Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Nine-year-old Xu Mingwei had grown a great deal taller, reaching nearly 1.4 meters. He looked like a half-grown young man now.
He had also learned the breathing method and twelve forms of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique and could practice independently.
The biggest changes were in his strength and his eyes.
The Innate Divine Strength fate talent was no joke. Now many adults couldn't compare to him.
His pair of eyes had also become increasingly sharp and penetrating.
When boys his age saw him, they felt somewhat fearful in their hearts.
Never mind them, even adults felt apprehensive when they encountered him with a somber expression.
They felt that his gaze was as sharp as a blade, stabbing straight into their hearts. However, Xu Mingwei mostly restrained his sharpness.
…
March.
After the spring rain, the earth washed by the fine rain glistened with a deep brown sheen. Wild shepherd's purse on the field ridges thrust up tender leaves topped with water droplets.
White egrets swept over the rice paddies filled with spring water. A sharp beak suddenly plunged into the water surface and pulled up a silver crucian carp.
A field mouse emerged from the damp haystack. When it was stealing nibbles of newly sprouted pea shoots, it was chased by the old yellow dog watching over the water, splashing up a string of mud droplets.
In the endless rice fields, one could see commoners wearing bamboo hats everywhere, bending over to transplant seedlings. When their bare feet stepped into the mud, they made squelching sounds.
Xu Chuan was busy in the rice paddy. Xu Mingwei also followed beside him, planting seedlings.
Xu Mingyuan came carrying a large teapot and two covered cups.
"Father, big brother, Mother asked me to bring you cool tea."
Xu Chuan looked up and saw Xu Mingyuan, smiled slightly, then turned his head to Xu Mingwei who was earnestly planting seedlings and said, "Shitou, come up and rest for a bit."
"Father, I'm not tired. I'll finish this row very quickly. After I'm done with this side, I'll rest."
"As you wish."
Xu Chuan chuckled and went up to shore.
He took the tea Xu Mingyuan poured and gulped down a large mouthful.
Xu Mingyuan looked at Xu Mingwei and sighed, "Big brother is really dedicated."
"Unlike you, like a mischievous monkey, never able to settle down." Hearing this, Xu Chuan laughed and scolded.
Xu Mingwei stuck out his tongue and grinned.
"I'll go help big brother too."
Saying this, he took off his green cloth shoes, rolled up his pants to his knees, went down into the rice paddy, and walked toward Xu Mingwei, shouting as he went, "Brother, I'll help you."
Xu Mingwei looked up and smiled slightly, "Then thank you, Ahyuan."
"Walk slowly, don't fall down."
Seeing this scene of brotherly harmony, Xu Chuan felt deeply gratified.
His eldest son was steady, like a towering mountain, sufficient to carry on the family.
His second son, though spirited, was clever and quick-witted, flexible and adaptable.
As for his youngest son, now three years old, he could walk and run, cheerful and lively.
Xu Chuan had practiced the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique for three years. By now, every time he practiced, there was a warm current flowing through his entire body.
This was internal energy. However, to become a third-rate martial artist, one needed to open at least thirty-six acupoints.
He had currently only opened just over thirty acupoints.
According to what the internal energy manual said.
If one opened all 365 acupoints throughout the body, one would reach the pinnacle of the Postnatal realm. Internal energy would flow through all the acupoints of the body's circulation, generating endlessly.
First-rate martial artists needed to open 300 acupoints, second-rate needed to open 108.
Although Xu Mingwei was slightly slower, he had also opened twenty acupoints.
His advantage was in being young. Opening acupoints was more advantageous at a young age. Surpassing Xu Chuan in the future would be no problem.
With Xu Mingyuan's addition, they finished planting the seedlings in the morning. The father and three sons returned home happily.
When they reached the doorway, they smelled waves of fragrance wafting toward them.
"The smell of chicken soup, and also braised carp..."
Just as he muttered these two sentences, Xu Mingyuan's stomach started gurgling.
Under the eaves, seeing his father and older brothers returning, Xu Mingxuan called out in a childish voice, "Mother, Father and brothers are back."
After speaking, he ran toward Xu Chuan, calling "Father, Father."
"Tantou, you only know to call Father. What about us?"
Xu Mingyuan rubbed Xu Mingxuan's head and squinted his eyes.
"Second brother, you always snatch my things, so I won't call you."
He turned his head away, then smiled and called out to Xu Mingwei, "Big brother."
"Hey, I don't believe I can't deal with you!"
Xu Mingyuan pulled Xu Mingxuan into his arms, then crazily tickled him.
Xu Mingxuan laughed nonstop until he begged for mercy, then Xu Mingyuan finally let him go.
"All right, go wash up and let's all eat."
Xu Chuan went to the kitchen to check on Bai Jing and saw she was busy.
When Bai Jing saw him, she smiled slightly, "Husband, go ahead and eat. My last dish will be ready soon too."
