Chapter 186: Pumpkin Soup
Song Yi’s training didn’t expect Gu Qinghuan and Yu Yuan to learn how to counterattack in a short time.
Instead—it was all about falling. Falling. Falling!
At first, Song Yi had asked whether they needed protective gear. Gu Qinghuan thought for a few seconds and asked him to demonstrate what he would teach.
So he straightforwardly demonstrated—letting Gu Qinghuan grab his leg and flip him over, then he cooperatively fell onto his back with a loud bang.
Of course, he didn’t resist at all and fully cooperated with her. Otherwise, with Gu Qinghuan’s strength, there was no way she could have flipped him if he had stabilized himself.
Yu Yuan shivered just hearing that heavy thud.
Song Yi quickly got up. “The first thing I’m going to teach you is this—how to fall.”
Yu Yuan looked confused. “You need to teach falling?”
“Yes. Falling is a very important basic skill in Sanda. If you can’t master this well, you won’t be able to proceed with later training,” Song Yi explained.
When ordinary people are thrown, their center of gravity shifts suddenly, causing dizziness and loss of balance. Once they hit the ground, they temporarily lose mobility.
On the other hand, if they can’t consciously control how they fall, they may hit their shoulders, twist wrists or ankles, suffer fractures, or even land on the back of their head.
Especially landing on the back of the head—it can easily cause a concussion. Even without one, the intense pain and dizziness can leave a person unable to move for a long time.
If the injury affects the cervical spine or spine, the consequences would be even more severe.
Yu Yuan trembled at the explanation, while Gu Qinghuan thought it over.
“So basically, if we learn the correct way to fall, we can minimize injury, keep a clear mind, and quickly regain mobility to counterattack?”
“Exactly!” Song Yi gave a thumbs-up. As expected of his “sister”—her ability to draw inferences was strong.
Gu Qinghuan made up her mind. “Then I won’t use protective gear for now.”
Yu Yuan was shocked. “What if you get hurt?!”
“I think about it like this,” Gu Qinghuan said. “First, Song Yi will carefully teach us the correct technique and control his strength.”
Song Yi nodded repeatedly—just by looking at their physiques, he already knew he had to go easy.
“Second, experiencing mistakes and a bit of pain helps you truly understand how to correct them. If it hurts, you remember—and your body learns faster.”
“Lastly,” Gu Qinghuan spread her hands, “in real danger, we won’t have protective gear anyway.”
Yu Yuan was convinced, though she was still very nervous when she was thrown for the first time.
Song Yi reminded her, “Tuck your chin—bring it toward your chest. Don’t lean your head back, so you won’t hit the back of your head.”
“Since we’re practicing backward falls, keep your back flat to distribute the impact.”
“I’m throwing you now—get ready!”
The moment her leg was lifted, Yu Yuan felt herself falling backward rapidly, completely unable to control her body, crashing onto the ground.
Fortunately, she remembered to tuck her chin. Although her back hurt badly and her limbs felt weak from the impact, her head was fine, and she quickly got up.
“Are you okay?” Gu Qinghuan helped her up.
Yu Yuan looked dazed, but said, “I want to try again.”
Song Yi looked at her with admiration. “Alright, again.”
This time, Yu Yuan’s perception was clearer. She could feel exactly how being pulled forward caused her to fall backward.
Though her reactions were still a bit slow, she protected her head and quickly rolled back to her feet—without needing help.
After five falls, the pain in her back began to register. Yu Xin came over, worried. “Are you alright?”
But Yu Yuan grabbed her hand, eyes slightly moist.
“When you used to get beaten… it must have hurt much more than this, right?”
She had Song Yi guiding her, learning how to protect herself from the start. But what about Yu Xin?
Yu Xin had once said she was good at enduring hits—but how many beatings did it take to gain that “experience”?
Compared to that, Yu Yuan’s pain was nothing.
Even if Wei Xiao bullied her, it couldn’t be worse than what Yu Xin had endured.
So she wouldn’t be afraid—or rather, she didn’t want to lose to her fear of Wei Xiao.
She wanted to protect herself—and also not make Yu Xin worry.
Letting go of Yu Xin’s hand, she returned to training with Song Yi.
Inside the training room, both Yu Yuan and Gu Qinghuan ended up dusty and disheveled—but in good spirits.
They couldn’t go home like that, so Jiang Chuchu waved her hand and took them to Yun Jin Lou to wash up. Their sportswear was also cleaned and dried.
So when Yu Yuan returned home, she looked normal at first glance.
But Yu Wenxiu immediately noticed something—Yu Yuan’s back movements were stiffer than usual.
She had overheard from other maids about Cui Wanning arranging a marriage for Yu Yuan.
Although she didn’t agree with it, she couldn’t stop it—only worry.
Seeing Yu Yuan’s condition today made her even more concerned, so that night she used the excuse of being attentive and knocked on her door.
Yu Yuan opened it, surprised. “Aunt Yu? What is it?”
Yu Wenxiu felt nervous, her palms sweating. “Um… I noticed you didn’t eat much dinner. Would you like a late-night snack?”
Yu Yuan had been too tired to eat earlier, but now she was indeed hungry.
She hesitated. “Would it be too much trouble? And… if I gain weight…” Cui Wanning would definitely be unhappy.
Yu Wenxiu quickly reassured her, “No trouble at all. You won’t sleep well on an empty stomach. I won’t make anything high-calorie—just a sweet and fragrant pumpkin soup, alright?”
Her tone was like coaxing a child, which made Yu Yuan want to laugh—she was already in high school.
But it felt warm.
She nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, Aunt Yu.”
“Not at all, not at all. Wait a moment, I’ll be right back.” Yu Wenxiu hurried to the kitchen.
Soon, she returned with a bowl of pumpkin soup.
Yu Yuan invited her in.
The steaming soup carried a gentle sweetness. Its surface was smooth and delicate, without a single lump.
Yu Yuan scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and took a bite.
The sweet, silky texture instantly won her over.
Seeing her eat happily, Yu Wenxiu felt relieved. She didn’t know the details and didn’t dare ask—but at least she could take care of Yu Yuan in other ways.
After finishing the soup, warmth filled Yu Yuan’s stomach, and even her back didn’t hurt as much.
“Thank you, Aunt Yu. The pumpkin soup is really delicious,” she said with a satisfied smile.
“I’m glad you like it.” Yu Wenxiu began clearing the dishes, then added with hope, “If you ever want to eat anything else, just tell me. I’m quite good at cooking—I can make anything.”
Yu Yuan nodded. This one bowl was already enough proof—she was even starting to look forward to it.
Seeing her anticipation, Yu Wenxiu felt content. She carried the dishes back to the kitchen, took a deep breath, and forced back the tears in her eyes.
Now was not the time to cry.
She still had to prepare more—and better—food for her daughter.
