The Yu family was poor, and I entered the Martial Arts Hall to begin learning martial arts.
While the other students devoured meat, I alone did not eat.
Zhang Tao laughed at me and said: "Stingy."
I smiled and forgot about it.
For nearly five months, afraid of lacking strength and being eliminated.
I gritted my teeth and bought some; the delicious taste and inner bitterness are indescribable to others.
...
...
Eating my first proper bite of beef in the Martial Hall, Lin Chen couldn't quite describe the taste; at that moment, his emotions overshadowed his taste buds.
Even though he had lived two lifetimes and saw through vanity and dignity, how could he completely let go?
In the future, he would surely write an essay about his learning experiences, and hundreds of years later, Chinese teachers would ask in reading comprehension: Why did the author, who claimed to have forgotten being mocked by classmates, mention Zhang Tao's name?
What does the appearance of Zhang Tao's name reflect about the author's mood?
...
...
The first day of eating beef, early morning.
As soon as Lin Chen woke up, he checked his status panel.
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Qi Blood: 812/3000]
[Life Chart: [Natural Progress]: Martial Arts First Realm, Perseverance, Steady Progression, Unstoppable, No Bottleneck Problem.]
10 points!
Seeing his Qi Blood increased by 10 points in one day, Lin Chen's heart skipped half a beat.
This gain in Qi Blood was much higher than he had estimated.
"Is it because it's the first day of eating, so absorption is better, and it will weaken later?"
Lin Chen took out the notebook with Arabic numbers and recorded today's value; if that was the case, he would know in a few days.
The notebook was filled with dense Arabic numbers, all data he recorded on the strength gains of Gu Fei and the other students from eating meat.
The world's text resembles traditional Chinese from his previous life, but Arabic numbers don't exist, so this notebook, called a "Celestial Book" by Gu Fei, could only be understood by him.
In the following days, Lin Chen bought one pound of beef every day, and the initial sensation was gone.
Buying a pound of beef was nothing for the Martial Hall students; it was the stark contrast with Lin Chen's prior stinginess that caused such a stir.
Now that the contrast was gone, no one paid attention anymore.
For five consecutive days, his Qi Blood increased by 10 points each day, confirming to Lin Chen that it wasn't just because he had just started eating beef.
Therefore, his strategy was correct; the longer he waited, the less it cost.
...
...
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
At month's end.
Martial Arts Arena.
Three instructors stood together, with a 200-pound stone block in front of them.
The Martial Hall's semi-annual assessment was mandated by the Military Affairs Department.
Cruel?
In Yu Yongnian's view, it was protection for the common people by the Military Affairs Department.
In the early stages of learning martial arts, it's a battle of financial power. If you can't reach a strength of 200 pounds in half a year, there's really no need to continue with such a family background.
"Students, come up when your name is called."
Instructor Liu spoke up and began calling out names, and those called stepped forward to lift the stone block.
In fact, most of the students in the Martial Hall had passed this hurdle last month; out of all three classes, only about ten students hadn't reached this mark last month, and they were the focal point now.
"Cheng Ying!"
Instructor Liu called the name, and a tall boy stepped forward, looking at the stone block with disdain and easily lifted it to his abdomen with one hand.
"Not bad."
Instructor Liu smiled, Cheng Ying was his student; though he couldn't compare to Lu Yongfeng, he followed closely and could potentially reach Essence Qi within a year.
"To easily lift a 200-pound stone block with one hand, he must have over 400 pounds of strength with both hands."
Gu Fei looked on with envy: "No match, no match at all, no wonder he's the young master of Cheng's Cloth Shop."
Cheng's Cloth Shop was the town's only seller of ready-made clothes and fabrics; Lin Chen's clothes were made from hemp his mother bought from Cheng's Cloth Shop and tailored at home.
"Birth is a science indeed."
Lin Chen sighed, and with Cheng Ying lifting the stone with one hand, the remaining students also began to showcase their strength.
Although the stone block remained 200 pounds, some lifted it to chest height, and others even hoisted it overhead. But it was Lu Yongfeng's single-handed overhead lift that caused the biggest stir.
The atmosphere on site instantly exploded.
"Next, Qiu Yuan."
Instructor Liu announced the next student's name, and Lin Chen watched attentively.
Qiu Yuan had a strength of one hundred and eighty jin last month, and by the third month, he started eating beef, buying it every few days, but for some reason, he stopped buying it in the last month.
"Instructor, I give up."
Qiu Yuan walked out of the crowd but didn't go to lift the stone block; in an instant, everyone's eyes fell on him.
"I... my sister got sick last month, and all the family's money went to her treatment. There's no money left at home."
Qiu Yuan's face turned red. To say "no money" in front of so many peers required enormous courage.
