Chapter 298: Chapter 295 [Do You Believe It?]
Chapter Two Hundred Ninety-Five: Do You Believe?
That morning, Song Qiaoyun was still washing clothes at home when she heard the door open—Old Jiang had returned.
Seeing Song Qiaoyun standing by the sink scrubbing dirty clothes, Old Jiang neatly set down the thermos he was holding and the folding stool tucked under his armpit, and hurriedly said, "Oh no, why have you started doing chores? Let me do it..."
He quickly approached, snatched the shirt from Song Qiaoyun’s hands, and gently nudged his wife aside, "You go rest, go watch TV in the living room."
Song Qiaoyun flicked the hair that had fallen over her forehead and stared at Old Jiang for a moment.
Looking at her husband’s side profile, she suddenly felt that there seemed to be less hair on the top of Old Jiang’s head, and the white at his temples seemed to have grown more plentiful.
She squinted, smiled, then dried her hands and walked into the kitchen.
She found the winter jujubes that Old Jiang had bought yesterday, washed some, and grabbed a handful to take back to her husband.
"Open your mouth."
Upon hearing her call, Old Jiang turned his head reflexively and a winter jujube was stuffed into his mouth.
He bit into it and nodded, "Not bad, quite sweet."
Song Qiaoyun also took one and bit into it, "Don’t buy these things next time, they’re expensive."
"If you like them, then it’s fine to buy." Old Jiang shook his head, "We don’t have any children to leave our money to, so what’s the use of keeping it."
He paused, "Alright, you mustn’t tire yourself out, quickly go sit on the couch in the living room."
"I’m fine," Song Qiaoyun shook her head, "I woke up late this morning, so I’m well-rested, I don’t feel like sitting down."
"Then wait for me, once I’ve finished washing the clothes, I’ll accompany you downstairs for a walk."
As he spoke, Old Jiang tilted his chin to signal and Song Qiaoyun immediately extended her palm, letting Old Jiang spit the date seed into her hand.
Song Qiaoyun returned to the living room, poured a cup of hot water, and with the cup in hand, went back again.
This time, she noticed something was off.
Old Jiang’s mood didn’t seem quite right.
Normally, dirty clothes—especially the collars of shirts—must be scrubbed hard, but Old Jiang was putting a bit too much force into it, as though he was holding back some anger—unclear with whom he was contending.
The two had been childhood sweethearts and had become husband and wife, living together for the better half of their lives—who didn’t understand whom?
After some thought, Song Qiaoyun gently placed her hand on Old Jiang’s shoulder and patted, "What’s the matter? Did your apprentice make you angry? Did... Dazhi say something silly again?"
Old Jiang remained silent.
"Is Dazhi not practicing well?" Song Qiaoyun continued with a smile, speaking warmly to comfort her husband, "That child is very honest. If he’s not practicing well, you can give him some pointers, he will definitely listen and practice seriously. Why be upset with the child?"
"...It’s not that he’s practicing poorly." Suddenly, Old Jiang seemed to deflate, his hands stopping their vigorous scrubbing of the clothes, no longer struggling with them. He pressed the clothes down in the basin to soak, and then he sighed deeply.
"Not practicing poorly? Then what is it?"
"It’s... he’s practicing too well."
Song Qiaoyun was taken aback, then chuckled, "Isn’t it good that the apprentice is doing well?"
"Too well..." Old Jiang put down the clothes, placed his hands on his hips, and heaved a long sigh.
Seeing that Old Jiang was still unusually troubled, Song Qiaoyun realized there was indeed a problem, "Then what is it...?"
"Qiaoyun." Old Jiang turned to face his wife, speaking in a low voice, "Tell me, our three apprentices, isn’t each one outdoing the next, a little too exceptional?"
Song Qiaoyun looked at her husband, "?"
"Let’s not talk about Chen Nuo, with his slippery nature, appearing sneaky and sly. At first, I thought that this kid had no ambition for the martial arts path.
