Teaching Younger Siblings

The next morning dawned bright and clear, the chill of the night slowly fading under the warmth of the rising sun. Shen Yuan stretched lazily outside his tent, enjoying the quiet moments before the camp came alive with its usual bustling energy. His thoughts wandered back to the previous night's meal, the stew flavored with wild herbs. It was a small victory, but enough to plant the seed of a new idea in his mind.

Today, however, he had a different focus. His two uncles, Shen Lingyun and Shen Qingyuan—both gers—had already left to collect herbs early in the morning. His other uncles and elder brothers had gone hunting, while Shen Mingxiu and Shen Jing were cleaning the tents and making sure the camp was in order.

That left Shen Yuan free, and an idea sparked in his mind. His younger siblings, the eight of them, were still untrained, weak, and unprepared for the harsh realities of this world. If they were to survive and thrive, they needed more than just clever business ideas or wild dreams—they needed strength.

With a grin, Shen Yuan walked to the open area near the camp and called out to his siblings.

"Everyone, come over here for a bit!"

They were all under 19 and still had childish aura.

"What's going on, Brother Yuan?" Shen Xiaomei asked, looking up at him eagerly.

Shen Yuan smiled. "We're going to have a bit of training today. You've all been sitting around for too long, so I'm going to teach you some basic self-defense techniques. After that, we'll explore the area a bit."

There were a few groans from the group, most notably from Shen Feng and Shen Yan, who looked less than thrilled at the idea of exercise. Shen Zhi, always the playful one, nudged his brother Shen Yuan with a mischievous grin. "Do we have to? I thought today was going to be a rest day."

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You want to rest, or you want to be able to defend yourself when trouble comes? It's your choice."

Shen Zhi laughed but gave in. "Alright, alright. I'll train."

"Good," Shen Yuan said, clapping his hands. "Now, everyone spread out. We'll start with something simple."

The group shuffled around, finding space in the open area. Shen Xiaomei and Shen Yaqing stood right in front, their faces were full of excitement.

"First, we'll go over how to block and deflect attacks," Shen Yuan began, demonstrating as he spoke. "Watch closely. It's about using your opponent's force against them. If someone throws a punch, don't just take it head-on—redirect it."

He showed them how to block and shift their weight, turning a defensive move into an opportunity to counterattack. The kids watched intently, some of them mimicking his movements, while others were still a bit too groggy to follow along.

Shen Yuan walked through the group, correcting their posture, offering advice here and there. Shen Fang, who had a natural curiosity and an adventurous spirit, picked up the moves quickly. He was light on his feet, his sharp eyes following Shen Yuan's every motion.

"You're catching on fast, Fang," Shen Yuan commented, smiling at his younger brother.

"I like this stuff," Shen Fang said with a grin. "I want to be able to protect myself when I go out exploring one day."

Shen Yuan chuckled.

Cute children.

The System sighed and let it's host do whatever he wants since there was no order from above at the moment.

While Shen Xiaomei and Shen Yaqing continued to train with enthusiasm, Shen Zhen, the youngest of the siblings, seemed more interested in the conversation than the physical movements. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, but they weren't focused on the fighting.

"Brother Yuan," Shen Zhen asked, pausing mid-movement, "why are we learning to fight? Wouldn't it be better to focus on something else? Like… maybe a way to make money?"

Shen Yuan smiled at his youngest brother.

"Well, Zhen," Shen Yuan said, "self-defense is important, but you're right. There's more to survival than just fighting. I've been thinking about something else too."

Shen Zhen's eyes widened. "What is it?"

Shen Yuan glanced around at his siblings, who were still practicing their defense techniques, before lowering his voice slightly. "I'm thinking about opening a business. Maybe starting small, like with stalls in nearby tribes. We could trade goods, maybe even food—like those desserts I was talking about."

The idea caught Shen Zhen's full attention. "A business?" he echoed, excitement lighting up his face. "That's a great idea! What kind of things would we trade?"

"Food, to start," Shen Yuan replied thoughtfully. "But I was also thinking we could make things to trade—clothes, tools, anything the other tribes need. It wouldn't be easy, but if we work together, we could start small and grow from there."

Shen Zhen looked intrigued, nodding eagerly as if he were already seeing the future laid out before him. "I'd love to help with that! I could handle the money, negotiate deals with the merchants…"

Shen Yuan chuckled. "Slow down, little brother. We need to get stronger first. Our bodies are weak from years of poor nutrition, and if we want to travel between tribes, we need to be able to handle the journey."

Shen Zhen nodded, but the excitement hadn't left his face.

Next to him, Shen Fang chimed in. "I want to go to different places! We could visit all the tribes, explore new lands… it'd be like an adventure."

Shen Yuan smiled at his younger brothers' enthusiasm. "Adventure's part of it, but we need to be careful. The world is dangerous, and we'll need to be strong to face it."

Shen Xiaomei overheard their conversation and turned around, her brows furrowed in thought. "What about me, Brother Yuan? What can I do?"

Shen Yuan smiled warmly.

He calmly answered all their questions.

Shen Yaqing piped up, her expression determined. "I want to help too! I'm good with my hands. I can make things."

Shen Yuan's heart swelled with pride as he looked at his siblings, each of them eager to contribute in their own way. Even though they were still young, they had potential. He could see it. They weren't just a bunch of exiled kids struggling to survive.

They want to prove something to the world. It's understandable at their age, they want to become powerful and protect their people.

"Alright," Shen Yuan said, his voice firm but encouraging. "First, we're going to get stronger. We'll train, we'll build up our bodies, and then we'll start small. We'll make things, trade them in the nearby tribes, and grow from there."

The kids looked at each other, their faces full of determination. Even Shen Zhi, who had initially been indifferent, seemed to be warming up to the idea.

"Once we've got the strength, we can think about setting up stalls, trading with merchants, and maybe even opening a proper business one day," Shen Yuan continued. "But it's going to take time, effort, and a lot of hard work."

"I'm ready," Shen Fang said confidently, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Me too!" Shen Zhen added, his small fists clenched in determination.

Shen Yuan laughed softly. "Good. Then let's get back to training."

For the Next Month Shen Yuan taught the kids with strictness and also found many condiments in the near area and taught his Uncle Shen Qingyuan about how to grow those herbs.

"I think we're getting the hang of it," Shen Xiaomei said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Shen Yaqing nodded in agreement. "It's hard, but it feels good to learn something useful."

Shen Yuan smiled at them. "You're all doing great. Keep practicing, and you'll be strong enough to handle anything that comes your way."