Chapter 355 Suffering

At this moment, Madam Ji did not immediately refute.

Ji Youtian was her lifeline, but he was now at the age where everyone disliked him; no one in the widow's village liked the child.

He was too naughty—climbing trees, going into the water, climbing on roofs and removing tiles. He would either steal other people's chickens or dig up other people's vegetables. The whole village complained about him. Even the most patient old lady would shake her head and say that the child was hard to discipline.

Previously, Madam Ji had considered sending her child to a neighboring village with a school, but no matter how many times she sent him, the child would always escape. He would walk from day to night on foot to climb over the wall and return home, which terrified Madam Ji several times.

She really considered Qi Yuxuan's suggestion.

But then I thought, she's just a young girl, how much knowledge could she possibly have? Maybe I'm just trying to fool her?

As soon as Ji Niangzi glanced at her suspiciously, Qi Yuxuan guessed what she was thinking.

Qi Yuxuan: "How about this, Madam Ji, bring Atian here, and I will personally teach him once. If he really learns it, then you can agree to my suggestion. If not, then we will do as you said tomorrow."

Seeing her so confident, Lady Ji hesitated.

Could it be that what this little girl said is true, and that she really has the ability to teach Atian to read and write?

Whether it's true or not, there's no harm in trying. If this little brat dares to lie to her, she'll definitely teach her a lesson!

Thinking about it, Madam Ji snorted and swayed her round waist as she went out, without saying whether she agreed or not.

Half an hour later, A-Tian, ​​who was playing wildly in the fields outside, was dragged back by his own mother. The sound of bamboo shoots being stir-fried with meat rang out in the yard, along with A-Tian's screams of agony as he was beaten, like a pig being slaughtered. Qi Yuxuan knew that Madam Ji was planning to give it a try.

In just a few days, she got to know Ji Niangzi better and realized that the little boy named Atian was not what others thought.

He's a bit unreliable, but not a bad person at heart. Besides, he's quite rebellious; the more Madam Ji and the villagers want him to do something, the less he wants to do it.

Having promised Lady Ji, Qi Yuxuan perked up and carefully considered how to say it.

The courtyard fell silent, save for A-Tian's sobbing.

Just then, Madam Ji pushed open the door to the room where the two of them were. She was so tired from beating the child that she was panting as soon as she stood there.

"My son is back. You teach him. If you don't teach him well, I'll beat your young master to death!" The voice sounded furious.

Qi Yuxuan nodded, walked out of the house, and saw Atian huddled in the corner of the yard.

The dark-skinned, thin little boy, who had been wiping away tears and crying, immediately hid his aggrieved yet stubborn spirit when he saw a stranger standing in front of him.

He looked at Qi Yuxuan with a wary and vigilant expression, his small body shrinking back again and again.

Standing to the side, Madam Ji was furious at his appearance and wished she could pick up the broom again and give him a few more whacks.

"What are you hiding for! This is your new teacher, you better learn properly! If you don't learn well, I'll beat you to death too!"

Qi Yuxuan turned to look at Madam Ji, her face showing helplessness:

“Madam Ji, with you here, A-Tian is terrified. I have difficulty even communicating with him, let alone teaching him anything.”

Lady Ji put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes: "What's so hard about teaching him? Do you think I'm going to eat him?!"

Qi Yuxuan: "Madam Ji, look at those teachers in the school, when they teach their students, I've never seen any elders from their families standing by, have they? Just trust me this time, I will definitely teach Atian to read and write well, okay?"

Madam Ji looked suspicious and puzzled, muttering to herself, "What's the difference between teaching and not teaching? Why so many rules and regulations, all this unnecessary stuff, it's such a hassle..."

However, despite saying that, Madam Ji still left the house in the end.

Only Qi Yuxuan and Ji Youtian, one big and one small, remained in the courtyard, staring at each other.

The mother left, but the child still looked stiff and arrogant, not even glancing at Qi Yuxuan, only looking up at the sky.

Qi Yuxuan said gently, "Don't worry, I won't hit you or scold you. What are you afraid of?"

Ji Youtian got angry: "Who said I'm afraid of you?!"

As he spoke, he nimbly got up from the ground, though he was wincing in pain.

Qi Yuxuan crouched down slightly, bringing her gaze level with the thin, dark-skinned child, and said:

"You heard it too, your mother asked me to teach you to read and write. Do you want to learn?"

She completely blocked Ji Youtian's way out, and he replied impatiently, "You? You think you can teach me?"

"Even a scholar can't teach me, so what skills do you have? Are you better than me at climbing trees and walls, or at catching fish in the water? Pshaw!"

Qi Yuxuan shook her head: "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me. Everyone has different skills. When it comes to climbing trees and walls and catching fish in the water, you are indeed much better than me. I definitely have to ask you for advice."

Upon hearing this, Ji Youtian's expression immediately became arrogant, and he gave a small snort:

"Of course! You, a seemingly delicate young lady, are definitely not as good as me!"

Qi Yuxuan feigned regret and said, "Yes, it's a pity that you don't want to learn calligraphy and literature, but I want to learn the skills you mentioned. I used to be surrounded by gentle and delicate girls like me, and I've never had a boy like you before."

"But your mother also said that I must teach you, and I must teach you completely before she will allow me to stay here temporarily. Otherwise, she will beat my cousin to death and sell me off..."

Her tone gradually softened. This was the first time Ji Youtian had ever seen an adult show weakness in front of him, and it was quite a novel experience.

There hadn't been a newborn in Widow Village for a long time. He had always been the youngest in the village, and everyone in front of him was an unapproachable elder, which was quite boring.

As for the other children his age from other villages, once they heard that he was from a widow's village, they would call him a fatherless wild child and curse his mother as a promiscuous woman, so he couldn't play with them.

He rolled his eyes and said, "She's lying to you! My mother is all bark and no bite. If you want to learn these things from me, as long as you're sincere, I have a way to let you stay."

As he spoke, he patted his chest, but the pat was too forceful and landed on the wound that Ji Niangzi had just inflicted, causing him to gasp in pain. However, facing the "new student," Ji Youtian managed to suppress his disheveled expression and feign composure.

Qi Yuxuan also pretended not to see it, feigning surprise and exclaiming, "Really?!"

After saying that, she looked troubled and said, "But you don't want to learn these things. I know that you can't force a melon to ripen. If your mother finds out, all of us will be in trouble."

Upon hearing the phrase "the few of us," Ji Youtian suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for those in the same boat.