The Lin family home.
Lin Chen's own small household.
It was ten zhang away from the old residence.
Lin Father did not return home, but went straight to the village head's house to ask him to draft the family division document.
"Chen'er, go to the Martial Hall and study martial arts with peace of mind. Your mother will find a way to solve the money issue."
Lin Mother went into the inner room. Before long, she came out holding a cloth bag. Inside were some bits of broken silver. When poured onto the table, there was more than two taels.
"Mother, where did this money come from?" Lin Liang asked curiously.
"Silly child. Although all the family money is handed over to your grandfather, do you think your mother wouldn't secretly save a little? With how biased your grandfather is, if something happened to our family and we expected him to take out money, that would be a dream. It's not just me—your Second Mother is the same."
Lin Father had three brothers. No matter how much they earned, they handed it all in, but the three sisters-in-law all kept their own thoughts.
Lin Mother and Second Mother were the same—quietly hiding some away. It was impossible for a household to not keep even a single coin.
"Chen'er, don't blame Mother for not giving you money these past six months. Learning martial arts really costs too much. You've seen how much money your eldest cousin spent learning martial arts. Mother was scared too."
"Mother, your child understands."
Seeing the guilt on his mother's face, Lin Chen quickly shook his head. He would not blame her, because he could understand her thinking.
Lin Ming had spent far too much money on martial arts. All the savings the entire Lin family had earned over the years weren't even enough for Lin Ming alone. Though Mother doted on him, she also had to consider the family's situation. She couldn't let the whole family go without food just so he could learn martial arts.
"Mother knows that every time Liang'er goes to town, he brings you a bit of money. But with Liang'er secretly selling fish, how much could he really save? Even so, you still passed the assessment. If that's the case, Mother will support you learning martial arts. You'll definitely be more promising than Lin Ming."
"These two taels of silver aren't much. Take them to the Martial Hall and use them first. Now that the family has been divided, the money your father and elder brother earn from selling fish no longer needs to be handed in. In a month, you can save about one tael. When the time comes, we'll send it to you."
Originally, Lin Mother had been worried about the high cost of learning martial arts. But since her own son had passed the assessment spending so little, then even if she had to smash the cooking pot and sell the iron, she would still support her son.
She wanted Grandfather and the elder uncle's family to see clearly who the true qilin of the Lin family was.
"I'll be frugal with my spending at the Martial Hall. I'll definitely make something of myself,"
Lin Chen promised seriously. He knew his mother said this to put his mind at ease. With how biased Grandfather was, the family's only fishing boat would certainly not be allotted to them. Without a fishing boat, they couldn't go out onto the lake to fish. Setting ground traps depended entirely on luck. Earning one tael of silver was not easy.
"Silly child, would Mother not believe you?" Seeing Lin Chen's earnest expression, Lin Mother smiled. "You're Mother's son. Since you want to learn martial arts, Mother will support you with everything she has, even if it means making your elder brother suffer a bit."
"Mother, I support Chen-didi learning martial arts. There's nothing bitter about it. Spending money on Chen-didi is far better than spending it on Lin Ming."
Elder brother Lin Liang grinned foolishly. Seeing that honest smile, Lin Chen recalled the thick wad of phlegm his elder brother had spat at the ancestral home. For someone as honest as his elder brother to do such a thing showed just how deep the hatred in his heart had been.
"You two brothers must help each other. Liang'er is helping you now. Chen'er, you must remember your elder brother's kindness in the future."
"Mother, there's no need."
Elder brother Lin Liang hurriedly waved his hands, but Lin Chen laughed. "There is. When I succeed in martial arts, the first thing I'll do is find Elder Brother a wife."
Lin Mother chuckled. "If your elder brother is going to marry, it can only be Chen family's Second Girl. I think your elder brother has feelings for her."
"Mother, that's not true," Elder Brother's face reddened slightly.
"Not true? I saw you give her lotus seeds."
