Chapter 365 Senior Brother or Senior Sister
Mr. Bai glanced at his silly son and asked, "Erlang, why don't you go?"
Bai Erlang said confidently, "I don't understand what they're talking about, so I won't go. Call me when you want to plant the fruit trees."
Mr. Bai: ...
Mr. Zhuang laughed heartily and said to Mr. Bai, "It's not a bad thing that he's so simple-minded. Mr. Bai, don't be too harsh on him."
Mr. Bai smiled at Mr. Zhuang and let his son go for the time being in front of him.
The servants brought up bowls and chopsticks and added more rice for the two children. Mr. Bai first picked up a piece of meat for Manbao, then asked Mr. Zhuang, "Sir, do you plan to continue teaching in the school, or move to our house?"
Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "Let's do it in the school."
If children come here to play and see them in class, they might want to sit in.
Mr. Bai said, "I'm worried that the school is too empty and the teacher will catch a cold while teaching inside."
Mr. Zhuang smiled nonchalantly and said, "My courtyard is spacious too. If I don't want to teach in the school, I can take them there."
There is a huge difference between three students and thirty students, and the class can be taught anywhere.
Only then did Mr. Bai stop forcing it.
Mr. Zhuang only drank one glass of wine and said goodbye after his meal, taking Manbao with him.
After crossing the bridge, the master and apprentice strolled leisurely along the riverbank. Manbao asked with concern, "Sir, you only have three students. Can you still make money?"
Mr. Zhuang asked with a smile: "What will you do if it doesn't work?"
"I have money," Manbao said seriously, "I can pay a lot of tuition to the master."
Mr. Zhuang heard the fear in her voice, and he was moved. He reached out and patted her on the back, saying soothingly, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhuang won't leave."
He said, "You and Shanbao are the two smartest children I have ever seen. Even if it weren't for the money, I would continue to teach here."
Manbao opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Zhuang shook his head and said with a smile, "Don't worry. Madam Bai came to me a few days ago and said she wants to hire me as Shanbao's tutor. The monthly salary I will receive is even higher than what I earned from running the school before."
Manbao then quieted down.
"So you can rest assured, Master won't go hungry. However," Mr. Zhuang paused and said, "I'm afraid your sister-in-law can no longer cook in the school."
Manbao was very happy, "It doesn't matter, my sister-in-law will find another job."
Mr. Zhuang nodded. "After the New Year, when you come back to school, I'll have your family send your rice and flour to Shanbao's house, and give you fifty coins every month. Is that okay?"
Manbao nodded, indicating that it was okay.
Mr. Zhuang then continued, "Manbao, I have decided to accept Bai Shan as my disciple. From now on, you will not only be classmates, but also fellow disciples."
Manbao's eyes widened and he shouted, "No! It's my senior sister and brother!"
Mr. Zhuang: “…”
Manbao stood in front of Mr. Zhuang and argued, "Sir, I became his disciple first, and I entered school a day earlier than him, so I am older than him."
Based on Mr. Zhuang's understanding of Bai Shanbao, this might be a bit difficult because, "He is older than you."
"Don't the books say that seniority is based on initiation? How can it be based on age?"
Mr. Zhuang glanced at her and said, "We are studying, not practicing martial arts."
Manbao shrank his neck and asked in a low voice, "Sir, do you know?"
"The confiscated books are still with the master. Do you think I don't know?"
Manbao felt guilty for a moment, then said confidently: "I think the principles are the same, so I am the senior sister."
Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and said, "You can discuss this among yourselves. The Bai family will choose a good day for you to become my disciple. Before that, you can discuss it among yourselves."
Manbao opened her mouth wide, and first looked down at her height. She felt that her chances of winning a fight with Bai Shanbao were not very high, but it was not a good idea to ask for external help for such a thing.
Liu was also talking to Bai Shanbao about becoming his disciple.
"Mr. Zhuang is quite talented, and you've always been naughty. Of all the teachers out there, Mr. Zhuang is the only one you can actually listen to. So after discussing with your mother, we decided to hire Mr. Zhuang to teach you at home."
Liu said, "However, Mr. Zhuang was invited back by your cousin. Although your eldest cousin has gone to study at the provincial school, Erlang is still here, so Mr. Zhuang is teaching you two together."
"What about Manbao?"
Liu smiled, "She is Mr. Zhuang's disciple, so naturally she studied with Mr. Zhuang."
Mrs. Liu paused for a moment before continuing, "Mr. Zhuang is quite knowledgeable, so I've asked him to have you become his disciple and confirm the relationship between master and disciple. I've asked Madam Liu to inquire about a date. Once a good day is confirmed, we'll come and take the apprenticeship gifts with us."
Bai Shanbao's eyes lit up, "Sir, have you agreed?"
Liu smiled and nodded.
"Then am I a senior brother?"
It took Liu a while to understand what her grandson meant. She couldn't help but smile and said, "I don't know about that. Logically speaking, since you came in later, you should be considered a junior apprentice, right?"
Bai Shanbao's eyes widened, and he said unhappily, "But I'm older and better at studying than she is, so I should be her senior."
Liu smiled and said, "Your husband will be returning to the county town tomorrow. You can ask him when you go to see him off."
Mr. Zhuang obviously didn't expect the two children to have such similar concerns, so when asked, he was silent for a moment before saying, "Manbao said she wants to be a senior sister."
Bai Shanbao said seriously, "But sir, I am older than her and a little better at studying. Logically, I should be her senior brother."
Mr. Zhuang stroked his beard and smiled, "You can go and discuss it with her if she's willing to give up her position as Senior Brother to you."
Bai Shanbao found it a little difficult, but he liked to face challenges head-on, so at the foot of Zhou Silang's barren mountain, the two children met on a rock.
Since they met, Bai Shanbao decided to discuss the matter with Manbao.
Both of them had very good reasons, but they couldn't convince each other and just stared at each other.
Manbao clenched his fists and asked, "Do you want to fight me?"
Bai Shanbao wanted to do that, but thinking of her bad habit of biting people when she couldn't beat them, he decided to reason with her first and then take action if that didn't work.
"If you let me be your senior brother, I will take care of you in the future."
"Even if you are my junior brother, you have to listen to me."
Bai Shanbao thought about it and said with great reluctance: "If you agree, I will give you my twelve zodiac animals."
Manbao's heart was moved for a moment, then she refused, "No, being a senior sister is more important."
"I can also take you to Yizhou Prefecture for fun."
"When our farm makes money next year, I can go there too."
"What if I can't make money?" Bai Shanbao asked, "Do you know what natural disasters and man-made calamities are?"
Manbao: ...
(End of this chapter)
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