This little girl, though clad in cotton clothes during this frigid winter, wore not brocade but a fur coat.
The coach stopped, and initially, no one paid attention to the distinctively dressed maid and the young girl’s outfit appearing on the sports field, but gradually, they caught people’s eyes.
People guessed the girl must have come with her family, and wondered about the identity of this girl from another place.
She looked like a commoner, yet not quite, as her lofty forehead suggested a usual air of pride.
Displaying such pride before others made her identity a puzzle.
Tang Shunyan and his companions were watching the sports field and did not notice what was behind them.
On the field, there were two teams of young men, each dressed in red and yellow, the colors representing the bands they belonged to.
Their shoes were also specially made, not the soft cotton shoes.
The ball they played with was round, one typically seen in the courts that everyone used to play ground-kicking games.
Engrossed in the game, Tang Shunyan and his partners watched the older boys play, secretly learning techniques.
Beyond kicking the ball, there was physical contact; pushes, and deliberate tripping to make an opponent fall.
These were all moves based on martial arts fundamentals. If one did not have these fundamentals, they must possess agility and the cleverness to dodge an opponent’s block and seize the ball.
Suddenly, as the young men on the field played, the ball flew out of bounds. There was no railing around the field, and spectators were right at the edge; the ball was about to fly toward Tang Shunyan’s direction.
Given Tang Shunyan’s height, the ball flying toward him would not hit him, but it might fly toward someone behind him.
Seeing the force with which the ball was coming, if it hit a girl or someone unprepared, that person would be in trouble.
Tang Shunyan’s companions hadn’t reacted yet, but he had already sprung up, his body leaping two feet into the air, and with his right foot, he fiercely kicked the ball.
From the field came a shout for everyone to dodge.
What they saw amazed them; a young boy had leaped up and kicked the ball back their way.
The scene quieted for a moment as Tang Shunyan, having kicked the ball, jumped back to his original spot and stood smiling as if nothing had happened.
Many people began to clap, applauding the spirited young man’s powerful kick.
What had transpired happened in the blink of an eye, many adults hadn’t even realized what occurred; yet, the event took another turn.
Tang Shunyan’s companions clapped for him, laughing joyfully at his clever kick.
"Tang Shunyan, that was quite the move! Your skills have not diminished!"
Tang Xiyue and his companions were laughing and jumping.
"Needless to say, I exercise every day!"
Tang Shunyan, still young, wore his emotions on his face, clearly pleased with his own actions.
Behind these boys, they had not noticed the distinctively dressed maid, who had earlier panicked.
The coachmen parked on the side had rushed over, though they were of no help.
The plump little girl in the unusual attire seemed petrified, continuously staring at the few young boys around the boy who had kicked the ball.
"Lady, what’s wrong!"
The maid’s words carried a local accent as she quickly picked up the young girl without waiting for a response and hurried toward the inconspicuous carriage, which then drove off.
It did not attract much attention.
Naturally, Tang Shunyan did not notice; his attention was fixed on the older brothers.
He never imagined that this episode would discard one young girl and gain another cheerful young girl as a friend.
At that moment, he stood amid the crowd, not seeing the maid carrying away the young girl who kept looking back at him as she boarded the carriage. As the carriage moved, the girl silently watched him from that direction.
Tang Shunyan and his friends watched for one hour, and the game concluded with a victory and defeat.
Between the red and yellow teams, the red team won, while the yellow team was dejected, having lost by only one goal.
This was not merely a loss of a wager; the stakes, though only symbolic of victory, meant so much more in terms of honor and face.
All of them had been friends and familiar adversaries for many years.
Being well-known young masters of the county, losing face was indeed a great loss of dignity for them.