Chapter 10

Lin Piao slung a basket over his arm, covering it with a piece of washed-and-faded hemp cloth. He raised a hand and waved.

“Let’s go.”

Er Zhuzi was excited, but when he caught sight of Shen Hong’s somewhat cold expression, he hesitated.

Although Shen Hong was still young, he could be rather intimidating.

And today was only his first day learning characters from him.

Er Zhuzi couldn’t bring himself to back out now.

Otherwise, Shen Hong would look down on him even more.

“Xiao Saozi, I still have to study characters this afternoon.”

“It’ll only take a little while.”

“Shen Hong, lend him to me for a bit.”

Lin Piao grabbed him and headed outside.

With an excuse in hand, Er Zhuzi happily scampered after him.

“Saozi, what are we actually going to do?”

Lin Piao lifted one corner of the basket and let him peek inside.

Er Zhuzi stretched his neck.

“Isn’t that just a hemp sack?”

“Shh.”

“What hemp sack?”

“We’re going fishing.”

“Huh?”

Er Zhuzi looked completely bewildered.

Lin Piao was helpless.

“Didn’t we just want to beat up that teacher?”

“He deserved it! Of course I wanted to beat him!”

“If you want to beat someone, then you have to beat him.”

“Go beat the teacher who can’t be called a teacher!”

“Beat the teacher who deserves it!”

“Beat that shameless, annoying teacher!”

Under Er Zhuzi’s admiring gaze, the two slipped out of the village.

Er Zhuzi moved with astonishing speed.

He suddenly threw the sack over Master Wang’s head and proceeded to beat the old Tongsheng with a barrage of wild punches.

Master Wang howled miserably.

Lin Piao picked up a stone and crouched beside them.

He crookedly wrote several characters on the ground.

The simplified characters of his original world were different from the characters used here, but Lin Piao did his best to combine their recognizable features.

He wanted to make sure that when the old Tongsheng tore the sack off his head, he would at least understand what the message meant.

After Er Zhuzi had beaten him sufficiently, Lin Piao waved his hand.

He mouthed one word:

“Retreat.”

The two of them immediately ran away.

By the time Master Wang crawled out of the sack and threw it aside, there wasn’t a single person around.

Only desolate rocks surrounded him.

And in front of him was a crooked line of barely legible characters.

“Come here once, get beaten once.”

“How dare you!”

“How dare you!”

“This is an insult to scholarship!”

“An insult to scholarship!”

Master Wang was so furious that smoke practically came out of his nostrils.

The village behind him suddenly seemed filled with nothing but violent, ignorant barbarians.

He staggered toward his own village.

As he walked, his thoughts raced.

There was no need to guess.

It had to be that Xiao Shen family.

If he didn’t make that brat Shen Hong pay for this, then he wouldn’t be Master Wang!

As for that Ge’er Lin Piao…

Once he ruined Shen Hong’s future, he wanted to see how that Ge’er could continue acting so arrogantly.

At that point, Lin Piao would have no choice but to kneel down, beg, and cry.

Meanwhile, Lin Piao felt exceptionally refreshed after beating Master Wang.

He took Er Zhuzi to the river, caught several fish with the basket, and then pretended that this had been their purpose all along before returning home.

As soon as they entered the gate, Lin Piao patted Er Zhuzi on the back.

“Go study.”

“Teacher has been waiting for you for ages.”

Then he looked toward Shen Hong.

“I’ve brought him back.”

Shen Hong merely hummed.

He was organizing the bamboo slips on the table, a small carving knife in his hand.

He didn’t ask a single question about where they had gone.

Er Zhuzi nervously stepped forward.

Lin Piao carried the basket over to Second Aunt’s house next door.

She wasn’t in the courtyard, so he called out.

After hearing her answer from inside, he said:

“Auntie, we’re having fish again this afternoon.”

“Make the soup rich and thick.”

“It’ll nourish the brain and help them learn faster.”

Second Aunt came outside while answering him.

“Got it!”

“Should I make it the same way as last time?”

“I’ve memorized every step.”

“You can check whether I do it right later.”

“Sure.”

“Perfect.”

“I’ll go home and bring over that jar of wine.”

“Just leave it at your house.”

