Chapter 9
“From the moment you’re born, the size of your frame, the hardness of your bones, whether you have any disabilities or imbalances, and the strength of your muscles and fascia—these factors determine a large part of your fate! If you have this talent, the most obvious sign is: you can eat!”
Han Cheng was left speechless.
“Of course, having talent alone isn’t enough; you need to have enough to eat!” Xu Jiaotou seemed to be getting into the groove, continuing, “If someone has talent but doesn’t have enough to eat—it's worse than having no talent at all! Wu Guanjia, you’re a martial artist too; you understand what I mean.”
Wu Guanjia nodded, “Of course, talent is a double-edged sword. Those with good talent require more nourishment; they have a higher natural consumption rate. If they don’t eat enough, not only will their martial arts suffer, but their lifespan will also be shorter than that of ordinary people.”
“Exactly! It’s like those precious flowers and plants; in some places, weeds can thrive, but they can’t even sprout!”
Zheng Fa sensed that when Wu Guanjia said this, his gaze occasionally fell on him, as if the words were directed at him.
He wasn’t mistaken.
In Wu Guanjia’s mind, the lady had sent Zheng Fa and the others to Xu Zheng as a way of subtly reminding him.
### Chapter 10: The Best of the Best
Ever since the lady had seen through his little thoughts, Wu Guanjia felt quite anxious.
He couldn’t help but take out some of his frustration on Zheng Fa.
More importantly, he understood that the lady had summoned Zheng Fa and the others to meet Xu Zheng, effectively excluding Zheng Fa from the running for the Seventh Young Master’s attendant.
Compared to studying, martial arts require more resources; that’s the essence of the saying “rich in martial arts, poor in literature.”
Among Zheng Fa, Han Cheng, and Gao Yuan, Zheng Fa came from the most impoverished background.
As Xu Jiaotou had said earlier, let’s not even discuss whether Zheng Fa has talent; even if he does, if he can’t eat enough every day, his potential will go to waste.
Understanding the lady’s intentions, Wu Guanjia’s attitude toward Zheng Fa naturally grew colder.
“Alright, Xu Jiaotou, since it’s the lady’s order, please take a good look at these three. I’ll report back to her.”
Upon hearing the lady’s name, the previously boisterous Xu Jiaotou couldn’t help but show a respectful demeanor. He extended his large hand and pinched Han Cheng’s skull.
“Bone age: seventeen years and two months.”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa suddenly remembered a question: having traveled between two worlds for over five years, would his bone age be abnormal?
Although time in this world seemed to stand still whenever he was in the other world, his body had grown rapidly during those five years. Could that be the reason?
His background was clear in the Zhao residence; if it were discovered that he was not seventeen but over twenty, how would they view him?
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Xu Jiaotou’s hand roamed along Han Cheng’s spine.
“Congenital bone structure… below average.” He then curled his lip, expressing a hint of disdain, “But right now, it’s just below average!”
Zheng Fa vaguely understood that Xu Jiaotou’s so-called talent likely referred to the combination of innate bone structure and subsequent care.
He released his grip and said to Han Cheng, who still looked unsatisfied, “If you don’t start eating properly, don’t even think about practicing martial arts; your lifespan will be affected too.”
Han Cheng’s face showed a mix of fear and gratitude, “Thank you for the advice, sir.”
Xu Jiaotou waved his hand dismissively and called over Gao Yuan, “You come here.”
Zheng Fa had just been standing shoulder to shoulder with Gao Yuan, and now he could see a thin sheen of sweat glistening on Gao Yuan’s forehead.
“Bone age: sixteen years and six months.”
“Congenital bone structure,” Xu Jiaotou suddenly smiled, “surprisingly, it’s above average? Not bad!”
Upon hearing this, Gao Yuan’s tension transformed into joy, while Han Cheng bit his lip in response.
Wu Guanjia also nodded in apparent satisfaction.
“Have you practiced martial arts before?”
Zheng Fa noticed Xu Jiaotou’s brow furrow slightly, as if he was displeased.
Seeing his expression, Gao Yuan answered nervously, “My father practiced martial arts and taught me a couple of farming techniques…”
“Nonsense! You need to understand that the more you practice martial arts, the higher the demands for nourishment. If your family can’t afford it, it could ruin your bone structure!”
In Xu Jiaotou’s view, eating was more important than practicing martial arts.
If your bone structure is poor, there’s no point in discussing it.
If you have good innate bone structure, you need to eat more than others to sustain it.
If you practice martial arts, you’ll need to eat even more.
