In the evening, after the family had dinner, Shen Yuan practiced Pile Skill in the courtyard.

The young Shen Wen'an practiced Sword Skill on the side.

Ever since the incident at the orchard, Shen Yuan felt that his son had changed.

He became more silent than before and sometimes did not want to say much, even to him and Hu Yufen.

Besides, his obsession with cultivation deepened.

It seemed, in his eyes, the only meaningful things were practicing Pile Skill and Sword Skill, apart from eating and sleeping.

"Wen'an, come here."

After completing the Sword Skill taught by Huang Lingxiu, Shen Wen'an was about to wash up when Shen Yuan called him over.

He turned around, looked at his father with curiosity, and walked slowly over.

"Father has something to teach you."

Shen Yuan hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Is it a Martial Art skill?"

The little guy seldom spoke.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly, "Yes, you could say that."

"You must remember it diligently, and if there's anything you don't understand, be sure to ask right away."

Saying this, Shen Yuan explained the Breathing Technique without missing a word.

The Breathing Technique gifted by Xu Xiu wasn't long, and Shen Wen'an quickly memorized it; after pondering for a while, his eyes glowed, and without bothering to wash up, he turned and began to practice again.

Indoors, seeing Hu Yufen walk out after Shen Wenping finished practicing characters, she couldn't help but complain, "You taught him the body-strengthening Technique?"

Shen Yuan nodded, "This child was born for cultivation; we can't delay him."

Hu Yufen glanced at her son practicing and couldn't help but sigh, "I really worry that this will lead to problems."

"Wen'an is only six years old, and children his age in the village are out in the mountains digging for nests, catching fish in the river, teasing cats and dogs, running wild all day."

"But look at him..."

Shen Yuan smiled and comforted, "When Ah Nu was mischievous, you were troubled all the time; now that Wen'an is well-behaved, you're worrying for nothing again."

"What problems could there be? Having a child like this, you should be grateful."

"Come on, let's not disturb him."

Shen Yuan nudged his wife away, leaving Shen Wen'an alone in the courtyard to practice.

At night, on the bed.

"Today I handed over three hundred silver coins; the Black Water Pool's land is finally ours."

"How much silver do we have left at home?"

Smoothing his wife's hair, Shen Yuan spoke.

"After spending three hundred, we have around five hundred and twelve left."

"This year the fields yielded nothing, and the orchard's peaches didn't sell for much."

Hu Yufen was clearly worried.

"With only expenses and no income, spending money brings anxiety."

"Tomorrow I want to ask around and quickly build a new house."

Mentioning this, Hu Yufen couldn't help but complain, "Husband, I really don't understand. With all those rewards untouched, why must we insist on the Black Dragon Pool area?"

"If not for this, the rewards from Shi Tou's title included four houses, we wouldn't have to spend our own money."

Shen Yuan sighed slightly, "The Black Water Pool is a place of good Feng Shui; moving there will ensure our descendants prosper."

"Think long-term."

Hu Yufen shifted but said nothing more.

"How long have Ah Nu and Master Lu been gone?" Shen Yuan shifted the topic and asked.

"Half a month."

"That rascal doesn't even know to write home, making us worry!"

A mother worries when her children travel far; now, the eldest is at the border with the military, and the second is traveling with Lu Zhiyuan for study.

It was inevitable for Hu Yufen to worry.

"With Master Lu and Uncle Ya, there's no need to worry."

"Let's sleep."

At midnight, Shen Yuan habitually glanced at the Turtle Shell in his Sea of Consciousness.

[The Hexagram has been refreshed!]

[Today's Hexagram · Auspicious]: When man moves, he lives; when a tree moves, it dies. Your decision to build a new house at the Black Water Pool is correct; best to start early for the family's benefit.

Hmm?

This hexagram is interesting.

Shen Yuan couldn't help but smile after reading it.

The original gamble of exchanging for the Black Water Pool was just his guess, but now the hexagram gave a clear directive, solidifying his determination.

The next morning, as the family was having breakfast, Huang Lingxiu suddenly arrived.

In the previous months, due to flood disasters, the roads were impassable; Huang Lingxiu hadn't visited for some time.

Now that everything was back on track, she once again came to Jinliu Village.

"Lingxiu's here!?"

Hu Yufen saw and got up with a smile to welcome her.

"Sister!"

The little girl Shen Wenping shouted and rushed over.

"Wenping—"

Huang Lingxiu squatted down, picked her up, kissed her little face, and said, "You've grown taller in these few months?"

"Wenping, stop it, come down!"

Hu Yufen scolded.

"Auntie, it's fine."

Huang Lingxiu put her down, then turned to look at Shen Wen'an, frowning slightly.

Instinctively, she sensed a change in Shen Wen'an, though she couldn't say exactly what it was.

However, thinking of how odd this future brother-in-law always was, she didn't dwell on it.

"Wen'an, look at what I brought you."

Huang Lingxiu pulled out a book from her small bag, with the four big characters, "Spiritual Snake Sword Technique" on it.

The previously unresponsive Shen Wen'an finally had a reaction upon seeing the Sword Technique.

"Thank you, sister."

He came over, received the Sword Technique, thanked her, and then returned to the table to continue eating.

Hu Yufen sighed at this.

"The child is too cold-hearted, what are we going to do in the future?"

Shen Yuan glanced back at his son but didn't say anything.

"Lingxiu, haven't had breakfast, right?"

"Sit down, auntie will get you a bowl of porridge!"

Huang Lingxiu, straightforward in personality, didn't hesitate, sitting down at the table.

After they finished eating, Shen Yuan said, "Lingxiu, you stay at home first, uncle is going to the town."

Huang Lingxiu curiously asked, "Uncle Shen, do you have business?"

Shen Yuan nodded, "A few days ago, Shi Tou's title rewards arrived, and I secured the Black Water Pool's woodland, planning to build a house there and move in later."

"Today I'll go to town to consult some old craftsmen."

Black Water Pool?

Huang Lingxiu thought for a moment, "It is indeed a good place."

"I'm not familiar with the craftsmen in town, but Ah Die knows some; Uncle Shen can ask him to take you when you get there."

Shen Yuan nodded and headed towards the town.

Yunshui Town Martial Arts Hall.

Shen Yuan appeared worried.

He anticipated that building a house would require a substantial amount of silver coins, but hadn't expected it to be so expensive.

With Huang Qingzhou's help, he almost went through all the craftsmen in Yunshui Town, and building a two-entry courtyard with twenty rooms would cost at least six hundred silver coins.

Breaking it down, each room would cost thirty silver coins.

Noticing Shen Yuan's hesitation, Huang Qingzhou vaguely sensed that he might not have enough silver and suggested lending him a portion as Lingxiu's dowry for the future.

But Shen Yuan didn't agree.

After discussing with several craftsmen, they finally decided to cut down some rooms, keeping space for expansion, setting the price at four hundred and twenty silver coins.

Then he proposed using timber from their previous five-acre woodland, saving about sixty silver coins after the craftsmen's estimate.

With everything settled, Shen Yuan immediately asked the craftsmen to prepare for construction.

The battle in Fengxian County had ended, and his eldest son could return anytime to marry Huang Lingxiu; the new house had to be ready so they wouldn't lack a new home for the wedding.

He was eagerly awaiting the children to contribute future generations and strengthen the family.

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