Ma Yuanzhi saw Li Chuan's expression and frowned slightly: "What kind of expression is that?"
Li Chuan laughed awkwardly: "I'm just a poor student..."
"Stop right there!" Ma Yuanzhi expressed disdain on her face, "Did I say I wanted your money? I meant, you're skilled in medicine and massage, right? Our martial arts hall inevitably deals with injuries, so you can come and help treat them. Plus, since you're here to learn, you can't avoid the tuition, which is thirty thousand a year."
"Thirty thousand?"
Upon hearing that, Li Chuan's face turned bitter. Helping with treating injuries was no big deal, but as a freshman who just arrived from a small town, where would he get thirty thousand bucks from with no income?
"Huh? Didn't you know? Scholars are poor, while martial artists are rich. This thirty thousand is already a discount seeing as you're skilled in medicine; others pay sixty thousand a year!" Ma Yuanzhi's face showed impatience again, "Can't afford it? Then don't study here; go back to your university."
"Can we discuss this? I'm just a student with no income, and I'm an orphan too, so thirty thousand... it's really too much... and I won't be here every day..." Li Chuan could only sell his hardship.
"Huh? You're an orphan?" Ma Yuanzhi thought for a moment, "Alright then, considering your situation, I'll symbolically charge you ten thousand; that's the lowest, take it or leave it!"
A group of fellow apprentices nearby widened their eyes; the young master cherished money more than life itself and wouldn't tolerate losing a cent. They wondered why she was being so generous now.
Actually, Ma Yuanzhi had her own considerations. Li Chuan indeed seemed skilled in medicine and was from the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Nowadays, doctors with real abilities are increasingly valuable; sometimes, these divine doctors can save lives!
Like her own mother, who was saved by a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
Making connections with such people is undoubtedly beneficial, not to mention he's paying her fee too. Why not?
No matter how you look at it, she profits from this deal!
But such a big concession still put Li Chuan in a bind, as he really didn't have ten thousand on him.
This is what it means by "without money, you can't move an inch"!
Seeing Li Chuan mumbling without words, Ma Yuanzhi's face turned a bit sour. Can't even come up with ten thousand and wants to get things for free?
Did he really think their family was a charity?
"Kid, you're not thinking of getting a freebie, are you?" Ma Yuanzhi expressed with disbelief.
"No..." Li Chuan was equally embarrassed because the pricing was quite fair, "I didn't bring that much with me, so maybe I can go back and try to figure something out."
"Alright then." Ma Yuanzhi pouted.
She also had no other way; times were tough for all industries, and with the declining birth rate, there were fewer kids, so any income was better than none.
Li Chuan left the martial arts hall and headed to the nearby Seven Bowls Tea House.
In the small town, having no money wasn't much of an issue because he didn't need it much, but in big cities, without money, you're really stuck.
"Hmm? Back so soon?" Zhao Qingyao was leisurely drinking a cup of Thousand Mountain Jade Leaves in the tea house, enjoying breakfast while listening to an old musician play tunes, feeling quite relaxed.
Seeing Li Chuan return, she poured him a cup of tea.
"Sister Qingyao, is there any place near the school hiring student workers?" Li Chuan hesitated before asking.
Zhao Qingyao was taken aback, then laughed: "You want to work to earn money?"
Li Chuan nodded.
"You should just focus on working for me instead; why bother with other jobs? Oh, you cured my illness, and I forgot to reward you. Also, serving me at night deserves a reward too." Saying this, Zhao Qingyao took out her phone and swiftly operated it.
"Ding dong, Alipay received, sixty thousand."
Hearing the sound from his phone, Li Chuan was shocked: "Sister Qingyao, this... isn't right."
"Even though you treated my illness, it shouldn't be based solely on money, should it? If you do this, I feel like I'm freeloading..."
Saying that, Li Chuan's face flushed.
Zhao Qingyao chuckled: "Why, isn't it nice to freeload off me? You're my darling, and I can't live without you for the rest of my life. Why be so formal with me? From now on, I'll give you sixty thousand living expenses every month; if it's not enough, just ask me for more!"
Li Chuan: "..."
"Alright, hurry up and go to the martial arts hall." Seeing Li Chuan's expression, Zhao Qingyao knew he couldn't afford the tuition and was unwilling to mention how he saved Miao Cuilian. But for her, sixty thousand was just a drop in the bucket.
"Okay, I'll head over then."
Soon, Li Chuan returned to the Ma Family Martial Arts Hall.
Seeing him return, Ma Yuanzhi smiled. Every student who gave her money was a good student.
"Ten thousand, scan the code to pay." Ma Yuanzhi took out her phone's payment code.
Li Chuan paid the ten thousand.
"Alright, from now on, you're an official disciple of our Ma Family Martial Arts Hall!" Ma Yuanzhi put away her smile, her expression turning serious. "Our hall practices Xingyi Fist, and the key essence of Xingyi Fist is one word: forceful! 'Still as a mountain, moving like an avalanche,' that's the essence of my Xingyi Fist! As the saying goes, 'Kill one within ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles, finish affairs and leave fame and identity hidden.' That literary piece perfectly resembles my Xingyi Eight Extremes Hands."
"Listen up, Xingyi Fist, the Three-Body Stance..."
Then, Ma Yuanzhi went on to give a detailed introduction to Xingyi Fist, which greatly broadened Li Chuan's horizons.
This form of martial arts was fierce and aggressive, especially the Eight Extremes Hand, which was really a lethal technique!
Such skills, if not for paying and becoming a disciple, ordinary people would never get the chance to learn in a lifetime.
Just like those paid movies, the exciting ones always charge a fee, same principle.
"Alright, I've covered almost everything. Eighth Junior Brother, Ninth Junior Brother, show him the Five Elements Fist and Twelve Forms Fist, and later I'll demonstrate the Eight Extremes Hand for him."
To be honest, Ma Yuanzhi guessed that Li Chuan wouldn't be able to learn it anyway, so she wasn't reluctant to share it all at once.
Soon, two youths around Li Chuan's age stepped up and demonstrated the Five Elements Fist and Twelve Forms Fist successively.
Finally, it was Ma Yuanzhi's turn to show the Eight Extremes Hand.
Though Ma Yuanzhi was a girl, when she performed, she was vigorous and impressive.
Li Chuan watched intently, memorizing the mantras Ma Yuanzhi casually recited as he watched.
After performing the routines, Ma Yuanzhi stood and exhaled deeply.
With Li Chuan's current senses, he could clearly feel a long stream of air shooting from Ma Yuanzhi's mouth, like an air arrow!
This proved that Ma Yuanzhi indeed had authentic skills!
"Li Chuan, did you remember our demonstrations just now?"
Li Chuan was embarrassed, "I watched, but it seems I didn't remember much."
"Uh..." Ma Yuanzhi felt helpless, "I already slowed down the pace; you really didn't catch even a single move?"