Chapter 3

"Ah, You, you're here so early!" Ye Wen greeted Xiao You with a beaming smile.

He couldn't help but smile. Since receiving two years' worth of tuition yesterday, his financially strained life had greatly improved. When he handed the money to his wife last night and saw her smile, he felt very happy. He had finally fulfilled his duty as a man to support his family.

And the one who brought about this change was the disciple standing before him, for which Ye Wen felt both gratitude and joy.

Xiao You felt a deep sympathy for this man. The dire circumstances had reduced a martial arts master to such a state, truly a misfortune of the times.

"Master, good morning," Xiao You smiled. "Master looks very well today."

"Really?" Ye Wen laughed heartily. "Thanks, thanks."

To whom was he grateful? It was unspoken.

...

"Our Wing Chun! It combines attack and defense. One move, one strike, to defeat the opponent in the shortest time possible."

"Look, this is Tan Da."

"Eliminate and strike simultaneously, the Ri-character punch."

"Do you understand?"

"..."

Ye Wen was a very competent teacher, very patient. He would repeatedly demonstrate and explain things to Xiao You until he understood.

Xiao You had been an extra for over a decade in Hengdian, where he had encountered many martial arts instructors and learned some techniques for fitness. Now, being ten years younger in this timeline, his body was in peak condition, and Ye Wen found his foundation to be quite good, so he taught with great enthusiasm.

Xiao You, having a rare opportunity to learn from a master, studied very diligently. As a result, the master was satisfied, and the disciple was content. In just a few hours, the relationship between them grew much closer.

Before they knew it, it was noon. Xiao You was drenched in sweat, practicing on the wooden dummy, when a light but somewhat heavy-footed step approached. A pleasant voice called out, "It's time to eat."

Xiao You stopped and turned to see a tall, pregnant woman carrying a wooden lunch box walk in. It was her, Ye Wen's wife, Zhang Yongcheng.

"Yongcheng, you're here!" Seeing his wife with lunch, Ye Wen was delighted and quickly took the lunch box, though he scolded her, "I said I'd eat outside at noon. Why go to so much trouble? I really admire your dedication."

"I wanted to see your first day teaching," Zhang Yongcheng smiled gently and turned to look at Xiao You.

Xiao You glanced at Zhang Yongcheng, then looked at Ye Wen with a hint of curiosity.

Ye Wen smiled and said, "Ah You, this is your Shifu's wife."

"Hello, Shifumu," Xiao You greeted her. "I'm Xiao You, Shifu's disciple."

"I heard about you from Shifu yesterday," Zhang Yongcheng's eyes showed gratitude as she smiled. "Ah You, thank you."

"For what?" Xiao You pretended not to understand.

Zhang Yongcheng took it seriously and said sincerely, "Thank you for paying two years' tuition in one go. That money has helped us a lot."

"Shifumu, you're too kind," seeing Zhang Yongcheng's sincerity, Xiao You shook his head. "In any martial arts school, tuition must be paid. I've heard of Shifu's fame in Foshan and know how skilled he is. Paying the tuition in one go was just to learn more from Shifu. Shifumu, there's no need to thank me."

"We know the difference between good and bad," Zhang Yongcheng, a well-bred lady, was considerate. Seeing that Xiao You didn't want to say more, she didn't press the issue but silently remembered his kindness.

"Let's eat!"

Ye Wen stepped in to smooth things over. "Let's eat first. Ah You, join us."

"Sure," Xiao You didn't refuse, but when he saw the food in the lunch box, it was all dry vegetables with very little oil.

"Shifu, Shifumu, please wait a moment," Xiao You left the warehouse.

"Ah You, where are you going?"

"I'm going to buy something," Xiao You quickly left the rooftop.

Hearing his footsteps fade away, Zhang Yongcheng said softly, "Ah You is tall but has a scholarly air. He must be a well-educated young master."

"Who knows!" Ye Wen didn't know much about Xiao You. "But Ah You is smart and has a balanced temperament, very suitable for inheriting Chinese martial arts."

"Stop talking about martial arts. Go wash your hands and eat."

"As you wish."

A short while later.

"Shifu, Shifumu," Xiao You returned carrying a pile of things. There was a roasted goose, two live chickens, a basket of eggs, and some vegetables and fruits.

"Ah You, what's this?" Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng were surprised.

"The roasted goose is for lunch, and the rest is for Shifumu's health," Xiao You put down the items, wiped his sweat, and smiled. "I noticed Shifumu's complexion isn't good, probably due to a lack of nutrition. It's fine normally, but now that Shifumu is pregnant, she should eat more to supplement her diet. Stew these chickens, eat two eggs a day, and have some vegetables and fruits every day. A balanced diet will benefit both Shifumu and the baby."

"Ah You, you..." Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng were moved to speechlessness. As the head of the household, Ye Wen felt guilty towards Zhang Yongcheng.

"Shifu, Shifumu, don't say anything more," Xiao You smiled. "It's only right for a disciple to show respect to his Shifu and Shifumu. Aren't we about to eat? I'm hungry."

