blueteamnovel Chapter 1 Lin Mu
Chapter 1 Lin Mu
Xihe Town, Liuye Village.
It was completely dark when Lin Mu returned from town.
He was carrying a half-full bag of brown rice in his hand and a half-bundle of firewood on his shoulder.
He pushed open the courtyard gate, and the mud house was pitch black. He hadn't turned on the light. He had just sat down to catch his breath when the courtyard gate was pushed open again.
Second Uncle Lin Youfu stood at the door, rubbing his hands together.
"Mu Zi, you're back?"
Lin Mu hummed in agreement but did not get up.
Lin Youfu walked in. It was too dark in the room, so he squinted for a while before he could make out his nephew's outline.
"Um... your cousin is going to the county to take the imperial examination on the seventh day of next month."
Lin Mu simply replied with "Mmm".
"We need to get some new clothes, and we can't skimp on writing materials," Lin Youfu said in a lower voice.
"We're short on money at home. Look... could we lend this old house to the village as a storage room? I've already talked to the village chief, and he'll pay fifty coins a month in rent."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Lin Muping said calmly, "Second Uncle, when my parents passed away, they left behind three rooms and three acres of paddy fields. You can farm the fields and live in the east room. Now, only these two side rooms are left."
Lin Youfu was a little embarrassed. "A field is a field, and a house is a house... This old house is just sitting empty anyway. Renting it out can help supplement the family income. Why don't you move to town and find a job? It'll be the same!"
"Where do you live in town?"
"Can't you sleep under a bridge?" Lin Youfu realized his mistake after saying that and added, "I mean, it's nothing for young people to suffer a little."
Lin Mu didn't reply, but just quietly looked at his second uncle's blurry face in the darkness.
Three months ago, when he transmigrated to this world, the original owner of this body had just lost his parents and was fifteen years old.
According to custom, he should be raised by his second uncle.
My second uncle took away the land and made room for him in two of the most dilapidated side rooms.
The first month was fine, but the next two months were not.
First, he used the excuse that his cousin needed money for school to ask Lin Mu to go out and find work.
Later, they said the east room was leaking and told him to move to the woodshed.
The woodshed was a makeshift thatched shed that let in drafts in winter and leaked rain in summer.
Now they won't even keep these two side rooms.
That's just how the world is.
Children without parents are always coveted.
Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Youfu softened his tone: "Muzi, don't blame your second uncle. The family is really struggling. If your cousin passes the imperial examination, our Lin family will be proud, won't we?"
"Second Uncle," Lin Mu interrupted, then slowly stood up, "the old house was left to me by my parents, I won't rent it out."
Lin Youfu's face darkened: "Why are you so stubborn, child? The village chief has already given his approval!"
"Then let the village chief talk to me."
The two of them froze in the darkness for a moment.
Footsteps sounded outside, and Aunt Wang's shrill voice drifted in: "Aren't you finished yet? The food's getting cold!"
Lin Youfu sighed, turned around and left.
The courtyard gate closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
Lin Mu sat down again.
He closed his eyes, and a semi-transparent booklet appeared before him.
Name: Lin Mu
Martial Arts: None available.
Skills: Measurement (beginner), woodworking (not yet proficient), knife skills (not yet proficient), wok flipping (not yet proficient)...
Currently available replicable slots: 1/3
(By focusing intently on observing others' techniques for an extended period, there is a certain chance of replicating their skills and making them your own. You can try replicating once a day.)
This is his greatest support.
Three months have passed, and Lin Mu has secretly learned quite a bit using this booklet.
I learned a little woodworking by watching people plan wood, but I'm not skilled enough to actually do any work.
I learned some knife skills by watching the chef cut vegetables, but I can only cut pickled vegetables for my own family.
But I haven't learned any real skills.
Because the best skills are all in the mansions of wealthy families, in martial arts schools, in places he can't reach.
The skills of the poor are worthless.
