Chapter 83: We can do without Young Master Chen, but we absolutely must have Zhao Yunjing.
"You drew Eighteen so well. We'll have your mother make clothes for you tonight."
A dozen or so sheets of paper were spread out on the table. Zhou Mujiao pulled the girl onto her lap, and Shiba immediately noticed them: "Sister, are you participating too?"
"No, I want to make one for myself to wear."
"I can! I can!" Eighteen said enthusiastically. "Sister, I'll draw it for you! You have to wear the clothes I draw, okay?"
"Okay, okay."
On the table were some unfinished works, only about a third of the way through. Eighteen might really have a talent for this. After looking at them for a while, she patted her little chest and said, "Don't worry, sister, I will definitely make sure you wear beautiful clothes!"
"Then I'll wait."
Shiba really liked the table outside. When she got tired of reading, she could look at the lush green vegetables next to her, the wildflowers along the way down the mountain, and play with Xiulan's little baby. More importantly, she could see her parents as soon as they came back.
It was almost lunchtime, and the aroma of food wafted from the house. Shiba's stomach rumbled loudly. She put down her pen, grabbed her sketches, and went into the kitchen: "Aunt Wang, Aunt Li, is lunchtime ready? I'm so hungry!"
Aunt Wang and Aunt Li were invited by Aunt Zhao to cook for everyone. It was a meal for over thirty people, with simple dishes: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup. It wasn't difficult to prepare. They were currently stir-frying the last vegetable dish.
The stir-fried vegetables with lard smelled delicious, and Shiba swallowed again.
Aunt Li smiled: "Eighteen, are you so hungry? Then hurry up and wash your hands. Auntie will get you some rice first, let's eat!"
Eighteen slammed the drawing onto the stove, then ran off to wash her hands, singing as she did so: "Lulala lulala lulala lulala le..."
Aunt Li withdrew her gaze and fixed it on the stove. She paused for a moment, then looked down at Aunt Wang.
Granny Wang was a quiet person. At this moment, she was engrossed in tending the fire, her eyes fixed on the stove, with nothing else on her mind.
Aunt Li wiped her hand on the stove, and the drawing disappeared.
Aunt Wang suddenly looked up: "Eighteen has washed his hands."
"Oh! I'll get her some rice right away!"
With food to eat, Shiba completely forgot about the drawing, until midnight when she suddenly woke up: "Sister Jiaojiao, my drawing is gone!"
The artwork has disappeared again?
Zhou Mujiao was wide awake. She asked Shiba many times, but the girl was dizzy and sleepy and couldn't explain where she had been during the day or who had seen her drawings.
"Don't be sad, sister. I remember everything. I'll redraw it tomorrow!"
I was so sad myself, but I still cheered myself up to comfort her. Where did this little angel come from?
Students at Huilan Academy have noticed that their headmaster has been acting strangely lately.
In the eyes of the students, Headmaster Liang has always presented himself as deep and steady. These past few days, however, he has been quick to anger. Last night, he was peacefully enjoying flowers and tea under a tree when he suddenly started arguing with a bird. If it weren't for the fact that his clothes were so distinctive, the students would hardly believe that this was their Headmaster.
They're so impetuous, they're no different from the scoundrels down in the city!
Liang Shanhai's public image has collapsed, but he didn't want it to.
He was worried that Zhao Yunjing would be poached by Shanglin Academy. The academy that was supposed to send him an invitation eventually sent someone to tell him not to wait. Young Master Chen did jump ship from Shanglin Academy, so there was no need to worry about the student enrollment problem for the next two years. But Liang Shanhai was still unhappy and still had ideas.
Young Master Chen is merely a figurehead for recruiting students. Zhao Yunjing is different; he has the potential to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). If he's lucky enough to be named the top scholar, then Zhao Yunjing will become the second shining star of Huilan Academy after Lord Chen.
Zhao Yunjing is only eighteen this year. He will be twenty when he participates in the competition two years later. He will be twenty-one when he is named the champion. He is still young. Even if he passes away at the age of fifty, this brand can still be promoted for at least thirty years.
