"Okay, Dad got it. You mustn't tell anyone these things in the future, okay?"
Lin Yao drooped his head listlessly. He still had to worry about these things. Miaomiao was now his daughter in fact, and no one could change that. As for the fact that his daughter seemed to be a time - traveler, he'd better keep it under wraps. After all, such things were too mysterious. If this silly child accidentally let it slip one day and caught the attention of the higher - ups, it would probably lead to another round of tug - of - war and entanglement.
He still had to make arrangements for the follow - up. He remembered that there had been a long - standing deadlock over the demolition of a martial arts school in the east of the city.
The master who ran the martial arts school was an old - timer. He was a decent person and had even won the national martial arts championship. Lin Yao could send Miaomiao there as an honorary disciple. In this way, there would be an explanation for Miaomiao's martial arts skills.
As for all of Miaomiao's other knowledge, he'd just claim that it was all taught by him, the old father. No matter whether it was true or not, no one would dare to come and verify it in front of him.
Lin Yao quickly came up with a plan to cover up his daughter's time - traveler identity and then rushed off with his daughter to the east of the city without delay.
This area was a key development project in Nancheng recently. The location of the old martial arts school was originally planned to build a parking lot. However, the headmaster regarded this martial arts school as his life and was unwilling to sell it no matter how much money was offered.
Actually, whether to demolish this house didn't really matter much to Lin Yao. Before, it was for the sake of unified planning. Having a martial arts school next to a shopping mall was really out of place.
But now, since he needed a favor, he didn't care about it being out of place. He'd even build another martial arts school for the master if necessary.
When they arrived in the east of the city, the surrounding area was already a sea of ruins, waiting for the construction team to start rebuilding a bustling shopping mall.
The martial arts school stood stubbornly in the middle of this sea of ruins, looking extremely out of place. The dilapidated house seemed so fragile that a gust of wind could blow it down.
The brick - tile house was covered with mildew spots. Apart from its large size, there was no sign of its former glory and grandeur.
Before they even entered the door, Miaomiao could hear the shouts from the students in the martial arts school.
The rhythmic and powerful shouts made Miaomiao's eyes light up with excitement.
It was the familiar smell. There was the aura of a master here!
Lin Yao carried the little girl and stepped back from the training ground. Inside, there were eight boys and one girl standing upright, their movements in perfect unison.
These people also had an amazingly consistent look in their eyes. Even though they were sweating profusely, they were full of determination. Every punch and kick was powerful.
At the front, an old man in his sixties stood with his hands behind his back. Wearing a Zhongshan suit, he looked elegant. He slightly lifted his eyelids, glanced at Lin Yao, and then told his eldest disciple, "Supervise the training, Xiaoshan. I'll go and greet the guests."
Lin Yao nodded slightly at the old man. The old man snorted discontentedly, then turned around and walked out of the training ground, brushing past Lin Yao.
Being treated like this, Lin Yao didn't show the slightest bit of anger. He was a man who could bend and stretch. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the "local emperor" of Nancheng. He could bear this kind of cold treatment.
The old man led Miaomiao and Lin Yao to a tea - room. The martial arts school was decorated in an antique style. The old - fashioned tea - room didn't look shabby at all. Instead, it added a touch of the charm of time.
"Lin Yao, Mr. Lin, may I ask what brings you here? If it's still about the demolition, then there's no need to talk about it. I'll never sell the fruit of my life's work." The old man sat in front of the tea - table with a cold face, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
"Sir, you're joking. I'm not here today to ask you to sell the martial arts school. Instead, I want my daughter to apprentice to you. As long as you agree to take my daughter as your disciple, I won't ask you to demolish this martial arts school. Moreover, I'll pay to renovate it as my daughter's apprenticeship gift. What do you think?"
Lin Yao smiled patiently and stated the purpose of his visit today.
The old man shifted his gaze to Miaomiao. After a long silence, he said, "How old is this little girl? Can she endure this kind of hardship?"
"Well, my daughter has loved martial arts since she was a child. Usually, she just exercises casually and does some simple moves. I saw that she's still so fond of martial arts after all these years, so I've come to visit you to ask for an apprenticeship."
"Casually? How casually? Why don't you let this little girl demonstrate it for me? If it's really as you said, this little girl should have quite good physical strength. As long as it's not fake, I'll take this disciple." The old man raised his eyebrows and asked.
Not many people liked martial arts these days, and there were even fewer little girls who did. The old man obviously didn't believe Lin Yao's words.
"Miaomiao, go and demonstrate your martial arts for this grandpa." Lin Yao patted his daughter on the back and put the little girl on the ground.
The little girl nodded obediently, then ran over a meter away, took a stance, and started punching.
This was the basic routine that Miaomiao did every morning. She knew it like the back of her hand. The set of boxing skills flowed smoothly without any hesitation.
The old man perked up as soon as Miaomiao started punching. He straightened his back and leaned forward to observe Miaomiao's every move carefully.
The moves of this set of boxing skills seemed quite simple when looked at individually. But if there was a person standing in front of this little girl, it would be completely different.
At the same height, every punch Miaomiao threw was an effective attack. There was no sign of showy moves. Her stance was even more stable than that of his favorite eldest disciple. Her speed was fast, and her punches were powerful.
After Miaomiao finished the demonstration, she bowed respectfully to the old man, then trotted back into her father's arms.
The old man looked at Lin Yao with a fake smile and said, "This girl is a good seedling, but she definitely didn't just do some casual moves. Since she already has a master, why are you here to make fun of an old man like me?"
"Miaomiao, do you have a master?" Lin Yao knew that no matter what he said, the old man wouldn't believe him. So he directly lowered his head and asked his daughter.
"No." Miaomiao answered straightforwardly. She didn't seem to be lying at all.
The old man asked Miaomiao suspiciously, "Then where did you learn all these things?"
"I learned them from books. Sometimes, uncles and aunts also taught me a little."
"There are some elders in the family who are soldiers and policemen." Lin Yao quickly added after his daughter's answer.
If the old man dug deeper into who the uncles and aunts were, Miaomiao would surely tell everything. It was better to disrupt the old man's thinking and lead him astray.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the old man dispelled all his doubts, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Good. She's a good seedling. Okay, I'll take this disciple. Is what you said earlier really going to be honored?"
"Tomorrow, I'll send someone to draw up a contract. From today on, I'll bear all the expenses of the martial arts school. It can be regarded as Miaomiao's tuition fee for learning from you."
"Three hundred yuan?" Lin Yao frowned. He never expected the tuition fee to be so low.
He looked down at the tea in the cup and the clothes on the old man. Lin Yao had a general idea in his mind.
The old man's life must be quite hard.
"Okay, then I'll bring Miaomiao here for the formal apprenticeship ceremony tomorrow. By the way, I'll also bring you a written promise that the house will never be demolished."