The next morning, the sun rose as usual.
Su Yu packed up the last of his valuable belongings. He glanced at the moldy bedding, but ultimately folded it with a sigh of resignation.
'Once I leave, who knows when I'll be back.'
As he locked the mottled wooden door, a sense of desolation welled up in Su Yu's heart.
CREAK!
Just then, the door to his neighbor Uncle Liu's house quietly opened a crack.
A small hand, thin as a matchstick, gripped the doorframe. A pair of large eyes that took up half her face stared blankly at Su Yu.
It was Uncle Liu's young daughter, Yaya.
She didn't speak, didn't come out, and didn't close the door. She was like a puppet whose soul had been stolen away.
Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. He took two steps forward and softened his voice. "Yaya, is something wrong?"
Yaya didn't answer or move, just continued to watch Su Yu silently.
COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching coughing fit erupted from inside the house, so violent it sounded as if the person was trying to cough up their own lungs.
Hearing that something was very wrong, Su Yu pushed the door open and went inside.
Yaya remained silent at the doorway, her vacant eyes following Su Yu's every move.
Inside, a thick, putrid smell assaulted his senses.
On the bed, Uncle Liu was curled up like a withered branch. He was covered by a tattered, hole-ridden cotton quilt, his ulcerated, blackened feet sticking out.
Even as Su Yu approached, Uncle Liu didn't open his eyes; his body just kept trembling.
'He doesn't have long.'
Su Yu sighed inwardly. He looked around the room: cobwebs filled the corners of the rafters, and a thick layer of dust covered the only wooden table.
The blackened stove was cold and coarse; it was impossible to tell how long it had been since a fire was last lit.
He turned to face the small, skeletal girl who only came up to his waist. She looked to be about ten, so light it seemed a gust of wind could blow her away.
"Are you hungry?"
Yaya still said nothing, but her withered little hand timidly grabbed the corner of Su Yu's shirt, clinging to it for dear life.
Su Yu was silent for a moment, then turned and walked out.
The light in Yaya's eyes instantly dimmed, and her hand fell limply to her side.
But soon, the sound of footsteps returned.
Su Yu strode back in, carrying half a sack of coarse rice on his shoulder.
He hadn't finished the coarse rice he'd bought before joining the martial arts hall, so he still had quite a bit left.
THUD.
The sack of rice landed on the stove, sending up a cloud of dust.
The dull thud brought a flicker of life back into Yaya's eyes. She stared at the sack of rice with an inscrutable expression.
Seeing that look in her eyes, a ripple went through Su Yu's calm heart.
'Perhaps this is what it looks like to cling to life.'
After a moment's thought, he pulled his house key from his pocket and pressed it into her small, dark, claw-like hand. "Yaya, this is the key to my place. While I'm gone, you can help me clean the house and keep an eye on things. This sack of rice is your payment."
"If anyone comes looking for me, go to Su Hong's house at the east end of the village and let them know. When I get back, if the house is clean, there'll be more payment for you."
Yaya clutched the key so tightly her knuckles turned white. She nodded her head emphatically.
...
「White Ape Martial Arts Hall, Residential Area.」
Su Yu returned to his room, took his bedding out to air in the sun, and then went to the well to do his laundry.
It was still a rest day, and the weather was nice, so many apprentices were by the well, washing and drying their clothes and chatting idly.
"Did you hear? The Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall recently recruited a genius. He broke through the initial gate in just half a month."
"What! That fast? Does he have a Top-Grade Root Bone?"
"That's right. His name is Zhou Heng. He has a Top-Grade Root Bone and was taken in as a personal disciple by the master of the Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall!"
Su Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he listened. 'Breaking through the initial gate in half a month... Zhou Heng's root bone talent is truly incredible!'
By now, he had learned a little about root bones. They were divided into three main grades: lower, middle, and top.
The Lower-Grade Root Bone—also called "poor," "common," or any number of similar terms—was Su Yu's classification. For people in this category, practicing martial arts was an arduous struggle every step of the way.
