The blacksmiths in the Wu's ironware shop didn't have a large workload. After all, in this godforsaken place, the sale of weapons wasn't booming. Each blacksmith's monthly workload was fixed. As long as you could forge 10 qualified weapons in a month, you would receive the goods at the end of the month. The rest of the time, the shop wouldn't care about you. Ten weapons, for Junior Leopard, was a piece of cake. Basically, it only took him half a month to complete. Moreover, the quality of the weapons was among the best.
As for the free time, it was his own. In this way, he had a lot of time to practice martial arts.
However, in this half a year, his main focus was on understanding Taiji Fist and purifying Ignis Internal Qi. After all, his physical condition was still there. He was too young. After the New Year, he would only be nine years old. He didn't want to damage his body's foundation because of excessive body training.
"Alas, if I could be like the legends in the books and have a medicinal bath, that would be great!"
In this half a year, besides practicing martial arts, what he did the most was buy books. He bought books like crazy. Anyway, he didn't lack money, and books weren't expensive.
His purpose in buying books was also very simple. It was to understand as much as possible this strange and magical world.
As the saying goes, a scholar knows everything under the heavens without leaving his home.
What did he rely on?
He relied on books. Knowledge gained from books.
Although Qingyang Market was only a small place, there were few literate people. Therefore, no one was willing to do business that was destined to lose money.
His only chance to buy books was on the first and fifteenth of every month. When all the villages came to Qingyang Market, he could buy books.
Although it wasn't much, it was enough for him to have a concrete understanding of this world.
"Hey, isn't this Junior Leopard? Here to buy books again?! "
Today was the fifteenth, the day of the market. Both sides of the streets of Qingyang Market were lined with people setting up stalls. Of course, this was also the day when the government of Qingyang Market and the Black Dragon Triad reaped great profits.
"Yes, Brother Zhang, you're on duty today!" Seeing the big man greet him with a smile, Junior Leopard also smiled. This big man was called Zhang Yong, a small leader of the Black Dragon Triad. Almost every month at this time, he would come to the street to collect protection fees. It was as natural as the government collecting taxes. These few months, Junior Leopard would run along this street at this time, so he naturally knew him.
Zhang Yong also knew that although Junior Leopard was young, he was a disciple of the Wu family with a promising future. In the entire Qingyang Market, the Wu family ironware shop was the most powerful force to provoke, apart from the government. Therefore, Zhang Yong did not dare offend him. If he met him on the street, he would just nod and say hello.
After bidding farewell to Zhang Yong, Junior Leopard continued on his way. After crossing a street, Junior Leopard heard a familiar hawking sound. His face couldn't help but reveal a warm smile. This was Wang Tianlei leading a group of hunters to the market. As their harvest increased, apart from the game that was sold to the trading firm, each family also had a surplus. Every time the hunters went to the market, the hunters would bring their surplus game to sell at the market. Naturally, this was led by Wang Tianlei. However, this was different from doing business with other trading firms and warehouses. Each person sold their own game. It was just that everyone was gathered together, so as to avoid suffering losses. After selling their goods, these men would take the opportunity of the market to stroll around and buy some thoughtful items for their wives. This was also human nature.
Junior Leopard's big brother was among them. In the past six months, Junior Leopard's wages had been given to him through this method, so that he could bring home to subsidize his family's expenses.
"So much? Little Shiba, do you have enough for yourself?! "
When Junior Leopard's big brother saw the money bag that Junior Leopard handed over, he was startled. The weight of the money and goods in the bag was equivalent to half a year's income for him.
"I have enough here. I was lucky this month, so I hunted a few more, so the reward is bigger!" Junior Leopard said carelessly.
"Hehe, now Little Shiba is also the pillar of the family!" Several hunters beside them had good business, so they were naturally in a relaxed mood. Hearing the two brothers' questions and answers, they began to joke.
"Yes, yes, Junior Leopard, you are the most promising person in our village. You have even become a blacksmith. How about I help you find a marriage partner now? My uncle's little girl is about the same age as you, and she is very pretty …!"
"Even if you want to marry someone, it won't be your uncle's turn. My little niece is also not bad …!"
For a moment, everyone spoke one after another, and Junior Leopard's face turned red.
"Enough! Enough!" After everyone laughed for a while, Wang Tianlei said, "You are all grown up, and you are still here to play with children!"
"Big brother Zhou, I am just joking, but I am also serious. Although Junior Leopard is young, he can also be engaged!"
"Yes, yes!"
Everyone echoed in agreement.
"Okay, okay, big brother, brother-in-law, brothers, I will not disturb your business!" Junior Leopard helplessly cupped his hands towards the group of men.
"Little Shiba, do you have any free time recently?!" Seeing that Junior Leopard was about to leave, Big Dog quickly opened his mouth to ask. Junior Leopard had been away from home for more than half a year, and his family missed him a lot. However, as an apprentice, he had to follow the apprentice's rules. He could not go home easily. Even if it was the New Year, he still had to wait in the weapon shop. Now that Junior Leopard was no longer an apprentice and had a lot of free time, it was still troublesome for him to leave the weapon shop.
"Oh, let me see. Maybe I will have some free time next month. When the time comes, I will ask for a leave. It should not be a problem!" Junior Leopard said, and hurriedly left.
After being reborn into this world, although he had changed his identity and had new parents, after all, the memories of his previous life were still dominant. Although he had deep feelings for this new family and new parents, he did not want to go back and pretend to be a child again.
Walking past him and around a corner, Junior Leopard came to a street corner. This was an old book stall, and the stall owner was a middle-aged man. In the past half a year, Junior Leopard had basically bought all of his books from him.
Before he got close, Junior Leopard heard a burst of scolding. "You damn prodigal, you even dare to rob my stall. Don't you know whose territory this is?!"
"Huh?!" Junior Leopard's eyebrows slightly raised. Without looking, he knew that the voice belonged to the middle-aged man who set up the book stall.
"This … this place … it's not like your family opened it. If you can set it up, why can't I set it up?!" After a weak voice sounded, a thin and weak figure climbed up from the ground. Junior Leopard then saw clearly that the person who climbed up from the ground was a young man in his twenties. The young man's appearance could be considered delicate and pretty, but his face was covered with a layer of dirt and dust. There was also a bruise, which should have been stained by the dirt when he fell on the ground. The originally clean white robe on his body was also a dirty grey colour. Looking at his hands, he was holding a blue bundle. Looking at it, this bundle should be wrapped with books. Looking at his appearance, it seemed that he wanted to set up a stall here to sell books.
But what he didn't know was that although the bazaar was bustling and each stall looked scattered, each stall had an owner, and each stall owner paid a fee to the Black Dragon Triad. This fee was divided into two parts, one was the protection fee paid to the Black Dragon Triad, and the other was the tax paid to the government office, which was collected by the Black Dragon Triad. Even Wang Tianlei and the others were no exception. This was the rule of Qingyang Market, and it was customary.
This young man clearly didn't understand this rule. Taking a few books and running here to set up a stall, it would be strange if he didn't get beaten up.
Behind him stood Zhang Yong of the Black Dragon Triad that Junior Leopard had met on the road. This Zhang Yong's face was filled with bad luck. Looking at the young man, he heard what the young man said and immediately became angry. "Damn, you damn thing, this place isn't opened by me, is it opened by you? Let me tell you, this place is opened by me, by the Black Dragon Triad. You little bastard, how dare you talk back!" As he spoke, he stepped forward and lifted his foot to kick him.
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