This Martial Saint is Too Cautious
Chapter 4 - 3: Formidable Grandaunt

Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Formidable Grandaunt

On the way back to the rear courtyard, the maid Xiaocui couldn’t help but say, "Madam, couldn’t you have just told Nursing Director Zhou about this directly?"

Li Min let out a soft laugh. "All matters concerning my relatives have always been left to the Master’s discretion. What did the Liu Family send over today?"

"Two pressed ducks from the Zhou Family Bakery, and a bolt of..."

"Tell the kitchen to plate the ducks and serve them for lunch." Li Min cut Xiaocui off before she could finish listing the gifts.

「Nearing noon.」

Master Cai returned to the mansion. He first visited the First Madam, then arrived at Li Min’s courtyard about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Li Min helped Master Cai remove his outer robe and wash his hands. Servants quickly served a spread of exquisite dishes.

"Min’er, what made you crave pressed duck today?" Master Cai asked curiously, looking at the dish on the table.

"Master, do you remember my aunt’s daughter-in-law? She’s the one who sent this today. I immediately had the kitchen prepare it."

After Li Min spoke, her expression suddenly grew cold. Watching her demeanor change, Master Cai became curious. In the past, Min’er had always described the Liu Family as sensible people who knew their place. Even if Min’er wasn’t particularly close to them, she would never have adopted such a cold attitude.

"I recall you mentioning her a few times, so I have some impression. Your aunt’s family... the Liu Family? Has something happened?"

Hearing her master’s words, Li Min sighed inwardly. ’I have plenty of relatives, but only a few the Master remembers. The Liu Family has never even met the Master. The only reason he remembers them is because of their yearly visits.’

’Otherwise, if they only showed up at the last minute begging for help, I wouldn’t be able to say a word on their behalf, even if I wanted to.’

"It’s nothing, Master. You needn’t worry about it," Li Min said nonchalantly, pouring Master Cai a cup of wine.

"Tell me about it," Master Cai said with a chuckle, taking a sip of wine.

Li Min put down the wine jug with a sense of helplessness and complained, "The Liu Family has been visiting every year. They’d leave a gift and go. I saw that they knew their place, and since the gifts weren’t worth much, I let it be. But I never expected the Liu Family to be so audacious. Today, they showed up with a nephew, wanting our Nursing Home to teach him Martial Arts."

Master Cai paused, his wine cup in hand. "I recall you saying all the men in your aunt’s family have passed away. Do they still have the money for him to learn Martial Arts?"

"She claims that with no men in the family, she wants my nephew to learn some basic self-defense from the Nursing Home so he won’t get bullied." Li Min snorted with contempt. "Does she take me for a fool? If he just wanted to learn basic self-defense, he could learn it anywhere. Clearly, they want to learn real Martial Arts but aren’t willing to spend the money. So they’ve targeted our family. Letting them stay for a meal is the extent of my familial obligation. I’ll have Xiaocui send them away after they’ve eaten."

Master Cai had only asked casually, but upon hearing Li Min’s words, a thought occurred to him. "Min’er, perhaps you’re overthinking this?"

"Master, do you take me for a fool, too?" Li Min pouted, playfully poking Master Cai’s beard with her delicate fingers. "My nephew is eighteen this year. If they’re truly afraid of being bullied as a widow and orphan, why not find him a wife? Marrying a girl from a family with many brothers would be a far greater deterrent than him learning a few moves, don’t you think?"

"Min’er, you are clever indeed." Master Cai stroked his beard and laughed loudly. "Still, life isn’t easy for a widow and an orphan. It’s a small matter, so we should help if we can. Have them go to Nursing Director Zhou and tell him it was my order."

"Master!" Li Min pouted, her face a mask of reluctance. "If you help them with this today and my other relatives find out, who knows how many more will come begging in the future? I’ll be pestered to death! Absolutely not."

"The matter is settled. If you don’t want to be involved, have your maid take them to Guard Zhou."

Master Cai’s decision was final. He reached out, pressing on Li Min’s shoulder to pull her into his lap. Annoyed, Li Min tried to shrug him off, but she didn’t evade his grasp and ended up sitting reluctantly in his embrace.

"Don’t be angry. Next time I go to the Prefecture City, I’ll bring you back something nice."

"That’s more like it."

As Li Min was being held and comforted by Master Cai, she lowered her head, out of his sight. For a fleeting moment, a hint of triumph flashed in her eyes.

...

...

「In the afternoon.」

"Madam Lin, my mistress is occupied and cannot come in person. Regarding Young Master Lin’s desire to learn Martial Arts, she has specifically instructed me to take him to see Nursing Director Zhou."

The maid, Xiaocui, had come. The rear courtyard of the Cai Mansion was designated for the Nursing Home and male servants, a place unsuitable for a woman of the Liu Family to enter.

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Cui’er. Yan’er, you should go."

The Liu Family handed Lin Yan a money bag: "When you see Nursing Director Zhou, be sure to show respect."

Lin Yan nodded and followed Xiaocui through several covered corridors to a courtyard in the southwestern corner of the compound.

Inside the courtyard, a burly man sat on a large stone disk.

"Nursing Director Zhou, the mistress sent me to bring Young Master Lin here."

"Come in."

Nursing Director Zhou stood up. His gaze fell upon Lin Yan, his face showing no sign of confusion. He had clearly been briefed beforehand.

"Can you read?"

"I studied with a tutor for a while."

"The Martial Arts I have mastered cannot be taught without permission. In my youth, I acquired a Pile Skill called the Rock Pillar Posture. It is just a low-level skill, the most basic kind. Are you willing to learn it?"

"I am willing."

Lin Yan agreed without the slightest hesitation. ’Even if it’s the most basic of low-level skills, something like this is still far beyond my reach.’

