From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

"Is his name Liu Ci?"

Zhu Hong vaguely remembered that Aunt Liu had called him "Ci Ge'er" last time, so he turned his head and asked.

Aunt Liu smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's Ci-ge'er." She then beckoned to the boy, "Why aren't you coming over here? What are you doing standing so far away?"

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you all morning!"

When Uncle Liu saw his son, he quickly called out, "Come here quickly, your brother Hong is here! Go and thank him! If it weren't for him last time, you would have been in serious trouble."

Liu Ci, however, seemed not to hear him.

He stared at Zhu Hong, his lips trembling slightly, as if he had something stuck in his throat.

suddenly:

He bent his knees and "thumped" straight down on the muddy ground.

This?

That's too much!

Zhu Hong frowned slightly, about to speak, when he saw Liu Ci bend down and kowtow heavily.

"Thump!"

A muffled thud.

It makes one's heart clench.

The boy raised his head, his forehead already bruised and bleeding. He gritted his teeth, remained silent, and slumped down, determined to hit his head again.

"What are you doing?"

Zhu Hong reacted quickly, dodging and grabbing the boy's arm, lifting him up.

"Master, Master!"

Liu Ci struggled on, his face flushed red, "I want to learn martial arts!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was firm and unyielding.

master?

What kind of apprentice is this!

Zhu Hong was taken aback and looked down at the boy.

Thin, short, dressed in tattered clothes, with a large bump on his forehead, but his eyes were fixed on him, burning with passion.

He frowned, then put him down on the ground:

"I don't accept apprentices."

Liu Ci knelt down again with a "thud".

"You silly child."

Aunt Liu got anxious and came over to pull him up: "Your brother Hong is busy with work, how can you act so recklessly? Get up!" Uncle Liu also rushed over to help him up, one of them grabbing his arm and the other pulling his shoulder.

Liu Ci, however, seemed rooted to the spot, and no matter how hard they tried to pull him up, he wouldn't get up. He kept his head down and remained kneeling.

"Alright, get up."

Zhu Hong remained silent for a while, then sighed helplessly.

Liu Ci suddenly looked up, his eyes shining even brighter, like two points of light.

Zhu Hong's expression was solemn, and he spoke each word earnestly: "I myself am struggling and barely able to take care of myself, how could I be qualified to take on a disciple? But..." He paused slightly, his gaze falling on the young man's thin yet stubborn face:

"How about I introduce you to the basics?"

Liu Ci was taken aback at first, then after considering it for a moment, he raised his head and exclaimed, "Alright!"

"Okay, first one."

Zhu Hong's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable truth: "To learn martial arts, one must first learn how to conduct oneself. From now on, no one is allowed to kneel before others."

"Got it!"

Liu Ci clenched his fists, his thin body taut and straight.

"I understand, then get up."

Zhu Hong raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "A man's knees are worth gold. What kind of appearance is it to kneel for so long? Do you need your mother to help you up?"

Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu stood aside and, upon seeing this scene, felt a tightness in their chest, and a thousand emotions welled up inside them.

The couple looked at each other and saw guilt in each other's eyes.

They understand perfectly well.

If this child can stay with Zhu Hong, learn skills, and cultivate good character, he will definitely be better off than his useless parents who have spent their whole lives in this muddy alley.

Can……

What is owed is far more than just one or two things.

"Hongwazi, don't spoil him."

Aunt Liu, her eyes red-rimmed, quietly raised her hand to wipe her eyes and sighed, "You already have enough burdens on your own shoulders."

Uncle Liu didn't say anything, but turned his back and muttered:

"If he wants to kneel, let him kneel!"

"A little guidance won't take much effort," Zhu Hong said gently. "Besides, Liu Ci is still young and willing to learn martial arts, which is a good thing." After saying that, he asked for paper and pen, sat down at the table, slowly ground the ink and laid out the paper, and wrote down two martial arts manuals.

An article titled "The Merit of Iron Chains Across the River".

An article titled "Taizu Changquan" (Emperor Taizu's Long Fist).

Liu Ci stood to the side, staring intently without blinking, his lips moving as he silently recited in his mind.

Wait for the ink on the paper to dry.

"Practice these two formulas first."

Zhu Hong folded the paper and handed it to Liu Ci, saying, "Once I'm done with these busy days, I'll send you to the martial arts school so you can learn properly."

When Liu Ci took those pages of paper, his hands trembled, he rubbed them repeatedly, and his eyes reddened.

"Yes, Master."

Zhu Hong frowned: "I said I won't become your apprentice, just call me Brother Hong."

Liu Ci lowered his head, pursed his lips, and softly called out, "Brother Hong." In his heart, he didn't care what Zhu Hong thought, but he had already decided that Zhu Hong was his master.

"That's enough."

Zhu Hong glanced at him and shook his head.

Some feelings don't need to be spoken, nor can they be stopped; it's better for each person to express them privately.

He turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu, and said in a calm tone, "It's getting late, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll come again another day."

"Hongwazi".

Aunt Liu grabbed his sleeve, her eyes already red and her voice choked with emotion: "This child is stubborn and doesn't understand things, please don't take it to heart."

"Aunt Liu, it's alright."

Zhu Hong waved his hand gently and said in a mild tone, "You can go back now." After saying that, he turned and left.

Before long, the figure disappeared at the alley entrance.

Aunt Liu stood at the door for a while before turning around.

Her gaze fell on Liu Ci, who was still holding those few sheets of paper, standing there motionless, like a clay sculpture.

"Ci-ge'er".

Aunt Liu walked over quietly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say a few words of advice to him, to persuade him not to get stuck in a rut, but when she caught sight of her son's expression, she could only let out a soft sigh.

Liu Ci remained silent, staring intently at the pages in his hand.

The handwriting was crooked and messy; it was just a few sheets of rough paper used for wrapping things. But in his eyes, it was more precious than any jewel or gold.

for a long time.

He then reached out and carefully hid the paper in his pocket.

Uncle Liu bent down and sat on the bench, took out his pipe, picked up some golden tobacco with his fingertips, filled a bowl, and with a "click" of the flint, the tobacco caught fire.

He took a deep drag and said:

"The kids are all grown up now and have their own ideas."

Amidst the swirling smoke, Uncle Liu's expression was blurred and difficult to discern. "Let him be."

Aunt Liu didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him not to bother Brother Hong, but the child's path had been fraught with difficulties before he finally had hope. How could she possibly hinder him?

"Father, Mother."

Liu Ci remained silent for a long while, then suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing: "I'm not willing to be bullied anymore." He paused, his voice low but filled with stubbornness: "Why can they hit us whenever they want, curse us whenever they want? Why must we cower in silence, swallowing our anger and enduring this wretched alley?"

Why?!

These two words were spoken with a resounding force, striking the mud wall and echoing faintly.

"Someday."

Liu Ci's eyes were icy cold: "I will make anyone who dares to bully us pay the price!"

Uncle Liu paused, his pipe still in his hand, but he didn't say anything. He just took another deep drag of his pipe, swallowing all his emotions.

Aunt Liu was taken aback, and suddenly realized...

It seems they've never really understood Cige'er; this is the first time they've met him.

……