In the Blink of an Eye, 2003!

Jian Ai smiled and nodded. She said softly, “Sometimes, I can’t help but be in a daze. I just feel that all of this seems to be a dream.”

After her rebirth, Jian Ai had not completely adapted to this matter, especially when she was alone. She often had some thoughts.

Could this be a dream she had in her previous life after she got into a car accident and fell unconscious?

However, was the dream so long and real?

Jian Ai understood she was overthinking, but even if it was not a dream but reality, Jian Ai had the illusion that she had been reborn in another world.

Everything had left the trajectory of her previous life. Her family, friends, and even everyone and everything around her had no traces of her previous life.

Especially after she reunited with Bai Zhou, what she saw on the other side of the world and what happened hidden in places that ordinary people could not see made Jian Ai feel out of place.

This was not something she should experience, but these seemed to be conditions that the heavens gave her to be reborn. They forced her to participate in a completely unfamiliar world.

Fortunately, she was not alone. Everyone in the ancient sect was willing to accompany her. This was the key to Jian Ai gradually letting down her guard and selfishness.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Day of 2003!

This was a traditional Chinese holiday. After New Year’s Day, it would be the Spring Festival that the Chinese valued the most. It was also the most festive holiday of the year in the country.

All the companies and schools would have a three-day break on New Year’s Day according to the country’s rules to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

Jian Ai and Si Yue woke up early. The two of them especially went to the mall to buy some gifts for Yang Jie last night.

Not that Jian Ai had the intention, but the senior brothers reminded Jian Ai. Because their master and eldest senior brother spent the New Year at the martial arts school every year, it was quite cold since there was only the two of them. Therefore, everyone would buy gifts for New Year’s Day and send them over every year as a token of appreciation.

Therefore, this year, Jian Ai and the other new disciples naturally had to do as the Romans do.

After breakfast, the two of them carried the things they had bought and went straight to the martial arts school. They bumped into Senior Brother Mobai at the main entrance.

“Junior Brother, Junior Sister, you’re really early!” Li Mobai couldn’t help but say with a festive smile when he saw the two of them.

Jian Ai went forward and smiled. “It’s a festive day today. The two of us have to return to Haicheng District, unlike the other senior brothers who live nearby and can come over anytime during the day.”

Li Mobai nodded. “Let’s go in together!”

They initially thought that Jian Ai and Si Yue were considered early, but didn’t expect Lin Yi and Gao Yang to be even earlier than them.

“Second Senior Brother, Jian Ai, Si Yue, happy New Year’s Day!” Lin Yi smiled warmly and was the first to welcome them.

When Gao Yang heard the voice, he walked out of the front hall. “Lin Yi and I thought we wouldn’t see you. We’ve been waiting here for half an hour.”

They smiled and talked for a while before Jian Ai raised the things in her hand. “I bought a massager for Master. I’ll send it in for him first!”

Yang Jie’s leg had almost recovered. Although he was a martial arts practitioner, he still had to use less strength in his legs for the past year. He could run normally though.

If he wanted to completely recover, he still needed to recuperate well this year.

“I’ve already told them not to buy anything during the holidays. I’m already satisfied that you can come and see me.”

When Yang Jie saw that Jian Ai and Si Yue had brought something, he couldn’t help but smile helplessly. However, he was even more touched.

Be it these disciples who never left the martial arts school when it was barren or the new disciples who resolutely chose Chinese martial arts this year, they were like his children in Yang Jie’s heart.

Especially Jian Ai. She was the most helpful to him and to the martial arts school. In Yang Jie’s heart, Jian Ai’s existence had a different meaning.

“Master, it’s New Year’s Day. It’s to celebrate. You’re an elder. It’s etiquette for us to show filial respect to you. How many opportunities do we have to buy you a gift this year?” Jian Ai smiled.

When Yang Jie heard this, he couldn’t help but smile and nod. “I know you’re sharp-tongued. I can’t win against you. Since it’s your sincerity, I’ll accept it.”

Jian Ai stuck out her tongue playfully and quickly took out her gift. “Master, I bought you a massager. It’s usually tough to practice martial arts. After practicing martial arts, you have to relax your muscles. This massager can be useful, and you can often massage your legs when they ache.”

Seeing this, Si Yue also handed over his gift. “Master, this is a thermos. I bought it.”

Seeing this, Yang Jie couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at Si Yue. “Your gift was probably Xiao Ai’s idea, right?”

Si Yue subconsciously looked at Jian Ai.

Jian Ai couldn’t help but laugh. “It was. Si Yue wanted to buy you a scarf. I said that Master has a scarf. Since Master likes to drink water, why don’t he buy a better thermos instead? It’s also convenient to carry it with you.”

“Haha…” Yang Jie couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “Your gifts make me look like I’m already in my seventies or eighties. But I like them. Thank you.”

As he spoke, Yang Jie carefully put away their gifts. Then, he looked at Jian Ai and Si Yue and said, “Today is New Year’s Day, and it’s a new year. I hope everything will go smoothly for our martial arts school next year.”

Yang Jie suddenly sighed in his heart. It was mainly because this year, before he met Jian Ai, it was a huge hurdle for the martial arts school that he almost couldn’t cross.

Seeing this, Jian Ai couldn’t help but ask, “Master, the day of the martial arts competition has been confirmed. Let’s sign up!”

Yang Jie sighed and nodded gently. “Initially, because your senior brothers were going to take the college entrance examination, I didn’t want you newbies to take part in such a competition so early. I wanted to give up. It wouldn’t be too late to take part in the second round.”

“But I think all of you seem to want to take part. Your Eldest Senior Brother also said that although winning or losing is important, the core spirit of Chinese martial arts is not to give up easily. Even if it’s training, it’s good!”

“Master, the surrounding martial arts schools are also sharpening their spears at the last minute. It seems that they take this competition quite seriously,” Lin Yi said.

At the mention of this, Yang Jie couldn’t help but sneer in disdain. He mocked, “These fence-sitters. Back then, because Chinese martial arts couldn’t bring benefits to the martial arts school, they abandoned teaching it and brought in foreign martial arts. Now that the country has started to value cultural heritage and even spent a lot of money to organize competitions, they’re all energetic again and forced disciples who had already learned foreign martial arts to practice Chinese martial arts again.”

“It’s not that I want to say this, but their foundations are far apart. Their methods probably won’t achieve much!”