Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 146: Bringing Honor to the Ancestors

Tang Xiao’nan froze, her eyes wide with confusion. ’What in the world does "Jun an hao fou" mean?’

’I never learned this phrase in classical Chinese class back in school,’ she thought. ’Why can’t the old man just speak normally?’

"How would one say, ’Where is he’?"

Shane Thorne figured the first phrase was too difficult, so he switched to one he considered simpler. This only made Tang Xiao’nan more confused. While her English was decent, she had barely passed Chinese on her college entrance exams, all because classical Chinese had dragged down her score. ’Where is *he*? Who is this *he*?’

"Sixth Grandpa, who is this ’he’ you’re talking about?"

Tang Xiao’nan forced herself to ask. ’The old man didn’t even mention a name. How am I supposed to know who ’he’ is? This is asking too much of me.’

Only then did it dawn on Shane Thorne that he had been speaking in classical Chinese. The English textbooks he had studied from were written in classical Chinese, so he’d slipped into it subconsciously without even noticing. No wonder the little girl couldn’t follow.

"Haha, ’he’ isn’t any particular person. Let me ask again: How do you say, ’Where is he’?"

Tang Xiao’nan breathed a sigh of relief. She understood this time. She immediately answered in a loud voice, "Where is he?"

Shane Thorne nodded in satisfaction. Her answer was perfectly correct, and her pronunciation was standard, too. ’There’s hope for the Thornes yet!’

"Sixth Grandpa, what did that ’Jun an hao fou’ phrase mean?" Tang Xiao’nan asked curiously.

Shane Thorne smiled. "It just means, ’How are you?’"

"I know that one! How are you?" Tang Xiao’nan recited loudly.

Shane Thorne was so delighted he tried to scoop Tang Xiao’nan up in a hug. However, he had overestimated his own arm strength. He stalled halfway, his expression turning a little awkward. For an old man who rarely did physical labor, the chubby little girl was indeed quite heavy.

Tang Xiao’nan grabbed onto his arms and scrambled up the rest of the way herself, HUFFING AND PUFFING with effort. She finally made it onto Shane Thorne’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, afraid the old man’s weak arms might give out and he’d drop her.

Shane Thorne’s expression stiffened for a second. He deliberately ignored the ache in his lap. ’My little grandniece’s weight is beyond what I imagined,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to have a word with Felix Thorne later. A lady must cultivate both her mind and her body. Talent is important, but one’s physique is paramount. We can’t let this girl keep eating so much meat.’

’No matter how interesting her soul, a brilliantly talented but chubby girl will struggle to attract the attention of a gifted scholar!’ (No offense intended to plus-sized people, please don’t come at me! Your author is a big girl herself and knows the struggle intimately.)

"Third Brother, Xiao’nan is quite impressive. If we cultivate this girl’s talents, she’s sure to bring glory to the Thorne family one day."

Shane Thorne’s solemn expression made Byron Thorne grow serious as well. He eyed his little granddaughter doubtfully. ’This little girl can bring glory to our ancestors?’

"Sixth Uncle, what was Xiao’nan saying just now? It was all gobbledygook to me," Felix Thorne asked with a smile.

"That was English, the most widespread language in the world. Once you learn English, you can do the same job as someone else, but your salary will be at least ten percent higher."

Shane Thorne was speaking from personal experience. He and the English teacher, who was a fair-weather friend of his, were a case in point. Despite teaching four more class periods a week, Shane earned three silver dollars less than the English teacher every month. He went to the principal to argue his case, but the principal shut him down with a single sentence—

"If you don’t like it, you can teach English instead. I’d be happy to pay you that salary."

Shane Thorne had no choice but to retreat with his tail between his legs.

"You know the foreign compradors in Tristone? Those guys thrive just by speaking English. They live in Western-style mansions, drive foreign cars... even the gendarmerie and the Green Gang have to show them some respect."

Shane Thorne had once worked as an editor at a newspaper in Tristone for a short time, but he hadn’t stayed long before moving to Hang City. The main reason was that the pressure of life in Tristone was too intense, and his own scholarly talents were limited. It was difficult to make a name for himself in the big city. Becoming a middle school teacher in Hang City, on the other hand, was quite a nice life. In the end, he even managed to win the hand of a beautiful bride!