Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Sun Zhandou stayed in Lu Meiyin's dormitory for less than ten minutes when a commotion broke out inside. It sounded like Lu Meiyin was shouting something, and then the door opened and Sun Zhandou was pushed out.

Just as Sun was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, it was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh".

His face lit up with joy, but before his smile could fully spread, two heavy net bags flew into his arms with a "whoosh," causing him to stumble back half a step. Immediately afterward, the door slammed shut with a "bang."

Liu Dezhu and his apprentice Chen Xiangdong stood with the door closed, one on each side of the dormitory windowsill, watching the scene unfold like a spectator.

Liu Dezhu couldn't help but smirk, gritting his teeth as he said, "Serves you right!"

Chen Xiangdong glanced at him and sighed with feigned helplessness: "Master, you and Aunt Lu, one is the lead actress of the troupe and the other is the head drummer, you should be considered a good match, right? Everyone in the troupe thinks you two are a couple, but you two keep dragging things out like this. When will Zhang Qing and I get to eat wedding candy?"

Liu Dezhu said irritably, "What do you know, kid! Stop worrying about adult matters."

After saying that, he pressed his face against the glass again.

Chen Xiangdong just pursed his lips and didn't argue with him, but in his heart he was thinking: with Sun Zhanzhu's stubborn nature, he will soon regain his fighting spirit and launch a second and third round of attacks after being rejected this time.

He keeps going to the theater troupe and pestering them relentlessly. We'll see if Liu Dezhu panics then.

Sun Zhan Dou stood there, bowing and apologizing towards the door: "Mei Yin, listen to me, Mei Yin, I really like you so much..."

A shout of "Get out!" immediately rang out from inside the room, followed by the clanging sound of an enamel mug smashing on the floor.

Sun Zhan Dou shrank back, took two steps back, and called out repeatedly, "Mei Yin, don't be angry. I'll leave now, I'll come see you again tomorrow."

After saying that, he silently placed the two net bags in front of Lu Meiyin's door, and walked out of the yard with his head hanging low.

Seeing Sun Zhan Dou being scolded away by Lu Mei Yin, Liu De Zhu could no longer hide the smile on his lips.

"Master, how can you still laugh? Didn't you see that guy say he'll be back tomorrow?"

Liu Dezhu curled his lip and put on a big-brained act: "Whether he comes or not is none of my business. Alright, go back and practice your drumming. Hurry up and improve your drumming skills. One day I'll let you play a scene from an opera and give you a try."

Chen Xiangdong almost laughed. He was so eager to get rid of me. Even a fool could guess what he was up to.

"Fine, I'm leaving. I won't keep you from gathering intelligence." Chen Xiangdong snorted and got up to leave.

Liu Dezhu glared at him from behind, wanting to curse him, but the man had already run out the door.

Chen Xiangdong left the dormitory, hid in a corner, and peeked out. Sure enough, he saw Liu Dezhu sneaking into Lu Meiyin's room.

"You're still pretending it doesn't matter? Wait a couple of days until Sun's battle gets more intense, then let's see if you can still hold on." He chuckled and turned to walk towards the theater.

Since taking Chen Xiangdong as his apprentice, Fang Zhengsheng's daily routine has changed from "drinking all day" to "drinking all day and then teaching his apprentice basic skills while the air conditioner is on."

In the small room, Chen Xiangdong was bent over like a drawn bow, his hands gripping his ankles, his back straight and stable, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead onto the floor, yet he remained silent.

Feng Zhengxiao nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad. Full chest and waist, and able to hold your hands on your feet for ten seconds while bending over backwards, that's acceptable."

As he spoke, he lifted his toe and gently kicked Chen Xiangdong's shin: "Alright, get up and rest for a while."

Just as Chen Xiangdong was about to breathe a sigh of relief and sprang to his feet, Fang Zhengsheng suddenly spoke up to stop him: "Not enough, continue!"

Chen Xiangdong stiffened, not daring to get up. He gritted his teeth and forced back the strength he had just released, continuing to stubbornly hold onto his feet.

Feng Zhengxiao frowned and looked at Fang Zhengsheng: "It's already considered up to standard, why isn't it enough?"

Fang Zhengsheng shook his head: "Ten seconds is the basics, twenty seconds is what makes a qualified martial artist. Since you've become my disciple, you must train according to the rules passed down in our sect!"

Fang Zhengsheng spoke casually, but his tone carried an unwavering firmness that left no room for doubt.

Bend over and grab your feet may seem simple, but it actually puts a lot of strain on your leg ligaments and core strength. The first few seconds are manageable, but as you go on, it feels like someone is scraping your bones with a dull knife. The tingling, numb pain travels from your lower back all the way to the soles of your feet, and every second you hold on is pure torture.

Chen Xiangdong's calves began to tremble, and his vision blurred. He clenched his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound, silently counting to thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...

Feng Zhengxiao couldn't stand it any longer and said in a deep voice, "This kid has only been practicing for a short time. Aren't you afraid of injuring him by using the standards of an old martial arts performer?"

Fang Zhengsheng glanced at him and said, "It's better to get injured sooner than later! If you want to become a top-notch martial artist, you must train according to the strictest standards!"

Chen Xiangdong silently counted eighteen and nineteen in his mind until he finished counting to the twentieth. Then, as if his bones had been suddenly pulled out, he collapsed to the ground with a "thud".

His heavy breathing sounded like a bellows, and he was wearing the old-fashioned training clothes that Feng Zhengxiao had given him, which were completely soaked with sweat.

He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before he came to his senses.

At this point, the system panel will automatically pop up:

[Martial Arts Proficiency (Long-Handed Martial Arts/Short-Handed Martial Arts): 20/100 (Apprentices whose basic skills are beginning to show improvement)]

During this period, he has been practicing all the basic skills, such as splits, backbends, kicks, handstands, and running in circles, without missing a single one, and he has been practicing diligently from dawn till dusk every day.

However, the progress on the proficiency panel is slower than a snail's pace. I've never encountered a situation like just now, where five points suddenly increased.

He understood perfectly well, because this was the reward the system gave him after he had pushed himself to the limit.

"You've basically mastered the backbend." Fang Zhengsheng nodded. "But remember, today it's twenty seconds. Don't slack off tomorrow either. Stick to this standard every day."

Chen Xiangdong got up from the ground: "I know."

Fang Zhengsheng held up his finger: "Starting tomorrow, you need to hold the 'skyward kick' for one minute and the handstand for three minutes. Only when you've mastered all of these will your leg and waist skills be considered complete."

Feng Zhengxiao walked over, nodded, and continued, "Once you've mastered all of these, I'll teach you tumbling skills, weapon skills, and body movement skills. Only when you've thoroughly mastered these three skills will you truly be considered an expert and worthy of being called a proper martial arts performer."

Chen Xiangdong felt a surge of excitement. The skills of a martial arts performer—the blanket technique, the weapon technique, and the body movement technique—were the true hallmarks of a martial arts actor.

Tumbling and rolling, swords and spears, and every gesture—it's all supported by these three skills.

Chen Xiangdong nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Master, I will definitely practice with all my might!"