"What?" The middle-aged scholar could not believe it and took several steps back. "I...I'm dead?"

The middle-aged scholar stared wide-eyed, muttering to himself, "No, impossible, I'm perfectly fine... How could I possibly die? I'm still so young! I haven't even gotten married yet, how could I possibly die? I haven't even passed the imperial examination yet."

"Yes, I'm sure I'll pass the exam this year. How could I die? I just don't have a shadow..."

“But what has no shadow is a ghost… The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits. The sages have already said that there are no ghosts or spirits in the world. Besides, I am clearly in the school right now…” The middle-aged scholar finally found a reason to convince himself.

He looked at Lin Wanyue and the four Lin brothers, "You kids are too naughty. You're clearly lying to me. If I were a ghost, how could you see me? Are you all ghosts too?"

"Hey!" Lin Wanyue showed everyone in the mirror, including herself and the four Lin brothers.

“We can see you because of this,” Lin Wanyue pointed to Lingxiang in front of her, “So, you really are shit.”

"Then why don't I remember anything?" The middle-aged scholar was still somewhat skeptical.

Lin Wanyue just looked at him.

A pair of clear, dark eyes, like the cleanest mirror in the world, able to reflect everything.

"So, as long as you forget you're a ghost, you have nothing to be afraid of," Lin Ziqiu said thoughtfully.

The middle-aged scholar patted his head. "I remember now, I really am dead."

The ghost, discovering it has died, is forced to confront reality.

He took a few more puffs of his cigarette and sat down outside the school corridor, ignoring the dust on the ground.

It turned out that the middle-aged scholar was named Cui Zhongjie. He was a poor scholar from a neighboring village. Because he was incompetent and his family was poor, he lived a very destitute life.

Do you have the talent and ability to pass the imperial examination, become an official, and make a fortune?

But he doesn't know any other ways to make money either.

Left with no other choice, he opened a school in the village. Apart from barely making ends meet, he spent all the little money he had saved on exams. However, he failed every year and died without ever achieving anything significant. Instead, he squandered all his savings and never even managed to get married.

Now that he's reached this age, and his parents have long since passed away, Cui Zhongjie has no other ambitions but to teach a few students well so that they can fulfill his childhood dream.

But unexpectedly, even this small wish could not be fulfilled.

There is a severe drought.

The situation in the neighboring village is not much better than that in Ning'an Village, and may even be worse.

The school in the neighboring village was also forced to close.

Unlike Mr. Liu, who could find a way to become an accountant, Cui Zhongjie couldn't even find that kind of connection and had to roll up his sleeves and go to the fields to farm.

But how could an old scholar who was lazy and ignorant of farming know how to farm?

He went hungry for days, fell ill a few days ago, had no money for treatment, and was alone at home. He died without anyone knowing.

"But I don't understand. Since I'm dead, shouldn't I be reporting to the underworld? Why am I here again?" Cui Zhongjie was very puzzled and wanted to take a couple more puffs of his cigarette.

But when he leaned closer, he only touched his own fingers; the cigarette that he always carried with him had long since vanished without a trace.

He remembered again.

He didn't even have money for food. Even though he loved smoking, he could only exchange his most beloved pipe for two pounds of rice, which he managed to eat for seven days.

Cui Zhongjie wasn't the only one curious about this question.

The four mischievous boys of the Lin family, who were sitting in a row under the eaves, all peeked out to look at Lin Wanyue.

My sister is so smart, she'll definitely figure it out!

"Hmm...it should be because you don't have a mentor to guide you." Lin Wanyue had indeed guessed the most likely possibility.

In the short time following death, people are often not immediately aware that they have died; instead, they may linger in a daze, seemingly lost in the world.

However, in a formal funeral, when the coffin is suspended and the body is laid to rest, a relative will light a lamp to guide the soul to the underworld. The deceased soul will then follow the lamp to the underworld, drink the Meng Po soup, and be reincarnated as a human.

But where are Cui Zhongjie's relatives left?

It's likely that even the bodies were disposed of by the villagers, so there weren't many formalities involved.

Cui Zhongjie's only obsession now is to teach a student who can become an official, which would be a way to wash away his incompetence in the first half of his life.

Therefore, he always wanted to return to the school to teach students.

Somehow, it drifted here, saw the empty schoolhouse, and started teaching on its own.

But to their surprise, they terrified the couple living next door.

"Alas... I never imagined that I, Cui, with such lofty ambitions throughout my life, would end up like this, with aspirations I cannot realize, and not even able to find my way to the underworld." Cui Zhongjie sighed heavily, glancing at his fingers, which were charred yellow from the smoke. "And I can't even smoke a cigarette! Even if I die, it would be truly unfortunate."

It's truly heartbreaking.

Even an observer like Lin Wanyue couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Lin Wanyue took out a pack of lotus-shaped cigarettes from her bosom.

With a 'click', the lighter lit the cigarette and handed it to Cui Zhongjie.

"Smash it!" Lin Wanyue said.

Once you've finished drawing, you can hit the road.

“This is…” Cui Zhongjie looked at the strange white thing, and tentatively put the unlit end into his mouth, taking a deep drag like he was smoking a cigarette.

As a result, this heavy smoker was so choked by the strong smell of smoke that he coughed incessantly.

"Little sister, what's this? I want one too!" Lin Zheyun's eyes lit up, eager to try it.

Lin Wanyue rolled her eyes at him: "..."

They only learn bad things and not good ones!

After coughing for a while, Cui Zhongjie's eyes lit up, and he took several more puffs of his cigarette, revealing a nostalgic and intoxicated look.

"Exhaling and inhaling smoke, savoring the sweet fragrance of tea in a slender stick..." Cui Zhongjie was inspired to write poetry before he had even finished a cigarette.

Lin Wanyue, Lin Zheyun, Lin Zihan, and Lin Ziqiu looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I'll write it down for you, sir!" Only Lin Zhongyuan was overjoyed.

It's surprising that this down-on-his-luck scholar actually has some literary talent. If only we could ask him to teach my elder brother!

Watching the cigarette in Cui Zhongjie's hand gradually being inhaled down to the butt, he still couldn't bear to throw it away.

"Sir," Lin Wanyue silently placed a whole pack of cigarettes in front of Cui Zhongjie, and said to him in a bargaining manner, "I'll give you one of these, and you teach me how to read, okay?"

Teaching a good student has been Cui Zhongjie's lifelong pursuit.

Cui Zhongjie had already observed that Lin Zhongyuan indeed possessed considerable motivation to study diligently, and was at least much more obedient than the other four.

But for the sake of their own pleasure.

"Then give me twenty of these every day!" Cui Zhongjie first counted the number of cigarettes in a pack, then his eyes darted around as he bargained.

"Okay!" Lin Wanyue nodded and agreed.