"But later on, I began to realize something was off.
"It was Lin Sheng that he brought to us as an apprentice, and there’s that incident when we went to Hong Kong for the Song Family martial arts competition. After thinking it over and over, I always felt that the whole affair, well, it might have been orchestrated by that kid all along.
"Lin Sheng, carrying the title of eldest apprentice, always listens to Chen Nuo’s orders.
"In the ring in Hong Kong, Lin Sheng burst onto the scene, and at first, I thought it was because of his exceptional talent that I, as his master, had carelessly overlooked, resulting in the kid secretly training up his skills...
"But in hindsight, it didn’t sit right with me.
"Moreover, I’ve tested Lin Sheng a few times. Although Lin Sheng stays tight-lipped and claims it’s martial arts he figured out on his own...
"But Xiao Yezi can’t lie! Xiao Yezi did say, back when we were in Hong Kong, before the competition on the ring, Chen Nuo had given Lin Sheng some special training."
Song Qiaoyun nodded, "Hmm, you’ve told me about this, but I also advised you that it’s fine if the child has some secrets, especially if he means well for us and doesn’t have bad intentions. There’s no need to pry excessively..."
"That’s what I think too." Old Jiang nodded.
He took a breather. "Now, let’s talk about Lin Sheng, this kid.
"Originally, I thought his talent was rather average, so I planned to teach him some basic skills, having him practice some foundational moves, and sharing with him a set of breathing exercises.
"In this lifetime, he might not go far in martial arts, but using it for strengthening the body and prolonging life is still good.
"Unexpectedly, I later discovered that the kid actually got the knack of practicing internal energy!
"At that competition in Hong Kong, with one move, he defeated two of the Song Family’s personal disciples.
"These two disciples from the Song Family are all significantly older than him, with good natural talent for martial arts, and they’ve practiced for many years!
"Qiaoyun... just think about it.
"How old is Lin Sheng? Nineteen!
"How long has he been learning kung fu with me?
"Half a year?
"Did I have this level of skill when I was nineteen?
"What was my level after just half a year of martial arts training?
"He’s a freak of nature!"
Song Qiaoyun fell silent.
"Lin Sheng is a freak, and Chen Nuo is a little demon that I can’t quite figure out," Old Jiang sighed. "I don’t know what kind of luck has struck our school.
"I’ve taken on these two disciples, and I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse—teaching them with trembling caution, just hoping the kids don’t stray from the right path.
"And when it came to taking on a third... this Dazhi..."
With a suppressed laugh, Song Qiaoyun said, "Isn’t Dazhi quite normal? Simple and honest by nature..."
"Is it honesty?
"He just has a big mouth!"
Old Jiang smiled helplessly. "It’s all right if he’s not too bright, but at least he’s naive and simplehearted without any cunning.
"His talent is not bad either... not freakish, but still better than the average person. He is willing to endure hardship and holds no distractions, so his progress is also quick.
"I was thinking...
"Finally, a normal person has come along.
"I will teach him well.
"This kid has always been respectful and filial to us; whenever there’s something tasty, he doesn’t forget to share a portion with us..."
"Right, the last time he had dinner at his home, he ate a pig’s ear and said it was delicious. He didn’t forget to enthusiastically pack a small bag for you to show his respect."
"Indeed... except it soured in the sweltering heat of summer," joked Song Qiaoyun.
As Song Qiaoyun laughed, she watched her husband’s face and asked, "What has Dazhi done to upset you?"
Old Jiang didn’t speak; instead, he took the dirty clothes out of the washbasin in front of him and placed them in the sink, freeing up half the basin of water.
Then he fished out a glass marble and threw it into the basin.
"You’re aware of our school’s Spiral Energy."
Song Qiaoyun nodded and smiled, "Of course, I know. When I first started, you weren’t even as good as I was."
Old Jiang watched the surface of the water intently, suddenly took a deep breath, and with his left palm, he feigned a pat on the surface of the water.
