As the first rays of sunlight illuminated Stone Man Peak and Sour Date Grove, Zhang Xiaohua also opened her eyes simultaneously. There was a fleeting glimmer in her deep black eyes.
Zhang Xiaohua did not rise from her bed immediately as usual, but laid down on the heated bed and closed her eyes again. The swelling on her face from the beating no longer hurt as it did last night; the split corner of her mouth hardly hurt unless deliberately moved. Physical injuries heal slowly, but what about the wounds in the heart?
Zhang Xiaohua replayed the events of yesterday afternoon in her mind. Daddy did not make a mistake by holding Big Brother back and preventing his intervention. It is true that one should not interfere with matters beyond one's abilities; impulsive intervention might only result in fatal consequences. Big Brother's decision to intervene was also not wrong—although we barely know Miss Liu, we have helped each other. Even if she were a complete stranger, allowing such atrocities to happen to her could leave a permanent thorn in our hearts, which we may never be able to remove.
Did the surrounding bystanders, with their numb, delighted, and pitiful expressions, not wish to intervene?
Let's think about the two short fat men, and the groups of household servants behaving like savage dogs. They outrageously carried out such wicked actions in front of so many people.
Imagine how Daddy and both my brothers were trampled underfoot, beaten senseless. Perhaps the wicked servants did not intend to kill, but to entertain themselves by using their bodies as toys, igniting their excitement with their blood. But what if they intended to kill? Would they have been able to escape?
Think about Wen Wenhai and his Junior Sister who arrived like saviors from above. They effortlessly defeated the group of wicked servants. They didn't even tell Zhao Wansheng their full names. A little martial arts and a badge were enough to subdue the ferocious villains and force them to apologize sincerely.
An idea darted through her mind like lightning—Martial Arts!
I need strength, I need martial arts.
This time, it was Wen Wenhai and his Junior Sister who saved us out of righteousness. If they hadn't stepped in, our loved ones could have been grievously beaten or worse. We cannot rely on anyone; we must count on ourselves. Only when I have power can I defend myself and my family, and then I would have excess strength to help others.
Zhang Xiaohua's heart expanded at once. Ever since yesterday, she was feeling depressed but with a sense of aim, things started to get better. What she lacked was not willpower or the strength to endure hardship, but direction—there was a possibility of making an effort when a direction was set.
Once Zhang Xiaohua clarified her purpose, she didn't want to stay in bed any longer. She briskly got up from the heated bed and walked into the sunlight outside her grandmother's small house.
The excited Zhang Xiaohua was unaware of how complicated martial arts training actually was. Achieving mastery required inheritance, talent, willpower, and opportunities among other things, and without all of these elements, success was impossible. But, which youth does not have dreams? Which youth doesn't have the vitality to hold onto their dreams and ambitions in their prime years? Whether they succeed or not, isn't youthful impetuosity universal? Everyone's path is different, and only by walking that path will reveal right from wrong.
And our Zhang Xiaohua is no different!
Zhang Xiaohua walked out of her small house and saw her grandmother sitting at the door. She walked over and said, "Grandmother, it's still early and the wind outside is cold. Please go back inside. You can come out for a bit of sun around noon."
Hearing her granddaughter's voice, the grandmother gently said, "Xiaohua, your grandmother wants to take more of the outside air. I'm living one day at a time and don't want to stay inside the small house all day. What about you? Are you still in pain? You should sleep more."
Zhang Xiaohua cheerfully said, "Grandmother, I'm totally fine. Touch my face, it's not swollen anymore."
Zhang Xiaohua took her grandmother's rough hand and placed it on her face. Her grandmother carefully touched it and, laughing, said, "Good, good. As long as you're fine." She finished, and wiped the corners of her now moist eyes with her sleeve. It was clear she still loved and worried for her youngest granddaughter.In the courtyard, Guo Sufei was busy at the simple stove outside. Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue were helping by the side with joyous looks. Liu Qian seemed a bit shy. Ah, Zhang Xiaohua rubbed his eyes and took a closer look. Indeed, Liu Qian's face was still slightly flushed. That was strange, what was happening?
Zhang Xiaohua had no idea that Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue had woken up before dawn. As they were not accustomed to sleeping in a different house, they couldn't fall back asleep. The two of them whispered to each other, scared of waking Guo Sufei. They discussed the day's events and felt relieved to have escaped a disaster. Liu Qian was especially grateful to Zhang Xiaolong. If he hadn't rushed in to block them, they would have been dragged into the alley by the two bullies. Zhang Xiaolong had stepped in unarmed, using his body to shield the two helpless women. Despite suffering serious injuries, his face was resolute, and his image was deeply imprinted in her heart.
