Chapter 26: The Old Man Wants To Take Him As His Last Disciple
On the mountain path, the little old man was using a branch as a walking stick, huffing and puffing along. The little disciple was supporting his other hand and was also quite tired. Compared to them, Lin Xin, who was holding Lin Nan and carrying the back basket, was incredibly relaxed, as if she were strolling leisurely in a backyard garden. The little old man watched with envy and jealousy.
Big Tiger’s wound on his leg had completely healed, and he ran with incomparable agility. The little old man expressed even more jealousy.
“I-I’m telling you, stinky girl, when I was young, cli-climbing a mountain was nothing, just like walking on flat ground······” The little old man’s steps were faltering, but his mouth wouldn’t stop. He muttered unwillingly.
“Instead of wasting time talking, why don’t you walk faster? I’ll take you to the place where I dug up ginseng last time, so you can try your luck.”
Lin Xin’s one sentence shut him up. After being silent for a few breaths, he said without confidence: “Fi-fine, let’s go then. Who’s afraid?”
Although Lin Xin mocked him verbally, she was also afraid he might really trip and cause another accident, so she quietly used her wood element ability to absorb all the energy from the wild grass along the path. The branches sticking out haphazardly were also quietly redirected by her to avoid snagging the old man.
However, the little old man was old after all. After walking more than halfway, he was so tired that he plopped down on the ground. His throat sounded like a bellows, gasping so hard it couldn’t be heard clearly.
“I’ve really given up on you. How about this: you rest here and watch Nan Nan for me at the same time. I’ll go find some ginseng for you. That should work, right?” Lin Xin said helplessly.
“Hmph, at least you have some conscience!”
“Alright then, you wait here. With Tiger here, no wild beasts will dare come over. It’s safe, no need to worry. I’ll go as fast as I can and come back quickly.” Lin Xin set down the back basket, took the hoe in hand, and was about to head deeper into the woods. She had planned that once she walked a bit further out of his sight, she would grow a stalk of ginseng for him. She couldn’t let him stay at home for another day if they didn’t find any today.
“Wait, hold on a second,” the little old man quickly called her back.
“What can’t wait until I get back? Aren’t you not in a hurry for the ginseng anymore?” Lin Xin turned back and asked.
“No, I am in a hurry, but it won’t delay saying these two sentences. I want to tell you that your younger brother has good talent. This old man wants to take him as my last disciple. Do you agree?” Although he was asking for her opinion, the little old man’s eyes stared straight at her, as if he would pounce and beat her if she dared disagree.
Lin Xin was very surprised. Lin Nan, a three-year-old little bean, could already show talent? What a joke!
“Old mister, he’s only three. How did you see that this three-heads-tall little kid has talent?”
“You wouldn’t understand. Last night before bed, I taught him a few lines of the Soup Head Song, and he memorized it almost after hearing it once. If that’s not talent, what is?”
“That just means he has a good memory at most. If you ask him to recite The Three Character Classic, he could probably do that too!”
“I’m not talking to you, someone who misleads the young. I’m going to Nan Nan.” The little old man was so angry he blew his beard and glared. He simply turned and walked to Lin Nan. “Tell your older sister that you like to study medicine and are willing to take this old man as your master.”
Lin Nan looked completely bewildered. Stared at unblinkingly by the old man, he suddenly felt a chill on his back. A sense of crisis shot from his tailbone to the top of his head, scaring him into dropping the leaves he was playing with in his hand and running to Lin Xin, hugging her leg tightly. He looked up pitifully and said: “Sis, I’m scared.”
“Pfft~” Lin Xin couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This old man wanted to take a disciple but ended up scaring the disciple away.
“Why are you running? Do you know how many people want to learn from me, and I won’t even teach them? But you dare run. No way, today I must take you as my disciple.” The little old man said as he stood up and walked over again.
“Alright, stop fooling around, okay? It’s just taking a disciple. I’ll ask for you, but don’t come over.” Lin Xin quickly waved her hand to stop him.
