Night had fallen by the time they returned. Shen Bowen hauled the newly purchased grain into their storehouse while Shen Wei presented the pork, bones, and condiments to Lady Wang. “Dad, why did you buy so much meat?” Lady Wang asked, her mouth watering as she stared at the slab of pork. “Just make it delicious,” Shen Wei replied curtly, offering no further explanation. How could he explain? He couldn’t very well admit that he simply wasn’t accustomed to a life of poverty. “Alright,” Lady Wang agreed cheerfully. In truth, she didn’t much care what had gotten into Shen Wei. All that mattered was that there was meat to eat. Lady Wang was a decent cook. With pork and proper seasonings in hand, she quickly set about preparing a feast. Pork stewed with cabbage. Alright, perhaps "feast" was an overstatement. It was one large, fragrant pot of pork stewed with cabbage. The family gathered around the table, their eyes locked on the steaming pot. But out of respect for Shen Wei’s authority as the head of the household, no one dared reach for their chopsticks. “Dad, serve the food!” Lady Wang finally blurted out. The oil stains around her mouth and her eldest grandson's betrayed the fact that they had already snuck a few bites, but that did nothing to diminish their eagerness. Shen Wei looked around the table, then brought out the pork buns he had purchased. He’d bought twenty in total. After giving five to Shen Minghao earlier, fifteen remained. There were nine people in the household, but his three-month-old granddaughter Shen Qingwan was too young to eat them, leaving eight mouths to feed. After a moment's thought, Shen Wei gave three buns each to his eldest grandson, his second grandson, and his young daughter. “Thank you, Grandpa! You’re the best!” his eldest grandson chirped sweetly. Lady Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Li’s eyes lit up at the sight of the buns placed before her son. “Quickly, thank your grandpa!” she urged. Shen Chengmao, only a year old and still learning to speak, managed a clumsy, “Tankoo, Gampa!” The little boy’s eyes, however, never left the steaming buns in front of him, drawn by the rich, meaty scent. “You’re so good to us, Dad!” his youngest daughter said with an adorable smile. A faint smile touched Shen Wei’s lips. He then passed one bun each to his two sons and their wives, Lady Wang and Lady Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Li, leaving two for himself. As for the stew, Shen Wei ladled a generous bowl for everyone. The buns were delicious, filled with a savory pork that was fragrant and rich. The stewed cabbage was just as good. After a full day in this new world, Shen Wei finally felt like he’d had a proper, satisfying meal. Five days passed in a blur. For those five days, the Shen family had meat with nearly every meal. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make the food palatable for Shen Wei. Lady Wang, for all her tendency to look out for her own little family first, still put in the effort to care for the entire household. With meat on the table, the atmosphere in the home had brightened considerably. The two toddlers, Shen Chengye and Shen Chengmao, were more energetic than ever, playing wildly in the courtyard all day. Even his young daughter Shen Yunxue’s spear practice seemed to have improved. Relationships are built on shared experience. Over these few days, Shen Wei had begun to truly integrate into the family, accepting them as his own. Each day, the Jade Spring produced a bowl of its restorative water. It had done wonders for Shen Wei’s internal injuries; he could now practice his spear forms without being forced to stop halfway through from the pain. Drawing on the memories of the body’s previous owner, he judged that his strength had returned to the level of a Martial Artist. The Martial Artist Realm was divided into the Body Refining Realm, the Postnatal Realm, and the Innate Realm. The Body Refining Realm itself was comprised of three stages: Refining Power, Changing Tendons, and Harnessing Strength. A martial practitioner would repeatedly drill fundamental techniques, gradually replacing the body’s clumsy, brute strength with a focused, robust force. This process was known as ‘Refining Power.’ In essence, it taught one to use their body’s strength more efficiently. Shen Wei was now at the Refining Power stage. Every punch he threw, every palm he struck, was brimming with this potent, focused force. Now that his internal injuries were on the mend, Shen Wei’s thoughts turned to making money. His funds were dwindling, and the pork and bones he’d bought were almost gone. If he didn’t find a new source of income soon, the family would be right back to their days of oil-less, tasteless meals. He already had a plan. The old saying was true: live by the mountain, rely on the mountain. Shen Family Village was nestled against the vast Changqing Mountain, which teemed with birds and beasts. If he could hunt one or two decent animals, it would cover the household’s expenses for some time. Before, he would never have considered such a thing—wild beasts were not to be trifled with. But now, he was a Martial Artist. As long as he was careful, the danger should be manageable. At lunch, Shen Wei addressed the family. “Prepare some dry rations this afternoon,” he announced. “I’m heading into the mountains tomorrow for a couple of days.” The words dropped into the middle of the meal like a stone. Everyone stopped eating and looked up, their faces a mixture of shock and astonishment. “Father, the mountains are dangerous,” his eldest son, Shen Bowen, said, his voice laced with worry. “I know,” Shen Wei replied flatly. Shen Bowen didn't know what his father planned, but he couldn't let him go alone. They could at least watch each other's backs. Before he could volunteer, however, his usually quiet younger brother spoke up. “I should go with Father,” Shen Mingzhi said. “Big Brother can stay and look after the house.” Lady Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Li gave a sharp, secret tug on the corner of Shen Mingzhi’s shirt. The last thing she wanted was her husband venturing into those mountains. The hills directly behind Shen Family Village were relatively safe, but Shen Wei had spoken of being gone for days. That meant he planned to go deep into the forest. While their village had few hunters, the villages to the west had many, and stories often drifted back of men who went into the mountains and never returned. “It’s alright,” Shen Mingzhi whispered, trying to reassure his wife. “My martial arts are nearly as good as my brother’s.” Shen Wei looked from his eldest son to his second. They were both good, dutiful sons. “My second son will come with me,” he declared. He decided he could indeed use the help, so taking Shen Mingzhi was a sound choice. The next morning, after breakfast, Shen Wei set out with Shen Mingzhi. He carried two short spears and a machete. The mountain undergrowth was too thick for a long spear, making the shorter weapons a more practical choice. Shen Mingzhi was similarly armed with a machete and carried a pack with their supplies: flatbread, a waterskin, a fire-starter, and other necessities. Instead of heading into the hills directly behind their village, they walked west for an hour before entering the forest proper. Once they were under the canopy of the trees, Shen Mingzhi grew tense. His eyes darted everywhere, constantly scanning their surroundings and glancing over his shoulder, as if expecting a beast to leap out at any moment. His nervous energy was starting to wear on Shen Wei. “There’s no danger here,” Shen Wei finally said, his patience thinning. Such intense vigilance was draining. If Shen Mingzhi kept it up, he’d be exhausted before long. “Father, I’ve heard there are tigers in these mountains,” Shen Mingzhi whispered, his head swiveling back and forth. “We won’t run into one, will we?” “Don’t worry,” Shen Wei said calmly. “If we meet a tiger, I’ll run faster than you.” Shen Mingzhi stared at him, his expression a perfect picture of disbelief. You’d just leave me and run? A faint, amused twinkle appeared in Shen Wei’s eyes. “Relax. This area is near Jiang Family Village. Their hunters pass through here all the time.” Although he wasn’t a hunter himself, he knew this part of the forest was frequently traveled and generally free of large predators or venomous snakes. His father’s words seemed to work. Shen Mingzhi’s posture relaxed slightly. “Then, Father… what are we doing in the mountains?” he couldn’t help but ask. His relief was short-lived. “You were the one who mentioned tigers,” Shen Wei said. “We’re here to hunt one.” “What?!” Shen Mingzhi froze, stunned. He may have been a young man, but at his core, he was still just a seventeen-year-old boy. “Don’t worry, I won’t actually abandon you,” Shen Wei said, clapping him on the shoulder. “If we see a tiger, you can run first.” With that, he continued walking deeper into the forest. Shen Mingzhi stood rooted to the spot for a long moment before shaking himself out of his stupor and hurrying to catch up to his father. They walked at a steady pace, stopping for a short rest around noon before pressing deeper into the woods. They spent the entire first day simply traveling. They made camp for the night under the shelter of a cliff. The next morning, Shen Wei began searching for tracks. He had no real intention of hunting a tiger. Even with the strength of a Martial Artist, a tiger was still the king of beasts. He wasn't about to risk his life so recklessly.

Chapter 5: One Fragrant Pot