Nian Li was also stunned by this scene, at a loss for words. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, her face filled with shock and embarrassment. She scratched her head subconsciously and said innocently, "My hand slipped." Her voice was particularly abrupt in the silence, carrying a hint of embarrassment and helplessness, as if she was searching for a pale explanation for this accident.
Seeing the situation was bad, Si Yan immediately jumped out like a nimble little monkey. He quickly ran to the general, his face covered with a flattering smile, a smile as bright as a blooming flower, yet with a hint of flattery. He said anxiously, "General, my sister didn't mean it. If this archery skill is used to rob the rich and help the poor..."
"Si Yan!" Su Jinli was both angry and amused when she saw this. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed her son's ear, and dragged him back like a chicken. She glared at Si Yan with a scolding look, as if saying, "Don't make trouble again, kid!"
At this moment, Jiang Yan suddenly smiled. He took a deep breath, straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, and walked forward with a leisurely pace, bowing respectfully to the general. "My daughter is a beginner, I hope you will forgive me," he said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of apology and sincerity, as if he was apologizing to the general for his daughter's recklessness. As he spoke, he secretly slipped a silver ingot to the general and said in a low voice, "Consider it compensation for the hat." The movement was skillful and covert, as if afraid of being noticed.
The general took the silver, his expression softening slightly. He snorted, sat back in his chair, waved his hand, and said unhappily, "Forget it, let's just leave it at that." While there was still a hint of anger in his voice, there was also a hint of helplessness.
After the exam, Jiang Nianli and her family set off for home. Nianli walked ahead, her head downcast, her once straight back now slightly bent, as if weighed down by the weight of failure. Her eyes revealed a deep sense of loss and dejection, like a pool of stagnant water, her heart filled with self-blame. She kept blaming herself, wondering why she had slipped at the crucial moment, why she had missed the target.
Su Jinli looked at her daughter with heartache, hurried forward, patted her shoulder gently, and said softly: "It's okay, baby, let's practice with a different target next time." Her voice was like warm sunshine, trying to penetrate the thick haze in Nianli's heart and give her comfort and encouragement.
Jiang Yan sighed in the background and pulled a copy of "Nujie" from his sleeve pocket. The cover was a bit worn, showing that it was often read. He carefully handed it to Nianli and said tentatively, "How about... learning needlework?" His eyes were filled with a hint of resignation and hope, hoping that his daughter would give up the bumpy road of the martial arts examination and return to the traditional path of a woman.
"No!" Nianli and Su Jinli shouted almost simultaneously. Nianli's head shot up, the fire of fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes, a blazing, bright flame that seemed to completely consume all the previous failure. She looked at Jiang Yan firmly, her eyes revealing unquestionable determination. Su Jinli held her daughter's hand tightly, as if declaring to Jiang Yan that she would unconditionally support her daughter's choice, offering her silent but firm support.
Siyan continued to count the money, muttering to himself: "To learn needlework, I need to buy two taels of silk thread, and five cents for an embroidery frame. It's better to buy a good bow..." His unique voice of counting the money seemed to add a different color to this slightly heavy conversation, adding a touch of humor and lightness to the depressing atmosphere.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden veil across the landscape, stretching the three people's shadows far longer. Jiang Yan gazed at his wife and daughter's high-spirited backs and shook his head helplessly. He knew his daughters' path to the martial arts exams was destined to be full of twists and turns, like a rugged, winding mountain road strewn with thorns and bumps. But seeing their determination, he understood that he had to accompany them on this journey. No matter how many difficulties and challenges lay ahead, the family would stick together, face them together, and write their own wonderful chapter together.
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