A bright morning dawned again.
Campus life was joyous.
In the teachers' office, a few teachers were chatting happily during their free time.
"Su Tang in your class is no pushover. If you entrust the champion to her, can she handle it?"
On the chair outside the campus mini-mart, Su Tang sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Tingting, both enjoying ice cream.
"The homeroom teacher of your class is no pushover either. She entrusts Zhang Xiao'ao to you, and you still have to tutor him. Where will you find time to handle cases?" Jiang Tingting said worriedly.
"It's fine. I haven't signed any military orders stating he must improve by a certain amount," Su Tang said nonchalantly. "I'll teach him when I have time, and let him laze around when I don't."
In the teachers' office.
"Don't worry, I know Su Tang's character too well. She's just like her unlucky master," Su Tang's homeroom teacher said mysteriously. "That kid Zhang Xiao'ao learned archery at four. He doesn't have much talent, but relies on the rigid principles taught by his elders and his own diligence. You know, half of the kids who stick to rigid principles, hahaha, are actually the most obedient. Su Tang might not be serious, but Zhang Xiao'ao certainly is."
On campus, Zhang Xiao'ao suddenly appeared, holding a junior high English textbook, and stood in front of Su Tang with a serious expression.
"Classmate Su, when will my tutoring start?" Zhang Xiao'ao said righteously. "I've waited for you for three days voluntarily. You haven't actively sought me out, which is not good."
Su Tang looked at the older brother in front of her as if he were an idiot.
Brother, your youth is beautiful. You're already going to university, can't you find some other pleasure? Isn't it nice to have a good nap in the sun?
Seeing Su Tang remained silent, Zhang Xiao'ao suddenly tucked his book into his waist, and then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he picked Su Tang up like a sack of grain and ran towards the classroom without a word.
"Holy cow, reckless! Straightforward! Savage! I love it!" Jiang Tingting's eyes widened as she watched the bewildered Su Tang being carried away, almost shouting with excitement.
This was the first time Su Tang had been so intimately touched. Her face turned crimson. By the time she reacted, the eyes of the entire campus were on her.
"Put me down, put me down!" Su Tang let out a pig-like scream.
In the classroom, Su Tang stood with her arms crossed, glaring fiercely at Zhang Xiao'ao, who sat there with a serious expression.
"Let's start quickly. My English isn't that bad, actually. I can write and spell, just not read. Please start from the first lesson," Zhang Xiao'ao said, showing no embarrassment and discussing tutoring content with Su Tang.
"Are you doing this on purpose?" Su Tang gritted her teeth, enraged by his lack of shame.
"The teacher said that if you agree, you must fulfill it. On our grassland, this is called a promise, and it must be kept even unto death," Zhang Xiao'ao insisted on his own way.
"I'm leaving now. If you dare to chase me, I'll kill you," Su Tang was truly angry. She swayed and stood up, walking towards the sports field without looking back.
Watching Su Tang leave, Zhang Xiao'ao felt belittled and was a little annoyed. He swayed and also stood up, chasing after her.
On campus, Su Tang walked quickly, just wanting to leave the school as soon as possible.
Zhang Xiao'ao, thinking about his studies, stubbornly chased after her.
"Pa—"
Finally, Zhang Xiao'ao, with his long legs, caught up with Su Tang and slapped her on the shoulder.
"Su, listen to me—" Before Zhang Xiao'ao could finish speaking, an enraged Su Tang finally counterattacked.
Without looking back, Su Tang clasped Zhang Xiao'ao's hands tightly with hers, then executed a beautiful turn, using his force against him to drag the surprised Zhang Xiao'ao to the ground. An Jing had taught her a complete set of self-defense techniques for women. That move was just the beginning.
Indeed, seeing Zhang Xiao'ao fall to the ground, Su Tang didn't let go. As he instinctively raised his head after falling, she seized the moment and rammed her knee directly into his jaw. Finally, with another graceful turn, she subdued his hand and then sat on his back.
"Do you submit or not?" Su Tang asked fiercely, pinning Zhang Xiao'ao's hand.
"You attacked sneakily, not a hero." Zhang Xiao'ao, with a bleeding nose, never expected that such a delicate-looking young girl could perform such a beautiful grappling technique.
