Chapter 27: If You’re Not Convinced, Beat Him Until You Are
“Hey, this was your younger brother who agreed personally. You said if he agreed, you’d agree, you can’t go back on your word.” The little old man twirled his beard with a sleazy grin.
The watching little disciple was dumbfounded. How did a trip out result in an extra little junior disciple brother?
Lin Xin: ······
Watching Lin Xin shoulder the back basket and turn to leave, the little old man hurriedly called out to her: “We haven’t settled on it yet. Where are you going?”
“Aren’t you taking a disciple? Get some apprenticeship gifts for my younger brother.” Lin Xin answered without turning her head.
“Good, good, go ahead.” The little old man was delighted, pulling Lin Nan to sit on a protruding tree root. “Come on, from now on you’re my disciple, and I’m your master. Come, call me master.”
“Master!” The milky voice made the little old man grin until his eyes disappeared.
“Me, master, and me too. Call me senior disciple brother.” The little disciple looked at the soft and tender bun-like Lin Nan, his heart itching like cat scratches, jumping up and down trying to attract his attention.
“What’s the rush? The old man hasn’t had his fill yet!” Though he said that, the little old man still pointed at him and told Lin Nan: “This is your junior disciple brother.”
Little disciple: ??? How is he the junior disciple brother? Shouldn’t it be senior disciple brother?
He thought that and asked it outright.
“Nonsense senior disciple brother! The old man says you’re the junior disciple brother, so you are. Dare to contradict and see!” The little old man raised his hand and knocked him on the head.
The little disciple hugged his head and squatted aggrievedly to the side. Turning his head, he met Lin Nan’s big rolling eyes. Unable to hold back, he made a funny face at him. Lin Nan froze, then “giggled” and laughed out loud. The little disciple looked at his cute expression and couldn’t help but laugh along.
Fine, junior disciple brother it is!
Such a cute little senior disciple brother is mine.
The little disciple, who quickly coaxed himself, scurried back over to listen to master teach the little senior disciple brother the Soup Head Song.
When Lin Xin returned carrying a ginseng grown with her supernatural ability, she saw this scene: three heads—one old, one young, one little—huddled together. The old and young clapped and cheered brainlessly, while the little one chattered on with all sorts of strange medicine names. The scene was inexplicably amusing.
“Sis!” Lin Nan was always the first to spot his older sister. Seeing her appear, he flailed his little short legs and ran over fast. “Sis, you’re finally back!”
“Mm, I’m back. What was Nan Nan doing?” Lin Xin’s hands were all muddy, so she couldn’t ruffle Lin Nan’s hair. She simply squatted down to look levelly into his eyes and asked.
“Mm,” Lin Nan lowered his head and started fiddling with his little fingers. “Master taught me a song for junior disciple brother to hear, waiting for sis, to accompany Big Cat.”
“Master? Jun······ior disciple brother?” Lin Xin looked at the little old man with indescribable feelings: You’re serious?
The little old man proudly raised his chin: They’re all my disciples. I decide.
Lin Xin conceded, no longer minding the titles. She carefully took the “mud-wrapped” ginseng from the back basket and handed it to the little old man.
“You really found one?” The little old man surprise took it and examined it closely, muttering approvingly: “Not bad, not bad. Fine and smooth rootlets, dense reed bowls, rich and lingering aroma. It’s a good ginseng.”
Lin Xin rolled her eyes. Nonsense, it was specially grown for you with her ability. How could it not be good!
“This one is even older than last time’s. Two thousand taels of silver, alright?” The little old man clutched the ginseng tightly, asking Lin Xin the price with a fawning face.
“No need for silver! After all, you’re sort of my younger brother’s master. Consider this ginseng a gift from him to honor his master. When we get back, I’ll prepare the six rites for him, and then we’ll come find you for the formal apprenticeship.” Lin Xin waved her hand.
She knew ancient times placed great importance on formalities. Apprenticeship had strict rules. Once the master-disciple relationship was established, it wasn’t just “master” but “Master,” no less than a father-son bond. If the Master had no heirs, one even had to care for him in old age and see to his funeral.
No matter if Lin Nan learned well in the future, the apprenticeship gifts couldn’t be skimped on.
“Whoa! Then I’ve made a killing. Not only did I take a disciple full of talent and beauty, but I got this huge ginseng for free. The old man really didn’t come in vain!” The little old man’s eyes nearly vanished from smiling.
“Alright, you’ve got the ginseng. Time to head back to your town!” Lin Xin went over and patted Big Tiger’s big head. “Come on, time for you to go back to being the king of beasts.”
Big Tiger lazily stretched and let out a huge yawn, stood up, shook his fur, and padded over to Lin Xin on big paws.
Lin Xin stroked his back fur, secretly using her wood element ability to groom his body again. “Be more careful from now on! Don’t go cozying up to just anyone, got it? There are lots of bad people!”
Big Tiger seemed to understand, rubbing his big head against Lin Xin’s palm, then trotted lightly into the depths of the forest, stopping several times to look back at them.
“Sis~” Lin Nan pouted unhappily.
“He has his own home. He has to go back! Just like Nan Nan has his own home. If I asked you to stay in the forest with him forever, would you?” Lin Xin patiently coaxed the little bun.
“I······” Lin Nan thought seriously, then shook his head. “I wouldn’t. There’s no sis here.”
Lin Xin: Well, if there were a sis here, you’d really plan to make this your home!
The group returned to Lin Xin’s home and found quite a few children gathered around the horse carriage. The bold ones were even itching to climb into the carriage, with Lin Shenzi’s little grandson the boldest. If not for fear of getting kicked by the horse pulling the cart, he’d probably have climbed in and messed it up by now.
Lin Xin didn’t like bear children. Seeing this, her face turned a bit green.
“What are you all doing?” The little disciple shouted loudly, his face none too pleased, especially after seeing the obvious black little footprints from kids’ feet on the white horse pulling the cart.
This horse carriage and horse were both under his sole care. He loved this horse so much. Normally when driving, he’d give it the lightest tap with the horse whip, afraid of hurting it. Now these bear children had kicked it with their feet. It broke his heart.
“Wah~” Lin Shenzi’s grandson was already unhappy at not climbing onto the carriage. Now scolded, he was even unhappier. True to form from home, he flopped to the ground, rolling and wailing loudly.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Why is my big grandson crying? Who bullied you? Tell grandma.” Lin Shenzi heard her little grandson’s shrill cries and rushed out from home.
“Wah~ Grandma, Lin Family’s money loser and jinx bullied me, wouldn’t let me on the horse carriage, and cursed me. Grandma, go beat them, beat them hard, then grab the horse carriage for me. I wanna ride, I wanna ride, wah wah wah~”
The bear child’s first wail had drawn many villagers out. Hearing his words now, plenty disapproved inwardly, but since it wasn’t their kid and there was a show to watch, no one stopped him. As for Lin Shenzi, she fussed over him like heart and liver, calling out for ages, her gaze at Lin Xin and her brother laced with daggers, vicious.
Lin Xin had a headache and hurriedly told the little old man: “You all hurry and go! Stay longer and they’ll latch onto you.”
The little old man had clearly never seen such a bearish child and unreasonable adult, staring in stunned silence. Hearing Lin Xin, his first reaction wasn’t to leave quickly but to turn and ask her: “Are all the people in your village like this? If we leave, what will you siblings do?”
“What to do?” Lin Xin sneered and flexed her fist. “If they won’t submit, beat them till they do.”
Little old man: ······
