books44 Chapter 226 Respecting Individual Choices
Chapter 226 Respecting Individual Choices
The next day, the four Song brothers, Mingxiang and Mingli, still got up early. Seeing Tingnan practicing, they rushed over to practice with him. Once you get used to a habit, your biological clock will urge you to get up early. Mingxiang and Mingli felt this deeply, but they clearly didn't have much energy.
Song Mingfu was very happy to pester Tingnan to spar with him, and Tingnan did as he asked and exchanged a few moves with him. Logically speaking, the three of them had been training for three or four years and should have made some progress, but... apart from Mingfu, who was somewhat impressive, the other three had done a good job of strengthening their bodies, but in other aspects, they were just so-so.
After breakfast, Ting Nan, carrying a gift for her master, went to Gao Haoran's house with Song Yanchu. On the way, Song Yanchu asked, "Ting Nan, you don't seem very happy. What's wrong?"
"Uncle, you can tell I'm very disappointed in Mingxiang and the others. They have such a great opportunity right now. I asked my master to teach them, but they don't put their heart into it and haven't made any progress. They really don't know how lucky they are."
"Look at that long face... Listen to Nan, everyone has their own preferences. You can't force them to do what they don't like. Besides, you're just their older sister. Don't do too much for them. You'll get tired, and they won't be happy either."
"Am I meddling too much? I'm embarrassed to face my master with them acting like this."
“They are them, and you are you. Your master won’t blame you. Tingnan, you’re only a few years older than them. Don’t take everything on your shoulders. Respect their individual choices…” Song Yanchu advised Tingnan.
Gao Haoran was very happy to see Ting Nan and the others arrive. "Ting Nan, did you come here on the day I was supposed to come?"
"Yes, Master, how many outstanding graduates did you get this time?" Ting Nan knew that her master had been busy at the martial arts school these past few days. The winter break classes were about to end, otherwise she would have come to find her master as soon as she got home. Gao Haoran was her pillar of strength.
Gao Haoran showed little interest. "Not many, just two! Sigh, kids these days can't handle hard work, and parents can't bear to see them suffer."
"Master, aren't your expectations too high?"
"I don't think so. Compared to you, I've already lowered my standards several times, but they still can't do it. Could it be that there's something wrong with my teaching?"
"Hey, hey, you two, stop talking about your disciples the moment you meet, okay? Look at me, can't you see me standing here?" Song Yanchu found a chair, wiped it clean, and sat down. "Ah Huo, how long has it been since you've been home? Look at this table and chair, they're covered in dust. Honestly, you're even criticizing yourselves now. Come on, you two are really cut from the same cloth, always taking the blame for everything. If I were you, I would have died a few times over."
Hearing this, Nan got anxious and said, "Uncle, what nonsense are you talking about? Quickly spit it out, may you live a long and healthy life."
"Hahaha...and you'll live a long life..." Song Yanchu saw Ting Nan glaring at him and immediately said, "Pah, pah, pah, I'll live to be a hundred years old, helping my adopted daughter to uphold justice and travel the world!"
"Hmm? What fun things are you guys doing in the city?" Gao Haoran sensed something was up.
"That's right, Ah Huo. Your disciple led me to speak up against injustice, and then we started our 'underground work,' hahaha... Of course, the result was satisfactory."
Gao Haoran asked curiously, "A-Kai, no, A-Chu, tell me in detail, start from the beginning. I feel that you've become much more cheerful and ten years younger since you went to Anxi City."
"That's right, don't you know who I'm with? You have no idea I almost got into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hehehe. Tingnan, didn't your aunt bring over some dishes? Go and prepare them, your master and I need to have a drink." Tingnan was standing next to him, interrupting his boasting, so Song Yanchu pushed Tingnan into the kitchen.
Song Tingnan watched as his two old friends walked into the room arm in arm. Helplessly, he went into his master's simple kitchen, which had been without food for who knows how long. Fortunately, the dishes prepared by his aunt Yi Xiaojuan could be heated up.
While listening to Nan tidy up, he thought that Master needed to find a mistress to accompany him. Before, she lived nearby and would come over every few days to help him tidy up. Now, Master just kept things simple and ate whatever was available. He would either eat whatever was available at the martial arts school or have a communal meal. Even his blankets were still folded into neat squares.