From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

As the excitement subsided and the novelty wore off, the onlookers outside the courtyard lingered, still murmuring with lingering interest:

"That's it?"

"I just arrived..."

After a few muttered complaints, the crowd dispersed like a receding tide.

Zhu Hong had already returned to the house. As soon as he turned around, he saw Aunt Liu lift up the corner of her clothes and kneel on the muddy ground.

He was startled and didn't react immediately. "Aunt Liu, what are you doing?" he hurriedly bent down to help her up.

"Get up, get up quickly!"

Aunt Liu remained rooted to the ground, her withered hands gripping Zhu Hong's trouser leg tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, "Hong boy, thank you, thank you so much!" With that, she suddenly slammed her forehead against the ground.

"I know that if it weren't for you today, Guai Zi and Ci Ge'er would probably have been beaten to death by those people," she cried, her shoulders trembling.

"We, the three of us, will remember this kindness for the rest of our lives!"

"Sigh," Zhu Hong sighed inwardly, then, with a firm grip, lifted Aunt Liu from the ground and said gently:

"Aunt Liu, don't be so formal, it's too distant."

As he finished speaking, he took out three taels of silver from his pocket and stuffed it into Aunt Liu's hand: "Keep this money, use it to hire someone to repair it, and buy some wood and nails."

"This...this is unacceptable."

Aunt Liu held the money, her hands trembling, "You've already done us a tremendous favor."

"Aunt Liu, please accept this."

Zhu Hong's tone left no room for refusal: "There won't be a problem with the money for getting medicine for Uncle Liu and Aci later." Without waiting for Aunt Liu to speak, he turned and walked outside, shouting to the few idlers still watching from a distance:

"Someone come here to help carry this person to the medicine shed. The fee is three coins!"

"Three coins?" someone asked.

"But it's really true!"

Zhu Hongdao said, "Really? Pay first."

These words immediately caused quite a stir. It wasn't just a few measly coins; it was enough for an ordinary person to live on for seven or eight days.

"I'm coming!"

The first to respond was a dark-skinned man who rushed forward: "I'm strong enough, carrying someone is nothing!"

"Why should I choose you first?"

A short, stocky man next to him, unwilling to accept defeat, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular physique, and shouted:

"I'm quicker than you. Before, when I was carrying goods at the docks, you hadn't even moved your chair yet, and I had already tidied everything up for the boss..."

Before the words were finished, someone else shouted urgently from behind:

"Pick me! Pick me!"

"I only have two coins...!"

For a moment, rough, hoarse voices rose and fell, and several men pushed and shoved each other. Zhu Hong chose one of the men, who had a kind face, and pointed to Uncle Liu on the kang (a heated brick bed): "Please, be careful." He then spoke gently to Aunt Liu:

"Aunt Liu, let me carry Aci on my back."

……

As the sun reached its zenith, the temperature dropped a few degrees.

Jinlin Street, west of the city.

Zhenyuan Martial Arts School.

Zhao Gui, his neck hunched and feet planted firmly, had been waiting by the wall for nearly an hour: "What time is it? The sun is already setting..." he muttered to himself, puffs of white breath rising from his mouth.

"Did that kid actually send a notice?"

"How come it's harder to see someone than to see the county magistrate!"

He was eager to bring his elder brother over as soon as possible so he could go back and keep that arrogant brat Zhu Hong in check. But when he arrived at the martial arts school, after being told to go in, he was simply told to wait outside.

They waited until the sun was almost at noon.

"What a load of crap, this martial arts school has such ridiculous rules." Just as his internal monologue was getting increasingly scathing.

"Zhao Gui!"

A familiar figure came into his view.

Zhao Gui quickly straightened up, his face instantly beaming with a smile, and ran up to him: "Big brother, I'm so glad to see you."

"Come in and talk."

Zhao Biao waved his hand, stepped aside to make way for the doorway, and gestured for him to come in.

"it is good."

Zhao Gui quickly shrank back and slipped inside the door.

After crossing the threshold, Zhao Biao led the way, and he followed behind, his eyes darting around.

Although it was already winter, the training ground was not desolate at all; on the contrary, it was filled with deafening noise.

"Drink, ha—!"

Dozens of people shouted and practiced together, their fists whistling through the air.

In the distance, beside the equipment rack, several burly disciples were moving heavy stone weights, each weighing a hundred pounds, making a loud, laborious sound.

……

"Tell me about it."

Passing through two arched gates, they arrived at a relatively secluded side courtyard. Zhao Biao glanced at Zhao Gui, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly:

"Why are you here?"

"How is Father's health? What happened at the shop?"

These three questions were asked in quick succession, without any warm greetings, as if the speaker was just trying to wrap things up.

"Brother, Father is doing well, in good health," Zhao Gui replied quickly, rubbing his hands together, his tone hesitant.

"The shop is alright, but, it's just..." He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Someone has run into some trouble."

Zhao Biao frowned, his voice deepening: "Who?"

"It's that Zhu Hong!"

Zhao Gui took two steps closer, his voice suddenly rising, his eyes filled with indignation: "That consumptive, he, he's simply outrageous!"

"Zhu Hong?"

Zhao Biao hesitated for a moment before remembering that it was that sickly, beast-of-flight helper. "Who is it? You mean him? What trouble could he possibly cause!" A hint of undisguised disdain curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Did he talk back to his father, or did he slack off?"

"More than that!"

Seeing his elder brother's nonchalant expression, Zhao Gui became anxious and began gesturing wildly, "Brother, that kid is different!" he exclaimed urgently.

"I don't know what kind of luck I had, but I'm cured!"

"Are you cured?" Zhao Biao asked suspiciously.

"Tuberculosis is no simple disease; who would be willing to treat him?"

"That's not the key point," Zhao Gui leaned closer and whispered, "That kid seems to have become a martial artist!"

"Warrior?"

Upon hearing those two words, Zhao Biao was taken aback at first, then chuckled as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "Are you out of your mind, spouting nonsense here with your elder brother?" As he spoke, he got up and walked to the corridor, raising his hand to point towards the martial arts arena outside:

"Do you think those young people are capable?"

"Impressive, very impressive." Zhao Gui glanced at the training ground and nodded in approval.

"Not at all."

Zhao Biao snorted coldly, withdrew his hand, put it behind his back, and frowned: "They toil away day after day, year after year, and in the end..." He paused slightly, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"There might only be one person a year who manages to become a martial arts performer."

Zhao Gui was speechless after his elder brother's words and didn't know how to refute them.

Yes, learning martial arts is never that simple.

Of all the people in Chicken and Goose Alley, who didn't want to be strong? But I've never seen a single one who actually developed real skills.

Zhu Hong?

Why should I?!

But then again, he was indeed being held in a pincer movement by someone's hand.

"We can't let this loss go unpunished."

Zhao Gui slapped his thighs and stomped his feet, saying, "Brother, who cares if he's a martial artist or not, that kid's strength is indeed remarkable."

He raised his voice and recounted the story in detail:

"Yesterday, the yamen sent over a demonic corpse, about two zhang long and nearly one zhang tall. Guess what it is?" At the crucial point, he suddenly clapped his hands:

"He actually peeled off the skin and sewed it up all by himself, completing the task perfectly."

"Are you serious?" Zhao Biao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, his tone revealing a hint of surprise.

The demon corpse's skin and flesh are tough; even strong men working together might not be able to move it, let alone skin it and sew it up by themselves.