As soon as Mr. Du finished speaking, his wife who had just walked in chimed in, "You won’t be at ease unless you criticize them every day. It’s been so many years, yet you’re still the same."
For a moment, everyone in the room burst into laughter.
After being teased by his wife, Mr. Du wasn’t angry: "If I hadn’t been constantly pushing them with perseverance, they wouldn’t have achieved what they have today."
Mrs. Du looked at her old husband clowning around, shook her head, and smiled, "Alright, alright, it’s all thanks to you."
Just then, his eldest disciple, Ma Chengxi, spoke up: "Shīniáng, actually, my master is not wrong. If he hadn’t forced us to study every day back then, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to where we are today."
Hearing his eldest disciple’s words, Mr. Du looked smug: "See, even they admit it, while you’re always speaking up for them."
He even pretended to snort indignantly.
Outside, he was a solemn little old man, yet in front of his own people, he behaved so childishly.
At this moment, his second disciple stepped forward: "Alright, Master, don’t scare away the little junior sister."
Mr. Du sat at the head: "Right, right, right, we do have serious business today. Originally, I thought we should have a few tables for a big banquet, but your little junior sister doesn’t want to be flamboyant, so we’ll follow her wishes."
Han Jingchen placed the pre-prepared apprenticeship gift on the table: "Mr. Du, I’ll entrust my daughter Xinyan to your care from now on."
Mr. Du raised his hand: "She’s my last disciple; there’s no need for you to entrust her."
Mrs. Du rolled her eyes at her old man: "Luckily, Jingchen is not an outsider. If it were someone else, who knows what they might think?"
Mr. Du laughed: "If he were an outsider, I wouldn’t say this either."
Once again, peals of laughter echoed in the room.
Seeing that it was about time, Mr. Du’s wife had also prepared the tea for the apprenticeship ceremony: "Xinyan, come, it’s time to apprentice."
Ma Chengxi went to the next room and brought a floor cushion, while Mrs. Du brought the tea. Xinyan took it, knelt on the cushion, and respectfully presented the tea with both hands: "Master, please have some tea."
Mr. Du’s eyes sparkled. To be able to have such a gifted and exceptional last disciple meant his life was complete.
He took the cup from Xinyan, drank, and then pulled out a Jade Pendant from his pocket: "Take this, it’s your apprenticeship gift from me. Your senior brothers have one as well."
With the master saying this, Xinyan naturally didn’t refuse and accepted the Jade Pendant: "Thank you, Master."
Mr. Du quickly helped her up: "Get up quickly."
Ma Chengxi, the senior brother, walked over and handed over a specially crafted silver needle: "I got this from a descendant of a traditional Chinese medicine family. Now, I’m giving it to you, hoping it will shine in the hands of the little junior sister."
Xinyan glanced at Mr. Du, and then heard him say: "If your senior brother gives it to you, just keep it."
Xinyan accepted the silver needle: "Thank you, senior brother."
Ma Chengxi was all smiles as the little junior sister accepted the gift: "Let me know if you need anything in the future."
Xinyan smiled and nodded: "Okay, thank you, senior brother."
At this point, Mr. Du added: "They are your senior brothers; no need to be so formal."
At this moment, the second senior brother Wang Manchun also came over, and he was holding a small bronze acupuncture figure, making Xinyan really excited.
It was obvious that the two had planned this together.
Mr. Du said: "This meeting gift is indeed practical, showing their thoughtfulness."
Xinyan laughed: "Master is right, thank you, second senior brother."
This also solved a problem for Xinyan, as she didn’t need to get one herself.