Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Little Dragon-Elephant Art
"Ergou, are you home?"
Wentian stepped into Chen Ergou's courtyard.
With the busy farming season over, Chen Ergou was currently lying leisurely on a recliner beneath the eaves.
The moment he saw Wentian, he sprang up in surprise.
"Brother Wentian, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home keeping Sister-in-law company?"
"I gave her the Qi and Blood Pill you brought. After a few days, she has more or less recovered."
"So that's how it is."
"Daniu, Fangfang, your Uncle Wentian is here. Come out quickly."
After the two children, who were around the same age, came out, they called out crisply to Wentian.
"Uncle Wentian."
"What good children."
Wentian smiled faintly.
"Go inside and play."
Upon hearing Chen Ergou's words, the two children immediately ran back inside in high spirits.
Wentian silently took out a silver note worth one hundred taels and handed it over.
"Brother Wentian, this is…"
"The money for the Qi and Blood Pill. I know Qi and Blood Pills are not cheap. Without the connections of a martial hall, even if one has money, one may not be able to buy them. You must accept this money. Otherwise, don't call me Brother Wentian in the future."
With one sentence, he blocked everything Chen Ergou had been about to say.
"Then I'll accept it."
Seeing Chen Ergou put the silver note away, Wentian asked, "Last time, you said there was something you wanted my help with. Tell me."
"My elder brother wants to exchange an internal strength manual for the cultivation method of Green Jade Pears. What do you think?"
Chen Ergou hesitated for a long while before finally speaking.
In the early years, when Wentian had wanted to plant Green Jade Pears, no one had thought well of it.
But last year, after hearing that Wentian had sold quite a number of Green Jade Pears to the Xu household, they finally learned that he had succeeded in growing them.
Many ordinary peasants in Dongxi Village were extremely envious.
"Is this Uncle Chen's idea?"
"No, no, no."
Chen Ergou hurriedly waved his hands.
"My father doesn't agree. This is my elder brother's idea."
"He probably heard that you planted ten mu of Green Jade Pears and earn quite a bit of silver from them every year, so…"
His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke. By the end, he did not even dare look Wentian in the eyes.
Chen Ergou also felt helpless.
Since childhood, he had been afraid of his elder brother. Now that his elder brother had become a martial artist, he was even more afraid.
He could only come and act as the intermediary.
However, he also understood.
Leaving aside whether Wentian even had such a secret method, even if he did, it would be a golden hen that laid eggs. How could that possibly be compared to a single internal strength manual?
"Brother Wentian, don't be angry. I'm only bringing it up."
"Actually, I already regret speaking on my brother's behalf. After all, this is your unique skill and the foundation of your livelihood. Exchanging it for only one manual would be far too much of a loss."
Wentian thought of Xu Yan.
Chen Ergou was honest, but Xu Yan was extremely shrewd.
She was the type who would not even chat with someone for more than a few words if there were no benefits involved.
Strictly speaking, Wentian could indeed be considered her cousin. However, the two families had long since passed beyond the five degrees of mourning. By his grandfather's generation, they had barely interacted anymore.
Her family had prospered and moved to Qingjiang County City, where they operated one or two shops.
In the first few years after Xu Yan married Chen Ergou, she had not interacted much with Wentian's family.
When they met, she would only nod in greeting and exchange a few casual words.
Wentian had not even known that she was his relative.
It was not until last year that she suddenly became more enthusiastic.
From time to time, she would come over to visit.
After that, they acknowledged their kinship.
"For your sake and Uncle Chen's sake, it isn't impossible to make the trade."
"Brother Wentian, are you serious?"
Chen Ergou was overjoyed.
"Ergou, listen to me first. I have conditions."
"Brother Wentian, tell me."
"First, this matter must be witnessed by Uncle Chen. It must be a fair trade, willingly agreed to by both sides."
"Second, just as five or six out of ten people who practice an internal strength manual may still fail to achieve anything, the Green Jade Pear cultivation method I provide cannot guarantee success either. If it fails afterward, your side may not come looking for trouble with my family."
"Third, the internal strength manual must be a superior martial art, and there must also be ten Qi and Blood Pills."
"I understand."
Chen Ergou nodded.
"Brother Wentian, tomorrow—no, I'll go to the county city today and find my elder brother."
After Wentian left, Chen Ergou went to his father's house, asked Xu Yan to come back and watch the children, and then set off for the county city.
Black Tiger Martial Hall.
"Senior Brother Daming, someone outside the martial hall is looking for you. He says he's your younger brother."
"My younger brother?"
Chen Daming went outside the martial hall.
When he saw Chen Ergou, he asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Toward this mediocre younger brother of his, Chen Daming felt a certain disdain in his heart.
"About the matter you asked me to inquire about last time, Brother Wentian has agreed. But he has three conditions."
"Oh? What did Wentian say?"
Chen Ergou honestly repeated Wentian's words.
Chen Daming pondered for a moment.
"This Wentian is exactly as Father said. He's the type who refuses to suffer a loss."
He wants Father to witness it because he thinks that if my family fails to grow them, we'll go looking for trouble with him?
Chen Daming had also made inquiries about Green Jade Pears. He knew that they were indeed difficult to cultivate. But if one succeeded, it would be enough to become a family enterprise lasting several generations.
The same was true for an internal strength manual.
He even wants a superior internal strength manual?
What an ignorant farmer.
The more superior an internal strength manual was, the higher the aptitude required to practice it.