Chapter 147

By the time lunch arrived, only five people were present: Li Chunqiu and his son Li Wuyang, Xia Yu, Yan Shining, and Xia Lei. Yan Hong had already moved into Xia Yu's house; he went to school during the day and took Chinese medicine in the evening, occasionally coming over every few days for a check-up by Li Chunqiu.

After finishing lunch and resting for a while, Xia Yu followed Li Chunqiu to a room, while Yan Shining and Xia Lei did not follow.

It wasn't until a long time later that Xia Yu emerged with Li Chunqiu. In the courtyard, he began practicing Tai Chi, simultaneously practicing the so-called breathing techniques he had just learned.

Although Xia Yu had learned it, to Xia Lei, it still looked like regular Tai Chi, and he couldn't really make sense of it. Only Xia Yu knew how effective it truly was.

As Xia Yu practiced more, he gradually found a rhythm, feeling his body become lighter, his entire being extremely relaxed, and a sense of euphoria enveloped him—this was what "carefree and joyous" meant.

After practicing for an unknown amount of time, Xia Yu finally followed Li Chunqiu in a finishing posture, exhaling deeply and feeling warmth spread throughout his body.

Despite having exercised for so long, he didn't feel tired at all; instead, he felt energized and in an excellent state.

Xia Yu couldn't help but reflect that if he had learned this earlier, he would have been more efficient in handling affairs every day and would have been able to get into the right mindset more quickly.

But it's not too late now!

"Thank you for your teachings, Master!" Xia Yu respectfully bowed deeply to Li Chunqiu.

Li Chunqiu stroked his beard with a smile and didn't dodge, accepting Xia Yu's gratitude.

"Xia Sheng, if you continue practicing diligently, your health will only improve. At the very least, you won't fall ill easily. Moreover, you are still young and in the growth phase, so this practice will be highly beneficial to your development!" Li Chunqiu kindly advised Xia Yu.

"Yes, I will remember, and I will practice diligently!" Xia Yu responded solemnly.

He truly took it to heart; earlier, he wasn't aware of the effects, but after personally experiencing it, he realized the benefits of Tai Chi combined with breathing techniques. He didn't know the underlying principles, but his body's response clearly indicated that it was very effective.

And as Li Chunqiu mentioned, Xia Yu was in his growth phase, and practicing diligently could benefit his development. Growing a few more centimeters was important to him—of course, he meant in height.

No one wouldn't want to be taller!

So Xia Yu had already made up his mind to practice for at least an hour every morning. With perseverance, good results would surely follow!

Before he knew it, it was evening, and Xia Jun arrived after work.

"A Yu, A Lei, I'm late!" Xia Jun greeted as he ran in, slightly out of breath. Seeing Xia Lei in good condition, a smile appeared on his face.

"Brother Jun!" Xia Yu and Xia Lei both smiled and greeted Xia Jun.

Then, Xia Yu updated Xia Jun on the situation. After chatting for a while, seeing that it was getting late, Xia Yu thanked Li Chunqiu and took his leave.

He had already informed his family that he would bring Xia Jun and Xia Lei home for dinner tonight to celebrate Xia Lei's recovery and discharge from the clinic.

Xia Yu preferred to eat at home rather than outside, as it felt more comforting and warm. Most importantly, after dinner, Xia Yu had some things to discuss with Xia Jun and Xia Lei, so it was most convenient to eat at home.

With Xia Jun and Xia Lei in the car, Yan Shining drove them home. It didn't take long before they arrived at Xia Yu's house.

At that time, Xia Ming, Yan Hong, and the others had just returned from school. The three children were sitting on the sofa watching TV.

When they saw Xia Yu and the others come in, Xia Ming and the others quickly jumped off the sofa and ran over happily.

"Dad!" This was Yan Hong calling out to Yan Shining.

"Brother, you're back!"

"Brother Jun, Brother Lei, you're here too! It's been so long since we last saw you!"

After Xia Ming and his younger sister Xia Xiaomei happily greeted everyone, they politely went to prepare tea.

Xia Lei and Xia Jun smiled as they sat on the sofa. Xia Lei even rubbed Xia Ming's head, feeling a bit emotional since it had been a long time since he last saw Xia Ming.

At that moment, Xia Dahai and Chen Mei, who were in the kitchen, heard the commotion and came out. Seeing Xia Jun and Xia Lei in the living room, they warmly greeted them.

"Lei Zi, Jun Zi, it's been a long time since we last saw you. Sit down, don't be so formal, just make yourselves at home!" Xia Dahai wiped his hands on his clothes, smiled broadly, and walked over. Seeing that Xia Jun and Xia Lei were about to get up, he quickly gestured for them to stay seated.

"Come, Jun Zi, Lei Zi, have some fruit. I heard from A Yu that you were coming tonight, so I specially bought it. It's all fresh, give it a try!" Chen Mei also warmly brought out the fruit she had prepared earlier and placed it on the tea table, smiling all the while.

"Thank you, Uncle and Auntie. We'll help ourselves; we won't be too formal," Xia Jun quickly responded with a smile, finding their enthusiasm a bit overwhelming.

"Yes, Uncle Hai, Auntie, we'll help ourselves, no need to stand on ceremony," Xia Lei echoed with a smile.

Seeing this, Xia Yu couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere made him feel very relaxed.

Then, Xia Yu also sat down and chatted with Xia Jun and the others.

"A Yu, your sofa is really comfortable, and the TV is so big. Xia Ming and Xia Xiaomei must be overjoyed!" Xia Lei commented as he leaned back on the sofa, pressing it with his hand and glancing at the large TV playing a drama. He noticed that Xia Ming, Xia Xiaomei, and Yan Hong were engrossed in watching it and couldn't help but express his thoughts.

"Yes, A Yu, when we were kids, we never had such luxuries. Xia Ming and the others must be thrilled," Xia Jun agreed with a nod.

Xia Yu laughed heartily but said nothing, as if he was thinking of something, his expression filled with anticipation.

Before long, dish after dish was brought out from the kitchen, and Xia Yu invited Xia Jun and the others to join him at the table for dinner.

After a warm and pleasant dinner, Xia Yu informed his parents and then led the somewhat puzzled Xia Jun and Xia Lei outside.

Xia Yu first got into the car and took out two document folders, handing one to Xia Jun and one to Xia Lei. "Please hold onto these for me!"

After that, he led Xia Jun and Xia Lei towards a nearby house.

"A Yu, what's going on? Are we out for a stroll? But I have to say, even though it's nighttime, the streetlights are on, and the scenery here is really nice," Xia Jun commented curiously. As he spoke, he looked around in admiration at the grass and flowers along the road.

"Brother Jun is right!" Xia Lei agreed, his head turning as he observed the surroundings.

"You'll be able to see it all the time in the future, so I hope you won't get tired of it!" Xia Yu chuckled softly.

"By the way, A Yu, where are we going?" Xia Lei asked curiously.