“Sir, why are you here?”
Ke Mo greeted him with embarrassment.
The old scholar stared at Ke Mo, leaned back slightly, and instantly his face darkened. He looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
“It has nothing to do with you. Go play somewhere else and don’t cause trouble here.”
“What’s wrong with this child?”
Ying Xuliang asked, puzzled. He only knew that Little Ke’s son was born weak and might share the same illness with Bing Er.
But he never imagined that the teacher would react like an angry fish when he saw Ke Mo.
The old scholar, fuming, began to enumerate Ke Mo’s “glorious deeds”:
“On his first day of school, he blew up the outhouse with firecrackers.”
Ying Xuliang laughed, thinking the teacher was overreacting:
“Haha, boys do such things when they’re young. I even helped Little Ke blow up cow dung.”
“But I was in there at the time!”
The old scholar gritted his teeth.
“…”
Ying Xuliang fell silent for a moment before smiling and consoling him:
“Children can be mischievous, but with a teacher’s guidance, they can become successful. Just teach him properly.”
“I thought so too, but not long after, he and other students started seeing who could pee farther in my orchard. All my precious orchids died.”
The old scholar was deeply distressed.
“Well, they say organic fertilizer is good for plants… and the outhouse collapsed anyway…”
Ke Mo’s voice grew softer.
“Who blew up the outhouse?” The old scholar widened his eyes.
Ying Mu, standing beside Ying Xuliang, covered her mouth, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Qinghe County wasn’t large, and they had been students of the old scholar before. They were even classmates with Ke Dalong.
“Teacher, it’s no big deal, just a minor inconvenience…”
“Ask him who he was peeing with!”
“??”
Ke Mo’s gaze was somewhat confused.
Those childhood pranks were long forgotten, especially since he had awakened from some fetal confusion, making them even more hazy.
“He brought a little girl and taught her to stand and pee, then competed with her on who could pee farther!”
“…”
Little Little Ke was lost in thought.
Did he really do such impressive things as a child?
He only remembered the embarrassing moments with the old scholar.
Ying Mu’s smile froze, and her gaze became much more cautious, almost as if she saw him as a little terrorist.
Ying Xuliang laughed awkwardly:
“A jade uncarved cannot become a fine piece of art… This little demon doesn’t even take to learning the teachings of sages, just like his father. He’s not cut out for studying.”
“Being determined comes from what my father taught me…”
Ke Mo scratched the back of his head.
“Anyway, Miss Bing was already sick and couldn’t be stressed. I only dared let her go to school because I saw the little demon wasn’t in the private school anymore.”
The old scholar shook his head, his anger diminishing as he sighed.
This little fellow was indeed mischievous, but also quite clever. It was a pity his thoughts weren’t focused on studying.
Seeing he couldn’t find Bing Tuozi, Ke Mo became anxious.
Only the person who tied the bell can untie it.
This was Bing Tuozi’s consciousness and memory forming the dream. Without seeing the owner of the dream, how could he solve it?
And time was running short; he couldn’t wait for days in the dream again.
The disaster beast was coming tonight to the Ying family manor.
But!
He was a genius Little Ke!
Especially when it came to pleasing the old man, he had some authority.
“Old sir, a prodigal son returns, and the saying goes that gold cannot replace him. In fact, I listened attentively during class.”
“What did you listen to?”
“You once wrote a poem encouraging studies for me.”
Little Ke bowed formally, speaking earnestly:
“Unfortunately, I was young and ignorant at the time and didn’t understand the depth of your intentions. Now I realize how hard you worked for me.”
“?”
The old scholar stroked his beard in surprise.
When did he write such a poem?
For someone who valued their reputation, writing a masterpiece and forgetting it was impossible, even if he was old and forgetful. Moreover, Ke Mo was always nervous in the classroom, where could he find the time to write poetry?
Yet, Ke Mo picked up a twig and wrote carefully.
For someone who had endured compulsory education, many masterpieces were easily recalled. Not only in class, but teachers also taught many outside of class.
Selected works for students often included the eternal theme of ‘encouraging study’.
After excluding those that didn’t fit the situation, a few could still be chosen.
“Learning is hard, youth fades quickly.”
“Not an inch of time should be taken lightly.”
“Spring grass in the pond, yet to awaken.”
“Before the steps, the leaves have already turned autumnal.”
Hmm?
Ying Qi, from a scholarly family, had some talent in poetry. Seeing this poem, she pondered deeply.
The guests and the Ying family members gathered around, marveling at the sight.
“This, I…”
The old scholar’s face turned red, flustered.
The poem was excellent, but it had nothing to do with him.
“This was initially a student’s mischievous work, which the teacher helped polish and returned to me. You even said you wanted to frame it at the school entrance to inspire other classmates.”
Ke Mo spoke up at the right moment, giving the old scholar a way out.
Moreover, he spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, praising the old scholar and saying they would send their nephews to the school in the future.
The old scholar beamed with pride:
“This little demon… well, Xiao Mo, is indeed teachable. Finally, he has put his mind to studying.”
“After the New Year, return to the private school. Keep it up!”
“Thank you, sir, for your guidance!”
Ke Mo bowed respectfully.
Ying Xuliang watched the old scholar’s beaming face and looked at Little Ke again.
“Uncle Ying, may I see Bing Jiejie? I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”
“Sure, wife, take Xiao Mo with you.”
Ying Xuliang nodded slightly. His wife was also going to personally deliver food, so he let her lead Ke Mo into the Ying family mansion.
The mansion was much larger and grander than he remembered, exuding elegance and refinement.
Compared to it, the Ke family mansion seemed ordinary and rustic.
Ke Mo didn’t notice this when he was young, but now he felt that this was far beyond the grandeur of a small county in the Eastern Wilderness.
“How is Bing Er Jiejie recently?”
“She got a strange illness,” Ying Qi sighed.
“One moment she feels cold all over, and she doesn’t want to interact with people. That’s why we discussed sending her to the private school to be with peers her age…”
She stopped halfway, realizing it was pointless to talk so much to a child.
As they walked, the surroundings quieted down, and they arrived at a side room in the villa.
The door was tightly closed, yet it couldn’t stop the cold seeping out.
….
