Chapter 6: Chapter 4: Cherish the Present
Besides, even if he was anxious, it was useless.
The class structure of this world was far more rigid than in modern times. It was nearly impossible for him to climb the social ladder on his own.
If it weren’t for his second aunt, a concubine at the Huang Mansion, he never would have even laid eyes on a Health Cultivation Technique, something rarely seen in outside bookshops.
After arriving in this Otherworld and awakening his past-life memories, Wei Tu had certainly thought about changing his fate.
But—
Go into business?
In a society where officials held all the power, running a small crafts business was one thing. But as soon as he got involved in any major enterprise, a powerful family would inevitably swoop in to seize it.
Without the proper status to protect one’s wealth, it was a path to ruin.
Become an official?
First, he’d have to study at a private school, possess a clean background, and find a scholar to vouch for him. Then, he would have to take the imperial examinations and fight his way through a sea of candidates just to qualify for a title.
Having lived two lives, Wei Tu was blessed with the wisdom of his past and could be considered clever.
However, when compared to the child prodigies from the surrounding ten miles, he was far inferior.
And these local prodigies often spent their entire lives trying and failing to earn the title of Scholar, most ending their miserable lives as nothing more than aging Child Scholars.
In the imperial exams, memorizing the Confucian classics was just the foundation. The real difficulty lay in understanding the commentaries, which were far more numerous and voluminous than the classics themselves. Without a phenomenal memory, one could never hope to earn a title in a lifetime.
If memorizing texts were so simple, why would there be so many ways to cheat in the exams?
Hiding notes in clothing, using miniature brushes to write tiny characters, carrier pigeons, cheating with chamber pots...
Furthermore, studying cost money. Supporting a scholar who did not work or produce anything was no easy task!
If the Li Mansion weren’t supporting two young masters in their studies, their lives wouldn’t be so tight. They only ate meat twice every ten days.
Without some heaven-sent advantage, Wei Tu knew he was just a man of average talent, with no real way to turn his life around.
Of course, Wei Tu hadn’t just been lying down and accepting his fate all these years. He had fought his way up from a mere Tenant Farmer to become the Li Mansion’s Horse Groom, making him a role model for many villagers.
He ate well.
He had standing with his masters.
This was the kind of life many country folk could only dream of.
...
Seven days passed in a flash. As agreed, Wei Tu gave the illustrated manual for the Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique to the Huang Mansion’s gatekeeper to be delivered to the Ruan Family’s Martial Artist.
Although Wei Tu had already memorized the manual’s contents by heart, he copied it down onto paper with a brush just to be safe, keeping the transcript hidden on his person.
After that, Wei Tu’s life returned to its quiet routine: feeding the horses, chopping firewood, and sweeping the courtyards each day.
The only difference was that now, in every spare moment, he began to practice the Pile Skill from the Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique.
In fact, he practiced more than the prescribed nine times a day.
He pushed himself to ten, even eleven times a day.
This was his only chance to cross the class divide and change his own destiny, and he naturally wouldn’t neglect it.
’Do your best, and leave the rest to Heaven’s will.’
’Hard work pays off.’
Whenever he felt like giving up or slacking off, Wei Tu would silently encourage and admonish himself with these words.
One month.
Two months.
Then three months passed.
One evening, after finishing a set of the Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique’s stances, Wei Tu finally noticed a subtle change within his body.
It was late autumn, approaching winter, and the night frost was heavy. Yet Wei Tu felt no cold at all. Instead, he felt warm currents emerging from his limbs and bones, nourishing his Physique.
It felt like soaking in a hot spring.
’My Qi Cultivation Technique hasn’t even reached Great Success, yet my body is already generating this warmth... The Qi Sensing Realm must be truly extraordinary!’
Wei Tu was overjoyed.
In recent days, he had inquired about the training of Martial Artists. Even the Blademen celebrated throughout the local villages only knew some basic martial arts and how to swing a large saber; none of them had achieved his current state of being impervious to the bitter cold.
