#13 - Chapter 13 Ambition
On his way home, Cheng Feng heard a familiar shout from the distant shadows: "Er Gou, is that you?"
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Cheng Feng asked, surprised and delighted.
Although he had a full harvest and a bizarre experience, he still felt uneasy walking alone on the road at midnight.
It felt like something was following him.
"I was afraid something might happen to you on the road at night, so I came to check," Cheng's father said, still concerned about his son.
Cheng Feng was also touched: "It's okay, Dad. I'm a grown man now. Did you see the fish that大哥 and 老三 brought back?"
"I saw them. My Er Gou is becoming successful." The night was getting darker, and Cheng's father's face was hard to see, but the joy in his voice was obvious.
"Don't worry, Dad. Our family will get better and better. When that time comes, our three brothers will take care of you and Mom together," Cheng Feng said, with a hint of pride and comfort.
"Aye, aye, good boy," Cheng's father nodded repeatedly.
Even the coldness of midnight seemed to be dispelled by the words of the father and son.
Home is a place where you can have a hot meal no matter how late you return.
The stove was stacked with firewood, and the pot was covered.
Cheng's mother was obviously waiting at home for the father and son to return.
The eldest and third sons had already finished eating and were resting.
Seeing Cheng Feng and his father return, Cheng's mother quickly brought the food to the table.
Cheng Feng asked, "Mom, how's the fish?"
Cheng's mother said, "Don't worry, they're all in buckets with water. They won't die overnight."
Cheng Feng knew what was going on and started eating directly.
Cheng's father looked at his second son, his face hesitant and expectant.
He was very conflicted.
Cheng Feng was working hard to be a glutton, not noticing his father's hesitant face.
He talked to his father while eating, asking if his father could help take the fish to sell tomorrow.
He also discussed whether to sell them in batches or all at once.
After deducting the portion for the helpers, they had a surplus of 26 large fish and 22 small fish.
As usual, they would eat the small fish themselves and sell the large fish.
At most, they could sell them in two batches, otherwise, the fish might not be well cared for.
Dead fish wouldn't fetch a good price.
A total of twenty-six large coins, equivalent to two taels of silver and six large coins.
This was a huge profit.
Thinking of the 13 large coins and 4 small coins he still owed for the bow,
Cheng Feng immediately felt less pressure.
With a little more saving, he should be able to buy a hunting knife.
Cheng Feng had been longing for a hunting knife.
In the beginning, he could behead all the flowers and plants within a ten-mile radius with just a wooden stick.
If he had the real thing, it would be even more perfect.
With the plan set, the family went to sleep.
In the following two days, Cheng Feng took his father and eldest brother to the city.
They earned a total of twenty-six large coins.
At the same time, he learned from chatting with people on the street that there was a famine in the east of Da Zhou. The court officials' disaster relief was ineffective, and the people in the east had rebelled. It was said that there was also a Red Lotus Sect instigating behind the scenes, and they were wanted by the government.
Cheng Feng didn't feel anything about it.
Cheng Feng was currently in Qingxi County, one of the narrow counties under Lianshan Prefecture in Huangyun Road. It was in the south of Da Zhou and not even bordering the east.
Since it was so far away, Cheng Feng just listened to it as entertainment.
But he also became more cautious. The previous life's TV dramas told him that famines and man-made disasters were unavoidable, but with food in hand, you wouldn't panic.
With the autumn harvest approaching, now that the family could earn more money, they wouldn't sell their grain.
On the contrary, they had to prepare some more, at least half a year or a year's worth to keep as a reserve.
The place where the family stored grain was too small, so they had to build a basement, preferably one that could store more.
It wasn't easy to go to the city, so according to the plan, each time they sold the fish, they would take out some to buy things that the family could use.
They couldn't be too conspicuous, nor could they buy too much.
These two days, Cheng Feng bought some more food for the family and also bought two more kitchen knives for the family.