Above that was the Middle-Grade Root Bone, which was further subdivided into mid-lower, middle, and mid-upper. The gap between each sub-level was considerable.
His cousin Su Can had a Mid-Upper-Grade Root Bone, which truly made him a young genius with excellent talent.
And above that was the Top-Grade Root Bone, also subdivided into top-lower, top-middle, and top-upper.
From what he now understood, anyone with a Top-Grade Root Bone had a massive advantage in martial arts and belonged to the ranks of true geniuses.
After finishing his laundry, Su Yu returned to Room 3 and happened to run into Wang Hu.
He was carrying a bulging cloth sack on his back, his face beaming with joy.
Seeing Su Yu, he greeted him enthusiastically. "Brother Su, you're back! I brought some flatbreads. My mom just made them. Quick, have a taste."
As he spoke, he pulled out a plate-sized flatbread from the sack. It was golden and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and glistening with oil. A rich, meaty aroma instantly filled the room.
The scent made Su Yu's mouth water. He took the flatbread; it felt heavy in his hands and was still warm.
"Brother Su, try it while it's hot. My mom's flatbreads are really delicious."
Su Yu nodded and took a bite. The crust was crispy, and the inside burst with juice. The rich filling of fatty and lean pork, mixed with the fragrance of scallions and dough, was absolutely divine.
"Delicious! Xiaohu, your mom is an amazing cook!"
Su Yu praised him sincerely and continued to devour the flatbread. In no time, he had eaten the entire thing.
"Brother Su, have another one."
Su Yu waved his hand, refusing. "You eat them. Your mom brought them for you, don't give them all away." The flatbread was packed with ingredients and certainly wasn't cheap. With prices skyrocketing lately, it would sell for at least a dozen copper coins outside.
"It's fine, Brother Su. My mom packed six of them. I'm giving two to you and two to Brother Ma."
Wang Hu insisted, stuffing another one into Su Yu's hands. Su Yu didn't refuse this time. He took it, and the two of them sat on the edge of the bed, eating and chatting.
"Xiaohu, what does your family do?"
"My dad's a blacksmith over on Furnace Alley. He's super strong! He can eat seven or eight of these flatbreads in one sitting. My mom says he's like a big brown bear!" Wang Hu gestured emphatically, his eyes filled with pride.
Su Yu smiled. Xiaohu had a sturdy build and a simple, honest face. He was quite strong, and it seemed he took after his father. His father's blacksmithing skills must have been quite good, Su Yu figured. To make a living in the city and support a family, he certainly couldn't have been a poor craftsman.
As the two were chatting, Ma Fei returned. The moment he entered the room and saw Su Yu and Wang Hu talking so warmly, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.
"Brother Ma, I brought some flatbreads. Here, have a taste." Wang Hu, not noticing the look in Ma Fei's eyes, eagerly offered him one.
"I don't eat that crap!" Ma Fei snarled, slapping the flatbread out of Wang Hu's hand and onto the floor.
Wang Hu's face instantly stiffened with embarrassment. He bent down to pick up the flatbread from the floor.
Ma Fei just snorted coldly and went back to his own bed.
Su Yu's brow furrowed. 'Ma Fei is unbelievably petty. I should probably keep my distance from him in the future.' He had thought that since they were fellow apprentices, he shouldn't be too cold toward him.
Just then, Wang Xiaohu picked up the flatbread, wiping the dust off with a pained expression. He looked as if he was about to try and apologize to Ma Fei.
Su Yu frowned, stepped forward, and put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him back to his own bed.
Wang Hu, only half-understanding, went back and started eating his flatbread. To cheer him up, Su Yu asked for another one and praised how delicious it was.
Wang Hu cheered up and was about to go talk to Ma Fei again, but Su Yu helplessly pushed him back down. 'This kid really is simple-minded,' he thought.
Nearby, Ma Fei lay on his bed with his back to them, a venomous glint flashing in his eyes.