Let's break down the text and understand the context first.
[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]
Literary genre: This appears to be a Chinese cultivation/martial arts web novel (wuxia or xianxia), featuring martial arts progression, family dynamics, and hints of an upcoming disaster.
Language style: The language is relatively straightforward with some martial arts terminology. There's a mix of dialogue, inner thoughts, and narration.
Tone: Warm when dealing with family relationships, serious when discussing martial arts progression, and somber when talking about the coming disaster.
Plot keywords: martial arts cultivation, brother-sister relationship, breakthrough, impending disaster, food shortage
Characters:
- Wu Liangchen (武良辰): Male protagonist, a martial artist who recently had a breakthrough in cultivation
- Wu Mengchan (武梦婵): Female, Wu Liangchen's younger sister, works at a laundry shop
- Liu Dongchuan (刘东川): Male, neighbor who works at the docks, has information about an impending disaster
- Third Granny (三奶奶): Mentioned but doesn't appear in the scene
- Aunt Fan (樊姨): Mentioned but doesn't appear in the scene
Now let's move on to the translation while following all the rules:
[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]
I'll translate this chapter while paying close attention to the glossary terms and ensuring logical consistency throughout.
[Step 3: Final Sanitization and Logic Pass]
I've completed the translation and now need to do a final check for any remaining Chinese characters or inconsistencies in logic.
The final translation:
When Wu Liangchen returned home, it was already nearly two in the morning.
But as soon as he knocked on the door, his sister's voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"It's me!"
The next moment, the door creaked open.
Wu Mengchan stood behind the door, her eyes red and swollen, clearly having just cried.
But upon seeing her brother, she quickly hid these feelings of guilt and self-blame, smiling brightly as she said, "Brother, I was bored so I made some dumplings. I'll boil them right away."
With that, she turned around and got busy.
Wu Liangchen took off his wet clothes from outside and washed his face.
By then the dumplings were ready, and the siblings sat around the table, eating in silence.
The meat-filled dumplings were delicious, and Wu Liangchen was truly hungry. The night's running around, lurking, and final ambush had been physically draining, so he devoured three large bowls in one go.
After finishing with a bowl of dumpling soup, he felt a light sweat on his forehead and an indescribable sense of clarity throughout his body.
Wu Mengchan had finished eating long ago and had been silently waiting at the table. Seeing her brother put down his bowl, she quickly stood up to clean up.
Wu Liangchen stopped her. "Sit down. I have a few things to tell you."
Wu Mengchan obediently sat down, keeping her head lowered like a kitten that had made a mistake, looking pitiful.
Seeing this, Wu Liangchen looked helpless. "What are you doing? Am I really that scary?"
Surprisingly, Wu Mengchan raised her head and gave a slight nod. "Yes, because last night you said you weren't my brother anymore."
Wu Liangchen: "..."
"I was just angry when I said that. You shouldn't have kept things from me."
Wu Mengchan remained silent, just looking at him with her doe-like moist eyes.
Wu Liangchen quickly yielded. "Alright, alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Don't go anywhere for the next couple of days. Just rest at home, and I'll ask for leave for you at the laundry shop."
"Mm." Wu Mengchan nodded.
"And once my wages come in at the end of the month, you should quit your job," Wu Liangchen added.
"Then what will I do?" Wu Mengchan asked, somewhat surprised.
"You won't need to do anything. By then I'll buy you a big house and hire several maids to serve you. You can just eat, drink, and enjoy yourself at home," Wu Liangchen said.
"How much would that cost?!" Wu Mengchan's first thought was about the money.
"Don't worry, your brother will definitely make it big and earn lots of money in the future. Then I'll support you," Wu Liangchen said seriously.
Wu Mengchan smiled, her smile radiant.
"Mm-hmm."
The siblings continued talking for a long time, until dawn was nearly breaking. Only then did Wu Mengchan go to sleep.
Moments later, soft snoring sounds came from the room.
Clearly, recent events had left Wu Mengchan physically and mentally exhausted. Only after tonight's heartfelt conversation with her brother did she finally let go of her burden, and then, unable to stay awake any longer, she fell into a deep sleep.
Wu Liangchen, who hadn't slept all night, felt not exhaustion but rather invigorated.
