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Thump, thump, thump!
"Qingzi, are you home? Open the door!"
Shen Qing set aside his thoughts.
The scroll in his vision disappeared immediately.
"Coming, coming."
He walked to the door, opened it, and a gust of cold wind rushed in. "Uncle, why are you here?"
Although Shen Qing had traveled here without parents, on his father's side, he had a younger brother and a younger sister.
It was thanks to his uncle's support that he and his sister had survived without being left destitute.
Uncle Shen the Second remained silent for a moment, then took a piece of meat from his belt. "This is a hunting crossbow I caught a few days ago. It's all smoked now. Your uncle doesn't have much more. You and your sister eat frugally."
"This..."
"Save your breath." Shen the Second tossed the meat to Shen Qing, who barely had time to brush off the snow before turning to leave.
Shen Qing wanted to show some pride, but looking at the meat in his hands, he couldn't bring himself to let go.
When poverty strikes, even ambition gets short.
Suddenly, Shen Qing seemed to think of something. He hurriedly gave the hunting crossbow to Shen Fang and rushed out into the wind and snow.
"Uncle, uncle, wait a second. I need to ask you something."
Shen the Second stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What's up, Qingzi?"
Shen Qing didn't feel the slightest bit ashamed, bowing his head humbly. "Uncle, I lost an arrow today. Can I borrow one?"
Shen the Second glanced at Shen Qing and sighed, "Come with me."
Shen Qing quickly responded, "Thank you, Uncle."
Uncle Shen the Second's house was not far from his own place; just front and back yards apart.
His house was on a slope, with Uncle Shen the Second's below it, connected by a small path, just a few steps away.
Uncle's home had two sons and an aunt, with four mouths to feed in total.
As an experienced hunter in the village, Uncle hunted in autumn and winter and gathered herbs in spring and summer. Even after the boss from the county town took a cut, he could still earn 50 to 60 wen a day, enough for five pounds of grain.
It seemed good enough for subsistence.
But in reality, it was far from enough.
Salt, iron cost money, cloth, oil, and tea cost money, and replacing hunting gear cost money too. Not to mention the various taxes and levies.
Though each expense was small, combined they were enough to overwhelm a person.
Walking behind, Shen Qing saw his uncle, who looked thirty-something, now appeared more like in his fifties or sixties, with even a slight hunchback.
After a while, the two arrived at an earthen house close by.
Compared to Shen Qing's home, his uncle's was notably larger and sturdier.
"Huzai's mother, open the door!"
Aunt Wang heard the commotion and opened the door.
As a woman from the mountains, Aunt Wang wasn't very attractive, even a bit ugly.
Her dark skin and large frame made her appear almost as strong as a man.
"Wife, get an arrow for Qingzi." As soon as the uncle entered, he said directly.
Aunt Wang didn't say much, turned to get an arrow, murmuring to Uncle Shen the Second, "We don't have many arrows left at home."
Aunt Wang took a bamboo tube from the wall, pulled out a handful of feathered arrows, thought for a moment, then added two more.
Handing them to Shen Qing, she advised, "Auntie isn't stingy with these arrows. Qingzi, you know life isn't easy for your uncle's family either, so don't lose them."
"Thank you, Auntie." Shen Qing didn't look closely, pocketing them gratefully. Standing at the door, he peered inside under the dim light.
His two cousins were in the main room sharpening hunting gear. Seeing him, they greeted with a smile.
"Brother Qingzi, want to come in and sit?"
"With such heavy snow, I should get back early. I have to go up the mountain in the morning. Let's go to town together when the snow stops."
"Alright!"
Shen Qing turned to say, "Uncle, Auntie, you all carry on. I'll head back first."
After Shen Qing left, Aunt Wang closed the door and said to Shen the Second, "I heard that the little sister is now made a concubine by the head of Linfeng Hall from the Zhao Family?"
Shen the Second replied, "That happened recently."
