Chapter 37: I Knew It Had To Be You Screwing Me Over
“Right, as your master, my surname is Cui, name Shi. You know how to address me from now on without me saying, right? Huh? Stinky girl?” This last question was clearly aimed at Lin Xin.
“Yes, Master Cui.” Lin Xin had no choice but to go along with it and change her address, only to receive another eye-roll from the little old man. “I’m taking Nan Nan as my disciple. What makes you call me master? Is it that hard to call me uncle?”
“Yes, Uncle Cui.” Lin Xin changed her address again.
This time the little old man was satisfied. “Mm, that’s more like it. Right, make us lunch at noon. Do it well, bring out your best skills. Use the seasonings in the cabinet freely, but don’t mess it up, got it?”
Lin Xin was speechless. This foodie—wasn’t taking Lin Nan as a disciple because of this, right!
In the end, she still took on the task. With the help of the two little disciples from the medical hall, she made a feast that was perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Ten dishes and one soup were eaten clean. Everyone present, stuffed and satisfied, slumped in their chairs clutching their round bellies—including Fu Jing and Meng Yichen.
After digesting for a bit until their stomachs weren’t so full, Cui Shi called Lin Xin aside and whispered to her, “Did you see that Young Master Meng? That’s the tutor I found for Nan Nan. He’s a top scholar, his knowledge is absolutely no problem.”
Lin Xin had observed Meng Yichen early on. She thought to herself, I can’t tell if his knowledge has issues, but I can tell his body definitely has major problems.
She didn’t hide it and asked Cui Shi bluntly, “Uncle Cui, I’ve made you several meals already and sent you so many gifts. You even took my younger brother as your disciple. How can you trick me like this! That Mister Meng, panting every three steps—can he really tutor Nan Nan? Do you want him teaching from bed?”
“Go go go, what nonsense,” Cui Shi glared at her irritably. “He’s just a bit weak-bodied, not as bad as you say. Besides, with me here, even if he enters the gates of hell, I can snatch him back. What’s more, he’s still lively and kicking!”
Lin Xin fell silent. Probably, your idea of lively and kicking is different from mine, old man.
“One more thing,” Cui Shi dragged Lin Xin to a more secluded corner, confirmed no one could hear him, then said to her worriedly, “Young Master Meng’s brother is a general. A few days ago, he was found in the back mountain of your village, already severely injured and unconscious. Seems he hid something very important on the mountain. They need to find that thing, so they’ll have to enter the mountain, and they’ll probably come looking for you then.”
“Looking for me?” Lin Xin widened her eyes, pointing her right thumb at her nose tip. “Why me? Normally, shouldn’t they ask the village’s young and strong men to guide them into the mountain?”
“Heh heh,” Cui Shi chuckled awkwardly and told half the truth. “Last time, I let it slip that I’d gone into the mountain with you to gather medicinal herbs.”
“Heh heh,” Lin Xin sneered coldly. “I knew it was you tricking me.”
“Hey hey hey, don’t put it that way. Haven’t you thought that if you help them find the thing, they’ll thank you properly? You could ask them for more money then.” Cui Shi tried hard to make excuses for himself.
“What do I need so much money for? In this rundown place, can I even spend it? Besides, what if we can’t find it?” Lin Xin rolled her eyes.
“Impossible. I have a gut feeling this matter of finding the thing will definitely end up on you, and only you can lead them to it.” Cui Shi said with great certainty.
Lin Xin pursed her lips and said nothing. Of course only I can find it—that thing is lying in my space!
“Right,” Seeing she wasn’t retorting, Cui Shi continued, “The one who came with Young Master Meng is Fu Jing, deputy general to General Meng. He’s sly. He probably came today to probe you. Be extra careful dealing with him so he doesn’t trick you—lest you help him count the money after he sells you.”
Lin Xin: “······” Are you reminding me or insulting me? And isn’t this big trouble one you brought me?
“Alright, I get it. But speaking of which, why are you so kindly telling me this? By reason, shouldn’t you be on their side?” Lin Xin asked curiously.
