"Grandpa, is this your home? Your home is so beautiful!" Sanlang exclaimed in surprise.
The old man and Sanlang helped each other down from the carriage. He cheerfully called out "Shitou" towards the bamboo hut, and an eleven or twelve-year-old boy ran out of the hut, happily greeting them and shouting, "Sir, you're back!"
"Stone, quickly make some tea, we have guests!" the old man instructed with a smile.
Shi Tou's expression changed, and he looked at Qiao Sheng and Yuan Wen with wary eyes, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Seeing that the older brother didn't seem too welcoming, Sanlang quickly said, "No need to trouble you, we should be going now. Goodbye, Grandpa."
After saying that, he tugged at Yuan Wen, but Yuan Wen remained standing still.
The old man patted the boy's shoulder with a smile, and the boy turned and went back to the bamboo hut.
Yuan Wen stepped forward and respectfully said, "Yuan Wen greets Mr. Xunmei!"
Seeing this, Qiao Sheng, who was standing to the side, also bowed in the same manner.
Saburo opened his eyes wide, scratched his head, and stammered, "Mr. Xunmei? How could the old man be Mr. Xunmei?"
He hadn't forgotten that Mr. Xunmei was the person he was going to become his disciple, and he still had a handwritten letter from Master Wu to Mr. Xunmei in his arms.
Seeing that he was still in a daze, Yuan Wen raised his foot and gave him a light kick on the bottom.
Saburo knelt straight down on the ground, and the next second, he skillfully bowed and said in a crisp voice, "Student Jiao Yan greets teacher."
Mr. Xunmei laughed heartily and helped Sanlang up. “What’s the rush? The tea isn’t ready yet. You should at least let this old man come inside and have a cup of tea to celebrate my becoming your apprentice.”
So this means they've agreed to accept Sanlang? Yuan Wen was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Mr. Xunmei once again.
Sanlang, feeling dizzy, entered the bamboo hut, accepted the tea prepared by Shi Tou, and performed the apprenticeship ceremony to Master Xunmei. After finishing the ceremony, he sat down to the left of his teacher and then hesitated before saying, "But I brought so many gifts for you, Master, and I haven't presented them yet!"
Qiao Sheng quickly carried the large and small packages from the carriage inside, opening them one by one to show Mr. Xunmei. Sanlang repeated his sister's instructions word for word, and at the end, he considerately added, "Whatever the teacher doesn't like to eat, it's also excellent to give away."
This time, Shi Tou looked at San Lang with completely different eyes. He held San Lang's hand affectionately and said, "Young master, you are too kind. The master likes it very much, especially very much! We are in for a treat tonight, hehe..."
Mr. Xunmei had practically buried his head in the cloth bag of salted peanuts and broad beans when he heard what Shi Tou said. He waved his hand and said, "Shi Tou, prepare dinner. Let's have a good meal!"
Although Shi Tou is not old, he is very good at housework. He is proficient in cooking, washing clothes, sweeping, and growing vegetables. He is responsible for all of Mr. Xunmei's daily chores.
Sanlang wanted to help, but Shitou stopped him, pinching his little face and saying earnestly, "Young master, you are the master's last disciple, and I am just a servant. From now on, you are half my master. How can a servant do work for his master? Go on, go and talk to the master. He is very happy today!"
Sanlang returned to the main room, seemingly understanding but not quite, and continued listening to his teacher, Yuan Wen, and Qiao Sheng talk.
Yuan Wen and Qiao Sheng answered every question Sanlang's teacher without reservation, but when they inquired about Sanlang's studies, they only asked one sentence and then moved on, focusing more on details of his life. Qiao Sheng, who had practically watched Sanlang grow up, described Sanlang's temperament in the past and how it was now, concluding with: "This child is incredibly intelligent!"
Just as Sanlang arrived, he overheard Qiao Sheng praising him. He smiled at his teacher with a touch of embarrassment, a smile that was both shy and extremely bright.
Thus, Mr. Xunmei came to a conclusion: Sanlang's transformation was due to one person: Jiangshan.
Doing academic research is not difficult; what is difficult is being a good person, and being a wise yet ordinary person of exceptional character is even more difficult! This child carries the earnest expectations of his mother and sister, and without his father and brothers as role models, even with his intelligence, if he is not properly guided, he could easily go down a narrow-minded and stubborn path of no return. Fortunately, he is young and pure-hearted, and a bright future can be painted for him.
Seeing that his teacher was just staring at him without saying a word, Saburo asked somewhat nervously, "Teacher, is there something wrong with me?"
Mr. Xunmei smiled and shook his head, remaining silent.
Saburo bit his lip, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Did you recognize me on the way, teacher? But I'm too blind to recognize you!"
Mr. Xunmei laughed heartily again. He hadn't been this happy in many years. This student was wonderful, truly wonderful!
"When I first met you, I thought you were a kind and gentle child, showing concern for a poor old man like yourself. After our conversation, I was very pleased with you. Later, I heard that you came to Yuzhou to study. You are about the same age as me and so intelligent. I thought you must be the one!"
Saburo sighed, "This is fate between me and my teacher!"
Mr. Xunmei burst into laughter again.
Dinner was exceptionally lavish. All the food that Saburo brought was rarely seen in this world. The ingredients were ordinary, but the cooking methods were unique, hence the term "private kitchen dishes."
Saburo enthusiastically told his teacher about the special features of each dish, recounting them in detail as if they were his own treasures.
"Sir, this seafood in broth is delicious, but people with a cold constitution and weak spleen should not eat too much of it. It's a good choice to accompany wine."
"Your teeth aren't very good, so you should eat less salted peanuts. My sister knows how to make soft, salted peanuts and edamame pods. I'll write to her later and ask her to send some."
"I asked Brother Stone to cook the smoked meat a little longer. It's tender, juicy, and flavorful. Please try it."
"Brother Stone, don't just eat pickled vegetables all the time. Come on, eat more shrimp and you'll grow taller."
Shi Tou's lips curled up as he took the large shrimp that Sanlang had placed on his plate, savored its aroma, but couldn't bear to eat it.
Although Shi Tou ate at the same table with them, he didn't take much food, and mostly ate vegetarian dishes and pickles. Mr. Xunmei seemed to be used to this, and after helping him with food once, he ignored him.
Saburo looked at Ishi, who was a head taller than him, but very thin, not much better than he used to be.
He looked at the stone and said seriously, "Brother Stone, you are still growing, so you must make sure you get enough nutrition. You can't just eat vegetables; you also need to eat more meat, more shrimp, and drink more bone broth. My sister says that drinking bone broth can make your bones strong and give you strength!"
Stone lifted his head out of the bowl and chuckled, "I'm eating very well, you eat too."
Seeing that he didn't do anything, Sanlang had no choice but to pick up two more prawns and a meat skewer for him.
Watching the two little ones interact, Mr. Xunmei took a sip of wine and laughed, "Stone, listen to Sanlang. I can't control you anymore; he'll have to take care of you from now on!"
Shi Tou lowered his head and ate silently, his eyes slightly warm.
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