In Xindu in August, the scorching heat of midsummer has gradually faded, and the mornings and evenings are beginning to feel cool.
Especially in Luoan Town, which is located 20 miles away from Xindu, the mountains and forests are nestled among the green waters, making it even more refreshing and comfortable.
As the bell rang, the students, who had been confined behind their desks all morning, seemed to be injected with adrenaline, waking up from their drowsiness and rushing to the cafeteria courtyard like a swarm of bees.
Today's set meal includes braised pork belly. If you go too late, you might miss it and regret it for more than half a month.
But the first thing the students do upon entering is not to grab a tray, but to grab a fruit drink or milk tea with crushed ice before they go looking for food.
Icy cold, sweet, a sip of which cools you right to the bone, and all your anxiety and drowsiness disappear.
This is the right way to truly whet your appetite when faced with delicious food!
Large buckets of ice were still placed around the cafeteria, emitting a cool breeze, which was much more comfortable than the classroom.
The students abandoned all pretense of refinement, taking off their long gowns and wearing only jackets, enjoying a bite of rice and meat, along with a sip of milk tea and fruit drink—how carefree they were!
At this time of year, they are incredibly grateful to their former senior classmates.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, the Li family withdrew from the new capital while the academy was on vacation, leaving the academy's canteen unattended.
The senior students rushed back to class only to learn of this devastating news.
It's always easier to go from simplicity to luxury, but harder to go from luxury to frugality.
Without the delicious food from the cafeteria, and without the milk tea and fruit drinks I crave day and night.
The senior students also had to go out to the streets outside the college every day to find food, which was not only unpalatable but also ridiculously expensive.
In just three days, the senior students erupted and went to the dean to plead for help.
It's not that we're greedy for food, it's just that we need to be full before we can study!
In the end, the dean stepped in and found Guo Wenhao, who then went to Xiankelai to find two cooks to take charge of the cooking. The academy provided seven or eight servants and maids, and everything else proceeded as before.
This barely kept the cafeteria afloat, and the senior students finally had food to eat.
Later, Brother Guo reopened the water bar, selling fruit drinks and milk tea, and the taste was exactly the same as before.
Nobody asked where the ice-making recipes and milk tea recipes came from...
In short, the academy has returned to its original state, except that there are fewer particularly active players on the court, and no one wins the game anymore, no one offers a jade melon as a prize...
As everyone ate their meal, one student pulled out a travelogue from his pocket and began to read it with great pride.
Soon, the classmate next to him noticed and shouted loudly.
"Oh my, is this the latest travelogue engraved by Seventh Senior Brother?! Or is it the overseas edition?"
That one sentence caused an uproar in the cafeteria. All the students craned their necks to look over and started chattering away.
"That's impossible! I had someone go to the bookstore yesterday to ask, and Seventh Senior Brother hasn't released a new book at all!"
"Me too! People are asking me every day! Where did this kid get it from?!"
"It's a lie, it's definitely a lie!"
The students, holding the travelogues in their hands, were unwilling to take the blame for being scammed, and quickly began to argue their case.
"I'm not lying! This is Seventh Brother's new book! My family brought it back for me from Quanzhou. I reckon it will be a few more days before the bookstores in Xindu can sell it!"
Before he could finish speaking, the book in his hand was snatched away in a flash!
"Let me see, let me see!"
"No, let me see it first!"
In an instant, the book was snatched up by countless people and passed from hand to hand.
Over the years, although the imperial court has not shown any intention of pursuing the Li family, no one can fathom the thoughts of the person in the palace, or whether their mind might change at any moment.
Therefore, the seven brothers of the Li family were accustomed to being called Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and so on up to Seventh Senior Brother in the academy.
The eldest and sixth senior brothers were highly regarded, naturally because of their exceptional literary talent.
The second senior brother is renowned for his exceptional culinary skills.
The third senior brother was the most powerful, having killed countless Japanese pirates.
The fourth and fifth senior brothers were even more legendary, having sailed overseas at a young age and brought back pilgrimages from eight countries.
