Chapter 38: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
.png)
Chapter 38: Learning Martial Arts
"Man'er, do you know martial arts?"
Daohua looked at Wang Man'er curiously.
To be honest, even though she had been living in the ancient world for nine years, she still felt uneasy about life under the feudal system.
When she was in Yan Family Village, that unease didn't show. After all, she had her space, and as long as she stayed in the countryside, even if there were natural disasters, she wouldn’t starve.
But now, living in Linyi County, that sense of unease had intensified.
The ancient world was a society ruled by imperial power and patriarchal authority.
In this world, there was no freedom or democracy—everything was controlled by the emperor and the men in power.
Take her mother, Madam Li, for example. She was virtuous, managing the household with strict order. She had both beauty and talent, and yet, she still didn’t receive the same respect and love from her husband.
Not only did he take a concubine, but he also doted on the concubine’s children, spending money freely and taking advantage of the wealth her mother had painstakingly saved.
During the time that Madam Li had been managing affairs, Daohua would occasionally go listen and observe. She was quick to deduce the true state of affairs within the Yan family.
Although her father was the county magistrate, because of his integrity, he hadn’t amassed much wealth over the years.
The only reason their family was still afloat was because of the substantial dowry brought by her mother.
In Daohua’s eyes, her father didn’t deserve her mother.
But the reality was that her mother had to constantly worry about her father’s mood, living carefully every day, afraid of upsetting him.
Every time Daohua thought about how she would one day marry such a man and live the same life, she felt a sense of despair.
Had she been reborn just to experience this kind of oppression?
She didn’t want that!
But escaping from such a fate was difficult. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she knew one thing: no matter what, she needed to have a strong body. If she could learn some martial arts, that would be even better.
In ancient times, security was poor. Knowing martial arts not only strengthened the body but could also provide self-defense if needed. It seemed like the perfect solution.
Seeing Daohua looking at her with great interest, Wang Man'er nodded, then shook her head.
Daohua was puzzled. "So, do you know martial arts or not?"
Wang Man'er replied, "I know a little, but not much."
....
This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
....
Daohua immediately smiled. "That’s fine. We don’t need to become great warriors or anything. Just knowing enough to protect ourselves is enough." She said eagerly, "Can you teach me?"
Wang Man'er nodded. "If you want to learn, I’m happy to teach, but martial arts training is tough."
Daohua waved her hand dismissively, saying confidently, "Tough? What’s so bad about that? In this world, can anyone live without hardships?" She put down the poorly stitched purse and eagerly asked, "When do we start?"
Wang Man'er glanced at Daohua’s fingers, which were covered in needle marks. "We can start now if you’re sure."
Daohua, still excited, nodded immediately.
The two of them began their martial arts practice with great enthusiasm.
"Man'er, don’t we have to start with horse stance?"
"Man'er, is it right to jump straight into fighting? Shouldn’t we start with the basics?"
"Don’t worry, Miss. My father always says that steel is forged through a hundred trials, and a hero is made through a hundred fights. The more you practice, the better your skills will become. One day, if you can knock me down, you’ll never have to worry about being trapped in a sack again."
"Hey, Miss, you’re really strong!"
"Miss, your body is quite flexible. You can even do splits, backbends, and high kicks. You’re a natural for martial arts."
"These are just basic yoga moves," Daohua replied with a smile. Her body was indeed in great shape, especially after the nourishing food from her space.
"Yoga? What’s that? Is it a type of martial art?"
"..."
The guest rooms in the main courtyard were large. To make Daohua’s stay more comfortable, Madam Li had opened up three rooms and connected them, leaving the space feeling quite empty.
Inside, Daohua and Wang Man'er were practicing, moving back and forth.
Daohua was skeptical about Wang Maner's expertise, but given that it was the dead of winter, stretching her body was a good way to stay warm, so she bravely continued to practice.
Though she wasn’t sure if she had learned any martial arts, she did feel that her body was becoming more agile.
Days passed as Daohua continued her studies, learning embroidery, reading, and secretly practicing martial arts in her free time.
In class, she remained well-behaved, and even with her fingers swollen from the embroidery needles, she managed to stitch a few recognizable flowers and animals.
Before she knew it, the twelfth month of the lunar year had arrived.
On the day of the Laba Festival, Yan Zhigao had the day off. Since he had rested in Shuangxin Courtyard the day before, he had breakfast there that morning.
Since it started snowing in November, Old Madam Yan had instructed that no one from the various households should go to her place for meals. Instead, everyone should eat in their own rooms to avoid the hassle of back-and-forth travel and catching a cold.
At the breakfast table, Yan Zhigao thought about how he had been too busy with resettling refugees lately and hadn't had the chance to test his children for a while. He became interested and asked them about their studies at the school.
"Bin'er, are you still getting along well at the county school?"
The young masters of the Yan family had all been sent by Yan Zhigao to study at the county school. There was no need to mention Yan Wenxiu, who had passed the provincial examination last year and was already a prominent figure in the school. The others were doing quite well too.
Yan Wenbin obediently nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Father. I’m still getting along fine."
Yan Zhigao immediately tested him with several questions, and when he saw that Yan Wenbin answered well, his face showed satisfaction. "I’ve been too busy to guide you lately. If you don’t understand anything in your books, you should ask your elder brother more in the future."
Yan Wenbin nodded.
Yan Zhigao then turned his attention to Yan Yishuang. "Yishuang, how about you? Do you understand everything that Teacher Qin has taught you?"
Yan Yishuang affectionately leaned against Yan Zhigao and replied proudly, "Father, I understand everything Teacher Qin has taught. She even praised me yesterday."
Yan Zhigao lovingly patted her head. "Our Yishuang is smart." He then gave a teasing glance at Concubine Lin. "She takes after her mother in that."
Concubine Lin blushed and smiled, giving Yan Zhigao a playful glare. "Husband, stop praising this girl so much. Tomorrow, her tail will be up in the air."
"Mother, I don’t have one!" Yan Yishuang said, wrapping her arm around Yan Zhigao’s as she acted coquettishly.
Concubine Lin smiled contentedly, watching her husband and children play.
"By the way, how has your older sister been behaving in class?" Yan Zhigao suddenly asked.
There was a brief silence in the room.
Yan Yishuang appeared a little displeased that her father brought up Daohua at this moment and replied flatly, "She’s still the same as usual."
Yan Zhigao furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by the same?"
Concubine Lin, worried that Yan Yishuang might speak unfavorably, quickly took over the conversation. "Ever since Miss Daohua confronted Teacher Qin last time, I don’t know what Madam or Teacher Qin said to her, but Teacher Qin has been saying less about Daohua ever since."
Yan Zhigao frowned. "This is not right. As a teacher, she should be guiding and correcting her students' mistakes. What does it mean that she’s been saying less?"
Yan Yishuang casually replied, "It’s just that Teacher Qin doesn't dare speak much about Daohua. The more she says about her, the more worried she is that Mother will dismiss her."
"Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about?" Concubine Lin glared at Yan Yishuang.
Yan Yishuang looked aggrieved. "But that’s how it is."
"You..."
Concubine Lin seemed ready to scold Yan Yishuang, but she was stopped by Yan Zhigao. "She’s still a child. If there’s something to be said, speak to her calmly. Don’t lose your temper over every little thing."
"Yes," Concubine Lin softly replied.
After a while, Yan Zhigao stood up and walked toward Old Madam Yan's courtyard.
(End of chapter)
►►CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE CHAPTERS◄◄
Comments
Post a Comment