Besides—
Even if he was in a hurry, there was nothing he could do about it.
The rigid class system of this world was far more entrenched than in the modern era. With his own strength alone, it was nearly impossible to break through societal barriers.
If not for his Second Aunt, Wei Hong, being a concubine in Huang Manor, he wouldn't have even been able to access a health preservation technique.
After awakening to his past life's memories, Wei Tu had thought about changing his fate.
But—
Going into business?
This was an official-centered society. Small trades and handicrafts were fine, but the moment a business grew too large, it would inevitably be seized by noble families.
Without status and protection, wealth was a death trap.
Becoming an official?
He would need to first attend a private school, obtain a clean record, find a recommendation from a stipend scholar, then participate in the imperial examinations, struggling against thousands of competitors just to qualify for a title.
Even with two lifetimes of experience and a sharpened intellect, Wei Tu knew—
He was nowhere near as gifted as the prodigies of his county.
And even those so-called prodigies, who dedicated their entire lives to studying, often failed to achieve even the lowest title of Xiucai. Many ended up as lifelong scholars without status, their lives wasted.
The imperial exam system wasn't just about memorizing Confucian classics—that was only the bare minimum.
The real challenge lay in understanding the vast number of annotated commentaries on Confucianism, which far outnumbered the classics themselves. Without an exceptional memory, one could spend a lifetime studying and still never pass.
If the interpretations were simple, then why did the exams breed so many forms of cheating?
Hidden scrolls, miniature calligraphy, carrier pigeons, even messages concealed in chamber pots…
Besides—
Studying required money.
Raising a full-time scholar who did nothing but study was a huge financial burden.
If not for having to support two sons in their studies, even the Li family's main household wouldn't be so frugal, eating meat only twice every ten days.
Without his golden finger, Wei Tu knew—
He was just an ordinary man.
Breaking free from his circumstances would have been impossible.
Of course, Wei Tu hadn't completely given up over the years.
He had already fought his way up from a tenant slave to the stablemaster of Li Manor, making him a role model for many rural folk.
He ate well.
He had a respected position in the household.
For many peasants, this was already a dream come true.
Time passed quickly.
Seven days later, Wei Tu fulfilled his promise, returning the Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation manual to the Huang Manor gatekeeper to be delivered back to Instructor Ruan.
Although he had already memorized it perfectly, he copied the entire manual by hand, creating a personal backup that he kept hidden on his person, just to be safe.
With that task complete—
Wei Tu's life returned to its usual routine—feeding the horses, chopping firewood, and cleaning the courtyard.
The only change was that whenever he had free time, he would practice the stance work of Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation.
In fact—
He didn't just train nine times a day.
He trained ten times, eleven times, pushing himself further.
This was the only way he could break through his class status and change his fate.
He refused to waste the opportunity.
"Do everything in my power, and leave the rest to fate."
"Hard work will always pay off."
Whenever he felt tired or tempted to slack off, he would remind himself—
Push forward. Keep going.
One month.
Two months.
Until—
Three months later.
That night, after completing another round of Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation, Wei Tu finally noticed something different inside his body.
By now, it was late autumn, winter was approaching, and the night frost was bitter cold.
Yet—
Wei Tu felt nothing.
Instead, he felt a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones, nourishing his entire body.
The sensation was—
Like soaking in a hot spring.
"I haven't even fully mastered the technique, yet I'm already generating warmth internally. Then… the Qi Perception Realm must be something truly extraordinary!"
Wei Tu was ecstatic.
Over the past few months, Wei Tu had taken the time to gather information about martial artists and their training.
Those well-known bladesmen in the countryside, despite their reputation, only knew a few sets of barehanded techniques and some basic saber moves.
None of them had achieved anything close to his current state—being completely unaffected by the cold.
With his health preservation technique progressing steadily, Wei Tu did not slack off.
He continued practicing stance work, training until his muscles ached, and only then did he return to his heated bed to rest.
Before going to sleep, he glanced inward at his progress:
"Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation (21/100): Train nine times a day, and mastery will be achieved in five years."
Seeing that he had already completed more than one-fifth of the training, Wei Tu felt satisfied and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning—
Wei Tu woke up at dawn and began his daily routine at Li Manor.
Feeding the horses, chopping firewood—he worked for nearly an hour but noticed that his body still felt cool and refreshed.
Not a single drop of sweat formed on his forehead.
His physical condition had improved significantly.
Just then, a young maid, dressed in a simple servant's outfit, walked out from the inner courtyard and called out to him—
"Wei Ge'er, the First Madam is looking for you."
"First Madam is asking for me?"
Wei Tu paused, slightly surprised.
As a manservant, he had once been allowed to move freely through the inner courtyard when he was younger, but as he grew older, he had been strictly forbidden from doing so.
If not for that rule, he wouldn't have needed Xinghua to request leave for him the other day.
Large households had many rules and customs.
Even if the First Madam wanted to see him, there had to be a proper reason.
"I heard from Caixia that last night, while First Madam was in bed with the Master, they talked about you and Xinghua. Looks like they might be giving you permission to marry her."
Chunlan, the maid, covered her mouth with a giggle and leaned in closer to whisper, "You better set some lucky money aside for me when the time comes."
"Really?"
"First Madam is approving my marriage with Xinghua?"
Wei Tu was overjoyed.
He had never expected that, right after breaking through in his cultivation, such great news would follow.
"Let's go."
Wei Tu put down the axe he had been using to split firewood, stood up, and followed Chunlan through the moon gate into the inner courtyard of Li Manor.
Three months ago.
Three months later.
Even though Wei Tu's fate had changed drastically—even though he now had the "Late Bloomer" destiny, ensuring that he would one day rise above his station—
He never once looked down on Xinghua.
He never thought that a mere kitchen maid wasn't worthy of him.
In this world, it was common for people to flatter the strong and trample the weak.
But—
Xinghua had been by his side since childhood.
She had always looked out for him, always helped him when she could.
To Wei Tu, she was the closest person to him in this world.
His heart wasn't so cold as to forget that.
Besides—
Wei Tu had no illusions about his future.
Just because he had mastered a health preservation technique didn't mean he would find an immortal master and step onto the path of cultivation.
Health preservation techniques extended life, but even with them, he would still grow old and die once he reached a hundred or so years.
Living in the present was what mattered most.
Dreaming too far ahead was pointless.
Passing through the courtyard, walking through a few decorative corridors, Wei Tu finally arrived at Li Manor's main hall.
Since he was entering the inner quarters, he kept his head lowered out of respect.
Only after stepping into the main hall did he slightly raise his gaze, scanning the room.
Seeing that only the female members of the household were present, and that the Master wasn't there, Wei Tu felt a sense of relief.
Master Li Yaozu was infamous in the surrounding ten villages as a sharp-tongued man—
Harsh with his words, stingy with his money, and always twisting logic to make himself seem right.
He was not someone easy to deal with.
In contrast, First Madam Li Tongshi was the complete opposite.
She was gentle by nature, excellent at managing the household, and widely recognized as a virtuous woman.
She sat gracefully in the main seat, dressed in simple cloth robes with a dark blue overcoat.
Her feet were clad in woven cloth shoes, tied neatly with white silk ribbons.
A modest, elegant appearance.
She lifted her teacup, took a small sip, then calmly said—
"Wei Ge'er, you have been with the Li family for six years now."
"During these six years, the Li family has not treated you poorly."