Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

Lin Xiao ran so fast that it startled Grandpa Lin, who quickly grabbed onto his grandson's shoulders. The rain hit so hard that Grandpa Lin couldn't keep his eyes open. He shut them tight and patted Lin Xiao's shoulder, urging, "Good boy, put me down! How can your small frame carry me?"

But Lin Xiao acted as if he didn't hear him, charging forward without slowing down. Despite the speed, he ran so steadily that Grandpa Lin barely felt any bumps. What should have taken a while to reach the Liu household in the eastern part of the village ended in no time. Grandpa Lin heard Lin Xiao say, "Grandpa, we're here," as he was gently set down.

Wiping the rain off his face, Grandpa Lin opened his squinted eyes and saw that they had indeed arrived. His grandson sure could run fast. Thinking about his mischievous little grandson, Grandpa Lin suddenly felt more at ease. At least, in the future, if he ever got into trouble, he'd be able to run away quickly.

Inside the Liu household, after assessing Liu Yunan's condition, Grandpa Lin took out the medicinal wine he had brought with him. Pouring some into his palm, he rubbed his hands together briskly to warm them up. He then had Lin Xiao help Liu Yunan sit up as he carefully examined the dislocated bone. Fortunately, the dislocation wasn't severe. With a firm grip and just the right amount of force, Grandpa Lin suddenly snapped the bone back into place.

The sound of a soft "crack" echoed in the room, causing Lin Xiao, Aunt Liu, and Liu Shengsheng to flinch. Grandpa Lin then poured more medicinal wine into his palm and began rubbing it onto Liu Yunan's shoulder.

"Grandpa, is it all set?" Lin Xiao asked.

Grandpa Lin continued applying the medicine, ensuring the bone was properly aligned. After confirming that it was, he nodded and said, "Yes, it's done. It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Make sure he rests well and doesn't put any strain on that shoulder."

The latter part was directed at Aunt Liu, who nodded and replied, "Thank you so much, Grandpa Lin! I'm so grateful for your help, especially so late at night..."

Before she could finish, Grandpa Lin waved her off, saying, "It's nothing. Everyone in the village has tough times. I'm just lending a hand. It's late, so we'll be heading back. Just keep an eye on him tonight." With that, he stood up, grabbed Lin Xiao by the collar, and led him out of the house.

Liu Shengsheng, who had been trailing behind them, called out, "Thank you, Grandpa Lin!" before sneezing.

Grandpa Lin kindly replied, "Little girl, you've caught a cold, haven't you? Hurry inside. Grandpa's leaving now."

Aunt Liu quickly found Lin Xiao's umbrella and handed it to him, thanking them profusely as she saw them off.

On the way back, the grandfather and grandson walked side by side in the rain, one wearing a raincoat, the other holding an umbrella. The rain had started to let up. Grandpa Lin asked Lin Xiao, "What exactly happened over there? That Liu boy looked pretty badly beaten."

Lin Xiao gave a mostly truthful account, omitting the part where he had cruelly severed Liu Laoda's tendons. He figured the village gossip would let his grandfather know soon enough.

After hearing Lin Xiao's incomplete version, Grandpa Lin sighed heavily, "What a tragedy... Remember to make yourself some ginger tea when you get home—" He suddenly paused, studying Lin Xiao closely. "By the way, you carried me all the way here, but why are you still dry?"

Lin Xiao froze, glancing at the Lin family's ancestral home, now in sight. Weighing the options of explaining or making a quick escape, he chose the latter.

"Grandpa, I'm heading home now!"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Grandpa Lin could no longer see his grandson's figure.

Grandpa Lin squinted into the direction Lin Xiao had run off. The rain-soaked night was empty, not a person in sight. His grandson's speed... wasn't it a bit too fast?

The rain that had fallen all night gradually turned into a light drizzle as dawn broke, eventually stopping altogether. All that was left were muddy roads and trees covered in dew.

Today, Lin Xiao got up on his own without needing Lin Dayou to wake him. After hurriedly cooking a pot of sweet potatoes, he washed up, stuffed two into his pockets, and headed out.

Aunt Liu, who had barely slept all night, came out of the house carrying a basin of water, which she emptied into a corner of the yard. Looking up, she saw Lin Xiao at the gate.

He greeted her and asked, "Aunt, how did Yunan sleep last night?"

With bloodshot eyes, Aunt Liu smiled kindly and replied, "He slept well last night." But her face soon clouded with worry. "But Shengsheng seems to have caught a cold from the rain last night. When I checked on her earlier, her forehead was burning, and she kept saying she was cold. I'll need to take her to town to see a doctor. Xiao, could you look after Yunan while I'm gone?"

Lin Xiao nodded, "Don't worry, Aunt. I'll take good care of him. You go take Shengsheng to the doctor quickly."

Relieved, Aunt Liu thanked him and hurried inside to gather what little savings they had. Wrapping the small, frail Liu Shengsheng in a quilt, she left for town.

In the village, only the village chief's family owned two oxen. To help the villagers in emergencies, they would send out an ox cart to wait at the village entrance every morning. Around seven o'clock, if someone needed to go to town, the cart would set off. If no one showed up, the village chief's youngest son would take the cart back home.

However, since the villagers rarely left the village unless absolutely necessary, the ox cart was usually idle, even though it was free to use.

When Lin Xiao first learned about this, he thought the village chief's oxen must have a hard time with all the work they were doing. But it turned out that wasn't the case at all.

For one, the villagers believed that going to town meant spending money, so why go unless necessary? And for another, those who took goods to sell in town and used the ox cart felt obliged to pay a small fee, usually a couple of copper coins. If word got around that someone had taken advantage of the free ride without paying, especially at the village chief's expense, the gossip alone would drown them.

So, those unwilling to part with even a couple of coins would rather carry their goods themselves than use the ox cart. As a result, despite the years that had passed, the oxen had never been overworked, and the village chief's cart was still in good condition.

When Lin Xiao learned this, he couldn't help but marvel. In his previous life, such a system would have been impossible. A free ox cart would have been packed to the brim every day, regardless of whether people truly needed it.