So many people wanted to practice the Eight Slash Saber technique that it looked like she wouldn’t be able to train by herself today.
She arranged the crowd into two columns, standing on either side, while she stood in the middle, demonstrating the moves in slow motion while teaching the chant.
She planned to single out some of those with the best martial arts talent later and teach them first, then have them pass on what they learned to the others. Otherwise, relying on just her to teach everyone, she’d be worn out halfway down the road.
On the other side, after leaving the martial arts hall, Staff Officer Li avoided the crowds and went to Minister Li's office study.
Seated at the desk examining documents in front of him, Minister Li had his head lowered.
When Staff Officer Li came in, he stood in the middle of the room and saluted the man at the head saying, “Uncle, I have an important matter I want to discuss with you.”
Minister Li still had his head lowered, as if he didn’t care at all who had entered. He responded curiously, “Oh? For you to take the initiative to come looking for me at the Ministry of Justice, how rare. Go ahead, let’s hear what you have to say.”
“Uncle may not know, but we have a female prison guard named Gong Xiaohua at our prison who has remarkable martial arts skills.”
“Gong Xiaohua?” Minister Li interrupted Staff Officer Li. He seemed to recall someone mentioning that name before.
“Isn’t she the one mainly responsible for capturing the flower picker thief you arrested the other day?”
“Yes, uncle.”
“So what you want to talk about today has to do with her?”
“Yes, uncle. Today she was giving free lessons in the martial arts hall on a saber technique called the Eight Slash Saber. Uncle, do you know about this technique? It’s the most exquisite and unparalleled saber technique I’ve ever seen. Most importantly, it's extremely well-suited for practitioners from the Ministry of Justice to train in.”
“Uncle, I was thinking that if we make this saber technique mandatory practice for all our martial arts trainees, it would greatly improve the fighting capabilities of the entire Ministry of Justice. Not only would it increase our efficiency in handling cases, it would also significantly raise our chances of winning at the annual wrestling competition.”
Hearing this, Minister Li's eyes lit up, but he still sounded skeptical as he said, “Is that Gong woman really as extraordinary as you say?”
“Let me put it this way, uncle. If she fought me with her full strength, I probably wouldn’t last more than two moves against her.”
“That formidable, huh. Alright, I’ll have Deputy Minister Lin take care of this matter.”
In the martial arts hall...
After demonstrating all eight movements of the Eight Slash Saber twice, it was time for them to practice on their own.
Gong Xiaohua saw that it was getting late and she still had to make a waterproof cloth for Xiao Haor's family. They would begin their exile tomorrow, so she had to finish it today.
After informing the others in the martial arts hall, she went to the prison to ask Jailer Lin to let her off duty early.
Seeing that Gong Xiaohua had gotten off work early yesterday and was asking to do so again today, Jailer Lin looked at her askew. You haven't even gotten an official post yet and you’re already acting so arrogant?
Ignoring Jailer Lin’s odd stare, Gong Xiaohua left the prison with a blank expression.
Since there was still plenty of time, Gong Xiaohua bought some millet and salt on the way back. She also picked some wild vegetables on the road, planning to make wild vegetable pancakes for the children.
Arriving at the run-down temple, the children were playing outside. Seeing her approach, they ran over shouting “Sis!”.
“Sis, we didn't sneak any of the medicine or jerky you made this morning!” said a scrawny little beggar.
"Good kids. Sis will make something delicious for you in a bit."
“Yay, something yummy to eat again!” The child jumped up and down excitedly.
Putting down the things in her hands, she went to check on the medicinal pills and jerky she had left to dry in the sun that morning. Finding that they were fully dried, she separately packaged them up to take with her when she left.
Next was the waterproof cloth. She planned to make it first before cooking the wild vegetable pancakes for the kids.
The first step in making waterproof cloth was to extract tung oil: First fry the tung tree seeds, then grind them into powder. Next, cut off a one-foot piece of cloth from the bolt and wrap up the powder. Place it under a rock and pound forcefully to extract the tung oil.
The second step was to simmer the extracted tung oil into mature tung oil.
The last step was to brush the cotton cloth with tung oil twice - once after letting the first coating of oil fully absorb into the cotton cloth.
Utilizing the non-miscibility of oil and water, as soon as water touched this protective layer of tung oil, it would immediately slip off. The simple waterproof cloth was now finished.
Hanging up the waterproof cloth to dry, she started making wild vegetable pancakes for the children.
She used the pestle to grind the millet into powder, then chopped up the vegetables and mixed them with the powder along with a bit of salt. She flattened the mixture into pancakes and pan fried them over the stone slab. Soon the delicious wild vegetable pancakes were ready.
This was also the children’s first time seeing such a food. Trying it, they were amazed by the taste - this was the most delicious thing they’d ever eaten in their short lives.
“Sis, what is this? It’s so tasty!”
“Yeah sis, I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before!” said another child.
“This is called wild vegetable pancake. As tasty as it is don’t eat too much, or else your stomach will hurt at night,” she warned them.
“I won’t eat a lot, I’m saving the rest to eat slowly over time.”
“That won’t do. Food will spoil if left for too long and become inedible.”
As dusk approached, Gong Xiaohua prepared to head home, having finished everything except letting the waterproof cloth dry further. She could take that home to hang overnight and it would be done.
“Gou Dan, I’ll leave these tools here for you along with another 200 wen. Go buy some more millet. Wild vegetables can be found all around this area. Make some wild vegetable pancakes like I showed you and sell them to slowly earn money to provide for your siblings.”
“Sis, won’t you come again in the future?”
“When sis has time I’ll come check on all of you occasionally. If there’s anything you need come find me at my home or work place.”
Hearing this, tears started streaming down Gou Dan’s face. Sis Xiaohua really was an angel from heaven. No one had ever cared about them like this before.
He pulled the other children over, wanting to kneel before Gong Xiaohua, but she stopped them.
“From today on, Sis Xiaohua, you are our blood-sister. We can never repay your life-saving grace,” Gou Dan declared solemnly.
“It was nothing. Sis only did what little she could. But to truly build yourselves back up you must rely on your own efforts.”
“Gou Dan, remember this - have unwavering determination, endure bitterness, work hard, and leave no task big or small unfinished. With perseverance, you will surely succeed one day. Remember what sis just told you.”
"Unwavering determination...surely succeed one day...” Gou Dan muttered under his breath, turning the phrases over in his mind. After going over them a few times, he seemed to grasp the meaning behind sis’s words.
“Sis, Gou Dan remembers. Gou Dan will definitely work hard,” he pledged.
And Gou Dan did not disappoint Gong Xiaohua’s faith in him. In the future, he would become the wealthiest grain merchant in the entire Dayi Dynasty, remaining loyal to Gong Xiaohua and Young Master Xiaohao his whole life.
