OBS Chapter 5 Lin 3
Chapter 5 Lin 3
It was midday.
Lin Mu squatted down beside the weapon rack in the outer courtyard, wiping the stone lock that was covered in sweat.
Hu Xiaoying quietly moved closer to him:
"You'll be helping out in the inner courtyard from now on."
Lin Mu looked up and met Hu Xiaoying's gaze for a moment before replying, "Okay."
Going to the inner courtyard to do odd jobs only requires more effort, but you can see Hu Xiaoying and others practicing boxing every day, and you will definitely gain something from it through observation.
If he could hear Master Hu's teachings, it would definitely be of great benefit to his boxing skills.
"Go to the kitchen and have some beef later. I've already told Zhang Ma."
"Um."
Lin Mu agreed.
But when he got to the kitchen, he did not take any meat.
Instead, as usual, he took two white steamed buns, held a bowl of vegetable soup, and nestled in a corner near the stove to eat them.
No one paid attention to him in the corner, which was consistent with his status as a menial servant.
He had barely settled down when he heard Senior Brother Liu and Junior Brother Zhou whispering among themselves:
"Huh? Did Aunt Zhang leave some meat today?"
"Yes, I just saw the young lady whispering with her. I guess it was her who left it."
"Could it be that the young lady left it for Yan Hua?" Senior Brother Liu guessed.
"Really? Yan Hua has only been here a few days, and he's already won the young lady's favor?"
"There are only a handful of people in the entire martial arts school; you can count them on one hand."
Senior Brother Liu counted on his fingers.
"The curator and the young lady have already eaten."
"Zhou Shijie and Ding Youshan, two masters of internal strength, just fought fiercely over fresh beef tendon to replenish their qi and blood."
......
"So, if we calculate it that way, only Yan Hua and the handyman are left."
"It can't be left for the lowly servants, can it?"
"Moreover, Yan Hua possesses superior physical attributes and can cultivate inch-force; isn't that something that deserves special attention?"
"Hmm, that's true." Junior Brother Zhou nodded in agreement while secretly stuffing beef into his mouth.
When the plate was almost empty, Senior Brother Lu realized it and quickly ate a few pieces.
The conversation came to an abrupt end.
The two did not try to conceal their conversation, and every word reached Lin Mu's ears.
Perhaps she didn't notice Lin Mu in the corner, or more likely she simply didn't care.
Lin Mu didn't care.
He stuffed the remaining steamed bun into his mouth, clapped his hands, and went to do the chores he was supposed to do.
From wiping the weapon racks and collecting the training clothes to watering the flowers and plants, he didn't have a moment to spare until the beginning of the 7 PM.
Seeing that he had finished his work, the old servant stepped forward and instructed him, "Come at 3:45 AM tomorrow morning."
"Is something the matter?" He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and took a few breaths.
"Martial arts school is accepting students."
"OK."
Lin Mu didn't ask any more questions, but glanced at the furnishings in the courtyard a few more times as he left the outer courtyard.
In the center of the courtyard stood an old wooden carved table with an incense burner on it and an old futon in front of it.
I don't know how much tuition Changfeng Martial Arts School collected this time, but it must have been more than eighty coins.
Lin Mu sighed, touched the only eighty copper coins in his bag, and hurried towards Willow Leaf Village.
The night was deep, and Willow Leaf Village was shrouded in silence.
Lin Mu had just circled back from the back of the house when he saw two figures standing at his front door from afar.
The moonlight was dim, making it impossible to see faces clearly, but he recognized the figures—one was his second uncle, Lin Youfu, and the other, leaning casually against the doorframe, was Lin San.
Lin San was a notorious scoundrel in the village, who committed murder, arson, and all sorts of vices except good deeds.
Moreover, he was the village chief's henchman, obeying only the village chief's orders.
He made no sound, tiptoed, and crept along the base of the wall.
The two were talking in hushed tones, seemingly unaware that someone was behind them.
Lin Mu walked closer and suddenly reached out and patted each of them on the shoulder.
