Chapter 5: Three People Traveling Together
This is a joke meant for adults. Lingjing listened, her face flushed as she lowered her head. Jiaming thought she would be moved and would offer her first kiss in the next moment, but to his surprise, when he turned his head, he was met with a slap that was neither too light nor too heavy. It didn't hurt his face, but it made a loud sound, the kind that was quite embarrassing.
She was mumbling over there with red-rimmed eyes for quite a while. Jiaming just listened quietly, occasionally interjecting, "How about I help you beat him up tomorrow?"
In fact, this brief cold war has allowed Jiaming to clarify some things. Originally, Lingjing was merely a shield for him, much like how someone who is insecure might marry a beautiful wife to demonstrate their normal sexual orientation. Lingjing served that purpose. Since she enjoyed clinging to him, he was more than happy to let her be his shield, hiding behind this little girl in all matters, allowing her behavior to adjust him to be more like a child. After all, if it were just him alone, he would either be lost in thought every day or engage in behaviors that were not childlike.
This incident did not cause much of a stir in Jia Ming's heart. For him, it was merely an interlude in an ordinary life. If he were to reflect on it, the only insight he might have would be something like, "No matter what kind of girl it is, once pushed down, martial arts are of no use at all," which is just a joke. However, if he had known that this interlude would later lead to such significant repercussions, it is hard to say whether he would have pushed her at that moment.
At the end of March in the lunar calendar, Jiaming celebrated his eleventh birthday. He himself felt little about it, but when Lingjing used her saved money to buy him a radio, he finally realized it. The girl who usually bullied him, Liu MM, gifted him a baseball bat. Although it was expensive, it was enough to reflect her fierce character—neither of the two girls knew how to play baseball, and in Liu MM's mind, the bat was probably just for fighting.
In the following two days, Ling Jing indeed did not pay any attention to him
Days passed in a leisurely manner. Lingjing's seemingly carefree personality was, in reality, quite clingy. She had grown accustomed to taking care of Jiaming in both home and school settings, often assuming the role of "sister." However, to outsiders, Jiaming was merely seen as Lingjing's shadow. Of course, there were times when they would have cold wars over trivial matters. For instance, there was an occasion when Lingjing got into an argument at school and was insulted as a "tomboy, destined to remain unmarried." Just then, Liu MM happened to pass by and gave that person a severe beating. Ironically, after the fight, Lingjing felt even more upset. That evening, she spent quite some time feeling dejected on a small grassy slope on the outskirts of the city, with Jiaming by her side, watching the sunset.
In order to celebrate that the three of them would be attending the same school thereafter, and having just received permission from her father, Liu MM proposed that the three of them go camping in the mountains during the summer vacation. In reality, it would not be appropriate for three children to go alone. A travel company in Jianghai City happened to be organizing outdoor survival summer camps, which were quite expensive. During a period when Liu MM's grades were poor, her father had boasted that he would give her a certain amount of money if she achieved a specific score. At that time, in a fit of resentment, he had made this promise, which was absurdly high for a child. Now, despite the joy, it meant a significant financial outlay. Liu MM had the money and decided to cover the expenses for all three of them, and naturally, Jiaming and Lingjing agreed.
Lingjing, wiping away her tears, smiled and said: "Jiaming, you don't know how to fight. Shasha has already helped me with that."
The voice crisply shouted this phrase, and Lingjing turned and ran away, leaving Jiaming there to苦笑 to himself
As for Liu MM, apart from attending the Ye Family Martial Arts School during her weekly breaks, it was quite common for her to skip classes to hang out with the two of them. Occasionally, she would come back with bruises from fights, and Jia Ming and Ling Jing would accompany her to the martial arts school to get some ointment for her injuries. After a few such incidents, Jia Ming's backpack often contained bandages, liniment, and ointments, resembling a first-aid kit. Whenever Liu MM got hurt, she would come directly for treatment, without needing to return to the martial arts school to endure Papa Ye's lectures about "practicing martial arts for physical fitness and self-cultivation." After a few such incidents, Jia Ming's backpack often contained bandages, liniment, and ointments, resembling a first-aid kit. Whenever Liu MM got hurt, she would come directly for treatment, without needing to return to the martial arts school to endure Papa Ye's lectures about "practicing martial arts for physical fitness and self-cultivation."
The arrangements were finalized, and for the next few days, the three of them went around Jianghai City to purchase outdoor travel supplies. That afternoon, Jiaming returned to the Huang family's villa, only to encounter a supernatural event.
In the autumn of 1993, Jiaming and Lingjing entered the fifth grade, while Liu Huaisha had to repeat a year due to poor performance and low grades. The three of them were in the same grade, and Liu wished to transfer to the same school as the other two, but her father did not agree, and ultimately she had to give up on that idea
Outside the Ye Family Martial Arts School, Liu MM remains the epitome of a bad student, notorious for her misdeeds, while Lingjing continues to excel academically, occasionally participating in various competitions and effortlessly securing a place. Jiaming's scores consistently hover between sixty and seventy, and in his free time, he enjoys daydreaming and occasionally reading random books, becoming an inconspicuous embellishment in the school. His relationships with classmates are neither distant nor particularly close; apart from spending every day with Lingjing, if anyone has an impression of him, it is likely due to the girl who always stands in front of him.
