After washing up, Du Ruo went downstairs and opened the refrigerator to see if there was anything to eat to satisfy his hunger. With martial arts practice and Add Points, if he didn't eat something, he definitely wouldn't be able to sleep at night, and it might also affect his martial arts practice tomorrow.
Martial arts practice consumes a lot of energy, so replenishing nutrition in a timely manner is also a very important matter.
"Son, are you hungry?"
Even though Du Ruo tried his best to keep his movements light, Mom was still awakened. She walked out of the bedroom and inquired about Du Ruo.
"Yeah, I'm a bit hungry after just finishing my workout."
Du Ruo rubbed his stomach. He didn't feel embarrassed or anything; when facing his parents, he could always be open and natural.
"You wait."
Mom didn't say anything else and turned to go to the kitchen. Not long after, she brought out a large bowl of noodles, which contained a generous amount of lean meat and two eggs.
……
"Ding-a-ling~~"
At a little past six o'clock the next morning, Du Ruo got up as soon as he heard the alarm clock. He had gone to sleep at around ten o'clock last night, so waking up at six was not too much of a burden.
Since he had decided to practice martial arts properly, cultivating good habits was essential.
Breathing in the fresh air, Du Ruo looked at the towering Mount Huang in the distance and began today's workout.
In fact, whether it was the Xingyi Five Elements Fist or the Xingyi Santishi, for the current Du Ruo, they were really just tools for exercising and grinding Attribute Points.
Now, Du Ruo had the theoretical knowledge of boxing techniques in his mind and could perform the corresponding movements. If he were to perform or even participate in a Taolu competition, he was confident he could get a very good ranking.
But this did not mean he was a martial arts master or could go out and fight people. Du Ruo still had that bit of self-awareness; Kung Fu could not be achieved just like that.
After three hours of practice, he added his Attribute Points along the way. Du Ruo was now increasingly looking forward to the upgrade of Xing Yi Quan.
After finishing his workout and eating breakfast, Du Ruo suddenly found himself with nothing to do.
After thinking about it, he finally picked up his phone and started looking for work online.
After all, Du Ruo was not a loner. Since he had returned to his hometown, he had to consider the feelings of his family. Even if he wanted to focus on practicing martial arts, having a job on the surface was a good thing. As long as it didn't delay his martial arts practice, Du Ruo could accept it.
It was just a pity that Du Ruo looked at many options but couldn't find a suitable job, mainly because he couldn't balance it with his martial arts practice.
"Forget it, why am I in such a rush to find a job? I might as well just scroll through some videos."
Since he couldn't find anything suitable, Du Ruo simply stopped looking. Anyway, he had no pressure in life right now, so he would first research this System thoroughly.
Du Ruo brewed a pot of tea for himself, then took out a lounge chair and sat in the backyard, watching various videos on his phone that taught martial arts. Occasionally, he would drink a cup of tea and look at Mount Huang in the distance, feeling very relaxed and carefree.
After eating lunch and taking a nap, because he planned to visit Yang Chenguang's home in the evening, Du Ruo started practicing martial arts after his nap to get the Attribute Points and experience points first.
When Du Ruo practiced martial arts, he discovered that the growth of experience points was not just reflected in the data; it was also a verification of the knowledge in his mind. Every time his experience increased, Du Ruo's understanding of the Five Elements Fist and the Three-Body Stance would deepen a little.
What was even more gratifying was that the time he could hold the Three-Body Stance became longer each time. Today, every time he stood in the Single-Weight Three-Body Stance, it had already exceeded one minute, and there were signs of steady improvement.
After finishing his practice, Du Ruo's experience in Xing Yi Quan reached thirty points.
The biggest change brought by thirty points of experience was in his physical appearance. Previously, Du Ruo walked in a rather lazy manner, and because he played on his phone for long periods, he subconsciously liked to lower his head.
But now, these small bad habits of Du Ruo were slowly improving. His posture had become more upright, and his usual way of walking and exerting force had also undergone some subtle changes.
Practicing the Xingyi Five Elements Fist often had the effect of improving one's temperament. From the time he returned until now, it had only been a few days, but his entire Essence, Qi, and Spirit had undergone a earth-shaking change.
"Mom, I'm heading out. Don't cook dinner for me tonight; I'll be eating at Chen Guang's place. You don't need to wait for me either, just leave the door unlocked for me tonight."
Du Ruo picked up a cucumber that Mom had picked from the table, rubbed the prickles on it with his hand, and while crunching on it, he shouted to Mom at the doorway.
Du Ruo's appetite was getting better and better. Just his main meals weren't enough; if he felt hungry after practicing martial arts, he couldn't help but eat some snacks.
"Wait a moment, take these with you."
Hearing that Du Ruo was going to Yang Chenguang's house, Mom hurriedly took something that had already been packed from the refrigerator and handed it to Du Ruo.
"Inside are two Stinky Mandarin Fish and a bottle of Rosa Microphylla Wine I brewed. Don't go out and buy things; it's expensive and impractical."
"Alright, then I'm off."
Du Ruo had actually been thinking about buying some fruit or milk to bring over, but he didn't expect Mom to have already thought of it, so he didn't need to go buy anything. Moreover, Yang Chenguang was a typical local with a local palate who was particularly fond of stinky foods. The Stinky Mandarin Fish made by Du Ruo's mom was his absolute favorite, and it was a must-order dish every time he came over for a meal.
Du Ruo took the items and walked to Yangjia Village, where Yang Chenguang lived.
Du Ruo's arrival was met with warm hospitality from the Yang Family, with them killing a chicken and serving their own home-cured bacon.
Yang Chenguang even brought his wife and children back, making the house very lively.
"Why did you suddenly come back? I didn't hear you give any heads-up or anything."
Yang Chenguang picked up a piece of Stinky Mandarin Fish, then took a sip of wine, his eyes squinting in enjoyment. Du Ruo's Dad and Mom were afraid there might be some hidden story, and since they were just happy that Du Ruo was back, they never asked. But Yang Chenguang didn't think that much and just asked casually while eating.
"I got laid off. Jobs out there are really competitive, so it's more comfortable to come back."
Du Ruo raised his Wine Cup to toast with Yang Chenguang and Yang Chenguang's father before answering. Anyway, there was nothing bad to say; being laid off was just the general environment, and it wasn't shameful.
"Tsk, yeah, business is really hard to do these days. In a place as small as our village, there are already two Bed and Breakfasts."
"Are Bed and Breakfasts doing well now?"
Anyway, at the dinner table, there were no fixed topics; they were just chatting casually, talking about whatever came to mind.
"These things depend on how you manage them and the general environment. The two in our village lost money for the first few years, and it's only this year that there are signs of improvement. But it's a pity, one of them is planning to transfer ownership."
Yang Chenguang saw things quite clearly. Moreover, when the Bed and Breakfasts first came to their village to rent land years ago, he was the one who went to negotiate. He also relied on these two Bed and Breakfasts to attract other shops, which drove the village's economy and led to him becoming the Deputy Secretary of the village, so he understood these things very clearly.
"Transfer? Why transfer? Poor management?"
Once Du Ruo heard this, he suddenly had an idea. It seemed that running a Bed and Breakfast was also a pretty good thing. If the cost was lower, being a Homestay owner would allow him to have a decent job without having to work nine-to-five, giving him more time to practice martial arts.
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