Chapter 27

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Days of rest, every minute and every second seem to be hurriedly carried away by a gust of clear breeze, letting one have no time to savor them carefully before they have quietly passed. And that class time, every second appears so long and agonizing, as if without end. This is the unique feeling in Qianqian's heart at this moment; she is staring blankly in a daze, yet her thoughts have long since drifted far away.

She started pondering what delicious food to go eat after school in the afternoon. Just as she was immersed in her own fantasy, dazedly spacing out, suddenly that usually stern Bai Fuzi cast his gaze toward her. Qianqian's wandering mind was instantly pulled back; she hurriedly pretended to be fully concentrated and listening attentively, sitting upright in her seat, eyes fixed tightly on the blackboard, but her heart was still savoring that brief moment of distraction just now.

After Bai Fuzi finished lecturing, he slowly said to everyone: "This afternoon is an extremely important martial arts class. After everyone finishes lunch and rests, just gather directly outside the Xuetang." After saying these words, he nodded slightly, signaling everyone to start preparing to go eat and take a midday rest.

After eating lunch, everyone rested briefly. Not long after, they saw that martial arts Fuzi walking over with steady steps. Seeing this, everyone immediately realized the time had come, and hurriedly stood up one after another, straightened their clothes at the fastest speed, then quickly lined up in neat rows. Fan Fuzi looked at everyone standing ramrod straight, a satisfied expression appearing in his eyes, and then opened his mouth to say: "For today's class, we are going to practice a very interesting skill — kicking shuttlecock."

As soon as his voice fell, he mysteriously pulled out from behind him a shuttlecock meticulously crafted from colorful chicken feathers. That shuttlecock flashed with dazzling light in the sunlight, as if containing endless vitality. Then, Fan Fuzi personally demonstrated how to kick the shuttlecock. He first lightly tossed the shuttlecock upward; it traced a graceful arc in the air like a light butterfly, then he nimbly snapped his leg around, using the side of his foot to steadily kick the shuttlecock up. Throughout the process, he cleverly controlled the force and position, making the shuttlecock bounce continuously under his foot several times, as if magic had been cast on it, astonishing to behold.

Watching Fan Fuzi's practiced movements, everyone's eyes revealed looks of envy and anticipation, rubbing their hands in eagerness, preparing to show off their skills in the upcoming practice. After Fan Fuzi finished demonstrating, he said: "In a moment, groups of three. Our class has 21 people total, exactly seven groups. Each group practices for an hour. After an hour, one group at a time comes up. The group with the most kicks combined from the three people doesn't have to do homework tonight. I've already spoken to your Bai Fuzi about this."

Hearing this, that excitement seemed to instantly ignite every person present, blooming gorgeously in the air like fireworks. The moment the Fuzi's voice fell, the scene immediately livened up; everyone began searching for their partners, preparing to freely form groups.

Ai Jiao walked over quickly with a face full of anticipation, found Qianqian, eyes flashing with expectant light, and said: "Qianqian, Qi Xi, together? The three of us as a group, okay?" Qianqian nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her face, and replied softly: "Sure." Qi Xi at the side, upon hearing this, was even happier, her eyes narrowing into slits with joy, repeatedly agreeing: "Mm-hmm, great!"

Then, Fan Fuzi slowly took out seven exquisite shuttlecocks from behind him. The shuttlecocks' feathers were white as snow, dotted with colorful threads, looking exceptionally pretty. Fan Fuzi distributed the shuttlecocks to each group in turn. Qianqian's group luckily received a green chicken-feather shuttlecock. This shuttlecock looked like it might originally have been just ordinary chicken feathers, but after clever dyeing treatment, it became vivid and eye-catching, not only making it convenient for group members to distinguish during practice, but also adding a unique beauty to the whole scene.

After the three got the shuttlecock, they couldn't wait to each start trying to practice kicking it. Ai Jiao ran into difficulty right away; he tried to sit cross-legged but simply couldn't fold his legs back, that clumsy look drawing secret laughter from Qianqian and Qi Xi. However, Qianqian and Qi Xi were like natural shuttlecock masters; they appeared extremely nimble, and after practicing just a short while, could easily kick out ten-odd or even twenty-odd shuttlecocks. Watching their practiced movements, Ai Jiao felt both envious and anxious, so Qianqian and Qi Xi decided to focus on teaching Ai Jiao.

