Chapter 213

Shen Cui never interfered in teaching matters before, so as not to disrupt Lao Buyu’s teaching plan.

Moreover, Lao Buyu had made sufficient preparations in advance and was confident that he could lead Xiaoci onto the right path.

He didn’t want Shen Cui to worry about anything other than logistics.

This was the tacit understanding between them as the headmaster and the teacher for many years.

So, this time was no different.

Shen Cui didn’t immediately start giving orders but let Lao Buyu teach according to his own ideas.

However, unexpectedly, none of the tricks Lao Buyu had prepared in advance worked at all.

His approach was to explain with kindness and reason, guiding the new students onto the path of literacy and reading.

As the saying goes, there is jade in the stone, and there is gold in books.

Reading enlightens the mind.

When it came time to discuss the principles in books, it was naturally his domain.

However, Xiaoci didn’t give him a chance to shine at all.

No matter how many profound principles and trivial matters Lao Buyu talked about, his lips dried up, and he had to drink countless cups of tea in a day.

That naughty kid just grinned and let Lao Buyu talk.

When Lao Buyu finished, he would say he didn’t understand, didn’t want to learn, and couldn’t learn.

Then, when it was time for class, he would slump over his desk, sit without manners, and doze off with his eyes closed.

He slept in the same room as Xi Jiulu at night.

Shen Cui had specially arranged a room for them to sleep in.

Neither of them needed to sleep, so the two of them stared at each other all night, wide-eyed.

So, his dozing off was indeed just pretending, not really sleeping.

But Lao Buyu didn’t know that.

He just thought that a six or seven-year-old child needed a lot of sleep, and not getting enough would affect his growth.

If this continued, it wouldn’t be good.

Lao Buyu also made up his mind to be a strict teacher and went to find a ruler to teach him a lesson, saying that if he didn’t want to learn, he would hit the palms of his hands.

This was the first time Xiaoci had felt pain here.

After being hit on the head by Zheng Shi earlier, he actually behaved for a while.

However, he later found out that Lao Buyu couldn’t really bring himself to hit him.

When the ruler fell on his palm, it hurt for a moment and then stopped hurting.

So, after a few days, he reverted to his old ways.

Not to mention attending classes, he spent the whole day clamoring to leave Cuiwei.

Lao Buyu thought of another trick and said that if he didn’t behave, he wouldn’t give him any food.

Initially, Xiaoci said he didn’t want to eat. However, after Zheng Shi finished her breakfast one day, she forced him to eat a bowl of egg custard.

It was the first time he had eaten, and he could taste the flavor.

Therefore, he stopped being stubborn about not eating.

Mei Ruochu and Mu Er Pang also took care of him.

When they returned from their duties, they would specially buy him candied haws or small snacks.

Xiaoci also showed a slight change in attitude towards them.

Although he still didn’t give them a good face, he no longer called them “unlucky eggs” or “freaks who couldn’t control their bowels.”

Instead, he directly called them by their names.

Although he still had no discipline, there was some progress.

When he heard that he might not have food to eat, he did behave for a while.

But then he thought, if Lao Buyu couldn’t bear to punish him severely, how could he really starve him?

He started acting up again.

As he expected, Lao Buyu didn’t withhold his regular meals; he just didn’t allow Mei Ruochu and Mu Er Pang to bring him snacks.

Although snacks were indeed very tempting, Xiaoci was very stubborn.

He, as a rule of the dimension, also had his principles. How could he bend his waist for a few snacks?

Moreover, without snacks, he could eat more during regular meals!

Zheng Shi, who had hit him before, was actually quite kind-hearted.

She prepared better-tasting and more refined food for him every day.

So, just eating regular meals was already good enough!

This cycle repeated for two months, and he hadn’t even finished reading a single Three-Character Classic, let alone recognized any characters.

If it were another teacher, seeing such an unteachable student, they would have long been frustrated or given up.

But Lao Buyu didn’t want to give up.

He just came to tell Shen Cui the truth.

Coincidentally, Xi Jiulu was also present.

Lao Buyu felt ashamed and said, “I thought I had learned the way of being a teacher after teaching so many successful students. Now I realize how far I am from it!”

Xi Jiulu, who had been acting as a “person” for a while now, spoke more logically.

He quickly said, “Master, you don’t need to belittle yourself. The problem lies with my ‘little brother.’ I won’t hide it from you. Before coming to Cuiwei, my ‘little brother’ was on the verge of becoming a criminal, but after coming to Cuiwei and under your influence, although he refuses to study, he also doesn’t think of doing evil.”

Lao Buyu looked at Xi Jiulu gratefully.

Although his “brother” was indeed stubborn, he, as the elder brother, was also really good.

Afraid that he might feel guilty, Lao Buyu even exaggerated by saying that even six or seven-year-old children could become arsonists and murderers.

Shen Cui could tell from Lao Buyu’s excited demeanor that he had misunderstood.

However, there was no need to explain this misunderstanding.