Driven by a strange premonition in his heart, he opened the door and walked outside.
By now the rain had stopped, and a few scattered stars were visible in the sky. The eastern horizon was already turning white, and the air was as fresh as if it had been washed clean.
Wu Liangchen didn't go to the city wall at the back. He simply stretched gently in the courtyard and then assumed the Hunyuan stance. The next moment, he felt the Qi and Blood throughout his body beginning to circulate at an incredible speed.
In an instant, his skin swelled, his body hair stood on end, and his muscles began to grow at an astonishing rate.
「Martial Arts Realm advancement successful: Skin Tempering and Muscle Building (100%) → Tendon Stretching and Bone Transformation (1%)」
Everything had come so naturally, without any obstacles to his breakthrough.
Afterward, Wu Liangchen lightly clenched his fist, roughly gauging his current state, and couldn't help but smile with joy.
After mastering Skin Tempering and Muscle Building, Wu Liangchen felt his entire body filled with power. With just a light clench of his fist, he could produce a subtle popping sound in the air.
At the same time, his perceptive abilities had improved once more. He could precisely track a sparrow flying in the distance.
So this was what it felt like to be a Martial Artist?
He had to admit, it felt absolutely amazing.
No wonder those Martial Artists looked down on ordinary people—the gap between them was too obvious.
And this was just Skin Tempering and Muscle Building. The difference would only grow with the later stages like Tendon Stretching and Bone Transformation or even higher realms.
No wonder Aunt Fan said those who reached the Fourth Realm of martial arts were no longer mortal flesh, but rather earthbound immortals.
As Wu Liangchen stood in the courtyard lost in thought, Third Granny's door opened, and Liu Dongchuan walked out.
"Brother Liu, off to work?" Wu Liangchen set aside his thoughts and spoke first.
Liu Dongchuan was also surprised to see Wu Liangchen. "Yes, Xiaowu, why are you up so early today?"
Wu Liangchen smiled. "I had to pee, so I came out to use the toilet. After that, I couldn't fall back asleep, so I decided to do some exercises in the courtyard."
Liu Dongchuan didn't doubt him and then seemed to remember something. "Come on, let's go get breakfast together?"
"Sure."
The two left the compound and arrived at a bun stall, where they ordered three bamboo steamers of meat buns and two bowls of soy milk.
There weren't many people eating at this hour. Liu Dongchuan carried the buns to the most secluded spot at the stall.
Wu Liangchen sensed that Liu Dongchuan had something to say today, but didn't rush to ask.
The two first buried their heads in the food, emptying all three steamers of buns in the blink of an eye. They ordered another three steamers and began to eat more slowly.
Liu Dongchuan gulped down a couple mouthfuls of soy milk, wiped his mouth, and seeing that no one was paying attention, finally spoke in a low voice.
"It's a good thing we ran into each other today. Otherwise, I was planning to find you in the next couple of days anyway."
"Is something wrong, Brother Liu?"
"Try to store as much food as possible these days." Liu Dongchuan lowered his voice.
Wu Liangchen's heart skipped a beat. Knowing that Liu Dongchuan had access to information at the docks, he quietly asked, "What's happening? Is there a disaster coming?"
Liu Dongchuan nodded slightly and sighed. "The weather has been strange these past two years. Last year brought severe drought, and now, even though autumn has arrived, heavy rains have started again. Dinghai City is by the sea, so we're less affected, but I've heard that North River and South River counties are already flooded. The crops in the fields are completely lost, and some places have already started reporting deaths from starvation."
Wu Liangchen felt a chill in his heart.
He knew that if even Liu Dongchuan—a low-level foreman who couldn't be any more ordinary—knew about people starving to death, then the scale of this disaster must be enormous.
"I overheard someone talking about it, and afterward I paid attention and noticed that about eighty percent of the cargo at the docks now is grain. And it's all being bought by the big grain merchants and rice shops. These bastards clearly don't have good intentions—they're planning to make a fortune from this disaster."
"We poor common folk can't fight against these guys, but it's good to make some preparations in advance. Because at this rate, it won't be long before a large number of refugees pour into Dinghai City, and by then, food prices will inevitably skyrocket."