Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 615 Rebellious Disciple
In the living room of the small courtyard, on the Luohan bed, three masters sat in a row.

On the chairs on either side, Chen Fan sat alone on one side, while the three girls sat opposite him.

Looking at the three women opposite him, and then at his three masters sitting in a row, Chen Fan inexplicably felt like he was being interrogated by three people. What was going on?

"Uh."

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Chen Fan took the initiative to speak, "Well, um..."

Then Zhang Xuansong said, "Well, I have something to tell you."

Under Chen Fan's questioning gaze, he pointed to himself, then to Lin Yuanxiang and Li Shangde, and said seriously, "Every time you call me Master Zhang, Master Lin, or Master Li, it sounds like you're a worker. Your two masters and I discussed it and decided to arrange us in order of age."

Your Master Li is the oldest, so you'll call him First Master from now on. Master Lin is next in age, so you'll call him Second Master. I'm a little younger, so I'll be your Third Master. And Old Xiao, he's your mentor. You should thank him for helping you build a solid foundation in martial arts, so he'll be your Fourth Master from now on.

Chen Fan nodded seriously, "Understood, Third Master."

Then he stood up and greeted them again, "Master, Second Master, Third Master."

Li Shangde and the other two nodded in satisfaction. "Okay."

After Chen Fan sat down, Lin Yuanxiang turned around and looked at Jiang Lili, who was sitting at the end of the table. "Your name is Lili?"

Jiang Lili felt a little flustered and couldn't help but glance at Chen Fan. Seeing the encouragement in his eyes, she felt a little more at ease.

She then stood up and nodded gently, "Second Master, my name is Lili, Li as in beautiful."

Lin Yuanxiang laughed and gestured, "Sit down, sit down, we're not strangers, no need to be so polite."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is a good name. The person is just like the name. She is indeed elegant and refined, and extraordinary at first glance. Xiao Fan is lucky to be with you."

Hearing this, Jiang Lili finally felt relieved, and then felt a surge of joy.

Xiao Fan has no parents, so his uncles and masters are his parents. He first gained his uncles' approval, and today he has gained his masters' approval, so he has passed the parental test.

However, despite his joy, he hadn't yet replied to his second master's words.

She immediately took a deep breath, blushing, and said, "Thank you, Second Master. It's my good fortune to have met Xiao Fan."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Chen Fan, only to meet his gaze. She then quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.

Lin Yuanxiang tilted his head back and laughed heartily, "A fine son and a fine wife, all is well, all is well."

At this moment, Li Shangde withdrew his gaze from scrutinizing her, first giving Chen Fan a subtle glare, and then asked Jiang Lili, "Have you set a wedding date yet?"

Jiang Lili's pretty face turned even redder. She lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone, and whispered, "Xiao Fan and my parents discussed it before. We'll get our marriage certificate after I graduate from university."

Jiang Tiantian, who had been smiling the whole time, looked at her younger sister with affection. Only then did she follow her sister's words and say, "It was decided during the Spring Festival this year, and my parents both agreed."

Zhou Yali, as the older cousin, was pushed to sit at the head of the table. Her eyes were full of smiles. "If you ask me, why wait to graduate? Anyway, I heard that many students in your university are already married, and some even have children. Why don't you just get married too?"

Zhang Xuansong, who hadn't spoken for a long time, nodded repeatedly, "That makes sense, I agree."

Chen Fan was glared at several times by his three masters, and he knew that they had probably seen through him. At this moment, he could only smile bitterly and say, "The national regulations stipulate that men must be 20 and women 18 to register for marriage. Lili is old enough, but I'm still two years short."

He was starting to regret it. Why did he have to say 60? He could have just said 59... Okay, that still wouldn't work, it had to be 58. But with his face like that, nobody would believe him if he said 58.

So tender!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili gently pouted, then lowered her head and smiled with her lips pursed.

The three masters looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhang Xuansong: "Alright, let's forget about that."

Lin Yuanxiang sighed, "With all the things he's done, it's hard to believe he's only 18."

Li Shangde picked up the teacup from the bedside table. "We can only wait."

These three are all veterans, and regardless of their own thoughts, they could only support abiding by the law, so they didn't mention holding a banquet directly or waiting until they reached the appropriate age to get their marriage certificates.

After the joint hearing, Zhang Xuansong waved his hand and said, "Girls, take a rest. Xiao Fan, go ahead, dinner is yours."

Chen Fan immediately stood up, rubbed his bare arms, and walked out, saying, "It's my duty!"

When he reached the kitchen, Zhang Xuansong followed him in, leaning on his cane.

He glanced back at the living room, where three girls were talking to Old Lin and Old Li and hadn't noticed them. He whispered, "Since you're not old enough yet, you should be careful. If that girl loses her virginity and then gets pregnant, I wonder how you'll explain it to her parents."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he could only say, "Can't you show some respect? There's a generation gap between us."