Gao Yuan’s innate talent was decent, which already required a high intake of food. If he had also practiced martial arts, he could easily become malnourished…
“Your father practiced martial arts, yet you don’t know this basic principle?” Xu Jiaotou said with a frown, placing his hand on Gao Yuan’s back.
“Hmm? Surprisingly well-nourished? The bone structure hasn’t suffered.”
Gao Yuan awkwardly clasped his hands, “My father is quite favored by the Second Master, and he receives many rewards.”
Got it.
His family has resources.
Not only Zheng Fa, but even Xu Jiaotou’s expression showed understanding: “You’re from the Gao family? The son of Guanjia Gao?”
Gao Yuan nodded.
Xu Jiaotou shrugged and remarked, “You have a good father.”
Releasing Gao Yuan, Xu Jiaotou gestured for Zheng Fa to step forward.
Zheng Fa felt extremely nervous.
His greatest concern was still that Xu Jiaotou would discover something amiss with his bone age.
Xu Jiaotou appeared somewhat indifferent; Gao Yuan’s talent was already quite rare, so he didn’t pay as much attention to Zheng Fa.
Sensing Zheng Fa’s anxiety, he patted him on the shoulder, “Don’t be afraid; being scared won’t help you grow any bones.”
You really know how to comfort people. I’m just worried I’ve grown too fast and too much…
“Bone age: seventeen years and six months!”
Upon hearing this, the weight in Zheng Fa’s heart slowly lifted, but another question arose: what exactly was this crossing of worlds?
It seemed to allow his body to disregard the passage of time.
“Congenital bone structure… above average!”
A glimmer of surprise flashed in Xu Jiaotou’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a day! We’ve got an above-average one along with an above-average one!”
Gao Yuan, who had just shown joy, now looked at Zheng Fa with a hint of wariness.
“However, about you…” Xu Jiaotou scrutinized Zheng Fa’s clothing and began to shake his head, “Who knows what fortune or misfortune this might bring.”
He didn’t need to say much; everyone present, including Zheng Fa, understood his meaning.
Zheng Fa looked like he came from a poor background.
The better the bone structure, the more it might not bode well.
Gao Yuan’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
Even Wu Guanjia, who had previously harbored some dislike for Zheng Fa, now looked at him with a hint of pity.
This kid is not only clever but also has decent martial arts talent.
If he were born into a different family, he might have a bright future ahead.
Now, all they could do was sigh in regret.
Zheng Fa felt Xu Jiaotou’s large hand, like a fan, patting his back, exploring every part of his shoulder blades and spine.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit strange.
When he turned around, he saw Xu Jiaotou frowning, seemingly puzzled.
After a long moment, Xu Jiaotou stroked his chin and looked at Zheng Fa with a scrutinizing gaze, asking, “Do you… have a good father too?”
“My father was a kind man, but he passed away five years ago.”
“Dead?” Xu Jiaotou looked even more confused, “That makes sense; it seems no one in the Zhao residence has heard of a notable Zheng family.”
The three others nearby sensed something was off, and Wu Guanjia asked, “Is his talent really that good?”
“Talent? Congenital bone structure above average, which is quite good. But this kid… eats even better than that Gao kid.”
Xu Jiaotou’s expression was strange.
The Gao family’s Guanjia was well-known for being favored among the Zhao residence’s servants.
Yet this Zheng Fa, who clearly came from a poor background, managed to be better nourished than Gao Yuan?
Zheng Fa thought of a possible explanation—when he crossed over, time might not have passed, but the food he consumed was fully absorbed.
So, in those five years, he effectively ate for fourteen days in the span of seven days.
Although he didn’t eat much in this world over those seven days, it still added up to significantly more than others.
Moreover, he had eaten far more than his classmates in the cafeteria, often treating himself to extra roasted chickens.
Wu Guanjia scrutinized Zheng Fa for a moment before asking, “So, who’s better, Gao Yuan or Zheng Fa?”
Xu Jiaotou looked at him as if he were foolish, “Above average and below average—who’s better?”
Wu Guanjia understood.
His expression grew conflicted: he had initially thought Zheng Fa would likely be the worst in this bone examination.
That was probably the lady’s intention as well.
But now that he turned out to be the best, how would he report this to the lady?
It felt like he was slapping her in the face.
He stood there for a while, then turned to the others and said, “You all wait here; I’ll go ask the lady.”
### Chapter 11: The Food Box
After Wu Guanjia left, the atmosphere among Zheng Fa and the other two grew strange.
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