1308 In the Blink of an Eye, 2003!
Jian Ai smiled and nodded. She said softly, âSometimes, I canât help but be in a daze. I just feel that all of this seems to be a dream.â
After her rebirth, Jian Ai had not completely adapted to this matter, especially when she was alone. She often had some thoughts.
Could this be a dream she had in her previous life after she got into a car accident and fell unconscious?
However, was the dream so long and real?
Jian Ai understood she was overthinking, but even if it was not a dream but reality, Jian Ai had the illusion that she had been reborn in another world.
Everything had left the trajectory of her previous life. Her family, friends, and even everyone and everything around her had no traces of her previous life.
Especially after she reunited with Bai Zhou, what she saw on the other side of the world and what happened hidden in places that ordinary people could not see made Jian Ai feel out of place.
This was not something she should experience, but these seemed to be conditions that the heavens gave her to be reborn. They forced her to participate in a completely unfamiliar world.
Fortunately, she was not alone. Everyone in the ancient sect was willing to accompany her. This was the key to Jian Ai gradually letting down her guard and selfishness.
In the blink of an eye, it was New Yearâs Day of 2003!
This was a traditional Chinese holiday. After New Yearâs Day, it would be the Spring Festival that the Chinese valued the most. It was also the most festive holiday of the year in the country.
All the companies and schools would have a three-day break on New Yearâs Day according to the countryâs rules to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
Jian Ai and Si Yue woke up early. The two of them especially went to the mall to buy some gifts for Yang Jie last night.
Not that Jian Ai had the intention, but the senior brothers reminded Jian Ai. Because their master and eldest senior brother spent the New Year at the martial arts school every year, it was quite cold since there was only the two of them. Therefore, everyone would buy gifts for New Yearâs Day and send them over every year as a token of appreciation.
Therefore, this year, Jian Ai and the other new disciples naturally had to do as the Romans do.
After breakfast, the two of them carried the things they had bought and went straight to the martial arts school. They bumped into Senior Brother Mobai at the main entrance.
âJunior Brother, Junior Sister, youâre really early!â Li Mobai couldnât help but say with a festive smile when he saw the two of them.
Jian Ai went forward and smiled. âItâs a festive day today. The two of us have to return to Haicheng District, unlike the other senior brothers who live nearby and can come over anytime during the day.â
Li Mobai nodded. âLetâs go in together!â
They initially thought that Jian Ai and Si Yue were considered early, but didnât expect Lin Yi and Gao Yang to be even earlier than them.
âSecond Senior Brother, Jian Ai, Si Yue, happy New Yearâs Day!â Lin Yi smiled warmly and was the first to welcome them.
When Gao Yang heard the voice, he walked out of the front hall. âLin Yi and I thought we wouldnât see you. Weâve been waiting here for half an hour.â
They smiled and talked for a while before Jian Ai raised the things in her hand. âI bought a massager for Master. Iâll send it in for him first!â
Yang Jieâs leg had almost recovered. Although he was a martial arts practitioner, he still had to use less strength in his legs for the past year. He could run normally though.
If he wanted to completely recover, he still needed to recuperate well this year.
âIâve already told them not to buy anything during the holidays. Iâm already satisfied that you can come and see me.â
When Yang Jie saw that Jian Ai and Si Yue had brought something, he couldnât help but smile helplessly. However, he was even more touched.
Be it these disciples who never left the martial arts school when it was barren or the new disciples who resolutely chose Chinese martial arts this year, they were like his children in Yang Jieâs heart.
Especially Jian Ai. She was the most helpful to him and to the martial arts school. In Yang Jieâs heart, Jian Aiâs existence had a different meaning.
âMaster, itâs New Yearâs Day. Itâs to celebrate. Youâre an elder. Itâs etiquette for us to show filial respect to you. How many opportunities do we have to buy you a gift this year?â Jian Ai smiled.
When Yang Jie heard this, he couldnât help but smile and nod. âI know youâre sharp-tongued. I canât win against you. Since itâs your sincerity, Iâll accept it.â
Jian Ai stuck out her tongue playfully and quickly took out her gift. âMaster, I bought you a massager. Itâs usually tough to practice martial arts. After practicing martial arts, you have to relax your muscles. This massager can be useful, and you can often massage your legs when they ache.â
Seeing this, Si Yue also handed over his gift. âMaster, this is a thermos. I bought it.â
Seeing this, Yang Jie couldnât help but raise his eyebrows at Si Yue. âYour gift was probably Xiao Aiâs idea, right?â
Si Yue subconsciously looked at Jian Ai.
Jian Ai couldnât help but laugh. âIt was. Si Yue wanted to buy you a scarf. I said that Master has a scarf. Since Master likes to drink water, why donât he buy a better thermos instead? Itâs also convenient to carry it with you.â
âHahaâŠâ Yang Jie couldnât help but laugh heartily. âYour gifts make me look like Iâm already in my seventies or eighties. But I like them. Thank you.â
As he spoke, Yang Jie carefully put away their gifts. Then, he looked at Jian Ai and Si Yue and said, âToday is New Yearâs Day, and itâs a new year. I hope everything will go smoothly for our martial arts school next year.â
Yang Jie suddenly sighed in his heart. It was mainly because this year, before he met Jian Ai, it was a huge hurdle for the martial arts school that he almost couldnât cross.
Seeing this, Jian Ai couldnât help but ask, âMaster, the day of the martial arts competition has been confirmed. Letâs sign up!â
Yang Jie sighed and nodded gently. âInitially, because your senior brothers were going to take the college entrance examination, I didnât want you newbies to take part in such a competition so early. I wanted to give up. It wouldnât be too late to take part in the second round.â
âBut I think all of you seem to want to take part. Your Eldest Senior Brother also said that although winning or losing is important, the core spirit of Chinese martial arts is not to give up easily. Even if itâs training, itâs good!â
âMaster, the surrounding martial arts schools are also sharpening their spears at the last minute. It seems that they take this competition quite seriously,â Lin Yi said.
At the mention of this, Yang Jie couldnât help but sneer in disdain. He mocked, âThese fence-sitters. Back then, because Chinese martial arts couldnât bring benefits to the martial arts school, they abandoned teaching it and brought in foreign martial arts. Now that the country has started to value cultural heritage and even spent a lot of money to organize competitions, theyâre all energetic again and forced disciples who had already learned foreign martial arts to practice Chinese martial arts again.â
âItâs not that I want to say this, but their foundations are far apart. Their methods probably wonât achieve much!â