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Xiao Bao glanced at the person but remained silent, distributing the snacks and fruits made by his mother to his classmates.
“These are made by my mother. You should all try them,” Xiao Zhi spoke up.
“Zhiqin, your family’s snacks are so delicious. When will they be available for sale year-round? Every time we want to eat something, we have to wait for you to bring it. It’s really tempting,” the classmate remarked.
Xiao Bao shook his head. “I don’t know about that. I’ll ask my mother when I get home today. Maybe we can have another workshop.”
There were already many workshops at home, so having one more shouldn’t be a problem. His mother should agree.
Although he thought so, Xiao Bao still turned to Xiao Zhi and asked, “Do you think mommy will agree?”
“She should. According to Mommy’s thinking, if it can make money, why not do it?” Xiao Zhi replied.
“You’re right.”
“We want those potato chips, as well as the milk candy and fruit candy you shared with us before,” the classmate requested.
“Okay.”
The nearby child, seeing that his classmates were ignoring him, looked extremely displeased.
“Zhiqin, I’m talking to you,” the classmate angrily shouted.
“Oh, I heard you. And then?” Xiao Bao asked nonchalantly.
Crying was something he could count on one hand, even at his age.
“They’re only fawning over you because you’re the County Princess’s son. Without this status, who would care about you?” the classmate retorted.
The other children in the class looked at him as if he were mentally challenged.
This person was one of the top student in their academy, but his intelligence seemed lacking.
Someone who knew him couldn’t bear it and spoke up, “Hou Shijie, the one who was praised by the teachers shoudn’t be you, but Zhiqin.”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Am I talking nonsense? Do you think I don’t know that the teacher often shares test questions with you? If it weren’t for that, could you have become the top student in the academy? Who are you Kidding.”
Xiao Bao looked at Hou Shijie in surprise. Could there really be such a thing?
“Every one of us here is praised by the teacher as a good student, but we simply can’t compare to Zhiqin. Do you know why?” a boy asked.
“Why?” Hou Shijie asked instinctively.
“Because Zhiqin doesn’t need to study diligently to learn everything the teacher teaches. While it takes us an hour, he only needs the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or even less. What do you have to compare with him?”
Hou Shijie looked at the others in the classroom. They didn’t show surprise or any other expression, indicating that they had long been accustomed to it. The person who he claimed the teacher helped, actually possessed such talent.
Such talent was truly terrifying.
“I don’t believe it. How could there be such a person?” Hou Shijie kept shaking his head. How could such a monster exist?
Xiao Zhi looked at Hou Shijie and earnestly said, “Such a person exists, and my father is one of them.”
“My father passed the imperial examination for children at the age of ten, the provincial examination at twelve, and the next scholar examination at fourteen, achieving first place in all of them. After passing the children’s examination at ten, he didn’t continue to take the provincial examination because he went into business. Whether it was the children’s examination, provincial examination, or the next examination, my father was always the youngest first place, and no one has surpassed him to this day,” Xiao Bao said proudly.
“Starting from the age of three, my father taught my brother and me how to read. I learned what you are studying now two years ago. Moreover, the content of our lessons is completely different from yours. The exams are the same, but the teacher is worried about discouraging talent, so he makes us take the same exams as you,” Xiao Bao continued. Although this seemed quite discouraging, so what?
Hou Shijie was completely dumbfounded, never expecting that such a person truly existed, and that person was Zhiqin’s father.
The other children looked at Xiao Bao with admiration and said, “Zhiqin, your father is amazing.”
“That’s right, but why doesn’t your father hold an official position?” Hou Shijie asked.
“Because my father doesn’t like being an official. He likes gold and making gold, and so do I,” Xiao Bao said, his eyes shining.
“I’m going to break my father’s three consecutive victories, and I’m going to earn more money than him,” he added.
Xiao Zhi looked at Xiao Bao with a twitching mouth and said helplessly, “Xiao Bao, if you really do that, Dad will be so upset.”
“You and my brother can hold official positions, and I’ll help you make money. I don’t want to be in a place where officials are and can’t go anywhere,” Xiao Bao said disdainfully.
What’s so good about being unable to go anywhere, just like his uncle? He didn’t want that.
Xiao Zhi shook his head with a wry smile. “Then I’ll rely on my little brother to support me in the future.”
“Sure, no problem,” Xiao Bao agreed.
Upon entering, the teacher overheard Xiao Bao’s words and helplessly said, “Xiao Bao, could you consider our feelings when you say such things?”
“Daddy said as long as I’m happy, that’s all that matters. I don’t need to consider anything else,” Xiao Bao replied.
The teacher’s expression stiffened and thought ‘Brother Yu, come out quickly. Your son is asking for a beating.’
“Xiao Bao, you’re provoking resentment by acting this way, you know?” the teacher warned.
“They probably can’t beat me,” Xiao Bao said earnestly, glancing at the people around him.
The teacher was almost exasperated by Xiao Bao’s words, but they were all true. His martial arts talent was on par with Su Yu’s. He was like a mini version of Su Yu in terms of personality, temperament, appearance, talent, and preferences.
Xiao Bao turned to Hou Shijie. “I have nothing to say to you. Don’t come looking for me in the future, or I’ll beat you.”
The teacher watched helplessly as Xiao Bao threatened someone in front of him. “Xiao Bao, should you have informed me before threatening someone in front of me?”
Xiao Bao responded with an “Okay.” “I’ll be sure to inform you next time,” he added.
The teacher decided to discuss Xiao Bao’s behavior with Su Yu later, to see if they could change Xiao Bao’s character and make him less like Su Yu.
Hou Shijie didn’t expect to lose so badly. He used to rely on the teacher to always be the top student, but after coming here, it seemed that everything had changed. It was all about one’s own abilities. If you had the ability, you would be in the best class, taught by the best teachers. Without the ability, you would end up in the ordinary classes, mostly filled with children from farming families. This was not what Hou Shijie wanted. The teacher had said he had a talent for studying, and he was determined not to lose to Zhiqin.
“I’ll admit that you beat me this time, Zhiqin, but I won’t lose to you next time,” Hou Shijie said solemnly.
However, Xiao Bao just responded with an “Okay.” When everyone thought he wouldn’t say anything else, they heard him say, “You can’t even beat my brother.”
The teacher was genuinely concerned that Hou Shijie would be too severely affected by the setback. However, their worries were unnecessary. Although Hou Shijie was indeed affected, for him, it was a good thing. He became much more diligent and serious about his studies.
However, he often sought out Xiao Bao for comparison, which became quite bothersome for Xiao Bao. After being blocked by Hou Shijie once again, Xiao Bao finally couldn’t take it anymore and went to find Su Yu when he got home.
“Daddy, when can we go to the capital?” He was just too fed up with Hou Shijie.