“Nonsense, Nan Nan is my disciple—disciple, get it? That’s one of our own. Would I be dumb enough to help outsiders trick my own? You’re biting Lu Dongbin—like you don’t know a good heart!” Cui Shi blew his beard and glared.
“Alright alright, my bad, my bad, okay?” Lin Xin apologized helplessly with a wry smile. Turns out this world has Lu Dongbin too.
“Hmph, one braised pork and I’ll forgive you.”
Lin Xin fell completely silent. In the end, it’s still the foodie nature unchanged.
In the evening, Lin Xin took Lin Nan back to Willow Forest Village, riding in Meng Yichen’s horse carriage. As soon as they entered the village, they drew the gazes of almost all the villagers, including the Old Lin Family.
Lin Xin realized Meng Yichen was no simple person. His body seemed like it would collapse in a breeze, yet he lived on tough as a cockroach. And in just one afternoon, he smoothly got Lin Nan willing to study and learn with him.
These were Lin Nan’s own words. He specially hugged his sister’s neck and whispered to her, “That Mister Meng is so awesome. He knows everything and taught me to recite The Three Character Classic. He praised me, said I’m the smartest person he’s ever met in his life. Sis, can I study and learn with him from now on?”
What could Lin Xin say? He went straight over her to the main guy, and crucially, the main guy wasn’t ambitious enough—he was taken down effortlessly. What was there left for her to struggle over?
Fine, let them be. Since they’d set their sights on her and her brother, there was no dodging it. She didn’t want to anyway—that was too tiring. Better to see what they really wanted, then meet soldiers with soldiers and generals with generals. If worst came to worst, she could still beat them up. That saying “one force subdues ten meetings” wasn’t just talk.
“Sure, it’s you studying, so of course you should like your tutor the most.” That was how Lin Xin replied at the time.
Meng Yichen still knew propriety. When sending the siblings home, he didn’t get off the carriage. He probably knew going behind Lin Xin’s back to Lin Nan wasn’t proper. Before leaving, he took the initiative to apologize to her and said if she didn’t agree, the matter of tutoring Lin Nan would be dropped.
Whoa, what a move—retreat to advance!
Lin Xin forced a smile and jabbed at him, “Mister Meng overthinks it. With such an excellent tutor, and Nan Nan liking studying with you so much, how could I oppose? Moreover, from my observation, sir is widely learned, even using military strategy so skillfully. Meeting you is Nan Nan’s good fortune. I just hope that while teaching him knowledge, sir can also teach him how to conduct himself. What do you think?”
Meng Yichen coughed into his fist twice. “Thank you for the excessive praise, miss. Meng will not fail your trust and will do his utmost to teach your brother.”
“Then thank you, sir.” Lin Xin huffed, picked up Lin Nan, entered, and shut the door in one smooth motion.
“Young master, this······” The servant driving the carriage was extremely dissatisfied with Lin Xin’s attitude, couldn’t help feeling indignant for his young master. Who in the world didn’t know Second Young Master Meng’s talent was unmatched, valued by so many great scholars of the age, with countless wanting to study under him—yet today treated so by a mere village girl. Truly ungrateful.
“Let’s go back. This isn’t a place to linger, don’t cause unnecessary trouble.” Meng Yichen suddenly smiled, shook his head, and said to the servant.
“Yes, young master.” No matter how unwilling, the servant couldn’t defy his young master, so he glared fiercely at the practically nonexistent gate of Lin Xin’s home and drove the carriage away.
Thanks to Soul on the Outing, xy Xiaoyue, Song of the Goat, Story of the Eyes, Fallen Leaves Know Autumn-Ad, Ying Jie798, Minmin, Reader20230502967-Ed, Fuze, Eyes Quietly Gazing at the Starry Sky@RAINY, Meng Mommo, Landi-Bd, Sleeping In in the Early Morning, Ji Jia Xin Xiang, Mmy Dang for their votes, thanks to caroletu for the tip-off, many thanks for everyone’s support, thank you!