"Still not submitting!" Su Tang chuckled and casually grabbed Zhang Xiao'ao's little finger on his left hand, bending it backward onto his hand with a crack.
Well, if you're going to do something, do it thoroughly! After spending so much time with Da Shu, Lao Yuan, and Lao Fang, she knew what it meant to be ruthless. If she didn't subdue him completely this time, there would be endless trouble later.
Zhang Xiao'ao never dreamed that the girl riding on his back could be so vicious. His little finger was probably broken, and the piercing pain made him struggle madly.
"Aiya ah ah ah!" Zhang Xiao'ao tried to break free from Su Tang, but Su Tang held his hand tightly, using skillful force. Despite his strenuous efforts, he couldn't break free.
"I'll ask you again, do you submit?" Su Tang had decided to go all out today. She couldn't let this grudge go unavenged. She released his little finger and grabbed his ring finger.
"No!" Zhang Xiao'ao was also a tough person. Being caught by a little girl today was a humiliation, a waste of his strength. Even though he was at a disadvantage, he stubbornly refused to admit defeat.
"You want to be stubborn!" Su Tang said fiercely and then bent it down without hesitation.
"Ah!" This time, it hurt even more than before. Zhang Xiao'ao cried out in pain. The students who had gathered to watch the spectacle were initially amused, but now they were all frightened by Su Tang's ruthlessness. A few quick-witted ones quickly went to find a teacher.
"You're an archer, so I won't touch your other fingers!" Su Tang, having landed a blow, switched hands and firmly pressed down on Zhang Xiao'ao's ribs.
"I'll ask you one last time, and you don't have to say whether you submit or not. Apologize to me, and today's matter will be forgotten. Don't disturb me again!" Su Tang threatened, "Alright?"
"No! You are my, teacher arranged, must, give me!" Zhang Xiao'ao couldn't bear the pain and his speech became intermittent. However, the phrase "you are mine" was heard by many.
Hey! You have guts, still daring to flirt with me at this point!
Su Tang didn't say another word, and with a claw-like grip, she dug into his ribs.
"Aiya ah ah ah ah!" The pain in his ribs was worse than childbirth. An Jing had taught Su Tang this technique, and Su Tang was pushed to her limit, operating it for the first time.
Even the strongest man couldn't endure this. Zhang Xiao'ao trembled all over in pain, immobilized. He even slammed his head hard on the ground. After a few thuds, his head was covered in blood.
The teachers finally arrived, and Su Tang wisely let go.
"Su Tang! What are you doing!" The homeroom teacher was furious. This was a promising athlete! How dare she injure his fingers? Wouldn't that ruin his future?
"He molested me first. You can check the surveillance cameras if you don't believe me." Su Tang had anticipated that the big guy would chase after her, so she deliberately led him to a place with the most students and surveillance cameras. Her master had told her to always leave herself an escape route.
"Yes, we saw it. This classmate grabbed Su Tang first," a few honest students stepped forward.
"You guys step back and call 120!" At this moment, regardless of who was right or wrong, Zhang Xiao'ao's injuries were the most important.
"Su Tang, I can see that you are truly ruthless!" The homeroom teacher said with trembling hands, weakly.
"I was only defending myself. Ask the classmates, he molested me first, and then carried me to the classroom in front of everyone. I escaped, and he chased me to the sports field and touched me inappropriately," Su Tang said righteously. "I have classmates to testify, and I'm not afraid wherever I go. I told you, you can check the surveillance cameras and see if your precious champion made the first move."
While waiting for the ambulance, the school nurse began tending to Zhang Xiao'ao, who was writhing on the ground in pain.
"It hurts, it hurts!" Perhaps Su Tang's attack was indeed too heavy. Zhang Xiao'ao's pain seemed endless. The sweat beads, mixed with the bloodstains on his forehead, looked somewhat shocking.
"I don't need to watch the surveillance footage. I know you're right. You've already planned it, haven't you?" The homeroom teacher looked at Zhang Xiao'ao, who was rolling on the ground, and said to Su Tang with a gasp. "Su Tang, congratulations! You've finally learned your master's superb skills! You're now just like your scoundrel master. You're too smart, so smart it's annoying!"