Despite this progress with his Health Cultivation Technique, Wei Tu did not let his focus waver. He continued practicing the Pile Skill until he was completely exhausted, only then returning to his heated brick bed to rest.
「Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique (21/100): Practice nine times a day, achieve success in five years.」
Before sleeping, Wei Tu closed his eyes and glanced at the progress of his Health Cultivation Technique. Seeing that it was already more than a fifth of the way complete, he felt a great sense of satisfaction and fell asleep, snoring softly.
「The next morning.」
Wei Tu rose bright and early and began his chores at the Li Mansion.
After nearly an hour of tiring work—feeding the horses and chopping firewood—Wei Tu noticed his body was still cool, without a single drop of sweat on his brow.
His physical fitness had improved by a huge margin.
"Brother Wei, the grand dame is looking for you." A plain-looking young woman dressed as a handmaiden called out to Wei Tu as she walked out from the inner residence.
"The grand dame is asking for me?" Wei Tu froze for a moment.
As an outer male servant, he had been allowed to move about the inner residence as a boy, but was forbidden from doing so after he grew older.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to ask Xinghua to request leave for him last time.
A great household had many rules of etiquette.
Even if the grand dame herself summoned him, there had to be a reason.
"I heard from Caixia that when the grand dame and the master were in bed last night, they talked about you and Xinghua. I think they’re going to approve it." Chunlan covered her mouth with a smile, leaned close to Wei Tu, and whispered.
"When the time comes, don’t forget to give me some wedding money," she teased.
"Really?"
"The grand dame is going to approve my marriage to Xinghua?"
Joy bloomed in Wei Tu’s heart.
He hadn’t expected another happy event to arrive right on the heels of his breakthrough in the Health Cultivation Technique.
"Let’s go." Wei Tu put down the wood-chopping axe, stood up, and followed Chunlan through the moon gate into the inner courtyard of the Li Mansion.
Three months ago.
Three months later.
Although Wei Tu’s fortunes had changed dramatically—with the [Late Bloomer] Destiny Chart now on his side, his future success was certain.
He wouldn’t be a Horse Groom forever.
But Wei Tu didn’t look down on the cook, Xinghua, because of this, nor did he think that a handmaiden of the Li Mansion was no longer good enough for him.
Fawning over the powerful while trampling the weak was the way of the world.
However, Xinghua had been close with him at the Li Mansion since they were children. She always looked out for him, and it was safe to say she was the closest person he had in this world.
Wei Tu wasn’t that cold-hearted.
Besides, Wei Tu wasn’t overestimating himself. Achieving Great Success in his Health Cultivation Technique didn’t mean he would be able to find an Immortal and embark on the Immortal Path.
The Health Cultivation Technique could grant Longevity, but after a hundred-odd years, he would still die of old age.
Seizing the present was what truly mattered; reaching for the unattainable was foolish.
Walking straight through the courtyard and past several covered corridors, Wei Tu arrived at the Li Mansion’s main hall.
He had kept his head lowered since entering the inner residence, abiding by the rules of etiquette.
Only upon entering the main hall did he raise his eyes slightly to survey the people within.
Seeing only the women of the family and not the master, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The master, Li Yaozu, was known throughout the surrounding villages as a "sharp man"—caustic, stingy by nature, and capable of twisting logic to make himself right even when he was wrong.
He was not an easy person to get along with.
But the grand dame, Mrs. Li Tong, was the opposite. She was gentle-natured and a capable household manager, widely praised as a virtuous woman.
Mrs. Li Tong, seated in the main chair, was dressed in simple cloth garments: an indigo, right-over-left-style blouse, and woven shoes and socks tied with white silk ribbons.
It was a very plain outfit.
She lifted her teacup and took a gentle sip. "Brother Wei, you have been with the Li Family for six years now. In these six years, I trust the Li Family has treated you well."
...
PS: Two Chapters a day. There will be another one tonight.
