Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 5: Master Zhou

The night was as thick as ink that couldn't be diluted.

Su Ming lay prone on the hard earthen bed, the wounds on his back stinging with a piercing pain as the ointment took effect. He gritted his teeth, burying his face in the musty-smelling pillow without making a sound.

"Does it hurt?" Lin Yu's voice sounded lazily in his mind.

"Mhm." Su Ming responded gloomily.

"Hurting means it's working." Lin Yu's tone gave no indication of emotion. "Remember this feeling. Your body is like a broken boat trying to cross a sea of suffering. Today's beating was just waves slapping against the deck. If the boat isn't sturdy, when storms come, it will be destroyed instantly with everyone aboard."

What he actually thought was: "I need to improve this kid's physical condition. My retirement plan can't collapse right after I started paying into it."

Listening to his master's words, the pain in Su Ming's back seemed to take on special meaning.

"Master, I understand."

"Understanding alone isn't enough." Lin Yu shifted topics. "Starting tomorrow, you must memorize every single character Teacher Zhou teaches, without missing a single one. For a boat to be sturdy, it needs blueprints first. These characters are your blueprints."

Su Ming hesitated slightly. "But... my memory isn't good."

"The slow bird must start flying early, and diligence can compensate for clumsiness." Lin Yu's voice carried undeniable authority. "This old master has ways to help you. Now, do something else."

"What is it?"

"Take off the ring."

Su Ming was startled but complied, pulling the cold ring from his chest.

"Your household has many eyes, and your second brother is particularly observant. If you keep wearing it while sleeping, you'll eventually be discovered." Lin Yu instructed. "See that crack in the roof beam? Hang it on that protruding wooden splinter inside the crack."

Su Ming looked up and, by the faint moonlight streaming through the window, indeed spotted an inconspicuous crack in the overhead beam. Stepping on the bed frame and standing on tiptoe, he carefully hung the ring there.

The ring disappeared into the darkness as if it had never existed.

"Alright, go to sleep." Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "Rest well. Tomorrow is your second lesson after joining."

The next day, as dawn was just breaking.

Su Ming climbed out of bed. The wounds on his back still hurt, but when he thought of his master's words, he felt filled with motivation.

At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Eldest brother Su Feng buried his head in his porridge, while Wang Chuntao glanced sideways at Su Ming.

Father Su Shan remained silent as usual, but placed an extra serving of pickled vegetables in Su Ming's bowl.

Mother Mrs. Chen looked at him with concern. "Little Ming, does your back still hurt? Maybe don't go to school today, ask the teacher for leave."

"Mother, I'm fine." Su Ming shook his head and quickly finished the porridge in his bowl. "I'm full, going to school now."

He grabbed the cloth bag hanging on the wall and rushed out of the house as if escaping.

Su Yang watched his retreating back, his brow furrowed tightly.

"Hey, Su Ming!" Just as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he bumped into neighbor Widow Li carrying a basin of water. Her voice was loud and clear. "Why are you running so fast? Don't you dare skip Teacher Zhou's class again! The teacher was mentioning you just yesterday!"

"Kid, who is this auntie with the built-in amplification array?" Lin Yu's voice sounded in Su Ming's mind, carrying a hint of teasing.

Su Ming quickly replied in his mind: "That's Auntie Li, the neighborhood gossip. But her heart isn't bad."

"Understood, village-level intelligence distribution center, high-risk interpersonal unit. Recommend maintaining safe distance." Lin Yu responded.

Su Ming vaguely grunted "mhm" and kept walking, almost jogging as he disappeared around the corner of the alley.

In the courtyard, Su Yang straightened up after finishing chopping a load of firewood, sweat droplets sliding down his sturdy arms. Watching Su Ming's hurried retreating figure with his tightly furrowed brow, he turned and exchanged a look with Mrs. Chen.

In the schoolhouse, the air was filled with the smell of old books.

"People at birth are naturally good..."

Teacher Zhou was stroking his goatee, swaying his head as he led seven or eight children in reading. Lifting his eyelids, he spotted Su Ming sneaking in through the back door, crouching low.

The reading voices abruptly stopped.

"Su Ming." Teacher Zhou's voice wasn't loud, but it made the entire schoolhouse so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Su Ming walked to the front of the hall with his head lowered, proactively extending his left hand.

The sound of the ruler cutting through the air was short and sharp.

"Smack!"

Three red marks quickly swelled on his palm, burning with pain. Su Ming clenched his teeth, not making a sound.

Tsk, corporal punishment, such backward educational methods. Lin Yu shifted to a more comfortable "position" inside the ring. But "this is also a lesson, kid. First rule of survival: never get caught."

Teacher Zhou withdrew the ruler, his gaze showing some regret at Su Ming's failure to meet expectations, then resumed stroking his beard.

"Their natures are similar, but their habits make them different... continue reading!"

Su Ming moved back to his seat, his left palm feeling like it was holding a ball of fire.

He used his right hand to open the book, its edges curled and yellowed.

"Kid, how does it feel?" Lin Yu's lazy voice emerged. "This is called tactile memory method. Simple and brutal, but highly effective for a blockhead like you."

Su Ming ignored the teasing in his mind. He stared at the unfamiliar character "beginning" in the book as if trying to carve it into his eyes.

"Their natures are similar, but their habits make them different..."

The buzzing reading voices filled his ears again. He took a deep breath, suppressing the burning sensation, and opened his mouth to join in.

The sound echoed through the small schoolhouse, making the window paper vibrate.

Su Ming's throat grew dry from reading, and the stinging in his palm gradually turned into a numb, swelling heat.

He focused with unprecedented intensity, every character rolling out of his throat feeling like he was hammering stubborn iron.

After who knows how long, Teacher Zhou's ruler lightly tapped on the lectern.

"Tap."

The buzzing in the room instantly vanished.

Teacher Zhou cleared his throat, his slightly clouded eyes sweeping over each young face.

"Put away your books. Grind ink, prepare to learn today's new characters."

Night fell once again.

"People at birth are naturally good..."

He wasn't sleeping, but was instead hunched over the table, using a charcoal stick to repeatedly practice the day's new characters on a worn wooden board.

The door was pushed open silently, creating a crack.

Su Yang stood outside the door, quietly watching the thin figure under the lamplight, his expression complex.

His younger brother had returned today without saying much, just going straight to his room after eating. He had thought he was tired, but never expected... he was studying hard?

This was too unusual.

He pushed the door open and walked in.

"Little Ming."

Su Ming jumped in fright, hurriedly trying to hide the wooden board.

"Second brother?"

Su Yang walked to the table, picked up the board covered with characters, then looked at Su Ming's bloodshot eyes.

"You..." Su Yang's voice was somewhat hoarse. "At school today, did the teacher punish you?"

"No." Su Ming lowered his head.

Su Ming's heart was pounding wildly, his master's warning echoing in his ears.

He couldn't say anything, not a single word.

He raised his head, his eyes suddenly reddening.

"Brother," his voice carried a tremor and lingering fear. "I'm scared."

Su Yang was taken aback.

"I'm scared of being beaten again." Tears fell from Su Ming's eyes, his voice filled with grievance. "Even more scared... scared of seeing father and eldest brother hit you again. If I study hard, they won't get angry anymore, they won't beat us anymore."

"Their natures are similar, but their habits make them different... continue reading!"

The fear of being beaten was real. Not wanting to implicate his second brother was also real.