But their favorite was their seventh senior brother!
It seems that the Seventh Senior Brother has left his footprints in every beautiful, strange, and dangerous place in the world.
He then used the simplest and most interesting words to record these places!
Reading his travelogue is like traveling the world with him.
Just as things were getting lively, someone at the entrance suddenly laughed, "Seventh Young Master, your reputation is growing bigger and bigger! In the academy, you're more influential than this old codger!"
Upon hearing the commotion, the students turned around and quickly stood up, straightened their clothes, and bowed in unison.
"Hello, Dean!"
The one who spoke just now was Dean Zhou. The old man's hair was also gray, but he was as refined and upright as ever.
He smiled and waved to his classmates, then pointed to the young master beside him and said, "What are you waiting for? This is the Seventh Young Master you've all been longing for! The travelogue you were fighting over earlier was written by him!"
"Now that I am right before you, instead of reading books, you should ask me more questions!"
The cafeteria was quiet for a moment, then it became noisy again.
"Seventh Young Master, is it really the Seventh Young Master?"
"Ah, just as I imagined!"
"Seventh Young Master, Seventh Young Master! Are there really islands overseas where it's spring all year round? Are there really ghost islands that can hide in the sea at any time?"
The students chattered away, asking direct and enthusiastic questions.
The young man standing next to Dean Zhou wore a royal blue robe, his hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and he held a jade fan in his hand, looking very carefree and at ease.
Needless to say, this is indeed Cat Brother.
Seeing these junior students, so young and energetic, made him feel as if he had returned to his school days.
He closed his fan, greeted his fellow students, and then said with a smile, "Greetings, fellow students. I entered the academy about ten years earlier than you all. If you don't mind that I don't have any official title, you can just call me senior brother."
"I just returned from my overseas travels four months ago. After writing this travelogue and having it printed, I rushed here without stopping because I guessed that my junior brothers might have many questions. Today, I'll take this opportunity to have a good chat with them."
"In addition, as I just mentioned to the dean, our family's fleet will be returning to Quanzhou in half a month. If any of you junior brothers are interested, you can join us for a two-month study tour."
"Quanzhou has many seagoing ships that travel at sea all year round. It's very easy for my fellow disciples to go out to sea and see the outside world with their own eyes!"
"Is what you said true, senior brother?!" a student immediately exclaimed.
The others, afraid of being left behind, also shouted, "I want to sign up! Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. I want to see the vast ocean as magnificent as the sky with my own eyes!"
"Me too! I want to see a sea fish bigger than a house!"
"What are sea fish compared to the golden Buddha statue that the Queen once ruled!"
Cat Brother casually unfolded his fan and joined in with a smile.
“I never lie in my travelogues; everything I record is true. Take that whale that’s bigger than a house, for example. Not only does it really exist, but not long ago, a fisherman on the coast of Quanzhou was accidentally swallowed by a whale, but he vomited it up and almost lost his life!”
"Also, whales are just larger; there's another, even more intelligent fish in the sea called dolphins. They can guide lost fishing boats at sea..."
In the spacious cafeteria, students surrounded Cat Brother, listening intently, occasionally asking questions that would spark a lively discussion...
Dean Zhou, who had been forgotten by everyone, shook his head helplessly, feeling both amused and exasperated.
These silly boys, I wonder how many of them will be "scammed" away by the Li family this time!
The Li family has developed almost all the major islands along the route from Quanzhou to Jinfo. With more people and more things to do, they naturally need more manpower.
This time, Cat Bro used the excuse of celebrating his birthday to actually "trick" him!
However, even if he knew, he wasn't going to stop them.
Just as the students said, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles!
It never hurts for young people to go out and explore more!
As for how many of the Li family members were able to keep, that was due to the Li family's abilities, and it could also be a way out for the students!
After all, not all scholars are suited to take the imperial examinations and become officials!
As a teacher, he hopes that all students can find their own bright path!
Dean Zhou turned and walked out.
In the cafeteria, everyone was already immersed in the fantasy of that magnificent world overseas...
Today's update is here~~~
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