Chapter 28

Su Wen’s words left Lin Dingqi stammering in fear: “No, no, no, how, how could it be about eradicating illiteracy?”

How dare he suggest eradicating the Judge’s illiteracy? This ancestor carried the weight of countless millennia of history.

It was all because of this damned rhetoric. Sometimes, after catching too many old ghosts, he often found himself inadvertently eradicating illiteracy, so he had blurted it out without thinking.

Lin Dingqi hurriedly explained, “Mr. Su, what I meant was…”

Su Wen gave him a strange look. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I, I’m not nervous,” Lin Dingqi said. “I just… I need to think about how to say it.”

[I’m dying of laughter, how did he even know about eradicating illiteracy? Hahaha, it’s just too fitting.]

[It’s indeed outrageous that people in this era don’t know the alphabet, it’s practically the same as eradicating illiteracy.]

[What I’m curious about is how Su Wen learned to read and write in the past, and his handwriting is so beautiful.]

[This guy, every time he sees Su Wen, he looks so nervous. Is Su Wen really that scary?]

[Who says Su Wen isn’t scary? Back when we watched the livestreams without the little one, his face was so cold.]

[Su Wen does have a bit of an innate intimidating aura.]

[Isn’t this guy from some government agency? His rhetoric really sounds like it, but I can’t think of any agency that would be so polite to Su Wen and Little Qi Wu.]

“Alright,” Su Wen interrupted him. “Come in first.”

Lin Dingqi scratched his head. “Mr. Su, I didn’t offend you, did I?”

Su Wen countered, “What did you say wrong?”

“Then, I guess I didn’t?”

“You didn’t say anything wrong, so why would it offend me?” Su Wen thought this guy had a few screws loose. “I really don’t understand pinyin. You’re just stating a fact.”

Su Wen genuinely wasn’t angry. He didn’t see this as something offensive. It was a fact that he didn’t know pinyin, just as it was a fact that this corner of the world lacked household appliances.

Whether he called it poverty alleviation or eradicating illiteracy, he was just objectively stating the situation.

After all, Lin Dingqi’s rhetoric was like that, and that’s how it was talked about online.

Aren’t these two things good?

Why be so nervous about it?

“Yes, yes,” Little Qi Wu chimed in, though she didn’t understand what eradicating illiteracy meant. But this uncle said he would teach her and Dad pinyin, and that was a good thing. “Dad loves learning too.”

Lin Dingqi: Alright, I guess I’m the one with a narrow perspective.

Soon, the hashtags about the two Ghosts and Gods started climbing the trending list again.

#Su Wen Qi Wu’s True Identity#

#Su Wen Qi Wu Eradicate Illiteracy#

This time, not only did they trend, but even major educational official accounts reposted some of the tweets.

“Our country has now implemented nine years of compulsory education, striving to ensure that every family member can receive a good education. Knowledge changes destiny.”

[Knowledge changes destiny, I’m laughing so hard I’m crowing.]

[Manually tagging Qi Wu, thank you.]

[Damn it, Su Wen doesn’t even have a Weibo account. I’ve been laughing so hard that I ended up on my kid’s Weibo. Don’t drag my kid down, damn it.]

The production team had already gotten used to these two trending every other day.

Li Ke and Huang Peng sat together, both happy and a bit melancholic. “I knew these two would be popular, but I didn’t expect it to be in this way.”

Huang Peng: “I didn’t expect it either.”

Li Ke pointed at Lin Dingqi in the camera footage and asked, “Who is this person? Is he really sent here to help with poverty alleviation and eradicate illiteracy? The production team hasn’t mentioned anything about it.”

Huang Peng suddenly coughed, “You don’t know?”

“I don’t know.”

Huang Peng then remembered that when he went to apply for the mysticism filing for the production team, he went alone.

He lit a cigarette and lowered his voice, “Director Lin Dingqi of the National Special Events Handling Department. I met him when I went there last time.”

Li Ke: “???”

“Who?!”

“Keep your voice down,” Huang Peng said with a bitter smile. “At that time, I thought they just knew a little about this kind of stuff, but looking at Director Lin’s attitude now, maybe he really is some kind of ancestor who crawled out from somewhere.”

“Think about it, think carefully.”

The amount of information was overwhelming, and it took Li Ke a long time to digest it. This was a legitimate national unit, and the top leader was addressing Su Wen and Qi Wu with such respect?

What kind of big shots had the production team recruited?

Li Ke snatched the cigarette from Huang Peng’s hand, his hand trembling slightly, “But if that’s the case, why would they come to the show for money?”

“Who knows.”

Glancing at Su Wen, who was learning pinyin from Lin Dingqi in the camera footage, Li Ke suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

A new day.

As soon as the live stream started, it once again showed Little Qi Wu’s bright smile, “Good morning, everyone! Qi Wu is going to find Dad!”