"Th-that was because it's her family's lotus pond. I helped her family pick lotus seeds, and she agreed to give me a few bunches."
"Oh? Is that so? I think Second Girl from the Chen family is pretty good. She'd be suitable as Elder Brother's wife," Lin Chen said, recalling Chen family's Second Girl from his memory—slightly plump.
Plump was good. Wide hips meant good childbearing, and a sturdy body as well.
The mother and two sons chatted for a while before Lin Father hurried back.
"What were you talking about? Why is the eldest's face as red as a carp?"
Lin Father was quite curious. He had been furious at the ancestral home earlier, and now they were already joking and laughing.
"Father, Mother and I were talking about finding a wife for Elder Brother."
"The eldest wants to marry?" Lin Father froze for a moment and asked.
"Father, don't listen to Chen-didi's nonsense. I'm not planning to marry yet. I'm going back to my room to sleep."
Elder brother Lin Liang fled in a bit of a panic. Lin Father looked at Lin Chen. "Chen'er, you're still going to the Martial Hall tomorrow. Go to bed early."
"Mhm."
Lin Chen knew his parents had matters to discuss in private. He got up and went into the room he shared with his elder brother. The two brothers slept in the same room, each with a wooden plank bed.
Lying on the bed, Lin Chen could faintly hear his parents talking, though he couldn't make out the details.
Even without hearing clearly, he could guess they were discussing how to scrape together money for his martial arts training.
He wasn't being selfish, insisting on learning martial arts when the family had no money.
This was his only chance.
If he had transmigrated a few years earlier, he could have first found a way to make money and improve the family's life. But he had arrived right when he turned fifteen. One year later, and the chance would be gone.
Even if, a few years later, he truly earned a lot of money and paid to learn martial arts, a martial artist without a martial hall background could only work as a guard for a wealthy household, or go to the county city to join a gang as a hired thug.
Having experienced his previous life, Lin Chen clearly understood which path was the broad and proper road.
As for making money quickly in a short time, he had thought about it, but ultimately couldn't find a way.
A scholar is useless in all but reading.
In his previous life, he had been a liberal arts student. His physics and chemistry were average, with no technical means to make money.
He did recall from transmigration novels that latrines and pigsties might have saltpeter, which could be used to make ice.
He had indeed found some saltpeter, but the ice he produced was pitifully little. Without exaggeration, in winter, if he chiseled a block of ice from Poyang Lake and kept it until the following spring, what remained unmelted would still be more than what he could make.
Without technical means to earn wealth, he could only rely on his brain.
Relying on knowledge from his previous life to see if there were any business opportunities.
But after understanding Great Liang's laws, he realized this path was also blocked.
Great Liang's laws were extremely strict regarding the professions common people could engage in.
To do business, one had to have a merchant registration permit, because official taxes were levied according to different household registrations. Without a permit, it was unlicensed operation—a serious crime.
Blacksmith shops paid forging tax. Fish shops paid fish tax. Those with fishing boats paid fishing boat tax. The only unrestricted occupation was farming. No matter what trade one pursued, one could farm.
With all these restrictions and his age, learning martial arts was the only road left to him.
Having reached this point and experienced today's upheaval,
learning martial arts was no longer just his own matter.
He not only had to change his own fate, but also the fate of his family.
That night, Lin Chen rarely suffered from insomnia.
And it wasn't just him—his elder brother was also awake.
Though his elder brother lay still on the bed, he usually snored when asleep. Today, there was none. Lin Chen understood that his elder brother was pretending to sleep.
After what happened today, it was normal for his elder brother to be unable to sleep.
He didn't know how much time passed before Lin Chen heard his elder brother's voice.
"Chen-didi, are you asleep?"
"No."
Lin Chen's instant reply made elder brother Lin Liang fall silent for a few breaths.
"Brother Chen, train well in martial arts. You must make something of yourself and show Grandfather and the others!"