"Brother, are you okay...?"
Pushing the door open, his little sister Xu Qing ran over with a worried expression, clearly having heard the commotion outside.
Xu Yang shook his head. "I'm fine. But from now on, try not to go out. If you absolutely have to, make sure to cover your face."
At fourteen, her face was growing more and more beautiful, her eyes as bright as a clear spring.
Xu Qing nodded. "I'll be careful from now on. By the way, how much was your pay this month?"
"I was paid six hundred and twenty wen. Li Hu took twenty, so now there's only six hundred left..."
As he spoke, Xu Yang pulled out the money pouch and handed it to Xu Qing.
Cave-ins happened from time to time in the mines. He could be buried inside at any moment, so he always had Xu Qing keep his money for him.
Xu Qing took the pouch joyfully. "Wow... another six hundred wen! Brother, you're amazing! With this, we'll have two and a half taels of silver. Another year of hard work, and you'll have enough to train at a Martial Arts Hall."
To become a disciple at a Martial Arts Hall, the general tuition fee was between two to five taels of silver a month, depending on the Hall's strength.
Xu Yang's target was the worst Martial Arts Hall.
However, to enroll, one had to pay at least three months of tuition upfront, which meant six taels.
On top of that, he would have to quit his job entirely to focus on training and eat well—at a minimum, meat with every meal. That meant he would need to prepare another tael of silver coins for food each month. In other words, if he wanted to train, he needed to save at least nine taels of silver.
"I can't wait a year. He the Third told me today that the Martial Arts Halls won't accept me if I'm over eighteen."
Xu Yang shook his head to himself. He had only learned of this today.
Xu Qing's face changed. "What are we going to do... Is Heaven really not going to leave us any way to survive?"
Just as Xu Yang was getting better and better at earning money from mining, on the cusp of saving enough to train and make a name for himself, they found out the Martial Arts Halls had an age limit of eighteen.
She suddenly took a deep breath, as if having made some kind of decision, and bit her lip. "Brother, why don't you just sell me? That way you'll have money to train. Once you become a Martial Artist, you can buy me back."
"Don't you ever have that thought again. Even if I never get to train in my entire life, I would never do that. If you dare to do it behind my back, I'll never forgive you."
Xu Yang never imagined she would even consider such a thing and immediately warned her in a harsh tone.
He knew Xu Qing was daring. If he wasn't severe with her, the little girl might actually go and sell herself in secret.
Seeing Xu Yang's serious and stern expression, the little girl immediately lowered her head, not daring to mention selling herself again.
"By the way, Dad asked us to come over for dinner tonight."
She said suddenly, as if she had just remembered something.
"He's asking us over for dinner? The sun must have risen from the west."
At the mention of his nominal father, Xu Yang's expression grew even colder.
About six years ago, their mother passed away. Not long after, their father, Xu the Second, got involved with a widow surnamed Zhang in the neighborhood. Back then, he and Xu Qing were still young, so Xu the Second would still give them some food and come back occasionally.
Ever since he turned fifteen and was able to earn some money, Xu the Second had moved directly into that widow's house, no longer caring for the two siblings.
A fifteen-year-old boy like Xu Yang had to fend for himself while also raising his younger sister, all in such chaotic times. One can only imagine the hardships.
"Today is Dad's birthday. Brother, when we go over, you should say some nice things. Then I'll bring up that you don't have enough money for training. Dad should give us some support. After all, you're his real son."
Xu Qing gave a sly smile and added, "Even if he doesn't give us anything, it's no loss for us to go over and have a meal. It's a birthday celebration, so there will be meat, at the very least."
Xu Yang didn't say anything. He was somewhat swayed.
To save money for training, he hadn't eaten meat in months. Getting a good meal for free was indeed no loss.
'He's my own father, after all. Could he really be so heartless as to not care about his son's future?'
After putting the money away, the two quickly left and headed for Widow Zhang's house.
The widow's name was Zhang Cuiting. There was something of a story to her. Her late husband had been a Martial Artist who had somehow died out there, making Zhang Cui a well-known wealthy widow. After Xu the Second got involved with her, he abandoned his own children to move in with Zhang Cuiting.
Of course, the main reason was that Zhang Cuiting despised them as two burdens and forbade Xu the Second from looking after them.
Zhang Cuiting's house wasn't far from Xu Yang's, only about a ten-minute walk. Her courtyard was impressive, much better than Xu Yang's stone house, with red bricks and blue tiles.
