Chapter 2, The Moonlit Technique

Madam He stood in the courtyard and, upon seeing He Ying approaching, opened her arms and gently said, "Come here, my dear daughter, let your mother give you a good hug!" He Ying chuckled and indeed rushed over, tightly embracing her mother's neck.

Certainly, judging from the expressions of my parents, this person is certainly not merely a servant.

With this thought, she immediately felt happy. Standing up, she stretched a few times, gathered several miscellaneous books into her arms, and He Ying turned to walk outside

She opened it and flipped through, seeing on the first page written: This skill has existed in the present world for over one thousand years, with very few who have mastered it. Even among those who have occasionally mastered it, there are also very few with profound abilities. Be cautious, be very cautious

Behind the stone gate lies a different world. Sunlight filters in from the slanted mountaintop, casting mottled patterns within the room, yet it remains bright. Several luminous pearls are embedded in the stone walls. According to my father, these luminous pearls are the greatest treasure of the He family.

If it were not for the heavy childishness still lingering in his face and eyes, He Ying would truly not be able to tell that he was only around ten years old. Sitting beside him was a man in his forties, tall and dark-skinned, with a face as solid as steel and distinctly defined features. However, he was dressed in servant's clothing

He laughed heartily and said, "Of course. Back in the day, you, Mr. Yan, were indeed a person of great influence, someone whose call was met with a hundred affirmations. How could anyone easily forget that?"

Her small, ink-stained hands swiftly flipped through one book after another. After a long while, aside from the classics and historical texts, she found only two miscellaneous books that she truly deemed useful. She placed the miscellaneous books beside herself and began to flip through them again.

Madam He smiled with her eyes narrowed and said: "Your elder brother is on official business as instructed. Seeing that he still has plenty of time, he came back to take a look first." She pointed at He Ying's small nose and continued with a smile: "Your elder brother has always cared for you since you were young. This time he returned mainly because he heard that you were in trouble and was worried about you."

Books in this era are quite precious. Unless there is a special relationship, one can hardly borrow books from others. Generally speaking, they are kept hidden like treasures. The He family is particularly so. The most strictly guarded and valuable place in the He family is surprisingly this study.

He Ying crouched down; this was the second corner she had turned. Having not been at it for an hour, her face was covered in dust, and apart from her pair of bright, watery eyes, her small face was smeared with dirt, making her look almost like a beggar

He Ying looked down at her and saw her small face flushed, with beads of sweat on her forehead, likely from running. He Ying slid down from the tree. Xiao Huan, while tidying her clothes, called out: "Miss, you have just recovered. Please refrain from climbing trees. If Madam finds out, she will surely worry again"

He Ying set aside a worn-out book, rubbing her numb legs. She thought to herself: there aren't many books in the corner, I should be able to finish them today. It would be so much fun if there were some surprises.

Upon seeing her expression, it was clear what He Ying was thinking. It was somewhat amusing. Because this body still retained the memories of the previous He Ying, she was not at all unfamiliar with dealing with her family, and thus was not afraid of revealing any flaws.

He Yingchong made a gesture and quietly stepped inside. Upon reaching the door, he gently turned his head, opened the door slightly, and peered through the crack.

She picked up a bit of food again and fed it to He Ying's mouth. He Ying, feeling hungry, said: "Mother, I am hungry, I want to eat by myself." Madam He released her, and she jumped down, finishing a bowl of rice in just a few bites

Xiao Huan said: "It should be about the same as Xiao Huan, right? He looks tall and quite handsome." He Ying chuckled and replied: Handsome? That's great, I really like good-looking young men.

That night, after He Ying had finished her meal, she sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice slowly according to the methods written in the book. This practice was somewhat similar to the yoga she had practiced in her previous life, consisting of various movements during the breathing exercises

Xiao Huan said, "Yes, they say he is the son of the master’s sworn brother and will be staying here for a while." He Ying, after she finished tidying up, pulled her and ran towards the hall, asking while running, "Really, how old is he?"

Nevertheless, he appeared calm, with a genuine expression of joy in his eyes and on his face. His demeanor was open and generous, showing not the slightest hint of servility, but rather an air of unrestrained spirit.

This rare talent found in other families seems to be present in every child of the He family. This also brings significant benefits; at least for now, He Ying does not need to pretend to be blind.

