Chapter 4

Jia Heng was not annoyed; he smiled faintly and said, "The glory of our predecessors is long gone. Though I am not talented, I am willing to follow in their footsteps. I've heard that Brother Xie is quite skilled in archery. If you are willing, could you give me some guidance in archery? If I make any progress, I will be deeply grateful for your teachings."

Xie Baihu thought for a moment and then chuckled, "Take this knife. Do you see that wooden post over there? If you can split it, I will teach you everything I know about archery. If you can't, don't blame me for being unsociable."

Saying this, he handed the knife over.

Cai Quan whispered, "Young Dong, didn't you say it would be easy... why is he testing you now?"

Dong Qian frowned, "I don't know either, let's just see."

Jia Heng lightly weighed the goose feather knife in his hand. The knife was about twenty pounds, and if it weren't for the strength he had built up, he would have struggled to lift it.

He swung it a few times, forming a flower pattern with the blade.

Just one swing, and Xie Baihu squinted, secretly marveling. The descendants of the two dukes of Ning and Rong were no longer of much use, but he didn't expect to find such a person here.

Jia Heng took a few steps, raised the knife, and slashed. The blade glowed like a rainbow as it cleaved through the wooden post.

"Crack!"

The thick wooden post, as wide as a large bowl, was cleanly split in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

"Truly a fine blade!" Jia Heng exclaimed, feeling his arm ache. This was because he often used a sword and rarely a knife, and the two had different ways of generating power.

Xie Baihu stood up and laughed, "Impressive skills, I underestimated you, Brother Jia."

Dong Qian smiled, "Brother Xie, don't underestimate my friend Jia. I saw him practicing swordsmanship at home earlier, and his sword light was like a rainbow, impenetrable."

Xie Baihu's face also showed a smile, "This wooden post is made of oak, which is harder to split than ordinary wood. To cut it in one strike is no small feat; you have real skill."

It wasn't just strength, but also technique. An expert can tell with just one move.

Cai Quan also laughed, warming the atmosphere, "Come, it's already noon, let's go eat."

Jia Heng nodded and followed Xie Baihu into the house.

Xie Baihu lived in a three-room tiled house. Inside, there was a woman in her thirties, wearing a simple dress, with a tired look from years of hard work, and a few children by her side.

A chubby little boy was looking at the strangers with bright eyes, his gaze fixed on the gift boxes in Cai Quan and Jia Heng's hands. Behind him, two girls with braids were timidly observing the strangers.

"Go warm the wine," Xie Baihu said as he entered the room and sat on the kang (a traditional heated bed).

The woman responded and took the wine and meat from Cai Quan and Jia Heng.

Soon, everyone was drinking and chatting.

Xie Baihu sighed, "Why do the Jurchens raid the north every year? It's because their archery skills have declined. In the time of the founding emperor, the imperial guards could still pursue and defeat the enemy. How many years has it been, and how many in the army still know archery?"

Because of the Chen Han dynasty, they naturally faced the same problems as the Ming dynasty: external threats from the steppes, internal land consolidation by the landlord class, and a large group of scholar-officials represented by the gentry.

Jia Heng pondered, "What is the current situation on the nine borders?"

"What else? The Eastern Tartars are too powerful to control, the general of Jizhen is hiding and not coming out, and Beiping is frequently raided, causing great suffering to the border people," Xie Baihu said angrily.

Jia Heng's face showed a thoughtful expression. In the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber," it was undoubtedly a chaotic era of dynastic change, as described in the "Song of Enlightenment": "Even with good training, they may become bandits in the future," referring to people like Liu Xianglian.

Without a chaotic era, it was hard to imagine why people like Liu Xianglian would become bandits.

In the first chapter of "Dream of the Red Chamber," it is recorded that Zhen Shiyin's house was burned to the ground, and he moved to a farm. The book states, "This year, the crops failed due to drought and flood, and bandits rose up, and the army was sent to suppress them..."

In Chapter 53, Wu Jinxiao reported, "This year's harvest was very poor. It rained from March to August without a break, and in September, there was a hailstorm as big as bowls..."

Thinking of this, Jia Heng felt a chill.

Could this be the Little Ice Age of the late Ming dynasty?

If so, merely passing the imperial exams would not be enough to secure a place in this world. He would need military power to thrive.

On this side, the conversation continued, and on the other side, the heated wine and dishes were placed on the table. They talked and drank, discussing military affairs and trivial matters in the capital.

The drinking session ended in joy, and it was already the afternoon. Jia Heng and Xie Zaiyi agreed on a time to learn archery, and he supported the flushed Dong and Cai as they returned home.

When he returned, he was spared the scolding from Cai's wife. Jia Heng went to sleep in the inner room and didn't wake up until dusk.

He prepared some hot water to wash away the smell of alcohol and changed into clean clothes.

Just as he was about to go to the study to read, he saw Cai's wife standing at the threshold, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Jia Heng smiled, "Aunt Cai, do you have something to tell me?"

Cai's family, though poor, had about twenty acres of land, which her husband and her son's family of three cultivated.

Cai's wife said, "Auntie has a few words to entrust to you, Brother Heng."

Saying this, she walked into the room.

Jia Heng smiled, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of tea for her, saying, "Aunt Cai, please have some tea."

Cai's wife sat at the table and smiled, "You are growing up to be more like an adult."

Jia Heng smiled, "Poor children grow up fast. Aunt Cai has seen me grow up."

Cai's wife held the tea and smiled, "If your mother were still here, she would be so pleased."

Jia Heng sighed, "Mother worked hard all her life and never enjoyed a day of happiness with us. Sigh..."

Cai's wife was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Your mother hoped you would study and advance. Before she passed away, she actually arranged a marriage for you."

Jia Heng was surprised, "A marriage?"

Cai's wife said, "This is the marriage contract, which was arranged long ago."

Saying this, she took a wooden box from her sleeve. The box was made of pear wood and intricately carved with phoenix patterns.

Jia Heng's face changed, and he took the box, opened it, and read the contents, his expression becoming serious.

"Qin Ye's daughter? Qin Keqing?" Jia Heng's face showed a strange expression.

Didn't Qin Keqing marry Jia Rong?

Of course, Jia Rong was only sixteen and probably not married yet.

"But with my current poor status, Qin Ye might break the engagement. Should I make a three-year promise?" Jia Heng looked at the marriage contract, deep in thought.

Of course, even if Qin Ye agreed, he couldn't keep a beauty like Qin Keqing without some skills.

Beauty can bring disaster, which is not just a saying.

But to ignore it, if Qin Keqing were to marry Jia Rong and be defiled by Jia Zhen, it would be...

"I've already asked your uncle to buy some gifts. Tomorrow, go to the Qin family and discuss the wedding date," Cai's wife said.

Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Aunt Cai, we know our own situation. The Qin family will likely break the engagement. Isn't it embarrassing for us to go there?"

Cai's wife smiled, "Brother Heng, you don't know. This was a promise made by Qin Ye, and he won't break it. Just go tomorrow, and we'll see what happens."

Jia Heng didn't know why Cai's wife was so confident, but seeing her hopeful expression, he reluctantly agreed.