Chapter 10

In Chu Xiaoxiao's eyes, except for certain special professions and extreme situations, any act of violence inflicted by one person upon another is unjust. She cannot comprehend why her father would hit her brother, especially since they clearly belong to the same family; how could one resort to violence?

Chu Jiadong: "No, no, I don't have the energy today"

"You used to have quite good stamina; back then, when you hit me, it was something else..." Chu Xiaoyi's voice abruptly stopped as he realized what had slipped out of his mouth, wishing he could hit himself on the spot. He felt that He Xin's concerns were very valid; he always found it hard to control himself and ended up saying things that were out of place.

Time passes swiftly, and the grievances and feelings of injustice he once held no longer have the opportunity to be expressed

Chu Xiaoxiao is a smart child, even more capable than adults. She never feels any difference between herself and her elders. However, Chu Xiaoyi was an ordinary child in the past, and he is unable to prove anything in the short term. It is likely that he finds it difficult to cope when faced with suppression

The streetlights have been turned on, and the three of them are heading home together. The father and son had just engaged in an intense competition, and now the atmosphere is not too tense; at least they can exchange a few words. As Chu Xiaoyi dribbles the ball while walking home, he mutters, "I didn't even know you could play basketball"

Chu Xiaoxiao originally thought that Chu Xiaoyi had made a slip of the tongue, but to her surprise, the gentle father actually admitted it. She immediately widened her eyes in disbelief and exclaimed: "Why!?"

Chu Xiaoyi did not expect that Chu Jiadong had quite good skills in playing ball

Under the streetlight, Chu Xiaoyi suddenly noticed that his father's hair had turned somewhat gray, and he felt a pang of discomfort, a vague sorrow welling up in his heart. He longed for his father to be as spirited and confident as he once was, so that he could stand up to the opposition with conviction, just as he had wished to do in his childhood.

Chu Xiaoyi shifted the topic and pretended as if nothing had happened, running to break the brief stalemate. He did not dare to look back, fearing to encounter the cautious gaze of Chu Jiadong.

After returning home, Chu Xiaoyi had deliberately restrained himself a lot, trying to maintain a positive and sunny demeanor in front of his family. However, the joy of exercising made him somewhat relaxed, losing his tense state. He did not intend to be sarcastic, but the words came naturally to his lips, catching others off guard.

Chu Xiaoxiao saw two people stop in the court, and she hurriedly ran over with small steps, casting a proud glance at Chu Xiaoyi. Chu Xiaoyi was bewildered by the myriad of expressions on her small face, even able to roll her eyes at him.

Chu Xiaoyi was not yet satisfied, and deep down he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and melancholy. He did not know when he would play again, and it was unlikely that his opponent would be his father.

Chu Xiaoxiao: "I am speaking English this time, you should be able to understand, right?"

As expected, Chu Jiadong clearly heard Xiao Yi's words. He displayed a look of panic and uncertainty, seemingly at a loss. His lips parted slightly and moved gently, as if he wanted to say something, yet no sound emerged.

On Chu Xiaoxiao's small face, a look of confusion appeared, as she partially understood her father's words.

Chu Xiaoyi: "... ..." In this day and age, if your foreign language skills are not good, you can't even bicker with your sister!

Chu Xiaoyi waited passionately for a fair fight, but his father had long since lost the strength to battle. Before he could achieve victory, the opponent had already raised the white flag in surrender, leaving him with endless frustration. He could no longer take action against his father, but what did his past experiences amount to?

Chu Jiadong smiled wryly and confessed: "Yes."

Uncle Xiao used to live in the countryside, and at this moment he was also taken aback, unable to respond for a long time: "No, no reason? Once, when I was extremely hungry, I secretly ate the dried radishes that the neighbor had hung out to dry, and I was beaten by your great-grandfather?"

Chu Xiaoxiao felt dissatisfied, and she would eloquently refute with references, but the young Chu Xiaoyi had not yet distinguished himself and could only silently endure everything with a sense of grievance

Chu Xiaoxiao feels that the cheap brother is indeed mischievous and unaccomplished, but it is somewhat excessive for the father to resort to physical punishment, as he has genuinely committed a mistake

As an adult, Chu Jiadong found himself unable to refute the clever arguments of his young daughter, yet he genuinely felt the weight of having heavily criticized his eldest son in the past. Although Chu Xiaoxiao had never used her talents to suppress her family members, she had previously wielded her adult strength to dominate the younger Chu Xiaoyi.

