Chapter 29: Spreading Wings
Chapter 29: Spreading Wings
On August 28th, there was only one day left until the re-examination.
For the past two days, Chen Chuan had not gone to the Fist House but had stayed at home to prepare for the upcoming re-examination. As soon as he got up in the morning, he began practicing Great Free Fighting in the courtyard over and over again.
His movements were smooth and powerful, with just the right amount of force, transforming the inherently aggressive Great Free Fighting into a graceful display.
Aunt Yu Wan, wearing an apron, came out and smiled as she watched him practice. Even though she didn't understand the techniques, she felt a sense of comfort from the strength and rhythm conveyed through Chen Chuan's movements.
In Chen Chuan, she seemed to see a familiar figure, also practicing in the courtyard like this, and she couldn't help but murmur, "Second Sister..."
After practicing for a while, Chen Chuan suddenly smelled a fragrant aroma. He stopped his movements and asked, "Auntie, are you stewing chicken soup?"
Aunt Yu Wan was a bit surprised, as she had just started cooking it not long ago. Smiling, she replied, "You've got a good nose, just like Second Sister. Tomorrow is your re-examination, so I'm stewing some chicken soup for you to nourish yourself."
To be honest, Chen Chuan's training wouldn't be significantly improved by a bowl of chicken soup. However, this was Aunt Yu Wan's kind gesture and concern for her younger family member. After all, he had been eating black meat, pumpkin rice, and nutritional paste for days, almost forgetting what normal food tasted like.
Chen Chuan was also in a good mood. He said, "Thank you, Auntie. I've been eating out these days, and it's been a while since I've tasted your cooking. I've been missing it."
Aunt Yu Wan was delighted to hear this. "It needs to stew a little longer. Since you've been training hard, do you want to eat some biscuits first to fill your stomach?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I want to save my appetite for the chicken soup you're making, Auntie."
Aunt Yu Wan smiled and went back inside, saying, "I'll keep an eye on the stove, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Chen Chuan practiced alone for a while longer, feeling refreshed all over. Then, he returned to the living room.
Since it was a day off, the whole family was at home, including Mr. Nian LiFu, who rarely had a day off. He had taken off his belt and was reading the newspaper, while the radio was playing a Zhangshan Ballad in the background.
Chen Chuan entered the room, picked up the thermos cup, and poured himself some water. Seeing that Mr. Nian LiFu's tea was half-empty, he brought it over and refilled it.
Mr. Nian LiFu glanced up at Chen Chuan and seemed to remember something. He put down the newspaper and said, "Little Chuan, that matter has been taken care of. There are still some related issues, but don't worry about the exam. If there's anything, your uncle will handle it for you."
Chen Chuan realized he was talking about the attack he had experienced. "Thank you, Uncle," he said.
Mr. Nian LiFu asked, "So, how's your confidence level?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Mr. Yu is a great teacher. I've learned everything I should have, and it's all thanks to you, Uncle."
Mr. Nian LiFu noticed the confidence in Chen Chuan's eyes. He gave a nod, picked up the newspaper to cover his face, and started reading again. However, his raised leg began to shake slightly.
Chen Chuan smiled, took his cup back to his room, and placed it on the table. He opened the window a little, and the air was still fresh from the light rain the night before. Birdsong drifted in from outside.
After standing for a while, Chen Chuan turned around and took the book "Grand Expansion" from the bookshelf. It was his favorite book, and he had been reading it for a long time.
The setting of "Grand Expansion" was sixty years ago, during the third National Expansion period. At that time, Yangzhi City was just a small county, and its development was mainly due to its role as a logistics hub for the expansion army.
However, the book did not focus on military affairs but told the story from the perspective of three ordinary people in the expansion troops. It described the strange and bizarre incidents they encountered during the expansion, making it more like a bizarre biography. The book vividly depicted the local customs and cultures of each place, and Chen Chuan found it fascinating.
Yangzhi City itself was home to various urban legends, such as the Skull Splitter Demon, where the victims' skulls were always split open at the crime scene, and their brains were said to be missing.
Due to its bizarre style and the fact that the victims were not ordinary people, this legend spread widely.
Similarly, there were other legends like the disappearance of an entire village deep in Zhangshan Mountain, the Jianshan Phantom, and the Face Kite. Chen Chuan had privately asked Mr. Nian LiFu about these legends, but he dismissed them, saying that the police department had investigated these incidents and found that most of them had traces of human involvement.
He added that even if there were such supernatural things, they were nothing compared to the power of firearms and cannons.
Back in the living room, even before the meal was ready, the aroma of chicken soup filled the air. The two cousins playing nearby also smelled it and started shouting.
"It smells so good!"
