Chapter 53: How Could It Have Grown So Big There?

“Xiao Tang, how about I just call you that from now on?”

Xu An looked at her gently.

“All right… all right,” Haitang replied, her eyes reddening.

Before this, although many men had addressed her with affectionate nicknames, it was only to win her favor and ensure her devoted service. Once their business was done, they remained filled with disdain and disgust toward her.

But Xu An was different.

She could feel that Xu An harbored no beastly intentions toward her; he genuinely wanted to be her friend.

Just simple friends.

“G-Gongzi, no, Brother Xu, I… I’ll follow whatever you say…”

Haitang lowered her head and spoke softly.

Xu An smiled faintly, gently patting her shoulder. “Xiao Tang, I’m a very straightforward person and prefer things to be simple. So when you’re with me, you don’t need to carry any burdens in your heart or be overly cautious. Just be easygoing and be your true self—that’s best.”

“Yes… yes, Brother Xu!”

Tears welled in Haitang’s eyes, emotions surging like a tidal wave, impossible to suppress.

For so many years, she had grown accustomed to insincere and false affections, but from Xu An, she could sense a sincere warmth.

This kind of warmth had been absent for so long, she had almost forgotten what it felt like.

Now that she felt it again, her heart could hardly settle.

Xu An said no more.

He thought that if he continued, Haitang might truly break down and cry right here on the street.

He found it puzzling.

Were people in the past really so sentimental? Could a few words move someone to tears so easily?

In his previous life, his boss was the master of such things.

Praising endlessly, painting a perfect picture that was too sweet to be believable.

“Xiao Tang, to be honest, my family’s situation isn’t that great right now. There’s no private space for you. If you come back with me, you might have to endure some hardship at first,” Xu An said.

“Brother Xu, I’m not afraid and don’t feel wronged. On the contrary, I feel an unprecedented sense of relief,” Haitang shook her head.

“All right, then shall we go? Someone is waiting for us at the city gate. We’ll meet up with him now,” Xu An smiled.

They took about half an hour before finally reaching the city gate, where they saw Li Erzhuang waiting.

“Xu An, who is this young lady?” Seeing Haitang, Li Erzhuang’s eyes brightened immediately.

At the same time, he looked at Xu An with a strange expression.

Why did this guy always have a different woman by his side?

And they were all quite beautiful!

“Miss Haitang, this is a new friend I just met. She’ll be coming home with us. Brother Erzhuang, you have no objections, right?” Xu An introduced simply.

“This is Li Erzhuang, a friend I’ve grown up with from the same village.”

“Greetings, Brother Erzhuang. My name is Haitang,” she lifted her lovely eyes to Li Erzhuang and smiled politely with a slight bow.

“Brother?” This term embarrassed Li Erzhuang, making him somewhat flustered. “Miss, please don’t call me that. I’m just a humble farmer scraping a living from the fields—not a gentleman or anything!”

“If you don’t mind, from now on just call me Brother Erzhuang, like you do Brother Xu,” Li Erzhuang said with a bashful grin.

“Brother Erzhuang!” Haitang smiled brightly and called out clearly.

That simple address struck straight to Li Erzhuang’s heart. He hurriedly found a comfortable spot in the donkey cart and helped Haitang sit down.

Xu An joked, “Brother Erzhuang, you’re a family man. Being so attentive to other women, if your wife finds out, there’ll be big trouble.”

“You… if you don’t say, she won’t know, right?” Li Erzhuang’s face flushed as he replied.

Then he suddenly realized and glared wide-eyed. “Xu An, what kind of talk is that? I’m not thinking anything. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Xu An shook his head and smiled. “Have you bought everything?”

Li Erzhuang nodded. “Bought everything.”

“Is the money enough?”

Li Erzhuang hesitated, “Enough… mostly.”

“How much short?”

“Five hundred wen,” he admitted reluctantly.

“I spent almost all the money I brought this time. I’ll pay you back when we get home,” Xu An said, patting his shoulder seriously. “Brother Erzhuang, even though we’re close, there must be clear accounts between us. No funny business.”

Li Erzhuang nodded.

He appreciated Xu An’s kindness and had indeed received the money, so he thought five hundred wen wasn’t much and didn’t want to mention it further.

Then the three of them climbed into the donkey cart and began their journey home.

…

Qinghe Village.

After lunch, once everything was tidied, Xiao Luo found a blanket and sat cross-legged in the courtyard to practice the meditation method taught by Mu Qingqing.

Mu Qingqing also came out of her room and sat beside her to offer guidance.

Before long, a mysterious aura began to swirl around Xiao Luo’s body, making her appear ethereal and agile.

“Unexpectedly, this little girl is a martial arts prodigy,” Mu Qingqing said with surprise as she observed Xiao Luo. In such a short time, Xiao Luo had managed to project her inner strength outward, her energy circulating around her, rivaling even Mu Qingqing herself.

Projecting inner strength and circulating energy around the body is the foundation of martial arts.

Many get stuck at this very step.

Those with extraordinary talent take a day or two, like Mu Qingqing and Su Yan’er.

Those with top-notch talent need three or four days.

Finally, those of average talent often require ten days to half a month, or even months or years.

Of course, there is another category: those without any martial arts talent, who make up the vast majority of the population.

Thus, true martial arts masters are exceedingly rare.

After about two hours of practice, Xiao Luo opened her eyes, retracted her aura, and looked at Mu Qingqing with delight.

“Sister Mu, I feel like I have endless strength now!”

Mu Qingqing smiled. “Congratulations on successfully entering the martial path. But the meditation technique I taught you is profound and full of mysteries. You must continue to meditate and cultivate with care.”

“I understand. I will!” Xiao Luo said earnestly. Her heart was filled with joy. Once she mastered her cultivation method, she could help her husband in many ways.

“All right, that’s enough for today.”

After a full day of practice, Mu Qingqing felt soreness throughout her body and stretched vigorously.

Her already graceful curves became even more exaggerated as she stretched.

Especially her chest, that enormous swell seemed ready to burst out of her clothes.

Such unique charm was not only irresistible to men but also commanded admiration from women.

Xiao Luo stared fixedly at Mu Qingqing, hesitating to speak.

Her heart was full of envy.

“Sister Yan’er, if you have something on your mind, just say it. Why hesitate?” Mu Qingqing smiled and asked.

Xiao Luo hesitated a moment, then cautiously pointed at Mu Qingqing’s impressively ample bosom and softly asked, “Sister Mu, how did yours grow so big? Could you teach me? I want to…”

Her face instantly flushed crimson as she bowed her head deeply, too embarrassed to continue.