Aunt Wang ventured, "Can you ask the little sister to talk to the Martial Arts Hall, let Shanwa join? When Shanwa becomes a martial master, life will be much better for our family. Shanwa is her own nephew, and you're her elder brother."
Shen the Second snorted, "Do you think the Martial Arts Hall is your family business? Enter as you please? I've inquired; even entering the outer gate costs ten taels. Even asking for help from the little sister requires at least five or six taels. It's no small sum."
Aunt Wang said, "Today, the Chen family's son mentioned that some people in town are buying wives, offering five taels. Xiao Fang isn't young anymore..."
Hearing this, Shen the Second instinctively glanced Aunt Wang up and down, saying, "Do you think the Chen family has good intentions? Back then they nearly ate our brother's family out of existence. If I hadn't stopped them, they wouldn't have left a scrap of meat for the siblings. They're just fooling a naive woman like you."
Aunt Wang fell silent, then after a half moment said, with a slightly complaining tone, "With the snow not letting up, don't just worry about the siblings. Consider Shanwa and Hu Zi more."
"I know. I have it in mind."
...
Behind Shen Qing's house was a bamboo forest, pressed to the ground by the heavy snow.
On one of the bent large bamboo stalks hung a wooden stake, with a smoothed-out section in the middle.
It was riddled with pockmarks.
This was where Shen Qing practiced his archery on usual days.
Returning home and retrieving the bow, Shen Qing skillfully notched one of the borrowed arrows from Uncle's home onto the bowstring.
Shen Qing drew the bow to its full extent, maintaining a three-foot distance between the bow and his arm.
Whoosh!
Fifty paces away, the feathered arrow left the bow, embedding itself on the outside of the wooden stake, nearly missing the target.
Expressionless, Shen Qing notched another arrow onto the bow.
This bow was left by his father, made from elm wood with deer tendons for string.
Though not the best bow, it surpassed simple single-piece wood or bamboo hunting bows.
At the very least, it could take down wild boars or jackals, whereas the latter could only hunt pheasants or rabbits.
A bow like this could fetch one tael silver if sold, one of his few possessions.
Whoosh!
Another arrow released.
Missed the target.
Shen Qing continued his archery practice, once, twice, three times...
He lost track of how many times he practiced until darkness fell, when he finally stopped.
At this point, Shen Qing glanced at the simple panel in his vision, a faint smile appearing on his face.
[Skill: Bow Technique (Entry Level)]
[Progress: 100/100 points]
[Status: Can Be Enhanced]
[Note: The course of nature is vigorous; the gentleman should strive ceaselessly! Continuous practice can break through skill progress.]
"Finally enough!"
Without any hesitation, Shen Qing willed, "Breakthrough for me!"
Upon a muffled sound in his mind, the numbers on the progress bar in the simple panel jumped rapidly, reminiscent of the digital readout on the fuel dispenser from his previous life.
When the progress numbers hit zero, the panel in his vision suddenly shook.
[Current Skill: Bow Technique (Skillful)]
[Progress: 0/200]
Shen Qing seemed to feel something, staring intently at his hands.
His own hands were visibly developing calluses; his arm muscles grew stronger at an unimaginable speed.
This feeling was like... like he had truly practiced archery for a long time...
In his mind, various archery techniques surfaced.
Squinting slightly, Shen Qing drew another feathered arrow, notched it onto the string.
With arms long outstretched, the bow fully drawn.
Each movement became exceedingly skillful.
Thwack!
The bowstring vibrated.
At a hundred paces, the arrow hit the bullseye, the tail feather quivering!
Snow on the large bamboo plopped down with a rustle.
The once-bent bamboo slowly straightened its back.
Excitedly, Shen Qing slowly lowered the bow in his hand, gazing at the ink-painting-like simple panel in his vision.
He realized that this seemingly simplistic panel might just be the foundation for his survival and prospects in this world.
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