Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 15: The Old Fox

When Teacher Zhou finished speaking, his words landed like a stone thrown into a calm pond, sending out a thousand ripples.

Inside the schoolhouse, the children's expressions were a spectacle. Some were shocked, some puzzled, some jealous, but most were simply bewildered.

They couldn't understand how Su Ming's few blunt, homespun sentences could be put on the same level as Zhao Rui's grand-sounding words, and even seemed to have the upper hand.

Zhao Rui's face shifted from the color of pig liver to deathly pale, then swelled into a bluish-purple. He felt Teacher Zhou's phrase "I'll award it to Su Ming and Zhao Rui" was not an announcement but a verdict.

A verdict of his failure.

The literary talent he prided himself on looked so pale and powerless compared to Su Ming's words, which smelled of blood and soil—a joke.

"Class dismissed." Teacher Zhou tapped the ruler, and did not add another word.

The students left one after another. As they passed Su Ming, their gazes grew complicated.

Zhao Rui let out a haughty snort through his teeth, shoved Su Ming hard in the shoulder, and strode off.

"Alright, alright, don't stare, they'll be gone soon." Lin Yu yawned in Su Ming's head.

"Su Ming, stay behind." Teacher Zhou's voice came again.

Su Ming stepped to the desk, bowed respectfully and saluted, "Teacher."

Teacher Zhou looked at him with approval, with sentiment, and with a faint, hard-to-notice worry. He took a booklet from his book chest.

The booklet wasn't thick. Its cover was yellowed coarse hemp paper, stitched with thin hemp thread, the corners worn—clearly handled countless times by its owner.

"This is the Thousand Character Classic." Teacher Zhou handed the booklet to Su Ming, "I copied it by hand when I was young, and I added some of my annotations."

Su Ming received it with both hands. The booklet felt warm, carrying a faint scent of ink and the weight of years.

"Teacher, this is too precious…"

"Take it." Teacher Zhou waved a hand, "Your literacy is shallow, your foundation unstable. In town, even in the county, there will be plenty of people smarter and better-off than you. What you said was very good—its merit is in being 'true', in being 'real'. But remember, there are many people who prefer pretty words. Your path is going to be much harder than Zhao Rui's."

"Student remembers."

"Go, study well these few days. Do not disappoint your brothers' hard efforts, and do not… disappoint the heart within you."

Su Ming cradled the Thousand Character Classic, bowed deeply, and left the schoolhouse.

Lin Yu's voice thrilled, "This old teacher truly favors you! This hand-copied volume is worth more than ten taels of silver!"

By the time Su Ming returned home, the news had flown through the whole village like it had grown wings.

In the courtyard, Mrs. Chen and Wang Chuntao were surrounded by a group of women, led by Widow Li, the village's mobile gossip hub.

"Oh, Sister Chuntao, I told you, your Xiaoming is the Literary Star descended to earth! Now he’ll become a Child Scholar!"

"Yes, yes, when he becomes an official, don't forget us villagers!"

Wang Chuntao stood straighter than ever, her smile impossible to hide, while she modestly said, "Oh, nonsense, it's not even started yet; he's just going to see the world a bit."

Su Shan squatted on the threshold, the pipe smoke from his tobacco blinking in little bursts. The faint smile at the corner of his mouth was more genuine than usual.

Su Yang and Su Feng grinned widely, stupidly happy.

When they saw Su Ming return, the courtyard's mood reached its peak.

"Xiao Ming is back!"

The commotion made Su Ming a little awkward. He hugged the Thousand Character Classic and greeted everyone in turn.

At that moment, a strong, full-voiced call came from the gate.

"Brother Su, at home?"

Everyone turned and froze. The visitor wore a silk shirt, his belly neither large nor small, his face bearing a friendly smile—Village Chief Zhao Dequan.

Behind him trailed a sulking Zhao Rui.

The courtyard conversation fell silent. The villagers politely said hello and dispersed.

Su Shan quickly stood, patted his chest, and rushed to greet them, "Village Chief, what wind has brought you here? Come, sit in the house!"

"No, no." Zhao Dequan waved, his gaze landing directly on Su Ming, as if appraising a newly unearthed porcelain.

"I'm here to offer congratulations." Zhao Dequan said with a chuckle, "Su Ming, that child has promise! I heard my son tell me about what he said at the schoolhouse—well said! It touched the hearts of us farmers! Filial, steady! This is how a scholar should behave!"

His string of praise left the entire Su household dumbfounded.

Su Shan and Mrs. Chen didn't know what to do with their hands, only managing to keep saying, "Village Chief, you flatter us."