Seemingly realizing that she might have been a little wrong, Su Tang looked at Zhang Xiao'ao guiltily, her mind blank. However, her intuition told her that she was probably wrong.
"Do you know why he didn't look for you for tutoring these past three days, but only today?" The homeroom teacher watched as the school nurse carried Zhang Xiao'ao towards the infirmary and quickly followed. After a few steps, she turned back and shouted to Su Tang, "Because you said he smelled on the first day. Do you know that this child took six baths in three days just to study with you! Six times! His skin has been rubbed raw! You, you, Su Tang! You are a scoundrel!"
Zhang Xiao'ao, wailing, was carried away. The bell for class rang, and the students who had seen enough of the commotion returned to their classrooms.
Su Tang stood there, stunned, unmoving, like a statue.
No wonder she didn't smell anything odd today.
But, but, even if you wanted to find me, was your method too extreme?
I'm a girl, how could you carry me like that?
A beast?
I didn't do anything wrong, but why do I feel so upset?
A tear rolled down Su Tang's cheek, falling to the ground and scattering into small blossoms, resembling the remorse of youth.
Ping An, lying in bed, naturally knew nothing of this.
An Jing, as Su Tang's legal guardian, arrived at the school after receiving a call.
In the dimly lit corridor, Su Tang stood straight against the wall outside the classroom office.
In the office, An Jing, who was not good with words, listened calmly to the teacher's account.
Mei Qian, feeling awkward, kept apologizing as her uncle.
Before long, Gao Xiaofei and Gao Da, who had heard the news, also rushed over with a large platter of fruit.
The teacher was right, academic performance was only one part of a student's overall assessment. Under a comprehensive evaluation of moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic development, Su Tang could indeed be expelled! Given Su Tang's actions today, which constituted assault, she could even be sent to a juvenile detention center for re-education after expulsion.
The teacher's words were laced with threats, veiled with disappointment, and tinged with helplessness.
An Jing remained silent, listening.
Finally, the teacher finished speaking, and Mei Qian apologized profusely for all that he knew. Gao Xiaofei earnestly mentioned every contact he knew in the education system, hoping to leverage their connections. Even the most honest Gao Da quietly held a large envelope, looking for an opportunity to slip it into the teacher's hand.
"Don't do this. Ping An and I grew up in the same compound. He even fought for me when he was little. Our relationship isn't any less than yours," the homeroom teacher said, looking at An Jing. "Sister, legally, you are the guardian. I failed to teach this girl well, and that's my fault! As a teacher, I've said what I needed to say. As a sister, I will protect you as much as I can. The injured child is an athlete who receives national subsidies. Even if your Director Xiang or Aunt An were here, it might not be easy to handle."
"Sister, I've caused you trouble this time," An Jing said, bowing deeply to the homeroom teacher, disregarding her pregnant belly.
"Don't do that, you're pregnant," the homeroom teacher sighed. "How about this: have the girl write a self-criticism tonight, and then you go and proactively talk to Zhang Xiao'ao's father. Alas, two of his fingers were broken. The hospital just sent a message; the doctor worked desperately to save them."
"Okay, I'll listen to you, Sister," An Jing remained calm.
"Su Tang, come in," An Jing suddenly called out to the outside.
Su Tang, looking dejected, walked in with her head down.
"Lift your head. Are you hurt?" An Jing looked at Su Tang, her face dusty and grimy, and somewhat heartbroken, she helped her tidy her hair.
"Aunt, I'm fine. Zhang Xiao'ao's fingers are actually fine. I held back my strength and didn't go all out..." Su Tang said a little aggrievedly.
"Sigh," An Jing sighed and stroked Su Tang's face.
Then—"Slap!"
An Jing slapped Su Tang across the face.
Judging by the sound, An Jing had used her full strength.
When a person who has practiced martial arts for years uses their full strength.
Su Tang's face began to swell visibly.
"Hey! Why are you hitting the child!" The first to react was Gao Da. Over the years, Gao Da had come to regard Su Tang as his own granddaughter, even closer than his own grandson. Seeing An Jing hit Su Tang now, his heart ached, and he quickly stepped forward to embrace the child.
