6: Chapter 6 My Sweet Little Girl

"Dad, you're back! Sit down quickly, I'll massage your shoulders for you!"

Qin Xiaoxi immediately flew over like a happy little bird, pressing her father into the seat and skillfully kneading his shoulders with her small hands.

"Oh, that feels good, so good..." Qin Shouzheng squinted his eyes comfortably and smiled, "Xiao Xi, your skills are getting better and better."

"Of course, I'm Dad's little padded jacket after all. Only Dad gets to enjoy this skill in the whole world."

Qin Xiaoxi raised her face proudly, "Brother and Mom don't get any."

"Good, good, good." Qin Father laughed happily, and the fatigue in his eyes seemed to dissipate quite a bit.

Qin Yan watched this heartwarming scene, feeling a warmth in his own heart.

Although the family was poor, this thick bond of kinship and the warmth of mutual support were precious treasures that nothing could replace.

His mother took his father's dirty work clothes to wash, leaving only the father and his two children in the living room.

At this moment, Qin Shouzheng seemed to remember something, and his expression became somewhat complex.

He looked at Qin Yan and said, "Xiao Yan, the College Entrance Examination is in three months. Your dad isn't very capable and can't help you much..."

"I'll have your mom transfer twenty thousand huaxia coins to you later. Make sure you eat and drink well at school; don't mistreat yourself. Cultivation consumes a lot, so your nutrition must keep up."

His tone carried a trace of imperceptible guilt and self-reproach, hating himself for not being able to provide his son with superior martial arts support. He thought of the son of the Workshop Director at the factory who got into a Key Martial University last year; he heard that the family provided five bottles of qi and blood potions every month alone, along with various other expensive medicinal meals and supplements...

Those children's monthly expenses even exceeded his son's spending for an entire year.

"Okay, Dad. I won't let you down. I will definitely get into a martial university."

Qin Yan did not refuse his father's kindness.

Although he didn't know where his father got the twenty thousand.

However, he really needed this money right now; the College Entrance Examination was his most important priority.

With the support of these twenty thousand huaxia coins, the probability of him achieving good results in the next Monthly Exam would become even greater.

As long as he got into a martial university and became a Martial Artist.

At that time, all problems would be easily solved.

Not just twenty thousand—he would be able to pay back even more.

"Xiao Yan, don't feel pressured. It's okay even if you don't get into a martial university; you can still work in Liberal Arts in the future."

His mother, Chen Juan, walked over and spoke.

Seeing her son leaving early and returning late every day, her heart ached for him.

Qin Yan shook his head.

If he didn't have the Martial Arts Skill panel, he might have accepted his mother's suggestion.

But now, while his future might not be a perfectly smooth path, it could certainly be considered bright.

Seeing this, Chen Juan knew she couldn't persuade her child.

His father smiled wearily, whispered a few words to his mother, and they went back to their room together to rest.

Only Qin Yan and Qin Xiaoxi were left in the room.

"Brother," Qin Xiaoxi leaned in closer, unable to suppress the worry in her voice, "Where did Dad get this money?"

"He wouldn't... he wouldn't have agreed to do some particularly dangerous or exhausting work at the factory, right?"

She knew the family's situation very well; after supporting Qin Yan all these years, they didn't have twenty thousand huaxia coins in savings at all.

In the early years, their parents had also asked relatives for loans, but their own daughters and sons also had to take the College Entrance Examination.

They also consumed a lot of money, and what they had wasn't even enough for themselves, so how could they lend any to them?

Only his paternal aunt's family had lent them ten thousand back then, and even now, they hadn't pressed his father to pay it back.

The siblings had always kept this kindness in their hearts.

"Don't overthink it," Qin Yan reached out and ruffled his sister's hair, comforting her with feigned ease. "Dad has worked at the factory for so many years; he's a veteran employee. Maybe it's a special bonus or overtime pay from the factory."

"He's such a steady person, how could he do anything dangerous?"

But while he said this, his heart felt heavy, just like his sister's.

He knew a bit about the situation at his father's factory; some workshops had extremely high labor intensity and even exposure to harmful substances, so the corresponding subsidies would be higher.

The calluses on his father's hands and his increasingly graying hair flashed before his eyes; his sister's guess was very likely true.

"Xiao Xi, don't worry."

Qin Yan's tone was incredibly serious. "I promise you, I will definitely get into a martial university! When that time comes, I'll make sure Mom and Dad live a good life, and I'll earn lots and lots of pocket money for you so you can buy whatever you want!"

"Pfft, Qin Yan, you're bragging. Don't I know your grades? Last time, you were ranked 35th in class."

"With these grades, you're still a tiny bit short of getting into a martial university."

"Last time was last time. I've been making rapid progress lately. Coach Gu Feng even praised me, saying that if I work hard, I might even get into a Key Martial University."

"And with Dad's support, a key university is a sure thing for me."

"You're not lying to me?"

"You'll know if you go to my school and ask around."

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxi's eyes lit up; she clearly believed Qin Yan's words.

She knew Coach Gu Feng's name. He was a true Martial Artist, strict in teaching and with a sharp eye; it was said he had produced many students who got into Jianghai Martial University.

Since he thought so highly of her brother, the hope must be very high!

Even if he didn't make it into a key university in the end, being able to attend an ordinary martial university would be a massive cause for celebration!

"Hmph, you said it!"

The young girl's mood changed rapidly, immediately filled with beautiful visions. "After you get into a martial university, you have to give me lots and lots of money! No backing out, Qin Yan!"

"Pinky swear, no changes for a hundred years!" Qin Yan smiled and extended his pinky.

"By the way, Xiao Xi," Qin Yan remembered something and instructed, "Tomorrow, you can tell Mom and Dad the good news that I'm progressing rapidly and have a great chance of getting into a martial university. Let them be happy and relax a bit first."

He hadn't had time to tell his father about this just now before his father went back to the room to rest.

"Mm! Leave it to me!" Qin Xiaoxi nodded vigorously, as if she were shouldering a glorious mission.

After chatting with his sister for a while longer about interesting things at school, the two siblings went to their respective rooms to rest.

Meanwhile, inside the parents' room.

At the same time, in the parents' room, Chen Juan was looking at her husband with heartache. "Brother Qin, did you agree to the Workshop Director to do special type of work? That job is exhausting and dangerous. The subsidy is high, but your body..."

"It's nothing for me to suffer a little."

Qin Shouzheng hugged his wife, his voice weary but firm. "We've already held Xiao Yan back all these years. Before the College Entrance Examination, as his father, I have to give it my all to help the child once."

Chen Juan sighed, her eyes slightly moist as she gently tucked her husband in.

Under the light, the calluses and new scars on Qin Shouzheng's hands were particularly obvious.

For these twenty thousand huaxia coins, who knows how much sweat or even risk he had endured.