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Hearing this, Su Xi beside them shook his head. “I’m not just praising Xiao Bao; he really does have this talent. He learns things just like his father. While playing, he manages to grasp new concepts, and he learns even faster than Su Yu.”
Su Yu nodded in agreement. “Grandpa is right; Xiao Bao’s talent is indeed much better than mine.”
The people from the Wang family were delighted to hear Su Yu’s words. “Xiao Bao is still young. Whatever he wants to do in the future, let him decide for himself.”
Su Xi frowned, suddenly displeased. “No, what’s this idea you guys have? This isn’t right.”
“A talent like Xiao Bao’s should be nurtured properly. He should focus on studying and aim to pass the imperial exams in the future,” Su Xi said sternly.
“Does Xiao Bao even like to take the imperial exams?” Grandpa Wang asked Su Xi with a smile.
Deep down, they knew what their child wanted to do.
Upon hearing this, Su Xi became quite agitated. “Brother, don’t you want our family to produce a child prodigy?”
It was such an honorable achievement; how could they not value it?
Grandpa Wang laughed heartily in response. “In our family, we don’t have too many expectations. As long as the child is doing well, that’s enough for us. We don’t force anything else.”
Xiao Bao had suffered a lot since he was young. He hoped that in the future, Xiao Bao could have an easier life.
“Brother, don’t judge Xiao Bao by his age. He knows a lot about many things. He endured a lot of hardships when he was young. I just hope that our Xiao Bao can be happy and healthy, doing what he loves,” Grandpa Wang said. He didn’t have big ambitions; he was content with his family and his current life. Even if he suddenly died one day, he wouldn’t regret a thing.
Listening to Grandpa Wang’s words, Su Xi fell silent. He hadn’t experienced these things, so he didn’t understand much. Hearing Grandpa Wang express his sentiments this way, he felt a deep sense of pity for Xiao Bao.
“Well, let’s see what Xiao Bao thinks in the future. Brother, you’re right. Everything should revolve around what Xiao Bao likes. As for the rest, it’s not that important anymore,” Su Xi said, feeling a sense of deep emotion.
With such talent, Xiao Bao’s future wouldn’t be lacking. Suxi felt completely reassured now.
“It’s very late; let’s all go to rest now.”
“Okay.”
After the elders had retired to their rooms, Su Yu and Wang Jinhe remained in the courtyard. “Your grandfather seems quite disappointed,” Wang Jinhe remarked.
Wang Jinhe could tell. Su Xi wanted Xiao Bao to take the imperial exams, but she knew Xiao Bao wasn’t very interested in these things. He was studying now because he had to, not because he was genuinely intrigued.
“He’ll come around. Didn’t he do the same for me back in the day?” Su Yu said with a soft chuckle.
Hearing Su Yu’s words, Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. “Your grandfather said that. If he hears you say that, he might want to scold you.”
“Grandpa should be used to it by now. Xiao Bao not only resembles me in appearance but also in personality. He doesn’t like being restricted. In the future, he’ll probably follow a path similar to mine. The officialdom isn’t suitable for Xiao Bao,” Su Yu said, shaking his head.
He knew what Xiao Bao liked the most. When he taught Xiao Bao, he often discussed various worldly matters and cultures from different countries. After learning about Su Yu’s experiences, Xiao Bao lost interest in pursuing an official career. There was nothing they could do about it.
“You’re right. You’re teaching Xiao Bao, so you probably understand what he truly wants better than any of us,” Wang Jinhe nodded, indicating her understanding.
“So, you don’t need to worry about Grandpa. He’ll understand,” Su Yu reassured her. Forcing someone who had no desire for officialdom into the political arena would be an incredibly cruel thing to do.
“That’s good. I’ll go to bed now.”
Su Yu watched Wang Jinhe’s figure as she turned and headed upstairs, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Every time he saw her, his mood would brighten.
The next morning, when Zhang Zhilin woke up and saw Xiao Bao still sleeping across from him, he was momentarily confused. His expression became puzzled, and it took him a while to recall that they weren’t at the Gu family’s house anymore. He realized that he would be staying here frequently in the future.
Not long after Zhang Zhilin woke up, Xiao Bao also woke up. “Brother, change your clothes quickly. We’re going to practice martial arts with Daddy,” he said.
“Okay.” In truth, Zhang Zhilin didn’t enjoy learning anymore, but when he was with Xiao Bao, his resistance seemed less noticeable.
After putting on their clothes, they went outside. Su Yu was already waiting there. “Xiao Bao, lead Xiao Zhi to practice the horse stance first.”
Xiao Bao pulled Zhang Zhilin over to practice the horse stance. Half an hour later, Su Yu allowed them to stand up. “Alright, now come with me to the study.”
When Zhang Zhilin heard Su Yu mention the study, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Seeing his reaction, Su Yu was about to speak when Xiao Bao quietly approached him and said, “Brother, it’s okay. After we learn from Daddy and finish writing the big characters, Daddy and Mommy will take us to pick big peaches. Those peaches are really huge.”
Zhang Zhilin looked at Xiao Bao in astonishment and asked, “So, we just need to write the big characters?”
“Yeah, once we finish writing the big characters, we can go out and play. But we can’t lose focus when Daddy teaches us, or he’ll get angry,” Xiao Bao said, looking a bit frightened.
Su Yu twitched his mouth, watching his son. What was this little guy up to? He was basically exposing all their tricks.
But it was for the best; at least they wouldn’t be distracted during lessons.
The lesson lasted for half an hour. Zhang Zhilin listened attentively and found it quite fascinating. The things his grandfather had asked him to memorize, when explained by his uncle, suddenly seemed simpler. He didn’t just dislike it; he actually enjoyed it and wanted to continue learning.
“Alright, it’s time for you to practice your calligraphy. After you finish writing two big characters, come out for dinner. Xiao Bao, give Xiao Zhi a copy of your calligraphy book.” The calligraphy book belonged to Xiao Bao.
“Okay.”
Xiao Bao handed Zhang Zhilin a copy of the calligraphy book. “Brother, let’s have a competition to see who writes better.”
“Sure.”
The two of them began to earnestly write the big characters. Su Yu shook his head amusedly at their enthusiasm and then left the room.
When Wang Jinhe saw him come out, she asked, “How are they doing?”
“Xiao Bao is still the same, and Zhang Zhilin was a bit resistant at the beginning, but that’s understandable given his past experiences. The fact that he’s attending the lessons seriously is already a good sign. Judging by his performance today, he should be fine after some time,” Su Yu briefly explained the situation of the two children.
“That’s good. These kids have been through a lot, especially Xiao Bao and Zhang Zhilin,” she commented, recalling their shared difficult experiences.
“That’s why they get along so well,” Su Yu remarked suddenly.
Wang Jinhe rolled her eyes at Su Yu. “You’re talking nonsense.”
“They are still writing the big characters. They should be done in about fifteen minutes and then we can have dinner. What about Grandpa and the others?” Su Yu glanced around and noticed that the older generation wasn’t present.