“Then ask him. I’ll listen right here.” The little old man really stopped and just watched the siblings eagerly, looking quite pitiful.
Lin Xin shook her head vigorously to shake off the thought, squatted down to look levelly into Lin Nan’s eyes, and asked him seriously: “Nan Nan, Grandfather wants you to follow him to study medicine. Are you willing?”
“What is studying medicine?” Lin Nan blinked his big eyes and asked innocently. The little old man was just about to jump in with an explanation, but Lin Xin glared him back, so he unwillingly shut his mouth.
“Studying medicine means learning medical skill, to heal the sick and rescue the injured.”
“Heal the sick and rescue the injured?” Lin Nan furrowed his little brow, thought for a bit, then shook his head. “I don’t want to heal the sick and rescue the injured.”
Lin Xin turned to look at the little old man and made a helpless gesture.
“Go to the side. I’ll ask myself.” The little old man strode over.
“Fine, you ask.” Lin Xin moved aside a bit, giving him the main spot.
“Nan Nan, was the song Grandfather taught you to recite last night nice?”
Lin Nan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Nice.”
“Do you still remember it?”
Lin Nan nodded again.
“Then recite it for your older sister, okay?”
Lin Nan’s eyes lit up this time, and he happily replied: “Okay.” Then he recited it in his childish voice. Lin Xin didn’t know the content, but seeing the little old man’s satisfied look, she knew he hadn’t made any mistakes.
“Do you know what this song is about?” the old man asked again.
Lin Nan shook his head this time.
“It’s singing about prescriptions for Chinese medicine. You know Chinese medicine, right? The stuff you drink when you’re sick. What you memorized last night was a song made from prescriptions for Chinese medicine.
There were already several prescriptions in the lines you just recited. See how awesome you are? If you’re willing to learn from Grandfather, you’ll be able to memorize even more prescriptions in the future and become even more awesome.” The little old man spared no effort in persuading him, like the big bad wolf tricking Little Red Riding Hood.
Lin Nan’s little head couldn’t understand what prescriptions or Chinese medicine were, but he understood one word: awesome!
In his world, awesome was the highest honor to describe a person. He really wanted to become awesome and then protect his older sister.
“Okay, I’ll learn from you and become very awesome.” Lin Nan agreed immediately, so fast that Lin Xin didn’t have time to stop him.
“Nan Nan agreed himself.” The little old man said smugly to Lin Xin.
“Does that count? You clearly coaxed him into agreeing. What if he regrets it later, or after studying for a while you find he’s not the right material? What then?”
“Girl, don’t worry. This old man has lived for so many years, and these eyes of mine have never misjudged a person. Although you siblings are stuck in this small village now, this old man can see that this place won’t hold you. This old man still has some connections outside, and in the future, I can always help you out somehow.
As for those two situations you mentioned, this old man puts my words here: they absolutely won’t happen.”
“But I still want him to take the imperial examination and become a big official in the future, so I can live a life of wealth and honor! And you just snatched him away like that.” Lin Xin pouted, very unhappy.
“Does studying medicine conflict with the imperial examination?”
“It doesn’t?” Lin Xin was stunned. Studying medicine takes a lot of time, and so does the imperial examination. Plus, they’re completely different systems. How could Lin Nan do both? He’d be worked to death!
“Let me put it this way: as long as he becomes my disciple, I can absolutely guarantee he passes the exam while becoming a divine doctor.”
“Keep bragging. A divine doctor, and passing the exam too? Do you want to work him to death?”
“Sis, I’m not afraid of being tired. I just want to become very awesome and protect you, not let anyone bully you, and earn lots of money for you to spend.” Lin Nan tugged at Lin Xin’s clothes with his little hand, saying firmly and expectantly.
Lin Xin’s eyes stung, and for a moment her heart was filled with bitterness. Such a cute and sensible younger brother, but the original owner could no longer see him!
