The next day, in Chen Ku's modest courtyard, feasting tables were set up.
Although there were no sumptuous dishes like chicken, duck, fish, or other meats, there was a large pot of mixed vegetables on each table, containing cabbage, tofu, and some pork fat, along with a heap of plain white buns.
Most of the people from Dachen Village had come.
There were ten tables, seating nearly a hundred people. Outside the courtyard, firecrackers burst, and everyone was in festive spirits, praising the second young lad from the Chen family.
"He's truly brought honor to the Chen Family!"
"Medicine King Hall—what a place that is! It's the top establishment in Baojiao County. In terms of power and heritage, it's even more prestigious than the county schoolhouse."
"Getting into Medicine King Hall is like planting a seedling for scholarship; in the future, there's a chance to sit for the Military Scholar exams and earn a title!"
"It's been so many years since a youngster from Dachen Village has made something of himself like this."
At the main family's table, there were white-flour steamed buns, a large mixed vegetable dish, as well as pig's head meat, pork trotters, and other items, all steaming hot.
Mother Chen and Xu Lan felt as if they were dreaming as they looked at the joyful scene in the courtyard and then at the steamed buns in front of them, not daring to be the first to reach for them.
Chen Ku grabbed a steamed bun and handed it to his mother.
Mother Chen looked at the steamed bun, feeling it was surreal. After enduring so much adversity, Mother Chen's first instinct at such a moment was fear...
Chen Ku said softly, "All of this today was arranged by Guo Xiangshen; he sought to build a good relationship with me. None of this is a dream. Look, these land deeds and our family status—all have been returned."
With that, he laid the land deeds and the documents in front of his mother again to assure her it was not a dream.
The paperwork clearly bore several rows of characters:
Household Head: Chen Ku
Registered farming household of Dachen Village, members: Shan Jiuniang, Xu Lan, Chen Yinhuhu.
And there were land deeds.
Mother Chen looked at the deeds and household registration, then back at her son, and turned to glance at her eldest daughter-in-law and grandson. Chen Ku's voice reached her ears, soft and gentle:
"Mother, Heaven hasn't deserted our family. I stumbled upon a Treasure Herb, which instantly changed our fate. Our family...will never have to eat coarse wheat lumps or be looked down upon again. Go on, eat, Mother."
"Eh!"
The elderly woman nodded gently, her hand trembling as she lifted the steamed bun and took a small bite.
She then looked out at the courtyard, noticing the periodic gazes of respect and envy from the villagers.
A sudden sourness welled up in her heart.
She didn't speak, but tears began to fall, plopping down one by one.
Sister-in-law Xu Lan stood by her side, eyes moist, not saying a word, merely eating the white-flour steamed bun in small, delicate bites. Gradually, she couldn't help but sob softly.
At last, she broke down completely, crying bitterly with a runny nose and streaming tears.
At that moment, in the courtyard, the villagers were happily eating from the free feast, enjoying the lively atmosphere. But at this table, only their family comprehended the emotion behind the tears—the tumultuous waves rising in their own hearts. These feelings contained untold hardships, relief, joy, and the hope for a new beginning.
"Good, good!"
Mother Chen, holding back tears, ate a steamed bun and then, with tears in her eyes, looked at her youngest son. "Who would have thought our family could see this day? Your father and...your brother...they can rest in peace below."
Chen Ku was also observing the festive scene in the courtyard.
「In a moment」
The village chief and Guo Xiangshen came over to offer a toast.
"Brother Chen, you must drink a few extra cups today."
Chen Ku took the cup, feeling both in a trance and amused.
This scene is just like in my previous life, in a poor countryside village, when someone finally got into college and everyone celebrated. Should I say that the status of Medicine King Hall in Baojiao County is too lofty and grand? Or rather, is it that people like Guo Xiangshen and the village chief, who've been scheming in the countryside for half their lives, are so incredibly shrewd that they immediately chose to befriend and invest in me? The status of a long-robed assistant at Medicine King Hall certainly commanded respect. However, the strength to single-handedly topple an old bull—perhaps that was the real reason they believed I had potential and were willing to spend a few pieces of silver to cultivate a good relationship.
Anyway, the benefits had fallen onto him.
Indeed, to forge iron, one must be strong oneself.
Sure enough, after a few drinks, Guo Xiangshen began to speak with a smile, "Today is Brother Chen's joyous day. I won't say much else; I just hope that in the future Brother Chen can establish a firm footing in the county. In the days to come, Guo Someone hopes to come over and pay Brother Chen a visit as well."