"I could smell the fragrance from far away. Thank you for your hard work, wife. Being able to marry you is my good fortune."
"Smooth talker!"
Bai Jing laughed and scolded, but was clearly very pleased, her face blooming with a smile.
That evening.
"Husband, I want to tell you something."
"What is it?" Xu Chuan sat calmly, thinking about Xu Mingyuan's path.
He was now seven years old as well, it was about time.
However, regarding the specifics, he planned to ask Xu Mingyuan first, then consider carefully.
Bai Jing pulled his large hand and placed it on her own stomach.
Xu Chuan froze for a moment, turned his head to look, and blinked.
"Is there another one?"
Giving birth was hard work. Xu Chuan was considerate and originally hadn't wanted to have more children.
"Didn't we..."
Bai Jing glared at him coquettishly with reproach, "It's all because of you, husband."
"Since we did it, this matter cannot be completely prevented. Even if done outside, there's still a chance. Does husband not want this child?"
"How could that be!" Xu Chuan quickly said, then raised his arm and drew her into his embrace.
"Since they've come to our Xu family, it's fate. Of course we must give birth. Even if seven or eight more come, our family can afford to raise them now."
In the past two years, Xu Chuan had purchased another twenty mu of farmland and forty mu of mountain forest.
This farmland wasn't rice paddies, generally costing over ten taels per mu.
Mountain forest was even cheaper, seven or eight taels per mu, but one needed to fell the trees oneself and clear them before being able to plant fruit trees.
These farmlands and mountain forests were planted with several types of fruit: strawberries and loquats in spring, watermelons, lychees, and peaches in summer, persimmons and pomelos in autumn, sugarcane and winter jujubes in winter.
Tree-grown fruits might need another two years to bear fruit. However, like watermelons, strawberries, sugarcane, and the like, under Xu Chuan's careful cultivation, they could yield quite a lot every year.
Just these fruits alone could bring in several hundred taels of income in a year.
The main thing was that Xu Chuan cultivated them well. Compared to what ordinary families grew, his were superior. Everyone prioritized buying fruit from the Xu family.
Only then would they buy from other families.
Now, the Xu family had sixty mu of rice paddies, twenty mu of farmland, and forty mu of mountain forest land.
In Dongxi Village, they were definitely a modestly wealthy family, living comfortably with food and clothing.
…
Several days later, at Chen Ergou's house.
Xu Yan returned from inspecting the mountain forest. Seeing Ergou lying idly on a reclining chair looking completely at ease, she immediately became furious.
She grabbed the broom from behind the door and was about to strike him with it.
"Good grief!"
Chen Ergou bounced up from the reclining chair, turned, and ran. His movements were extremely practiced.
"Xu Yan, what are you doing!"
"Let's talk nicely, don't get physical."
"Don't think I can't beat you. I just won't fight with a woman!"
"Heh, if you were as capable as Xu Chuan, I would be obedient to you in everything and let you decide everything."
"Poor me, Xu Yan, I must have been blind to take a fancy to a good-for-nothing like you. No good at martial arts, no good at scholarship, no good at farming either. What can you do?"
"Sit and eat away the family fortune?"
There was a great commotion of chickens flying and dogs jumping.
When their son and daughter came back from school, they were already used to this scene and went straight to the Xu family.
"Daniu, Fangfang, it's close to noon, why have you come over?"
In the courtyard, Xu Mingwei stopped his movements and looked over.
Xu Mingyuan heard the sound and came out. Seeing this, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Uncle Ergou and aunt are quarreling again?"
Daniu sighed lightly, "My old man really can't compare to Uncle Chuan. Mother is chasing him with a broom again."
"This time what's it about? Is aunt still dissatisfied with Uncle Ergou's idleness?"
Chen Fangfang said in surprise, "Ahyuan, you're really smart, you guessed it right away."
"Mother always compares father to Uncle Chuan."
"My father is the most capable in Dongxi Village. How could Uncle Ergou with his lazy temperament compare?" Xu Mingyuan admired Xu Chuan immensely, like a deity.
"Daniu, tell me the details. Perhaps I can give you some advice."
Daniu recounted everything the Chen Ergou couple had said.
Xu Mingyuan pondered for a moment and said, "I've heard Father say that green jade pears are not that easy to grow. Aunt has lofty aspirations and harbors a fluke mentality. She will eventually suffer for it."
"In these three years, your family must have invested quite a bit in the green jade pears. Seeing that the investment will be completely lost, her temperament has become unpredictable, leading to marital discord."
"I think you should persuade aunt to give up growing green jade pears."
"If we don't grow that, what should our family grow?" Daniu asked curiously.
Xu Mingwei also listened quietly, wanting to know what good ideas his younger brother had.
"Follow our family in growing some ordinary melons and fruits. First, your own family won't lack for them, and second, you can sell them for money."