Age: My Small World

[A long chapter of 4,000 words, combining the content of the previous chapter with the content of this chapter]
Of course, Hu Baye knew that Yang Jun was joking.

"Alright, alright, this rice cake of yours has made me want to eat rice now. Go and cook some rice."

The old man waved his hand, telling him to hurry up and cook.

Yang Jun stood up with a grin, but after leaving the room, he couldn't help but pause.

Behind him, Uncle Hu's eyes were already red, and he gazed slowly southward, as if he could see that new grave.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't heartbroken, but I just had no one to confide in.

The old man felt much better after talking about it in a lighthearted manner.

By the time Yang Jun had finished cooking and brought out the meal, Hu Baye had regained his spirits and was smiling again.

"Master, I just brought back a pork knuckle. I made you a pork knuckle rice dish. Please taste it and give me a rating."

Yang Jun's braised pork knuckle rice was a very large portion. He put rice in a bowl at the bottom, and then put a big pork knuckle on top. The tender pork knuckle was loose and mushy, and it was drizzled with thickened sauce. It was garnished with cabbage, pickled radish strips and other vegetables. The whole thing looked very appetizing.

"When did you bring that pork knuckle? I didn't see it."

Hu Baye was puzzled for a moment, but Yang Jun easily brushed him off.

"Now the main thing is to taste it and see how your apprentice's creation is."

Of course, it wasn't something I created myself; I just learned it from watching videos before.

"This is too much. Just give me a bowl and fill it up. You can eat the rest yourself."

Hu Baye's appetite wasn't as exaggerated as Yang Jun's; he could only eat one large bowl of rice.

It's quite impressive that he can eat so much at his age.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun had no choice but to bring over a large bowl and put more pork knuckle meat into it for Uncle Hu.

Fortunately, he didn't say much this time and started eating as soon as he picked up his bowl.

When eating braised pork knuckle, start with the skin. The soft and flavorful skin melts into collagen as soon as it enters your mouth and goes straight into your stomach.

As he ate, Uncle Hu stroked his beard and said, "This is quite unique, and the taste is really not bad."

Delicious food always brings happiness.

"Xiaoshan, if your skills were in the past, you might have been good enough to become a royal chef in the palace."

"Hehe, then forget it. I'm not going to cook for the emperor."

Hu Baye smiled helplessly: "I forgot about your personality. Although you seem lazy and don't want to do anything, you are actually very principled, and you do things in an orderly manner with far-reaching goals. You are definitely not the type to serve others."

Yang Jun also tried the braised pork knuckle rice he made. Fortunately, he had the heat just right, and all the fat in the pork knuckle had been cooked away. It was fatty but not greasy, and tasted just right.

The addition of the spiritual water further enhances the flavor, making it quite delicious.

After finishing the entire bowl of rice and braised pork knuckle in one go, Yang Jun finally lay down contentedly.

"Don't lie down after you finish eating. Go stand in the yard and take a stance."

But Uncle Hu woke him up.

The old man himself wasn't idle either; he and Yang Jun practiced standing meditation in the courtyard.

"You haven't missed your daily stance training, have you?"

Uncle Hu suddenly asked.

Yang Jun nodded: "I haven't forgotten, I have to stand for half an hour every day."

Master Hu nodded and said, "That's how it is with training. If you practice boxing but don't practice internal exercises, you'll end up with nothing when you get old. You have to constantly feel the power of the punches to maintain coordination. Otherwise, you might encounter some kind of obstacle when you start boxing again."

Becoming a grandmaster-level boxer does not mean you are free from worries. On the contrary, you need to spend more time training to better coordinate your strength and body. Only in this way can you maintain the body's coordination and make your body and strength one.

Many masters experience accelerated physical degeneration after years of inactivity, because their internal energy dissipates and the decline in bodily functions further accelerates the process. Ultimately, achieving unity of energy and body becomes a distant dream.

Therefore, there are profound reasons why boxing is more effective against the young and strong.

There's a reason why a novice can defeat a master. If someone over seventy years old can't maintain their strength training, they'll soon deteriorate and eventually lose the ability to maintain their power, and the master will be gone.

After standing in the stance for half an hour, the food they had just eaten began to digest, and they felt warm and comfortable all over.

"Master, you go and rest. I'll wash the dishes and then go back."

Uncle Hu nodded: "Remember to go see Xiao Gu, that kid has had a tough time too."

After all, she was carrying her disciple's child, so the old man gradually began to take Gu Nanke more seriously, placing her in a similar position to Xiao Yu'er.

