Chapter Seven, Residing in a Noble Family

Then it is said that the person threw down a hemp rope, allowing A Fei to bind his own hands behind his back, wrapping it several times. Then, holding a knife and pulling the rope, he led A Fei into the Shi family courtyard under the watchful eyes of two rows of fierce dogs

Throughout the journey, in order to guard against unforeseen circumstances, Ah Fei's left hand tightly gripped the old bow, while a quail feather arrow was concealed within his bundle, with a small portion of the feather tail protruding. With a slight bend of his right hand, he could easily draw it out. His self-taught archery skills were certainly lacking, but when it came to the speed of consecutive shots (albeit using a weak bow and with no guarantee of accuracy), he could barely be considered to have reached the level of a second-rate expert.

Shixun couldn't help but laugh heartily, patting him on the shoulder: "Alright, then you shall follow me from now on."

It was not until nearly noon the next day that Ah Fei, starving and helpless due to his hands being bound, wet his legs with urine, finally saw Shi Xun. At that moment, he unleashed all the acting talent he had accumulated over two lifetimes, kneeling before Shi Xun, bowing his head repeatedly like pounding garlic, and weeping bitterly as he recounted how his family had been destroyed. He no longer sought the one hundred and fifty coins, but only wished to sell himself into servitude to the Shi family, in order to prolong his life.

He had no choice but to lie on the ground and fumble around, finally managing to pull out the bamboo strip given to him by Master Shi Xun from his bundle. He held it with both hands and handed it to the newcomer. At that moment, he had the opportunity to take a closer look. He saw that the man was tall and robust, with a face as dark as if it had been smeared with soot, his eyes round like copper bells, and his bushy beard standing upright like needles—"Wow, this guy would be perfect to portray the character of Zhang San Ye!"

Well, there is also... self-reflection and contraction, even if there are thousands or millions, I will still go forth...

In particular, Shi Xun often took him and others out of the manor to hunt in the nearby mountains and forests, providing opportunities to pick up a few bones that the young master had not fully gnawed on to satisfy their cravings, or to scoop a bowl of meat soup that the young master had not finished to warm themselves. To assist the young master in hunting, A Fei finally acquired a hunting bow that was somewhat presentable—made of orange wood for the shaft, with cow horn on the inside, cow tendon on the outside, coated with lacquer, and strung with deer sinew; he also frequently received arrows with copper-tipped reed shafts and wild duck feathers.

Thus, he had every opportunity to draw the arrow, partially draw the bow, and deliver a precise shot to the face of the leading charging dog. However, just as his right hand touched the arrow's feather, he suddenly hesitated—"This is the Shi family's dog, not a stray. If I were to injure it, it is entirely possible that this prominent family would kill a person on the spot over a dog..."

Just this opening sentence

Mencius met with King Hui of Liang, and the king said, "Old man, you have traveled a thousand miles to come here; will you not have something to benefit my country..."

It is normal for martial skills to be mediocre, as those fellows rely entirely on their brute strength and fierce attacks. If one were to truly assess their martial arts, they might not even measure up to the weakest street performers in Cangzhou, who can be found everywhere. However, Ah Fei, by following them, is at least able to wield various types of infantry weapons—long and short, edged and pointed—capably enough to take down one or two injured soldiers without difficulty. According to them, if he practices diligently for a few more years and waits until he comes of age, he could even hold a position in the army.

The man held the knife motionless in his right hand, while his left hand took the bamboo piece. He carefully examined it for a long time under the dim yellow sunset. "That..." A Fei boldly reminded, "Brother, you are holding it the wrong way..."

Having not reviewed for several years, I have forgotten most of it, yet I still remember about twenty or thirty characters

A Fei made a great effort to appear deep in thought, then picked up a twig with a gesture as if holding a pencil. He wrote the character "一" in the soil, contemplated it alongside a *picture* book, and added a horizontal line above the "一". Then he added another horizontal line below it, ultimately appending the character "人" after the "三"—"If we meet, I might recognize it, but if we do not meet, I truly cannot recall it..."

In addition, when he had nothing to do, A Fei would follow the men of the Lun family to practice martial arts. It must be acknowledged that although his body had grown up in hunger, its resilience was quite good. After being sufficiently filled with carbohydrates, his physical strength quickly improved. Coupled with his understanding and comprehension from another life, within just six months, he had already mastered various martial arts, albeit at a basic level.

Shixun threw him a branch and said, "Write it down for me to see"

Mr. Xu waved his hand while pinching his nose: "First, take him down and give him a thorough wash, change his clothes, and then come back to see me"

How many characters do you recognize

Thus, in the Shijiazhuang courtyard, A Fei finally lived safely and peacefully to the age of 16—according to the traditional counting method, his actual age should be 15

I can't believe this, they are going to dismember me! A boundless terror filled my heart, yet my entire body was frozen, unable to move a single inch.

Thus, Ah Fei was surrounded by several burly men with the surname Lun, stripped completely bare, and immediately doused with a few buckets of cold water amidst lewd laughter. They then proceeded to scrub him thoroughly with a brush used for cleaning donkeys and horses. ... Until the washing was complete, and a few large coarse linen garments were thrown onto his face, the terrified Ah Fei finally released his hands that had been covering his rear.