"Many thanks to Guo Xiangshen for your kind words. Should that day come, Chen will certainly not forget what Guo Xiangshen has done today," Chen Ku said with a smile as he drank.
After a few cups of wine, the atmosphere became even livelier. The banquet didn't break up until the late afternoon.
But essentially, it had solidified the future status of the Chen Family in this village.
Having seen off all the villagers, Chen Ku watched his mother and sister-in-law cleaning up the leftovers in the yard, looking at the land deed that his mother had carefully preserved and put away.
Seven mu of land is still too little. Although this has gained our family some reputation in the village, it's not enough. My mother and sister-in-law have been cooking and washing clothes for me for so long. Before heading to the county town, I must leave them with some more things. Otherwise, it's too hard for two women to manage seven mu of land on their own.
Mother Chen, after all, understood her son. Holding a broom, she encouraged him gently, "Son, don't worry about going to the county. At home, Hu Zi's mother and I will take care of everything. Don't worry, you just go and try your luck."
Xu Lan also hurriedly said, "Yes, brother-in-law, don't worry. I can plant that land by myself. Mother won't even need to work the fields."
Chen Ku smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have a plan."
What he had in mind was to rent the land directly to tenant farmers. Although he would have to share the grain with them, he was sure to earn more in the future, so he would not miss what those few acres could yield. However, he wouldn't say this to their faces; he'd just take care of it quietly.
Not understanding his plan, his mother and sister-in-law simply bowed their heads and continued with their work, seeing that the pillar of their family didn't elaborate.
Chen Ku then returned to his room, pulled out the Ten-Section Brocade, and also took out the three Primordial Nourishing Pills he had obtained from Huang Ba.
These three Primordial Nourishing Pills. He had secretly scraped off some powder with his fingernail and fed it to a dog belonging to the Guo Family in the village. The dog had eaten a bit without any issue and even ran around the village more than a dozen times before finally calming down, clearly indicating that the pills were non-toxic.
After much contemplation, with a flick of his thumb, a pill popped into his mouth, and with a gulp, it went down his throat like dropping into a deep well.
After only ten breaths, Chen Ku felt the medicine take effect. A warm current spread from his stomach throughout his blood and into every limb, making his eyes shine like sparks of electricity and giving him a sense of vigor like that of a dragon or a tiger!
"Excellent medicine!"
With a loud shout, Chen Ku immediately initiated the Skinny Dog Transformation and, at the realm of Eight Section Brocade, began to absorb the medicine's power maniacally. Through the Eight Section Brocade, he transformed it into physical strength.
Over the next three days, Chen Ku continued to feel the effects of the medicine.
And so, the Primordial Nourishing Pills that Huang Ba hadn't dared to consume even one of in a whole month, Chen Ku consumed three of in just ten days.
During these ten days, the Moon-Eating Dog bloodline also attracted the Moon Essence into his body at night to temper it.
The result was, after ten days without pause, another increase of three hundred jin in strength.
Among these, the Moon-Eating bloodline and the pills accounted for forty and sixty percent of the contribution, respectively.
At the same time, he hadn't forgotten to go back to the mountains to gather herbal medicine. In these ten days, he had gathered herbal medicine worth more than thirty silver pieces, preparing for his future life in the county town. After all, a poor family needs to prepare well for a journey.
Unfortunately, he hadn't come across a second Treasure Herb.
Today, ten days later, Chen Ku's own strength had reached six hundred jin. Without initiating the Skinny Dog Transformation, he could practice Six Section Brocade for an hour effortlessly.
If he did initiate the Skinny Dog Transformation, then it was as if possessed by gods!
He could complete the entire set of Ten-Section Brocade without feeling any fatigue whatsoever. The two combined, Chen Ku, after initiating the Skinny Dog Transformation, now had a strength of one thousand one hundred jin.
The secret manual says that the Thousand Jin Force is the perfection of Strength Training, but now, I've surpassed the perfection of Strength Training! Thousand Jin Force is merely the perfection for ordinary Strength Practitioners. With the additional five hundred jin from the Skinny Dog Transformation, I now have one thousand one hundred jin of strength. If we're talking about true perfection, my perfection should be one thousand five hundred jin of strength!
And just as Chen Ku was reveling in the joy that the growth of his strength brought him, a piece of news reached Snake Fish Town.
That was... the raiders had arrived.