the talent test

Chapter Six

The meager rations, delivered by a whirring, brass-and-copper delivery bot, barely alleviated the gnawing hunger in their bellies. The bot, its gears grinding softly, deposited a small, woven basket containing the rations. It was an old model, its polished brass tarnished with age, its whirring mechanism a jarring contrast to the quiet desperation of the hut. Even the poorest families in the outlying district of Jade Ascendence possessed one of these analog delivery bots, a testament to the outdated technology that served as a constant reminder of their lower station in the general social hierarchy. The accompanying letter, crisp and official, announced the upcoming talent assessment that was to happen two week away. The parchment crackled like dry leaves as Yun Shinan (Meilin's mom), her face etched with a weariness that belied her years, unfolded it by the flickering firelight. The lines seemed to blur, each word a fresh reminder of the expectations crushing her daughter.

"Two weeks," she whispered, her voice hoarse. The words hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken anxieties. Jian Meilin could understand why her mom was anxious because all these years every time she went to test her aptitude she would return home with a dejected mood sometimes even crying but now that she was here she did not feel the need to go test her talent because she herself knew best the state of her body. Now the important thing to her was find a mean to make money , plenty of money so that she could make this family she had acquired a comfortable life.as for the talent test she will go just for show anyways even if she said she could create a miracle two weeks was too short for that,since she was just thirteen this year she still had two years of testing and she believed by then she would have found a way to change her fate.

"Mama," Jian Meilin began, her voice barely a breath, "Could I… could I go to town? Perhaps find some work? Even something small. Anything to help..."

"That won't do lin'er you have not recovered yet and you know every time you go down there you often return with more injuries I am worried dear I can't let you go" her mother refused almost immediately.

Yun Shinan looked at her daughter, her gaze filled with a mixture of sorrow and resignation. She knew what Jian Meilin wanted. Not just to alleviate their poverty, but to escape the suffocating pressure of the family's expectations, to carve out a space for herself, even if it was just a tiny corner of independence. But the fear was present in her heart, she is not strong anymore, she might not be able to protect her daughter if she steps out of their comfort zone.

"Meilin," Yun Shinan said softly, her voice laced with a pain that mirrored Meilin's own. "It's too dangerous. And the tests…" Her voice trailed off, unable to voice the unspoken fear that Jian Meilin might fail to meet expectations again.

"Mom don't worry about the test I will go there to support wen wen right now I have no hope whatsoever but for work you have to let me go you know we can't afford fear mama I will be careful,I promise"

Jian Meilin persisted. She painted a picture of simple tasks – cleaning, mending, anything to earn a few coins. The words tumbled from her lips, fueled by a desperation born of years of silence and marginalization. Finally, her mother relented, a flicker of weary hope in her eyes. She knew it was a dangerous gamble, but Meilin's pleas echoed her own desperate need for a sliver of respite from their grim reality.

Although this body could not carry spiritual energy or syphon magic but she had knowledge of alchemy and forging.if what she learned from Jian Meilin memory was true,that forging was different in this era were there are different stages of forging.the easy stage,normal stage,middle stage,high stage and the excellent stage.she could try forging the easy stage artifact since it does not require energy of any kind just the proper tools. Unlike alchemy where you need to use mental energy and spiritual energy,the easy forging just needed the method and the furnace, but for normal forging and above that was when you will need to use mental energy.It just that forging methods were not some candy you could buy anywhere. if a clan has a forging method then it is kept a secret from the outside world so even easy stage artifacts are not obtained easily.Since she had the knowledge then she had to ensure within these two weeks their family had a stable living condition.as for alchemy she had to forget about that for now because she had not found a method to use it without the use of mental energy and spiritual energy. But even though she could not concoct medicinal liquid or refine pills her years of experience and knowledge enabled her to diagnose an ailment with easy and her knowledge about herbs was infinity.

Later, Jian Meilin found Jian wen staring out the window, his small shoulders slumped although he tried to hide it he looked a little pale but because jiam Meilin was preoccupied with sorting out some of the information from her predicesors memory's she did not notice this abnomarlity. She sat beside him ,and silently looked around,it was so quiet at this time and although according to memory there were supposed to be busy servants running to the main house and side quarters to serve their masters in the Jian family which made her feel a little puzzled. But this silence kept on being interrupted once in a while by her brother who kept on signing so much that it looked dramatic.finally he couldn't keep quiet.

"Sis,I am worried the test...do you think I'll succeed,will I fail again?" Then as if the floodgates have been opened,He kept rambling on and on that Jian Meilin became speechless 'this boy is so talkative I didn't even notice' Jian Meilin mused

"Don't worry, little brother," she said, her voice softer than the morning breeze. "This test… it doesn't define us, whether or not you awaken your power in the future as long as we're together then it's fine right?."

He looked at her, his eyes mirroring her own weariness. But her words, though simple, offered a measure of comfort. He knew she was just as scared as he was, but her unwavering support was a lifeline in the storm of their anxieties. He squeezed her hand tightly. After talking some more with her brother she headed towards the town.

The walk to town was a slow, deliberate one. Each step felt heavy, laden with the weight of her family's expectations. She had donned the simplest of clothing, a worn cotton tunic that hid her already meager frame. As she reached the side of the main house she planned to see what was going on to result to the quietness of this morning when she was stopped by two people.cursing in her head she regretted why she did not take the shortcut forest road that was behind their cottage.she had taken the tarmaced road and to say she was not mesmerized would be a lie. She had seen boxed metal carriages which after searching her memory found out were cars. The Jian court had an ancient architecture with a mixture of the modern technology and it was all foreign to her.

The two people who stopped her were none other than her stepsister, Jian Ling, who was the second daughter of madam wei was a pampered young miss who got everything she wanted and most of the young generation sucked up to her because she was a big heavy thigh tu hug, she stood tall and proud, her beauty enhanced by a silk gown that whispered wealth and privilege. Beside her was a cousin,Jian Xikong who had a water magic element also had some status in the clan and because she was friends with this big Buddha she could run wild in this clan. These two did not miss a chance to mock and humiliate Jian Meilin in the past. She was now also dressed in similarly fine clothes. Their smiles were sharp, their eyes glittering with malice.

"Look what we have here," Jian Ling drawled, her voice dripping with condescension. "The family disgrace, out for a stroll."

The cousin snickered, mimicking her sister's disdain." What to say a trash cannot understand a thing about elegancy and simple manners" she added.Their words were like tiny daggers, each one piercing Jian Meilin's heart. She knew their taunts were born of the privileges that they possessed. If one day they were stripped off their high talent then they will not know we're to start in this ruthless world.

Their laughter turned to fury as Jian Meilin's calm defiance irritated them. They lunged at her, intending to inflict physical pain to match the verbal abuse that she suffered. Jian Xikong withdrew a whip from her hip and swung it ready to strike. But just as her attack was about to land, a servant rushed towards them, his face pale with urgency.

"Lady Ling! Land Xikong,An emergency meeting. The General requires your presence immediately!" The servant did not even acknowledge Meilin as if she was just air.

The girls faltered, their anger abruptly replaced with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. They turned, their fury barely contained, and hurried away without another word. Meilin watched them go, The incident was a stark reminder of her position within the family, but strangely, it was their haste to attend the emergency meeting that left her with an inexplicable sense of unease. Is this related to the lack of bustling servants?. But she did not linger any longer since she had not gone far from home she decided to go back and use the shortcut since she thought she would not get the answer anyway.