pregnancy to childbirth and postpartum confinement."

"Your uncle told me that your mother is not only his sister-in-law but also his mother."

"It's not just your uncle who thinks she's your mother; I feel the same way about her."

Listening to his aunt's story, Lin Yan finally understood why his aunt was so good to him and cared about him so much.

The aunt and uncle repaid the kindness they had shown their parents by doing it all for themselves.

"Originally, I was thinking that since you can read and write, you could find a stable job and not have to do manual labor. I would arrange your marriage in another year, and after you get married and have children, your aunt could also explain to your parents. But Yan'er, you want to learn martial arts. It's not that your aunt doesn't want you to learn, but I'm afraid... afraid that if you don't learn it well, it will delay your parents and your uncle's instructions to me before he went to perform his corvée labor."

Liu looked intently at Lin Yan. The road ahead was the road that ordinary people like them would take, a road where they could see the future.

There are too many variables in martial arts training.

"But the fact that you can articulate these principles today shows that you've truly grown up and become more sensible."

Liu was somewhat relieved, but also helpless: "Learning martial arts costs a lot of money. The registration fee for those martial arts schools is often tens of taels of silver. Our family doesn't have enough money, and we can't sell the house that your parents left you."

The house left by her elder brother and sister-in-law must not be sold; this is Liu's bottom line.

"Auntie, I won't go to the martial arts school yet."

Liu was taken aback. If she didn't go to the martial arts school, where else could she learn martial arts?

"Auntie, there should be martial artists in the Cai family's fourth aunt's household. Could we ask her for help?"

From the moment he spoke to his aunt, Lin Yan had already decided how to embark on the path of martial arts.

Although the Lin family is not wealthy, every family has a rich relative, right?

In the original owner's memories, the third wife of the Cai family was a wealthy relative of the Lin family.

The mother of the third wife of the Cai family was his grandmother's younger sister, so he could call her his cousin.

Unfortunately, both sisters passed away early, and the two families were not very close. Lin Yan had no memory of ever meeting this cousin, but her aunt would visit the Cai family to pay New Year's respects and bring a gift during festivals.

Lin Yan could guess her aunt's intention in doing so. Maintaining the family relationship was not about trying to gain anything from the Cai family, but simply a precaution.

If a widow with two children encounters a problem she can't solve, this kinship relationship might come in handy.

Looking at her nephew in front of her, Liu felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

From Yan'er's initial statement about wanting to learn martial arts, to her talk about rising food prices, population growth, and the high cost of food and low cost of people.

These words were so logical and clear; it's hard to believe that an eighteen-year-old boy could say them.

What surprised her even more was that Yan'er actually thought of asking the Cai family for help.

She would visit the Cai family during holidays to maintain that thin layer of kinship, hoping that if something serious happened to her family one day, she would have a way to ask for help.

But she had never told Yan'er about these thoughts. How did Yan'er know?

Or perhaps the child had been secretly observing and memorizing it all along?

Liu's lips moved slightly, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

I'm relieved that Yan'er has grown up and has her own ideas.

What's shocking is that this change came so suddenly.

It's like he's become a completely different person overnight?

His speech and actions bear a resemblance to his elder brother from back then.

Could it really be that my elder brother and sister-in-law are protecting me from heaven?

"Auntie?" Lin Yan called out when he saw his aunt looking dazed.

"Ah... okay." Liu came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and said, "Since you've made up your mind, then your aunt will take you to the Cai residence tomorrow. However, the Cai family is a large household with many rules. Once we're there, you're not allowed to speak carelessly or be unruly."

"I understand, nephew."

Liu nodded, turned to look at the memorial tablets on the altar, and silently prayed: "Brother, sister-in-law, can you see this? Yan'er has grown up, even more sensible than you imagined. If you are watching over him from heaven, please bless him..."

"Yan'er, offer incense to the Lin family ancestors and your parents. We'll go to the Cai residence first thing tomorrow morning." Liu Shi composed herself, her tone much firmer than before.

……

……

On the bed inside the room.

