Chapter 11

Uncle Zhao's praise was inaudible to Zhao Jin, who was now so drenched in sweat that his eyes were blurred, and his legs were aching to the extreme. At this moment, Zhao Jin could hardly feel his body swaying; he was almost at his limit.

However, Zhao Jin was gritting his teeth and persevering. He had long understood a principle: no matter what one does, one must work hard and persistently to achieve success. Zhao Jin had a strength, perhaps cultivated from the hardships of his past life: he could endure hardship and remain calm, qualities that he applied to martial arts practice.

Because he used to be aggressive and wanted to build a strong body, he was particularly focused during physical education classes. Zhao Jin clearly remembered what the teacher had said: when people exercise, they all reach a limit. At the limit, one feels as if they are about to collapse, but if one can push through this state, the body will stabilize.

Zhao Jin didn't know if he had reached his limit, but he hoped he could push through. Just as he was gritting his teeth, he heard a timid voice from outside: "Is Brother Xiaojin here?"

The eyes of Uncle Zhao and Zhao Jin turned toward the gate of the courtyard. A little girl in a red jacket was looking inside. Upon seeing Zhao Jin, her eyes instantly turned into crescent moons.

This was Xiao Lan, Mu Shulan, with two braids, a well-proportioned face, and fair skin. She wore a silver lock around her neck. Over the past few days, Zhao Jin had become increasingly familiar with his surroundings and could deduce many things from the details.

Mu Shulan's family must have been quite well-off. At that time, most children, due to lack of food and clothing, were usually thin and dark. To have a fair and well-proportioned child, one had to be from a very good family. Mu Shulan's family was clearly well-off, being the daughter of a wealthy merchant from another place who had come to Xuzhou to do business. Such a girl should have no problems, but for some reason, his father, Zhao Zhentang, wanted to keep a distance from her family.

"Brother Xiaojin, I just got back today. Aunt Zhao said you were here." She spoke in Mandarin but with a Shandong accent, her voice clear and pleasant. Before Zhao Jin could respond, the sound of the rattan stick whistling through the air was heard, and Uncle Zhao Zhentang said, "Don't be distracted!"

Zhao Jin's body stiffened, and he quickly straightened his posture. After this interruption, he had already pushed through his limit, and his breathing had stabilized, and he stood firm.

Seeing Zhao Jin's appearance, Zhao Zhentang was quite surprised. He hadn't expected his nephew to have the composure to push through this critical moment, enduring the most exhausting part. This was truly a good seed for martial arts!

The little girl at the gate, Xiao Lan, was very well-behaved and sensible. She had been to this place before and had spoken to Uncle Zhao Zhentang. Mu Shulan said, "Uncle, I won't speak. I'll just sit on the side and watch, okay?"

Uncle Zhao Zhentang frowned, about to refuse, but then he glanced at Zhao Jin and changed his mind, nodding with a smile. Xiao Lan cheered and ran into the courtyard, finding a clean stone to sit on. Uncle Zhao Zhentang smiled and said, "Xiaojin, if you get distracted, I'll hit your palm ten times!"

Having such a fair and delicate little girl on the side, even if she didn't speak, made one feel comfortable. However, Uncle Zhao Zhentang's words turned it into a test, and Zhao Jin quickly focused his attention.

Mu Shulan was younger than Zhao Jin. Standing in a horse stance was completely motionless and very boring. He thought this little girl would get bored and leave after a while, but unexpectedly, Xiao Lan sat there with a smile, showing no signs of leaving, watching Zhao Jin as if she were watching a performance, until he finished his horse stance.

He stood for a full hour, and his knees almost gave way. Xiao Lan, who was watching, quickly stood up, as if she were about to come over to help.

"Let him stand up on his own!" Uncle Zhao Zhentang said calmly. Usually, Uncle Zhao Zhentang was gentle, but at this moment, his words carried an unyielding tone. Xiao Lan shrank back and sat down again.

Uncle Zhao Zhentang's eyes narrowed. He had thought his nephew would take a while to stand up, but after he said those words, Zhao Jin gritted his teeth and stood up. He truly had perseverance, a quality he hadn't seen before.

"Second Uncle, I want to drink some water," Zhao Jin said weakly, having sweated a lot and lost a lot of water.

