Since going to the martial arts training ground to practice, Xiao Mo would wake up at the hour of mao every morning, when the sky had just barely begun to brighten. However, compared to Xiao Mo, Zhou Ruoxi woke up even earlier.
Each ti after Xiao Mo finished washing up, Zhou Ruoxi would co out from the kitchen carrying hot porridge and stead buns.
Although Cuicui could do all these things, Zhou Ruoxi insisted on making breakfast for her child every day herself.
After eating breakfast, Xiao Mo would say to his mother, "Mother, I'm going to the training ground," then run toward the training ground on his short little legs.
At the beginning, Zhou Ruoxi would escort Xiao Mo to the training ground but after half a month, once Xiao Mo had familiarized himself with the route, according to the Xiao Manor's rules, the child had to go by himself.
Actually, Zhou Ruoxi also knew that children must eventually grow up, and moreover the training ground was inside the Xiao Manor, so there was no danger. Other children also went by themselves.
If she kept following Mo'er and other maids of the Xiao Manor saw her breaking the rules, it wouldn't be good for Mo'er either.
So Zhou Ruoxi could only watch from afar as her child walked away.
After the child left, what Zhou Ruoxi did every day was wait for her child to return.
When Xiao Mo wasn't there, she felt her heart was empty and hollow but when Xiao Mo returned to the courtyard, Zhou Ruoxi felt her world instantly brighten.
Zhou Ruoxi would often ask her child what he had practiced that day.
Xiao Mo would also truthfully tell his mother.
Only, Xiao Mo never spoke of hardship or exhaustion.
He knew that as soon as he said anything, his mother would probably worry for a long ti.
Three months passed in succession.
At the beginning, Xiao Mo was indeed not quite accustod to waking up early every day to practice martial arts in such a small body but gradually, Xiao Mo felt it was acceptable.
During these three months, Xiao Mo hadn't practiced any fist techniques. Most of the ti was spent on horse stance, stretching tendons and pulling bones, practicing the "middle section," practicing footwork, and other basic skills but Xiao Mo wasn't impatient.
After all, martial arts practice had to be done step by step. The foundation had to be solid.
Otherwise, any martial path would be like duckweed floating on a lake's surface.
Because Xiao Mo had high talent and was strict and disciplined with himself, he worked much harder than others.
So Xiao Mo's progress was very fast.
In just three short months, when others had just barely gotten the hang of things, Xiao Mo's horse stance already had a sense of being "immovable as a mountain."
This made Instructor Huang very satisfied.
When others were resting, Instructor Huang would even give Xiao Mo so extra tutoring.
It wasn't that Instructor Huang wasn't devoted to the other Xiao Manor children.
It was just that these fellows not only didn't have Xiao Mo's high talent, they weren't even as hardworking as Xiao Mo.
So Instructor Huang scolded those disappointing Xiao Manor children even more fiercely, with quite a feeling of hating iron for not becoming steel but because Xiao Mo was extrely hardworking and talented, Instructor Huang rarely scolded Xiao Mo.
So back and forth, quite a few children held opinions against Xiao Mo.
Especially a five-year-old boy nad "Xiao Yang."
His age was the oldest of everyone, his height was also the tallest, and during this ti he had vaguely beco the king of the children at the training ground but Xiao Mo had always ignored him, which made the "child king" feel his authority was being challenged.
Instructor Huang's "favoritism" toward Xiao Mo made him even more displeased.
Thus, the "child king" Xiao Yang decided to give this little squirt Xiao Mo a lesson.
At noon on this day, Xiao Mo sat at the training ground, eating his lunch alone.
Lunch was provided by the Xiao Manor and used the blood and flesh of so low-grade ferocious beasts, which could strengthen the children's blood qi.
Just as Xiao Mo was eating well, Xiao Yang and several people walked up before Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo raised his head and looked at them indifferently, "Is there sothing?"
"Today's stir-fried at is very delicious. Give your dish." Xiao Yang imitated adults by crossing his arms and said.
"Hehe." Xiao Mo laughed twice, "What if I don't give it?"
"Then you're asking for a beating!"
With those words, Xiao Yang kicked toward Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo dodged to the side and punched Xiao Yang in the chest.
Xiao Yang felt his chest tighten and nearly lost his breath.
"Beat him up!"
Xiao Yang shouted to the lackeys beside him.
Emboldened by numbers, seven or eight little squirts pounced toward Xiao Mo but before long, they were all kicked down by Xiao Mo one by one.
They discovered Xiao Mo's strength was impossibly great, not at all like soone their age.
"Now, put all the at from your bowls into my bowl!"
Xiao Mo kicked the ringleader Xiao Yang.
Bruised and swollen, Xiao Yang didn't dare disobey and could only pour all his dishes into Xiao Mo's bowl. The others followed suit.
After teaching them a lesson, Xiao Mo ate the mountain of stir-fried at slices piled in his bowl, ravenously devouring his al.
