Chapter 3: The Birth of Sanwa

  So I decided to rely on my own performance to win Ma Teng's favor.

  At that time, I was three years and three months old.

  I didn't cry when I was born, and on the second day, I could speak fluently. I was considered a child prodigy from an early age.

  But I was not satisfied with this, so I decided to show off again.

  So I walked with a light step to find Ma Teng.

  The timing of the choice is good. At this time, Ma Tie is in a deep sleep. Ma Teng wants to hold him but has no place to start. He sits outside the courtyard and drinks with Deputy General Pang Yi.

  "Dad," I waved the paper in my hand, "look at the words your child has written."

  Ma Teng raised an eyebrow in obvious surprise, his face filled with incredulity: "Chao Er... you can write?"

  I'd like to spit in his face: I was already in kindergarten at the age of three, what's so hard about writing a few characters?!

  Pang Yi's face was full of admiration: "The eldest young master's talent is extremely high, a rare sight in the world!"

  Ma Teng took over the paper and looked at it for only half a second before being shocked: "My son... what kind of characters did you write? Your father doesn't recognize a single one!"

  Pang Yi walked up and took a glance, also sighing: "However, it seems that there is some resemblance... Alright, I don't recognize any of them either."

  "How is this possible?!" I snatched the paper away, "This is standard Kai script..."

  I was taken aback: damn it, Kai font is not enough, I heard that it should be Lishu or Xiaozhuan? And also... Traditional?!

  It's easier to say in traditional Chinese, after all, I know a few characters, and clerical script and small seal script can't be learned in just one or two days.

  Perhaps... I should first find a book to study the current dynasty's font?

  I crumpled up the note: "Okay, I want to read a book."

  Ma Teng hesitated for a moment: "Our home... doesn't have a study room... and also... no books..."

  I really want to kill him.

  "Master Long, if you don't mind, would you like to come visit my home?" Pang Yi extended an invitation to me.

  "Does your family have any books?" I don't believe that Ma Teng, this country bumpkin, has anyone who reads under his command.

  "He smiled and said: 'What would you like to see? The Three Hundred Poems or the Four Seasons of Spring and Autumn?'"

  I'd rather not read such nonsense on the streets, if I'm going to read something it's got to be "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu!

  Pang Yi was taken aback: "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Young Master Chang reading the Art of War..." He glanced at Ma Teng beside him, "It's really a bit too early."

  "Cut, what's the hurry? I can still recite several more lines." As for their expressions, I didn't bother to take a glance.

  "Oh?" Pang Yi's eyes sparkled with interest as he patted my head, "Come back and listen?"

  "War is a matter of vital importance to the State; the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied." I recited fluently.

  "Hmm, this is the first one, right." Pang Yi nodded.

  Ma Teng sat expressionlessly in his seat, looking as if he had never read Sunzi's Art of War.

  "War is a deceitful affair." I can still remember this sentence, but have no idea what comes before or after it.

  "The First Chapter."

  "Attack where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected..." These two idioms sound nice.

  "Still the first one..."

  I glared at him. Why did he keep emphasizing "the first"? "First, we attack the strategy, second, we attack the diplomacy, third, we attack the troops, and lastly, we besiege the city."

  Pang Yi clapped his hands: "Well recited!"

  "The method of using troops, ten surround and five attack......" My memory suddenly stuck, "Double to annihilate?"

  "When strong, surround them; when weak, attack them. When double, divide them; when equal, fight them; when fewer, flee from them; when not at all, avoid them."

  "Alright, this sentence is definitely correct." I gritted my teeth and said, "Know yourself, know your enemy, a hundred battles will not be in vain!"

  "Alright, you win," he smiled, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles."

  "There is no constant situation in war, and there is no constant shape of water." I'll give it a try this time.

  "......The young master's back jumped too high......"

  "So swift as the wind, so gentle as a forest, invading like fire, immobile like a mountain, mysterious as a ghostly shadow, moving like thunder and lightning."

  Ma Teng rubbed his chin and finally spoke up: "Seems like it's going to be a blast..."

  "Alright, that's about it." I licked my lips.

  Pang Yi clapped his hands and exclaimed, "You're indeed the son of a general! Congratulations to you again, sir. At just three years old, he already knows military strategy - even if Wei or Huo were reborn, they couldn't compare!"

  "Heh heh," Dad chuckled and rubbed my temples with his hands. "Chao, do you like the Art of War?"

  "Our family is humble and of low status, our children cannot rely on literary fame to become officials, they can only rely on martial prowess to achieve some merit." I have a very clear understanding of my family's situation.

  Ma Teng was taken aback, his expression somewhat dazed and confused.

  Although it is called a famous door of the Ma family, it is only a small branch of the collateral line. After Grandpa's official career was disappointed, he escaped to Longxi and almost couldn't marry his wife. By the time of Father's generation, two sons were quite promising, both county-level cadres... although not in the same prefecture.

  But this family background is far from enough to be noticed by the prestigious families of Zhongyuan.