Thirty years, isn't that enough time for Huilan Academy to cultivate its third, fourth, and fifth flagship programs?
We can do without Young Master Chen, and Huilan Academy can do without any students, but Zhao Yunjing absolutely must come!
Long nights are bound to bring many dreams, so Liang Shanhai sent people to wait at the fork in the road between the two academies every day. He planned that if Zhao Yunjing really went to Shanglin Academy, he would tie him up and take him back to the mountain. Finally, the ten-day period was about to end. Liang Shanhai didn't sleep all night and sent people to escort Young Master Chen to Peach Blossom Village to pick him up before dawn.
Young Master Chen spent almost half an hour being devoured by mosquitoes in front of the Zhao family's house, utterly speechless.
Zhao Yunjing is indeed talented, but does the headmaster really need to be so demanding?! Zhao Yunjing never even considered Shanglin Academy in the first place. He has patted his chest countless times and said that he and Zhao Yunjing have a gentleman's agreement, but Liang Shanhai doesn't believe him, and there's nothing he can do about it!
Young Master Chen yawned again. As dawn broke, there was movement inside the Zhao family's house. Young Master Chen went up and knocked on the door: "Zhao Yunjing! Zhao Yunjing! Open the door!"
Zhao Yunjing wore a moon-colored robe, his hair was tied up and decorated only with a jade hairpin. His face was still the same, but his whole demeanor was different.
"Brother Zhao?" Young Master Chen rubbed his eyes. "Brother Zhao?!"
When Zhao Yunjing saw Young Master Chen, and then looked at the two students behind him dressed in the uniforms of Huilan Academy, both of them were yawning and so sleepy that their eyes were watering.
They were sent down the mountain to fetch people before dawn. They were already resentful, and seeing Zhao Yunjing looking clean and tidy while they themselves were in a sorry state only fueled their resentment.
Zhao Yunjing nodded slightly to the two of them, then raised an eyebrow and asked Young Master Chen, "Are you here to pick me up?"
Young Master Chen rolled his eyes and was about to speak when someone interrupted him: "The headmaster believes you are the reincarnation of the God of Literature and is afraid you will be kidnapped by the people of Shanglin Academy halfway. He specially sent us down the mountain to welcome you. God of Literature, please!"
That's really sarcastic.
Young Master Chen frowned: "If you didn't want to come, you should have brought it up when the headmaster was speaking. Now that you're here, you're complaining. What, did the headmaster hold a knife to your throat and force you to come down the mountain?"
Brother Chen, you are mistaken—
"Screw you!" Young Master Chen interrupted. "You want to curry favor with the headmaster, but you don't want to get things done. What, do you think the headmaster is a fool who can be easily fooled by you?"
“Brother Chen, you misunderstand. We are not unwilling. We just wanted to play a little joke on Brother Zhao to enhance the friendship between classmates. It’s just humor.”
Another quickly chimed in, "While Huilan Academy may not be as prestigious as Shanglin Academy, the academic workload is still quite demanding. Since the workload is already demanding enough, we should relax more often. Brother Chen, please don't be so serious."
Young Master Chen scoffed, "Whether it's a joke or a genuine sarcastic remark, only you yourselves will know! But it'd better be as you say, otherwise, when I get serious, it can be quite terrifying."
"Definitely, definitely."
Zhao Yunjing spoke up: "You gentlemen have been traveling since early morning and must not have had breakfast yet. If you don't mind my humble abode, please wait a moment and have breakfast before you leave."
The Zhao family's breakfast wasn't lavish, but at this time of day, everything was just right. Once their stomachs were full, their bad mood vanished. Plus, with two girls around, the two students felt a little embarrassed.
Seeing Zhou Mujiao and the girl named Shiba dressed for going out, Young Master Chen suppressed his excitement and calmly asked, "Ajiao, Shiba, are you also going to the city?"
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