Chapter 7: The Day of Great Joy

"Aqiang, please have a seat. Jiaxiong just went out to pick up the bride and will be back in two to three hours," said Chu Jiaxiong's mother kindly

After completing twelve actions, Chu Jiaqiang was still drenched in sweat. Under the gentle breeze of the morning, he felt a shiver run through him. The temperature in the countryside during the early morning is relatively low; even in summer, it only reaches around 10 degrees Celsius. Coupled with the wind, which evaporates sweat and absorbs heat, the drastic temperature difference between hot and cold makes it very easy for one to catch a cold

"Grandpa Village Chief, you are still so spirited; it can be said that you are aging like fine wine!" Chu Jiaqiang greeted with a smile, and Chu Jiawan and others also extended their greetings.

Upon arriving at the home of the Chu family, new red paper couplets had already been affixed to the door. The couplets were written by the village's old teacher, showcasing a vigorous and powerful brushwork. The vegetable garden beside the house had been tidied up, and a makeshift kitchen had been set up. Chu Jiaqiang observed that many people were already busy; some dishes that required longer cooking times, such as peanut stew with pork bones and mushroom stew with old duck, had already been put on the fire

Da Hei was originally lying by the door. Upon seeing Chu Jiaqiang come out, he immediately got up and enthusiastically circled around him, rubbing his large dog head against Chu Jiaqiang's feet. Chu Jiaqiang smiled; this big black dog had been around for three or four years, had a decent temperament, and was quite intelligent. However, it was a pity that he was just a local dog, with not much ferocity.

The next morning, Chu Jiaqiang got up early. At that time, his second aunt was also up, busy preparing the pig slop to feed the pigs. The pigpen of his second uncle's family was not far away, and since they did not raise many pigs, there was no unpleasant smell. Almost every household in the countryside would raise one or two pigs, and around the end of the year, this would provide an additional source of income, with a large fat pig fetching at least around 2,000.

Amidst a chorus of congratulations from Chu Jiaqiang and others, they followed Chu Shengzhong into the house

Chu Jiaxiong's mother was busy serving tea and water to everyone, her face full of joy, smiling at everyone she met. She was especially warm towards Chu Jiaqiang, believing that the luckiest thing in her son's life was having Chu Jiaqiang as his older brother. Now that the elder brother is a university student, he naturally takes special care of his younger brother. The large television set from earlier is proof of this; who in Chu Jiazhuang could receive such an expensive gift at a wedding?

After chatting with Uncle Er for a while, Chu Jiaqiang expressed his intention to move back to the old house. This was met with strong opposition from Uncle Er's entire family and Tushu. However, Chu Jiaqiang made various arguments, listing a multitude of reasons, such as the orchard being right behind the old house, which would make it more convenient to take care of it, and so on. In fact, the most important reason was still the secrecy of the Shanhe Tu, along with the convenience for future cultivation.

Chu Jiaqiang collected his thoughts and then苦笑道: "Second Aunt, you are mistaken. This is Tai Chi, which is indeed a sport favored by the elderly, especially older men. However, young people can practice it as well; its movements are soft yet not rigid, and it is beneficial for the body. Many universities now designate it as a course."

"Is the university still teaching these things?" Second Aunt found it even harder to understand, but upon seeing Chu Jiaqiang drenched in sweat, she immediately frowned and said, "Quickly go take a shower, otherwise you might catch a cold"

Chatting with everyone for a while, the old village chief also arrived. Since everyone in the village invites the old village chief to officiate their weddings, today he also wore a respectable outfit, neatly arranging his white hair and beard.

The large television being carried inside naturally drew a series of gasps. Chu Jiawan felt quite proud, though her second aunt was somewhat concerned. Throughout the journey, Chu Jiaqiang greeted everyone he encountered, and seeing that the university student did not act aloof, they warmly addressed him as uncle and aunt. Many rural people are like this; if you show them respect, they will return it tenfold.

Chu Jiaqiang felt a stir in his heart and practiced Tai Chi again to relieve the soreness in his muscles and the fatigue in his bones. Just then, his second aunt returned after feeding the pigs and saw Chu Jiaqiang practicing the martial arts displayed on the television. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Aqiang! At such a young age, why are you practicing this kind of martial arts?"

Haha! Jiaqiang is back? I remember this little monkey hasn't returned for almost two years, right? Everyone, look, those who have studied are indeed different! When they speak, they are much more cultured. From now on, anyone who gets into university, no matter how poor the village is, must be supported to study. The old village chief clearly looked much happier upon seeing Chu Jiaqiang.

After having breakfast and preparing their belongings, Chu Jiaqiang followed his second uncle's family, taking the dog along, and set off towards Chu Jiaxiong's home. There were not many valuable items in the house, and since rural thefts were rare, there was no need for the dog to guard the door.

"Aunt, you may go about your business! We will take care of ourselves." Chu Jiaqiang was also aware that this family was quite busy at the moment, and the aunt's enthusiasm was somewhat excessive, making him feel uncomfortable.

After exchanging a few words, Chu Jiaqiang arrived at the lawn in front of his second uncle's house and began practicing the first level of body technique. The movements remained quite difficult, and he could not perform them continuously. Each movement was originally a challenge to the limits of the human body, and suddenly switching to another extreme movement could easily strain his muscles and bones.

"Hehe! Get up and do some exercise. It's normal for Jiawan to be young and love to sleep in." Chu Jiaqiang couldn't help but say a few good words for Chu Jiawan.

Although Chu Jiaqiang and others arrived not too late, many people had already arrived earlier than them. Chu Jiaxiong's father, Chu Shengzhong, lingered at the entrance, ready to greet the arriving guests.

"The village chief has arrived! Please sit here; Jiaqiang is also present, so we can have a good chat." The second uncle immediately got up and personally fetched a grand armchair for the old village chief to sit in.

"Enough, you big black one! Go away!"

In rural areas, thieves face dire circumstances. The legal awareness among rural residents is relatively low, often leading them to band together to confront intruders, though they typically do not resort to lethal violence. Moreover, in impoverished mountain villages like Chujiazai, there is little of value to steal. If a thief were to truly venture into the countryside to commit theft, he would indeed be in a very precarious and desperate situation.

As soon as Chu Jiaqiang spoke, Second Aunt heard him and turned around: "Aqiang, why are you up so early? Aren't you going to sleep a little longer? That girl is so lazy; even if the house were on fire, she wouldn't wake up before eight o'clock."

Oh dear! Brother Shengmin is here quite early! Sister-in-law and Jiawan have also arrived, and Jiaqiang, was it really necessary to spend so much on this gift? Let me take care of it! Everyone, please go inside and take a seat; I may not be able to attend to everyone! In a moment, everyone can help themselves! Please, don't be shy! Chu Shengzhong first offered a cigarette to Chu Jiaqiang and his second uncle, helping to light it.

Chu Jiaqiang responded with an acknowledgment, took a shower, and then practiced in the Mountain River Diagram for a few hours, though only a few minutes had passed in the outside world. When he emerged, he happened to encounter Chu Jiawan, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes and appeared to be in a daze. Chu Jiaqiang couldn't help but chuckle; it seemed that this girl had probably gotten up because her second aunt had come in and taken away the blanket.

In rural areas, people are generally not accustomed to having breakfast. However, with children at home and the need for them to study, one must gradually adapt. My second aunt had already prepared a pot of porridge and stir-fried a portion of pickled vegetables, adding some crushed peanuts. It was a bit light, but the taste was quite good. The pickled vegetables were homemade, so there was no need to worry about safety issues; we could eat them with peace of mind.