After washing the dishes, Yang Jun did indeed head towards Populus euphratica Village.

However, instead of going back to the courtyard immediately, he strolled around the streets of the village.

Although it's called a village, it's actually more like a traditional alleyway.

The alley is the village street, and people usually set up stalls on both sides to sell things.

As for the black market, it's hidden on the side of the street, and it hasn't started yet.

In the dead of winter, the black market, which used to be held daily, might become only held every few days, since people are staying home less.

Fortunately, you can still occasionally see people setting up stalls on the streets of the village.

The stalls mostly sell dried goods that the vendors have sun-dried themselves; fresh vegetables are a rare sight.

Yang Jun's goal was quite clear, and he soon arrived at a young man wearing a dog-skin hat.

"Brother, how much did this dog cost?"

It turns out this guy sells dogs; the few mixed-breed dogs don't look very big, probably only a month or two old.

The young man glanced at Yang Jun, and judging from his polyester clothing, he knew that Yang Jun was a man of considerable ability, so he spoke:

"If you really want it, then this amount will do."

He raised his hand and extended it, his sleeve covering it, and the two bid under the sleeve.

A moment later, Yang Jun withdrew his hand.

"Okay, that's the price."

He rummaged in his bag, then counted out a few ten-yuan bills and handed them to the young man.

If the dog were any bigger, it would definitely be sold as a meat dog, but it's not that expensive now.

After paying, the young man left all the dogs with him.

There are five in total, three females and two males.

"We'll raise them for a while, and when they grow up, we'll find them companions."

This is Yang Jun's purpose in buying the dog.

And then there's Little White and Cabbage. They're a male and a female, so we can't let them suddenly pair up; we'll have to find them other partners.

If all else fails, castrate them to prevent them from having offspring.

However, this feels somewhat inhumane.

While he was pondering this, he unknowingly returned to the doorway.

Gu Nanke, who was heavily pregnant, was somewhat surprised that he had returned today, so she greeted him with delight.

Are you staying today?

Yang Jun touched her belly: "I'm worried about you, so I'll stay with you for a few more days."

"I think you just want to spend time with your child."

Gu Nanke chuckled.

"The child is just a piece of flesh in your belly; you are always the one I value."

"Hill..."

Gu Nanke's eyes were full of tenderness and affection; who could resist the sweet words from the person they loved?

……

Before we knew it, it was time for school to start again.

In March, peach blossoms begin to bloom, and the roadside gradually fills with their fragrance.

Meanwhile, Beijing University began to bustle with activity as students from all over the country gathered again on campus, bringing voices from various quarters.

"Yang Jun, I've finally found you."

Xu Yan's voice rang in Yang Jun's ears.

He paused as soon as he arrived at the school.

"Class monitor, you were looking for me? I just arrived at school too."

"I need your help, just tell me if you'll help or not."

Yang Jun's lips twitched.

"Okay, what can I help you with?" "We're having a meeting later, so we need to move some tables, chairs, and benches. We'd like you to come with us."

Xu Yan said this with some embarrassment.

"So you're making me do manual labor?"

Just when Xu Yan thought he was going to refuse, Yang Jun shrugged.

"You should have said so earlier. I was born to love hardship."

Hearing this, Xu Yan couldn't help but smile.

"Pfft, how can you say something like that?"

"Labor is the most glorious thing, and I don't think it's a big deal to suffer."

Of course, the latter part is a bit of an overstatement, as it's easy to say when you're not in the situation.

The two went to the classroom where the desks and chairs were placed, and then took two sets out.

Nothing much is needed; just set it up on the podium, and the students will stand and listen.

It only took about ten minutes to set up the place.

"Oh, and please also tell everyone in our class that they should stand in this position later. It would be best if the shorter people stood in front and the taller people stood in the back." Xu Yan didn't hold back and continued to assign him tasks, since he had spoken so confidently earlier.

Yang Jun simply shrugged and didn't refuse.

While intercepting their classmates, they finally caught sight of Wang Chong.

"Brother Jun, so early."

Wang Chong had just returned from his trip to Tianjin and was pleasantly surprised to see Yang Jun. However, Yang Jun hurriedly told Wang Chong to inform the other students about the team's situation before running off.

"I'll be right back after I go to the restroom, thanks for your help, Chong."

"Hey……"

Wang Chong waved his hand in confusion, then started working in a daze.

As for Yang Jun, he actually saw Jiang Xueying, which is why he used that as an excuse to run away.

"Little Snow."

