Immortals

"You see, even Immortals are interested in them."

Hearing that Tang Mei suddenly had a fearful look in her eyes. With a panicking voice the exclaimed:

"Immortals?! Elder Su, are you sure? If that is true I don't want to have anything to do with this stone anymore!"

Surprised about the reactions of his mother Tang He asked:

"Mmama, wwwhy aarre yu shaking?"

Noticing her own agitation, Tang Mei tried calmed down a bit but as if remembering something she again started shaking and asserted:

"Village Chief Su! Take the stone I don't want to have anything to do with it and those Immortals... It is too dangerous."

After saying the word 'immortal' she paused again as if trying to overcome something inside of her. The anxiety never left her face.

Hearing all that Frank was very intrigued by this notion of 'Immortals'. It seemed as if there was an upper layer of society in this country and listening to his new mother it seemed they weren't all that friendly.

< The question still remains is why they are called immortals and not something else. >

< … Maybe their life expectancy is significantly higher or are they just very robust? >

< But what would they need this 'water crystal' here for? >

When Su Xuefeng saw the reaction of Tang He's mother he was very surprised as well. Already calculating his profits by selling it to a caravan his eyes came to a halt when they reached Tang He.

When he saw that pondering look of his, Chief Su wasn't sure what to do. Taking it for free could backfire in the future when this boy started read.

'And I can't not teach him reading now that he can speak like a normal person. It is just too convenient when I won't have to tell him all the problems I have any more in person.'

'He would be the perfect assistant in a few years.'

Seeing the reluctance on Tang Mei's face, the village chief decided to give them some compensation at least.

He took the stone and placed it behind him in a drawer in his closet. With a pondering voice he suggested:

"Everything will be alright, Mrs. Tang Mei. Don't worry, I will take care of it for you."

Trying to get her attention elsewhere he started:

"Did you know, your son is helping me a lot. He will become a fine assistant in the future. He helps me keep count of many things."

As if he remembered something he went to one of his closed drawers and took a purse out of it.

"You know, I never thanked you for letting your son come here so often."

"Here, take this purse! In it there are 200 silver coins and please don't reject it. It is not charity as I am giving you an upfront payment for the things you son will help me with in the future. I know you are in need of some money recently and with this you could easily buy a couple of goats…"

Seeing the stone disappear from her eyes and listening to the chief talk finally calmed down Tang Mei. Thinking about the situation she looked at her son with loving eyes and said:

"Alright. Thank you, Chief. When should my son come and visit you?"

"Ahh, don't worry too much about that. Just let him come here twice a week and everything will be fine. Just go home to your husband and celebrate. Here, let me give you some sweet pastries as well!"

On their way out, Tang Mei and her son watched as Elder Su vanished for a moment in the storage room and returned with a cloth-bag filled with wonderfully smelling bread and buns. When they left the house with the bag Tang He was very confused whereas Tang Mei felt relieved.

On the other side of the door someone else had a very happy expression on his face. Su Xuefeng just got the most valuable thing in his life for free. Of course, he wasn't a selfish man. His first priority was his daughter and then came the wellbeing of the village. Most definitely he would be able to sell this stone for a fortune. Maybe even dozens of gold coins! All this money may enable them to expand their village, maybe even becoming a trading hub on the road.

'Maybe I can arrange something for the Tangs to better their relationships in the village.'

'I'll go and visit Ma Cai, he still owes me a lot from our last deal. Maybe I can arrange something.'

With thoughts like these Elder Su returned to his desk and started writing again.

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On their way back, Frank was still contemplating the consequences of such a system. He had been born and raised in a democracy where everyone had their rights and laws bound the rich and the poor the same, at least on paper. Often men selected by the people to govern them had been selfish and were led astray by promises of money and might. But at least there was never open discrimination. Deep in his thoughts he didn't notice how Tang He asked his mother a question with his new-found power of speech:

"Mama, wwwhat are immmmortals?"

This time she wasn't as shocked as the last time she heard it. Still a shiver went through her body and with an angry tone she berated Tang He:

"He'er never mention that again! Never!"

Half shouting, she added:

"Just hope you never meet them in your life. We are like dust to them even ants are better in their opinion. If they want something from you, they will just take it and you won't be able to escape. Be careful and stay far far away from them!"

Seeing how upset she was, Tang He understood not to poke into that topic again.