The expressions of Instructor Yu Yongnian and the other two instructors were unchanged. This situation was too common in the Martial Hall, with several students giving up each year for family reasons.
And the further along, the more people give up.
"Later, go to the cafeteria. If there's any uneaten food, ask them to refund it to you."
"Thank you, Instructor."
Qiu Yuan didn't stay in the Martial Arts Arena but turned and walked towards the dormitory. At the moment of turning away, he wiped the corner of his eye with his right hand.
Another boy's martial arts dream shattered.
"Next, Lin Ze."
Seeing Lin Ze go up, Lin Chen knew it wouldn't be long before it was his turn.
From the way his peers went up one by one, he realized the instructor had put those at the bottom of the list at the end.
Lin Ze, during last month's end-test, lifted a one hundred and eighty jin stone block.
Although he failed once, on his second attempt, Lin Ze managed to lift the stone block.
Putting the stone block down, Lin Ze looked nervously at Instructor Liu.
"Passed, next, Lin Chen."
Hearing the word "passed," Lin Ze breathed a sigh of relief and joyfully returned to his spot.
"Chen, don't be nervous; you've got this!" Gu Fei encouraged softly, showing no worry in his eyes.
There were plenty of stone blocks in the Martial Arts Arena for students to test themselves privately; Gu Fei knew that Lin Chen could lift a two hundred jin stone block yesterday.
Lin Chen nodded, looking at his panel one last time.
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Qi Blood: 1102/3000]
[Life Chart: [Natural Progress]: Martial Arts First Realm, Perseverance, Step-by-step Progression, Unstoppable, No Bottleneck Problem.]
Ten days ago, his Qi Blood reached one thousand, allowing him to lift a two hundred jin stone block. Now, his strength had reached two hundred and twenty jin.
As Lin Chen stepped onto the stage, the crowd started murmuring again.
"He's here, the stingiest guy in the history of the Martial Hall. Who knows if he can pass?"
"That was last month; this month, he's been eating beef every day. Not the stingiest anymore."
"So what? Starting to spend money in the last month is too late. I think Lin Chen won't pass."
"I think he might. Lin Chen is so stingy that he wouldn't spend the money unless he was confident."
Instructor Liu naturally noticed the other students pointing and talking. He looked at Lin Chen and said, "Begin."
A strength of two hundred jin was the minimum requirement and generally didn't draw the students' attention, but this student was an exception.
Given permission, Lin Chen grabbed the handles of the stone block with both hands. Slowly, the block began to lift off the ground, and at that moment, all eyes were focused on Lin Chen's hands.
"Unbelievable, Lin Chen lifting a two hundred jin stone block draws more attention than us lifting a four hundred jin one."
Cheng Ying felt the atmosphere at the scene and was speechless.
Two hundred jin stone block, what's there to focus on?
"I actually think it's normal. Compared to us lifting a four hundred jin block, which is expected, Lin Chen lifting a two hundred jin block is a reversal. Naturally, he's getting attention." Zhao Jingchuan watched with interest; he was curious whether Lin Chen could pass.
"What's so great about lifting a two hundred jin block?" Xu Botao sneered.
After the test, students didn't have to stay in place, and Cheng Ying's group, being the strongest, naturally stayed together; other students, knowing their place, didn't come close.
Lin Chen didn't make a show of things nor slowed down. Lifting a two hundred jin block in six months was not an honorable feat anyway.
But what Lin Chen didn't expect was that when he lifted the block, the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Boring." Lu Yongfeng withdrew his gaze, muttering softly.
"Anyone would think he just lifted a five hundred jin block." Xu Botao was also full of displeasure.
"Passed, next, Wang Hao."
Instructor Liu called the next student's name, and Lin Chen quickly stepped down.
"Chen, I knew you could do it, haha!"
Gu Fei hugged Lin Chen excitedly, and Lin Chen rolled his eyes: "I remember someone consoled me half a month ago, saying there's another path even if I don't learn martial arts."
"Hehe, wasn't that just in case?"
Gu Fei let go, truly happy for Lin Chen. They were good friends back in the village, the kind to fool around and have fun together.
"Now that you've passed the assessment, your grandfather should give you money."
"Yeah, I'll go home today and share the good news with my family."
Lin Chen's face showed elation; he finally crossed the first hurdle on his martial arts journey.
Although he meticulously planned to achieve his goal, for those with a good family background, it was something effortlessly accomplished.
After a short break, the assessment ended, with three students ultimately eliminated. Besides Qiu Yuan, the other two spent no less than Lin Chen, but their early expenditure meant they couldn't sustain their Qi Blood growth, leading to stagnation.
This month, he spent four hundred and fifty cents, leaving him with little money. He'd need to eat at least a pound of beef each meal, meaning it was time to visit home.