The women, who initially felt unworthy of learning, showed some resistance but eventually found sense in what they heard.
They also mustered up their courage and signed up.
Both of them recruited a considerable number of people, and after confirming the lists, they asked everyone to wait.
Classes would commence the following day!
Everyone was looking forward to it!
That night, the young couple worked late, discussing how to begin teaching.
After all, even those with great abilities might not be suited for teaching; one must possess a clever mind to help others quickly grasp knowledge points.
The two of them prepared their lessons very earnestly.
They each drew and wrote behind their respective cloth curtains, ultimately producing lesson plans.
The next morning.
After finishing their daily chores, everyone divided themselves to prepare for learning.
Cheng Hao first gathered his students, informing them of what they would roughly learn and the benefits of martial arts.
After all, everyone was a complete novice, knowing nothing.
Directly jumping into martial arts basics would lead to them feeling bored and disheartened, causing them to lose interest quickly and making it difficult to persist.
Cheng Hao instead explained the benefits of practicing martial arts and their extensive utility, not only for strengthening the body but also for self-protection and protecting others!
Especially in these times, any method of self-defense was good, and it might even save one's life at a crucial moment.
Or save their family's lives.
Everyone listened intently, with not a single person zoning out.
After all, it was their first time attending school.
In an era when many families could not afford education, curiosity was natural.
Therefore, during the first class, everyone's attention was absolutely focused.
This was precisely why Cheng Hao chose to discuss "The Benefits of Practicing Martial Arts" in the first lesson.
In short, everyone listened with great excitement.
He even shared a few small stories, further inspiring everyone to train diligently.
Cheng Xiaotian listened with bright eyes, clenched his small fists, and felt a surge of joy, wishing he too could become a great hero like in the stories!
After Cheng Hao finished speaking, he planned to give some demonstrations and casually called out two strong men.
"You, and you, come up here to demonstrate for me, and at the same time, experience the wonderful feeling of sparring with each other!"
The men called out by Cheng Hao felt rather embarrassed. One scratched his head and stepped forward, while the other repeatedly waved his hands, his dark face betraying his shyness. He repeatedly said he dared not, but eventually, Gao Dashan stepped forward.
Gao Dashan chuckled, also feeling a bit shy, but he said, "Since Xiong Lao San dares not, then I will. Tell me whatever you need me to do, Young Master Cheng!"
His straightforward demeanor was truly admirable.
Cheng Hao nodded with satisfaction. He then slightly shifted his standing posture, with his feet slightly apart, appearing casual yet subtly precise. He held one hand behind his back and extended the other.
"Then, please, feel free to attack me. I can subdue you within two moves. Do you believe me?"
Cheng Hao said this with a smiling face, as if joking.
The crowd, however, collectively gasped.
"This, how is this possible!? Young Master Cheng is too boastful!"
"Oh, don't talk nonsense, be careful if he overhears you, that would be very bad."
"Although Old Xiao's words are harsh, they are also the truth. Dashan is one of the strongest men in our village; many people fancied him as their son-in-law! So many people were disappointed after he got married!"
"Exactly, exactly. Young Master Cheng looks proper, but he's still a youth. Given his stature, even when he grows up, he won't be as robust and burly as a small mountain. How can he possibly win?"
Others whispered among themselves, marveling and showing no optimism.
Lai Fu, Jia Wang, Xiao Wuzi, Xiao Liuzi, and the other young servants were also present. Hearing this, although they were worried about their young master, they all refuted.
"Our young master never speaks empty words! If he says he can, then he certainly can!"
"Exactly, the competition hasn't even started, why are you all speaking ill of him?"
Lai Fu, Jia Wang, Xiao Wuzi, and Xiao Liuzi all expressed their faith in their young master!
Their backs straightened resolutely.
The people of Shan'ao Village then chuckled sheepishly and fell silent, though they still shook their heads, unconvinced.
Even Gao Dashan put on a look of difficulty, scratching the back of his head and saying, "This would be me bullying you, wouldn't it? I am an adult man!"
And the other party is still a youth. It would be so awkward if he were to hurt him?
Cheng Hao still smiled, telling him not to dawdle and to stop being coy like a young bride.
He was deliberately provoking the other party.
As expected, Gao Dashan became a bit more serious upon seeing this and truly attacked him.
He swung his fist and struck towards Cheng Hao.
Everyone else held their breath.
Xiao Wuzi and Xiao Liuzi couldn't bear to watch and covered their eyes.
They were very tense.
As a result, with a "bang!" sound, the one who fell was Gao Dashan.
He fell onto the ground in a comical manner, his face full of disbelief, lying there with lingering fear, his face flushed red. One of his hands was still held by Cheng Hao, while Cheng Hao stood there calmly, his breathing unchanged.
"This, how is this possible?"
Gao Dashan felt a slight pain in his back, purely from the impact of his fall, not enough to be considered injured, but more so from disbelief.
The other strong men and youngsters erupted in cheers and applause!! They were extremely excited, clearly astonished by his two moves!
Xiao Wuzi and Xiao Liuzi, having covered their eyes, missed the action and were also extremely excited, frantically pulling at Lai Fu and Jia Wang in front of them to ask.
"My heavens!? What on earth happened? Our young master is too amazing! How did he do it? He really took down that big man?"
"Exactly, exactly, tell us quickly, how did he do it?"
Lai Fu and Jia Wang were also incredibly excited, their hands red from clapping. They turned and vividly recounted the events to Xiao Wuzi and Xiao Liuzi!
"You wouldn't believe it! That big man from Shan'ao Village lunged at our young master with a clenched fist, and my heart leaped with him! But our young master didn't even blink! He directly reached out and caught his fist, then with a gentle push and a spin, he threw him down!!"
"Yes, yes! Our young master's movements were fast, but I saw it clearly! It was like a circular push and pull, and with a turn, he knocked him down!!"
The children were extremely thrilled.
Cheng Hao, with politeness, helped Gao Dashan stand up and said it was just a demonstration, so he shouldn't take it to heart. Gao Dashan, having recovered, naturally expressed his admiration, quickly stating that he wouldn't, and that it was just a demonstration as agreed.
However, he was also curious.
Why was he so easily subdued and thrown down with no ability to retaliate?
Cheng Hao then took this opportunity to explain to everyone, "Do you know what the first step in practicing martial arts is? It is one of the basic skills: horse stance! A stable lower body is of utmost importance in martial arts. If the foundation is unstable, even the largest physique is merely a decorative pillow! Being thrown down means the battle is lost!"