Chapter 303: Chapter 305: Setting a Date
An Ning’s words, "Grandpa Jiang, please slow down," made everyone in the courtyard turn to look.
The moment Yu the Elder saw Mr. Jiang Sr., he shot to his feet in disbelief and staggered a few steps forward.
Mr. Jiang Sr. pretended to let go of An Ning’s hand and quickly walked forward a few steps as well.
The two old men stopped about five or six meters apart. Mr. Jiang Sr.’s eyes were streaming with tears, while Yu the Elder was so overcome with emotion that his legs felt weak.
"Slick Jiang!"
"Yu Dabing!"
The peculiar nicknames made the others in the courtyard suppress their smiles. The two old men, now the center of attention, tremblingly walked toward each other and clasped hands, overcome with emotion.
"You’re still alive?"
"Of course! If you, Yu Dabing, are still alive, then so am I!"
The emotional reunion between the two old men lasted but a second before they started roasting each other.
"Look at all your wrinkles."
"You’re not any better! Where’d your big pancake face go? What happened, were you mistreated?"
The two continued to trade barbs while catching up, only toning it down a little when more and more people filled the courtyard.
But no matter how much they teased each other, they never let go of each other’s hands.
Mr. Jiang Sr. patted the back of Yu the Elder’s hand and said, "This old fella... we’ve known each other since we were kids in split pants. We went to school together, fought in battles together, and... survived together."
Yu the Elder nodded to everyone, then casually beckoned Yu Zheng over. He introduced him, saying, "This is my eldest son. Quick, call him Uncle Jiang."
"If life hadn’t been so hard back then, you would have definitely been my eldest’s godfather."
Mr. Jiang Sr. nodded repeatedly. "That’s right."
Mr. Jiang Sr. called over Yu Zheng, and then Jiang Xia, introducing them to Yu the Elder.
Yu the Elder didn’t know much about Mr. Jiang Sr.’s affairs, as he hadn’t been back to Beijing for a long time.
But Yu the Elder was a tactful man. ’Those were chaotic times,’ he thought. ’Something probably happened to his family.’
He didn’t ask. ’That’s a conversation for another time.’
When everyone learned that the two old men knew each other, they all remarked on what a fateful connection it was.
Yu the Elder looked at An Ning, who was standing behind him, and said, "The real fateful connection is with my master."
He made no secret of the matter; in fact, he couldn’t wait to formally become her disciple.
An Ning stepped forward to chat with everyone, drinking tea and talking in the courtyard.
Mr. Jiang Sr. said to Yu the Elder with a certain childishness, "Look at us, getting old... but my seniority has gone up! An Ning calls me Grandpa."
Yu the Elder, sipping his tea, shot Grandpa Jiang a sidelong glance and called him out directly. "When you came into the courtyard, you old coot, you definitely did that on purpose."
"No way! Am I that kind of person?"
Grandpa Jiang quickly denied it, but Yu the Elder saw right through him. "Oh, give me a break. You think I don’t know what kind of person you are? You’re just showing off."
When the two old men chatted, the first couple of sentences would be normal, but the third would always take a different turn.
It would always devolve into some "personal attacks."
An Ning didn’t stop them, and no one else tried to intervene. Everyone knew they only acted this way because they were such good friends.
Around three in the afternoon, Uncle An’s family arrived. It was an An family gathering, so of course they would invite Uncle An’s family.
After he arrived, Uncle An called An Ning over and gave her a piece of paper with characters written on it in ink.
"I had someone pick an auspicious date for you. See if this works."
An Ning unfolded the slip of paper. The date was very soon—tomorrow, in fact.
"Uncle, is there enough time?"
"If you want there to be, there is."
An Ning folded the paper. "Alright. I’ll go let them know. Thank you for your trouble, Uncle."
"Silly girl, there’s no need to say that. I’m your uncle," Uncle An said, waving his hand. "Go on."
An Ning gave her uncle a playful smile, then turned to inform Li Chengze and Yu the Elder.
Yu the Elder had no objections. He was here to become her disciple, after all, and he had even prepared the ceremonial clothes.
Li Chengze was a little anxious, but it wasn’t a big problem.
"Teacher An, I’ll go make a call. Tomorrow works!"
Li Chengze had already called his family once. He just needed to call again to let them know. They had a car and could drive over, so there was plenty of time.
After informing the two of them, An Ning said no more on the matter.
Zhou Xiaoshan, who was just returning from the river, overheard them, but An Ning hadn’t told him.
"An Ning—Teacher, what about me?"
Zhou Xiaoshan still managed to call her teacher as he asked.
An Ning turned and shook her head at Zhou Xiaoshan. "We’ll talk when you are truly willing."
Zhou Xiaoshan asked, unconvinced, "Don’t you want to take me as your disciple?"
"I do, but it’s not like I have to have you. Even if you become my disciple, you won’t receive any special treatment."
After saying her piece, An Ning went to help prepare for the meal.
Zhou Xiaoshan stood rooted to the spot, indignant.
Zhou Yicheng came over and stood next to Zhou Xiaoshan.
"Xiao Shan, I have to leave tomorrow. Where do you want to stay?"
Zhou Xiaoshan looked at Zhou Yicheng and asked resentfully, "I really can’t go, can I?"
Zhou Yicheng felt a pang of guilt, but he still nodded.
"Xiao Shan, Dad won’t be there. I’ll be away and won’t be able to take care of you. You wouldn’t be able to see me either."
Zhou Xiaoshan nodded, his eyes bright as he looked at Zhou Yicheng. "Dad, you want me to stay here, don’t you?"
"Yes."
Zhou Yicheng told the truth. He had already made a call to confirm what he wanted to know—An Ning was truly formidable.
If Xiao Shan could become An Ning’s disciple, then to put it in unscientific terms, it would be the greatest fortune of his life.
As a parent, he sincerely hoped his child could have a good life.
Zhou Xiaoshan nodded in understanding. For the first time, he spoke to Zhou Yicheng with complete seriousness. "Dad, if you promise me one thing, I’ll stay. I’ll stay willingly."
"Tell me."
Zhou Xiaoshan stared at Zhou Yicheng, speaking slowly and resolutely. "Dad, I need you to come back alive."
"No matter if you get hurt, no matter what happens to you, you have to remember that I’ll be here waiting for you. You have to come back alive."
"Don’t think you can rest easy just because someone is looking after me."
"I’m telling you, if something happens to you, I will definitely become a bad person!"
Zhou Xiaoshan’s stubborn, determined gaze made Zhou Yicheng, who was looking right back at him, unable to stop a tear from falling.
He pulled Zhou Xiaoshan into a tight hug. "I promise."
"Yeah."
Zhou Xiaoshan pulled back from Zhou Yicheng’s embrace, embarrassed, and held out his fist. "A gentleman’s word is his bond."
Zhou Yicheng bumped his fist against his son’s and said in a low voice, "A gentleman’s word is his bond."
Zhou Xiaoshan was the first to wipe his eyes. "Real men shed blood, not tears. Don’t embarrass me."
"You little brat!"
Zhou Yicheng patted Zhou Xiaoshan on the head. As if a weight had been lifted from his heart, Zhou Xiaoshan ran over to An Ning’s side.
"Teacher An, can I stay here?"
"You may."
An Ning didn’t make things difficult for Zhou Xiaoshan, but she emphasized, "Since you’re staying, you will follow my rules."
"I know. It’s not like I can beat you anyway."
An Ning glanced back at him. "Good. At least you know your place."
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