With the Liu Family's intervention, Fang the Seventh and his wife came to their door to beg for forgiveness.
The village rumors, which had only just begun to sprout, vanished without a trace.
Furthermore, the truth of the matter—the story of the Zhou Family's "exorbitant" betrothal gift—spread throughout Da Liushu Village.
Of course, this wasn't spread by Fang Yue's Family. The news came from Zhou Family Village.
After such a commotion, Zhou Xiaohua became infamous in the surrounding villages. It would be difficult for her to find a husband in the future.
However, none of this had anything to do with Fang Yue's Family anymore.
Before winter set in, Fang Hu had also sent Zhang Shu back to Xiahe City.
Fang Yue no longer had to deliver food to Widow Yu's house, and life returned to normal.
Moreover, because Fang Yue's progress with the White Tiger Fist had exceeded Fang Hu's expectations, his master had him begin Skin Grinding early.
However, Skin Grinding was a gradual process. It relied on daily practice of the fist technique to exert force on the surface of the skin.
Then, by absorbing the Secret Medicine applied to the skin, it would become tough. Upon reaching Great Success in Skin Grinding, the skin would be like iron, impervious to ordinary blades.
The days passed one by one, and in the blink of an eye, a new year had begun.
It was New Year's Day.
Early in the morning, after washing up, Fang Yue changed into new clothes. Carrying a festival gift and a newly made fishing rod, he arrived at Fang Hu's home.
Upon entering the courtyard, he saw Fang Ergou maintaining his bows, arrows, and other weapons.
Fang Ergou used to be half a head taller than him, but after more than six months of training, Fang Yue had caught up and surpassed him, now matching Fang Ergou in height.
Moreover, his current strength had reached 1,500 jin, almost double that of Fang Ergou, who only had 800 jin of strength.
This was the gap in Talent between the two of them. Fang Yue's Talent could still increase daily, while Fang Ergou had already reached his limit.
Even if Fang Ergou were to join the White Tiger Boxing Hall, his family's current financial resources would be nowhere near enough to support him.
After all, the poorer one's Talent, the more Body Refining Secret Medicine was required.
The resources needed to support one Fang Ergou were enough to support three Fang Yues.
This often made Fang Hu sigh with emotion, thinking that he had not chosen the wrong disciple.
"Zhi." Seeing Fang Yue, Fang Ergou took a couple of steps forward, scratched his head, and spoke with a smile.
"Ergou, Happy New Year. This is for you."
Fang Yue smiled faintly and handed the fishing rod to Fang Ergou.
Now that his family was better off, he had specially commissioned a blacksmith in the village to forge a fishhook. He then selected a suitable bamboo pole and crafted it into a fishing rod.
This fishing rod was much better than the one he used before.
As it happened, Fang Ergou was very fond of fishing. With winter giving way to spring, the water level of the Xiahe River was rising again, making it a perfect New Year's gift for him.
"Thanks, Zhi."
Fang Ergou took the fishing rod, thanking Fang Yue profusely. He then examined it meticulously, looking as if he couldn't bear to part with it.
Immediately after, Fang Yue pushed open the door, entered the room, saw Fang Hu, and then knelt and kowtowed as a sign of respect.
"Yu'er, you're here. Why bring gifts? I have everything I need here; I'm not lacking anything."
Fang Hu quickly helped Fang Yue up and commented on the gift in his hand.
"This is one festival gift I'm sure you don't have, Master," Fang Yue replied with a smile.
"Oh? Then I'll have to see what it is."
Fang Hu was a little surprised. He knew that Fang Yue's family situation was similar to that of most farming households in Da Liushu Village.
He knew exactly what they had.
Fang Yue's confident claim that he had never seen this gift piqued his curiosity.
"This is roasted tea I prepared. Please have a taste, Master."
Fang Yue didn't keep him in suspense. He unwrapped the bundle, revealing several bamboo tubes.
He then opened the lids of the bamboo tubes and poured out some needle-shaped leaves.
It was tea he had made by roasting the leaves.
As the new year approached, he had realized he didn't have any valuable items to give Fang Hu as a gift.
Remembering that Fang Hu loved tea, he had noticed that roasted tea didn't seem to exist in this world. So, he gathered some fresh tea leaves and tried roasting them himself.
From the memories of his past life, he knew this world didn't have roasted tea—or at least, he had never seen it in Fang Hu's home.
Fang Hu always drank raw tea, which had a significant grassy taste and astringency, making its flavor far inferior to roasted tea.
So, he had tried making some and, to his surprise, it turned out quite well. The roasted tea had a sweet aftertaste and a rich, fragrant aroma; its quality was excellent.
"Roasted tea? You can roast tea leaves?"
Fang Hu was skeptical, so he brewed a cup on the spot.
When the boiling water steeped the roasted leaves, he immediately saw the needle-like leaves stand on end, vertically suspended in the water, vibrant and green.
And a rich, deep tea fragrance filled the air.
"Hmm?"
Fang Hu drank tea daily and considered himself something of a connoisseur, but this roasted tea truly surprised him.
He hadn't even tasted it yet, but based on its appearance and aroma after brewing, he knew it was exceptional.
"You're very thoughtful, Yu'er," Fang Hu praised. Just as Fang Yue had said, he didn't have this kind of tea at home. In fact, he had never seen or even heard of it.
He immediately asked for more details.
Fang Yue explained the tea-roasting process in detail. He knew that although drinking tea was popular in this world, just as it was in his previous life, and roasting tea could certainly be a way to make a living, it wasn't a path to great wealth.
It wasn't a highly technical process; others could figure it out with a single look.
Besides, Fang Hu treated him exceptionally well, so there was no reason to keep secrets from him.
"I see. A truly ingenious idea. Excellent, excellent," Fang Hu praised with a slight smile.
Then he continued, "Yu'er, you are exceptionally talented, but the path of the Martial Dao requires perseverance above all else. You must focus your mind on your training. Strive to achieve Great Success in Skin Grinding within three years. Once you enter the Bone Forging stage, you can attempt the Martial Examination."
"Rest assured, Master. I understand," Fang Yue replied respectfully.
He stayed at Fang Hu's home for a while longer. His master checked his training progress and was relieved to find that he had not slacked off.
"Your Martial Arts progress is good. After the New Year celebrations, you can start coming into the mountains with me," Fang Hu said.
In truth, Fang Yue's strength had met the requirement long ago. Fang Hu had simply not wanted to disrupt his training progress, letting him focus on mastering the White Tiger Fist for the past few months.
But now, Fang Yue's White Tiger Fist was polished. There was nothing more his master needed to teach him about it.
Skin Grinding was a gradual process that took years of patient effort, so he decided to take Fang Yue into the mountains to hunt.
This way, Fang Yue could hone his skills, gain combat experience, and practice his archery. Then, he wouldn't suffer from stage fright when he eventually took the Martial Examination.
After all, during the Martial Examination, there were always many disciples from prominent families who had been pampered since childhood. Their foundational skills were decent, and they could easily pass the weightlifting and archery portions.
But when it came to actual combat, they would panic and perform poorly.