Carpentry, cooking, bricklaying... even if you learn these skills, you can only make a living. You still need someone willing to teach you and someone willing to use your skills.
As for martial arts?
That's something from another world.
There was only one martial arts school in town, and it charged ten taels of silver for becoming an apprentice.
Ten taels of silver is enough for a farming family like theirs to eat for five years.
Lin Mu opened his eyes.
The room grew even darker, with the moonlight casting pale streaks on the floor.
He thought for a moment, then got up and walked to the wall, prying a package of oiled paper out of a crack in the wall.
Inside was the money he had saved over the past three months, totaling about eighty copper coins.
This was earned through his hard work, getting up early and working late.
You can earn five coins a day working as a cook in a restaurant in town; ten coins a day carrying goods at the dock; or ten coins a day fetching water and chopping wood for others.
After a month's work, after deducting food expenses, I only earned thirty-four coins.
It was still far from the ten taels of silver required to enroll in a martial arts school.
Moreover, Lin Mu calculated the time.
My cousin has his exam on the 7th of next month, and my second uncle will be coming again at the beginning of next month.
At that point, it might not be a matter of discussion anymore.
When the village chief intervened and the villagers pointed out his shortcomings, he realized that as an orphan, what could he possibly fight for?
His fists? He was practically powerless.
Reason? In this world, reason is mostly found in the mouths of the wealthy.
Lin Mu wrapped the money up again and stuffed it back into the crack in the wall.
Afterwards, he lay back down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and stared at the rafters on the roof with his eyes open.
Two of the roof beams have been rotten for some time, and there was some water seepage last time it rained.
But Lin Mu never had the money to pay for it.
The rice in the rice jar will last for a maximum of seven days, and the firewood will only last for three days.
I need to go back to town to look for work tomorrow.
As I thought about it, I started to feel sleepy.
Half asleep and half awake, Lin Mu remembered the notice he had seen in town earlier that day.
The county government posted a notice conscripting laborers to repair the river embankment in the north.
Food and lodging are provided, with a daily wage of thirty coins. After three months of service, an additional tael of silver will be given as a settlement allowance.
The north is not peaceful; I've heard there are bandits.
However, some people say that the government exaggerated in order to make the poor work honestly.
Lin Mu turned over.
Repairing river embankments...
Three months, roughly one or two taels of silver.
Adding the one tael of silver for settling down, that makes two taels.
Adding to our current savings, we're still short by nearly eight taels...
Lin Mu closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became even.
Outside the window, the full moon rises higher.
The sound of a night watchman's gong came from afar.
As soon as it was light, Lin Mu went out on an empty stomach.
It took almost half an hour to walk along the dirt road to town, and the morning mist hadn't yet dissipated.
Instead of going to the main street, he turned into the slum alley to the west.
The alley was narrow, and the ground was wet.
A round-faced boy was chopping wood in the yard. His axe was clumsy, and the wood would split open and then stop moving.
"Little Fatty," Lin Mu called out.
Little Fatty looked up, saw Lin Mu, and smiled, "Lin Mu? So early today?"
The chubby boy's name is Zhao Meng. He lives in town and his family runs a small tofu shop. They live a very frugal life.
The two were about the same age and often did odd jobs outside, so they became acquainted over time.
Zhao Meng was honest and kind-hearted, and was the only person Lin Mu could talk to in this town.
Lin Mu approached and went straight to the point: "I heard that the county government is coming to select people today to build a river embankment in the north?"
Zhao Meng's smile faded slightly. "Yes, that's true, but my father said this morning that the selection of people this time is different."
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Meng shook his head, his voice lowering: "The north is not peaceful. Not only are there bandits, but there are also... rumors of demons. So this time we need strong and brave men."
"The pay is high, thirty coins a day including meals, but..."
He glanced at Lin Mu's thin frame.
Lin Mu narrowed his eyes.
Demon? He had only heard some rumors about it, but he didn't take them seriously.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Who cares about anything else, as long as the pay is high, I'll go take a look."
