Chapter 122 - 121: Gouwa

Chapter 122: Chapter 121: Gouwa

"This... This is for you."

"What is this?" Chen Shouheng asked, taking it with a confused look.

"Uncle Sun gave it to me."

Gouwa said earnestly, "A few days ago, Uncle Sun found me and shoved this into my hands. He told me that if he died and no one came to claim his body, this would belong to me. But if... if someone did claim his body for burial, I was to give this to that person and say... say it was his way of thanking them."

Chen Shouheng’s heart skipped a beat as he unwrapped the many layers of oiled paper.

Inside were several sheets of yellowed but well-preserved cotton paper: the deeds to the Sun Family’s house, courtyard, and land.

There were also a few old, rust-spotted keys.

At the very bottom lay a children’s primer, so worn from use that its edges were curled and tattered.

The deeds were surprising but understandable.

But this primer...

’What did Sun Zhengyi leave this for?’

Puzzled, Chen Shouheng subconsciously flipped open the book.

He quickly discovered something unusual.

Many characters in the book had been faintly circled with a brush.

They seemed random at first, but Chen Shouheng was a careful observer. Concentrating, he read the circled characters aloud in the order they appeared on the pages.

He froze instantly.

"My name is Zhengyi, and I thank you. At number 121 Zishi Street in Jingshan County Town, in the secret cellar of Ming’s Grain Shop, there are fifty thousand stones of grain. Anyone else who knew has been silenced. I offer these deeds and the grain as my reward to you. I also implore you to raise Gouwa to adulthood. —The last words of Sun Zhengyi."

Fifty thousand stones of grain.

With grain prices in Jingshan skyrocketing and the dead littering the fields, this wasn’t as simple as something that could be exchanged for a mere fifteen thousand taels of silver.

Chen Shouheng had to take several deep breaths to quell the storm raging in his heart.

His expression was complicated as he looked down at the deeds in his hand—light as a feather, yet heavy as a mountain—and then at the oblivious, ragged child before him.

He crouched down, holding the deeds out for Gouwa to see. His voice was a bit hoarse. "Gouwa, do you know what these are?"

"I can’t read!"

Gouwa shook his head, showing he didn’t know.

Chen Shouheng took a deep breath. "These are the deeds to your Uncle Sun’s house and land. Do you want them?"

Gouwa blinked his large, clear eyes and shook his head in a simple, honest way. His tone was matter-of-fact. "I don’t want them. Uncle Sun said to give them to the person who claimed his body. I promised him, and a promise is a promise."

"Alright."

Chen Shouheng reached out and gently patted Gouwa’s shoulder. "Your Uncle Sun also asked me to raise you. I’m taking you with me. From now on, you’ll follow me. I will teach you to read and teach you skills. How about it?"

"Okay!"

Gouwa thought for a moment before nodding. "Thank you, Big Brother."

...

「Lingxi.」

By the time Chen Shouheng steered the creaking ox-cart back home, twilight had already enveloped the surroundings.

Chen Shouheng jumped off the cart, and Gouwa followed, clambering down clumsily. The boy’s clear eyes were filled with a mixture of shyness and irrepressible curiosity.

He cautiously took in the unfamiliar courtyard, which was neater and cleaner than any place he had ever seen.

Song Ying heard the commotion and hurried over. Seeing Gouwa, she gasped, "Oh dear, where did this child come from? He’s nothing but skin and bones..."

Chen Li emerged from the main hall. When he saw his son and the sallow, emaciated child in ragged clothes behind him, his brow furrowed slightly. He instructed the maid, Gingo, to take the boy for a bath.

Gingo stepped forward quickly, her voice gentle. "Don’t be afraid, little one. Come, let’s get you washed up and into some clean clothes."

With that, she went to lead Gouwa away.

But Gouwa instinctively shrank behind Chen Shouheng, looking up at him.

Chen Shouheng patted his shoulder and said warmly, "Go on."

Only then did Gouwa hesitantly follow Gingo, looking back with every step.

Chen Shouheng watched them leave before turning to face his father.

He took a deep breath and invited Chen Li into the study.

Chen Shouheng held nothing back. He gave his father a complete and detailed account of his trip to the county town: everything he had seen and heard, how he had handled Sun Zhengyi’s burial, his subsequent meeting with Gouwa, and how he came to possess the oil-paper package.

Finally, he gently placed the stack of deeds and the old primer on the table before his father.

Chen Li listened with a grave expression. His gaze swept over the deeds before finally resting on the primer. "Since your Brother Sun left these for you," he said at last, "they are yours to dispose of as you see fit."

His tone immediately shifted, growing serious. "But Shouheng, this is no small matter. Fifty thousand stones of grain is not a trivial amount. Ming’s Grain Shop has been collecting immense quantities of grain, and with the current situation, the Government Office is bound to notice the numbers don’t add up."

"Even though he silenced those who knew its location, there’s no guarantee others aren’t aware. In Jingshan right now, those fifty thousand stones of grain are a hot potato. If word gets out, or if someone uncovers a hint of this, the slightest misstep could bring ruin upon our entire family!"

Chen Shouheng nodded. "I understand, Father. I will leave the decision entirely up to you."

"The grain! We absolutely cannot touch it now!"

Chen Li warned, "Moving the grain now would be suicide."

He looked at Chen Shouheng and gave his instructions. "After some time has passed, go to the county town and find Qian Yiqian of the Household Department. The man is greedy, but he’s reliable as long as he’s paid. Bring plenty of silver coins. On the pretext of wanting to find a residence in town, ask for his help in officially transferring the deeds for the Zishi Street property to your name. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra silver. That man must have his fill!"

"As for the grain in that cellar..."

Chen Li said pensively, "Let it stay hidden. We won’t touch it until this storm has blown over completely and the situation in Jingshan has stabilized."

He then turned the conversation to Gouwa. "That child... He was able to keep his promise and give those things to you. Despite his humble origins, his character is commendable. We’ll let him stay with us. However, we’ll have to change his story. We’ll say he’s a distant relative—your younger cousin. What do you think?"

Chen Shouheng had no objection. "I’ll do as you say, Father."

Chen Li nodded. "As for you," he added, "you will not be participating in this year’s Provincial Examination."

Chen Shouheng’s head snapped up, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

"Sun Zhengyi was your martial brother, the dust from that affair has yet to settle, and the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall has been shut down. If you go to the Prefecture for the examination now, it would be far too easy for people with ill intentions to use this connection to attack you. It would do your future prospects a world of harm and not a single bit of good."

Chen Li paused. "For now, the only plan is to lie low. Stay home, keep to yourself, and focus on two things. First, concentrate on your Cultivation and break through to the Profound Acupoint Pass as quickly as you can. Second, you can begin teaching Gouwa martial arts. Start him with the Eight Directions Skill and the Eight-direction Saber Technique."

Chen Shouheng took a deep breath and replied with solemnity, "Yes, Father. I understand."

Following this, Chen Shouheng heeded his father’s advice and postponed his plans to travel to Jiangzhou for the Provincial Examination.

The rest of his time was spent teaching Gouwa the fundamentals of the Eight Directions Pile Skill and the Eight-direction Saber Technique.

Gouwa’s aptitude for martial arts seemed poor, but he possessed a rare, pure-hearted spirit. He practiced with incredible diligence and dedication. Every single move, though clumsy, was performed without the slightest deviation.

He actually took less time to reach the Entry-level of Force Cultivation than Shouye had, but that is a story for another time.