Linda and I supported each other as we left the alley. Her right high heel had snapped, her clothes were slightly disheveled, and she looked a bit embarrassed. I was covered in shoe prints, my face bruised and swollen, looking utterly miserable.
Linda said I was injured and shouldn't attend school for the next few days. She hailed a taxi, took me to see a doctor at the hospital, and then brought me home.
By the time we got home, it was already 11:30 at night. Zhang Dagui and Xu Shuqin, dressed in pajamas and looking drowsy, came out of their bedroom after hearing the noise. They were shocked to see both me and Linda in such disarray and hurriedly asked what had happened.
I kept my head down, not daring to speak. If Xu Shuqin knew that I had provoked trouble outside and almost put Linda in danger, she would definitely scold me to death.
Linda tactfully explained that we had run into some thugs on the road who tried to rob us, and a fight broke out, but luckily we managed to escape.
Zhang Dagui and Xu Shuqin were both shocked and furious after hearing this. They surrounded Linda and asked if she was okay. Linda shook her head and said, "I'm fine. But Andrew got hurt trying to protect me."
Xu Shuqin looked at my bruised face and, for the first time, showed concern. "There's red flower oil in the cupboard, and also your father-in-law's homemade medicinal wine. Take it out later and apply it to your bruises. That stuff works wonders. Your injuries will fade in a few days."
Then she returned to her bedroom to sleep. Linda helped me take out the medicinal wine, then went to run a bath. She said she'd help apply it later.
Hearing that reminded me of the time on the first day of school when I got beaten up by John and his gang, and Linda had helped apply red flower oil to my wounds. Her soft hands on my injuries had left a gentle sensation that sent shivers down my spine.
Then I remembered how she promised me a kiss every week in exchange for taking the blame. Last week, she gave me an air kiss to brush me off. Should I ask for a real one this time?
"Sigh, forget it…"
I muttered to myself, thinking I had just earned a little bit of favor in Linda's heart and shouldn't ruin it now.
Just then, a deep voice rang in my ears. "Xiaoyu, what did you say forget it to?"
Startled, I turned around to find that my father-in-law, Zhang Dagui, hadn't gone to bed yet. He was staring at me sternly—apparently, he had seen me gazing longingly at Linda and sighing like a love-struck fool. I suddenly felt awkward.
"Dad, it's nothing. I was just thinking whether to report the incident to the police. But those thugs probably ran off long ago, so I thought forget it."
I scratched my head, trying to cover it up.
Zhang Dagui nodded and asked me to describe the incident in detail. I told him everything except for the part about Zhang Zheguan being my enemy. I ended by saying that some people passing by after eating late-night barbecue stepped in to save us.
After listening, Zhang Dagui shook his head and scolded me. "You've really lost face as a man. Can't even beat up a few punks? Ended up kneeling to them? Useless."
Embarrassed, I blushed and defended myself. "There were several of them! It's normal to lose in a fight like that."
"Just a few and you lost?" he snorted.
I looked at him, dumbfounded. "One pair of fists can't fight four hands. They had four people—that's eight hands!"
Zhang Dagui lifted his chin proudly and said smugly, "That's because you've never trained. If you had, even if you couldn't win, you could at least defend yourself. I'll teach you some martial arts when we have time."
"Dad, you really know martial arts?"
I only knew that he was a traditional Chinese doctor with his own herbal clinic on Xinxing Street, and a few assistants under him. The business was doing pretty well. Although there's a saying that medicine and martial arts go hand in hand, I still doubted it. After all, every morning and evening he went to the park to "exercise," but so did lots of elderly folks. That stuff looked more like warm-up routines than real combat.
Zhang Dagui seemed to sense my doubt and immediately got upset. "Of course! Your father-in-law is the honorary president of the local martial arts association. I've been practicing the Eight-Gate Cannon Fist for over thirty years. If I had met those thugs tonight, three punches would've had them coughing blood!"
Honorary president? That's just a title. Most of the so-called martial arts masters I see in the news end up getting beaten by MMA fighters. In my mind, I'd rather learn military combat techniques—brutal and effective.
But I didn't dare say his punches were useless, so I flattered him, "Dad, that's awesome."
Hearing this, Zhang Dagui became more smug and stared at me as if waiting for me to beg him to teach me. But I didn't, so he quickly realized I wasn't that interested and slammed the table in anger.
"Brat! I can tell you're looking down on my Eight-Gate Cannon Fist!"
I was startled. How the hell did he guess what I was thinking?
I denied it frantically. "No, Dad! I don't look down on it!"
"Then why didn't you ask me to teach you?" he barked.
"I thought you wouldn't want to teach me…" I replied awkwardly.
He seemed slightly appeased but quickly stiffened again. "How would you know if you don't ask?"
Clearly, he wanted to teach me but needed me to ask first. I had no choice but to go along. "Dad, would you teach me some Cannon Fist?"
Unexpectedly, he huffed, "No. Cannon Fist isn't taught lightly to just anyone…"
I almost fell off my chair in frustration, but didn't really feel disappointed—I never truly wanted to learn anyway.
Then he added, "But, since you're my son-in-law and not an outsider—and I saw how you protected Qingqing tonight, even gave up your dignity to kneel for her—it shows she didn't choose the wrong guy."
At that moment, Linda came out of the bathroom wearing pink pajamas and drying her hair. She looked at us and asked curiously, "Dad, what are you two talking about?"
With pride, Zhang Dagui said, "Oh, nothing. Xiaoyu just begged me to teach him martial arts."
Linda rolled her eyes. "Dad, are you trying to take on another disciple again? You scare all the young guys in the neighborhood with that talk. No one wants to learn your martial arts in this peaceful age."
Zhang Dagui huffed. "What do you mean no one wants to learn? Xiaoyu here begged me for it. Anyway, with all those bruises, he clearly won't be going to school. So tomorrow morning, come to the park with me. I'll teach you Cannon Fist."
With that, he stretched, yawned, and went back to his room.
Linda frowned at the medicinal wine on the coffee table. "Why haven't you applied it yet? Ugh, just go take a shower. I'll apply it for you after."
I rushed to the bathroom, and about ten minutes later, came back out. Linda had already blow-dried her hair and called me over.
I sat obediently on the sofa while she dabbed the wine on her hands and gently applied it to the bruises on my face. Then she had me take off my shirt and lie face down. The warm air from the AC made the room cozy. Linda even went over to warm her hands under the AC before applying the medicine to my back.
A month ago, she wouldn't even look at me. But tonight, she treated me like a wife caring for her husband. As I closed my eyes and enjoyed her gentle touch, I made a silent vow to become worthy of her someday—so she would proudly tell the world: "Andrew is my husband."