Immediately, a faint wave of warmth stirred within his body.
With a sharp snap, the wooden bow in his hand broke cleanly in two.
Just then, a figure limped over.
"Hmph, young people nowadays don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. If archery were that easy to learn, there wouldn't only be a handful of people in the village who know it now!"
He looked at the broken bow on the ground with a hint of smugness in his eyes.
"Without me teaching you personally, and without proper bows and arrows to practice with, it would take you till the Year of the Monkey to even master the basics of archery!"
He stood with his hands behind his back, wearing an expression that practically said, "Beg me, and I might help."
Unexpectedly, Lu Changsheng completely ignored him.
"How foolish! If you were willing to provide for me, I would teach you archery. In a few years, once your strength has grown, you could head up to Heishan Prefecture. With a bit of luck, you'd surely find a way to make a living! Why go throw your life away now?"
This reminded Lu Changsheng that the old man in front of him had once drifted around Heishan Prefecture.
"Old man, if I don't go, what would I use to provide for you?"
Zhang Cun's expression stiffened slightly.
Things were just barely manageable for now; the family still had some grain in storage. But in another month or two, if things stayed this way, Lu Changsheng probably wouldn't even be able to feed himself.
"Heh, a bunch of fools! Absolute fools! Do you really think it's that easy to scrape by in Heishan Prefecture? You kids know nothing, actually thinking you can make a living with just those scrawny little frames of yours?"
Zhang Cun didn't say any more, sneering as he walked away.
"Considering you gave me those few meals of dried fish, I'll give you a word of warning: while Heishan Prefecture is wealthy, it is also strictly stratified! Once you go there, money is hard to make and illness is easy to catch. By then, you'll just be waiting to die!"
With that, he stomped off in a huff.
Once he reached a spot where Lu Changsheng couldn't see him, he slowed his pace. After waiting a good while and seeing that Lu Changsheng hadn't chased after him, he grew so furious that he began cursing up a storm.
"Idiots! A bunch of idiots!" He muttered indignantly, "Those parents have hearts made of iron. Sending a kid that age to Heishan Prefecture is just a way to save on one person's rations! How is that genuinely for his future?"
"Studying? Heh—"
Back when he was in Heishan Prefecture, he had seen plenty of scholars shivering on the streets at night.
By daytime, they would be frozen stiff, too hard for even stray dogs to bite into.
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"Archery: (Form)"
"Required for initiation: 0.2 years (Initiated)"
"Required for minor mastery: 1 year"
"Required for major mastery: 3 years"
He checked his innate aptitude next—
"Name: Lu Changsheng"
"Age: 10/55"
"Aptitude: 2/10 [Genius (replaceable: Reading and Literacy)]"
He replaced the "Fish-tickling" entry instead.
"Aptitude: 2/10 [Genius (replaceable: Fish-tickling)]"
"My reading and literacy aptitude remains at the genius level, but fish-tickling actually went up a tier!"
"So, the progress bar for my aptitude isn't aimed at other skills after all! It's fixed to a specific kind of skill!"
And perhaps, this very trade was where he would break through his ultimate shackles!
"Everything might have an answer once I get to Heishan Prefecture!"
Lu Changsheng had a hunch, but he couldn't be certain.
······
In the blink of an eye, time flew by.
The weather began to grow quite cold.
Lu Changsheng sat in front of the door holding Xiao Heitu.
"With a physique this poor, even my cold resistance is practically non-existent!"
He glanced at the brazier not far away, tempted to start a fire to warm himself, but held back.
Once autumn passed, finding firewood on the mountain wouldn't be so easy. It wasn't yet the coldest part of winter, and burning firewood now was clearly a terribly wasteful thing for a family like this.
"Try on this jacket and see how it fits!"
Mother Lu walked over and put a new padded cotton jacket on him.
Once he put it on, most of the chill vanished.
"Thank you, Mother!"
A smile appeared on Mother Lu's face, though her eyes held a hint of heartache.
She sat down beside Lu Changsheng and chattered on.
"Heishan Prefecture is far away, and there won't be anyone to help you. If you can't hold out, come back home!"
She fell silent for a long while.
Last night, she had a rare, fierce argument with Father Lu.
It was so loud that even Xiao Heitu, who always slept soundly, was woken up.
Lu Changsheng, who had also woken up, heard Mother Lu's roar.
"I'm going to Heishan Prefecture!"
Those words kept Lu Changsheng awake for the rest of the night.
At home, Mother Lu was usually like an appendage to Father Lu, jumping wherever he pointed, but this time, she didn't back down.
However, both Lu Changsheng and Father Lu knew that if Lu Changsheng went to Heishan Prefecture, he might still survive, but if Mother Lu went, she likely wouldn't live to see them again.
"Don't worry, Mother, I'm very smart!"
Lu Changsheng smiled.
Xiao Heitu raised her head, clutching his hand tightly, her eyes welling up with tears.
Before long, Father Lu walked over. Seeing Mother Lu there, he sat down beside them without a word.
Knowing that the head of the household didn't want her to hear what came next, Mother Lu wiped away her tears and walked outside.
"The road to Heishan Prefecture is long and likely unsafe. Once you get there, be extra careful!"
He paused in thought, then continued, "Logically speaking, it would be better to wait until the new year has passed before setting out. But the opportunity is rare; if you can learn some characters from Master, it will be easier to find work later on."
Lu Changsheng agreed to everything.
Father Lu went into the house.
Lu Changsheng raised his head and saw eldest brother Lu Haozi chase his way into their father's room.
Moments later, the sound of an argument drifted out from inside.
Lu Haozi wanted to go to Heishan Prefecture in Lu Changsheng's place.
Unfortunately, he was currently the main laborer of the family. The severe drought was still in its early stages, and some dry land could still grow drought-resistant crops.
If he left, the family would lose a laborer, and their situation would become even more dire.
Most importantly, Father Lu believed that Lu Changsheng was clearly better suited for Heishan Prefecture than eldest brother Lu Haozi.
Especially given Lu Changsheng's performance lately!
For once, Lu Changsheng hadn't spent all his time practicing, choosing instead to stay with his family.
"Brother, will you still come back to see Heitu?" Xiao Heitu curled up in his arms and asked softly.
"Of course I'll come back! It won't be long before Brother earns some money and comes back, and then I'll buy you lots of delicious treats!"
Lu Changsheng said softly.
"Yay! But Brother, don't work too hard, and take care of your health!"
Lu Changsheng's heart suddenly tightened, and the arm holding Xiao Heitu involuntarily squeezed a little harder.
"Don't worry, this trip will definitely be a success!"
He said softly, his tone filled with absolute conviction.
In his past life, his parents had passed away early, leaving him unable to fulfill his filial duties. Now that he had crossed over and been blessed with a wonderful family, what more could he ask for?
······
Early the next morning, as soon as Lu Changsheng got up, he saw a figure standing rooted before the courtyard.
Father Lu, bearing heavy dark circles under his eyes, gave him a calm glance.
When Lu Changsheng picked up his luggage and walked out, he saw Mother Lu, Lu Haozi, and Xiao Heitu all come rushing out.
However, they were blocked in the courtyard by Father Lu.
The future of this journey was unpredictable. If he succeeded, it would certainly be a cause for joy; if he failed, this farewell would only add to the sorrow.
With his pack on his back, Lu Changsheng stood outside the courtyard, cast one silent glance back, and then turned and left without looking back.
······