Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

However, none of their voices were as loud as the shouting of a group of teenagers.

"That monk Jueyuan is amazing!"

"Yeah, his 'Black Tiger Claws to the Heart' hit that punched the sandbag so hard it flew off! I reckon if that hit someone, they'd cough up blood on the spot!"

"I think the most amazing one is that drunken swordsmanship! Look at him swaying and staggering, yet his swordplay is as graceful as snowflakes. That's real kung fu!"

I'm going to tell my dad when I get back that he absolutely has to make me a wooden sword, so I can practice on it properly!

"What's the point of practicing at home? If you ask me, you should go to the Shaolin Temple to learn real kung fu! I've already inquired about it. From here, you can take the train to the provincial capital, then to the southern province, and then you'll reach the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song! Once I've mastered it, I can even act in movies..."

Xu Bei, who was protecting his mother and sister as they walked out, couldn't help but laugh as he listened from the side.

The popularity of the TV series "Shaolin Temple" has inspired many boys to dream of kung fu, with some even running away from home to learn kung fu at Shaolin Temple, hoping to become the next Jet Li.

But even among those who could endure the hardships of life in Shaolin Temple and the arduous training, how many actually made it through?

As far as he knew, it seemed that only Baoqiang had become a big star.

After leaving the movie theater, a biting cold wind, mixed with fine snowflakes, rushed onto everyone's bodies and faces like a naughty child, making those who hadn't felt the cold before shiver.

"Oh dear, it's so cold!"

Xu Juan subconsciously shrank her neck and buried half of her face in her scarf.

"Yes, it's much colder tonight than before. The wind is like a knife." Zhao Fengying quickly pulled her scarf and hat tighter, leaving only her eyes showing.

Xu Bei held his younger sister's hand with one gloved hand, while placing his other hand lightly on his mother's back. "Mom, walk slowly, the steps are a bit slippery."

The mother and her two children quickly descended a few steps and joined up with Dahei and Song Guodong and his sister, who had come out a little earlier.

Zhou Qingwan and her older brother and sister had already left, so all that could be seen were their backs.

Xu Bei glanced at them casually before looking away, and smiled at the group, "It's almost nine o'clock, hurry up and ride home. See you tomorrow."

Song Guodong immediately smiled and said, "Okay, I'll have to go to your house to pick up the stool after get off work tomorrow."

Big Black chuckled, "Yeah, we can't avoid seeing each other even if we want to, we'll be seeing each other every day."

Xu Bei suddenly thought of a phrase that Da Bao saw every day, and revealed a smile that only he himself understood.

Zhao Fengying snapped out of her reverie and instructed, "It's cold and the roads are slippery, so please ride slowly. Also, Xiaomei, if you have time, come over to our house with your brother. My Xiaojuan has finished her exams and is on vacation."

Xu Juan also warmly invited, "Yes, Sister Xiaomei, remember to come find me!"

Song Guomei glanced at Xu Bei, then nodded vigorously and smiled, "Don't worry, Auntie, Xiao Juan, I'll definitely go when I have time."

Xu Bei was busy saying goodbye to his two buddies and didn't notice this little action, but Zhao Fengying saw it all, which made her even more certain that her guess was probably a sure thing.

When Xu Bei drove the mother and daughter away from the others at the intersection, leaving only some pedestrians who had also finished watching the movie and were heading home, Zhao Fengying patted her son hard on the back from behind.

"You little rascal, you've been hiding it well. Luckily, I have sharp eyes and saw through it at a glance."

Xu Bei was braving the cold wind, pedaling hard with the 125 speed limit. He wasn't mentally prepared at all, and his body subconsciously leaned forward.

He didn't think his little secret about his cheat code would be exposed, but he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

"Mom, you've confused me. What do you mean by 'hiding it well'?"

Xu Juan, who was sitting on the beam and wrapped up tightly, also made a muffled sound, "Yes, Mom, what are you saying? I don't understand."

Zhao Fengying didn't keep you in suspense and said with a smile, "The other day, Sister Liu came to our house to introduce you to someone. You said you had someone you liked, but you hadn't started pursuing them yet."

They said that girl was beautiful, cultured, sensible, virtuous, and capable. But when I saw her today, I realized she was Xiaomei's classmate from her year-retake class.

No wonder you weren't interested in Guodong's sister, turns out you've got your eye on her classmate...

Xu Bei never dreamed that his mother had such a rich imagination.

He even combined the fabricated story he made up that day to deal with the matchmaker with real people, making it sound so convincing that if he hadn't heard it himself, he might have believed it.

"Mom, you're overthinking things. It's a complete misunderstanding. Nothing like that happened. I met that girl a few days ago at the movie theater when I ran into Guodong's sister. We barely exchanged a few words."

As for the meeting at the department store, Xu Bei couldn't say anything at the moment, otherwise it would only make things worse.

Zhao Fengying suddenly realized, "Ah, I know, it was the day we bought candied hawthorns, right?"

Xu Bei quickly replied, "Yes, that was the day. I only watched half of the movie before leaving early, and then I bought you guys some candied hawthorns."

Xu Juan noticed the word "again" and asked, "Brother, so that means you bought candied hawthorns for Sister Xiaomei and the others too?"

Xu Bei answered what he considered to be an honest response, "I did buy it. It just so happened that we ran into each other. I have a pretty good relationship with her brother, so it's normal to buy him some food, right?"

"That's certainly not a problem." Zhao Fengying changed the subject, "But son, how come I never realized you were so good at dealing with people before?"

Xu Juan chimed in, "Yes, brother, you weren't this generous before."

Xu Bei was immediately somewhat helpless.

He couldn't very well say that he was an old and shrewd person who didn't care about a few cents, could he?

"People change. Haven't you noticed my recent behavior? I've finally figured it out."

Zhao Fengying reluctantly accepted his explanation.

But based on the purchase of candied hawthorns and Song Guomei's reaction, I indirectly concluded that my previous deduction was correct.

So, he said cryptically, "It's good that you've finally figured it out. Son, if only you had figured it out earlier, you would have studied hard too, like Guodong's sister and her classmates, and if you didn't pass the exam, you could have gone to a repeat class."

Xu Bei was both amused and exasperated. "Mom, I'm just not cut out for studying. You should pin your hopes on your youngest daughter. Whether our family will have a lucky break and produce a college graduate depends on her!"

Xu Juan was listening intently when the topic suddenly shifted to her.

He immediately punched Xu Bei's hand holding the handlebars with his hand covered in cotton gloves, and called out "Brother!" in protest.

Xu Bei chuckled and gently tapped his younger sister's hat, which was adorned with a pom-pom, with his chin. "Xiao Juan, don't put too much pressure on yourself. If one year isn't enough, we'll do it in two. Anyway, Mom and I can support you just by earning commissions from selling stools!"

Zhao Fengying laughed from behind, "Yes, my dear daughter, Mom is earning almost as much as your father's salary every day now. I'll support you no matter how many years you study in the cram school."

Listening to her brother's deep, firm, and magnetic voice, and her mother's confident words, Xu Juan felt more confident and energized. "I don't want to go to a repeat class. I'd rather pass the exam next year on my first try, just like my brother said, for myself and for our family!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Bei and his mother Zhao Fengying both laughed happily.

"That's right!"

"Yes, my youngest daughter is really ambitious."