Chapter 25: Becoming an Apprentice

Zhou Yao sat on the kang, hugging her legs and crying.

Zhao took a deep breath and said to Zhou Huailin, "Isn’t our vegetable garden next to Old Gao’s cornfield? The cornfield leads to the small grove behind the clan school."

Zhou Huailin had no idea what Zhao was trying to say and started sweating anxiously.

"Hmm, so what?"

"Yao and I saw elder brother and Widow Liu in the cornfield today."

As she said this, Zhao stared wide-eyed at Zhou Huailin, her eyes filled with confusion, terror, chaos, and unease.

Zhou Huailin felt like he had been struck by lightning and his heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Zhao nodded, biting her lip, her voice trembling. "Yao saw them first, she saw everything."

Zhou Huailin turned to look at Zhou Yao, who was crying her eyes out.

She wasn’t even fifteen yet.

She had seen her uncle and Widow Liu, both stark naked, and heard their intermittent sounds. She witnessed it all.

She was still a child!

Zhou Yao was terribly frightened.

Zhou Huailin gently patted Zhou Yao’s head with a pained expression.

Zhou Ping blinked and thought for a moment, "Sister, don’t cry. Just think of it as watching dogs mate. It’s not like you haven’t seen that before."

Zhou Yao…

Could she strangle her little brother?

Immediately, if possible.

Zhou Huailin raised his hand and smacked Zhou Ping on the head.

Zhao followed with a smack on the other side of Zhou Ping’s head.

How could such a young boy understand their conversation?

And even compare it to dogs mating!!!

Zhou Ping…

What did I do to deserve two lumps on my head!

Am I not their biological child?

The heavy topic unexpectedly lightened after Zhou Ping's interruption.

Zhou Yao also didn’t feel like crying as much anymore.

Zhou Huailin patted Zhou Yao’s head and said to Zhao, "Let them handle their own affairs. Let’s focus on living our own lives well."

Zhou Huailin always knew that Zhou Huaihai was a vindictive and petty person.

Even if he knew about Zhou Huaihai and Widow Liu, there was nothing he could do.

Who could he tell?

His elder sister-in-law?

Their parents?

There was no one he could talk to.

If his elder brother wasn’t married yet, he could tell their parents. But now that he was married, it was no longer an option.

"But what if it comes out one day? What about Yao and Ping when they get married in the future..." Zhao was full of worries.

Zhou Huailin wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly, "We’ve split the family."

Zhao shivered all over, quickly turning her head to look at Zhou Huailin in shock. "What?"

"We split the family, just now."

Before Zhou Huailin could finish his sentence, Zhou Ping began to narrate the events in detail.

"...In short, grandma pretended to be sick and was exposed by big sister, proving that one’s misdeeds eventually catch up to them."

Zhao…

Zhou Huailin…

Zhou Yao…

Seeing them all staring at him, Zhou Ping instinctively raised his hand to protect his head and quietly stepped back a bit. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Zhao…

Zhou Huailin…

Zhou Yao…

You’re right, but it doesn’t match your age.

Zhou Huailin handed the land deed and money they had received to Zhao. "From now on, we’ll manage our own household."

The matter of splitting the family immediately overshadowed Zhou Yao and Zhao’s shock from witnessing the scene of "dog mating."

After all, looking forward to a new life was very urgent.

"Although we’ve split the family, Father said that we’ll still eat and live together. Each household will bring their own grain to the kitchen for cooking, and we’ll take turns cooking. Today is the turn of the first household, so bring some grain over later."

After giving instructions, Zhou Huailin got off the kang.

"I’m going to find someone to hire in the fields. Tomorrow, I and Qing will still go sell characters. Don’t wait for me for dinner, just save me some."

The money they got from the family split wasn’t much, but it was enough for him to hire someone until the autumn harvest.

"Find someone for second brother too. They’ll definitely hire someone too," Zhao reminded.

