Chen Xiao felt a pang of sorrow at the sight and couldn't help but reach out and gently support Xiao Qing. Xiao Qing's body went limp, and she leaned against Chen Xiao's arm, hugging his shoulder and crying.
The old man looked rather guilty and sighed.
"Xiao Qing is an exceptionally talented girl. Among the Xiao family members of her generation, none can compare to her! Back then, Xiao Mingyue was a remarkable person in our Xiao family. The Mr. Tian she brought back was the one who single-handedly created the Xiao family's martial arts. And Xiao Qing's talent was already evident when she was only five or six years old! Everyone was even surprised that her father, whose talent in martial arts was mediocre but who was quite adept at business management, had a daughter who was a martial arts prodigy. But no matter what, I always remembered the words of that remarkable Mr. Tian and never dared to reveal Xiao Qing's background... Alas..."
Seeing Xiao Qing's tears, Chen Xiao subconsciously tightened his grip on her arm, then sighed and hesitated for a moment: "Grandpa Xiao, then, this matter concerns me..."
"Of course it's related to you." The old man chuckled. "Speaking of which, it was fate. Xiao Qing's father and your mother had a good relationship since childhood. Although they weren't siblings from the same branch of the family, Xiao Qing's father was your mother's cousin. But coincidentally, Xiao Qing's mother and your mother were best friends. They had been betrothed since childhood. At that time, your mother was still at home and hadn't left. We elders were happy to see this. But later, Xiao Qing's mother didn't give birth to any children, and by the time Xiao Qing came to the Xiao family, your mother had already left."
Chapter 267 of the main text [Old Tian's Secret]
As for Chen Xiao's mother, the story isn't too strange; it's just like a plot point in many prime-time dramas.
Born into a somewhat conservative and stubborn family, she possessed a curious and adventurous spirit. In her youth, she left her family to study medicine in the outside world. During her studies, she experienced the vibrant and diverse world outside, sensing its difference from the conservative and outdated atmosphere of her family, and from that moment on, she was captivated.
The only slightly unusual thing is that Chen Xiao's mother's surname is Xiao, and her given name is Xiao Sashuang. This name was given by Old Master Xiao, who hoped that this girl, born into a martial arts family like the Xiao family, would also be a woman who is not inferior to men and has a heroic and valiant spirit.
Unfortunately, Chen Xiao's mother, although exceptionally intelligent since childhood, simply didn't have her mind on martial arts training.
This wouldn't be a big deal in an ordinary family. After all, in modern times, it's rare for girls to practice martial arts. But in the Xiao family, all young children, regardless of gender, are cultivated to have a martial spirit from a young age.
But Chen Xiao's mother was an exception. Despite her intelligence from a young age, she refused to focus any of it on martial arts. Instead, she was interested in all sorts of other "miscellaneous" things. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Among the many children in the Xiao family, it wasn't uncommon to find one or two who lacked talent in martial arts. After all, she was a girl, and they weren't expecting her to bring honor to the family. Since she didn't want to learn martial arts, she could learn things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, cultivating her into a refined young lady—that wouldn't be bad at all.
But Chen Xiao's mother, having learned a bit of everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, lost interest in them. Eventually, for some reason, she became obsessed with some unusual hobbies... Other girls also liked to keep flowers and plants, or small pets like cats, dogs, fish, and birds, and besides, the Xiao family's old house was at the foot of the mountain, where there were many such animals.
But Chen Xiao's mother didn't get these pets to keep... in fact, she had absolutely no interest in keeping pets. Instead, whenever she heard that a brother or sister in the clan had a cat, dog, fish, bird, or something similar that had died from illness, she would immediately and excitedly go to their door, then try every means to trick them into giving her the animal's body away. Or she would simply wait until the pet was buried, then sneak back and dig it up to take back, and then...
Dissection!!
How terrifying! A young girl, made to look like an executioner!
No wonder she ultimately chose medical school.
What puzzled the Xiao family elders even more was that this girl wasn't lacking in martial arts talent—quite the opposite, she was intelligent from a young age, with a talent surpassing that of her peers in the clan. She learned the techniques faster than anyone else. Yet, she simply refused to put in the effort to practice! However, whenever the elders taught martial arts and explained profound concepts, while her siblings only vaguely understood some of the deeper aspects, she could grasp them in a flash.
It is such a waste and a great pity that such intelligence and talent are not used for the right purpose!
More importantly, Chen Xiao's mother did something that the family could not tolerate.