While the other little squirts could only eat the vegetables and white rice in their bowls.
In the afternoon, after the hour of you had passed halfway and the day's training had ended, Xiao Mo returned ho.
As soon as he arrived ho, Xiao Mo saw his mother waiting for him at the courtyard gate.
"Mother." Xiao Mo quickly walked over.
"Mo'er, you're back."
Seeing the child return, Zhou Ruoxi happily walked forward, crouched down, and patted the dirt off her child's body.
"Hm? Mo'er, what happened to your face?"
Zhou Ruoxi saw that the right side of Xiao Mo's cheek was sowhat bruised and imdiately beca nervous.
"Ah?" Xiao Mo was stunned for a mont, then brushed it off, "It's nothing, Mother. Today when your child was doing running drills, I accidentally fell."
"You child, you should be more careful..."
Zhou Ruoxi looked at the child's little face with heartache, quickly had Cuicui bring out the dicine paste from the room, helped her son wash his face, then gently applied dicine to him.
After applying the dicine, Xiao Mo ate dinner, then took a hot bath. It was already the hour of xu.
Having practiced martial arts all day, Xiao Mo was indeed sowhat tired and wanted to return to his room to rest but just at this mont, a clamorous sound ca from outside the courtyard.
Zhou Ruoxi raised her head and saw seven or eight won holding their children's hands, walking aggressively toward the courtyard.
Xiao Mo's heart sank, feeling sothing was amiss.
These people were most likely coming to lodge complaints.
"May I ask what matter brings several elder sisters here?" Zhou Ruoxi walked forward and inquired of the group.
"Zhou Ruoxi, you're asking what matter?" One woman was so angry her chest heaved violently. She then pulled her child forward, "Look at what your Xiao Mo beat our Xiao Fu into!"
"And our Xiao Gui! Look, his eye is swollen!"
"My Xiao Miao even lost a tooth!"
"Your Xiao Mo not only hit people, does he not have food himself? He even stole my son's lunch!"
"And my son's! Do you know my son only ate a few vegetables and white rice at noon?"
"Zhou Ruoxi! Today you must give us an explanation!"
These seven or eight won spoke one after another, just like unreasonable aunties on the street.
Zhou Ruoxi didn't speak imdiately, but instead looked at these children.
They were indeed bruised and swollen, looking very aggrieved, but also seed sowhat guilty.
Amid this clamor, Zhou Ruoxi looked toward her Mo'er.
Xiao Mo stood straight, his heart also sowhat nervous.
When he was young, Xiao Mo had fought at the orphanage before, but regardless of right or wrong, the director would beat both parties thirty strokes each.
Xiao Mo wasn't afraid of being beaten.
What Xiao Mo feared most at this mont was his mother being angry.
Zhou Ruoxi crouched down, held Xiao Mo's little hand, and said gently, "Mo'er, can you tell Mother exactly what happened?"
"Mother, your child was eating lunch properly at noon today. Then Xiao Yang and several people ca to steal the at from your child's bowl, so your child fought with them." Xiao Mo said with his head lowered.
"Is there more?" Zhou Ruoxi continued to ask.
"Also..." Xiao Mo felt sowhat guilty, "I stole the at from their bowls."
"..."
After hearing the young master's description, Cuicui was stunned, doubting whether she had heard correctly.
If she rembered correctly, Xiao Yang was five years old, right?
The young master beat up soone two years older than himself, along with several other little radishes together?
"Mother understands."
Zhou Ruoxi rubbed her son's head, stood up, looked at Xiao Fu at the front, and asked gently, "Fu Fu, tell Auntie, is it like this? Did my Mo'er lie?"
Facing this beautiful and gentle auntie, the radish-head Xiao Fu nodded and said timidly, "It... it was like that."
Seeing Xiao Fu admit it, Zhou Ruoxi said to these won, "I believe all the elder sisters have heard. The children indeed had so friction. I apologize to the children on behalf of my Mo'er but children having disputes is a normal thing, and moreover my Mo'er was bullied first.
Now for all the elder sisters to co so ostentatiously to demand justice, isn't that sowhat improper?"
"That's right, that's right." Cuicui quickly stepped forward and said, "Moreover, several of them bullied our young master, but ended up beaten by our young master instead. That seems rather embarrassing."
"Cuicui." Zhou Ruoxi lightly reprimanded the maid.
Only then did Cuicui close her little mouth and stop speaking.
"Even so, our children were rely instigated by Xiao Yang. Why did your Xiao Mo strike so heavily? And even steal our children's lunch?" One woman said unreasonably, "Zhou Ruoxi, today you must have your child apologize! Otherwise we'll report this to the First Madam!"
Zhou Ruoxi still shook her head, "Apologizing is appropriate, but apologizing should also be mutual. Whoever did wrong first should apologize first, then my Mo'er will apologize."