It would be hard to clarify—she couldn’t say that the dogma had actually been prepared to commit arson and murder.

“Since you still have confidence in me, I won’t give up on him either. But it’s been almost three months, and he still refuses to learn. I don’t know what to do.”

Shen Cui and Xi Jiulu exchanged a glance, and their eyes expressed their unanimous thought—they could simply force him to learn, and keep at it until he gave in.

Of course, this was something they couldn’t directly suggest. So, Shen Cui tentatively said, “Why not let my mother…”

Last time, Zheng Shi had straightened out the unruly child to the point where he could eat normally, without needing someone to guard him and take turns eating with him at every meal.

Lao Buyu thought of how Zheng Shi had knocked Xiaoci on the head last time, leaving his small forehead red and tangled.

Seeing him like this, Shen Cui didn’t continue.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t bear it, but Shen Cui thought that someone like Zheng Shi, a traditional matriarch, wouldn’t actually resort to physically punishing a child.

Last time, Xiaoci had felt pain for the first time, which had made him much more obedient.

If they tried to knock his head again, it probably wouldn’t work.

“I’ll come up with a solution,” Shen Cui said, noticing a small figure outside the window with a small bun of hair on top of its head.

In the courtyard of the academy, with a height not even reaching the windowsill, there was naturally only one child with a bun of hair—Xiaoci.

Without needing Shen Cui to gesture, Xi Jiulu got up directly to catch the eavesdropping rascal outside.

Caught red-handed, Xiaoci wasn’t ashamed.

He still had that arrogant stance, hands on hips, chest puffed out, and head held high, snorting, “I said I won’t study, I’m not afraid of being beaten or starved! If you have the guts to torture me to death, and if you can’t, just wait… wait…”

Wait for what?

Shen Cui wasn’t from this world, and even if he really managed to escape from Cui Wei, regained his former power, at most he could only make her disappear from this world.

Her consciousness could return to her own world, which would be like sending her back home, without any real loss.

“You see, you don’t study, you don’t listen to reason, and you can’t even finish a threat!” Shen Cui crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow with a smile, “Besides, who said I’m going to beat you, starve you, or torture you?”

Xiaoci had been in Cui Wei for almost three months, and he knew that Shen Cui’s words carried weight.

If she said so, she definitely wouldn’t actually punish him.

But for some reason, looking at her smiling face, he felt a chill down his spine.

Without realizing it, he took two steps back and lowered his voice, “Then… what are you going to do to me?”

Shen Cui smiled and said nothing, waving her hand to let Xi Jiulu take him away.

Surprisingly, after that day, Xiaoci became obedient.

At least he didn’t cause any trouble in the classroom.

In the evening, when Mei Ruochu and Mu Erpang returned to their duty, Zheng Shi was busy preparing dinner.

He didn’t need anyone to hold him.

He climbed onto the bench by himself, took the small bowl and chopsticks provided by Zheng Shi, and started eating on his own.

As he ate, he would occasionally sneak glances at Shen Cui.

However, his ‘sneaky’ behavior was not very subtle, and everyone at the table noticed.

Shen Cui just smiled and didn’t say much, letting everyone eat in peace and ignoring him.

After a few more days passed without Shen Cui doing anything, the naughty child thought he had overestimated the situation.

If no one else could handle him, could Shen Cui be an exception?

No matter how formidable she was, she was just an ordinary person from another world.

Just when he was about to throw another tantrum, insisting on leaving Cui Wei as usual, Mu Yunchuan took a break and came to visit Cui Wei Academy with Zhou Shi.

Mu Yunchuan was no longer in the Hanlin Academy but had moved to the Ministry of Personnel, where he was promoted to the rank of fifth-grade official.

Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel was the most prestigious, as it was responsible for the appointment, dismissal, and evaluation of officials.

There was even a saying among officials that those in the Ministry of Personnel saw officials one rank higher.

Mu Yunchuan had only spent three years in the Hanlin Academy before entering the Ministry of Personnel.

Although he was only fifth-grade now, with his background as a farmer’s son, he was definitely on the path to success.

Everyone around him, including himself, was quite satisfied.

The only one who wasn’t satisfied was “Xiaoci.”

This was the Mu Yunchuan he had nurtured and supported with his own hands!

According to the original plan, Zhou Shi should have passed away by now.

Although Mu Yunchuan had become a widower, he had both achieved sixth rank and received recognition for his disaster relief efforts.

He had already become a prospective son-in-law for many high-ranking families!

Once he married into a prestigious family, he should have been on the fast track to the cabinet!

But in the eyes of the naughty child, what a load of nonsense the Ministry of Personnel was!

When Mu Yunchuan and Zhou Shi arrived, they happened to hear his shouts.

“Is this the new student in the academy?”

Mu Yunchuan supported Zhou Shi with one arm and casually glanced at Xiaoci.”

The naughty child, who had just been acting tough, suddenly froze.

Then, his mouth pursed, and his bright black eyes filled with tears.

His whole face wrinkled with grievance as he choked out, “You… you unfilial man…”