Chu Xiaoyi : `` ? ? ? ''

Uncle Xiao said: "Xiao Xiao is so sensible, she definitely won't get hit; only those who are not sensible will be punished"

The score between the two players was unexpectedly close, with Chu Xiaoyi repeatedly launching strong attacks that yielded no results, while Chu Jiadong calmly maneuvered and evaded. Both of them were highly engaged on the court, constantly running back and forth and jumping vigorously, truly enjoying the game.

Chujia Dong and Qidao: "Therefore, Xiaoxiao should not blame her brother, nor should she dislike him. It is because of the brother's presence that father can interact with Xiaoxiao more equitably and with greater experience; and it is because of Xiaoxiao's presence that father begins to understand his brother's thoughts and realizes how far off he has been in his mistakes"

As the youngest in the family, I was the first to raise an objection

All things are of low quality, only reading is esteemed; this is the principle of Chu Jiadong. In the eyes of his father, Chu Xiaoyi's extravagant hobbies are mostly useless, merely serving as accomplices that hinder academic performance

Chu Xiaoxiao immediately identified with the situation and expressed her dissatisfaction, saying: "Of course it is a major issue, why are you allowed to deal with minor matters?"

Chu Xiaoyi's mood was quite subtle; he believed that his father was entirely devoted to studying and had no interest in sports or hobbies.

Chu Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "Why doesn't he reason with you?"

Uncle Xiao: "... ..." sounds quite reasonable, doesn't it

As an illiterate in English listening, Chu Xiaoyi felt isolated and unable to continue the conversation. He simply changed the subject and muttered, "Actually, we can still play for a while longer"

Chu Jiadong: "Yes, but Xiaoxiao must also understand that an apology and forgiveness are two different matters; not every expression of regret can be accepted"

Chu Jiadong could only crouch down to communicate at eye level with his youngest daughter. He helplessly said: "Because when your brother was born, it was also the first time for Dad to be a father, so I made many mistakes..."

Uncle faced with the relentless questioning from the little one, he had no choice but to seek help from outside, humbly calling out to Aunt: "Chun'er, Chun'er, please come and explain it to Xiao Xiao, I can't make it clear..."

Under the dim light of the street lamp, a father and daughter watched as Chu Xiaoyi gradually ran farther away, momentarily falling into silence. After a moment, Chu Xiaoxiao was the first to look up; she gazed at her quiet father and asked, "Dad, did you ever hit my brother before?"

Chu Xiaoxiao cast a disdainful glance at him and shook her head, saying: "Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored"

Chu Xiaoyi felt a bit dazed; he suddenly realized that his family was full of hidden talents. Chu Xiaoxiao's Russian was quite decent, but how did even Chu Jiadong become a basketball expert

Chu Xiaoyi and his father did not determine a winner, ultimately ending with Chu Jiadong exhausted. However, Chu Xiaoxiao felt that her father had achieved a great victory. Just look at her father's demeanor; he plays well yet does not show off. Then look at her arrogant brother, who has to act like he is the best just because he can play ball

Chu Xiaoxiao borrowed her father's power to eliminate her brother, and she proudly lifted her chin: "There are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens; you have no idea how much more there is to this matter"

Chu Jiadong saw his eldest son with a face full of frustration and smiled as he spoke to mediate: "Alright, alright, Xiao Xiao has her own path, and the elder brother has his own path. You all have your own unique good paths..."

Chu Xiaoxiao was quite hurt; she looked at her father with disappointment, revealing a rather disapproving expression

The uncle does not understand why cutting an orange has become a monumental challenge; he merely wanted to enjoy some fruit, yet he found himself entangled in confusion. He and the young ones at home spent a long time earnestly discussing, unable to explain why "it is acceptable for the grandfather to hit the uncle," but "it is problematic for the uncle to hit Xiao Xiao," leaving them momentarily bewildered

Chu Jiadong found it truly difficult to explain to his youngest daughter that his father had been even harsher on him. In an era where "a filial son is raised under the rod," no one would think that adults should not hit children. He can now understand his father's good intentions towards him, but if he were to reveal the true situation, it would likely tarnish Chu Xiaoxiao's impression of her grandfather

Chu Xiaoxiao was greatly shocked, not expecting that her uncle had also been beaten. She hurriedly asked, "Why were you beaten?"