  I naturally know Ma Chao's general experience, around 20 years old to assist Cao Cao in fighting Yuan Shao, and then there has been no record of any battle until being defeated by Cao Cao and fleeing in disarray before reappearing, just a bandit occupying one corner, not even a local regime?

  I was secretly belittling Ma Chao in my heart, but it seemed like there was another voice protesting in my mind, however I really couldn't hear clearly.

  "For a father, these past few years have indeed..." Ma Teng sighed and changed the subject again. "If you want to read any books, just tell the housekeeper and I'll buy them for you along with writing brushes, ink, and paper. Your father is an unrefined person, if you can understand some poetry and books, that would be great."

  Hey, I'm talking about reading military books and practicing archery and horse riding! The ones I recited earlier were all original texts from Sun Tzu's Art of War! Why can you directly switch to poetry and calligraphy?! Ma Teng, didn't your head just get kicked by a horse hoof?!

  Several heavy boxes of books were moved into my room.

  The complex tadpole script on top dazzled my eyes sorely.

  I still didn't study poetry books and Ma Teng also didn't have time and enthusiasm to check my learning progress again.

  Because he has something more important.

  Only six months later, Ma Teng's wife was pregnant again.

  This is probably another thunderbolt on a clear day for his mother.

  At thirty-two years old, Ma Teng felt unprecedented confidence and pride.

  I have already become numb.

  Even secretly cursing is too lazy to curse.

  Anyway, historically Ma Chao originally had two younger brothers, I probably can't stop this from happening either - unless I use violent means to kill the big aunt on the spot, and then slaughter all the women who have come into contact with my old man, thoroughly eliminating the possibility of a third brother being born.

  But I obviously didn't have such intentions, and a four-year-old me probably didn't have the ability to kill someone and then destroy their body...

  What is meant to come will come.

  June is just the beginning of the hot summer season.

  This year is even more violent.

  The sun is like fire, the earth is scorching hot, and all things in heaven and earth seem to be unable to squeeze out a single drop of water.

  I can barely survive without air conditioning and fans.

  I lay naked on the grass mat on the kang, the grass mat had already been scalding hot from my body heat.

  "Is the old lady going to give birth soon?" I casually asked.

  Mother nodded gently and said nothing, just sitting blankly in front of the window.

  At the window that was wide open towards the east, occasionally a few strands of cool breeze came in, gently blowing on Mother's hair.

  There is no one to appreciate this scene at this moment.

  Endless and unceasing, the cicadas outside the window are singing loudly and wantonly. They probably also know that their lives, like the sweltering heat, are fleeting.

  The world is so restless, yet it makes people feel eerily calm.

  Outside the wall, as expected, there was another loud shout, just like two years ago.

  Have you given birth?

  I sighed in my heart and couldn't bear to look at my sorrowful mother again.

  A clear howl echoed through the courtyard.

  "He's a young master!"

  Others cheered with joy, but were quickly drowned out by later screams of terror.

  The outside seems to be getting more turbulent and chaotic.

  I seemed to have faintly heard the sound of footsteps hurrying back and forth, and the crisp sound of objects falling to the ground.

  And then... someone's desperate roar.

  We quickly learned the outcome from the crowd below.

  The baby boy was delivered smoothly.

  The old woman gave birth and had a massive hemorrhage, she was unconscious.

  Mother's face was expressionless, still sitting stupidly in front of the window.

  The cicadas outside are still chirping in waves, but that child's wailing is increasingly ear-piercing and heart-wrenching.

  The next day, I learned that the boy's name was "Hugh".

  Mareau

  The "rest" in "suspension".

  I don't mean to make an evil guess.

  This afternoon, Ma Teng and Ma Xiu, who had lost their biological mother, were adopted under my mother's name. My mother was finally promoted to the position of legitimate wife by Ma Teng.

  All afternoon, Mother seemed a bit absent-minded and distracted, unsure whether she was overly excited or bewildered.

  I patted Ma Tie's butt who still couldn't walk: "Little Tie, let's spend the future together with brother from now on?"

  He smiled foolishly and shook his head: "I want mom."

  "My mother is your mother." I pointed at my mom.

  He continued to smile foolishly and shook his head: "That's your mother, not my mother! I want my mother."

  I slapped him hard on his butt: "This is your mom!"

  He couldn't bear the pain and suddenly jerked forward, blowing a big nose bubble.

  Xiao Tie was only a year old, and his memories of his mother would soon fade away. Xiao Hui wouldn't have any memories of her own mother at all.

  The daughter also treats them equally and takes care of these two motherless children with all her might.

  She was afraid I would bully my younger brother, so she made me sleep alone in a small bed, while she slept with her two non-biological sons.

  As for Ma Teng... it is said that he will guard his deceased wife's spirit for three months.

  Ma Tie's thoughts of his biological mother only lasted for three days, and then he shifted all his attention to his stepmother. Ma Xiu was even more so, shrinking in her mother's arms all day, only handing him over to the wet nurse (hired by Ma Teng at a high price) when feeding, not treating himself as an outsider at all.

  Ma Teng grew thinner and paler by the day.

  I spent my fourth birthday.