Zhao Dequan tugged his son closer by the shoulder and, addressing Su Ming, said, "Su Ming, look, my boy was spoiled by us since childhood. He recited a few dead texts and doesn't know his place. The road to town is long and as his father I'm really uneasy. You're steadier and more sensible than he is. On the journey, I ask you to bear with him, to look after him."

At these words even Su Yang's eyes widened.

Ask Su Ming to look after Zhao Rui? The sun must have risen in the west.

Zhao Rui's face flushed bright red, ready to retort, but his father shot him a glare that quieted him.

Zhao Dequan pulled a small pouch from his pocket and thrust it into Su Ming's hand, "One hundred wen here. Not much—consider it this elder's gift to buy you two tea along the road. Don't refuse, or you'll be insulting me the Village Chief."

Su Ming held the pouch and it felt hot in his hand.

"Accept it!" Lin Yu's voice decisively rang in his head, "Not accepting would be a public slap in his face. Take it, smile! Yes, that simple, honest, slightly overwhelmed expression—hold on to that!"

"Th—this is too much, Village Chief…" Su Ming stammered.

"Do accept!" Zhao Dequan didn't wait for objections; he pushed the pouch into Su Ming's bosom and patted his shoulder, "It's settled! On the journey, you two must be like brothers and support each other! I must go now, I still need to check the fields."

With that he pulled the humiliated-looking Zhao Rui and left, briskly, not giving the Su family time to respond.

Once the father and son disappeared through the gate, the Su family came back to themselves.

"What was that about?" Su Yang couldn't help but blurt, scratching his head.

Only Su Shan, smoking in silence, after a long time, exhaled, "He's buying favor for our family."

"Father's right." Lin Yu analyzed in Su Ming's head, "That old fox is a hundred times smarter than his son. He knows you've made a name for yourself with Teacher Zhou and the villagers."

"He sent money and publicly 'bound' you two as brothers. It's an investment. If his son fails, and you succeed, he can always pull out today's good deed as leverage. If something happens on the road, or his son gets into trouble, he can say, 'I entrusted my son to Su Ming's care,' and wash his hands of responsibility."

"That one hundred wen is not for tea. It's your liability insurance. Welcome to the adult world, kid."

Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the little pouch. For the first time he felt how many curved paths and hidden meanings there could be in human interactions.

That night, the Su household packed Su Ming's things.

Mrs. Chen dug out the best patch-free old garment, folded it again and again, and put it in the bundle. She baked ten dry, hard loaves of black bread and wrapped them in oiled paper.

"Save these for the road, town food is expensive." She fussed as she packed, her eyes rimmed red.

Su Shan handed Su Ming a cloth bag containing a bit of silver and said only two things.

"Keep the money safe, don't show it off."

"When you reach town, first find Teacher Zhou's friend and follow his arrangements."

Eldest brother Su Feng was taciturn, merely checking Su Ming's shoes. Finding a few loose stitches, he threaded a needle and clumsily repaired them by lamplight.

Late at night, Su Yang quietly slipped into Su Ming's room.

He pressed a small knife into Su Ming's hand. The sheath was wooden, the handle wrapped with hemp cord, polished shiny from wear.

"Second brother, this is…"

"Take it." Su Yang lowered his voice, "It’s the skinning knife Father used for hunting. I sharpened it. Keep it on you for protection."

He hesitated, then his gaze turned solemn, "Remember, it's not for seeking trouble. It's to give you the confidence to stab if someone tries to harm you. We don't bully others, but we mustn't be bullied."

Su Ming took the cool-iron knife and gripped it tightly.

He knew this bundle held his mother's care, his father's instructions, his elder brother's meticulousness, and his second brother's protection.

This was everything his family had prepared for him.

At dawn the next day, the path outside the Su yard was already filled with people.

Su Ming shouldered his modest bundle and bowed deeply to his family.

"Father, Mother, Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Second Brother, I'm leaving."

"Be careful on the road!" Mrs. Chen couldn't hold back and wiped her eyes.

Su Shan puffed his tobacco, the smoke blurring his face.

Su Ming turned and walked step by step toward the village entrance.

Under the old locust tree a cart hitched to a mule waited.

Zhao Rui sat impatiently on the cart. Seeing Su Ming approach alone, a sneer of superiority flickered across his face.

Su Ming ignored him and stopped a few paces from the cart.

"Hmph, country bumpkin, can't even hire a cart." Zhao Rui muttered under his breath.

Su Ming looked up at the winding mountain road in the distance, then glanced back at the figures at the village entrance that were already blurring.

"We're off." Lin Yu's voice sounded in his head with a touch of schadenfreude, "'Newbie village babysitting mission' officially begins. Mission objective: protect our 'giant-baby ADC', ensure safe arrival at Qingshi Town. Mission reward: unknown. Mission penalty: unknown."

"Good luck, young man."