Chapter 3. A body of wild bones, controlling Lingdong with a single hand. ...
That was the first time Lin Qingdai had heard the name "Ji Yujing". From that day on, Ji Yujing became Lin Qingdai's martial arts instructor and stayed at the Zhuo residence.
The next day at dawn, Lin Qingdai's second cousin, Zhuo Xin, came looking for her with a list. This list, given by Ji Yujing, detailed Lin Qingdai's daily learning and practice schedule.
Jiaojiao frowned after reading it.
Is this too much?
Is Jing trying to train her into a martial arts master so that she can compete for the title of martial arts leader in a few years?
Zhuo Shuming was leisurely drinking tea when he saw his precious child's expression, which was even more distressed than when he was taking medicine. He chuckled and said, "Xin'er, bring that form over for your aunt to see."
Zhuo Xin was so happy it was almost shameless. "Yes, sir."
Zhuo Shuming took the form and examined it carefully. She couldn't help but sigh, "This teacher's handwriting is quite good."
Then, looking at Zhuo Xin, he asked, "I heard you're from Lingdong?"
Zhuo Xin nodded slightly: "Yes, his ancestors were farmers for generations, and his family was very poor. It is truly admirable that he could still develop such excellent calligraphy skills and his martial arts are also superb."
"He's also filial..."
Zhuo Xin's fondness for Ji Yujing was impossible to hide; he would become incredibly talkative whenever Ji Yujing was mentioned.
After hearing this, Zhuo Shuming said, "Give him more money after the matter is settled."
Zhuo Xin immediately agreed: "I'll tell my father when I get back."
Watching her mother and cousin chatting as if no one else was around, seemingly quite satisfied with the strict teaching, Lin Qingdai couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
She faced Zhuo Shuming and Zhuo Xin, "Practicing like this every day, aren't you afraid that Dai Dai will collapse from exhaustion?"
Zhuo Xin didn't know how to respond, so he simply kept quiet.
Zhuo Shuming smiled and said, "I think this instructor has some skills. If we follow his methods, maybe we can turn our delicate little girl, who's so fragile, into someone with an iron body?"
Lin Qingdai: "..."
My mother has changed.
Zhuo Xin couldn't help but laugh when he saw his younger sister speechless and sulking.
She was still wondering to herself whether her younger sister could develop a body of steel, but Ji Yujing's words had clearly energized her considerably.
That would be excellent.
The family members were in complete agreement on having Lin Qingdai learn martial arts to improve her health, and since they couldn't dissuade her, they had no choice but to follow Instructor Ji's instructions.
From that day on, Lin Qingdai began learning martial arts from Ji Yujing.
Do it once in the morning and once in the evening, for half an hour each time.
At first, he just took her running. Gradually, he taught her boxing and how to defend herself.
He would tell her: "Miss, you are the smartest girl I have ever met. You have a very strong learning ability."
He would stop and wait for her when she was too tired to run anymore. Sometimes the waiting time was very long, but she never saw any impatience on his face.
Lin Qingdai felt that Instructor Ji was actually a very good person, but the little boy never said it aloud, because he knew that the boy was gender-bending and that praising him as a good person might make him angry.
Therefore, it's best to say less.
Time flies when things are fulfilling, and before she knew it, nearly a month had passed. That morning, Lin Qingdai got up as usual and changed into trousers. After breakfast and a short rest, she was going to practice martial arts.
However, she did not wait for Ji Yujing.
Zhuo Xin rushed over and said to Zhuo Shuming and his sister, "Ji Yujing's mother is not doing well, so he won't be coming for the next few days."
"Firstly, I was worried about my mother, and secondly, I was afraid that my illness would offend Dai Dai."
Half a month later, Ji and Jing reappeared at the Zhuo residence.
He came to say goodbye, and the first person he met was Lin Qingdai. In the lakeside pavilion where they first met, the two stood facing each other.
This time, it was Ji Yujing who spoke first, "I'm sorry, we made a promise but I couldn't teach you properly."
To be honest, he should thank the young woman before him. If she hadn't chosen him, he wouldn't have had enough money to hire a renowned doctor for his mother. That day, when she was critically ill, his mother might have passed away.
