Ma Aning hurried forward, her face full of worry, her voice tinged with reproach: "Why are you only coming back now? Look how dark it is, and the mountain path is difficult and dangerous! Next time you go up the mountain, remember to come back earlier."
Like a happy little rabbit, Shen Xiaoxiao slid down from Shen Zishan's warm embrace and trotted over to Ma Aning with her short legs.
She raised her rosy, chubby little face and called out in her childish voice, "Mommy, I'm back!"
Ma Aning finally felt relieved, but she couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so late? I was so worried, I almost went out to look for you."
Shen Xiaoxiao blinked her big, bright eyes, took off the small basket from her back like a treasure, handed it to Ma Aning, and said excitedly, "Mom, look! We dug up so many herbs today!"
As she spoke, she carefully displayed the herbs in her basket one by one.
Looking at the basket full of weeds of various shapes and sizes that she couldn't even name, Ma Aning frowned and asked doubtfully, "Girl, are you really sure these are all medicinal herbs? Don't tell me they're just some random wild grasses you dug up."
Shen Xiaoxiao nodded confidently and replied with great assurance, "Mom, of course I'm sure! After I've properly prepared them, I'll have Dad take them to the pharmacy to sell. We're sure to make a lot of money!"
At this moment, Ma Aning seemed to suddenly remember something, turned to look at Shen Zishan who was standing silently to the side, and asked, "By the way, Brother Shan, what about the firewood you collected? You can't just collect herbs and ignore the firewood you need for cooking and boiling water at home, can you?"
Upon hearing this, the father and daughter instantly became somewhat embarrassed, and neither of them uttered a word.
After a while, Shen Zishan scratched his head, gave a simple and honest smile, and stammered, "Wife... wife, um... we were so focused on gathering herbs that we completely forgot about collecting firewood. But don't worry, tomorrow... tomorrow I promise I'll make sure we collect enough firewood!"
Hearing his words, Ma Aning felt somewhat annoyed, but mostly helpless.
She sighed softly, waved her hand, and said, "Never mind, if I have free time tomorrow, I'll go up the mountain to collect some firewood myself."
"Hurry back for dinner! Xiao Chuan must be getting impatient waiting at home!" Ma Aning said as she quickly bent down, scooped Shen Xiaoxiao into her arms, and strode straight home.
Seeing this, Shen Zishan dared not delay for a moment. He quickly reached out and picked up the basket placed to the side, following closely behind, his feet barely touching the ground, afraid of falling too far behind.
Before long, the three of them arrived at their doorstep.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Shen Xiaochuan standing firmly in a horse stance, and judging from his posture, he must have been standing there for quite some time.
The little guy's forehead was covered with large beads of sweat, which slid down his cheeks and soaked his clothes.
"Son, what are you doing? Look at all that sweat!" Shen Zishan rushed forward, looking at the boy who was swaying but still persevering with great concern. He felt both gratified and heartbroken.
He stretched out his arms, trying to free Shen Xiaochuan from the horse stance.
However, Shen Xiaochuan, like a slippery little fish, skillfully dodged Shen Zishan's hand.
He muttered, "Dad, don't pull me, my training will be over in 5 minutes!" After saying that, he took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and continued to hold the horse stance steadily, even though his legs had begun to tremble involuntarily.
The family of three stood quietly in place, none of them making a sound to disturb Shen Xiaochuan.
Time ticked by, each second feeling incredibly long. Finally, the five-minute time limit vanished in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Shen Xiaochuan had reached the limit his body could withstand, but at that very moment, he suddenly felt a warm current surge through his body like a tide.
This strange feeling instantly brought a bright smile to his previously tense face, but at the same time, his legs trembled even more violently, as if they would not be able to support the weight of his entire body at any moment.
"Son, isn't it time? Come on, let Dad help you stand up and rest for a bit, okay?"
Shen Zishan couldn't bear to see his young son suffer so much, so he reached out to him again, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Okay, Dad, please help me walk around for a bit." Shen Xiaochuan stretched out his chubby little hand and tightly grasped his father Shen Zishan's large and warm palm.
Shen Zishan smiled, gripped his son's little hand tightly, and carefully supported him as they strolled slowly and steadily through the yard.
The bright moonlight cast two figures, one large and one small, creating a particularly warm and cozy scene.
Shen Xiaoxiao, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed at the scene, her face full of admiration. She couldn't help but ask, "Brother, does exercising like this every day really work?"
Shen Xiaochuan turned around and replied earnestly, "Of course it'll be useful, little sister. Haven't you always been thinking about going up the mountain to gather herbs?"
“Starting tomorrow, you will train with me. In a few years, when we are both older and more skilled, you will be able to go up the mountain on your own.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoxiao immediately pouted and mumbled, "But...but I saw you looked really tired just now!"
For Shen Xiaoxiao, who desires a peaceful life, suffering and hardship are the most terrifying things in the world.
Shen Xiaochuan did not give up trying to persuade his sister. He continued in an enticing tone, "Sister, as long as you persevere, you won't find it so hard once you get into the habit."
"Besides, think about it, if you have a good skill, you'll never have to worry about being bullied when you're out in the world. Although you might need to put in some effort now, you'll definitely reap the rewards in the future!"
As Shen Xiaoxiao listened to her brother's words, an image involuntarily appeared in her mind—she was as light as a swallow, highly skilled in martial arts, and no one dared to provoke her when she traveled the world.
As she thought about it, her heart began to flutter. Although she was still somewhat afraid of the tough training that was about to begin.
But when she thought about being able to freely gather herbs in the mountains and protect herself from being bullied, she gritted her teeth, made up her mind, closed her eyes tightly, and shouted, "Okay, then I'll start practicing with my brother tomorrow!"
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