【Good morning, Zai Zai!】

【Let’s work hard together!】

Little Qi Wu, holding her milk bottle and leading the dog, walked to the kitchen door and said in a crisp voice, “Dad! a o e!”

There was a moment of silence in the kitchen before a deep voice responded, “i u ü.”

“Dad is so amazing!” Little Qi Wu clapped her hands happily, “That’s right!”

Su Wen: “…Thank you.”

【I’m laughing so hard, how does Su Wen manage to be so serious while being funny?】

【The pronunciation is really accurate, haha.】

【As someone who witnessed Su Wen memorizing the 26-letter alphabet in one go yesterday and recognizing all the single and compound vowels, the world can’t be real anymore.】

【I also watched yesterday’s live stream. Is there really someone who has never learned but can master it in one go?】

【If this is really a scripted hype, I’m impressed. Whoever came up with this script is a genius.】

【It doesn’t seem like acting, but it’s really unbelievable. I have to say, it’s indeed gone viral.】

After Su Wen brought out the breakfast, he was met with Little Yan Wang’s expectant gaze, “What’s up?”

Little Qi Wu whispered the code mysteriously, “abcd…”

Su Wen had already learned these yesterday. For him, it wasn’t difficult, just lacking a channel of cognition. What he needed to learn wasn’t just the 26 letters, but also so much more in the Human Realm.

But Little Yan Wang was clearly very curious about this.

As long as she was awake, she couldn’t wait to learn with him, asking about abc ten times, and even dreaming about it.

Su Wen patiently added, “efg.”

“Dad, you’re so amazing,” Little Qi Wu said with genuine admiration, “Qi Wu can’t remember that much.”

“Take it slow,” Su Wen said, blowing on the bun for her, “You’ll get it eventually. Qi Wu is already learning very quickly.”

Little Qi Wu nodded, “Qi Wu will work hard!”

 Last night, she studied so diligently that she ended up falling asleep holding the pinyin chart. Today, Little Qi Wu remembered that she had seen a ghost yesterday.

After breakfast, while her dad went to get her little backpack, Little Qi Wu squatted on the ground and spoke to Di Ting.

“Di Ting, did you see anything at home yesterday?”

Di Ting: “Woof woof!”

No.

Little Qi Wu nodded: “Is that so?”

Could it have been a ghost that just happened to drift by and left after being scared?

There are still many ghosts in the Human Realm that haven’t gone through reincarnation, and she doesn’t know how to find them.

Not getting any answers, Little Qi Wu had no choice but to carry her little backpack and go to school. Today, she had learned a little bit of pinyin, and when she arrived at school, the teacher praised her for learning quickly.

In the afternoon, when Su Wen went to pick up Little Qi Wu from school, the teacher mentioned: “Little Qi Wu is very smart and shows great interest in new knowledge. She quickly grasps everything we teach her. However, our small class mainly focuses on letting the children play, integrate into the group, and learn some basic etiquette. More in-depth learning will come in the intermediate class.”

The teacher suggested: “If you have any thoughts, Mr. Su, you might consider letting her experience the intermediate class.”

Su Wen: “Thank you, I will consider it.”

“Alright,” the teacher continued, “By the way, Mr. Su, I noticed you haven’t joined our parents’ group chat yet. It might be more convenient if you do.”

Due to the show’s arrangements, Su Wen had downloaded WeChat early on and knew about group chats.

But he hardly ever checked it, as the show’s team usually called him, and he had no one to contact in the Human Realm. For him, WeChat was just a payment tool.

“Parents’ group chat?”

“Yes, the teacher will notify everyone about any matters in the group, and parents also share parenting tips there.”

Oh, it’s related to the Little King of Hell.

Su Wen nodded: “Alright.”

The teacher quickly took out the group’s QR code: “Mr. Su, you can just scan the code.”

“By the way, this weekend is Teachers’ Day, and the kindergarten will be closed on Monday. The parents are planning to take the children out for an autumn outing. If you’re interested, you can bring Qi Wu along.”

Su Wen had heard of autumn outings; they had existed since ancient times.

Many scholars and poets enjoyed spring and autumn outings as a great way to relax and unwind.

He was somewhat surprised. Are the leisure activities of children in the Human Realm so refined?

Finally finding something familiar and skilled in this modern society, Su Wen became a bit interested: “Alright.”

The teacher didn’t expect him to be so agreeable. She had thought this parent might be particularly unsociable, but it seemed she was mistaken: “Great, you can communicate with the other parents in the group.”

Su Wen nodded.

After getting in the car, the Little King of Hell took out the alphabet chart that Lin Dingqi had bought from her little backpack. Even in the car, she didn’t waste any time and happily took out a piece of paper, saying: “Dad, today Qi Wu can write these from memory!”

On the paper were a few crookedly written letters. Last night, she could barely hold the pen steady.

After asking, Little Qi Wu didn’t forget to check her dad’s homework: “Can Dad write them?”

Su Wen: “Mhm.”

“Qi Wu will test Dad when we get back.”

“Alright.”

