Chapter 122 Taking on Disciples on Behalf of the Master
When Atai and Xiaomei saw that there was no one else in the room, they knelt down before Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang without saying a word.
The two men were startled and quickly pulled the brother and sister, who were still trying to kowtow, up one by one.
The Atai siblings couldn't refuse them, so they had no choice but to stand and thank them.
Xie Wanniang smiled and pushed Xiaomei to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). "Come, let me take your pulse."
After taking Xiaomei's pulse, Xie Wanniang touched her forehead again.
Looking at the little girl's nervous and anxious face, Xie Wanniang reached out and patted her shoulder. "The fever is gone. Rest well and eat well for the next few days, and you'll be fully recovered soon."
As for the old and new wounds on her and Atai's bodies from being whipped with sticks, Xie Wanniang gave them a bottle of brown ointment that could reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Considering that it was difficult for them to apply medicine to their backs themselves, Xie Wanniang thoughtfully took Xiaomei to her room and helped her apply the medicine carefully.
After Xiaomei finished dressing, Xie Wanniang simply handed her the new bottle of ointment she had taken out, saying, "For things you can't reach by yourself, you can ask Aunt Ge for help in the future."
She and Jiang Yuan had a good haul today. Now, in Aunt Ge's livestock shed, there were not only a flock of pheasants and rabbits, but also a wild sheep.
Tomorrow they'll be busy for another morning at most, and then in the afternoon they'll hire an oxcart from the village to transport the game to town.
As the two were talking, they came out of Xie Wanniang's room, just as Jiang Yuan finished applying the medicine to Atai.
The four of them gathered in the main room. Atai asked Jiang Yuan, "Brother Ayuan, if I follow you to learn martial arts, will I have to leave the village?"
Jiang Yuan nodded, "You can move to Mingfu Village with your sister."
Atai didn't expect Jiang Yuan to reply like that. Being able to bring his sister along, his biggest concern disappeared instantly.
He hesitated, "I...I don't have much money, what about the apprenticeship fee and tuition..."
Jiang Yuan waved his hand, "Just prepare the apprenticeship gift, no need for tuition. I will provide accommodation and three meals a day. You can earn other miscellaneous expenses by hunting or by selling the grain produced from your family's fields."
Atai was overjoyed, "Thank you, Master!"
Jiang Yuan waved his hand, "Call me senior brother."
Atai looked bewildered. "Senior brother?"
Jiang Yuan nodded, "We're close in age, so it's not appropriate for me to be your master. Therefore, although I'm the one teaching you martial arts, I'm only accepting you as a disciple on behalf of my master."
He was to join the army at Zijing Pass no later than next year. Before leaving, he wanted to arrange for a reliable person to take his place, look after Hao Yu, and help Xie Wanniang in critical moments.
His original plan was to ask someone to help him buy a skilled servant, but after searching for so long, he still couldn't find one that met his requirements.
After discovering by chance that Atai had exceptional talent and was a promising martial arts student, Jiang Yuan decided to train him.
Although he and Hao Yu were not from Da'ao Village, they had dealt with many people from Da'ao Village, so they knew a small portion of them quite well.
Whether it's Atai or Awang, their character is impeccable.
Atai, who was unaware that he intended for him to become Hao Yu's apprentice, felt a little uneasy upon hearing this.
Since their parents passed away, the siblings' situation has deteriorated. They want to change it, but they are powerless to do so.
However, Xie Wanniang and Jiang Yuan easily got his uncle's family under their control. They not only made them return what they had swallowed, but also gave them extra compensation. They also successfully severed ties with his uncle's family, completely cutting off their path to continue scheming against his family's wealth.
The same task, handled by different people, resulted in drastic changes in the situation, making Atai extremely eager to learn about Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang's skills.
He wanted to become stronger, to be like Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang, able to solve problems with ease, instead of being stuck in a quagmire, forever powerless to help himself and those he cherished who were suffering.
Therefore, he was eager to learn martial arts from Jiang Yuan.
But now Jiang Yuan is telling him that the master he wants to become a disciple of is someone else. Will that person also think he has talent like Jiang Yuan does, and therefore agree to take him as a disciple?
If the other party disagrees, will Jiang Yuan stop teaching him?
As he was lost in thought, Jiang Yuan said again, "You've met the person I wanted you to become an apprentice to, the one who brought me to your village many times before, Uncle Hao."
Atai's eyes widened as he realized that while the answer was unexpected, it made perfect sense upon reflection.
Undeniably, his tension dissipated considerably because of the name "Hao Yu".
"And my dog..."
"You can take it with you or leave it in the village to be raised by others, it's up to you."
Without hesitation, Atai said, "Then I'll take it with me."
He had no choice but to take the dog away from his uncle's family before, but now that he has a choice, he naturally wants to take the dog with him.
Money, grain, furs and other valuables can all be transported away together. Houses and fields that cannot be moved can be entrusted to trusted uncles or cousins.
Yes, Atai doesn't plan to rent out the land to others; instead, he intends to come back and tend to it himself whenever there's a busy farming season.
Anyway, he can do all the work in the fields, and his family's land is only six mu in total because of the geographical location of the village.
It's only six acres of land; he can manage it perfectly well on his own.
Neither Xie Wanniang nor Jiang Yuan intended to comment on this. However, regarding Xiaomei's accommodation, Jiang Yuan added to Atai, "When you go to Mingfu Village, your sister will have to live separately from you."
Xie Wanniang helped explain, "We plan to have Xiaomei stay at my house. My house is next to Ayuan's house, so it will be very convenient for you two to meet."
Atai and Xiaomei had no objections. They both had a good impression of Xie Wanniang, who had helped them a lot from the very first time they met, even though it was their first time dealing with her.
After discussing all the necessary matters, Jiang Yuan gave Atai another piece of advice, "Since you've made up your mind, find a suitable person to entrust the house and land to. We'll go back tomorrow. If you don't have time, I can come back the day after tomorrow or the day after that to take you out of the mountains."
Atai shook his head, "I've already decided who to ask for help."
He and Awang are cousins; Awang's paternal uncle is also his paternal uncle.
However, Awang did not have any uncles or paternal uncles, so his paternal uncles and paternal aunts were the closest uncles and paternal aunts to him and Xiaohua. Because he had an paternal uncle, his paternal uncles and paternal aunts, who were neither clan leaders nor clan elders, had no say in many matters.
Now that he and his siblings have severed ties with his uncle's family, his paternal uncles and cousins are their closest relatives. If he asks them for help, as long as they are willing, no one else has the right to complain.
Jiang Yuan nodded, "Alright, then I'll have the hired oxcart make an extra trip tomorrow to help you move the things you need to take down the mountain."
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