Chapter 88 - 74: Learning the Arts
A lean, long face with thick eyebrows, elongated eyes, a straight, proud nose, moderately thick lips, slightly wheatish complexion, and traces of blue stubble on the chin; clad in a white Chinese-style jacket on top and wide black pants below, his feet in a pair of black cloth shoes – Luo Ye had finished sizing up the distinguished old charmer with a refined and scholarly air.
While Luo Ye was taking a good look at Mr. Yu, Mr. Yu was attentively observing Luo Ye and Luo Feng, finally nodding at Luo Ye, "Not bad, good bone structure. Your Grandpa didn’t deceive me!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Grandpa Yu!" Luo Ye said while simultaneously breaking out in a cold sweat. Good bone structure? That sounded something frequently mentioned in martial arts movies and series. Could it be Mr. Yu was from a martial arts family? Curiosity piqued, Luo Ye decided to dig deep into his background once they became familiar.
Upon hearing Mr. Yu’s appraisal, Luo Feng betrayed a hint of disappointment. He did not mind lagging behind his sister in other aspects, but he had promised to protect her. How could he protect her if his skills were inferior to hers?
Mr. Yu’s gaze shifted to Luo Feng, "Although you’re not as naturally gifted as your sister, you’re still a rare talent. As long as you have perseverance and determination, it’s not certain that you’ll lose to your sister, especially since girls are at a slight disadvantage in terms of strength."
"Thank you, Master!" An utterly dejected Luo Feng became instantly exhilarated, the word "Master" slipping out uncontrollably.
Mr. Yu smiled faintly, "Just call me Grandpa; I don’t deserve the title of Master. You’re only practicing with me for a few months, I’ll teach you the basics at most. How could I take on the title of Master?"
A light bulb went off in Luo Ye’s head, she quickly put down Song Qiu, and, dragging Luo Feng with her, they knelt down: "Even one day’s teaching makes you our Master! Please accept your disciples’ bow!" After saying that, she knocked her head on the ground with a bang, and Luo Feng followed suit.
Mr. Yu, witnessing the siblings’ actions, wore a helpless smile. He hadn’t intended to take on disciples, and considering their ages, they were rather "advanced" to start martial training. As he was about to refuse once more, he caught Grandpa Luo’s expectant glance from the sidelines and changed his mind, nodding with a smile: "Alright, disciples it is. Come and learn from me after your vacation, and make sure to practice regularly. Any problem with that?"
"No problem at all!" The siblings promptly replied in unison.
Luo Ye was thrilled beyond words. Heaven was truly watching over her. She had been fretting over how to justify her martial skills in the future, and Heaven had sent her a master. Oh yeah!
"Mr. Yu, thank you, for taking on the trouble!" Luo Baoku’s smile was as vibrant as a blooming chrysanthemum at its peak.
"Brother Luo, you’re my first friend here, I ought to do this!" A flicker of melancholy crossed Mr. Yu’s eyes, which quickly returned to clarity: "Luo Ye, Luo Feng, your training time will be from 6 to 10 in the morning. Can you do it?"
"Yes, we can!"
"Good, since you’re here today, let’s start now!" Mr. Yu glanced at Dou Dou and Little Songqiu on Luo Ye’s shoulder. Luo Ye hurriedly placed Song Qiu gently into a small basket and instructed Dou Dou to watch over Song Qiu.
After the instruction, Dou Dou chirped twice, nodding its little head and lay down beside the basket. A chuckle escaped Mr. Yu’s calm demeanor, his lips twitching several times. It seemed his life would be quite colorful in the coming days.
From this moment on, the martial arts training of classmates Luo Ye and Luo Feng officially began. Grandpa Luo watched for a while, then cheerfully went off to dig sweet potatoes, with a basket in tow. Mr. Yu liked sweet potatoes as well. He intended to dig up quite a few, let them sun-dry for about twenty days, and then boil them. Sweet potatoes prepared like this were incredibly sweet and sticky.
For several days in a row, Mr. Yu trained the siblings so hard they felt like dead dogs, barely wanting to move once they got home. Little Songqiu was particularly attached to Luo Ye, huffing and cuddling up to her until it was satisfied.
The weather was unbearably hot, and Luo Ye was already dripping with sweat. When Mao Mao climbed onto her, she coaxed it off her and put it down, but the little thing was displeased, curling into a corner and making pitiful noises.
Every time it was Luo Ye who compromised, helplessly picking it up and placing it on her stomach. The little creature then felt triumphant, paws hanging loose as it drifted off to sleep alongside Luo Ye.
Dou Dou, not wanting to mistreat its little master, also picked a spot – on Luo Feng’s stomach. Each time Grandpa Luo saw this scene, his eyes would crinkle with amusement.
For the first time, the old man started to seriously consider his youngest son’s suggestion of moving in to live with his family. Such joyful family union wasn’t something he could experience here. His eldest and second sons were indeed filial, but with their wives running the households, his grandchildren did not dare to get too close to him. He hadn’t felt much of a difference before, but recently, with Feng’er and Ye’er practicing with Mr. Yuan in the mornings and spending afternoons with him, either working the fields or chatting, this kind of warm and jovial family life had truly beguiled him.