Uncle Zhao Zhentang's face showed approval. His nephew hadn't begged for mercy or complained. He pointed to a corner of the courtyard where a water bottle was wrapped in a cotton cover, with a bowl next to it.

Before Zhao Jin could move, Xiao Lan ran over, poured a bowl of water, and carefully brought it over, offering it with both hands, "Brother Xiaojin, drink this."

Zhao Jin didn't know how to respond, so he just nodded and took the bowl to drink. Even with the insulating cotton cover, the water was cool, but not cold.

The little girl smiled and said, "Brother Xiaojin is so amazing. The boys back home can't even stand for a while."

After Zhao Jin finished drinking, Xiao Lan took the bowl. In the past and now, Zhao Jin had little experience dealing with girls. Xiao Lan was close to him because of his gentle and considerate nature. He didn't know how to respond but noticed the content of her words.

Mu Shulan's family had many children around his age who were also practicing martial arts. Zhao Jin casually asked, "Xiao Lan, where is your family from?"

"I've told you many times, Brother Xiaojin, but you never remember. We're from Caozhou, Shandong," Mu Shulan pouted.

Zhao Jin still had no impression. Just as he was about to continue speaking, Uncle Zhao Zhentang said, "Xiaojin, pick up the smallest box over there with both hands and hold it at chest level twenty times."

On one side of the courtyard were stone locks, and next to them were several wooden boxes of different sizes, all looking old. Zhao Jin had already guessed what they were for. He couldn't handle the weight of the stone locks, so he started with the smallest box, which was likely filled with soil or stones.

When Zhao Jin picked it up, it was indeed heavy. Lifting it wasn't difficult, and holding it at chest level wasn't difficult, but doing it twenty times was challenging. By the last few times, his face was red and his neck was strained.

Uncle Zhao Zhentang nodded slightly. The horse stance and lifting the box were real training, but they were also a test for his nephew. He hadn't expected Zhao Jin to push through, and anyone could see that he lacked strength, but strength could be trained. Perseverance and character were not something everyone had.

He was satisfied in his heart but kept a calm expression. The little girl, seeing Zhao Jin complete the task, didn't need to be told to get him more water. Uncle Zhao Zhentang shook his head and said, "Rest for a while, then stand in the horse stance again!"

Zhao Jin didn't complain. The little girl chattered away beside him, talking about how prosperous Jining was and what delicious food she had eaten. He was only thinking about how to get through the rest period.

The training had left Zhao Jin's body aching. Hearing that he had to continue, he didn't just sit down. Instead, he started to stretch his wrists, lift his legs, and jog around the courtyard.

He had been serious about physical education classes in the past and had learned some fitness knowledge after working. He knew that one shouldn't stop immediately after intense exercise but should do some relaxation exercises, which were crucial.

Uncle Zhao Zhentang had intended to stop him, but after watching for a while, he realized that these strange movements made sense, so he let Zhao Jin continue.

Mu Shulan watched with a smile, not finding it boring at all.

The rest period was short, and soon it was time for the boring horse stance again. The morning passed quickly.

At lunchtime, Uncle Zhao Zhentang didn't wait for Zhao Jin to invite him. He led Zhao Jin and Mu Shulan to the Zhao family home. In the past, when the little girl played with Zhao Jin, they usually had lunch at the Zhao family home, which had become a habit.

On the way, Zhao Jin felt his muscles aching and his steps were weak. He was extremely tired and almost dragged his legs forward, while the little girl was happily skipping along.

Finally, they reached the doorstep. Zhao Jin smelled a strong, mixed aroma with a hint of mutton. The family must be stewing mutton, and he immediately felt his appetite increase. The morning's physical exertion had been significant, and he needed to replenish his energy.

As he crossed the threshold, Xiao Lan ran into the courtyard and called out, "Auntie, I'm back from Shandong, and Brother Xiaojin is back too!"

If someone who didn't know them heard this, they might think Zhao Jin and Mu Shulan had returned from Shandong together. He Cuifang's loud voice responded, "Go wash your hands and help Auntie set the table."

The little girl agreed and happily went to help. At this moment, Zhao Jin felt his muscles tearing with every step, and he winced in pain. Uncle Zhao Zhentang, walking slowly behind him, smiled and asked, "Xiaojin, you're so tired in the morning. Do you still want to practice martial arts in the afternoon and tomorrow?"

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