"Fine, fine, fine! Zhou Ruoxi, just you wait! I want to see just how arrogant you, a concubine sent from another nation, can be!"
The leading woman swept her sleeve and pulled her child, heading toward the First Madam's place but after they hadn't walked a few steps, they felt their backs being hit by pebbles several tis.
Turning around to look, Xiao Mo was picking up stones and throwing them at them.
"Mo'er!" Zhou Ruoxi quickly pulled him back, protecting the child behind her.
"You just wait for us!"
The leading woman was furious, but she couldn't go beat up a three-year-old child. She could only leave angrily, otherwise if this matter spread, she wouldn't need to go out anymore.
Before long, the courtyard once again returned to nightti quiet but Zhou Ruoxi turned around and looked at her son, her expression carrying so conflict and solemnity.
"Mother..." Xiao Mo blinked his eyes.
"Cuicui, go fetch the discipline ruler from my room." Zhou Ruoxi said, pinching her small hands.
"Madam..." Cuicui knew what the madam was going to do and felt quite reluctant.
"Go fetch it." Zhou Ruoxi repeated once more.
Cuicui had no choice but to go fetch the discipline ruler from the room.
Zhou Ruoxi crouched down, her slender hand holding the ruler trembling slightly as she said to the child, "Mo'er, extend your hand."
Xiao Mo knew he was going to be struck and could only extend his hand.
"Mo'er, do you rember what you promised Mother before?" Zhou Ruoxi asked.
"I rember..." Xiao Mo nodded, "Mother said I cannot fight with other children. If I'm bullied, I should tell Mother imdiately, and Mother will uphold justice for ."
"Then Mo'er, did you do that?"
"I... I didn't."
"Do you know your error?"
Xiao Mo shrank his neck, "Your child knows his error..."
"Smack." Zhou Ruoxi gripped the ruler and struck the child's palm, making a crisp sound.
"Mother also told you that children cannot lie. You clearly fought, yet deceived Mother by saying you fell. Mo'er, do you know your error?"
"Your child knows his error."
"Smack." Zhou Ruoxi struck a second ti.
"You just now were disrespectful to several elders by throwing stones. Mo'er, do you know your error?"
This ti, Xiao Mo raised his head, "Your child did no wrong."
Zhou Ruoxi bit her thin lip lightly and crisply struck a third ti with the ruler, "Do you know your error or not?"
"Your child did no wrong." Xiao Mo still insisted.
"Do you know or not." Zhou Ruoxi struck a fourth ti.
"Your child did no wrong."
"You..."
Just as Zhou Ruoxi was about to strike a fifth ti.
Cuicui had already walked over and quickly pulled Xiao Mo away, "Madam, it's already late. Young Master has practiced martial arts all day and is already very tired. Let Young Master go rest first. I'm sure Young Master will know his error tomorrow."
Zhou Ruoxi pressed her thin lips together, glanced at her child, then finally stood up and walked back to her own room.
"Young Master, go sleep first. Tomorrow Madam's anger will have subsided. Actually, everything Madam does is for Young Master's good." Cuicui said to Xiao Mo.
"Aunt Cui, I know."
Xiao Mo nodded, glanced at his mother's door, knowing his mother was still angry, and could only return to his room to sleep first.
Deep in the night.
In Zhou Ruoxi's room, the candle fla kept burning.
She sat in a chair, looking at the discipline ruler placed on the table, recalling the four strikes to her child's palm. Each strike felt as if it had struck her own heart.
"Smack, smack, smack!"
Zhou Ruoxi picked up the ruler and struck her own palm forcefully again and again.
Only after beating her own palm painful and red did Zhou Ruoxi stop.
At the hour of zi, Zhou Ruoxi stood up, walked out of her room, and quietly ca to her child's room.
Walking to the child's bedside, Zhou Ruoxi gently grasped Xiao Mo's right hand that had been struck.
She took out dicine paste and carefully applied dicine to the child while gently blowing on it.
Looking at the red marks on that small hand, Zhou Ruoxi felt her heart aching faintly.
"Mother." Xiao Mo drowsily opened his eyes and saw his mother at the bedside, "Mother, I'm sorry. Your child shouldn't have made Mother angry. But Mother, your child still feels throwing stones at them was not wrong."
"Why?" Zhou Ruoxi didn't understand why her Mo'er was so stubborn.
"Because they insulted Mother." Xiao Mo said seriously, "Your child said before that I would protect Mother well. No one can bully Mother!"
Hearing the child's words, Zhou Ruoxi was slightly stunned, her eyes covered with a thin mist, "Silly child."
"Mother, I'm not silly."
"Yes, Mo'er isn't silly."
Zhou Ruoxi bent down and gently kissed the child's forehead. Crystalline tears slid down her fair cheeks, her voice carrying a slight tremor.
"Mo'er isn't silly...
The silly one is... Mother."
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