Free Web NovelChapter 2: Chapter 2: Hope
’What’s this?’
’Could this be my long-lost... Golden Finger?’
Xie Yuan, well-versed in online novels, reacted instantly, his heart pounding with excitement.
’The fortune I received on Celestial Gate Mountain... was it actually real?’
’I prayed for success in my studies and drew the best possible fortune. The Daoist who interpreted it said it meant I could learn anything...’
At the time, Xie Yuan had thought it was an exaggeration. ’These Daoists really know how to flatter people,’ he’d thought. Still, he was happy and donated a hundred coins to the Merit Box for good luck.
The Daoist was delighted and told him he would surely be rewarded, but Xie Yuan didn’t think much of it.
’But now, has the fortune really come true?’
"Every path has its method, every method has its art, and all can be learned."
Xie Yuan murmured:
"Doesn’t this mean I can learn anything, as long as I find the right way?
"The first skill is, uh, Chopping Wood?"
He gazed thoughtfully at the floating text before him.
’There’s a prophecy below it... It means that as I get better at chopping wood, I can even grasp the art of the axe!’
Xie Yuan’s eyes lit up.
’If I can master a weapon, doesn’t that mean I can become a Martial Artist?’
’No, it’s more than that!’
’With the help of this magical ability, becoming a Martial Artist will be no problem at all.’
’I can live a better life, secure a place for myself in this world... I’ll even have the chance to reach for greater heights.’
A grand path had appeared before him; it was all up to him how he would walk it.
A warmth spread through Xie Yuan’s chest, and the cold late-autumn wind suddenly didn’t seem so biting.
Looking at the words [Chopping Wood (1/100)], Xie Yuan raised his axe. A surge of strength welled up inside him, and he began to chop.
THWACK, THWACK, THWACK.
The sound of the axe splitting wood rang out continuously.
Xie Yuan swung the axe with all his might, seemingly tireless for a time.
Soon, the woodpile in the small courtyard had shrunk by half. He finally stopped, his limbs feeling a little weak.
’This body is still too weak...’
Xie Yuan shook his head, then looked at the text that appeared at his will.
[Chopping Wood (14/100)]
"It went up by 13 points in such a short time! It won’t take long to reach a hundred."
Xie Yuan was ecstatic, wishing he could finish chopping all the remaining wood right then and there.
Unfortunately, his body wouldn’t allow it.
He hadn’t eaten and was both hungry and thirsty, leaving him drained. On top of that, he had worked up a sweat. He didn’t feel cold now, but if the autumn wind caught him, he would inevitably fall sick, making a bad situation worse.
’But I don’t even have a proper coat...’
’Goddamn Li Mazi.’
’I should get something to eat first.’
Xie Yuan glanced at the wood he had just chopped. It was almost enough to fill a large back-basket.
But this scrub-tree wood wasn’t worth much. This much probably wouldn’t even sell for ten copper coins.
It was nothing like the iron poplars from the mountain. If you split that into fine kindling, it was very useful, and the taverns in the county town would come specifically to buy it. Just half a basket could sell for several dozen copper coins!
Unfortunately, his body was weak, and he couldn’t chop down iron poplars, let alone the better types of wood that city folk used for firewood or even furniture.
’Oh well, no need to rush. Better days are ahead!’
’If I sell or trade this basketful, I can at least buy a few baked flatbreads and not go hungry...’
Just as Xie Yuan was planning to head out, he suddenly heard footsteps nearby.
Outside the simple fence that enclosed his yard, a village woman under thirty called out to him.
"Yuanzi, come eat... Ah! Why aren’t you wearing a padded jacket? It’s so cold out."
In the mountain village, the woman, Li Lan, had what could be considered delicate features. But her face was dark and her skin was rough, with calluses on her hands—the clear signs of constant labor.
Xie Yuan looked at his neighbor and said instinctively:
"It’s nothing... Sister Orchid, I can’t keep freeloading off you."
"What’s this about freeloading? It’s just another pair of chopsticks. Come on, let’s go!"
Li Lan reached over the fence to grab Xie Yuan. The village woman was surprisingly strong, and to his bemusement, she dragged him next door as if he were a little chick.
As soon as he entered, he saw an honest-faced man and a robust-looking young boy sitting at a table. On it were two plates of green vegetables, a bowl of coarse millet rice, and a large plate of scrambled eggs—a truly sumptuous meal.