Su Wen took the piece of paper handed to him by the Little King of Hell but didn’t look at it carefully. Instead, he said: “Very good.”

In the newly joined parent group chat, everyone was discussing how to educate their children, what the kids liked to do, and what they wanted to learn.

Su Wen didn’t participate in this conversation. He was actually seriously considering the teacher’s suggestion. It would be best if Little Yan Wang could learn as much as possible, which was also the original intention of the Ghosts and Gods when they sent her to the Human Realm.

But…

If she were a child in the Human Realm, she would only be a little over three years old, an age of carefree innocence.

Su Wen asked, “Qi Wu, is there anything you like to do or want to do?”

“Huh?” Little Qi Wu answered without hesitation, “Qi Wu wants to grow up quickly!”

Su Wen glanced at the various hobbies and interests mentioned in the group chat. “Besides that, what about singing, dancing… or cartoons? Do you like any of those?”

“Are those the things the teacher taught?” Qi Wu tilted her head. “Qi Wu likes them. Everyone likes them. Last time, Qi Wu even sang for everyone.”

She was referring to the time she sang in the Underworld.

Su Wen hummed softly. Little Yan Wang’s entire existence was tied to the Underworld. She had never considered anything else.

Little Qi Wu then asked, “But, what’s a cartoon?”

Su Wen: “I don’t know either.”

[…]

[Zai Zai has never watched cartoons?]

[It’s true, she hasn’t. There’s only one phone at home, usually used for calls or searching apps. I’ve never seen Little Qi Wu watch any cartoons.]

[But, can a child’s childhood really be without cartoons?]

[Does Little Qi Wu not even know fairy tales?]

Wang Yang couldn’t stand it anymore and explained, “Cartoons are educational and intellectual virtual animations made for children.”

“There are also fairy tales, fables, and the like. You can tell them to the child from time to time.”

Su Wen slightly raised his eyes. “Where can I find these?”

Wang Yang: “How about you continue to Baidu it?”

Su Wen nodded, deep in thought.

[Hahaha Su Wen: Feeling a bit offended.]

“Dad? We’re here!”

Hearing the voice, Su Wen snapped out of his thoughts, folded the paper Little Yan Wang had given him, and tucked it away, along with the thoughts he had been harboring.

Wait a little longer, he thought. There’s still a long life ahead for Little Yan Wang. She’s not missing out on just a year or half a year. Her understanding of this world is still too limited.

As for other things, he could handle them.

After getting out of the car, the two of them walked up the mountain. Nowadays, there were always people coming to the mountain to offer incense, so it wasn’t as desolate as before. However, considering that Su Wen and Qi Wu were filming a show, not many dared to approach them. Most just followed from a distance.

When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, Little Qi Wu, who had been feeling a bit drowsy, suddenly became alert. She looked at the small figure curled up under a tree not far away. “Dad!”

Su Wen also saw it. The little ghost under the tree was wearing a cotton coat that didn’t match the season, somewhat tattered, but he still huddled himself into a ball, looking very cold.

This time, the little ghost didn’t run away upon seeing them. Instead, he sat there hugging his knees, waiting for Qi Wu and Su Wen to approach.

[What did Zai Zai see that got her so excited?]

[Maybe they’re almost home?]

[They’re still halfway up the mountain, though.]

[Well, I’m starting to get excited.]

The little ghost didn’t run away, nor did he speak. He just sat there, unsure of what to do.

There were still cameras around, and Little Qi Wu remembered that she couldn’t mention her ability to see ghosts in front of the audience. Since her dad hadn’t responded yet, she wasn’t in a hurry to speak.

This ghost didn’t have any Evil Aura, so it probably wouldn’t harm anyone.

As Little Qi Wu and Su Wen approached, the little ghost also turned its head, watching their movements intently. Eventually, it wobbled up from under the tree and followed them at a distance.

When they finally reached the mountaintop, a dog’s bark scared the ghost, causing it to freeze in place, not daring to come closer.

Di Ting stood at the temple entrance, proudly barking nonstop: “Lord! I saw that ghost. It’s been wandering around outside our temple all day, but my barking scared it off, and it hasn’t dared to come near.”

Su Wen glanced at him: “You’re a Divine Beast.”

Di Ting: “I’ve been pretending to be a dog for so long, I almost forgot.”

Little Qi Wu, perched on Judge Dad’s shoulder, looked back: “Judge Dad, it seems like it really wants to come over.”

Su Wen set her down and went to light an incense stick at the altar, saying calmly, “If it wants to come, it will come on its own.”

Sure enough, just as he finished placing the incense and was about to take Little Yan Wang inside, the little ghost spoke up in a very soft voice: “Please wait.”

Little Qi Wu stood up from the Meditation Cushion and turned around.

Su Wen also stopped walking.

The little ghost glanced fearfully at Di Ting and stammered, “You can see me, right?”

“Are you gods?”

“Can you help me save Sister Bingbing?”