"I know," Zhou Huailin said as he walked out the door.

Zhou Yao and Zhou Ping immediately got off the kang and went to the second household after putting on their shoes.

When they arrived, Zhou Huaishan had just finished writing "The Analects of Confucius" and was about to complain. Seeing the siblings enter, he had to swallow his grievances.

Then came today’s second round of blows.

Writing the character "丰" (feng).

Zhou Huaishan…

Can he catch crickets and return to being a marquis?

......

"Second Brother, someone’s looking for you."

Zhou Huailin, who had just gone out, returned with a young man.

"Looking for me?" Zhou Huaishan looked up in confusion.

Zhou Qing was shocked when she saw Shen Li following Zhou Huailin. "Boss Shen?"

Zhou Huaishan turned to Zhou Qing. "Daughter, you know him?"

Zhou Qing explained as she got off the kang, "Father, we buy our brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from Boss Shen’s shop."

Everyone in the room turned their gaze towards Shen Li, who followed Zhou Huailin.

But this gaze felt strange.

Especially Zhou Huaishan’s, whose look seemed to say: You’re the fool who offers buy one get two free!

Shen Li…

His eye twitched as he turned to Zhou Qing with feigned shocked. "Miss? Why are you here?"

Zhou Qing…

"This is my home."

Shen Li’s face showed even more surprise.

"Your home? You’re Senior Zhou Huaishan’s..."

Zhou Huaishan... Senior?

"I’m her father."

Shen Li’s shock was so overwhelming that it was almost tangible.

"Incredible... Miss is Senior Zhou’s daughter. My apologies."

Zhou Qing…

Zhou Huaishan…

Everyone in the room was staring, not understanding what this fool who offered buy one get two free was talking about.

Shen Li placed the items he was holding on the kang and then turned to Zhou Huaishan, bowing respectfully. "Junior Shen Li, wishes to be your apprentice, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Huaishan…

He was as shocked as when he first discovered he had time-traveled.

"Apprentice? Me? I’m just a..."

He almost said he was a dandy, but Zhou Qing quickly interjected.

"Boss Shen, there must be some mistake. My uncle is a scholar, and my father hasn’t passed any exams yet."

Shen Li said earnestly, "No mistake. I heard that Senior practices calligraphy with a wooden stick, with bold and vigorous strokes. I know true masters are often hidden among the common people, so I’ve come to become his apprentice. Please don’t reject my request due to my dullness."

Zhou Huaishan stared wide-eyed at this fool in front of him.

He, a dandy, had someone wishing to apprentice under him. No wonder this guy offered buy one get two free deals.

But...

He looked down at the thick stack of red paper beside him, then at Shen Li, then back at the red paper.

In a flash, Zhou Huaishan’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light.

Like a hungry wolf seeing a small white rabbit that had just jumped into its mouth—a pure food chain reaction.

"Can you write?"

Shen Li responded immediately, "I’ve studied, but my writing isn’t good. I seek the master's guidance."

Zhou Huaishan pointed to the red paper in front of him. "Write the character '丰' (abundant) for me."

Without hesitation, Shen Li picked up the brush and wrote.

Though it wasn’t as powerful as Zhou Huaishan’s strokes, it wasn’t bad either.

Zhou Huaishan nodded in satisfaction, then reached to stroke his beard... uh, he had no beard, so he touched his chin instead. "You wish to be my apprentice?"

"Father!" Zhou Qing immediately stopped Zhou Huaishan and turned to Shen Li. "Boss Shen, there must be some misunderstanding. My father, he..."

Shen Li interrupted Zhou Qing.

"I admire Senior’s perseverance and his talent in calligraphy. I only wish for his guidance. Please, accept me as your apprentice."

As he spoke, Shen Li knelt down and performed the apprentice's bow. "Please, Master, accept me as your apprentice."

Zhou Qing…

You’re talking about perseverance and talent with a dandy?