"Grand Aunt, was that necessary!" Mei Qian also looked pained.
"Get some ice water and apply it quickly, oh my!" Gao Xiaofei was also anxious and searched everywhere for ice water.
"Sister, don't use ice, the more it swells, the better. Let's go now, to the hospital, to visit Zhang Xiao'ao," An Jing said decisively as the legal guardian.
The group, surrounding Su Tang, walked out of the school.
Before getting into the car, An Jing suddenly spotted a group of hooligans in the school alley.
"You guys get in the car first." After signaling Mei Qian, An Jing walked towards the hooligans.
"Da Shu, Lao Yuan, Lao Fang, I know the three of you are hiding inside. Come out," An Jing shouted loudly towards the alley entrance.
As expected, Da Shu, Lao Yuan, and Lao Fang, pushing and nudging each other, walked out.
"I know you care about that girl Su Tang, and for the past two years, thanks to your care, she's appeared to be rough around the edges but has actually lived under your meticulous attention. It's precisely because of this that I've been able to keep Su Tang with you," An Jing said. "This time, please don't interfere with Su Tang's matter. She needs to grow up and learn to face things. Neither you nor we can take care of her forever. If Director Su were alive, he wouldn't dote on his daughter like this."
"Su Tang... we're unhappy to see her like this. Her face is swollen," Lao Yuan said sharply, expressing his displeasure.
"Lastly, I am Su Tang's legal guardian. You only know that Su Tang is in trouble today. Yes, she got into a fight today. She had a fierce fight on the sports field with an eighteen-year-old strong young man, but the slap mark on Su Tang's face was from me. The young man she fought is now lying in the hospital. How about that, are you happy? Doesn't your formidable Madam An make a move that's extraordinary? Do you want to get involved? Do you have any idea how many brothers you have working for my An Corporation? I am the current head of the An Corporation. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, my brother doesn't even need to use a bow and arrow to deal with you. Even with my pregnant belly, I can still take you down." After delivering her harsh words, An Jing turned and left. In fact, she couldn't help but do this. Su Tang was too young, what if someone with ulterior motives took advantage of this incident? Da Shu, Lao Yuan, and Lao Fang certainly wouldn't, but that didn't mean others wouldn't.
Watching An Jing walk away, Da Shu slowly turned to the group behind him and said, "I told you, this matter concerns her master and aunt, so we don't need to interfere. You all egged each other on, looking like you were standing up for justice and wanting to vent your anger for the Madam, but in reality, you were thinking of strengthening your own ranks and hitching a ride on the An Corporation's express train, right?"
It turned out that after hearing about this incident from Jiang Tingting that afternoon, Da Shu, Lao Yuan, and Lao Fang had gone from initial anger to calmness and finally realized that Su Tang was, after all, a student. After learning that Su Tang was basically unharmed, they decided to pretend ignorance. However, they didn't expect that by evening, Da Shu, who had initially contained the news, discovered a group of young people who were unwilling to accept the status quo rallying under the banner of avenging the Madam. Da Shu, with his keen mind, naturally knew that these people had ulterior motives, so he brought Lao Yuan and Lao Fang to follow them.
When An Jing and the others left the school, it was Da Shu who had secretly sent a text message. His purpose was the same as An Jing's: to prevent these ungrateful people from having any ideas about Su Tang. Therefore, the intelligent An Jing naturally played along with Da Shu and the others in a performance.
Zhang Xiao'ao, after experiencing the most humiliating fight of his life, felt completely dejected.
What kind of girl was this? She looked as beautiful as his mother, but lacked her mother's gentleness. Not only were her actions decisive, but they were also extremely ruthless. During the fight, although he stubbornly refused to admit it, he was actually convinced in his heart. That's how men on the grassland are; they can win and they can lose.
While being treated by the doctor, he thought his two fingers would surely be ruined. However, the doctor said that the other party had held back her strength and used skillful force. His fingers were only sprained, and the bones were not injured. Although he wouldn't use these two fingers for archery, if they were crippled, his entire hand would be affected.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiao'ao felt a sense of lingering fear, realizing that the girl had actually shown him some mercy. This fight was also his fault. He had wanted to scare her with his strength, but ended up being beaten to the point where he couldn't get up. His father had already made fun of him and instructed him that he was in the wrong first. Afterward, he would have to find a way to have a drink with her. Regardless, he would still be learning from her in the future. She had beaten him this time, and she had won! Having a drink together would resolve the matter, and they would be good brothers, or rather, good sisters? Good siblings? Anyway, that's how it was.