"Who?!" Lin San turned around abruptly, almost jumping up.
Lin Youfu was also startled and staggered back half a step. He only breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing Lin Mu.
"Muwa? You, how did you suddenly appear from behind... You scared your second uncle to death."
Lin Mu stood before them, the moonlight casting a half-light, half-shadow on his face: "What are you doing at my door in the middle of the night?"
Lin San steadied himself, a roguish smile returning to his face:
"Brother Mu, you walk so quietly? You startled me."
He patted the shoulder that had been patted, seemingly a little annoyed, but still held back from lashing out.
"Of course I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
Lin Youfu rubbed his hands together, smiling somewhat awkwardly: "Muwa, what about that thing your second uncle told you yesterday... what have you thought about?"
"Second Uncle, I made myself very clear yesterday," Lin Mu said calmly, "I'm not renting this house."
Lin San scoffed and turned to Lin Youfu, saying:
"Uncle Youfu, look what I told you! Your nephew is very stubborn; you can't reason with him just by talking."
Then he faced Lin Mu again, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.
"Brother Mu, your second uncle meant well. He came all the way to you yesterday to discuss this with you, all humble and respectful. But you just flatly refused."
"I'm making this clear today—the village has too much stuff, and there's nowhere to put it."
"The village chief has taken a liking to your old house. It's just sitting empty anyway, so he'll rent it out to the village as a warehouse. Fifty coins a month, that's not bad, is it?"
Lin Mu looked up at him, without backing down.
"This is my house. Anyone who wants to rent it can come and talk to me."
Lin San's smile froze for a moment, and his voice turned cold.
"Brother Mu, don't refuse a toast only to suffer the consequences."
"Your second uncle went to see you twice, which was to give you face."
"If you insist on arguing, it won't be just a matter of fifty coins when the village comes to take your things."
Lin Youfu quickly grabbed Lin San's sleeve, took half a step forward, and softened his tone.
"Muwa, your second uncle isn't trying to kick you out. Your father passed away early, this house is old and dilapidated, and you don't live here anyway, so we'll sell it for money..."
"Uncle Youfu, don't worry about him."
Lin San interrupted him, but his tone was not harsh; instead, it carried a sense of "kindly advising you."
"Brother Mu, what are you doing, a young man like you, clinging to this dilapidated house? You're going to argue with the village chief; how will you face the village after this?"
Lin Mu remained silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze from Lin San's face to Lin Youfu's.
Lin Youfu sighed and lowered his voice.
"Muwa, your second uncle knows you're upset."
"How about this—you stay here for now, and then you can move out when the village is renovating the warehouse in half a month."
"Think it over carefully during this time. Your second uncle won't treat you unfairly."
"Yes, half a month." Lin San held up a finger and waved it in front of Lin Mu, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "We'll come back to clean the warehouse in half a month, so don't make things difficult for us then."
After he finished speaking, he tugged at Lin Youfu's sleeve: "Uncle Youfu, let's go. We've made things clear. You've done your part in persuading him, and if he doesn't appreciate it, you can't blame yourself."
Lin Youfu hesitated for a moment, glanced at Lin Mu again, shook his head, and turned to follow Lin San. After taking a few steps, he turned back and added:
"Muwa, your second uncle is only doing this for your own good..."
Lin San's voice drifted over faintly: "...Uncle Youfu, your nephew has quite a stubborn temper. Don't come looking for you if he suffers a loss later."
"Sigh, young people will understand in a few days..."
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Lin Mu stood at the door, watching them disappear into the night. After a moment of silence, he went back inside to practice his boxing.
Based on the key points of boxing that his coach had instructed Yan Hua on, and combined with his own experience, he honed his skills until late at night.
Hard work pays off, and the booklet has also undergone some changes:
Name: Lin Mu
Martial Arts: Long Wind Fist (Unmastered 28/100)
[Skills: Measurement (Beginner), Carpentry (Unskilled), Knife Skills (Unskilled), Wok Flipping (Unskilled)...]
[Currently available replicable slots: 1/3]