In the morning, in the poor district south of Tian Ruo City, inside the Book and Painting Shop's secret chamber.
Zhang San was sitting cross-legged on the floor and gently exhaled, opening his eyes.
He raised his palm, urged his palm strength, and Zhang San shattered an iron plate in the secret chamber from a distance, splitting the iron plate cleanly into several pieces.
But Zhang San frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Didn't shatter it? I clearly succeeded before."
After 'casually trying' for a period of time, combined with the accumulation from before arriving at Tian Ruo City, Zhang San's inner strength kept breaking through the upper limit of the early Heaven stage. He was vaguely almost at the Sky stage level.
But practicing again and again, there was always that slight lack...
There wasn't yet that feeling of smooth sailing and sudden enlightenment.
But martial arts prodigy Zhang San still expected that in three to five days at the shortest, or more than ten days at the longest, his Sky stage inner strength should be ready.
At that time with Sky stage inner strength, plus lightness skill, Zhang San would also officially step into the realm of martial arts masters.
Speaking of which, this Decent Sect, passed down for hundreds of years, because White Crane Flies and Iron Cloth Shirt were both martial arts with frighteningly high limits, they also required extremely strong inner strength and large amounts of time to temper.
Normal disciples, like Zhang San's master and grandmaster, would solely cultivate either inner strength and Iron Cloth Shirt, or inner strength and White Crane Flies.
But because Zhang San was afraid of death, oh no, was cautious, he cultivated them all. Fortunately Zhang San really was a martial arts prodigy. In just over twenty years, he was about to become a master of the generation.
Zhang San got up and stretched his muscles and bones a bit. His mind was already scheming:
"This Lu Gaosheng hasn't come to find me recently, but people are still watching me, so he probably hasn't relaxed his vigilance against me. He's either not plotting something or has been tied up by something."
"But this is perfect. When I cultivate to Sky stage inner strength, what can he do to me? Speaking of which, should I kill him before running away with Wang Xiaoer? Although I've never revealed my true face and voice before him, I still feel like he's trouble."
Whenever he thought of Lu Gaosheng, Zhang San always felt that he was much more threatening than anyone like Lin Nu or Hei Shanke.
While thinking this, he walked out of the secret chamber.
In the hall, Zhang San saw the note Wang Xiaoer had left saying that breakfast was ready for master, and he had some business to take care of outside.
Zhang San silently cursed, "This little bastard making decisions first and reporting later must have gone to find that Bai Xiaoyu again!"
But while cursing, the sense of distaste deep in Zhang San's heart had eased somewhat after that New Year's Eve dinner.
Aside from truly feeling a trace of sympathy for Bai Fang and her daughter, it was mainly because ever since getting to know Bai Xiaoyu, especially after that incident with the three rogues, Wang Xiaoer's martial arts progress had been extremely fast!
Sometimes late at night, Zhang San could even sense Wang Xiaoer in the secret chamber, carrying several huge boulders to temper his Iron Cloth Shirt.
Things going back and forth like this, Zhang San had postponed the 'Second Wang Xiaoer Sexual Values Correction Plan' until after leaving Tian Ruo City...
...
...
At the same time in the tofu shop, Bai Fang heard a knock at the door.
Ming Qing stood outside the door. After knocking, he tidied his clothes again, afraid there was somewhere he was being impolite. His expression was very happy.
Because this was the first time in six years Bai Fang had called for him. Although he wasn't home yesterday, when he heard about this from the steward last night, he was still uncontrollably happy.
As Bai Fang slowly opened the door, Ming Qing smiled and said, "You asked for me? Do you need help with something?"
Bai Fang's expression was as calm as ever. But this time, looking at Ming Qing, she couldn't speak for a long time.
"What's wrong?" Ming Qing asked puzzledly.
Bai Fang said, "Are you...willing to marry me?"
Ming Qing froze in place.
In the early spring streets with few people, aside from Bai Fang, no one saw Ming Qing's dumbstruck expression.
"You...you..."
Ming Qing 'you'd for a while, unable to say any other words.
Bai Fang looked up, about to ask something...
But she saw Ming Qing suddenly jump!
Then Ming Qing ran to the opposite side of the street, and swiftly ran back.
Just as Bai Fang was puzzled by what Ming Qing was doing, this middle-aged man actually stretched out his hand and directly slapped himself!