At first, Chu Jiadong struggled to find his rhythm, but gradually he became more at ease. He frequently made three-point shots, which delighted Chu Xiaoxiao, who cheered enthusiastically. His playing style differed from that of Chu Xiaoyi; he did not rely on constant running and aggressive attacks, but instead scored points through precise shooting techniques

Uncle Xiao did not know her troubles and casually replied: "Of course."

Chu Jiadong once had a falling out with his eldest son, and while he was taking care of his youngest daughter, he carefully avoided many mistakes. From a young age, his youngest daughter displayed exceptional talent; she always expressed her views with poise, which made Chu Jiadong feel even more guilty when facing his eldest son

Chu Xiaoyi, aware of his slip of the tongue, could only hope that Chu Xiaoxiao had not heard him clearly. He hurriedly said in a casual manner to cover it up: "I haven't exercised enough, I'll dribble and run two laps before heading back"

In fact, the uncle was also unable to explain the reasons, as he had been beaten too many times in the past and only remembered some of the reasons for the beatings

Chu Xiaoxiao said in surprise: "Did your father’s father not teach you how to be a father?" Chu Xiaoxiao had never met her grandfather; when she was born, there was only her grandmother in the family

Chu Jiadong: I enjoyed playing basketball during my university years

Chu Xiaoxiao argued strongly: "This is not right, Grandma does not understand things now, so she should not be hit either"

Children sometimes forget when they are not punished, and besides, it is not a big deal for the older ones to hit the younger ones! The tone of the uncle is quite casual, after all, he is now over sixty years old and does not care about the beatings he received in childhood

The sky gradually darkened, and the surrounding scenery became increasingly indistinct, indicating that night was about to fall. Chu Xiaoyi was eager to determine a winner, but Chu Jiadong smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No way, I'm too tired, I don't have the energy..."

The little uncle beside her noticed her distraction and said, "Xiao Xiao, if you don't want to look at the pigs, then don't. Come and have some fruit with your uncle!"

At home, Chu Xiaoxiao held the iPad but showed no interest. She sighed helplessly as she thought about her father and brother.

Seeing her smug demeanor, Chu Xiaoyi, mindful of his dirty hands, refrained from ruffling her hair and could only respond with a mix of amusement and irritation: "It's not like you can play basketball, so what are you so proud of? You can't even hit the ball; maybe you can act all high and mighty when you actually know how to play."

In the eyes of Chu Xiaoyi, his father, Chu Jiadong, is a dull and obstinate person. He seems to have no particular talents or hobbies, yet he occasionally boasts about himself and enjoys belittling the interests of others to showcase his own profound insights. Chu Xiaoyi used to enjoy playing the guitar, but Chu Jiadong dismissed it as worthless, leaving Chu Xiaoyi with no desire to share anything with his father.

You are all indispensable treasures to your father, but your father is never a perfect father; he can only strive to become a better father continuously

But he cannot do this; he has not yet had the opportunity to prove anything, and Chu Jiadong has already begun to age gradually

Chu Xiaoxiao did not understand why things were so complicated, and for the moment, she could not come up with a solution, so she could only follow her father home

Chu Xiaoxiao shouted excitedly at the edge of the court: "Go, Dad! Go, Dad!"

The eyes of the youngest daughter resembled bright jewels, shimmering with a delicate light. A hint of hesitation and anticipation shone through her gaze, as if she hoped he would deny it with words

Uncle is cutting oranges, dividing them into juicy pieces. Chu Xiaoxiao is nestled by the table watching, and suddenly asks: "Uncle, will your father hit you?"

Once the right time is missed, there is no longer any meaning in confiding.

Chu Xiaoxiao crossed her arms over her chest. Upon hearing about her father's mistakes, she anxiously analyzed the situation for him: "Indeed, you have made a significant error. Have you apologized to your brother?"

Therefore, Chu Xiaoyi had never played ball with his father in the past, as playing ball did not have a direct benefit for studying

Chu Jiadong smiled awkwardly: "The methods that grandfather taught to father probably do not apply to elder brother."