He had no doubt that his three masters could tell, and even he himself could tell that Yunying was still unmarried and a young woman.

Or rather, most qualified traditional Chinese medicine practitioners can tell the difference.

When a young girl's virginity is not yet dispersed, and her blood and qi rise to the surface, a small part of her skin, such as her cheeks, will show a blush that is mostly cloud-like. This shape will not appear after she loses her virginity.

In addition, traces were found in several other aspects as well.

While it may not be 100% accurate, when the three girls sit together and compare their observations, they can almost immediately tell the difference.

According to the old rules, Chen Fan had broken a major taboo. His master would have to take him to the woman's house to apologize and then marry him formally in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

That's why the three masters asked about the wedding date directly. If Chen Fan hadn't been too old, they probably would have taken him to Yunhu to propose marriage.

Now, of course, we have no choice but to give up.

Looking at the shameless Chen Fan, the old-fashioned Zhang Xuansong could only sigh, "What a traitor!"

Chen Fan pouted. How did he become a traitor?
After this incident, Zhang Xuansong and the other two completely regarded Jiang Lili as their apprentice's wife.

Before the food was even served, Li Shangde took out a pair of large jade bracelets and handed them directly to Jiang Lili, saying, "This old man has no children, only Xiao Fan as his disciple. This is the only thing I can give you. Keep it safe."

Jiang Lili looked at the pair of dark green jade bracelets, somewhat at a loss, and looked at her sister in a panic.

Jiang Tiantian glared at her and laughed, "Master said this is for Xiao Fan's wife. If you don't accept it, does that mean you don't want to marry Xiao Fan?"

Jiang Lili pursed her lips shyly before standing up, accepting the gift with both hands, and bowing, "Thank you, Master."

Li Shangde laughed and waved his hand, then leaned back on the armrest of the daybed, glancing sideways at Lin Yuanxiang.

Lin Yuanxiang didn't hesitate. He took out a mahogany box, placed it on the table, and opened it. Inside were a pair of jade pendants.

Then, smiling at Jiang Lili, he said, "These are a pair of phoenix jade pendants, the phoenix being the male and the phoenix the female. Master wishes you both to soar like phoenixes and sing like luan birds." Whether you accept one or two, it's all the same.

This time, Jiang Lili didn't stand on ceremony. Instead, she respectfully accepted the gift with both hands and bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Second Master."

At this moment, Zhang Xuansong also came out of the room, leaning on his cane, holding a box in his hand. When he got to Jiang Lili, he handed it to her and said with a smile, "Master and Second Master have given you these, this is for Third Master. Take it."

Jiang Lili quickly handed the box in her hand to her sister, then took it with both hands, bowed again, and said, "Thank you, Third Master."

Zhou Yali hopped over twice, her eyes full of curiosity, "Quick, open it and see what it is!"

Jiang Lili hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Zhang Xuansong.

Zhang Xuansong immediately laughed and pointed to the box, saying, "Ever since we took Xiaofan as our disciple, the three of us have prepared a 'new bride' gift for him. Open it and see if you like it."

Jiang Lili then opened the box, and inside was a red jade hairpin.

This jade hairpin is exquisitely crafted, with the head carved into the shape of a phoenix, holding a string of jade beads in its mouth. It is delicate and lively, clearly the work of a master craftsman.

Zhang Xuansong smiled and said, "Jadeite, jadeite, refers to red jadeite and green jadeite. The two of them prepared green jadeite, while mine is red jadeite. It was personally carved by a master craftsman who specializes in making national gifts. It will definitely look beautiful when you wear it on your wedding day."

Jiang Lili closed the lid, her face beaming with undisguised joy. "Thank you, Third Master."

Whether it looks good or not is secondary; the important thing is the wedding.

Zhou Yali, standing beside her, looked on with envy, "Wow, your three masters treat you so well."

Jiang Tiantian then took her sister's arm and said, "You must be filial to your three masters in the future."

Jiang Lili smiled broadly, looked at her three masters, and nodded vigorously, "I definitely will."

Zhang Xuansong and the other two were also all smiles.

However, upon hearing Jiang Lili's words, Zhang Xuansong waved his hand and said, "Hey, we old folks don't need your filial piety. As long as we can live our own lives well, we're at ease."

There's really no need for that. Even if they become unable to move one day, military hospitals will take them away for treatment. They will definitely not be left unattended.

Looking at Chen Fan, who was busy in the kitchen, Lin Yuanxiang couldn't hide his pride.

They were fortunate to have chosen this disciple, as he was able to inherit their skills, which was certainly something to be proud of. But what was most precious was his excellent character; he never caused trouble and didn't even meddle in other people's business, thus avoiding any trouble or disaster.