Zhang Yongcheng looked at him and smiled. Ye Wen was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Alright, let's eat, let's eat."

Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng hadn't had meat in a long time. Thanks to Xiao You, they devoured most of the roasted goose, their stomachs feeling full. Zhang Yongcheng's already prominent belly looked even rounder.

After the meal, Xiao You wanted to help Zhang Yongcheng clean up, but she refused, saying it was a woman's job and men shouldn't do it. Ye Wen also made tea and said, "Ah You, sit down and chat with me."

"Yes, Shifu."

People of this era still retained many traditional values. Zhang Yongcheng's virtuous nature was common, but a man like Ye Wen, who doted on his wife and had a sense of dignity, was rare. In Xiao You's view, a man like Ye Wen would be well-liked in any era, as no woman would dislike such a man.

"Ah You, have some tea."

"Shifu, I'll pour it myself."

In the past, Ye Wen used porcelain cups and high-quality tea. Even if it wasn't expensive, it was very particular. Now, due to financial constraints, he used a glass cup and cheap, low-grade tea.

No one would mock him, for in this unfortunate era, most people were in similar straits.

"Ah You, you seem well-spoken and refined. You must have had some education, right?" Ye Wen held his teacup and smiled.

Xiao You thought for a moment and said, "Fourteen years."

Two years of kindergarten, six years of primary school, three years of junior high, and three years of high school, totaling fourteen years.

"Oh?" Ye Wen was somewhat surprised. "Fourteen years of education? In China or abroad?"

"In China," Xiao You replied.

"You must come from a family with a strong educational background!"

In this era, education in China was still relatively backward. Those who could afford to study for over a decade were usually the sons of wealthy families or, at the very least, the children of landlords who valued education. Therefore, Ye Wen deduced that Xiao You must come from a family with a strong educational background.

Ye Wen himself came from a well-to-do family and had once lived in a private courtyard. Later, during the Japanese invasion, his house was confiscated and used as an office, indicating how spacious and luxurious it had been.

Now, meeting a young man with a similar background and temperament, Ye Wen felt a sense of kinship and asked, "Ah You, where are you from?"

"I'm from Behe," Xiao You answered simply, leaving it to Ye Wen to interpret.

"Behe, a land of valiant and passionate people," Ye Wen remarked. "No wonder you are so tall and robust."

"Shifu, there are many short people in Behe, and the proportion of tall people is higher than in the south. But there are also tall people in the south. You can't tell where someone is from just by their height."

"Uh..." Ye Wen's face turned awkward, and he coughed dryly. "Judging by appearance, one can easily make mistakes. Ah You, you're right."

"Shifu, I didn't mean to..."

"I know," Ye Wen waved his hand. As a master, he had the grace to admit his mistake. "Ah You, since you're from Behe, why did you come to Hong Kong?"

Xiao You was silent for a moment and said softly, "My parents passed away, so I left that place of sorrow."

"Ah You... I'm sorry," Ye Wen, not used to comforting others, didn't know what to say.

"You, always bringing up others' sorrows," Zhang Yongcheng scolded Ye Wen and then looked at the silent Xiao You with a motherly warmth and kindness. "Ah You, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Don't be too sad. If your parents were watching over you, they wouldn't want you to be like this."

Xiao You felt a bit ashamed. He wasn't sad; he was lying and felt uncomfortable.

Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng's impression of him was accurate. Though he was a thirty-year-old man, he still had a strong scholarly air.

He was proud and had a thin skin.

However, after years of modern education and over a decade of social experience, he no longer believed that all professions were inferior except for scholarship. But he still had some resistance to jobs that lacked prestige.

In simpler terms, he was a bit pretentious.

After a few moments of awkwardness, Xiao You said he had some things to do in the afternoon and wouldn't come to practice. Seeing Xiao You leave, Ye Wen locked the door and took the items home with Zhang Yongcheng.

In the following days, Xiao You continued to learn Wing Chun from Ye Wen and often bought food and other necessities to show respect to his Shifu and Shifumu. Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng felt very uncomfortable but couldn't refuse because these things were needed in their home. Thanks to Xiao You, Ye Wen's family was living comfortably.

As their relationship grew closer, they decided to visit each other's homes. One day, after practicing, Xiao You went to Ye Wen's home and was heartbroken to see how simple and humble their living conditions were. He insisted that Ye Wen's family of three move into his home.

Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng were too embarrassed to accept, but Xiao You's words left them no choice.

"Shifu, Shifumu, I have no family in this world. Shifu took me in as a disciple. As the saying goes, 'One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.' Now that Shifu and Shifumu are in hardship, if I had no means, it would be one thing. But I have an empty house. How can I stand by and watch you suffer? Besides, would Shifu and Shifumu bear to see your disciple suffer with you?"

When Xiao You mentioned Ye Jun, Ye Wen and Zhang Yongcheng were silent for a long time before finally nodding.

Thus, the next morning, Ye Wen, Zhang Yongcheng, and Ye Jun moved into Xiao You's home.