After a full day of exercise, my muscles were sore, and my legs were trembling from exhaustion. I could barely walk and had to lean on my father-in-law, Zhang Dagui, to get back home.
After dropping me off, Zhang Dagui rushed out again to his traditional Chinese medicine shop, bringing back a pile of herbs. He brewed a medicinal bath with them and poured it into the hot bath water for me to soak in. According to him, the medicinal bath would help relieve my muscle soreness and quickly restore my energy. Without these herbs, after such intense exercise, I'd likely be sore for another two or three days, and my arms and legs would be weak. That would make it impossible for me to continue training.
When Linda saw my battered state after learning martial arts, she complained to her father, saying, "Dad, what are you doing? Andrew is still a student, and you've been making him train like this every day. How is he supposed to go to school and study?"
Zhang Dagui smiled lightly and said, "Xiaoyu doesn't exercise much and has a poor constitution. I'm helping him strengthen his body. Having a good body is like having a good cannon barrel. Only with this can the cannon punches be powerful. As for worrying about his studies, it's like long-distance running. The first few days are exhausting, but once he gets used to it, it won't be so tiring."
Although Linda and my mother-in-law, Xu Shuqin, expressed some concerns, I decided to continue learning martial arts from my father-in-law. Over the next two days, Zhang Dagui taught me the Eight Gate Cannon Fist in the morning and supervised my physical training in the afternoon. Every day, I returned home exhausted, but after two days of adjustment, I started to feel less tired by the third day.
On the fourth morning, I returned to school. Linda had already told me that Director David had decided not to expel me but had given me a warning and publicly criticized me during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday morning.
When I walked into the classroom, my classmates couldn't help but look at me. I hadn't been to school for a few days, and many of them thought it was because I had offended John and Bage's group and was afraid of retaliation.
My sudden appearance surprised them. Mia and the others, who had been chatting in a group, greeted me with joy as soon as they saw me, asking why I hadn't been to school the past few days.
I told them there was an issue at home, but I noticed that Mia, Daluo, and Xiaoluo had some fresh bruises on their faces. I froze and quietly asked, "Mia, why do you all have new injuries on your faces? Is John and his group still causing trouble for you?"
Mia gave an awkward smile and said, "You know John—he's a petty guy and holds grudges. Last night, we were cornered by them outside the boys' bathroom and got into a bit of trouble."
Looking at the uneasy expressions on Mia and the others, I felt that the situation wasn't as easygoing as Mia made it sound. They must have been beaten up and humiliated last night.
Daluo, in his usual deep voice, warned me, "Andrew, be careful. You gave John a good smack last week, and he's holding a grudge against you."
I nodded and replied, "I know."
By this time, the bell for the morning study period was about to ring, so we all returned to our seats. Harper, the class monitor, was sitting in front of me. She suddenly turned around and, looking a bit upset, said, "Andrew, where have you been? Why haven't you been coming to school for the past few days?"
Her expression at that moment was like that of a gentle wife questioning her unfaithful husband about his late nights. I couldn't help but scratch my head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I had some things to deal with at home. I already asked the homeroom teacher for leave. Why do you seem so upset, class monitor?"
Mia, always the troublemaker, couldn't resist teasing me. He grinned and said, "That's because our beautiful class monitor is really concerned about you."
Harper blushed, shot Mia a glare, and then explained, "Andrew, don't forget I challenged you first. The next monthly exam is coming up soon. I had already prepared to defeat you and take the top spot in the class. But now that you've missed so many days of school, you've fallen behind, which makes it unfair for me!"
So that's why she was upset. This proud girl had always been the top student, but since we entered high school, I had taken her first-place spot, which she couldn't accept. She had even seriously challenged me, saying she would beat me in the upcoming exam.
For me, being first or second in class wasn't that important. I smiled and said, "It's fine. Even if I miss a few days of class and don't do well in the exam, I don't really care."
"But I care. I've been waiting for this exam for more than half a month. I want to beat you fair and square."
"Well, if you really want to beat me, just score higher than me in the exam. That'll be enough for you to win."
"But you've missed several days of school, and your studies have fallen behind. How about this: Since there are only a few days left before the exam, after school from now on, I'll tutor you and help you catch up on everything you've missed. Then we can compete fairly in the exam. What do you think?"
"Will that be okay?"
"Of course! Let's settle this. I'll tutor you during our spare time, and you can't slack off!"
Looking at the beautiful and spirited class monitor in front of me, I couldn't help but laugh. I wasn't sure whether I should call her proud or adorably clueless. She wanted so badly to beat me in academics, but at the same time, her pride made her determined. I had to admit, girls with this kind of personality weren't bad. Whether as a study opponent or a friend, she was quite a good person.
Just then, the class bell rang, and several boys walked in from the door, laughing and chatting. It was John and his gang. John looked cheerful at first, but when his eyes fell on my seat and saw me, his face immediately darkened. He muttered under his breath, "Damn, this little bastard finally showed up."
John, with a dark expression, walked over toward me with his group of followers.
The whole class knew that John and I had a grudge, so everyone immediately quieted down, and all eyes were on me. I could feel the pity in their gazes, probably thinking I was about to get into trouble again.
Harper, sensing the tension, quickly stood up and shouted, "John, I warn you, don't start fighting in the classroom. If you do, I'll report you to the homeroom teacher."
John shrugged dismissively, not paying attention to Harper. He walked straight up to me.
Seeing his approach, I stood up and moved my chair back. If I stayed sitting, I wouldn't be able to defend myself if he decided to attack me.
Mia, who used to be a bit timid, stood up beside me, even though he looked nervous. He was showing that he would stand by me if it came to a fight.
At the same time, Daluo and Xiaoluo, sitting not far behind me, also stood up, showing they would back me up.
I remembered how, at the start of the school year, when John's group came after me, no one had stood up for me, not even to report to the teacher. Now, though, I had three brothers standing with me, and even a beautiful classmate standing up to help. It warmed my heart, and I felt much more confident. I no longer felt scared when meeting John's gaze because I wasn't alone anymore.
John looked me up and down, then suddenly smirked. He raised his fist, and I thought he was going to hit me. Instinctively, I tried to block with my hand and leaned to the left to avoid the punch…
But John was just trying to scare me. When he saw me dodge, he laughed gleefully, "Don't be so nervous, I was just messing with you. I wasn't actually going to fight you in the classroom. But you're really pathetic. You either hide behind the girls or sneak attack. How can a coward like you ever fight me like a man?"
I was slightly irritated by his teasing and replied without hesitation, "Alright then, if you have the guts, pick a time and place, and let's fight one-on-one like men and see who's the real coward."
John was arrogant and full of himself, relying on his connections with people like Ni Ba and his gang, not to mention his father being the school director. But if it was a one-on-one fight, I had never been afraid of him.