Lin Qingdai forced a smile, "It's okay, actually I don't really love martial arts that much."
She wasn't lying, but at this moment when she was about to be freed, she felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't hold it in at all.
Seeing the young woman's dejected expression, Ji Yujing's heart softened. After a moment's pause, he pulled a package from his sleeve pocket.
It was sealed in kraft paper, so you couldn't see what was inside. He handed the package to Lin Qingdai, saying, "It's for you."
"The candied hawthorns from Yunxin Pavilion."
The items sold at Yunxin Pavilion were outrageously expensive. Take this small bag of candy in his hand, for example; the money it cost was enough for him and his mother to eat and drink for a month. But he bought it anyway, as a way of thanking them and apologizing.
"May the rest of your life be as sweet as sugar, Miss."
Lin Qingdai knew Yunxin Pavilion all too well; most of her snacks, besides those made by the cooks in the mansion, came from there. She knew its prices better than anyone. For Ji Yujing, it was undoubtedly a luxury. Yet he still bought it and handed it to her.
Lin Qingdai suddenly felt happy again. All that she saw made her feel that this ending was quite satisfactory.
She took the bag of candy, then pulled off a piece of jade jewelry from her body and handed it directly to Ji Yujing, saying, "This is my return gift. I wish you peace and good fortune in the future, brother."
As if afraid he would refuse, she added without hesitation, "You can't refuse. We've been master and disciple for a time, this is what you deserve."
Ji Yujing accepted the "gift of gratitude" and then left the Zhuo residence. His steps were long and quick, and he never looked back. For him, the South was merely a place he had been forced to come to. The Zhuo residence, and the young girl he had taught, were just minor episodes in this journey. Once he left the South, it would all become the past, either forgotten or sealed away.
At that time, Lin Qingdai also felt that this parting was the end of their fate. At the end of August, she returned to the capital with her mother and sister, and life went on as usual. She thought of Ji Yujing less and less.
Several years have passed in the blink of an eye.
On her birthday, her grandfather finally allowed her to go out and play. She was overjoyed and went wherever there were crowds. She ate and drank, tried on some things, and her smile never faded. Before going home, she took Mingqian's advice and went into a bookstore, where she bought a set of the novel "The Heroes of Xun Kingdom".
Although it's not finished, it hasn't affected its popularity at all. The bookseller said it's been a bestseller for two or three years, consistently ranking as the most popular novel in the capital. Back home, flipping through the pages, she spotted a familiar name: Ji Yujing.
The storybook describes him as follows: "He has a wild spirit, unparalleled strength, and controls Lingdong with one hand."
That night, Lin Qingdai stayed up very late, and Mingqian had to urge her several times before she finally agreed to go to sleep. What followed was nothing more than Ji Yujing's illicit affairs in Lingdong, and her growing understanding of him.
At the time, she thought her eagerness to own the latest volume of "The Heroes of Xun Kingdom" stemmed from her concern for an acquaintance. However, as she came of age and her mother and the old nanny began to teach her about matters between men and women, she finally realized that her assumption was wrong. Her urgent concern was the first stirrings of a young girl's heart, hazy and fragile, but it was real.
Old stories resurfaced through Lin Qingdai's eyes.
With everything so clear and complete, Lin Zhenwei had no room for doubt. His attitude began to soften, but…
“Dai Dai, it’s not that your grandfather is unwilling to grant your wish. It’s just that Lingdong is different from the south. Not only is it remote and cold, but it’s also close to Dongshao Kingdom, which is constantly at war. I’m afraid…”
The story ends with a deep sigh.
Lin Qingdai looked at him silently, and after a moment she walked around the desk to Lin Zhenwei's side, took one of his hands and held it in hers.
"Grandpa, trust me. I can protect myself and uphold the Lin family's reputation."
The pearl gradually takes shape, its dim light shimmering. Wherever the light passes, the haze dissipates.
Lin Zhenwei suddenly felt a little relieved. After a long silence, he finally took a step back and said, "Let Grandpa think about it some more."