Soon, Guo Sufei also woke up. She listened to the girls' conversation without interfering. Seeing that dawn was approaching, she coughed a few times and sat up, and the two girls quickly got up. Last night, worried about the family's injuries and in the dim light, Guo Sufei hadn't had a chance to look closely at the two girls. Now, with daylight and the family's condition stabilized, she finally had a chance to scrutinize them. Both girls were very pretty, with good figures. While of different heights, both were like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, each having its own beauty. She couldn't help but think, if they didn't possess some beauty, how else could they have been harassed in the street? Afterwards, Zhang Xiaolong's mother began to inquire about the girls' situations. Liu Qian's family comprised of herself, her father and an elder brother. Her mother had passed away from illness years ago. Her father worked as a teacher and her brother was a scholarly lad. They had little farmland and lived off teaching income, yet they were highly respected in the village. Liu Yueyue was Liu Qian's cousin, and her father was a butcher. He was the blood brother of Liu Qian's father, and they resided in the same village. Liu Yueyue's parents were both alive, and she was an only child. Yesterday, Liu Qian's house had visitors, both her father and brother entertained the guests while Liu Yueyue's father was busy with his business. There was no one to accompany the two sisters to the market, leading to the incident. The three women talked about a lot of personal matters. Guo Sufei even asked if the two girls were engaged, to which both replied no. Liu Yueyue didn't think much of it, but Liu Qian was left blushing. Seeing Liu Qian's shy look, Guo Sufei couldn't help but laugh.
With daylight, Guo Sufei started preparing breakfast, and the two young women came to help. After a while of bustling about, Liu Qian's blush still hadn't faded, catching Zhang Xiaohua's attention.
Zhang Xiaohua walked up to the stove and said, "Good morning, sisters."
This was just a normal greeting, but when Liu Qian heard the word "sister", she felt as if Xiao Hua had guessed her thoughts, and blushed again. Liu Yueyue cheerfully responded, "Good morning, little brother."
Zhang Xiaohua asked about his father and elder brother. Guo Sufei said she had already checked on them; there was no change in their condition. Their external wounds were getting better, and after some rest, they should be up soon.
While they were talking, Zhang Cai came out from the house, using a wooden stick as a cane. His right leg seemed to be in discomfort. Guo Sufei and Zhang Xiaohua went up to assist him. Zhang Xiaohua fetched a chair for his father to sit on in the courtyard. Zhang Cai stretched his back and winced from the pain in his waist.
Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue went up to pay their respects, and Zhang Cai quickly dismissed their formalities. He then said, "Since the two of you didn't return home last night, your families must be worried. All us men are injured, and Xiaohua alone can't escort you two back. How about we have Xiaohua bring a message to your families so that they can come pick you up? Is that okay?"
Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
Soon afterwards, Zhang Cai and Zhang Xiaohua went into the village to find an adult man. The two of them went together to Bali Gully to send a message to the home of Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue.
Bali Gully was located southwest of Guo Village, and it was quite far away. By the time Zhang Xiaohua and the others arrived there, it was nearly noon. Bali Gully was a village situated between two large mountains. It seemed to be quite large, about four or five times the size of Guo Village. The village was lively with many people. As Zhang Xiaohua approached the village entrance, he was noticed by the villagers who asked who he was looking for. Zhang Xiaohua said he was looking for Liu, the school teacher. The man wore a look of alertness, but after observing Xiaohua's humble appearance and the honest-looking farmer following him, he asked, "Where are you guys from? Why are you looking for Mr. Liu?"
Zhang Xiaohua replied, "We are from Guo Village, and we bring news of Miss Liu Qian and Miss Liu Yueyue."
At that, the man was overjoyed and said, "I see, come with me."
He then led Zhang Xiaohua to a tidy little courtyard. Before they even reached the door, he shouted, "Mr. Liu, Butcher Liu, news of your daughters has arrived."
A bright voice came from within the courtyard, "Ah, the bandits have sent a message. I want to see which bastard is responsible for this." Accompanying this voice was a large, muscular man, tall enough to be two heads taller than Zhang Xiaohua. He sprang out from the courtyard and grabbed Zhang Xiaohua by the neck, saying, "Where are you bandits from? Speak, tell me." Zhang Xiaohua was choked to the point of being unable to breathe properly, his face turning red. How could he speak in this state? The man who accompanied Zhang Xiaohua and their guide were about to intervene when another person came out of the courtyard and said, "Little brother, can't you be less impulsive? Look at this kid, the way he looks, the clothes he wears, does he look like a bandit? Even if he is a bandit, shouldn't you let him speak?"
The strong man let out a chuckle, let go of Zhang Xiaohua, and said, "Big brother, wasn't I just getting anxious about the safety of our daughters? Don't you feel the same?"
Zhang Xiaohua took several deep breaths, and slowly his colour returned. Looking at the two men, he figured out that the calm man in the back was Liu Qian's father, Mr. Liu, and the one who had just grabbed him must be Liu Yueyue's father, Butcher Liu.