Chapter 4: The First Cycle of Jiazi

  Smelling a girl's body scent, feeling the softness and warmth of his sister, Yu Gen Shun felt somewhat unnatural.

  A fifteen or sixteen year old girl, her body has basically taken shape. At this time, her younger sister's arm was hooked on her brother's thigh, with a small head tilted, and her ponytail was hanging on her brother's belly. Her stool was slightly shorter, as if she was half-reclining there, with one leg raised high, swinging back and forth, very mischievous!

  So hitting people is this interesting?

  Even if they are siblings, shouldn't they maintain some distance between male and female? Alright, older brother will take the place of father from now on and teach her slowly. Having not taken care of his sister for so many years, he'll just treat her as if she's still five-year-old Little Wudou for now.

  In the 18th year of the Republic, Yu Jiao'ao was ten years old and Wu Duan was five years old. When their father died, their mother, who made a living by washing clothes, fell seriously ill and reluctantly sent Wu Duan to a wealthy family, separating the siblings. The following year, their mother also passed away, leaving behind a jade bangle for Yu Jiao'ao before she died, saying that it was one of a pair, with the other on Wu Duan's wrist. Their mother only knew that the wealthy family who adopted Wu Duan had the surname Ma and were originally from Pingyang.

  Yu Jiao knelt in front of his mother's bed and reached out to close her eyes which were still wide open.

  The villagers were helping the orphan bury his mother when an old man with white hair and beard happened to pass by. In the superstition of the mountain, one of them is "white bearded old man". This "white bearded old man" is like "Fox Old Man", usually as a witness for mountain people to swear, and also has the effect of stopping children from crying at night, persuading children to eat - "Do you want to eat? If not, let the 'white bearded old man' take you away!"

  This time, it really was "White Whiskers Old Man" who took people away.

  This "white bearded old man" was not just white-bearded, his eyebrows were also white and his hair was also white. Whether other places were white or not, no one knew. Anyway, Yu Jia Ao always quietly called him "Three Whites".

  Yu Jiao Ao had no parents, no house and no land. The "San Bai" master wanted to take people away, and the neighbors didn't want to get involved either. Perhaps the "San Bai" master still left some skeletal remains, past life connections and other official words, but Yu Jiao Ao couldn't remember them.

  When Yu Jia'ao left his hometown, he only brought the jade bangle that his mother had left him. The jade bangle was of ordinary quality and not worth much, but it was the only connection between him and his sister. Finding Wú Shuāng became Yu Jia'ao's lifelong wish.

  After that, Yu Jiao Ao followed the "Three Whites" master to travel all over the world, learning a set of internal and external skills. During this period, he also went to Pingyang many times. Pingyang County, especially Cangma Town, has many wealthy families with the surname Ma, but he never heard any news about his sister, instead, he coincidentally eliminated many corrupt officials and evil tyrants.

  Ten years later, in the 28th year of the Republic of China, Master "San Bai" mysteriously disappeared, just as he had mysteriously appeared beside Yu Jiao.

  Yu Jia Ao then set off for Cang Ma Shan, spreading the news. Xiao Wu Shuang should be able to remember her brother's name, right? Hopefully she'll send word...

  Sitting and hitting is more comfortable!

  Yu Gen slapped out a crisp slap and continued to interrogate.

  "What place is this?"

  By the pond.

  Ma Lao Si didn't have time to think about how this guy was playing with him, he just honestly answered the questions, his two cheeks were already numb, and the saliva he swallowed was bloody.

  What kind of talk is this? You're asking for a beating!

  "Your family's pond." Ma Lao Si thought to himself, it's all because of this pond that we're in trouble, can't you just leave us alone? Stop fighting, okay? I'd rather die than come to this pond again, no! Don't kill me, I won't come to this pond...

  "Go big or go home!" Another slap, this time Yu Gen's hand strength was a bit smaller, this guy can't take a beating.

  "The pond of Liangshan Village, no, the pond of Cangma Mountain, the pond of Pingyang County, the pond of Cangzhou City!"

  Ma Lao Si shouted excitedly, isn't Cang Hai city big enough? I've never been there myself, but I did go to Ping Yang county town once and almost got hit by a car.

  "Hehe, ponds on earth!"

  Her sister chuckled and interrupted, turning her face to look at Yu Gen Shun, her eyelashes fluttering, her small face like a round apple. Hmm, like a peach, with a layer of fine down...

  "Mischievous!" Yu Gen Shun also knew the earth, and he casually scratched his sister's nose. His sister pouted, glaring at him fiercely.

  It seems that Cangma Mountain is correct, and he also knows about Pingyang County. Although he has never heard of this Canghai City, his sister is right, after all, it's not like they've left the earth. Now it's time to ask about the time.

  "What day is today?"

