"One, two, three, four."
"One, two, three, four."
"Remember, don't use your arm strength, as arm strength is limited. Use your waist, back, and shoulder blades. Feel the movement from your waist to your arms as a whole, and make your waist, back, and arms exert force simultaneously."
"Very good, let's do it again."
Chen Mianmian studied very attentively, wielding the long stick while turning her head to watch Fengchu's demonstration.
She discovered that Fengchu's martial arts training was completely different from what she had imagined.
She had previously thought that Fengchu was weak and timid, and that he would be covered in sweat and panting after practicing martial arts for a while.
But in reality, Fengchu, dressed in a white training uniform, resembled a lithe little white dragon, with graceful posture and clean, crisp movements.
It doesn't possess the power to uproot mountains and rivers, but it has a unique beauty that combines strength and gentleness.
Bai Qingzhou noticed the woman staring at him and guessed she hadn't understood, so he put down the wooden stick and laughed, "Didn't understand? That's normal. Most people think practicing boxing is about training your arms, but only experts know that the key is training your waist and back. I chose to have you use a long stick because it's the best weapon for training your back. So, use your long stick to strike my long stick, and you'll feel the difference in how you generate force. Try using your arms first."
As he spoke, Bai Qingzhou held a stick in both hands, "Come here."
"Huh? This... is it okay?" Shen Mianmian was a little worried, afraid that she might accidentally hurt the delicate little phoenix.
Bai Qingzhou laughed and said, "Why not? If you hurt me, you'll be responsible for applying the medicine for me."
"Hehe, if I hurt you, Madam won't forgive me." Shen Mianmian rolled her eyes.
“Let’s not tell her. Come on, let’s give it a try.”
Seeing that Fengchu persisted, Chenmianmian finally gave it a try.
The first time, when he used his arm to exert force, the two wooden sticks collided and struck each other, but Fengchu's stick didn't even budge.
Sleeping soundly—that much strength? The phoenix chick looks so delicate and weak, it's true that men and women are different, even if he's delicate, he's still a man.
Bai Qingzhou said, “Try the second method. If you can’t use your waist, back and arms at the same time, then start with your waist. Turn around and twist your waist to use the momentum, and then throw the stick out.”
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
While silently repeating the key points of the movements in her mind, she exerted her strength.
Sure enough, on the second strike, Fengchu's wooden stick at least moved a little.
Wow, is the difference that big?
Looking at the woman's exaggerated expression, Bai Qingzhou felt a great sense of accomplishment, even more so than winning the county's top scholar award. "You hold the stick with both hands, and I'll try to hit you with two different methods."
"Okay." Chen Mianmian gripped the stick tightly with both hands, one above the other, and then raised it diagonally.
"Are you ready? If so, I'll begin."
"Ready! Come on!"
Bai Qingzhou exerted his strength, striking the first time with the power of his arm. "How was that?"
Chen Mianmian gritted her teeth and said, "It's alright, I can handle it."
"Then I'll use another method."
"Alright, bring it on."
Although the woman said "bring it on," Bai Qingzhou didn't dare to actually do so. Instead, he held back half his strength and used the correct method to strike with the stick.
Two sounds were heard—the sound of a wooden stick striking and the woman's scream—and the wooden stick was knocked away.
Bai Qingzhou was startled and quickly threw down his long stick, rushing forward, "Mianmian, are you alright?"
Chen Mianmian stared in astonishment at her two reddened little hands. "My hands are so numb from shaking."
Bai Qingzhou was filled with regret. "Let's go back and find a doctor!"
"Why do you need to see a doctor? It was just a tremor, I'll be fine in a bit," Chen Mianmian said, raising her head and looking at the boy with a puzzled expression. "Wait, is the martial arts examination really that difficult? I think you're already very capable, how come you can't even pass the county-level examination? What exactly does the county-level martial arts examination test? Uprooting a willow tree? Lifting a giant cauldron with one hand?"
Bai Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Do you want to hear the truth?"
"certainly."
"Actually... I didn't perform this well before, or rather, I used to be insecure and lived in fear all the time. It was only after you came into my life that I slowly stopped being afraid and was able to unleash the power that the stick should have, according to the method I remembered."
Shen Mianmian nodded knowingly, "Is it because you got the top score in the county exam that you gained confidence?"
"Indeed, the top scholar in the county deserves credit, but I think it's mostly your credit. You praised me and admired me, saying that I have good handwriting and read a lot of books. No one has ever praised me like that before."
He paused, then added, "My mother praises me because she spoils me. The servants praise me because they flatter me."
Shen Mianmian's lips twitched, and she really wanted to say—no, there are only three kinds of people in your Marquis's mansion: the Marquis, the Madam, and the servants.
The praise from the lady and servants doesn't count, only the praise from the Marquis himself counts, right?
People often talk about feeling inferior, but actually they're just getting stuck in a rut.
Forget it, at least we escaped this dead end by chance, so she couldn't be bothered to argue with Fengchu about it.
She had a sudden inspiration: "Could you demonstrate a complete set of staff techniques for me? I'd like to see it."
"Okay," Bai Qingzhou said with a smile, "Stand a little further away."
Chen Mianmian immediately went to the side and watched Fengchu's performance with a smile.
Incidentally... my gaze drifted to a hidden corner, where a burly figure stood.
Yes, the Marquis has been here for quite a while, but Fengchu has been so focused on teaching her that she hasn't noticed.
On the training ground, Bai Qingzhou was still practicing with his staff.
Outside the training ground, Marquis Anning's expression was solemn, his usually sharp eyes now filled with shock.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that the person wielding the long staff so powerfully and skillfully in the training ground was his son, the son who trembled all over when he picked up the staff, and who would turn pale and faint at the sound of his shout.
Why is this happening?
Qingzhou was clearly not like that, so why did she act that way back then?
Suddenly, the words of his longtime friend, Xue Heze, now the Vice Minister of War, flashed through his mind: "You are too strict with Qingzhou. Qingzhou is still young and has a quiet personality. You cannot teach him with heavy pressure. You must combine both literary and martial arts methods and make learning fun. Otherwise, you will easily be too hasty and achieve the opposite of what you intended."
At the time, he couldn't listen to his friend's words at all because he... was unable to have sex due to his injury.
In other words, apart from Qingzhou, he had no descendants!
Qingzhou was his only son and the only one who could inherit his mantle. If he had a second son, even if he was an illegitimate son, he would not have been so harsh on Qingzhou.
He went mad at the time. A dignified and mighty general was impotent. The shame, fear, and resentment in his heart erupted and were vented on his only son.
It seems that only if his only son becomes successful can his regrets be made up for and he be able to hold his head high.
For this reason, he often used family discipline on Qingzhou, and even physically beat him. The worst time, he broke Qingzhou's leg bone, and he was bedridden for four months before he could barely get out of bed.
He gave up later, but who would have thought that his son could practice martial arts again now... Could it be that his friend's words were true, and that Qingzhou's mistake when he was young was because of... him?
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