Chapter 613 - 615: Should Xiaosi Learn Martial Arts?
"What’s wrong with that?" Bai Ruozhu asked somewhat strangely.
Bai Yihong quickly looked around, appearing afraid that someone might overhear their conversation. His face was a picture of inner struggle, his eyebrows knit tightly together.
"It’s just that I saw Xiaosi practicing his boxing, and he’s got a fierce edge to him — it’s as if he’s ready to kill!" Bai Yihong’s voice was soft, but his tone was higher.
Bai Ruozhu thought that this was just the assertiveness of martial artists, wasn’t it?
"And do you remember that night when the Turkic people came? The way Xiaosi wielded his blade...it was ruthless." Bai Yihong’s mouth was trembling as he spoke, "This boy’s origin is not common. What if he turns out like his biological father? Isn’t it bad for us to let him practice martial arts?"
In this house, only she and her father knew Xiaosi’s real identity. Xiaosi’s father was a mountain bandit who had killed people and robbed houses, Xiaosi was born after he raped Niu Cuihua.
Was her father worried that Xiaosi would become like his biological father and harass the village?
Bai Ruozhu frowned, lowering her voice to say, "Dad, you can’t say that. Xiaosi was trying to save me that night. Do you remember how, when he was so little, he risked his life to save me? His biological father’s nature doesn’t matter –he has had no contact with him, so how can he become like his father?"
Seeing that his daughter was slightly angry, Bai Yihong became even more helpless. He hurriedly said, "I...I didn’t mean that. I know Xiaosi is good. He was trying to save you that day. But have you ever noticed his hatred? I’m just worried about him. What if he can’t let go of his resentment and misuses martial arts?"
Bai Ruozhu didn’t respond. She believed Xiaosi was a good child. It was because of this belief that she had never considered the possibility his father mentioned. But when she looked from a different perspective, Xiaosi had been used to being reclusive and had gone through many hardships. Practising martial arts may even harbor revenge in him, which would not be good for his future mental development.
She hoped Xiaosi could be a happy and enthusiastic teenager like other children, instead of living in hatred.
"Dad, don’t talk about this with others. I will handle it," Bai Ruozhu said after figuring out her thoughts.
Seeing that his daughter was not angry, Bai Yihong finally let out a breath. "I think studying is a good thing. It’s good for character building. It’s definitely better than practicing martial arts and becoming a hothead."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, "Who told you that martial artists are angry all the time?"
Bai Yihong was at a loss for words and could only cover his embarrassment with a silly laugh.
Later in the courtyard, Bai Ruozhu found a chance to observe Xiaosi practicing his boxing in secret. As her father had said, Xiaosi really did emit a killing aura when he was practicing.
She never thought about raising her children to be well-behaved angels, but she also didn’t want Xiaosi to go on the wrong path, so she reconsidered Xiaosi’s education.
First, he had to go to a private school to learn culture and socialize with people his age. Secondly, she didn’t want to ban Xiaosi from martial arts immediately. Instead, she planned to hire protectors for her family and let them teach Xiaosi some basic skills, such as horse-stance training and Qi training. Not only would that solidify Xiaosi’s basics, but also strengthen his physique and give him a good body. After a couple of years, when he matures and no longer holds grudges, he could properly practice martial arts.
She was slightly disappointed with Senior Fox again. He taught Xiaosi boxing techniques before even instilling the basics. No wonder Xiaosi was slightly aggressive.
The third day came in a blink of an eye. Bai Ruozhu went to visit Yu Hongxiu at the Meng Residence and found out from Old Lady Meng that Madam Wang had indeed been released by the Government Office.
She wasn’t bothered too much. After all, even if she didn’t have any methods, could the old madam not be able to deal with her?
After playing with Dengdeng for a while, she fed him and tidied up a little before calling Xiaosi to go out. They were the hosts today and it wouldn’t do for them to be late.
For some reason, Bai Ruozhu always felt her heart racing. As a doctor, she naturally knew she wasn’t sick. She guessed it was probably because she was thinking about Jiang Yichun on his way to the capital, who was about to get the antidote for the Love-Loss Poison.
Just as the two of them got onto the horse carriage, they saw brother Bai Zepei riding back from outside. Hearing that they were going to have dinner with Xu Huilin, he said, "Let me go with you."
After saying that, he went to send his horse back to the yard. Wa San, swift to pick up on cues, rushed to take the horse, telling the young master to wait in the carriage.
Once in the carriage, Bai Zepei lowered his voice to ask, "Are you going to check on his situation?"
Bai Ruozhu’s face immediately turned red, "Never mind that, Xiaosi just wants to thank the Second Young Master for saving him."
Xiaosi probably guessed that they were talking about the man who used to frequently visit their house, the benefactor. He quietly sat aside, pretending to hear nothing.
Soon, Wa San returned and drove the carriage to Welcome Guests.
The shopkeeper of Welcome Guests saw Bai Ruozhu’s arrival and enthusiastically welcomed her. He prepared a private room for them and Bai Ruozhu asked him to bring Xu Huilin to the private room when he arrived.
Because the guest hadn’t arrived yet, Bai Ruozhu ordered a few cold dishes. Not long after, footsteps sounded from outside, and the door to the private room opened. It was Xu Huilin who had arrived.
The three people in the room stood up and saluted Xu Huilin, who returned the salute, saying, "I’m sorry for keeping you waiting."
"We’ve only just arrived," Bai Ruozhu replied.
Xu Huilin sat down by the table and turned to Xiaosi, asking, "Has your health mostly recovered? How is the boxing practice going?"
Xiaosi lit up, saying, "Second Young Master, let me show you."
Bai Ruozhu wanted to stop him but didn’t want to dampen Xiaosi’s enthusiasm. Fortunately, the private room was spacious, so Xiaosi stepped to one side and began to display his boxing technique. His routine showed some imposing force, even Bai Zepei couldn’t help but applaud.
Perhaps because he was in high spirits, his boxing lacked the murderous aura that was present when he practiced alone.
"Not bad, it looks like you have been practicing diligently. Just note to control the force for each move. Try not to compromise the fluidity by rushing, and try to understand the profound connotations inside the movements. Alright, come and grab some food," Xu Huilin advised Xiaosi like a master would.
Seeing how excited Xiaosi was, Bai Ruozhu could not bear to dampen his spirits, so she called for the waiter to order some dishes. After asking Xu Huilin’s preferences, she ordered lots of dishes.
The hot dishes were swiftly served, but suddenly Xu Huilin raised his head and said, "My apprentice brother is still on the boat."
Bai Ruozhu almost dropped her chopsticks, she steadied her nerves and said, "I know."
Xu Huilin started laughing mischievously, "However, if you have any love letters or something like that to send, I can help out."
Bai Zepei stifled his laughter, using his teacup to cover his grin. Xiaosi pretended not to understand and focused on his food.
Bai Ruozhu’s face turned red as she glared at Xu Huilin, "There’s no need to bother Second Young Master. On the other hand, I’ve offended the Du Family recently. I initially asked them to restrain Du Fuling, but now they probably won’t listen to me, so you must be prepared."