The two began fighting in Madam Lin's small house, and later, feeling that the fight wasn't enough, they took it out into the courtyard.
Madam Lin wasn't in a hurry. She watched the two children fight with amusement, as she was used to such scenes.
Five years ago, Xiao Jin went on a trip and brought back a thin, five-year-old child.
Xiao Jin followed her master to a village on the border, where she saw five-year-old Yuan Hong tied to a pile of firewood, and the villagers were about to burn him to death.
Just because Yuan Hong was born with heterochromia, his father died in an accident while hunting in the mountains not long ago, and his mother also suddenly passed away. The villagers all said that he was a monster who had killed his parents, and that if he was not burned to death, it would bring disaster to the village.
The little boy, tied to the fire, was dressed in rags and had a rag stuffed in his mouth. His face showed no fear or crying; his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at a man holding a torch who was about to light the fire.
Yuan Dazhuang walked up to the little boy and sneered, "Yuan Hong, don't blame your uncle for being heartless. If your uncle were to be soft-hearted and let you go, it would destroy our entire village. Blame it on your own bad luck for bringing death to your parents."
Just as Yuan Dazhuang was about to throw the torch onto the fire, he felt a numbness in his hand, and the torch fell to the ground.
He was horrified to find that his hand couldn't move, and he quickly looked around and shouted, "Who? Who is it?"
Then Yuan Dazhuang felt that not only his hands couldn't move, but his whole body couldn't move either, and he just fell straight to the ground.
Yuan Dazhuang's wife let out a loud cry and rushed over, crying her heart out: "Husband, what's wrong with you, husband?"
The sudden turn of events drew everyone's attention, and when they came to their senses, they discovered that Yuan Hong, who had been tied to the pile of firewood, was gone.
And so, Yuan Hong was taken back to Yanyang by Xiao Ruojin and raised in Old Madam Lin's courtyard.
From the day he returned, Su Ruojin began teaching him to write and practice martial arts. Yuan Hong was obedient; he did whatever Su Ruojin said, meticulously and never slacking off.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two fought to their hearts' content, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads as they returned to the house.
Madam Lin quickly handed over two handkerchiefs, saying, "Hurry up and wipe yourself, be careful not to catch a cold."
Su Ruojin took the handkerchief and wiped her sweat, then handed the dagger to Yuan Hong: "You've practiced well. If you keep practicing, I won't be able to beat you. Here, this is your reward. In a while, you and I will go to Mu'an Village and your second master will give you some more guidance."
"Oh, thank you, Sister Jin." Yuan Hong excitedly took the dagger and carefully wiped it clean.
Madam Lin knew nothing about weapons, but she thought the dagger looked small and sharp, and instructed, "Keep it safe, don't hurt yourself."
Anyone knowledgeable about weapons would exclaim in surprise upon seeing this dagger. It is the Shuyue, ranked tenth on the weapon list, and even now, powerful families still place bounties in the Dark Alliance offering ten thousand taels of gold to purchase it.
"I will be careful, Madam." Yuan Hong tucked the dagger into his boot.
When Yuan Hong first arrived, Madam Lin asked him to call her grandmother like Xiao Jin, but Yuan Hong refused, feeling that he was supposed to serve the old lady and had no right to call her grandmother.
Old Madam Lin couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she didn't pay much attention to it, but she still treated him like her own grandson, just like Su Ruojin.
"Take a good look at this book when you have time." Su Ruojin took out another book and handed it to Yuan Hong.
Yuan Hong took it and stared wide-eyed.
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