Slap!
Not just one slap. The next moment, he slapped himself again.
Bai Fang quickly stopped him, "What are you doing! Stop!"
But Ming Qing foolishly smiled and immediately asked somewhat timidly, "What you just said, is it true?"
Bai Fang nodded.
"Is it true?"
Bai Fang nodded again.
"It's really really true?!"
Bai Fang nodded, "I won't lie to you."
"Hahaha... It's true! It's really true!! I'm not dreaming! I'm really not dreaming!" Ming Qing laughed loudly.
A middle-aged man acting like a child, cavorting in the streets. Anyone seeing this would probably laugh.
Watching this scene, Bai Fang didn't ask what she had wanted to ask.
What she had wanted to ask earlier was, I don't have many days left, and I have a daughter who's a criminal's child. Do you mind?
But now it seemed these questions were meaningless.
Ming Qing calmed down and happily said to Bai Fang, "Then...then wait a moment. I'll immediately go find a matchmaker. We can't skip a single one of the three letters and six etiquettes! Right, for the bride price, let me go home and see how much silver I still have left. Right, also! What style do you like your wedding clothes to be? What kind of bridal sedan do you like? I'll definitely get everything as you like!"
Bai Fang silently lowered her head and softly said, "I don't need so many things."
Ming Qing quickly waved his hand and said, "Can't do that! You are...his daughter! I definitely can't mistreat you. To be honest with you, ever since I was little I've thought about many things regarding our wedding, especially when I was 16 years old..."
Speaking of that year, Ming Qing froze for a moment.
Bai Fang also looked up at Ming Qing puzzledly.
Ming Qing felt ashamed under Bai Fang's gaze. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and embarrassedly said, "Actually that year before going to take the county exam, I secretly, without my family knowing, had a gold bracelet made. I thought that if I passed the county exam, when I went to the capital, I would ask your mother for your hand in marriage. But in the end...I didn't pass the exam."
Ming Qing awkwardly laughed.
Just like over ten years ago, when he failed the county exam and came home, feeling extremely disappointed in his heart, yet still forced himself to act like it was nothing in front of that young girl.
Back then, the young man's forced smile was just as unnatural as now.
He wasn't someone who understood how to conceal what was inside.
But actually back then, that young man had secretly kept a gold bracelet on him the entire time. It was just that he didn't dare take it out.
The bracelet was still in his home, preserved undamaged for over twenty years, just like someone's image, preserved undamaged in his heart for over twenty years.
...
...
Wang Xiaoer was originally in the backyard helping Bai Xiaoyu practice making tofu, but faintly heard voices at the front door. As a gossip lover, he immediately sneaked to the corner between the backyard and front door.
Peeking his head out, Wang Xiaoer only saw Ming Qing and Bai Fang talking at the door. Ming Qing especially had an inspired expression, talking about all kinds of things related to getting married.
What a coincidence, in Wang Xiaoer's peripheral vision, he also saw a big black dog on the empty early morning street, gnawing on a bone without much meat left.
Wang Xiaoer looked at Bai Fang, then looked at the bone.
Wang Xiaoer looked at Ming Qing saying things like 'I'll immediately go home and prepare the proposal gifts', then looked at the big black dog.
But Wang Xiaoer didn't come to the same conclusion as his master Zhang San.
Zhang San's conclusion was: How is my disciple like a dog.
However, Wang Xiaoer only thought: If there were no bones in this world, a dog's dog life, even if it could live seventy or eighty years like a person, would definitely be very boring.
Zhang San would never understand a dog's love for bones.
But looking at Ming Qing's pathetic appearance, Wang Xiaoer still couldn't help sighing. How many great men had fallen to this extent for 'love'.
Not like him, Wang Xiaoer. His relationship with Bai Xiaoyu was always led by him, Wang Xiaoer.
I, Wang Xiaoer, am truly a role model for men! Wang Xiaoer secretly praised himself.
As he was thinking, an annoyed shout came from the backyard: "Wang Xiaoer! Where did you run off to? Didn't you say you were going to help me?!"
A beauty was calling.
Wang Xiaoer immediately turned his head with a delighted smile across his face. He hopped and skipped as he ran over to Bai Xiaoyu.
Lick until the very end, get everything you desire!