Compared to him Frank felt even more confirmed about his guess that they were some kind of upper class or even caste. He didn't like the feeling of having no control over his own life. And in this world you needed power to survive, he concluded.

< Hey boy, didn't you say you got stronger since today? >

After all the shouting from his mother Tang He was glad to change to a more exciting subject.

'Yes, I did! I feel as if I could walk around like this for the whole day.'

< Very nice, boy. Do you want to get even stronger? >

Delighted by the thought of becoming even more useful he answered:

'I do!'

Tang He was imagining how he would carry two buckets of water home like his brothers or lift heavy sacks of grain and toss them around like they were nothing. That thought very much impressed him.

< You do understand that there will always be pain on the path to strength? >

'Ohh, now you sound just like my father!' came the excited voice back.

Imaginarily frowning for a moment Frank continued flustered:

< Well, not the people are right or wrong it is the ideas they have. >

< Anyway, from today onwards we will train every time you go and fetch water. It will be hard in the beginning but you will feel the difference later on >

He added:

< Sometimes you will need to protect yourself. If you can't do it with your words, you will need a well-trained body to look for another approach. I will help and teach you a couple of moves >

Although Frank was by far no expert in martial arts. But wasn't that just intelligently applied physics of the body? If you count his real-life experience and watched movies and performances there was a lot to analyse and learn from. He knew that even things like the One-Inch-Punch where possible; It was just the way how you apply the forces in your body. If your whole anatomy was involved in your movements, miraculous feeds could be accomplished.

His life should be peaceful for now but you can never know and if those 'Immortals' where really as dangerous as Tang Mei said, who knows what they will do when they discover where the stone came from. Considering this, the best-case scenario would actually be if chief Su wrongly appraised it.

Anyway, first comes stamina, then body-control and lastly pure strength, he summarized.

< But for now we need to do running exercises and see where exactly your limits are. Later we will include body-weight-exercises >

Again, curious about the new word, Tang He questioned:

'What is that?'

Frank didn't answer this time as some kind of evil grin spread across his imaginary face. He of course forgot that he would be sharing everything that boy would have to do.

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As they got everything they needed from village chief Su, Tang Mei didn't need to visit the Bais anymore. Soon the duo reached the well where she retrieved a bucket of water while Tang He held the bag.

After washing hers and her son's face and drinking their fill they proceeded back home. Tang Mei was humming some kind of foreign melody. At least Tang He had never heard the other children sing anything like that. Not that he would really mind of course. To him heaven descended on the way back home. The gentle and clear voice of his mother made him forget all his past grievances and problems. A new life would start from now on – one filled with love and family, one filled with strength and health.

This dreamy and lovely state continued until they reached their house and went inside. Back to her usual self, Tang Mei asked:

Come-on, help me prepare dinner. Today we will have a sumptuous feast. With those 200 silver we will be safe even if something happens. Peel some carrots, while I go and put the money away.

After that she vanished and Tang He was alone in the room after a short moment of rest he went outside to the storage shed. It was a rather large one with a portion above the ground and one below. The above part stood on wooden steles to prevent rodents from getting in and only a small retractable ladder led inside. Only things that wouldn't mind neither heat nor cold would be stocked there. For example, most of the grain from the last harvest still lied in there. On the other side of the room large bundles of straw were kept.

If the house ever needed repairing, this and clay from the riverside were very useful and especially way cheaper than inviting someone else in to do the work. Of course, baskets could be weaved from the longer and stronger straws too but Tang Mei rarely had the time to do it herself. She did teach her daughter Tang Ah on how to do it but that girl still couldn't really weave them into anything useful.

The part below the ground was roofed of by a wooden trapdoor. When Tang He opened it and descendet down the ladder a cooling sensation enveloped his body.

'Ahh, the ground is so nice and cool!'

Half hoping and expecting a question Frank got ready to explain some thermodynamics to He: How ground-cooling would work and how the earth would be a very nice insulator. But sadly, for him no such question came up. Like any normal person, Tang He took it for granted and looked for the sack with the carrots.

Finding it on the left side, he went to it and took a dozen big ones out of there. Everyone in the family would be able to eat their fill today. Not only rice and carrots but also sweet buns and tasty bread expected them. Imagining the delicious taste, Tang He had to gulp multiple times.

With all this in mind he climbed back up but just as he about to close the lid he heard a loud panicked voice coming from the direction of the fields. When he turned around to check up on it he saw his sister running towards the house with tears on her face and screeming:

"Mommy, father is injured."