  "In early April, at the beginning...” Old Horse thought carefully for a moment, “April 8th!” This time he was absolutely sure, today was the day of the market in Cangma Town, this morning he had even played a game of Tai Chi ball there and won a roasted chicken."

  Is it April 8th? Yes, it's April 8th! In the morning, Yúnù said she had arrived, but before the banquet could start, the enemy planes came...

  The time and place are right, but how can the people be completely different? Could it be that there is a brother who rescued me and hid me here to recover from my injuries? Or not, why don't I have any wounds on my chest? Even if five or six knives couldn't kill me, this wound shouldn't have healed in just one day, should it?

  What's more, how could his sister have found him so coincidentally?

  After waking up, he heard his sister calling him "brother" and Yu Gen Shun was so happy that he almost fainted. How could he think of anything else? Moreover, the emotions in his sister's eyes were genuine, and their fraternal bond couldn't be fake. But now, Yu Gen Shun didn't dare to think further, it seemed like his sister was also a bit suspicious!

  "Have you seen the brothers of Dadao Hall?"

  "I've never seen it!" Ma Lao Si had already answered two questions correctly in a row, and not getting slapped was a great happiness, so he couldn't help but answer as perfectly as possible. "But I've heard of it! My grandfather used to tell me stories when he was alive."

  "When was your grandfather alive?" Yu Gen Shun was dizzy again, "Are there any brothers of the Big Knife Hall still alive?"

  "Grandpa said that the entire army of Dadao Tang was annihilated. Even if there were some who didn't die at the time, after so many years have passed, they wouldn't be left either."

  So many years have passed? Have many years really passed already? How can so many years pass? Brothers are all gone! And I don't know what happened to Yúnǚ either!

  This April 8th is not that April 8th!

  Too much information can't be digested at once, and the buzzing in his head made him forget to slap himself on the ear. This made Ma Lao Si very pleased, while the four of them were still working hard to fan themselves, fighting each other! It's not easy to fan out teeth...

  "How many years has it been?" After a long while, Yu Gen Shun asked another sentence, with a somewhat helpless tone.

  "I don't know, how would I know about things before liberation?" Ma Lao Si said with a hint of grievance, his neck stiffening slightly.

  What's "before liberation"? Sounds new, what does it mean? Yu Gen Shun finally remembered his slap, "How dare you talk to me like that? Before liberation?"

  "It's liberation before, it's liberation before!" Ma Lao Si fell down again, thinking that he was right to be worried, but the whole country had really been liberated, and yet he was still being beaten up. What kind of world is this?...

  "What year did Grandpa ask about?"

  Yu Gen Shun's head was too big, this time the slap didn't have any lightness or heaviness, Ma Lao Si was slapped to one side and quickly got up on his knees again.

  "Two thousand years! Ugggh..."

  Ma Lao's face was swollen on both sides, and he felt even more wronged in his heart, unable to hold back a sob. What kind of questions are these? They're just trying to pick a fight with me, their teeth haven't even fallen out yet, and I've already lost most of mine! My dad was born before liberation, he knows more than me, why don't you ask him? It was also my dad's idea to come collect your pond...

  "Grandpa asked you how many years of the Republic!"

  Yu Gen Shun's memory is still stuck in the 29th year of the Republic, what does this guy mean by two thousand years? I don't understand, it's naturally your fault. Another slap on the ear.

  "Uhh... I really don't know, how many years since the Republic of China was established..."

  Blood flowed from Ma Lao Si's mouth, his head was dizzy and confused. He thought to himself: I only attended elementary school for three years, my dad didn't teach me well, I never passed an exam, I really don't know anything about the Republic of China! Kids, you must study hard, read books and learn culture, otherwise you can't be a good hoodlum...

  "Brother, I know that the first year of the Republic was 1912. This year should be the eighty-ninth year of the Republic, but nobody counts it that way anymore, since we've been liberated for so many years."

  Sister's knowledge is indeed profound, and her voice is even more crisp and pleasant. But Yu Gen Shun's brain was "buzzing" loudly, as if it had exploded. The cushion under his butt couldn't withstand the pressure and suddenly collapsed...

  In the 29th year of the Republic of China, that was sixty years ago!

  Sixty years, a cycle of Jiazi. I actually arrived after sixty years?

  "Brother, brother! What's wrong with you?"

  Her sister also fell down, but she quickly got up and rushed to pull her brother who was sitting on the ground. Her brother was really too heavy, and her sister used a lot of strength to turn his head around. Seeing that her brother's eyes were a bit unfocused, her voice trembled with tears, "Brother! Brother!"

  Ma Lao Si, who was kneeling on the other side, also stared blankly. I had answered so many questions and nothing happened, but Yu Xiao Ling only answered one question and it had such a huge impact?

  I'm still okay after being beaten like this, but the one who beat me is not doing well? Well, it's good to be stupid, just don't wake up in the end, damn it!