“It’s too much trouble to carry it over here.”

Second Aunt didn’t dare accept it too readily and politely refused.

“Auntie, what’s yours and what’s mine?”

“From now on, we’ll be eating together anyway.”

“People say that those who eat from the same pot are family.”

“Besides, we’re family.”

Those words immediately put a huge smile on Second Aunt’s face.

Her heart felt warm.

“If you’re going to put it that way, then I’ll accept it.”

“Otherwise, I’d seem too distant.”

“I already think of you as family too.”

“Mhm, exactly.”

Lin Piao returned home.

He then sent Er Zhuzi over once more to carry the wine jar.

After encouraging the two students a little more, telling them to settle down and devote themselves to their studies, he went back to his room for a nap.

In the main room, Lin Piao’s voice had disappeared.

Er Zhuzi held his carving knife and let out a heavy sigh.

“Ah…”

“Why are you sighing?”

Shen Hong’s voice wasn’t gentle.

Nor was he particularly curious.

There was a rigid quality to it, as though Er Zhuzi was expected to explain himself.

Er Zhuzi didn’t notice anything strange.

But even someone as thick-headed as him could tell that after he and Xiao Saozi had gone out together, Shen Hong had become even colder toward him.

Sure enough.

Shen Hong looked down on him even more now.

“I think Xiao Saozi is really pitiful.”

“My mother says being a widow is the hardest thing.”

“He works so hard too.”

“Xiao Saozi is such a good person, yet he still has to work this hard.”

“He’s been running around all day and only gets to rest now.”

There was one more thought Er Zhuzi kept to himself:

He just got married and already has to raise a son as old as Shen Hong.

What terrible luck.

Shen Hong glanced at him.

“Second Aunt is indeed hardworking.”

“If you study well, you’ll be showing your gratitude toward her.”

Er Zhuzi slapped his chest.

“Of course!”

He didn’t realize at all that Shen Hong’s words carried another meaning.

By sunset, the sky had turned faintly red.

A thin ray of sunlight slowly sank behind the clouds in the west.

The group sat together in Second Aunt’s courtyard and began dinner.

Er Zhuzi had studied all day and learned several characters.

He was extremely pleased with himself.

He acted as though he’d already mastered the entire Four Books and Five Classics and proudly told Second Aunt about his experiences learning to read.

Shen Hong remained as quiet as ever.

He was slender, polite, and refined.

He didn’t talk much about trivial matters.

He simply sat there quietly and ate.

Lin Piao noticed that Shen Hong didn’t seem to have much of an appetite today.

After drinking one bowl of fish soup, he stopped.

Lin Piao reached over, took his bowl, and filled it again.

“Drink more.”

“You’re at the age when your body is shooting upward.”

“No need.”

“Thank you, Saozi.”

He really seemed full.

Lin Piao nevertheless placed the bowl firmly in front of him.

“Do you know that studying hard in the future requires a healthy body?”

“And if you want to obtain academic honors, having a tall stature and dignified appearance can earn you additional favor.”

“Every meal you eat nourishes your body.”

“And nourishing your body is nourishing your future.”

Shen Hong fell silent for a moment.

It seemed as though he was thinking about something.

In the end, he lowered his head and drank the fish soup.

Er Zhuzi, who had heard this, immediately ate two more large steamed sweet potatoes.

He proudly demonstrated just how much he could eat to Lin Piao.

After pouring enough motivational chicken soup into them for one meal, Lin Piao felt that Shen Hong wasn’t quite as easy to raise as he’d imagined.

Three meals of chicken soup every day.

Not a single one could be skipped.

He practically had to wear his mouth out persuading him.

He wondered whether Shen Hong actually appreciated all this effort.

Just as he was thinking about his taciturn little brother-in-law, someone called from outside the gate.

Lin Piao casually answered.

When he opened the door, he saw Er Gouzi’s mother standing outside.

He looked past her and saw Er Gouzi’s father setting down his shoulder pole.

Two large woven bamboo baskets rested outside their gate.

“What are you doing?”

Er Gouzi’s mother smiled.

“Didn’t I come over earlier to ask about learning to read?”

“I went home and discussed it with his father.”

“We’ve made up our minds.”

