Chapter 23: Not a Clever Blossom!
“Granny Hui, Grandpa Qiao, Granny You, Granny Du, Grandpa Xia,” Jiang Chen’an and Yumi called out one by one.
Like Granny Gu, the five elderly men and women all bore some form of physical imperfection—some obvious, others subtle—but their spirit and vitality were impressive, surpassing even some younger people.
The five scrutinized Jiang Chen’an and Yumi from head to toe, silently nodding to themselves. The children seemed to have faced no hardship outside; they looked sturdy and full of energy.
“Come on, come on, have a little spar with us old folks. Let us see if you two have made any progress,” Xia Yi said, stepping in front of Jiang Chen’an and Yumi.
Alongside him came a gray metal stick that Old Man Qiao tossed over to Yumi.
Granny Gu, leaning on her cane, swiftly moved to join the other four.
The pressure on Jiang Chen’an and Yumi surged instantly. They exchanged a glance and struck simultaneously.
Yumi swung her wooden stick fiercely, the wind whistling as it aimed straight for Xia Yi’s vital spots.
Yet Xia Yi merely shifted his footing softly, and Yumi’s attack missed its mark.
At the same time, Jiang Chen’an’s follow-up strike also fell short.
Their first blows failed; they quickly adjusted and attacked again. Xia Yi used their momentum against them, and both their attacks landed on him.
As the sparring continued, Jiang Chen’an and Yumi took blow after blow but couldn’t even graze the edge of Xia Yi’s clothing.
The longer the practice went on, the clearer their strengths and weaknesses became to Xia Yi and the others.
“Yumi’s staff foundation is solid, but she relies too heavily on fixed moves and lacks adaptability. A true master of the staff moves the stick as the heart wills, and the heart follows the mind’s intent…” Xia Yi’s tone was strict yet caring toward the younger generation.
“Watch my movements carefully,” he said, taking the staff from Yumi and demonstrating her previous moves against Old Man Qiao, then Jiang Chen’an’s earlier techniques.
“Chen’an has great talent—his movements are quick and creative,” Xia Yi said with some praise. “But you need to focus more on the flow of your attacks and the tightness of your defense. In battle, the slightest flaw can be a fatal weakness…”
The two watched intently, their eyes shining with fervor.
“Chen’an is doing well. Yumi, keep working hard.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Xia,” they said in unison.
“All right, come inside and tell us about your experiences recently. You two really surprised us—signing up for the pioneer team without a word.”
Jiang Chen’an and Yumi grabbed their bags and walked inside with the elders, recounting their month-long journey as they went.
After handing clothes to the elders, they distributed the remaining garments to the children.
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“Brother Yumi, Brother Chen’an, is the pioneer team tiring?”
“Is it dangerous?”
“What do you have to do?”
“How do you plant the land?”
...
Little Persimmon, eyes clouded in curiosity, tugged at Yumi’s sleeve as they moved from room to room asking questions nonstop, followed by a trail of children eager to listen and understand.
Yumi picked out the interesting parts to tell him.
In return, Little Persimmon shared news from the orphanage, “Potato’s left hand muscles are wasting worse. Little Maruko can’t hear at all now. Little Orange still doesn’t like to talk; her hair and skin turned completely white. The doctor said there’s no cure…”
After that, he began talking about the neighborhood, “A boy next door was so feverish he was almost dying. His family sent him to the Creation God Church, and soon he was cured and stayed there.”
“Are the pastors really that skilled medically? I didn’t hear they could treat illnesses before. Why would the boy stay there?” Yumi pondered, recalling what he had heard.
“They serve the Creation God! The pastors who can heal are newcomers, very skilled. Many who can’t afford hospitals come to them now.”
No wonder Yumi was unaware. “Don’t they need to spend points to get medicine from the pastors?”
“They give medicine for free~ as long as you serve the Creation God there for some time after getting better.”
“That’s actually quite decent.”
“Yes! They even wanted to send medicine and supplements to the orphanage, but Granny Gu and the others said the Creation God Church isn’t legitimate, that it’s a scam. They forbid us from accepting anything or contacting the church people,” Little Persimmon said with regret.
Not legitimate? A scam? That couldn’t be true.
Yumi and Jiang Chen’an exchanged doubtful glances. Granny Gu and the others were honest people, yet they had both witnessed the sacred phoenix beast!
Though uncertain of the truth, they instinctively trusted Granny Gu and the others more.
Yumi warned, “You all must listen to Granny Gu, especially you, Little Persimmon. Don’t be so curious. When I’m gone, you’ll be one of the oldest here—help Granny Gu take care of the other kids!”
The children responded in unison, “Got it, Brother Yumi.”
“Good children.”
...
The next morning, Jiang Chen’an rose early and left the orphanage, heading toward District Twelve.
---
Gu Xiaomai of the pioneer team also woke early to practice Tai Chi.
After finishing, she carefully sensed the changes within her body.
Yesterday, after practicing, she had seen a drop of liquid form on the tip of her right index finger.
Just as it was about to fall, she caught it with her left hand, noting the droplet was about the size of a grain of millet—transparent, colorless, tasteless, resembling water but more viscous.
Gu Xiaomai thought this must be the delicious water the red-bellied pheasant had mentioned.
Watching the liquid, she noticed the surrounding plants seemed to lean toward her.
Especially a morning glory vine to her front-left—it used to cling to a weed but now was detaching and growing toward her.
Her heart leapt at the clear change. This wasn’t a smart flower!
She hesitated about whether to cut it with her bone-cleaving blade.
In the end, she decided against it.
Gu Xiaomai shifted position away from the foolish flower and focused on sensing any bodily changes after drinking the liquid.
But nothing happened—no extraordinary sensation, no voice from within as the pheasant had promised.
She suspected the liquid might not work on her.
Staring at the foolish flower some distance away, she made up her mind and came back this morning to practice Tai Chi by it again.
Soon, she felt something flowing within her blood vessels, slowly moving to the tip of her right index finger.
Gu Xiaomai was thrilled—this time she clearly sensed the liquid moving inside her.
The liquid condensed and took form at her fingertip.
“Gui—gui—” Ah! Ah! Ah! Delicious water!