A call made Jiang Xueying turn around.

"Yang Jun, you're back."

The girl's eyes lit up as she walked over with small, quick steps.

Did you receive the letter I sent you?

As soon as she came up, she asked expectantly.

Yang Jun looked somewhat bewildered: "What letter?"

Then he couldn't help but rub his forehead: "You didn't send letters to the schools in the county town again, did you?"

"correct."

Jiang Xueying said matter-of-factly.

Yang Jun shook his head: "After I got home, I stayed at home and didn't go to the county town much, let alone the school."

Jiang Xueying's face immediately fell: "Then you didn't receive my letter? No wonder you didn't reply."

Yang Jun quickly said, "Why don't you just tell me the contents of the letter directly? It'll be the same."

Jiang Xueying shook her head: "How could what's written in the letter be the same as what's said?"

Just as Yang Jun was about to continue persuading her, Jiang Xueying said, "I'll just write you a new one, you silly girl."

"Hmm, that seems like a good idea."

"There are so many people here, why don't we find a quiet place to talk?"

Jiang Xueying doesn't like places with so many people.

Yang Jun nodded and said, "Okay, I'll lead the way."

The two left just like that, and he completely forgot that he had said he would be back soon.

So Wang Chong waited until all his roommates arrived, but he still couldn't see Yang Jun again.

"Brother Jun, you've really put me in a lot of trouble."

Yang Jun didn't hear Wang Chong's shouts. He was talking to Jiang Xueying alone, mainly asking her what she did during the Chinese New Year.

Jiang Xueying pouted: "I didn't really want to go home, but my mom came looking for me, so I had to go back."

Yang Jun didn't expect her to be so angry.

Thinking of the reason, I couldn't help but reach out and grab her little hand.

Jiang Xueying did not refuse; instead, she took his hand in her own.

The two chatted about everyday things, and it was quite peaceful.

It wasn't until a loudspeaker blared that Yang Jun suddenly remembered something.

"No, the conference has started. Let's go back."

Jiang Xueying remained calm and nodded.

"You go to class first, I'll come over later." It's just a small path, we can't walk together.

"Okay, then remember to check for my letter tomorrow."

Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the principal on the podium at that moment, and they didn't pay much attention to the two of them.

When he returned to the venue, he was greeted by Wang Chong's resentful gaze.

"Brother Jun, you've been in the bathroom for way too long."

"Hehe, I have diarrhea."

Wang Chong's eyes twitched: "I clearly saw you and your partner leave."

"You saw all of this."

Yang Jun patted him on the shoulder: "Then I won't lie to you anymore. Actually, I went on a date."

This hurt Wang Chong even more, and he immediately grumbled twice: "Hmph, I'll go on a date in a couple of days too."

"Oh? You and that girl from last time are together?"

"No, it's someone from our class."

Yang Jun's eyes lit up. Since Wang Chong dared to say that, there must be something going on, which is why he dared to speak out.

"Tell me quickly, who is it? What's going on?"

Before they knew it, someone else had also perked up their ears to eavesdrop.

LEGO wanted to greet Yang Jun, but they held back after hearing the explosive news.

Wang Chong gestured with his lip toward a spot in front of him.

"Look, it's Liu Yilan from our class. She and I are both from Tianjin. I only found out when we met on the way back to Tianjin this time."

Yang Jun felt the name was somewhat familiar, but he didn't know what it looked like until he saw the person.

Liu Yilan didn't have a strong presence in class. Perhaps because she came from the countryside, she was a little insecure. However, she was quite pretty and looked like the kind of person who would settle down and live a simple life.

"Wow, he actually found a girlfriend without saying a word."

Yang Jun was genuinely happy for Wang Chong, after all, he was considered his loyal younger brother.

"Brother Chong, you're going to make a name for yourself!" Lego, who had been listening for a while, finally chimed in.

"Tsk tsk tsk, so now you all have partners, leaving me as the only bachelor."

LEGO's envy and jealousy are almost tangible.

"You're a college student, if you really want to find a partner, are you afraid you won't?"

Wang Chong gave him a look of disdain. He didn't understand what the other person was thinking; he just wanted to make higher demands.

"Hehe, Brother Chong saw right through me." Lego didn't deny it.

“Hey you guys, keep your voices down, the principal is still talking.”

At this moment, squad leader Xu Yan couldn't help but glare at them.

When she saw Yang Jun, she glared at him for a second, saying she had promised to help, but then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, yes, I'll shut up now."

The three fell silent, then exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. (End of Chapter)