Before the two had even stepped into Zhang Cuiting's home, they could already smell the aroma of meat. Many hungry children from the neighborhood were hiding outside the courtyard, sniffing the air with all their might.
Stepping into the house, they saw three people sitting inside. One was Xu Yang's father, Xu the Second, fair-skinned with a well-defined jawline, quite handsome.
It was because of these looks that Zhang Cuiting had taken a fancy to him in the first place. Sometimes, Xu Yang had to admit he admired his father. Though he was living off a woman, at least he hadn't had to settle for an ugly one.
For Zhang Cuiting to have married a Martial Artist, her looks were naturally not bad. Coupled with the inheritance from her late Martial Artist husband that freed her from labor, she looked to be only in her thirties, with a full and voluptuous figure.
The last person was a young man, Zhang Cuiting's son with her late Martial Artist husband, named Yang Jun. When he saw Xu Yang and Xu Qing appear, a barely perceptible trace of disdain flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it, offering a faint smile instead.
Xu Yang saw all of this and wondered to himself.
'Yang Jun never used to hide his contempt. I don't know what's gotten into him today, putting on such a friendly act.'
'And Zhang Cuiting's reaction today is different, too.'
"Dad, Aunt Zhang!"
The siblings clasped their hands in a fist-and-palm salute and looked at the three people sitting around the table.
They had been invited for dinner, but the hosts had already started eating without even waiting for them to arrive.
"Ah Yang, Xiaqing, you're here! Your aunt thought you weren't coming, so we didn't wait. Quick, get yourselves some bowls and serve yourselves some rice." Zhang Cuiting stood up.
Her tone was friendly, but the disdain in her bones was the same as ever.
"Okay, Aunt Zhang!"
Xu Qing nodded obediently and gave Xu Yang a subtle nudge. Then, without any hesitation, she grabbed bowls and filled a large one to the brim with rice for both herself and Xu Yang, making Zhang Cuiting inwardly wince.
She wanted to stop them several times, but when she thought of the reason she had invited the siblings here today, she forced herself to hold back.
"Sit down and eat first!"
Xu the Second also spoke, pulling over a long bench for the siblings.
After the meal, Xu Qing helped Zhang Cuiting clear the table. Xu the Second "inquired" about Xu Yang's recent situation, and finally said, "I called you over today because there's something I need to talk to you about..."
At this point, he seemed to find it difficult to speak and paused.
No matter how shameless or black-hearted he was, the person in front of him was, after all, his own son.
But after only a moment's hesitation, he continued, "Ah Jun has already started his martial arts training. The master at the Martial Arts Hall says he has a good Root Bone and can become a Martial Artist in the future, but he needs to keep up with medicinal supplements.
"From now on, you'll give half of your earnings from the mine to support Ah Jun's training. When he becomes a Martial Artist in the future, you, his big brother, will also benefit."
Even though Xu Yang had been mentally prepared, knowing that there was more to this dinner than met the eye, he had never expected this.
"Dad, how could you say something like that? The little money Brother makes at the mine isn't even enough to support the two of us! If we give half to Yang Jun, are you trying to starve us to death?"
Hearing this, Xu Qing ran over and shrieked, her little face flushed with anger.
She had thought her own father had a change of heart, inviting them for dinner on his birthday. She never imagined he was after her brother's hard-earned money.
At that moment, even the shameless Xu the Second felt a flicker of shame and didn't retort.
"Xiaqing, how can you speak to your father like that? Your brother Jun has the chance to become a Martial Artist. Others would kill for the opportunity to curry favor with him. Asking you for a little money is for your own good, so you can benefit in the future.
"Don't think we don't know. The wages at the mine are around four hundred wen. Two hundred wen a month is enough for you and Ah Yang to live on. If you do some extra work for others, giving half to your brother Jun will be no problem at all."
Zhang Cuiting also ran out, acting as if she were doing them a huge favor.
Yang Jun lifted his head arrogantly. "It's just a mere two hundred wen. When I become a Martial Artist, I'll reconnect with the network my father left behind. By then, whatever leaks through my fingers will be enough for you to live on for the rest of your lives."
Xu the Second spoke earnestly, "That's right. If our family can produce a Martial Artist, everyone will benefit. As the big brother, how can he not contribute?"
He had originally felt ashamed, but the moment he thought of the benefits Yang Jun becoming a Martial Artist would bring, that sliver of shame vanished without a trace.
Xu Yang looked over and saw only loving affection in his father's eyes. He knew that affection was not for him and his sister, but for Yang Jun.