Chapter 9

What was supposed to be a simple family meeting turned into this. Zhao Jin never expected that there were so many entanglements in this family, many causes and consequences that he didn't know about. However, Zhao Jin had no solution; it was also a tradition in China for thousands of years that adults never discussed their affairs with children.

What exactly happened between his father and uncle back then, and why did they feel wronged? Zhao Jin pondered over these questions repeatedly as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhao Jin was woken up by He Cuihua. After washing up and having breakfast, He Cuihua took out a set of thick cotton robes for winter, put them on Zhao Jin to measure, marked them with a ruler, and then had him take them off for cutting. Zhao Jin immediately understood that these were for his martial arts training clothes.

He Cuihua, unusually silent, only said, "If you find it too hard, come back."

Zhao Jin nodded. At that moment, he heard the sound of chopping wood outside and went out of curiosity to see who was doing it at home.

When he opened the door, he saw Zhao Zhentang wielding a large saber to chop a wooden post. The saber was four feet long and an inch thick, the kind used for beheading in executions.

Zhao Zhentang's expression was very focused. Zhao Jin saw that the wooden post, several inches in diameter, was covered with fresh knife marks, all made that morning. Zhao Zhentang glanced at Zhao Jin but said nothing, as if nothing had happened the night before. He then walked to the side, found a stool, and sat down. The monkey was nearby, and Zhao Zhentang gently stroked its neck with his right hand, a very delicate action. However, the lively monkey remained still, not moving at all.

After stroking for a while, Zhao Zhentang stood up again, picked up the saber with both hands, and fiercely chopped the wooden post. There was a dull thud, and Zhao Jin, who was watching, was stunned. The previous knife marks were all shallow, but this one cut halfway through.

Zhao Zhentang paused slightly, swung his arm back to pull the saber out, and with a flip of his wrists, chopped again. There was a "crack," and the wooden post was severed.

Zhao Jin, who was watching, opened his mouth wide. His father's second chop was precisely on the first cut, and the strength and precision required to chop through such a thick post were extraordinary. He never expected his father to have such skills; this must also be martial arts!

After these two chops, Zhao Zhentang was slightly flushed and out of breath. He took a fruit dry from his pocket and threw it to the monkey, which then became lively and chirped at Zhao Jin after receiving the fruit.

After his breathing steadied, Zhao Zhentang walked to Zhao Jin's side. Zhao Jin was a bit nervous, wondering if his father would be angry about last night. Zhao Zhentang stared at Zhao Jin for a while, then stroked his head and said, "Since you're willing to learn martial arts, you must put in the effort. Don't be afraid of hardship. If you can't take it and run back, I'll whip you back. Do you understand?"

Zhao Jin was taken aback, thinking that his parents' attitudes last night and this morning were somewhat subtle. However, he raised his head and said loudly, "Father, you can rest assured, I will persevere!"

The resolute answer and determined expression were something Zhao Zhentang had never seen in his son before. He was taken aback for a moment and then smiled, saying, "You little brat, you fainted at the execution, but you seem a bit more like a boy now."

He then added, "Practice well," and went into the house to tidy up before going out to do some errands. He Cuihua called out from inside, "When the clothes are ready, go to your uncle's place!"

Zhao Jin clenched his fist and waved it outside, thinking that no matter what, he would learn martial arts!

After making this gesture, Zhao Jin smiled to himself, thinking that in just a few days, he was becoming more childish.

The clothes couldn't be altered quickly, so Zhao Jin ran around inside and outside, which puzzled He Cuihua. The original Zhao Jin preferred quiet and didn't like to move, but after his illness, he became more active, ate more, and became bolder.

These were subtle changes that Zhao Jin thought he had been careful about, but his parents noticed them even more closely.

After running around in the yard for a while, he saw the monkey sitting on a pile of firewood, looking around. Zhao Jin approached, wanting to try touching the monkey's neck to see what it felt like and why his father could chop so powerfully after touching it.

When his father Zhao Zhentang touched the monkey, it was very calm, but as soon as Zhao Jin reached out, the monkey bared its teeth and screamed, scaring Zhao Jin back. The monkey then jumped onto the roof.

"Don't provoke that monkey, Xiao Jin!" He Cuihua's voice rang out. Zhao Jin responded dejectedly, thinking that the monkey was picky.

Just as he was bored, he heard a knock on the door and someone shouting, "Is Zhao Jin there? Is Zhao Jin there?"

It was actually Chen Sheng. Zhao Jin walked over in confusion and opened the gate. At the door stood Chen Sheng and his brother. For some reason, the younger brother Chen Hong was afraid of Zhao Jin and hid behind his older brother as soon as he saw him.

Chen Sheng held a paper package, which emitted a sweet aroma of pastries. Seeing Zhao Jin, he handed the package over, a bit embarrassed, and said, "I lost the fight yesterday and wasn't allowed to go out. This is osmanthus sugar and sesame cake. Take it and eat it."

Children's fights and bets were not to be taken seriously, and Zhao Jin had long forgotten about it. He didn't expect Chen Sheng to remember and follow through, which improved his impression of Chen Sheng.

Zhao Jin took the package and saw that Chen Hong behind Chen Sheng was staring at it and swallowing his saliva. The Chen family was wealthy and didn't lack for pastries, but children were always greedy. Zhao Jin had an idea and opened the package right there, saying with a smile, "I can't eat it all by myself. Let's eat it together!"

Hearing Zhao Jin's words, Chen Hong immediately reached out, but was hit hard by Chen Sheng, who scolded, "Don't be so spineless. We have it at home. Go back and eat it. This is what I lost to Zhao Jin!"

"It's fine, let's eat together!" Zhao Jin smiled and pushed the package forward. Seeing Zhao Jin's sincerity, Chen Sheng hesitated. His younger brother Chen Hong tugged at his sleeve and looked at him with pleading eyes. After opening the package, the sweet aroma of the pastries spread, and Chen Sheng couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He finally nodded, and Chen Hong, seeing his brother agree, happily grabbed a sesame cake and a piece of osmanthus sugar and started eating.

Chen Sheng also picked one up. There were only five pastries in total, and Zhao Jin also took one. The sesame cake and osmanthus sugar were quite rough, not comparable to the industrial products from his previous life, but the natural ingredients had a unique fragrance, and Zhao Jin found them delicious.

The smallest, Chen Hong, ate three pastries and was beaming, no longer as afraid of Zhao Jin. Chen Sheng wiped his mouth and smiled, saying, "Zhao Jin, you're a good friend and very strong. I haven't lost to anyone in the martial arts competition there. I didn't expect to be beaten by you. Let's go and compete again today. If you win, I'll bring you more pastries. If you lose, you bring pastries. What do you think?"

The chubby boy looked at Zhao Jin eagerly. Seeing no reaction from Zhao Jin, Chen Sheng quickly added, "We can just compete. If I lose, I'll bring you pastries. If you lose, you don't have to. What do you think?"

Zhao Jin couldn't help but laugh. Chen Sheng, eager, continued, "My grandfather says I always fight randomly, which is useless. But being beaten by you yesterday was interesting. He also said, he also said..."

"He said you will face more dangerous situations in the future, so you need to fight more opponents like this!" Chen Hong loudly added.

"Yes, yes, that's what he said. Only by fighting you can I become stronger!" Chen Sheng shouted.

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