Zhao Meng threw down his axe. "I'll go take a look too!"
When the two reached the entrance to the town, they found that a large crowd had already gathered there.
Most of them were young and strong men, all dressed in rags, pale and thin, craning their necks to look ahead.
Thirty coins a day, plus meals, was a life-saving job for these people.
At the front of the crowd was a table, behind which sat two men dressed in black yamen runners' uniforms, their faces showing impatience.
Several local sycophants were standing nearby, shouting and trying to maintain order.
"Why are you all crowding? Line up!"
The crowd stirred, and the thin man was pushed to the back.
Lin Mu and Zhao Meng were also pushed to the outer perimeter.
Just then, the crowd suddenly fell silent.
A tall, burly man parted the crowd and walked straight to the table.
The man was dressed in a light blue outfit, with a straight back and steady steps.
His skin was dark, and his face was expressionless, but when his eyes swept over, everyone instinctively looked away.
Wherever he walked, the crowd automatically parted, and even the yamen runners sat up straighter.
"See that?" Zhao Meng tugged at Lin Mu's sleeve, his tone full of reverence as he whispered:
"That's a real martial artist, hired by the county government to lead the team. With him around, the journey will be safe."
Lin Mu stared intently at the man's back, her heart beating faster.
Warrior...
He closed his eyes, and the information in the booklet floated into his mind.
If only I could observe him up close.
Even just by looking at his walking and standing posture, can you catch something?
But it's too far away, and there are people everywhere in between.
The man had no intention of showing anything; he simply began to speak quietly with the constable.
"Next!" The bailiff's shout interrupted Lin Mu's thoughts.
The selection process has begun.
The process proceeded quickly.
Upon approaching, the constable gave a brief look, patted his arm, and asked a couple of questions.
Those who were strong and honest were noted down by name.
The thin, pale-faced man waved his hand and said, "Next."
Soon it was Lin Mu's turn.
He took a breath and stepped forward.
The constable looked up, frowning. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
Another constable scoffed, "You're still a stalk of wheat, barely out of shape. Going north? The mountain winds will blow you away. Building river embankments is hard work, not child's play. Go away, go away!"
He didn't speak loudly, but everyone around him heard him.
Someone chuckled softly.
Lin Mu's face felt hot.
He wanted to say that he could endure hardship and was quite strong, but seeing the impatient face of the yamen runner, the words stuck in his throat.
It's no use saying anything.
The constable waved impatiently again: "Next! Hurry up!"
Lin Mu silently stepped aside.
Zhao Meng squeezed through the crowd and patted him on the shoulder: "It's alright, this job is dangerous too, there are other jobs in town..."
Lin Mu shrugged, his voice hoarse, "It's okay, it's normal not to be selected."
He knew he was thin; after all, he hadn't eaten his fill for three months and was constantly working hard outside, so naturally he couldn't gain weight.
Being rejected so dismissively still leaves me feeling suffocated.
The selection process was completed quickly, and the twenty or so people chosen were all beaming with joy.
What remains is mostly disappointment and numbness.
Lin Mu looked at them and stood there for a while.
Zhao Meng sighed, "Let's go, it's noon, I have to go back and grind the beans. You can wander around the docks again this afternoon, maybe there will be some odd jobs."
Lin Mu nodded.
After the two parted ways, Lin Mu wandered around the town for another half hour. There was still half an afternoon left, and he couldn't waste time making money.
But when I asked at the back door of the restaurant, they said they didn't need any kitchen helpers.
The dock foreman saw him and shook his head: "We have enough men."
Grain shops and cloth stores would not want them either.
As the sun rises higher, the shadows become shorter.
Lin Mu's stomach began to rumble at the right moment, and there were two cold, hard mixed noodle cakes in his sleeve pocket.
The whole day was wasted.
I didn't make any money, and I didn't even get a sip of hot water.
Lin Mu shook his head and turned to return to the village.