The Siblings

Seeing that the golden finger panel truly worked, Chen Ping'an wanted to press his advantage and keep practicing Iron Shirt. Only, he hadn't felt it before. Now that he had stopped for a moment, his whole body ached terribly. He untied the undergarment bound around his chest and back, and found his skin bright red, with quite a few places faintly splitting open. No wonder it hurt so much! He couldn't practice anymore. He had to let it ease first! If he kept at it like this and his skin tore completely, that would be trouble. Chen Ping'an decisively set aside any thought of continuing his Iron Shirt practice. Looking at the undergarment, rubbed into a crumpled mess, Chen Ping'an knew the thing was completely ruined and couldn't be worn again. "I'll keep it for Iron Shirt practice!" "Brother, have some water." Seeing her brother stop, Chen Er Ya came over carrying a bowl filled to the brim with clear water. Chen Ping'an wasted no words; he grabbed it and gulped it down, glug, glug, glug, water spilling from the corner of his mouth and sprinkling down. Just then, Chen Ping'an was bare-chested, his skin bright red. Thin and frail as his body was, there was something bold and unrestrained about him. Chen Er Ya looked at her brother, her face full of distress for him. Looking like that—how much suffering he must have endured! Chen Ping'an drained the bowl, handed the empty bowl back to Chen Er Ya, and patted her head. "Nannan, I'm going to sleep for a bit. Don't wait for me at lunch. There's still some rice in the pot, so you go ahead and eat." He hadn't slept a wink the night before. Because of the golden finger he had been wildly excited, and his spirit had been enough to hold him up. But now, having just finished practicing Iron Shirt, the drain on his mind and body caught up with him; the moment he relaxed, an endless wave of drowsiness surged up. "Brother, what do you want to eat tonight? Nannan will go buy it." Chen Er Ya asked. Ordinarily, when Chen Ping'an was on duty, she was the one who did most of the everyday food shopping. Chen Ping'an was about to say that anything would do, when he suddenly realized that he had begun practicing martial arts now. His physical exertion was enormous, and he needed qi and blood to sustain it. He couldn't be careless. "Go buy some beef, and half a jin of eggs too. Tonight we two will have a proper nourishing meal." "All right." Chen Er Ya nodded. Chen Ping'an went inside. The moment he lay down on the bed, drowsiness struck, and in no time he was fast asleep. ... By the time Chen Ping'an woke, the sky had already grown a little dark. "How many hours did I sleep!" Rising from the bed, Chen Ping'an felt his body somewhat sore. It seemed that after so many days without exercise, practicing so suddenly had left his body unaccustomed to it. Still, the pain in his body had eased considerably. He didn't know whether his body simply recovered quickly, or whether it was some hidden effect of the golden finger. Speaking of the golden finger, apart from gaining something from every bit of practice—once attained, forever attained, never to decline—there was another benefit. It could conceal his cultivation realm and adjust his physical condition, presenting whatever he wanted others to see. A fine tool for getting the drop on people! But for Chen Ping'an as he was now, it was no use at all! He hadn't even set foot inside the door of cultivation. What was there to hide? "Brother, you're awake! Have a steamed bun first to fill your stomach." Chen Er Ya had noticed the moment Chen Ping'an woke. She brought a white-flour steamed bun from the kitchen and handed it to him. Chen Ping'an took it and found the bun still faintly warm. "I bought it from Aunt Wang on the way when I went shopping this afternoon." Chen Er Ya said with a grin. "Mm." Chen Ping'an nodded and demolished the bun in three quick bites. He finished it and found himself still hungry, so he got up. "Nannan, come give me a hand. Let's light the fire and cook!" "Yes!" At that, Chen Er Ya straightened up solemnly like a little soldier about to head to the front lines. Chen Ping'an's home was not large: a small courtyard, one bedroom, and half a kitchen made up the whole of it. Life in the commandery city was no easy thing. To have even such quarters was, for ordinary common folk, already worth envy and praise. Most commoners still lived with several households sharing a single courtyard. Some went further, cramming a family of six, old and young, into half a room along the street. By comparison, the quiet little home the Chen siblings had was already enough to make many people deeply envious. All of it was the shelter Old Chen had left behind! After a spell of bustling about, the two siblings had a fragrant dinner on the table. Two bowls of fragrant white rice, a plate of braised beef, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a bowl of big-bone broth. Besides that, an egg apiece. Before they had even picked up their chopsticks, Chen Er Ya was already drooling. "You little glutton, go on and eat." Seeing her like that, Chen Ping'an tapped her small hand and smiled. "Mm, thank you, brother." Chen Er Ya, who had been holding herself back with difficulty, took this as a great pardon. She picked up her chopsticks and began sweeping up the food as if a wind were scattering the clouds. Quick as her movements looked, Chen Ping'an noticed that her chopsticks went first to the plate of vegetables. This girl—she was so sensible it made his heart ache. "You little glutton, craving it this badly and you still won't take a couple pieces of meat." Chen Ping'an picked up two pieces of beef and put them in Chen Er Ya's bowl. "Brother... I don't need this much." Chen Er Ya looked up at Chen Ping'an longingly. Ever since Old Chen had passed, the family had rarely eaten meat; the money went to repaying their debt. When they did have some now and then, most of it was left for Chen Ping'an. He was the male of the house and had to go on duty during the day, burning a great deal of energy. He needed to eat his fill before he had any strength. "Eat it when I tell you to." Chen Ping'an pretended to be fierce. "Don't worry. Our family's days will get better—soon we'll be eating meat at every meal!" Seeing that Chen Er Ya still hesitated, her chopsticks unmoving, Chen Ping'an added one more line. "What? You don't believe your brother?" "I believe you." "Then if you believe me, do as your brother says and eat." "Mm." Chen Er Ya nodded hard. The little girl bent her head and went at her food with hearty effort. Halfway through, she didn't forget to remind Chen Ping'an. "You eat too, brother." "Mm, all right." Chen Ping'an answered and fell to his own food. Honestly, he was desperately hungry. In the little courtyard the smell of the dishes spread all around. The occasional exchange between brother and sister added a touch of warmth to the aroma. After dinner, Chen Ping'an and Chen Er Ya cleared the bowls and chopsticks together, wiped the table, and moved the wooden table and stools back inside. After moving about a little to let his food digest fully, Chen Ping'an began practicing Iron Shirt once more. The same method, the same way of training. He didn't know whether the first session had injured him somewhat, but this second one had barely begun before he felt a faint ache creeping through his body. Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and persevered. Compared with the pain in his body, what weighed on him more was a life without hope. He worked his palms hard, rubbing and slapping up and down his body without pause. His palms went numb, his qi and blood churning! Again and again. At last, within Chen Ping'an's field of vision, a "+1" flashed as he had hoped. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: None Martial Art: Iron Shirt — not yet entered (2/5) ... Effort brings reward. That feeling really could get a person addicted!