Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
At nine years old, Xu Mingwei had grown a great deal taller, reaching nearly 1.4 meters, looking like a proper young lad.
He had also mastered the breathing method and twelve moves of the Minor Dragon Elephant Technique, able to practice on his own now.
The biggest changes, however, were his strength and his eyes.
His 【Innate Divine Strength】 Fate Talent was not an exaggeration; nowadays, many adults could not compare to him.
His eyes had also grown sharper and deeper.
Youths his age felt a bit intimidated whenever they saw him.
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Not just them—even adults grew fearful when they saw his face darken.
It felt as if his gaze were as sharp as a knife, stabbing straight into their hearts.
However, Xu Mingwei kept his edge concealed most of the time.
Just like Xu Chuan, he was steady and low-key.
March.
After the spring rains.
The soil, washed by the drizzle, gleamed with a deep brown sheen, while wild shepherd's purse on the ridges held up tender leaves topped with water droplets.
Egrets skimmed across the paddies filled with spring water, their sharp beaks suddenly plunging into the surface to pluck out a silver crucian carp.
A field mouse darted out from a damp haystack, only to be chased by the old yellow dog guarding the water as it nibbled on fresh pea sprouts, sending up a spray of mud.
Across the endless rice paddies, common folk wearing bamboo hats could be seen everywhere bending over to transplant seedlings, their bare feet making squelching sounds as they stepped into the mud.
Xu Chuan was busy in the rice paddies, and Xu Mingwei was right beside him transplanting seedlings.
Xu Mingyuan carried a large teapot and two lidded cups, heading their way.
"Dad, Eldest Brother, Mother told me to bring you some herbal tea."
Xu Chuan looked up and saw Xu Mingyuan. Smiling slightly, he turned to Xu Mingwei, who was diligently transplanting seedlings, and said, "Shitou, go up and take a break."
"Dad, I'm not tired. This row will be finished soon. I'll rest once I'm done here."
"Suit yourself."
Xu Chuan chuckled and walked up onto the bank.
He took the tea poured by Xu Mingyuan and gulped down a big mouthful.
Xu Mingyuan looked at Xu Mingwei and sighed with admiration, "Eldest Brother is so hardworking."
"Unlike you—always restless like a cheeky monkey," Xu Chuan scolded playfully upon hearing that.
Xu Mingyuan stuck out his tongue and chuckled.
"I'll go help Eldest Brother too."
Saying that, he took off his green cloth shoes, rolled his pant legs up to his knees, stepped into the paddy, and walked toward Xu Mingwei, shouting as he went, "Brother, I'm coming to help you!"
Xu Mingwei looked up and smiled, "Then thank you, Ayuan."
"Walk slowly, don't fall."
Seeing this harmonious brotherly bond, Xu Chuan felt immense gratification.
His eldest son was steady and composed, like a majestic mountain, capable of upholding the family line.
His second son, though lively and mischievous, was shrewd, intelligent, and adaptable.
As for his youngest son, he was now three years old, able to walk and run, cheerful and spirited.
Xu Chuan had cultivated the Minor Dragon Elephant Technique for three years. By now, whenever he practiced, a stream of warm Qi flowed throughout his body.
This was Internal Force.
However, to become a Third-rate Martial Artist, one had to open at least thirty-six acupoints.
Right now, he had only opened thirty-odd acupoints.
According to the Internal Force Secret Manual:
If one opened all 365 acupoints throughout the body, one would reach the Peak of the Acquired Realm, with Internal Force coursing endlessly through all bodily acupoints in an unbroken cycle.
A First-rate martial artist needed to open 300 acupoints, and a second-rate one needed 108.
Xu Mingwei, though a bit slower, had also opened twenty acupoints.
His advantage lay in his youth, which made opening acupoints easier; surpassing Xu Chuan in the future would be effortless.
With Xu Mingyuan pitching in, the transplanting was completed by morning, and the father and sons returned home happily.
Reaching the doorway, an appetizing aroma wafted toward them.
"The smell of chicken soup, and braised carp..."
Just after muttering those words, Xu Mingyuan's stomach rumbled.
Under the eaves.
Seeing his father and older brothers return, Mingxuan called out in a childish voice, "Mother, Dad and my brothers are back!"
With that, he ran toward Xu Chuan, crying out, "Dad, Dad!"
"Tantou, you only know how to call Dad. What about us?"
Xu Mingyuan ruffled Mingxuan's hair and narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"Second Brother, you always snatch my things, so I won't call you."
He turned his head away and beamed at Xu Mingwei, shouting, "Eldest Brother!"
"Hey, think I can't handle you?!"
Xu Mingyuan pulled Mingxuan into his arms and began tickling him relentlessly.
Mingxuan giggled non-stop until he begged for mercy, and only then did Xu Mingyuan let him go.
"All right, go wash up and let's eat."
Xu Chuan walked into the kitchen to check on Bai Jing and saw her busy at work.