Smelling the cooking oil, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but swallow. He was truly starving.
When the man saw Xie Yuan come in, he nodded and said:
"Yuanzi’s here. Have a seat."
Xie Yuan greeted him, a little embarrassed:
"Brother Shitou, sorry to impose."
Wang Lei showed little expression, simply shaking his head gently.
"Don’t mind him! He’s always got that gloomy look. Hurry up, sit and eat."
Li Lan pushed Xie Yuan into a chair and immediately put a large helping of scrambled eggs on his plate.
"Just collected them from the coop today. They’re fresh!"
"Thanks, Sister Orchid. I can get it myself."
Xie Yuan thanked her gratefully, only to earn a playful glare from Li Lan.
"What’s with all the politeness with your big sister? Just eat. Look how skinny you are."
Xie Yuan picked up his chopsticks, still a bit reserved at first. But Li Lan kept piling food onto his plate, and he was so terribly hungry that he gradually let go, only holding back from competing for food with his neighbors’ son, Wang Xiaohu.
Li Lan, Wang Lei, and his older brother, Xie Lun, had all grown up together.
Sister Orchid and his brother were childhood sweethearts; she was supposed to have become his sister-in-law.
But somehow, it never worked out between them. Instead, Brother Shitou and Sister Orchid became a couple.
It wasn’t until his brother passed away that a sobbing Sister Orchid explained the reason.
Back when they had discussed marriage, Xie Lun felt that Xie Yuan was too young and needed to be cared for. He worried that if Li Lan married him, she would slowly grow to resent his little brother. Even Li Lan’s promise to treat him like her own flesh and blood didn’t work; he never agreed. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
A young woman couldn’t afford to wait. Frustrated by Xie Lun’s attitude, Li Lan, in a fit of pique, married Wang Lei, who had always quietly loved her.
Only later did Li Lan realize that Xie Lun had done it on purpose. He felt his own circumstances were poor and didn’t want to hold back Li Lan, who was considered the village beauty. Wang Lei’s family, on the other hand, owned two mu of paddy fields, making them countless times better off than the two brothers of the Xie family.
But what was done was done. Li Lan gave up on the idea and dedicated herself to her family, being a good wife and mother. They were all sensible people, so the three of them remained close neighbors and visited each other often.
At the funeral, Li Lan had wept while swearing an oath that from then on, Xie Yuan was her own little brother, and she would definitely take good care of him.
"Yuanzi, why didn’t you put on more clothes?"
As they were eating, Li Lan suddenly asked again. Then her expression turned suspicious.
"Don’t tell me those bastards stole them again?"
Xie Yuan opened his mouth, then silently nodded.
"Goddamn bastards! A bunch of sons of bitches!"
Li Lan’s face instantly filled with rage. She slammed her chopsticks down and yelled:
"When Brother Lun was around, those turtle sons wouldn’t have dared to even fart! The moment Brother Lun is gone, they start bullying Yuanzi because he hasn’t filled out yet!"
Wang Lei also frowned and said in a low voice:
"Those guys really have gone too far. It’s just a shame Yuanzi isn’t as tall and strong as Brother Lun..."
"What do you know? The young masters in the city all look like that! His skin is smoother than a girl’s, and his eyes are big and bright. He doesn’t look like someone who grew up in our mountain gully at all. He’s a rare sight!"
One moment Li Lan was talking about how skinny Xie Yuan was, and the next she was refuting her husband.
To be fair, Xie Yuan had very handsome features and was indeed exceptionally good-looking. Malnutrition just made him seem a bit thin and listless, but it also gave him a quiet air. Many of the young girls in the village liked to strike up conversations with him.
"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get a padded jacket for Yuanzi!"
Wang Lei fell silent, then got up and went into the house, muttering under his breath:
"I only have two jackets myself..."
A profound warmth bloomed in Xie Yuan’s heart as he thought to himself:
’No matter how well Brother Shitou and Sister Orchid treat me, I can’t just live off them forever. Besides, the harvest was bad this year, so they’re under a lot of pressure too...’
But he wanted to repay them and had nothing to his name. He sat on the stool as if on pins and needles for a long moment before abruptly standing up.
"Sister Orchid, I chopped a few bundles of firewood today. I’ll go get them for you."
Even if the scrub-tree wood wasn’t very good, it was the thought that counted.
"Eh? No, no, don’t go to the trouble..."
Before Li Lan could finish, Xie Yuan had already run out the door. He returned a moment later with a large back-basket full of firewood.
