Chapter 8

As the pastries were directly opened for Zhao Jin to eat, Zhao Zhentang sat in his chair and chatted idly with He Cuihua in the kitchen, while Zhao Jin ate and listened attentively.

Chen Sheng's grandfather, Chen Peng, had followed Qi Jiguang in his northern and southern campaigns. When Qi Jiguang was the general of the Jizhen region, Chen Peng requested a favor and returned to his hometown, Xuzhou.

At that time, Qi Jiguang was at the height of his power, and his influence was significant. He helped Chen Peng secure a position as a patrol inspector. Xuzhou was then a key hub of the Grand Canal, with countless people, money, and goods passing through daily, like a sea of gold and silver. This position as a patrol inspector was highly lucrative, and without a powerful background like Qi Jiguang, it would have been impossible to hold onto it for long.

Chen Peng held this position for four years until Qi Jiguang fell from power, and he could no longer continue in this role. Fortunately, his family was a prominent local clan, and he had built many relationships during his years as a patrol inspector. Even without this position, no one would covet his wealth, and Chen Peng became a wealthy and comfortable patriarch. He had one son and three daughters, all of whom were well-married. His son, Chen Wu, ran a charcoal factory, and in Xuzhou, both inside and outside the city, wealthy families preferred to use charcoal for cooking and heating, making Chen Wu's business quite profitable.

A wealthy family without official status was like a piece of fatty meat, and the Chen family understood this well. They arranged for Chen Wu to get a position as a bailiff in the local government early on.

The position of bailiff was certainly higher than that of an executioner, and the Chen family was already a local power, with authority and status far surpassing the Zhao family. Therefore, even though they both worked in the Xuzhou Prefecture Office, there was no particular interaction between Zhao Zhentang and the Chens. However, Zhao Zhentang also held the position of a hundred-man commander in the Xuzhou Guard, which was a sixth-rank military official. In front of Chen Wu, he was not intimidated, and over time, the two developed a bit of a friendship.

These days, with the stories he had heard, the memories of the past, and Zhao Zhentang's recent explanations, Zhao Jin finally had a complete understanding.

"Chen Wu once single-handedly disarmed seven or eight canal guards with just a scabbard. His family has a tradition of martial arts, and his eldest son has been practicing for a few years. I didn't expect our little Jin to beat him."

Zhao Zhentang sat there, speaking enthusiastically. He Cuihua brought out a plate of stir-fried vegetables from the kitchen and, hearing this, laughed and scolded, "The Chen family isn't that great. Didn't you also drive away four people in Hejia Village by yourself?"

Zhao Jin immediately looked up, surprised to learn that his seemingly ordinary and overweight father had such a feat. Zhao Zhentang chuckled, rubbing his beard and said, "Without that skill, I wouldn't have been able to marry you."

The couple smiled at each other, then realized their child was nearby. Zhao Zhentang cleared his throat and sat up straight, saying, "This is nothing. Chen Zhen is the one who is truly remarkable. Once, when we were fighting with people from a neighboring village, he single-handedly disarmed over a dozen with a pole..."

Just as he was speaking, a knock was heard at the door. Zhao Zhentang clapped his hands and stood up, saying, "Chen Zhen is here. I'll go open the door and feed the monkey."

He Cuihua also wanted to return to the kitchen, but before turning, she glanced at Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin was processing the conversation between his parents, and He Cuihua thought he was scared, so she smiled and comforted him, "Little Jin, don't be afraid. Boys will fight, just don't lose."

Zhao Jin didn't really hear her. He was thinking that his father could once take on four people, and his uncle could take on over a dozen. With such a background, learning martial arts was the right choice.

When Chen Zhen arrived, the food was laid out, and everyone took their seats. Zhao Jin's victory made the three elders very happy, and Zhao Zhentang even brought out a small jar of wine.

"Brother, I still think Little Jin should learn martial arts. It will benefit him!" Chen Zhen repeated his old argument, and the table fell silent.

Zhao Jin saw his father's smile immediately disappear, and he drained his wine cup in one go. He Cuihua's smile also stiffened, and she changed the subject, saying, "Chen Zhen, the pancake will get cold if you don't eat it. Have some."

Chen Zhen put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Brother, Sister-in-law, within a radius of three hundred miles around Xuzhou, people are practicing martial arts everywhere—salt traders, river traders, government officials, and estate owners. No matter what Little Jin does in the future, having martial skills will never be a disadvantage. At the very least, it can protect him."

Zhao Jin listened intently to his uncle, afraid of missing a single word. These were things the elders had never discussed with him before.

Zhao Zhentang slammed his wine cup on the table and said in a low voice, "Learning martial arts, what's the point? To build a strong body? Look at your injuries. You practice with weapons every day, and one mistake could cost you your life. There are many who practice martial arts, but those who make a living from it are all miserable. Do you want Little Jin to go down the wrong path?"

Hearing the brothers' tone become more confrontational, He Cuihua looked back and forth and quickly intervened, "What's the point of you two arguing? It's up to Little Jin whether he wants to learn or not."

In He Cuihua's view, their son was gentle and would blush when speaking loudly. He wouldn't even dare to look at the executioner's axe. Such a child would never dare to learn martial arts. Asking him would just shut up her brother-in-law.

"Little Jin, do you want to learn martial arts?" He Cuihua asked softly. Zhao Zhentang and Chen Zhen stopped arguing and turned to look at Zhao Jin. Chen Zhen's eyes held a hint of a smile, as he had intended to ask but was beaten to it by his sister-in-law.

Zhao Jin looked around, deliberately hesitated for a moment to make his parents think he had considered it, and then said loudly, "Father, Mother, I want to learn martial arts. I want to learn from Uncle."