That night, Lin Qingwu was released from the ancestral hall. However, she was still not allowed to meet Su Yu. The two exchanged a brief glance in front of the hall before parting ways. Zhuo Shuming stayed by her eldest daughter's side until she fell asleep. Only after the old nanny repeatedly persuaded her did she return to her room. At that time, Lin Yansen had just returned from Lin Zhenwei's place and was resting at the table, waiting for his emotions to calm down.
Seeing his wife return, he quickly got up to greet her.
"Is the blue mist any better?"
Zhuo Shuming's brows had been furrowed all day, and only now did they begin to relax a little. "How can it get better when it's like this?"
"Oh my, when did she and Su Yu get together? I never noticed at all!"
Lin Yansen undoubtedly has the answer to this question.
It's because you're oblivious. I hinted and suggested it so many times back then, and everyone else could see what was going on, but you were still telling people that Sen and I were innocent.
But Lin Yansen dared not say a word of these things outwardly: "Who knows? They like each other so much but don't talk to their parents to find a solution. They only feel satisfied when things get out of control."
"None of them are easy to deal with."
“Hongfang came this afternoon too, and kept apologizing to me.”
The "Hongfang" mentioned by Lin Yansen is Su Hongshu, the current head of the Yulin Su family. His wife, Qin Qin, is Zhuo Shuming's best friend.
During their conversation, the two of them walked over to a small table.
After they sat down, Lin Yansen poured Zhuo Shuming a glass of water and blew on it before handing it to him, showing the same meticulous care he had shown for years.
Zhuo Shuming was used to it, so he picked it up and drank it without even thinking of saying thank you.
Once her throat had moistened a bit, she spoke again, "It seems that our Dai Dai is the most worry-free."
Lin Yansen: "..."
I tried to hold back, but I couldn't help saying something: "Your Dai Dai isn't exactly easy to deal with either."
Zhuo Shuming paused for several breaths before realizing what he had heard earlier. "Why is Dai Dai so troublesome? Do you think she's frail and difficult to care for? But that's because she was born prematurely. Was it her fault? In the end, it's all our fault, it's us..."
Seeing that Zhuo Shuming was getting more and more agitated, and that he might even take action if left unchecked, Lin Yansen quickly spoke up to stop him, "Stop talking nonsense, I didn't say Dai Dai was a worry because of this."
Zhuo Shuming's gaze locked onto Lin Yansen: "Why is that?"
Lin Yansen: "...If you hadn't drunk some more water, Madam, and calmed down, I would have said something later?"
Zhuo Shuming: "I am very calm."
Lin Yansen didn't actually see where his wife had calmed down, but having laid the groundwork, he had to say some things no matter how difficult it was.
"Let's make this clear first, no matter what you hear later, you're not allowed to..."
After a few moments of deliberation, the word "excited" finally escaped Lin Yansen's lips.
Zhuo Shuming agreed, and then he continued, "Don't you find it strange that Father let Qingwu leave the ancestral hall so easily?"
Zhuo Shuming pondered seriously, "It is indeed a bit strange, how is he..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Zhuo Shuming stopped herself as earlier memories flooded her mind: "But what did Dai Dai say to Father?"
Lin Yansen nodded; her guess had been confirmed.
“Dai Dai told her father that she was willing to marry into Lingdong in place of her sister.”
She said: The marriage contract did not specify who would go; it only said the eldest daughter of the Lin family.
She said that she was fond of Ji and Jing, and could also protect herself in the remote and turbulent Lingdong.
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent, a subtle yet undeniable sadness permeating it. This silence lasted for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, until Zhuo Shuming suddenly stood up.
She walked toward the bedroom, removing her hairpin as she went.
Lin Yansen asked her what she wanted to do.
She replied: "Rest."
She didn't say the important thing: Only by resting up can you cope with everything that follows.
Through this incident, Zhuo Shuming suddenly realized how brave her two daughters were. One resolutely fought for love. Perhaps it was impulsive, but she was only eighteen; was it too demanding to expect her to be considerate in everything?
One is calm and decisive in the face of adversity, yet attempts to protect her sister and family with her frail and sickly body.
As a mother, how could she not do everything in her power to fight for them?
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