They first had Ai Jiao put down the shuttlecock and concentrate on practicing the cross-legged kicking method without a shuttlecock. Although Ai Jiao was a bit flustered at first, he was very serious, repeating the movements again and again.

After a period of hard practice, Ai Jiao gradually grasped some techniques, beginning to complete the cross-legged motion relatively steadily. Then they handed the shuttlecock to Ai Jiao. At first, Ai Jiao could only laboriously kick one shuttlecock, but he didn't give up; instead, relying on his own unremitting effort, he continuously adjusted his posture and force.

Effort does not betray the dedicated. After long practice, Ai Jiao finally managed to kick ten shuttlecocks consecutively. A proud smile brimmed on his face, as if at this moment he had found his worth and confidence. Just then, Fan Fuzi was heard shouting: "Time's up. Begin the competition!" First to come into view was the first group. This group consisted of three boys; they all looked somewhat clumsy.

The three took turns kicking, movements slightly stiff. Before long it was over — merely eight kicks. Next, the second group appeared, then the third group debuted in turn... like this, until Qianqian's sixth group.

Qi Xi, as the sixth group's first kicker, her whole person was like a nimble little bird, figure light, movements practiced. She slightly bent, lightly tossed the shuttlecock; it traced a graceful arc in the air like an arrow leaving the bow, then landed steadily by her foot, repeating so, easily kicking eighteen — truly astonishing.

Immediately after was Qianqian. She likewise exerted no effort, as if possessing an innate talent for shuttlecock kicking. She wore a confident smile, a trace of determination in her eyes. The shuttlecock under her foot seemed alive, jumping merrily. Before long, she easily kicked twenty-one — remarkable results.

When it came to Ai Jiao last, his mood was exceptionally tense, afraid he would drag the team down. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then repeatedly recalled the methods Qi Xi and Qianqian had just taught him.

At this moment, even Qianqian and Qi Xi involuntarily held their breath, quietly watching Ai Jiao prepare to kick. With a crisp sound, the shuttlecock was tossed high. Ai Jiao reacted swiftly, cleverly receiving the shuttlecock with his foot, starting to kick nonstop. One, two, three... just as fourteen was counted, his last kick used a bit too much force; the shuttlecock flew too far, beyond his reach. However, even so, Ai Jiao had already performed beyond his usual level, ultimately kicking fourteen. Although he didn't reach the previous two's scores, his effort and persistence were still worthy of praise.

After Ai Jiao finished kicking, it was the last group's turn. The last group was three girls, all quite nimble. The three totaled forty-eight kicks. The last group finished; the competition ended. The thrilling moment arrived. Fan Fuzi began announcing the final scores one by one: First group eight, second group twenty-seven, third group forty-one, fourth group nineteen, fifth group thirty-two, sixth group fifty-three, seventh group forty-eight. Congratulations to the sixth group's Yan Qianqian, Ai Jiao, Qi Xi for winning this competition. Tonight's homework you three don't have to do.

The three cheered joyfully, that happy sound seemingly able to pierce the clouds. They bounced like spirited little deer, faces beaming with incomparably radiant smiles, happy to the extreme. The others around saw this; though some regret in their hearts, they only watched silently, with no other action.

Time flew by; soon it was dismissal. Because the three had no homework today, they agreed to go together to the bustling Jishi to stroll. Before that, in the painting and calligraphy class, the cat Qi Xi drew was cute to the extreme. Qianqian was deeply attracted at a glance, a strong desire surging in her heart — she also wanted to buy an equally cute cat to keep her company. And Yan Wang, Yan Shuang'er, and Qi Yu, these three, were truly uneasy letting the three little ones go out alone. Out of care and worry, they decided to follow along. Thus, the original party of three instantly became a mighty party of six.

Everyone laughing and chatting, full of anticipation, boarded the carriage. Amid crisp horse hoofbeats, they slowly set off toward the prosperous Jishi. The scenery along the way seemed to have become exceptionally enchanting in their eyes...