Seeing him, Bai Jing smiled softly. "Go ahead and eat, Husband. My last dish is almost ready."
"I smelled the aroma from afar. Thank you for your hard work, Wife. Marrying you is truly my blessing."
"Smooth talker!"
Bai Jing chided playfully, though she was clearly delighted, her face blooming with a bright smile.
That evening.
"Husband, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Xu Chuan asked calmly, pondering Xu Mingyuan's future path.
He was seven now, and the time had come.
However, as for the specifics, he planned to discuss it with Xu Mingyuan before carefully weighing his options.
Bai Jing took his large hand and placed it on her belly.
Xu Chuan froze for a moment, turned to look at her, and blinked.
"You're expecting again?"
Childbearing was hard, and Xu Chuan was considerate; he had not intended to have more children.
"Didn't we..."
Bai Jing gave him a playful glare. "It's all Husband's fault."
"Once we do it, it can't be completely prevented. Even pulling out has its chances. Or could it be that Husband doesn't want it?"
"Of course not!" Xu Chuan said hastily, raising his arms to pull her into his embrace.
"Since it has come to our Xu family, it is fate. Of course we will have it. Even if seven or eight more come along, our family can afford to raise them now."
Over the past two years, Xu Chuan had bought another twenty mu of farmland and forty mu of mountain forest.
This farmland was not paddy land and usually cost around a dozen taels per mu.
Mountain forest was even cheaper, seven or eight taels per mu, but one had to chop down the trees and clear the land before planting fruit trees.
Several kinds of fruits were planted in this farmland and mountain forest: strawberries and loquats in spring, watermelons, lychees, and peaches in summer, persimmons and pomelos in autumn, and sugarcane and winter dates in winter.
Tree fruits might take a couple of years to bear produce.
However, crops like watermelons, strawberries, and sugarcane produced abundantly every year under Xu Chuan's meticulous care.
From these fruits alone, he could make several hundred taels of profit a year.
It was mainly because Xu Chuan cultivated them well, far superior to ordinary households, so everyone prioritized buying fruit from the Xu family.
Only afterward would they consider others'.
Now, the Xu family possessed sixty mu of rice paddies, twenty mu of farmland, and forty mu of mountain forest land.
In Dongxi Village, they were undeniably well-off, enjoying ample food and clothing.
A few days later.
At Chen Ergou's home.
Xu Yan returned from patrolling the mountain forest. Seeing Ergou lying idly on the reclining chair looking utterly leisurely, anger flared within her.
Grabbing the broom behind the door, she swung it at him.
"Holy crap!"
Chen Ergou bounced off the reclining chair and took off running, his movements exceedingly Proficient.
"Xu Yan, what are you doing?!"
"Talk it out nicely, don't get physical!"
"Don't think I can't beat you—a real man doesn't fight with women!"
...
"Heh, if you were as capable as Xu Chuan, I'd be completely obedient to you and let you have your way in everything."
"Pity me, Xu Yan, for being so blind as to fancy a scoundrel like you! Useless at martial arts, useless at scholarship, and useless at farming—what can you even do?"
"Sit around and eat through our fortunes?!"
...
Pandemonium ensued.
When their son and daughter returned from the village school and saw this scene, they were already used to it and walked straight toward the Xu family's house.
"Chen Daniu, Fangfang, it's almost noon, why have you come over?"
In the courtyard.
Xu Mingwei paused his movements and looked over.
Xu Mingyuan came out upon hearing the noise and chuckled at the sight. "Uncle Ergou and Auntie are making a fuss again?"
Chen Daniu sighed softly, "My Dad really can't compare to Uncle Chuan. Mother is chasing him all over with a broom."
"What is it about this time? Is Auntie still displeased with Uncle Ergou loafing around?"
Chen Fangfang said in surprise, "Ayuan, you're so smart, you hit the nail on the head!"
"Mother is always comparing Dad to Uncle Chuan."
"My Dad is the most formidable person in Dongxi Village. How could Uncle Ergou's lazy temperament ever compare?" Xu Mingyuan held boundless admiration for Xu Chuan, seeing him as a Heavenly God.
"Chen Daniu, tell me about it. Maybe I can give you some advice."
Chen Daniu repeated everything Chen Ergou and his wife had said.
Xu Mingyuan pondered for a moment and said, "I heard Dad say that Azure Jade Pears aren't so easy to grow. Auntie aims too high and clings to wishful thinking; she's bound to suffer a loss."
"Over these three years, your family must have invested quite a bit in the Azure Jade Pears. Seeing that you're about to lose everything, her temper has become volatile, leading to marital discord."
"I think you should persuade Auntie to give up on growing Azure Jade Pears."
"If we don't grow that, what should our family grow?" Chen Daniu asked curiously.
Xu Mingwei listened quietly as well, curious to see what good ideas his younger brother might have.
"Follow our family's lead and grow some ordinary fruits and melons. First, your own household won't go hungry, and second, you can sell them for money."