I remember my father saying at that time: "This is not to prevent thieves, but to prevent those who borrow books"

In the center of the hall sat her father, who wore a broad smile and appeared very happy. Her mother sat in a lower seat, also beaming with joy. On the guest seat, there were two individuals. The one at the head of the table was a boy of about ten years old; although young, he was tall and handsome. Perhaps due to his northern heritage, he looked comparable to a boy of fourteen or fifteen from the south.

He Ying opened her eyes wide and looked at her mother, asking in a delicate voice: "Really? Isn't it difficult for elder brother to return once he has become an official in the capital?"

He Ying practiced for a while and felt a sense of calmness and relaxation in both body and mind. Unconsciously, he became even more focused and prepared to practice this technique whenever he had the time to pass the time. It is important to note that this is an ancient era with no entertainment at all

This family, seeing her finally becoming a bit more composed, became extremely happy. This often made He Ying secretly chuckle to herself

Mother kept calling from the side, "Don't rush, don't rush! Don't choke!" while smiling at her, as if merely looking at her was a source of great joy.

At that moment, a handwritten manuscript titled "The Moon Lying Technique" appeared before her eyes. He Ying's eyes lit up, and she thought to herself: Could it be that there are martial arts techniques here as well

The books in this corner are mostly handwritten copies. Many of them were placed in this corner for disposal as waste only after obtaining the original versions.

When they arrived at the hall, they could hear loud voices coming from inside from a distance. Occasionally, bursts of laughter were interspersed among the conversations.

The direction in which He Ying went was, in fact, her own study. The He family has been a scholarly lineage for generations, and the vast collection of books in the study astonished even the modern He Ying. The two sons and one daughter of the He family have also been well-versed in literature since childhood. For instance, He Ying, who is not yet eight years old, has already recognized nearly all the characters she should know, and she can easily remember ordinary books after just a glance.

The bookshelves, layer upon layer, are filled with a dense array of books. He Ying often feels that it is somewhat excessive for them to place the books so tightly together; who would come over out of boredom to steal a book

Madam He picked her up and brought her to the dining table, while feeding her with food and smiling, "Xiao Ying, your elder brother and second brother are coming back too, are you happy?"

At the stone wall of the back mountain, He Ying cut her finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and placed it into the right eye of the lion on the left side of the stone wall. After another minute, the stone wall let out a creaking sound and opened. He Ying hurriedly ran inside; as soon as her front foot entered, the stone door closed behind her.

The books placed on the shelf are well-organized and clearly visible. Instead, this made He Ying lose her desire to read. Her interest, however, lies in those inconspicuous corners or in the old books covered in dust that her father has no intention of sorting out, among the piles of worn-out books.

He Ying was soon full. After much effort, her mother wiped her mouth clean, and she immediately called out, "Mother, I am going to play now." She turned around and ran off, leaving Mrs. He shaking her head and smiling.

He laughed and said, "It has become even more prosperous here after several years of absence. Once the young master is settled, I plan to pay a visit to my old friends, lest they forget me"

Seeing her mother's figure from afar, He Ying felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Since she was young, she had been orphaned, and her education and living were supported by others. The person who helped her also assisted more than twenty other children. Therefore, although she had never lacked for food and clothing, she had never seen the face of her benefactor

Elder brother and second brother will not be back for a while; for now, this household still belongs to He Ying. On this day, she was climbing a large tree to check on a bird's nest. Suddenly, Xiao Huan's voice came again: "Third Miss, come down quickly. The lady is calling for you to go to the hall!"

He Ying let her chatter on, waiting for her to finally stop talking. Then, with a cheerful smile, he asked: "Mother, why did you call me to the hall? Is someone here?"

He Ying pouted slightly and murmured, "What is this? Where can one find such martial arts techniques?" She casually tossed the book aside and began to flip through other books. After a while, feeling bored, she caught sight of the "Woyue Gongfa" and reached for it. She thought to herself: Regardless of whether it works or not, I might as well practice it for a bit; it will be a good way to pass the time.

This feeling is akin to her previous life, where she held a few dozen yuan in her hand, yet aspired to purchase clothing of good quality at a street stall. There is always a certain interest in online shopping embedded within.