That day happened to be Saturday. Lingjing returned home with red, tear-stained eyes, leaving Ye's couple in a state of uncertainty. Unfortunately, Jiaming could not see this; otherwise, he might have felt a pang of guilt. On the morning of the third day, while jogging past the Huang residence, Lingjing could no longer hold back and ran in to knock on Jiaming's window. Moments later, Jiaming dressed and jumped out, and the two of them ran to the small grassy slope as usual. Lingjing softly said, "You must not say that again in the future." Jiaming nodded and replied, "I’m sorry." Thus, their relationship returned to its former state. Moments later, Jiaming dressed and jumped out, and the two of them ran to the small grassy slope as usual. Lingjing softly said, "You must not say that again in the future." Jiaming nodded and replied, "I’m sorry." Thus, their relationship returned to its former state.
Jiaming thought to himself that it was merely a shadow from his childhood. However, in this era, although the gentle and demure type of woman is still in vogue, it is certainly not appropriate to label someone as a tomboy based on a serene exterior. The next line from those guys would most likely be: "... so let’s marry her off to XXX from my family." Thinking of this, he smiled to himself and casually comforted, "Actually, Lingjing, you are quite wonderful. If no one wants you, I will marry you in the future."
Training began every day at 3 a.m. Lingjing did not wake him up in the quiet morning, and he was quite pleased to enjoy a little more sleep. Little did he know that the girl had run to the small grassy slope early in the morning and waited for a long time, just to give him a chance to apologize, but he was lazily staying at home. During class that day, Lingjing sat upright and ignored Jiaming, while Jiaming leaned against the window in a daze. In the evening, the two returned to the martial arts school one after the other. Lingjing entered first and slammed the door shut, sulking and refusing to let Jiaming in. Jiaming knocked twice, and Lingjing stood by the door thinking that she would open it if he said sorry. However, after waiting for a while, the knocking sound did not come again. When she opened the door, she found that the little boy had already disappeared into the dusk with his backpack.
Indeed, someone like Shasha is what one would call a "manly woman," truly frightening
That night, Lingjing was so angry that she couldn't eat. Jiaming did not come over, and Ye Han and his wife found it very strange. When they asked about Lingjing, she naturally could not say that Jiaming wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't let him. The next day, while running to the grassy slope, Jiaming was still nowhere to be seen, and Lingjing sat there crying her heart out. The elderly couple nearby felt her pain and comforted her for a long time. If it weren't for the fact that the stores were not yet open, a pile of candies would likely have been brought to the little girl immediately.
In summary, after the match that made Ye's father laugh incessantly, our Huai Sha began learning martial arts at the Ye family's dojo and regarded Jia Ming as an enemy. Whenever Jia Ming was present, he was always her target. This area is also the territory of the Sha Zhu Gang, and the Liu family is not far from the Ye family's dojo. After Huai Sha and Ling Jing became close friends, the number of participants in the morning exercises increased to three. When they reached the grassy slope on the outskirts of the city, Huai Sha and Ling Jing practiced with each other, while Jia Ming typically stood by, daydreaming or dozing off. However, when they encountered a bun seller in the morning, it was Jia Ming who ended up paying.
"Sasha, I feel the same way," Lingjing said dejectedly. "When I was a child in the countryside, people often said I looked like a boy, that no one would want me in the future... Hmph, I hate it when people say that to me."
However, during these past two days, without the little girl circling around, he found himself feeling somewhat empty inside. The deliberately aggrieved expression she wore when she came to find him made him feel a sense of warmth. Could it be that as his body shrank, his mind also followed suit? Or had he become a perverse pedophile? Such thoughts merely flitted through his mind. Regardless, he knew that, imperceptibly, he had come to regard this girl as someone very important to him.
What if I am a tomboy? What if I like to fight? Not submitting homework and then blaming others, I will definitely tell the teacher tomorrow
I am your sister! How can you say that! I will not pay attention to you anymore
After the start of the school term, Liu Huaisha naturally continued to practice at the Ye family's martial arts school, while Jiaming hurriedly declined the daily set of punches. His interest did not lie here, and the Ye couple naturally did not want to force him. However, every evening when Liu's younger sister was present, she inevitably found herself called up to be beaten up. According to Liu's younger sister, this was a pre-dinner exercise, a light way to stimulate the appetite
In order to prevent her good friend from being held back, the three of them often studied together under Lingjing's encouragement. By the summer of 1994, after graduating from fifth grade, Liu MM's exam results were quite impressive. Her father had not originally expected much from his daughter's performance, but to everyone's surprise, her results left all the younger boys in awe, making him quite proud as the eldest. Overjoyed, he agreed to his daughter's request to attend a slightly farther school, Xinghui Middle School, for her junior high education. This school, located in Jianghai City, is known for its quality, encompassing both junior and senior high, although it is not within the influence of the Shazhu Gang. However, after some playful persuasion from his daughter, he ultimately relented, especially since Jiaming and Lingjing were also planning to enroll in this school.