“So we’ve come over now.”

“Please don’t think we’re being troublesome.”

She showered Lin Piao with compliments.

Her smile never left her face.

She had already figured things out.

Although Shen Hong was the one teaching literacy, who was really in charge now?

Lin Piao.

“Auntie, wait a moment.”

“I’ll call Shen Hong over.”

“Piao’er, you can make this decision yourself.”

“I’ll bring my boy over tomorrow.”

Her little monkey had gone out to play right after dinner.

She had no idea where he’d run off to.

They’d been so eager to gather the goods and come over that they’d forgotten the boy himself.

Now she stood there awkwardly.

She grabbed Lin Piao’s hand affectionately, not letting him leave.

Lin Piao looked around.

He didn’t see Er Gouzi.

He immediately understood.

“All right.”

“I’ll accept these for now.”

“Have him come over at first light tomorrow.”

“We don’t have that many formalities here.”

“But he should still come and pay his respects.”

“First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure he straightens himself out.”

“If he dares misbehave, you can beat him properly.”

“Right.”

Lin Piao suddenly slapped his hands together.

“Auntie, aren’t your fields connected to mine?”

“There’s only one ridge between them.”

“After my husband died, there hasn’t been anyone at home to take care of the fields.”

“I haven’t checked them for several days.”

“I don’t even know what condition they’re in.”

“They’re doing just fine.”

“God has been kind to us this year.”

“Nothing we’ve planted has failed.”

Er Gouzi’s mother saw Lin Piao smiling brightly.

She couldn’t help thinking:

This Ge’er is really delicate and handsome.

She was distracted for a moment before remembering to answer.

“Don’t worry.”

“Our fields are so close.”

“I can take care of yours while I’m working ours.”

“How could we let your crops suffer?”

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”

“Not at all.”

“It’s just a matter of doing it while we’re already there.”

“My husband has even been complaining these past few days.”

“He wishes the fields were bigger because he has nowhere to put all that strength to use.”

Er Gouzi’s father had remained silent the entire time.

Hearing this, he gave a firm answer.

“Your fields are tiny.”

“They don’t require much effort.”

“I can take care of them easily.”

“Then I’ll trouble you both.”

“As for whatever grows in the fields, you two can treat anything you need as your own.”

“Don’t stand on ceremony.”

“Of course.”

“From now on, we’re practically family.”

“If you need anything, just say so.”

“And we’ll be counting on you to keep an eye on our Er Gouzi.”

Er Gouzi’s mother repeated her thanks again and again.

Er Gouzi’s father remained silent beside her.

The three of them went back and forth for quite a while.

Eventually, Er Gouzi’s mother had her husband carry everything into the little courtyard.

Once they entered, they saw Shen Hong eating.

Another round of compliments immediately followed.

Second Aunt stood up and wiped her hands.

“Come, Sister, Brother, have some dinner.”

Lin Piao immediately stepped aside.

He left the battlefield to Second Aunt and retreated into the corner, continuing to eat the food he hadn’t finished.

Every so often, he looked up to observe and learn from the art of polite back-and-forth bargaining.

“Come have some dinner.”

“No, no, I’ve already eaten.”

“How can you not eat? There’s plenty of food.”

“Come sit down and have some.”

“No, no, I can’t.”

“There are still peanuts at home that I need to shell.”

…

Lin Piao listened for a while.

Then he looked up at Shen Hong, who was sitting nearby with his bowl, quiet and composed like a little porcelain beauty.

He whispered:

“Should we boil some salted peanuts tomorrow?”

Shen Hong:

“…”

Er Zhuzi leaned over.

“Sure!”

“Are boiled peanuts really good?”

“My mother always fries them.”

“They’re delicious.”

“And much easier to digest.”

“They’re incredibly tasty.”

Er Gouzi’s mother had already turned to leave.

But the moment she heard that, her ears immediately perked up.

She turned around at the threshold.

“Piao’er!”

“Fresh peanuts are the best!”

“Tomorrow, I’ll have Er Gouzi bring over a basket.”

“You can boil them and eat them!”

Lin Piao’s little face immediately bloomed like a flower.

“Thank you, Auntie!”

Why refuse free food?