Chapter 101: The Pitiful Chen Hao

“Dad, I don’t know how many times you’ve said that!” Chen Hao no longer felt the excitement or thrill he had when he first heard those words; now, he was completely numb.

His father kept repeating the same phrases—the family’s future rests on your shoulders, and so on. Such words were typically meant to coax children into studying hard and growing up well.

To be honest, Chen Hao wasn’t even sure if he truly possessed the exceptional talent his father expected of him. Traveling with his father and sparring with other children, none could match him. At first, he didn’t understand much and somewhat believed he indeed had great talent.

But as he grew older and wiser, Chen Hao realized that early talent didn’t guarantee future success. There’s an old saying: “Bright in youth does not ensure greatness in age.” It means that some are exceptional as children but become mediocre adults. Often, this happens because they grow complacent and stop striving.

However, in martial arts, effort alone doesn’t always yield results. Countless examples exist of gifted children who trained hard but stagnated as they matured.

This is because those with great talent often lack a crucial opportunity, a moment of enlightenment that breaks through their plateau. Many remain stuck for years without progress precisely for this reason.

Chen Hao doubted whether he would become one of those people. So, while his father kept encouraging him, Chen Hao’s heart grew heavy with worry.

Especially after witnessing the skills of the old Sect Leader Murong today, Chen Hao felt the path of martial arts was long and arduous, and he still had much to learn.

Could he truly live up to his father’s hopes and carry the Chen family’s martial legacy forward? Deep in his heart, Chen Hao couldn’t help but question.

After offering his encouragement, Chen Ding’an closed his eyes and began soaking in the bath, unaware of the confusion written on his son’s face. Chen Hao kept his doubts to himself. Thus, a seed was quietly planted in young Chen Hao’s heart—one that might one day affect his strength.

Just as Chen Hao silently mulled over his thoughts, the bathroom door was pushed open again. It was Dong Jianguo. Chen Hao looked up and politely greeted, “Uncle Dong, what brings you here?”

But he immediately regretted asking. Dong Jianguo was dressed casually—wearing slippers, shorts, and a tank top—and holding a bath towel. Clearly, he’d come to bathe too...

Chen Ding’an didn’t open his eyes but said, “What’s up? Uncle Dong, is the food ready?”

“Hmph!” Dong Jianguo grumbled, clearly annoyed. “Me cook? When have I ever cooked? If you want to eat, cook it yourself!”

Chen Ding’an opened his eyes and turned to look at Dong Jianguo, dressed for bathing. He sighed, “You can’t cook? What about the servants you had before? Wasn’t there an old lady who cooked for you? Where is she now?”

“Mom Wu went visiting relatives. One of our distant nephews got married, so she’s at the banquet...” Dong Jianguo explained briefly and said no more.

Chen Ding’an nodded silently but cast a bitter look at his son. “Looks like we’ll be going hungry tonight.”

“Huh?” Chen Hao was stunned. “If the cook isn’t here, then we’ll just have to cook ourselves.”

As soon as he said that, Chen Hao nearly slapped himself. His father could hardly cook at all. He recalled a time when his mother was away; he, his father, and Meng Yan had to eat out for two days. His father had tried cooking once, but the food... no, it wasn’t food—it was poison!

After that, Meng Yan had learned to cook from their mother for a while, but she had no talent either; her cooking was as bad as his father’s.

Judging from his father’s tone, Uncle Dong probably couldn’t cook either.

Moreover, the Dong family lived deep in the mountains. With night falling soon, going out to eat was impossible. Were they really going to starve? How had Uncle Dong and his daughter been surviving these past days—gnawing on grass?

Just as Chen Hao was about to ask, Dong Jianguo answered, “Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry. If you don’t mind, my daughter has learned a bit of cooking from Mom Wu.

“Sure, she’s no match for Mom Wu, but at least her food won’t be as terrible as your father’s cooking.”

Chen Hao chuckled softly. Uncle Dong clearly knew about his father’s cooking skills.

Seeing Chen Ding’an shoot a fierce glare at him, Chen Hao quickly covered his embarrassment with a cough. But... Uncle Dong’s daughter was only about ten years old! How good could a child’s cooking be? Better not get his hopes up...

Originally, Chen Hao wasn’t planning to speak to Dong Jianguo. After all, they weren’t close, and he was about to spar with Dong’s daughter. Though the outcome was unknown, Chen Hao guessed Uncle Dong probably didn’t look kindly upon this challenger showing up at his door.

So he wasn’t about to invite trouble by starting a conversation. But to his surprise, Dong Jianguo spoke first.

“Chen Hao, what do you think of our bathroom?” Dong Jianguo asked—not about the sparring or martial arts, but something seemingly unrelated.

Chen Hao didn’t quite understand but answered politely, “It’s huge, Uncle Dong. I really like it! I’ve always wished my home had a bath like this, but my mother never agreed. The baths outside are big too, but the water’s dirty.

“Yours is so clean and the temperature just right. It’s so comfortable; all the fatigue of the day just melts away.”

Chen Hao’s words were tactful and made Dong Jianguo smile warmly.

“Heh heh, if you like it, you’re always welcome to come bathe here. Our doors are always open to you,” Dong Jianguo said cheerfully.

Chen Hao looked puzzled, but Chen Ding’an gave Dong Jianguo a meaningful glance and a slight smile.

Chen Hao couldn’t understand why Dong Jianguo was so courteous—he didn’t seem to be just paying lip service but genuinely sincere.

Still, Chen Hao replied politely, “Thank you, Uncle Dong, but I probably won’t have time to come here often. I have school most of the time, and during holidays, I have to train with my father. If it weren’t for this sparring, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to come.”

No matter how mature Chen Hao was, his excuse was poorly phrased. Even if he was busy, there was no need to refuse outright; he could have said he’d come when he had time.

Instead, it sounded like a flat refusal. Some people with less patience might have taken offense.

But Dong Jianguo didn’t mind at all and continued smiling, “Hm, studying is important, sure. But holidays are long—especially summer break, two whole months! Even training with your father can’t take up every day.

“You could easily spend a week here! I’ll tell you, there’s so much fun stuff you won’t find in the city.

“For example, I can take you hunting in the mountains, or we can race monkeys climbing trees. We can fish in the lake, and there’s a huge hot spring on the mountain that’s even better than my bath.”

Dong Jianguo’s words clearly tempted Chen Hao, though he forced himself to say, “But... without my father’s permission or guidance, I can’t come here on my own!”

Dong Jianguo waved his hand dismissively, “What’s so hard about that? Why do you have to ask your father for everything? You’re a boy, a future man; you have to learn to make your own decisions.

“If your father won’t bring you, just call me, and I’ll send someone to pick you up... no, no, I’ll come get you myself!”

“Wha—what?!” Chen Hao was startled. What was going on with Uncle Dong? Why was he being so friendly? Had he done something wrong? All he’d done was let his daughter catch a glimpse of his backside! Was Uncle Dong going to cling to him now?

If anyone should be clinging, it should have been Chen Hao clinging to Dong’s daughter, right?

Unbeknownst to Chen Hao, his guess was almost spot-on. Earlier, when Chen Ding’an and Dong Jianguo had been talking, Dong had been somewhat swayed by Chen Ding’an’s proposal.

After Chen Ding’an left, Dong Jianguo pondered for a long time. The more he thought, the more sensible it seemed. Eventually, he made up his mind and agreed to Chen Ding’an’s suggestion.

Having decided, he immediately came to the bathhouse to build rapport with his future son-in-law.

Poor Chen Hao—he still had no idea he’d just been sold out by his own father...