Wang Lei was a bit surprised when he saw it.
"Yuanzi, you chopped all this in one morning?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, Wang Lei gave a simple-hearted smile.
"Looks like you’ve gotten a lot more skilled than before."
"Yuanzi’s really showing promise!"
Li Lan beamed, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
Xie Yuan smiled reservedly and gratefully accepted the padded jacket, putting it on.
*Phew.* ’Now I’m finally fed and warm.’
He didn’t refuse it, firstly because it would have been pointless, and secondly because he really did need the jacket.
He simply etched this kindness firmly in his heart.
After Xie Yuan left, Li Lan was cleaning up while Wang Lei rubbed his nose and said in a low voice:
"Yuanzi’s getting better at chopping wood. It’s good that he’ll be able to support himself soon."
Li Lan didn’t even look up, just snorted softly.
"Even if he can’t support himself, we’ll support him! Now, what is it you really want to say?"
Wang Lei sighed.
"I know. But the harvest was poor this year, and we don’t have much grain to spare... We still have to save up silver coins for Huwa’s private school, and then there’s next year’s annual tax."
He paused, his voice dropping lower.
"Besides, Zhang the Second has been talking about taking our fields again."
Li Lan’s eyebrows shot up. She slammed her cleaver into the cutting board, making both Wang Lei and Huwa, who was crawling on the floor, jump in fright.
"No way! Don’t pay any attention to that son of a bitch!"
Wang Lei hesitated, then said in a low voice:
"Of course not. It’s just..."
Seeing her husband’s distress, Li Lan’s voice softened.
"My dear husband, I know you work hard, but we can’t let Yuanzi starve! How much did Brother Lun help us when we were growing up? When you fell into that pit behind the mountain as a kid, wasn’t he the one who got the adults to pull you out? That time you were beaten half to death by Zhang Da, wasn’t he the one who beat him up to get even for you?
"He’s gone now, and Yuanzi is all alone. If we don’t look after him, who will?"
"Of course. As long as we have food, we have to make sure Yuanzi has something to eat. It’s just..."
Wang Lei opened his mouth, then sighed.
"Zhang the Second said he could take Yuanzi under his wing, even recommend him for work in the city, or have him work for his big brother. Brother Zhang is a Martial Artist officer now. Don’t you think that going with them could be a way out for Yuanzi? At least he wouldn’t starve."
Li Lan’s brow furrowed.
"He said that?"
She thought for a moment, then shook her head uncertainly.
"If Yuanzi could go to the county town to make a living, with someone looking out for him, that would be alright.
"But why would the two brothers of the Zhang family suddenly take an interest in Yuanzi? As the old saying goes, pies don’t just fall from the sky. It’s a bit strange.
"Besides, with the character of those two Zhang brothers, if he follows them, he’ll turn out crooked. I don’t think it’s a good idea... But we should still ask Yuanzi himself after some time."
Wang Lei nodded in agreement.
"You have a point. How about this: since the autumn harvest is over anyway, I’ll go to the county town this winter to find some work. We’ll manage somehow."
"That will be hard on you, my husband."
...
Xie Yuan returned to his own small yard. With a full stomach and the warmth of the padded jacket, he was filled with motivation and started chopping wood again.
Watching the progress bar tick up bit by bit, he didn’t want to stop at all. When he finished the woodpile in his yard, he went to the foot of the mountain to cut more.
Scrub-trees were everywhere, so Xie Yuan didn’t have to go far. He’d cut them down, haul them back, then split them into piles and tie them into bundles. Besides giving some to Wang Lei and Li Lan, he also managed to trade a little with other villagers for a few copper coins.
His skill was growing, and he was chopping more wood now. With the weather turning cold, even if the scrub-tree wood didn’t sell for much, he could still trade it for a few flatbreads a day. At least he wouldn’t starve.
’It’s good that the weather’s getting colder... This must be what they meant by "Pity the man with threadbare clothes, who worries charcoal is cheap and wishes for a colder sky."’
Sleeping in his drafty wooden hut, Xie Yuan now had a visceral understanding of this timeless verse.
Relying on help from Wang Lei and Li Lan, as well as the few coins he managed to earn himself, Xie Yuan spent three full days chopping wood.
「Three days later.」
THWACK.
An axe fell, splitting a log in two, and the progress bar finally ticked up the last point.
[Chopping Wood (100/100)]