Moreover, they could see that although Jiang Lili had some basic martial arts skills, it was only enough to improve her health and fitness, far from being a beginner. This showed that Chen Fan had not taught her any real skills without permission.

Such a disciple is most suitable to inherit their mantle and pass on their lineage of kung fu.

If someone were to deliberately cause trouble, they wouldn't back down; someone would naturally deal with those who do wrong.

They chatted and laughed happily in the living room, while Chen Fan was busy in the kitchen by himself.

He was a master chef after all, and soon a table full of dishes was served.

After wiping his hands, Chen Fan pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling at his three masters. "There aren't enough ingredients here. I'll go to the market tomorrow to buy more and make a more elaborate meal."

Zhang Xuansong sat in a chair, glanced at the three maids busy serving rice and getting bowls and chopsticks, then turned to him and said, "Having meat and fish is already quite good, how much more lavish do you want?"

Chen Fan picked up the wine bottle and poured them drinks, chuckling, "Tomorrow we're flying to the Northeast to hunt. When we bring back the game, you won't want any of those delicacies?"

Lin Yuanxiang was startled upon hearing this, "Leaving tomorrow?"

Li Shangde frowned slightly. "Not staying a couple more days?"

Chen Fan nodded and pointed to Zhou Yali, "This time I mainly brought her here to play. Last time we said we were going hunting, but my uncle was in a bad mood, so we didn't go."

Zhou Yali quickly said, "Actually, staying here for a couple more days wouldn't be bad. You said last time you'd take me to explore the hutongs of Beijing. How about we go tomorrow?"

Zhang Xuansong waved his hand and laughed, "Since you're accompanying your cousin, then spend some time with her. We old folks don't have much to do. Come visit when you have time, and if you don't, just go about your business. There's no need to make a special trip over."

Chen Fan looked at them, then at Zhou Yali, "Want to go exploring the hutongs tomorrow?"

Zhou Yali nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I've been thinking about it ever since you mentioned it last time, so I'll go shopping tomorrow."

She then turned to look at Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili, and said excitedly, "You've never been to the capital before, and you've probably never stayed at a home here before, right?"

Seeing the two women nod, Zhou Yali said with a smile, "Let me tell you, Xiao Fan's house here is really beautiful. Although it's not very big, the layout and decorations are very tasteful. I really like it. You'll see when we get there."

Chen Fan, holding his rice bowl, looked at Zhang Xuansong and asked, "Third Master, you said last time that you hired someone to clean the place. Can we stay there today?"

"of course can."

Zhang Xuansong took a sip of wine and said to him, "I invited two people, both girls, who are educated youth who came back from Northeast China. They stayed there for three years and finally got the quota to return to the city."

However, there have been a lot of educated youth returning to the city in the past two years. The higher authorities are also discussing this issue now, and it is estimated that they will all come back in the future. With so many more people suddenly, the street office cannot arrange work for them temporarily. Their families are also in financial difficulty, so I took the initiative to find them to come and help with cleaning.

The two girls go at least three days a week, paid daily at one yuan per visit. However, lately it's been windy and sunny, and your glass-roofed window needs frequent cleaning and ventilation, so starting this month they'll go every day, and I'll give them 20 yuan a month's wages.

Chen Fan nodded slightly after hearing this, and after he finished speaking, he couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "Isn't 20 yuan a bit too little? My house is quite big."

Zhang Xuansong shook his head slightly and said, "20 yuan is not a small amount. Many temporary workers can only earn 15 or 6 yuan a month, and it's still hard work that's exhausting."

"Your house is big, and there's such a large garden outside, but there's not much work involved. If the two of them share the workload, it won't be too tiring."

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "In that case, let's do as you say."

Zhang Xuansong smiled, then suddenly patted his head, put down his wine glass, looked at Chen Fan, and said seriously, "There's something else I want to discuss with you, let's see if it's feasible."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Why are you talking to me about discussing things? Just say what you have to say, or you can make the decision yourself. How could I disagree?"

Zhang Xuansong smiled and waved his hand, then explained, "It's like this, those two girls come from poor families. Seven or eight people are crammed into a small room, it's hard to even turn around. I was thinking, you have plenty of rooms, especially a small building in the backyard, why don't we let them stay there for a while, and they can move in after they get their jobs?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "This matter wasn't brought up by them. Both children are good kids, not talkative, and very efficient. Otherwise, I wouldn't have approached them."

This is my own idea, what do you think?

Chen Fan replied without hesitation, "Sure, why not?"

It's just that there's no housekeeping service right now, otherwise he would have hired someone to stay there permanently long ago. Now that his third master has brought it up, he couldn't be happier.

(End of this chapter)