He Cuihua was completely taken aback by Zhao Jin's response, her eyes wide with surprise. She quickly said, "Little Jin, don't talk nonsense. Learning martial arts is very hard. Think about it again."

"Mother, I've thought it through. I want to learn martial arts from Uncle," Zhao Jin replied firmly. Chen Zhen coughed and said, "Brother, Sister-in-law, Little Jin has made his decision. What do you think?"

"Learn what? Learning martial arts has no good outcome. If Little Jin can't study, he can inherit my executioner's job. He can eat white flour and mutton every day, which is no worse than being a landlord," Zhao Zhentang said roughly, refusing to budge.

Zhao Jin couldn't interject in this situation. He had his own reasons, but if he said them, it would be out of character and might cause unnecessary consequences. Zhao Jin found it strange that his uncle Chen Zhen's arguments were so convincing, yet his parents, Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua, were so insistent.

Chen Zhen leaned forward, his face earnest, and said, "Brother, our family's roots are in the Xuzhou Guard. Being in the military, one must have martial skills, which will be useful sooner or later. Without good martial skills, just thinking about being an executioner won't get you far and has no future..."

Before he could finish, Zhao Zhentang slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine cup to fall and shatter, startling Zhao Jin. Zhao Zhentang pointed at Chen Zhen and shouted, "Our roots are in the Xuzhou Guard. Have you seen people selling their children? Have you seen women forced to prostitute themselves? Have you seen people becoming bandits?"

He Cuihua quickly intervened, "Master, Master, don't shout at your brother. The neighbors..."

"This isn't your business. Brother, I know you look down on my job as an executioner, but you came back to Xuzhou to die. It was the money from this job that paid for your medicine and kept you alive. How many times did we eat well when we were young? Now we have meat every day because I execute people. What good are martial skills? I learned them as a child, and now I only use them to execute. You learned well, but what did you gain? You spent almost ten years in the military, came back with a body full of injuries, and you want Little Jin to follow your path? Don't even think about it!"

Zhao Jin was stunned, rarely seeing his father so enraged. The content of his words was even more thought-provoking, hinting at many events from the past.

Just as he was thinking, Uncle Chen Zhen slowly stood up. Zhao Jin felt a wave of disappointment, thinking that the conversation had failed and his uncle was leaving.

Unexpectedly, Chen Zhen didn't leave. Instead, he stared at Zhao Zhentang and said, "Brother, our parents died early, and you raised me. After I came back, you and Sister-in-law took care of me. I remember this. Brother, I have a question. If you didn't have the position of a hundred-man commander, could you have held onto your job as an executioner for long?"

Zhao Jin was taken aback. This question seemed unrelated to his learning martial arts, but he understood the logic. The job of an executioner was lucrative but inauspicious, and many wanted it. Even if you had the courage to do it, you needed the ability to keep it. As a hundred-man commander in the Xuzhou Guard, Zhao Zhentang, despite the low status of military officials, had a rank and background, making it difficult for others to challenge him.

Zhao Zhentang nodded, and Chen Zhen continued, "Brother, how did you become a hundred-man commander? Do I need to say more?"

Zhao Zhentang, who was about to continue shouting, immediately lost his temper. His face changed for a moment, and he finally sighed deeply. Chen Zhen continued, "Brother, Sister-in-law, I live day by day. I'm not doing this for myself. I want Little Jin to learn martial arts. Is it for me?"

He Cuihua was speechless, and Zhao Zhentang grabbed an empty bowl, poured it full of wine, and drank it in one go, looking down at the table. "Learn, let Little Jin learn from you."

Hearing this, Zhao Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Zhen nodded, a look of relief on his face. Just as he was about to speak, he choked and covered his mouth, coughing violently.

Chen Zhen couldn't stop coughing, bending over in pain. Zhao Zhentang looked at him with concern, and He Cuihua hesitated but then brought a bowl of soup and placed it on the table, "Chen Zhen, drink some soup to calm down."

The coughing finally stopped. Chen Zhen wiped his mouth and said hoarsely, "Brother, Sister-in-law, I'll go back now. Prepare Little Jin's martial arts equipment for tomorrow morning and send him to me."

He got up from his seat, reached out to touch Zhao Jin's forehead, but then pulled back. Zhao Jin was stunned, not even noticing Chen Zhen's forced smile. He saw that his uncle's palm was covered in blood.

The room was quiet. As Chen Zhen reached the door, Zhao Zhentang asked in a low voice, "Are you still taking the medicine? I'll get more for you if you need it."

"I'm still taking it, but it only suppresses the symptoms. It won't cure the root cause. Don't waste money, Brother," Chen Zhen replied, turned, and left.

"Little Jin, go see your uncle off," He Cuihua finally reacted. Zhao Zhentang sighed again, poured more wine, and drank it in one go.

Zhao Jin followed Chen Zhen through the courtyard. The monkey had already gone to sleep in its nest, and the courtyard was very quiet. Although their goal had been achieved, the atmosphere was strangely somber. They were silent all the way to the door.

"Little Jin, are you learning martial arts just to win fights?" Chen Zhen asked another question at the door.

Zhao Jin thought for a moment and answered carefully, "Right now, I'm learning to win fights."

Hearing this ambiguous answer, Chen Zhen smiled, didn't continue, and turned back to the house.

When Zhao Jin returned to the room, Zhao Zhentang was already red-faced from drinking. Seeing Zhao Jin, he slurred, "A coward like you can learn martial arts? You get scared just watching an execution. You'll come back crying one day."

He Cuihua didn't want to continue this topic and urged Zhao Jin to go to bed. Zhao Jin agreed and walked to his room, hearing a sigh behind him, "I've let Chen Zhen down!" Then the door closed, and the outside sounds became indistinct.

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