Lin Yan couldn't fall asleep, not because the bed was too hard, but because he was too excited.

My previous life was so ordinary that it could only be described as mediocre.

In this life, he has a cheat system and access to martial arts; it would be a miracle if he could sleep.

Even in my past life, I had a martial arts dream when I was young. With a wooden stick in hand, I could even hit the weeds by the roadside with a few blows.

If you can't sleep, then think about cheat codes.

"system?"

"Master, are you asleep?"

"Brother Tree, are you still awake?"

"Tree Father".

……

The next day.

Lin Yan followed her aunt to the South District.

Compared to the dilapidated state of the northern district, the southern district is lined with streets, and the spirit and energy of both pedestrians and vendors are far superior to those of the residents of the northern district.

The two stopped in front of a three-courtyard house in the alley. Although it was called an alley, it was wider than the street where the Lin family lived.

Cai Mansion.

Liu told the gatekeeper their purpose, and the gatekeeper led the two into the mansion, to the side hall in the front courtyard, where tea was served.

"Please sit for a moment, the Third Madam will be here shortly."

Since Liu didn't sit, Lin Yan naturally wouldn't sit either.

A moment later, footsteps came from behind a screen, and two figures emerged.

The woman walking in front had a graceful figure and fair skin. Her outfit would definitely be considered a stepmother style in later generations, inevitably leading to a barrage of comments like "Mom, I'm going to die!"

Lin Yan glanced at it briefly before lowering his head.

According to what my aunt had said before, this cousin was the same age as my aunt, but judging from appearance alone, everyone would think that my aunt was about a generation older than this cousin.

It is true that wealth and status nourish people.

"Madam, this is my nephew, Lin Yan, the eldest grandson of the Lin family."

Liu took the initiative to speak, and after speaking, she looked at Lin Yan: "Yan'er, why don't you greet your fourth aunt?"

"Nephew greets Fourth Aunt." Lin Yan performed the junior's greeting.

Li Min sat down in the main seat and raised her hand: "Good child, Cui'er, go to the kitchen and get some snacks."

After instructing the maid, Li Min looked at Liu Shi with a hint of reproach: "Liu Shi, I told you to bring my aunt's grandson to see me a long time ago, but you've been dragging it out until now."

"Madam, Yan'er was young and didn't know much about etiquette before. The people who come and go in our mansion are all dignitaries from the city. I dare not embarrass you."

Hearing Liu's words, Li Min smiled. Although there was a hint of flattery in Liu's words, she still liked hearing them.

Unlike other relatives, Liu's behavior was sometimes so vulgar and disgraceful that it was a disgrace to her.

The two chatted about everyday things for a while, and when the servants brought out pastries, Li Min changed her tone: "Did you bring Yan'er here this time for some business?"

Li Min knew perfectly well that Liu must have something to ask of her when she brought her nephew to her door, and that it was related to her nephew.

Judging by his age, he should be getting married. Is he trying to borrow money because he doesn't have enough for the dowry?

Considering that Liu was sensible and spoke in a way that made people feel comfortable, she didn't mind lending her some money.

"Madam, my husband has been serving his corvée labor and we haven't heard from him yet. Things are getting more and more chaotic in the north of the city. I'd like Yan'er to learn some martial arts from the guards in our household so that our family won't be bullied in the future."

Liu's voice was mournful, and Li Min sighed inwardly when she thought of the Lin family's situation.

If there's no news about your corvée labor, it means you've lost your life.

The Lin family now consists of only Liu, a widow, raising two children. Life is indeed difficult for her in the southern part of the city.

Fine, considering the gifts Liu has sent in the past, I'll lend a hand.

"It is true that a family needs a man who can shoulder the burden so that it will not be bullied. However, the guards in the manor were all personally hired by the master, and they are not people that I, a woman, can command. I will ask about this matter when the master returns. You can have lunch at the manor at noon."

"Thank you, Madam. Yan'er, hurry up and thank your fourth aunt."

"Your nephew thanks you, Fourth Aunt."