The marble in the basin immediately began to spin round and round!
Song Qiaoyun smiled, but reached out to grab the marble from the water, "Old man, are you showing off your skills to your wife now?"
However, Old Jiang’s expression froze, and his tone turned slightly bitter.
"In the future... I’m afraid I can only show off a few moves in front of you."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"How long did it take me to perfect this move?" Old Jiang sighed. "Do you know what level Dazhi has reached?"
Without waiting for Song Qiaoyun to speak, Old Jiang slapped the basin gently, and the glass marble popped out!
Old Jiang smoothly caught it and then turned to look at his wife.
"Just a while ago, in front of me, Dazhi did this!
"I just taught him this internal energy set yesterday morning, and all in all...
"He practiced for no more than twenty-four hours!"
Song Qiaoyun was stunned!
The couple looked at each other, silent for a good while.
Suddenly, Song Qiaoyun’s heart stirred! Her expression and gaze became somewhat strange as she whispered,
"This Dazhi... was also introduced by Chen Nuo to become your disciple..."
「·」
Guo Qiang was pulling noodles.
Thin, fine noodles served with slices of beef. Clear broth, garnished with a few tender green cilantro leaves.
A big bowl was served out, then placed in front of the customer at the table.
"Here are your noodles."
After speaking, Boss Guo wiped his hands on his apron, turned around, and went back behind the counter. He took out a pack of Lanzhou cigarettes, pulled one out, and turned his head to watch the television mounted on the wall.
The TV was broadcasting a soccer match.
It wasn’t lunchtime yet, so the shop wasn’t busy.
The small shop had just one table of customers.
The customer stared intently at the bowl of noodles before them, then picked up the chopsticks. They handled them a bit awkwardly, their grip clumsy, but they lifted the noodles with surprising dexterity.
A bite of noodles entered his mouth, and his brows instantly furrowed.
Turning his head, he looked toward Boss Guo.
"Hello, excuse me..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Boss Guo shifted his attention from the TV and looked at this odd customer.
"Do you have any sugar?"
"Huh?" Old Guo was stunned.
This early in the morning, a skinny boy who looked no more than ten—a foreigner at that—had come to eat ramen?
It was not breakfast time, nor lunchtime.
About ten o’clock in the morning.
Fine, let him eat.
Owning a noodle shop was all about doing business.
Besides, he was a foreigner; maybe he admired Huaxia’s culinary culture and wanted to try something novel.
Boss Guo had put extra effort into this bowl of noodles; while making the ramen, he even exerted a bit of his internal strength.
I absolutely couldn’t let a foreigner belittle our cuisine!
But... sugar?
Boss Guo paused and asked, "What sugar?"
"Just sugar." The boy put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Well... if there’s no sugar, honey will do."
What the heck! What an eye-opener! The first time I’ve ever met someone asking for sugar in a ramen shop!
Kids might like sweets, but I run a ramen shop, for crying out loud!
If it were any other customer, Boss Guo’s face would darken right now.
Where did this little brat come from, causing trouble? Scram!
But... he was a foreign guest.
Hmm, maybe their eating habits are just different.
Boss Guo thought for a moment, went to the kitchen, and then brought out a sugar jar, placing it in front of the customer.
"Here you go! White sugar."
"Thank you!" The boy smiled, picked up the sugar spoon, scooped two heaping spoonfuls, and dumped them into the bowl of noodles.
After a moment’s thought, he added another spoonful.
Boss Guo, watching from the side, could only grimace!
Ramen with white sugar?
Which country eats like this?
What a waste of the noodles I so carefully prepared!
Unable to bear watching this, Old Guo took the sugar jar away and just sat down in his own chair to watch TV.
After adding three spoonfuls of white sugar, the boy ate with more gusto, slurping down the bowl of noodles in no time. He even drank most of the soup!
Boss Guo, listening from the side, grimaced again.