Thus, after signing the contract of servitude and pressing his fingerprint, A Fei became a person of Shi Xun. From that moment on, regardless of whether Young Master Shi commanded him to go east or west, to live or die, or even to bend over and offer his rear, theoretically, he had no right to resist or refuse. Fortunately, at this stage, Shi Xun's sexual orientation is still considered normal

Then what about "Sun Wu"

In that moment of hesitation, the fierce dog had already pounced on his chest, knocking him onto his back. Soon after, he felt a slight sting on his neck, accompanied by a very warm and damp sensation. Before long, the same feeling began to spread from his shoulders, arms, thighs, and buttocks in succession

Shi Xun summoned A Fei in the open threshing ground, and upon meeting, the first question he asked was: "What books did you read in your dreams?"

How can you still have a reason when you can't read? ... You've been staring at it for so long without understanding it ...

The Book of Songs

Ah Fei spoke up: "Is it not a joy to learn and to practice what you have learned at the right time? Is it not a pleasure to have friends come from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unperturbed when others are unaware?"

A Fei was forced to curl up in the woodshed for an entire night, as it was said that the lord and young master of the household were currently dining. After finishing their meal, they still had to settle accounts, and after that, they needed to bathe, followed by sleep. Therefore, there was no time to attend to him today

The ospreys call, on the islet of the river, a graceful and virtuous lady, a gentleman's ideal mate

What if I got it wrong? That person glared fiercely with eyes as large as copper bells, "Anyway, I can't read!"

However, after multiple hunting trips with Shi Xun, and with the allowance to practice archery in the courtyard during idle times, A Fei's accuracy in shooting has made significant progress. Essentially, he can hit a target the size of a water tank's opening nine out of ten times within thirty paces, five out of ten times for slow-moving targets, and occasionally one out of ten times for fast-moving targets. As for instantaneous targets, it is, of course, impossible to hit them.

Sun Tzu said: "War is a matter of deception... No, it should be the great affairs of the state, the realm of life and death, the path of survival and extinction, which must not be neglected..."

Long after, Ah Fei, who had completely gained Shi Xun's trust, realized how astute and precious his response had been at that time. It turned out that while he was being tormented by several strong men with cold water and brushes, Shi Xun reported this matter to his father, Shi Yi. After pondering for a while, Shi Yi replied: "This young man has extraordinary circumstances and will surely achieve great things in the future. It is a pity that he is a foreigner; throughout history, those who have sought to harm China from outside have always been associated with such divine legends. It is better to kill him."

Ah Fei thus remained as a servant in the Shi family. It must be acknowledged that, although he lacked personal freedom, theoretically he had to be alert twenty-four hours a day, ready to respond to the master's commands, and then exert all his efforts to fulfill them. Fortunately, for the time being, the master had not issued any instructions that exceeded his capabilities or moral boundaries. Compared to the days spent in the impoverished valley, his current life was not only much more fulfilling, but also, although the living conditions were simple, at least the walls were intact, and although the food was coarse, it was sufficient to keep him moderately full.

At that moment, a rough voice boomed like thunder in my ears: "Where did this little thief come from, daring to tread in our village?"

In a situation akin to danger, after a long journey, A Fei had already thought things through clearly. The initial fabrication of such a grand lie was a necessity imposed by circumstances, and now that he had the time, he needed to round out the details to avoid complications. Thus, he first claimed that he had not learned much, and then concocted tales of "encountering a benefactor" and "receiving good assistance," intending to place this "benefactor" label on Shi Xun. During the brief interactions in the county town, he had already discerned that this young master Shi Xun held himself in high regard and harbored great ambitions, believing that he and Tu Shu would be quite fond of this grand title. Therefore, he first claimed that he had not learned much, and then fabricated stories of "encountering a benefactor" and "receiving good assistance," intending to place this "benefactor" label on Shi Xun. In the short time spent in the county town, he had already seen clearly that this young master Shi Xun held himself in high regard and was ambitious, believing that he and Tu Shu would be quite fond of this grand title.

The token? Just then, the sound of a few shouts echoed, and instantly, the warmth throughout his body vanished, leaving only dampness and a stinging sensation. Ah Fei struggled to rise, but a glance revealed a gleaming broadsword with a ring pommel positioned right in front of him, less than two centimeters from his neck

You only remember the beginning! Then, "Mencius"

As expected, upon hearing these words, Shi Xun immediately abandoned the thought of taking his life. However, Shi Xun still had doubts in his heart and asked him: "What do you still remember? Recite it for me—well, start with the Analects."

Later, I learned that this person also had a rather obscure surname, Lun, with a single given name that was maddeningly "Jia"... He was a loyal servant of the family for generations

I am not a thief!" Ah Fei shouted anxiously, "I am here to seek Master Shi, and there is a token he gave me in my bundle!

Due to his young age and limited strength, Ah Fei's bow had a draw weight of less than half a stone. The bow commonly used by others was significantly stronger; according to his own boast, it was nearly three stones—something Ah Fei could not draw at all, nor could he test it, so he had no choice but to let others brag about it.

Shixun obstructed his father, saying: "The book obtained in a dream is ultimately an illusion. Let the son carefully inquire about its authenticity first; then it will not be too late for you to kill him."

A Fei, who had long anticipated being questioned about similar matters, had already prepared his responses several times. He immediately knelt down and replied: "There are the Analects, there is Sun Wu, there is Mencius, and there is the Book of Songs. I, a petty person, can hardly remember a few passages. Then the old man sighed and said: 'Lacking in talent and ability, you are indeed of no use. It is better to let you go. In the future, when you encounter a noble person, do assist them well.' I then woke up, and the few passages I had originally remembered had mostly slipped my mind.