Nursing Director Zhou tossed over a booklet he had already prepared, which Lin Yan hurriedly caught.

"Though the Rock Pillar Posture is a low-level skill, practicing it for a few years will increase your strength enough to handle three to five ordinary men. But you are not to pass it on to anyone else without my permission."

Nursing Director Zhou’s attitude was cold; he clearly had no intention of offering any personal guidance.

’Of the three madams in the mansion, this one is just a concubine, and her visitor is a poor relative. If the Boss hadn’t personally given the order, this kid wouldn’t have even been allowed to set foot in my courtyard.’

’Martial Arts isn’t something the poor should even dream about.’

"Thank you, Master Zhou, for granting me this technique."

Lin Yan’s attitude remained sincere. ’I’m the one asking for a favor. As long as he helps, his attitude doesn’t matter.’

"It’s not free. Ten taels of silver."

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard at Nursing Director Zhou’s words. Xiaocui frowned. Lin Yan, however, was silent for only a moment before taking out pieces of loose silver from the money bag his aunt had given him. He counted out ten taels and handed them to Nursing Director Zhou.

’Ten taels of silver for a Martial Arts Skill isn’t expensive.’

’The previous owner of this body had wanted to learn Martial Arts and had asked around.’

’So-called Martial Arts Secret Manuals were sold on the market for at least twenty taels, and there was no way to know if they were real.’

’Getting a genuine Martial Arts Secret Manual for ten taels of silver was a bargain.’

Nursing Director Zhou hefted the silver coins, then tucked them into his robes.

"These ten taels only buy you the opportunity to practice the Cultivation of the Rock Pillar Posture. You are not to pass it on without my permission."

"I will remember."

Lin Yan’s attitude remained as respectful as ever, showing no sign of displeasure at having to pay. Seeing that Nursing Director Zhou had no intention of speaking further, he took the initiative to ask, "Sir, are there any dietary considerations for the Cultivation of the Rock Pillar Posture?"

’This concerns the future of my Martial Arts. It’s better to be clear. My pride can wait.’

"Diet?"

A flicker of impatience crossed Nursing Director Zhou’s face. "Of course there are. You need to eat your fill of fine rice at every meal, with plenty of fish and meat to replenish your Qi Blood. That must be supplemented with medicinal baths and herbal soups. The monthly cost is five or six taels at the low end, and can be dozens of taels. Can you afford that?"

Lin Yan: ...

"Don’t aim so high. Just be practical and train for a few years. It’ll be enough if your strength becomes a bit greater than an ordinary person’s. Do you really expect to make a name for yourself with this?"

’I came from a decent family myself, but I didn’t know how to be frugal in the beginning. I thought I could achieve a breakthrough quickly and ended up squandering my family’s fortune. Otherwise, how would I have ended up taking a post in this merchant’s Nursing Home, earning a paltry sixty catties of meat and eight taels of silver coins a month?’

Seeing how awkward the atmosphere had become, Xiaocui cut in, "Nursing Director Zhou still has to train, so we won’t disturb you any further."

Before leaving, Lin Yan still bowed respectfully to Nursing Director Zhou. "I will take my leave."

"He must be furious that I look down on him. So young and already so two-faced."

As they walked out of the courtyard gate, Nursing Director Zhou’s mocking voice drifted out from behind them.

Lin Yan: ...

...

"Yan’er, did everything go smoothly?"

"Very smoothly. I managed to acquire a Martial Arts Technique. However, that Nursing Director Zhou said that techniques are not taught casually and charged a ten-tael fee for it."

On the road from the Cai Mansion, Lin Yan reported only the good news, omitting any mention of Nursing Director Zhou’s attitude.

"That’s to be expected. We should be grateful that Nursing Director Zhou was willing to teach you a technique at all. Don’t feel resentful just because it cost money. Now that you’ve chosen the path of Martial Arts, you must train hard and be prepared to endure hardship."

The Liu Family continued to nag, repeating the same old words, but Lin Yan listened earnestly, showing no trace of impatience.

...

「Cai Mansion, Rear Courtyard.」

Xiaocui recounted the entire affair in detail.

Li Min rubbed her temples and looked at Master Cai, whose face was grim. "Master, my nephew was too tactless. He must have upset Nursing Director Zhou."

Master Cai’s expression was dark. He had sent Min’er’s nephew to Zhou Yong not just to assert his authority as the Patriarch, but also with the intention of testing Zhou Yong.

He had hired Zhou Yong two months prior. He needed to know if Zhou Yong was content with his post in the Nursing Home and respected him, the Patriarch.

If Zhou Yong showed him no respect, he would not keep him around.

Many a wealthy merchant had hired guards only to find they had raised a tiger in their own home, one that ended up devouring their family fortune.

He himself had given the order this time. No matter how much Zhou Yong despised the boy, he should have at least kept up appearances for his sake.

This undisguised contempt showed that Zhou Yong held little respect for him, the Patriarch.

"This kind of rogue Martial Artist is unsuitable for a position in the Nursing Home. I’ll have to select someone from a Martial Arts Hall."

Master Cai made his decision: at the end of the month, he would dismiss Zhou Yong and hire a Martial Artist from a proper Martial Arts Hall.

A Martial Artist from a Martial Arts Hall wouldn’t dare betray their employer. Doing so would ruin the hall’s reputation and make it difficult for all of its disciples to find work.

The only issue was that Martial Artists from the halls charged significantly more than rogue practitioners like Zhou Yong.

"As for that nephew of yours, have Xiaocui send twenty taels of silver to him later."

Ten taels would be to refund the money Zhou Yong took. The other ten would be to preserve the Cai Mansion’s dignity.