The knives at home were really too old.
Now that he had the ability, Cheng Feng wanted to settle the family first.
Replace what could be replaced, buy what was commonly used.
More things at home meant the family was doing well.
The children who helped with fishing these days were all saying good things about Cheng Feng.
The neighbors in the village were also more enthusiastic when talking to Cheng's father and mother.
But there were also those who hinted at whether they could bring their own children along.
At least it was a skill, wasn't it?
Cheng Feng's family matters hadn't been improved yet, so how could he take care of others?
This time, he only looked for a few children who were good at swimming to help with fishing because he needed to get a big one.
Did Cheng Feng have to slowly teach those who couldn't swim?
Cheng Feng couldn't bear the responsibility if something happened.
Cheng Feng told Lao Cheng that it was because he and Lao San were good at swimming.
Cheng Feng fed the water-avoidance pearl to Lao San the night he got it back.
At that time, Cheng Lei was sleeping soundly, probably not knowing anything!
Cheng Feng was more at ease with Lao San, who had eaten the water-avoidance pearl.
And after that, Cheng Feng had to find the third person's opportunity in his spare time.
Cheng Feng asked the people around him, subtly inquiring about what was thirty miles away from the shore.
Some people who had gone far said that there was nothing there.
It was just a cliff with a river running through the middle.
Cheng Feng imagined a scene of falling off a cliff and drowning.
In any case, Cheng Feng had to go and see.
If he had more money, his next step would be settled.
Perhaps he could also test the depth of his talent.
Cheng Feng had secretly tested the limit of the water-avoidance pearl, and the result was that he was safe for at least seven hours.
Cheng Feng really breathed in the water like a fish and swam in the water, but his body couldn't bear it for too long.
Cheng Feng guessed it might be because of the water pressure.
He was still a child who was one year away from being sixteen years old!
Even if he was very good at swimming, he was still an ordinary person.
And there were also changes in his panel.
Name: Cheng Feng
Lifespan: 16 (62)
Talent: More Children, More Happiness
Skills: Fishing (Proficient 89%)
Archery (Beginner 1%)
In the few days after releasing the big fish, Cheng Feng was just practicing his swimming skills, but his fishing skills had increased so much.
Cheng Feng could only attribute the reason to the magical water-avoidance pearl.
Besides that, Cheng Feng really couldn't find a reason.
This was also a good thing.
It allowed Cheng Feng to understand that external objects could also improve skill proficiency.
This was a new discovery of Cheng Feng's panel potential.
But Cheng Feng knew that this thing was not easy to find.
The fact that the big fish could speak had already allowed Cheng Feng to understand a negligible corner of this world.
And learning martial arts and literacy was also a part of Cheng Feng's plan, and the most important part of the blueprint.
Cheng Feng used to think that Da Zhou was similar to the ancient world of his previous life.
That martial arts were very powerful, so when I'm poor, I just won't provoke them, right? Retreating is always possible, right?
But with the appearance of this big fish that could speak human language, even if it was very short, Cheng Feng clearly heard the word magic.
Was it possible to learn magic somewhere?
A little more thought was: Was it possible to cultivate immortality and longevity?
Cheng Feng gathered his scattered thoughts, but he was still a beneficiary of the big fish spitting out the pearl.
It always left a seed in Cheng Feng's mind.
Just like in his previous life, Cheng Feng was just an ordinary commoner who couldn't come into contact with those privileged classes.
But in this life, that wasn't necessarily the case.
Once the seed of hope was planted, it would take root and sprout with a little watering.
Growing the flower of desire.
That was Pandora's box, and also the motivation to move forward.
And Cheng Feng was still young and could slowly search.
As long as he found that place, that place where he could learn.
As long as there was experience exchange, Cheng Feng's panel would absorb it.
Cheng Feng was sure that once he learned it, the skill would form.
And all of this, as long as Cheng Feng knew where it was, he could find that place.
