Martial arts school
On the last day of the National Day holiday, Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin had gotten quite good at selling things. After delivering the river snails, Lin Er wandered around the square.
She had already picked up today's money, and she didn't want to go back yet. Lin Huihui was being looked after by Great-Grandpa's family, so she could return later.
She had only walked down one little street when she saw an old man teaching four or five children to practice martial arts.
Lin Er took a look. There was no sign and no matching uniforms. A little disappointed, she figured it was probably a family tradition.
After walking a few more steps, she suddenly heard one of the children call him teacher. Lin Er hesitated for two seconds, then turned back to look at the old man.
"Sir, are you still taking students?"
The old man paused and looked Lin Er over. His expression softened a little.
"I am, but learning martial arts is very tiring. Do you still want to learn?"
Lin Er hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. She nodded eagerly, then hesitated. "I do, but I go to middle school in Bujia Town."
It was far away, and she could only come one or two days a week.
The old man understood some of what she meant and frowned, looking as though he wanted to refuse.
"It's also a bit expensive, a hundred a day. Would your family be willing to pay for you to sign up?" A teenager suddenly came out of the house behind them. He had a rather fierce-looking face and looked down at Lin Er.
"Xiao Qiang, what are you saying?" The old man glared at him, then turned back to Lin Er. "If you want to learn, you can bring your parents or guardians here."
Lin Er looked Xiao Qiang over, wondering whether he would still be able to listen so calmly when people called him by that name once it became popular.
Then she looked seriously at the old man. "I have my own money. I can decide how to spend eight hundred a month, but I can only come eight days a month."
Neither of them spoke. The children taking a break from practice sneaked glances their way. Clearly, no one believed her.
"You'd better bring an adult from your family. Even if I take you on, an adult has to come."
What did eight hundred mean? At the time, someone who went to Guangdong to work in a factory would work themselves to the bone for only five or six hundred a month.
It wasn't that there were no wealthy families, but it was a considerable sum. No one would dare accept it from a child just like that.
Lin Er nodded helplessly. "All right, then. I'll go back and talk to my family. If they agree, does that mean I can come and learn?"
People who read a lot of novels tended to romanticize reclusive talents like this.
So what if there was no shop sign? Good wine needed no signboard, no matter how deep the alley!
So what if there were no matching practice uniforms? This was a small private class that hadn't gone commercial!
So what if it was expensive? He had real skills!
After making arrangements with them, Lin Er ran back to the square.
What son or daughter of China didn't dream of martial arts? Even if she didn't become all that formidable, learning to fight would still be good.
She couldn't have no fighting ability at all. Magic could easily make her overconfident, but she couldn't use it openly.
When you had no ability, no standing, and didn't want to suffer in silence, force was a good solution.
Even setting all that aside, it would be good just to get stronger and healthier.
When she reached the square, Grandpa Lin and the others had sold almost everything. They all frowned when they saw Lin Er coming over.
"Why haven't you gone back yet? It's dark already. Where are you going to find a ride now?"
Lin Er had only come to help deliver the goods. She usually left in time to catch the last bus back to town, but she still hadn't gone, and now there were no more buses.
"Grandpa, I'll go back with you later, but there's something I need to talk to you about. Can you come over for a moment?"
The moment Grandma Lin heard that, she knew Lin Er was about to stir up trouble. She glared and was about to shout, but a few more people arrived to buy snails, so she hurriedly turned back to work.
Lin Er pulled Grandpa Lin over to the martial arts master's place, explaining the situation on the way.
"I'll pay the tuition myself, and I'll only come to learn on Saturdays and Sundays. Could you not tell Grandma?"
Grandpa Lin stopped at the entrance to the alley and refused to move. "That won't do. It's so far away. How could we feel at ease with you coming to the city alone?"
"It's fine, Grandpa. I've come here lots of times already. I promise I'll go straight to class after I get off the bus, and I'll take the bus home as soon as class ends. I absolutely won't wander around the city!"
Grandpa Lin still wasn't willing. If she were a boy, that would be one thing. Eleven or twelve wasn't that young, but Lin Er was a girl.
How long had it been peaceful out there? Kidnappers hadn't disappeared from their area yet.
"Please, Grandpa. Besides, aren't you still coming here to sell snails? I can go back with you!"
Normal persuasion hadn't worked, so Lin Er started putting on another pitiful act.
"I just want to get better at fighting so I won't be bullied. Last time, when I was beaten black and blue, I didn't even dare tell you the details when I got home. When you went to school, my teacher must have told you, right?"
Grandpa Lin wavered a little and looked down at Lin Er's little face, which was finally clean.
"I'm going to middle school so close to home, and people can still bully me. Later, I'll have to come to the city for high school, and I might even go to another province for college. When I'm out there alone, won't you be afraid someone will bully me?"
Grandpa Lin stroked her head and sighed. "Learning martial arts is very tiring, and what can you learn from just a few days a month? You're a girl. Why do you want to learn martial arts?"
"I'm not afraid of getting tired!" Lin Er looked earnestly at Grandpa Lin. "Besides, girls are the ones who should learn martial arts. We're not as strong as boys, so learning moves and techniques for applying force would help us protect ourselves better.
"Even if I can't win a fight, I'll be fit, and I can run fast!
"Things aren't like they used to be, when girls couldn't travel far from home, and no matter how far away they went, it was never all that far.
"I want to go to a good university someday. I want to leave the province, travel, and see so many places. Grandpa, I want to go out and see the world.
"No one can stay by my side and protect me forever. You and Grandma can't, and neither can Mom and Dad. It's best if I can protect myself."
Grandpa Lin didn't know what he was thinking of. In the end, he gave in without a word and let her pull him into the alley.
The two old men sat in the house, talking about who knew what. Only then did Lin Er notice that the younger grandpa was quite tall too, with his back held ramrod straight.
Xiao Qiang was leading the younger children through some stretches. Seeing that Lin Er had actually brought someone back, he couldn't help growing curious. "Did your family come to the city to visit relatives?"
"No." Lin Er tilted her head to glance at him, then turned back to look inside the house. "My grandparents came to the city to sell snails, and I came with them."
Xiao Qiang paused in the middle of patting his shoulder, and a "holy shit" slipped out.
"The stall in the park where two people sell snails together belongs to your grandparents?"
Over the past few days, Lin Er had indeed noticed that her grandparents' stall was the only one with two people selling together. Everywhere else, one person tended the stall alone.
"Yes. Have you bought some too?"
Xiao Qiang nodded and gave her an envious look.
"They're really good. You must have eaten them loads of times at home!"
They were just a little expensive. He had only had a taste when his grandpa bought some to eat with his drinks, and when he bought them himself, he could only bring himself to buy a cup at a time. The field snails were fairly big and quick to eat, so they were gone in no time.