Ramen with white sugar... could it actually taste good?!
What kind of palate is that?
"It’s delicious!" The boy wiped his mouth and squinted at Boss Guo with a smile, "What you made is very tasty! Awesome!"
A wave of disgust washed over Old Guo.
Spare me, please!
I absolutely refuse to admit I made this... thing!
But, as all businesses go, you can’t let it show on your face, so he forced a slight smile, "As long as you enjoyed it, that’s good."
The boy fumbled in his pocket, took out a banknote, and placed it on the counter.
Old Guo glanced at it and quickly made change.
"Hold on, get me a cola too," the boy looked at Old Guo.
Old Guo frowned and thought for a moment, "Kid... This is a restaurant, cola is expensive here. There’s a small supermarket just twenty meters away. The cola is cheaper there!"
That speaks well of Boss Guo’s character.
The boy paused, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "No, I want to buy it from you."
What’s wrong with this kid? Got too much money to burn?
Boss Guo shook his head.
Well, I’ve said my piece. If the customer insists on buying, then it’s not my fault.
He swiftly opened a bottle of cola, stuck a straw in it, and pushed it towards the kid.
The boy bit on the straw and gulped down half of the bottle at once, then let out a satisfied burp.
The boy exhaled, his face showing a relieved expression, and then looked at Boss Guo.
"Thank you, the meal I just had was very satisfying..."
"Hmm?"
"So now, I think we can officially begin our chat."
A gleam seemed to flash in the boy’s dark, bright eyes.
WHIRRRRR...
The shutter at the storefront suddenly started rolling down on its own...
Old Guo’s face instantly turned pale!
「·」
"Wu Dalei!"
Zhu Xiaojuan strode to the back gate and seeing it open, she walked into the backyard.
This was the garage’s backyard, which was also a residential and office area.
Zhu Xiaojuan was a relatively pretty girl, but her makeup and attire made it clear she had a fiery temperament.
As she entered the yard, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Come out here, you baldy!"
Inside the house, there was silence for a moment, then Brother Lei’s voice could be heard.
His tone carried a hint of panic, "Xiaojuan... well, that... you, just give me a moment..."
"Sneaking around, what are you hiding! Is there another woman in there?"
Zhu Xiaojuan, furious, charged into the house, and seeing no one in the living room, headed further inside.
The office was also empty.
She glanced over and saw the bathroom door was closed, and yanked on it with force.
It wouldn’t budge, locked!
"Wu Dalei!! You better come out!"
"Xiaojuan, it’s not... I..."
"What fox spirit are you hiding in there!"
"There’s no one else, really, it’s just me..."
"Then come out!!"
"I-I-I..."
Zhu Xiaojuan, with her fiery spirit, glared and picked up a wrench from a toolbox on the ground.
"If you don’t open up, I’ll break this lock!"
"...Don’t smash it, don’t smash it, I’ll open up, I’ll open the door... please, don’t get frightened!"
"...Frighten you, my foot... AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Before she could finish speaking, the door opened, and Zhu Xiaojuan’s face instantly distorted with shock, causing her to stagger backward several steps!
In the bathroom, a man stood there.
Tall and slightly overweight, he was robust.
His face was covered in flesh, and he sported a pair of puffy eyes from a hangover.
And he had a head of short, shiny black hair!!
Zhu Xiaojuan’s hand loosened, and with a clatter, the wrench fell to the ground.
Pointing at the man in front of her, "Wu Dalei, you, you..."
Brother Lei had a mournful look on his face as he reached up and grasped his thick black hair...
"What’s with your hair?! Are you wearing a wig?" Zhu Xiaojuan regained her composure and even reached out to lightly tug on it a couple of times.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! It hurts! It hurts!!"
"For real?! What’s with your hair?!" Zhu Xiaojuan’s eyes widened.
Brother Lei’s pitiful expression:
"So, what if I told you this hair just grew out this morning... would you believe me?"