After she finished her studies, she absolutely refused to go back to the Xiao family!
On one hand, she had met Chen Xiao's father and was deeply in love—no, it should be said, she was head over heels in love. She absolutely refused to return to the Xiao family. And according to tradition, nine out of ten young men in the Xiao family were betrothed at a very young age.
This isn't really a big deal. After all, arranging a marriage between children is one thing, but now that society is becoming more open and progressive, if the young people themselves don't want to, the elders won't force them into marriage.
But Chen Xiao's mother just wouldn't go back to the Xiao family! It's true that she studied medicine, but even so, the Xiao family is rich and powerful in Lingnan, and even has a private clinic or small hospital. They could easily let her return to their family business to develop.
That's not all. The problem is that Chen Xiao's mother is a direct descendant of the Xiao family! In such traditional families, every young member of the direct descendant is born with a heavy responsibility: to inherit!
Unfortunately, Chen Xiao's mother, being a direct descendant of the main wife, was not free. She had to return to the Xiao family, whether she liked it or not. Even if she refused to inherit the family business or work for it, she still had a natural duty: to carry on the family line!
According to the Xiao family tradition, girls from the main wife's direct line are practically treated like princesses! If they marry and have children, and the child is a boy, he will automatically be incorporated into the Xiao family system! If the child is an only daughter, she is also responsible for giving birth to a child who will take the Xiao surname!
Chen Xiao's mother, a modern woman who had received higher education in the civilized world, refused to stand by and do it!
I finally escaped the Xiao family after a lifetime of hardship. Am I really going to be dragged back to that ancient, suffocating family and bound to them after I have a son? This is simply outrageous!
Several attempts to reach an agreement with the family failed, and in a fit of anger, Chen Xiao's mother made a decisive move: she decided to sever ties with the Xiao family! She wouldn't even return to the ancestral hall for clan gatherings, making it clear that she'd rather give up her Xiao family identity than lose her freedom! Furthermore, she vowed that any children she had after marriage would absolutely not be sent back to the Xiao family to be raised! She was determined to ensure her children lived under a clear blue sky of freedom…
The result... was predictable.
...
...
"Living under... a clear blue sky..."
After hearing what Old Master Xiao said, Chen Xiao's expression immediately became extremely strange. He muttered a sentence to himself, and for a moment he seemed to be in a daze.
...
...
"It seems... this is the place."
At this moment, on the hill behind the Xiao family's old house, this typical Lingnan-style hill is only a few kilometers long and the slope is not very high. In a depression on the back of the hill, a lawn has been opened up. Obviously, this was originally a dense forest, but a small part in the middle has been leveled, leaving behind a very dilapidated little house.
At this moment, Lao Tian stood in front of the house and stared at it for a while.
The house's blue bricks were covered in moss, clearly neglected for a long time—this place was originally where the Xiao family's martial arts practitioners would come here for "secluded cultivation" once they reached a certain level. However, in modern society, this kind of self-torturing asceticism is becoming increasingly rare. Young people are always restless, and few are willing to expend such arduous energy on practicing martial arts.
Old Tian reached out and touched the wall, his hand covered in sticky green moss, and sighed softly.
“Mingyue…Mingyue…We found this place together back then. I personally cut down all the trees in this area. Yes, I remember it very clearly, there were thirty-six trees in total. When I was cutting down the trees, you sat beside me watching and smiling, and then took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my forehead…”
Yeah, I used the wood from those felled trees to build a house here... yeah, this is the house now. Back then, it was a wooden hut. This brick house now must have been renovated and rebuilt by the Xiao family later... hehe!
I still remember what you said to me back then. You said, "Tian, I believe now that in this world, only you are the best to me, only you would never hurt me... If I told you now that I'm willing to stay here with you, in these mountains, in this little wooden house, to spend the rest of my life with you, would you stay with me?"
Bright moon, I agree, of course I agree! I'm absolutely certain!
If you had made this request to me when we first met, I would have taken you to live in seclusion somewhere no one could find us!
If I had just arrived in Europe and found you, and seen how badly that bastard had hurt you, if you had just said "let me take you away," I would have done anything to take you to a deserted place and spend the rest of my life with you... Even if I live longer than you, I will still commit suicide to go with you when you die!
If you had made this request when you first came back to China with me, I would have immediately taken you into hiding and never seen anyone again... even if..."
Old Tian clenched his fists, his bones cracking, his face contorted in pain.