"I want chicken! I want chicken!"
"That's for your cousin, not for you. You can't have it."
"I want it too! I want it too..."
"You can't have it. You're not listening..."
Mr. Nian LiFu was getting a headache from the children's noise. He put down the newspaper and called out to the kitchen, "Hey, Yu Wan, why don't you make another one?"
"I want this one! I want this one..."
"This child, he never listens..." Yu Wan ran out from the kitchen, grabbed Nian Mo's ear, and smacked his bottom. Nian Mo started wailing loudly.
Chen Chuan heard the sound in his room and couldn't help but smile.
That noon and evening, the whole family had meals together.
Before dinner, Mr. Nian LiFu told Chen Chuan, "Don't be too nervous tomorrow. When I first went to the battlefield, I didn't know what fear was."
Aunt Yu Wan said, "Your aunt's husband isn't exaggerating. He was indeed very brave back then, but after he came back, he always said that if the bullet had been a little off, it wouldn't have been just a hole in his helmet, but he wouldn't have come back at all."
Mr. Nian LiFu rubbed the stubble on his head and sighed, "Before I joined the army, I was a single man who didn't have to worry about the family, so I didn't have to think too much. After I got married, I became more cautious and always felt that I was too reckless when I was young. But if you don't give it your all when you're young, you'll inevitably regret it when you're old."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Kid, take the exam seriously. To put it bluntly, whether you'll be drinking and eating meat or eating bran and swallowing vegetables depends entirely on tomorrow."
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Aunt's husband, Aunt, I'm confident."
"Good, no more talk, let's eat. Eat more, have a full meal, rest well, and you'll be in better shape tomorrow." With that, Mr. Nian LiFu picked up his chopsticks, and the family began to eat.
After dinner, Chen Chuan took a walk outside, returned to his room, and placed the alarm clock on the desk. He murmured a command, and his Second Self instantly merged with his body. He began to count silently.
When he opened his eyes again, the second hand had already passed two minutes. This was the result of his efforts in this stage.
In a real life-or-death combat, the outcome is often decided in just a few seconds or at most a dozen seconds. So, for a one-on-one fight, what he had achieved was already enough.
No matter what, over the past three months, he had done his best. Now, he just had to wait for tomorrow's test.
He checked the items he needed to bring the next day and then relaxed and started reading. When the clock struck ten, he turned off the light and went to sleep, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
The night passed, and around five in the morning, he got up with full energy. However, Aunt Yu Wan had already gotten up earlier and had prepared breakfast for him, telling him not to be nervous.
Chen Chuan wasn't really too nervous, which came from his confidence in his own strength.
Since the re-examination hadn't specified a specific time, only requiring candidates to arrive before eight, he decided to go to school a bit earlier to avoid any last-minute rush.
After leaving the house, he saw the sky was a misty blue, the sun just rising, and there weren't many people on the road.
He rode his bike, passing through the central city square and smoothly turning onto the main road leading to Wu Yi University. He saw that both sides of the road were lined with security personnel, all of whom had short sticks and daggers on their belts.
These were likely sent by Wu Yi University to maintain order, as so many students gathered together, all young and full of energy and martial prowess, could easily cause problems if not properly managed.
After riding a bit further, he could already see the school gate, but the open space in front of the gate was already blocked by barriers. A security guard standing at the street corner waved to him, indicating he should park his bicycle in a designated area.
He dismounted and pushed his bicycle to the designated area, which already had several rows of bikes parked. After parking his bike, he entered through the reserved passage in the barriers.
In front, there were already many candidates who had arrived early, queuing up. Each candidate had to be individually verified for identity, and those without a student ID would not be allowed into the university. If the ID was damaged, forgotten, or lost, they would be blocked outside, with no explanations accepted.
The gate was guarded by two university teachers and three assistant teachers, all of whom had serious expressions. The atmosphere was very tense, with security personnel patrolling back and forth.
Chen Chuan entered through the side gate again, where his number and photo were checked to confirm his identity. After that, his personal items were inspected, and only food, water, a towel, and other cleaning items were allowed. He had to sign to be allowed entry into Wu Yi University.
As they queued to enter the school gate, a small car slowly drove up. The teachers went up to inquire, and the student inside didn't get out but just showed their student card, and was immediately allowed to enter.
None of the students entering through the side gate felt anything was amiss; instead, most looked on with envy and admiration.
At that moment, he heard a few bird chirps overhead. Chen Chuan looked up, and in the brightening sky, he could see a few sparrows circling and flying high.
"Student, your student ID."
Chen Chuan came back to his senses, said thank you, took it, and put it away. He tightened the strap of his satchel and stepped through the gates of Wu Yi University.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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