At noon, the sun shone brightly, casting the world into sharp contrasts of light and shadow.
In Qin Family Village, at the Village West Courtyard, Qin Xu once again held his bronze sword and demonstrated the second form of Basic Sword Technique to Qin Yi.
"Thrust."
Qin Yi carefully observed. The Young Master deliberately slowed his movements so Qin Yi could watch more closely.
Qin Xu's feet were slightly apart, shoulder-width, left hand holding the sword, right hand pressing on the hilt—just like the beginning stance of the "Chop Sword" from yesterday.
With a flick of his right hand, the sword moved. Qin Xu lowered his body slightly; the hilt was vertical to his body inward, and the tip pointed outward. At this moment, his center of gravity was at its lowest, roughly the same as the end of yesterday's chopping move.
He paused briefly, then leaned forward, and with his right hand, slanted the sword upward and thrust forward like a released arrow, moving in a straight line.
After another pause, he slowly withdrew the sword back into its sheath and asked, "Did you see it clearly?"
Qin Yi nodded seriously.
"Then start practicing on your own. Just like yesterday, first adjust the move, then use it as your standard and practice it a thousand times."
"Yes, Young Master."
Qin Yi first imitated Qin Xu's movements completely. Then, using his own judgment, he made micro-adjustments. Thanks to yesterday's experience, by the second repetition, he had already made the necessary adjustments.
He then began practicing the sword thrust:
"One!"
"Two!"
After just two thrusts, Qin Yi stopped and looked down at his feet.
It seemed that his shoes were a bit tight.
After thinking for a moment, he simply took them off, stood barefoot on the ground, and continued with two more thrusts. After making micro-adjustments again, he continued counting.
"Three!"
"Four!"
At this moment, Huang Lao also noticed. He transmitted a message to Qin Xu:
"Young Master, after just one day of sword practice, Da Tou's shoes no longer fit. He's still growing, and children change every day. Should we prepare new clothes and shoes for him?"
From the moment one starts martial training, the body seems to enter a phase like adolescence—a period of rapid growth.
Qin Xu knew this of course, but he had never paid much attention to clothes and shoes.
Being the Young Master, he naturally had people to handle mundane matters.
Only when he saw Da Tou practicing barefoot, like Huang Lao, did he realize the importance of these details.
"Alright," Qin Xu nodded immediately.
From the moment Da Tou became his Sword-Holding Boy, he was effectively under Qin Xu's responsibility.
His clothing, food, and living needs were all Qin Xu's responsibility.
"Prepare bigger sizes, and prepare extra."
Qin Xu thought for a moment—sending supplies would take time and be a hassle—so he added:
"Better to be thorough in one trip."
At noon in Qin Family Village, in front of the courtyard of a house on the south side, the matchmaker had just sent off Wang the carpenter and stepped inside.
Inside sat a woman of about twenty, quietly sewing a shoe sole, her head lowered. She looked calm, with none of the usual demeanor of someone meeting a prospective groom.
Truly, the emperor may be anxious, but the eunuch need not be.
The matchmaker, growing impatient, asked:
"Hui Niang, what do you think of Wang the carpenter?"
Before Hui Niang could answer, the matchmaker continued like a machine gun:
"Only in your early twenties, yet such fine woodworking! He's famous across these neighboring villages."
"Especially the iron bamboo arrow he made—it's extraordinary. I hear it's precisely because of this that the village elders allowed him to settle in Qin Family Village."
"With skills like that, Wang's household is well-off. If you marry him, you won't suffer. Plus, he's handsome and has a gentle reputation."
"I know. In our village, women don't worry about marriage, but you return to your natal home with a child, and your conditions are strict…"
"After marriage, you must live in Qin Family Village. Any boys born must carry your ex-husband's surname to continue the family line; any girls must carry your surname on the family registry…"
"Hui Niang, with conditions this strict, how many would agree?"
"Given Wang's looks, status, and family, is there anyone better in all the surrounding villages?"
"After this village, there's no such opportunity."
"Hui Niang, I've said so much. Just say a word!"
Hui Niang, using a thimble, pierced the sole of the shoe and, without lifting her head, replied casually:
"I don't care about wealth. But he has a son who's already aware of things… I worry…"
The matchmaker heard this and realized the matter was halfway settled. She laughed:
"Oh, it's just a three-year-old child. Even if he's aware, he grew up in our village. With so many Qin family elders watching, he wouldn't dare disrespect you."
After finishing the last stitch, Hui Niang bit the thread, hesitated a moment, then said:
"As for Nan Nan…"
The matchmaker slapped her thigh and laughed:
"Ah, your daughter Nan Nan? I asked her before—she fully agrees to your remarriage."
Hui Niang frowned slightly, displeased, but considering the matchmaker's seniority and enthusiasm, she said nothing further.
She put down the shoe sole and, with a slightly trembling but as calm as possible voice, said:
"My reputation…"
The matchmaker snorted:
"Reputation? Only foolish people believe in that. Our Qin family background—who cares?"
At this point, the matchmaker realized—this had been her heart's worry all along.
Indeed.
Hui Niang had a difficult life. She grew up in the Hou Mansion with her father, who later died. Her mother returned with her to Qin Family Village, and a few years later, when she was 13 or 14, her mother passed away.
At sixteen, Hui Niang married a husband she liked and left the village, but he died a few years later. Without a son and embroiled in inheritance disputes, she endured hardships in her in-laws' home and had to return to Qin Family Village with her daughter.
The village elders had even traveled hundreds of miles to support her and help recover some of her property.
The matchmaker sighed:
"You're worried Wang might believe something? Hui Niang, this isn't a secret. Wang has lived here for over half a year. How could he not find out? If he believed it, he would have agreed. Call me 'Aunt', and I wouldn't harm you. If you truly didn't want to, I'd find another suitor. But with your beauty and character, you wouldn't have trouble marrying. Let's wait a bit; I'd find someone even better for you."
Hui Niang was silent for a long while. She sighed and shook her head:
"No need. Let it be him."
The matchmaker immediately clapped her thigh, laughing:
"Ah~ that's the right answer! I'll reply to Wang now and get him ready. I'll carefully select a lucky day to hold this wedding properly for you all."
(End of Chapter)