The naive Zhang Xiao'ao felt fortunate that his injuries were not severe and he didn't need to be hospitalized. He could now move to his relative's house to stay, with his father.
His father said that this relative owned a large house in Hechuan. Before going, they had already arranged it with the relative, but this relative was recently unwell and hospitalized. They were planning to visit after he was discharged, but upon hearing that Zhang Xiao'ao's father had arrived in Hechuan early, the relative immediately sent the key. After leaving the hospital, the father and son took a taxi and headed to the address provided by the relative.
On the way, Zhang Xiao'ao planned to ask his father for more money. There was no He Tao Lao Jiu in Hechuan. It would be inappropriate to invite a girl to drink with Men Dao Lo. So, he would invite her to drink expensive Moutai. It was a bit expensive; they would need at least four bottles for two people. Su Tang looked like she had trained in martial arts, so she could probably drink a jin of liquor. If they were on the grassland, he would roast a whole lamb for her, and if she beat him, he would give her the lamb's tail. Hmm...
Su Tang felt extremely guilty. The stinging pain on her face after being slapped by her aunt was unbearable, but her heart felt more at ease. Since her aunt had hit her, the matter was probably settled. However, going to see Zhang Xiao'ao now was a bit awkward. Su Tang naturally didn't take the teacher's threat of expulsion seriously. Relying on the skills she learned from her master, not going to university wouldn't be a bad thing. Being a detective would be better. Right, if the school really expelled her this time, that would be good too. She could open a milk tea shop with Da Shu and solve cases for fun.
When they arrived at the hospital, An Jing learned from the doctor that Zhang Xiao'ao's injuries were not serious and he had already left. This was strange. An Jing asked the teacher and learned that Zhang Xiao'ao had not returned to school either. Perhaps he was staying at a hotel with his father.
Finally, An Jing obtained Zhang Xiao'ao's father's phone number and called him.
"Huh, this number?" As An Jing dialed, she noticed that the phone number had a contact name.
"What's wrong?" Mei Qian asked curiously.
"How come this number is my Brother Ale's?" An Jing said in surprise.
The call connected, and the person who answered was indeed the Brother Ale An Jing mentioned. It turned out that Ping An and An Jing's father were genuine fellow disciples of this Brother Ale's father. Although the Ping family was Han Chinese, they were a clan that had lived on the grasslands for generations. It was said that Ping An and An Jing's ancestors were guards for a princess who married into the Song Dynasty. In any case, Ping's family had many friends on the grasslands. Ale's father was the eldest disciple of Ping An and An Jing's father. These two disciples grew up almost together and were more like brothers than cousins. Whenever Ping An and An Jing visited the grasslands as children, they stayed at Ale's house and were naturally very close to Brother Ale, who was a few years older than them. Later, Ping Ping had an accident, and Ale's father also passed away. The two families went their separate ways but maintained contact.
"Oh my, it turns out it was a misunderstanding! I was wondering who my dear girl was so fated with, to be the son of Brother Ale. Hahaha." An Jing, who was full of worry before the call, became cheerful after opening the phone, turning into a casual chat. Su Tang felt an indescribable sense of unease.
Indeed, after An Jing hung up, she looked at Su Tang with a look of disappointment and said, "No need to look. You're something else, bullying your own family. Let's go. Your master knew Brother Ale was coming, and since you've been staying with me, he gave them the key. They're at our place now."
"What? Our two families know each other?" Su Tang's jaw dropped.
"Yes. Zhang Xiao'ao, Zhang Xiao'ao. I thought he was Han Chinese, but unexpectedly, he's one of our own," An Jing said happily. "That's good. Your master has already arranged for Zhang Xiao'ao to live with us. You two must get along well from now on, understand?"
"Ah? Living together?" Su Tang's mouth opened wide. This was no joke. Living at the same table was one thing, but living together?