Traveling was exceedingly tedious, but Zhang Xiaohua did not ask for much. As long as he had books to read every day, he did not mind whether he was in a carriage or in his own little room.
On the contrary, without farmwork to do, he had far more time for reading.
The carriages traveled on for another dozen-odd days. During that time, Shi Niu's singing never ceased. At first, everyone appreciated it; later, they grew sick of it; in the end, they could endure it no longer. Manor Lord Ou finally stepped in. Under his restraint, Shi Niu stopped for about half a day. Yet when evening neared and he saw the brilliant sunset clouds on the horizon, Shi Niu still could not hold back and raised his voice in song again. Ou Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. Only by having Aunt Qin keep her company could she ease the vexation in her heart somewhat. As for those behind them, first, they pulled a little farther away; second, after listening for so long, they had become accustomed to it. They simply treated it as a gigantic human-shaped crow cawing away.
During the first few days, after settling in each night, Zhang Xiaohua would drag He Tianshu out to find a place to practice his fist techniques. But He Tianshu seemed to have learned his lesson from going out on the first day and always declined. Zhang Xiaohua could only go out to practice alone. After several days of this, he grew curious and secretly asked He Tianshu why while they were traveling.
He Tianshu smiled and asked Zhang Xiaohua whether he had seen any of the other accompanying disciples go out to practice their fists, or practice in the courtyard. After thinking carefully, Zhang Xiaohua