Chapter 45

The eldest brother, Song Haojun, is currently in the military, so Song Haowen didn’t bring him a gift; he plans to give him one when they meet.

“Eldest son hasn’t written a letter home for several months; I wonder what keeps him so busy,” Mom informed Song Haowen.

In the past, the eldest son would send a letter home every month at the very least, ensuring everyone knew he was safe.

Song Haowen recalled that in his previous life, his eldest brother had participated in the Sino-Vietnamese War of Self-Defense, earning a second-class merit.

Now, with the ongoing war, his brother might be in the midst of the fierce battle on the way to capture Laoshan.

There might be no opportunity to write a letter home, so he comforted his mother, saying, “During the summer break, my big brother was already a platoon leader. Now, he might have been promoted to deputy company commander, responsible for a hundred or so soldiers. When he’s busy, he might forget to write letters.”

Dad chuckled, “You make a good point. Last time, our eldest son mentioned the possibility of a promotion in his letter.”

Mom grumbled, “No matter how busy he is, he shouldn’t forget to write letters.”

Song Haowen was about to say something when he suddenly realized that in the entire semester, he had only written one letter before the vacation.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he changed the subject and asked about his second sister’s studies.

His second sister sighed, “Third brother, I’m not doing well. I’m afraid I won’t pass the exam next year.”

“In the final exams, what’s your rank in the class?”

“Fifteenth.” His second sister whispered, “Do you know how many students from your school passed the college entrance exam this year among the fresh graduates?”

“I don’t know. How many passed?”

“Only you!”

“What?” Song Haowen was surprised. Although he remembered that in his previous life, Zhao Sheng High School had only one graduate who managed to pass the exam and enroll in a vocational school, hearing this news still made him feel uneasy.

“Second sister, don’t be disheartened. You have me. Before the exam, I’ll prepare a set of mock questions for you, and you’ll get a perfect score in the entrance exam. I’ll make sure you also go to a university in Beijing.”

“Haha, you’re just boasting. If I can get into a vocational school, I’ll be content. I heard that the questions guessed by the teachers in your school this year had none of them guessed correctly.”

“Hehe, I’m different from them. Otherwise, could I have passed the entrance exam for Beijing University?”

“I hope so. You really should help your sister at her studies,” Dad requested.

“Alright, let’s talk about it slowly at the dinner table. The third son might not have had lunch yet, so let’s start the meal quickly,” Mom happily shouted.

After dinner, Song Haowen went to his second sister’s room and asked if Zheng Yishui had caused her any trouble at school.

“Trouble me?” Second sister laughed, “Now, even if I lend him some courage, he wouldn’t dare to provoke me.”

“Why? Has he become more civilized and sensible, or was he scared by me last time?”

“I don’t know about that. It’s just that, although my academic performance hasn’t improved much, my martial arts skills have made significant progress.”

“Oh, with the intense study in the review class, do you still have time to practice Martial Arts?”

“I practice for half an hour every morning. It invigorates me for the day and is beneficial without harm to my studies.”

“Even if you insist on half an hour every day, it’s at most a way to stretch your muscles and familiarize yourself with the routine. It won’t necessarily enhance your skills much.”

“You don’t believe it? I’ll show you in the yard.”

“We just had dinner; let’s take a break before sparring.”

“It’s okay; I’ll just demonstrate a few moves. Nothing too intense.”

Since Song Haowen couldn’t convince his second sister, he followed her to the courtyard. At this time, it was already dark, but with the reflection of the snow, the surroundings were still visible.

The Martial Arts that his second sister practiced was something Song Haowen had taught her, his fourth brother, and his youngest sister before he went to college.

Without reaching a certain level of practice, it could only be used as a performance, lacking the real combat skills.

However, to Song Haowen’s surprise, his second sister’s Tai Chi was performed with ease, natural grace, compact stances, and extraordinary fluidity.

Feeling the itch to test his skills, he approached his second sister for a sparring match. As they made contact, he was even more astonished to find that she had mastered the eight energies (ward off, roll back, press, push, pluck, split, elbow, and bump) to some extent.

Though far from his level, she was more than capable of handling three to five unskilled strong men.

“Second sister, I didn’t expect you to be a martial arts prodigy. Achieving this level in just six months is truly admirable,” Song Haowen sincerely praised.

In his previous life, it took him over a year to reach the level where his second sister was now, and back then, his second sister couldn’t even throw a punch.

Second sister proudly said, “A coach from the county sports bureau told me that he has been practicing Tai Chi for thirty years and still can’t match my skills.

He even encouraged me to participate in the national martial arts competition or consider entering a sports school.”

“If it weren’t for me, entering a sports school would be a good choice for you. At the very least, you could become a physical education teacher if you passed. However, because of me, you don’t need to consider a sports school. I’m confident that I can help you get into a good regular school.”

“You’re a science student; humanities is not your strong suit. I’m afraid your knowledge of history and geography might not even match mine. How can you help me?” Second sister still wasn’t entirely convinced that her third brother could assist her. “But, I’ve thought about it. I don’t plan to apply to a sports school. If I don’t pass this time, I’m confident I can make it next year.”

Song Haowen knew that no matter how much he said now, it wouldn’t change much. He encouraged her, saying, “With your determination, you will definitely succeed. One heart, two preparations. You can do it.”

As the two siblings continued their conversation, they returned to the main room. They saw that Dad had lit an oil lamp and asked, “When will we have electricity in the house?”

“It’s coming soon. They’re installing the power lines these days. The commune said they want everyone to have electric lights for the New Year.”