Chapter 240: Education Issues
Relying on the navigation service provided by the world, Liu Sheng, carrying Ling Xiaoshu's body, walked back from an unknown corner of a small tavern to the alley next to Xiao Xiang House.
As Liu Sheng walked, she regretted not seizing the opportunity. Facing a legendary figure she had admired since childhood, she had remained so calm and composed, which was truly improper.
“And, did I seem too cold?”
“I think Big Sister was already enthusiastic to the point of not being like herself,” Ling Xiaoshu whispered, recalling Liu Sheng's reaction just now.
“Also, we, who value money like our lives, were willing to pay for an old man who ate for free?”
“That’s not an old man, that’s an idol, a celebrity.”
“What?”
“No, no, no! We didn’t say anything!”
This also reminded Liu Sheng to properly educate Ling Xiaoshu.
“…Don’t run off with strangers, don’t eat things given by strangers, if you get lost from your family, you should know to find the authorities. Oh, no, you can’t find the authorities.”
Liu Sheng recited the lessons from the academy verbatim in her mind to Ling Xiaoshu, then realized Ling Xiaoshu’s situation was still special.
However, she had an easier method.
“If you encounter anything, just tell me in the mind sea.”
“…Mm, okay.”
Ling Xiaoshu looked wronged.
Liu Sheng sighed repeatedly.
Liu Sheng, who hadn't even reached her twenties, became a mother without pain, feeling very tired.
Little Tentacle nodded silently; being a mother was indeed very hard.
But the world also reminded Liu Sheng: “Do you think Ling Xiaoshu doesn’t know she can contact you through the mind sea?”
“…”
How could Liu Sheng not know? She just didn’t want to admit it.
“Children grow up and should have their own world, wanting to play with peers.”
“Doesn’t Hongxing Elementary School have those Xiao Hong, Xiao Qiang, Xiao Ling, Xiao Ming, and so on?”
“Note, her current age is for Middle School.”
“…Seems so.”
“And once she enters adolescence, she’ll start a rebellious phase, which won’t be easy to handle!”
The world also enthusiastically recommended a book to Liu Sheng from Professor Tang’s bookshelf— “Whose Youth Isn’t Rebellious.”
“This book helps understand the psychology of rebellious children and how to educate them and build parent-child relationships.”
Liu Sheng flipped through a few pages in her mind, feeling a headache.
Who would have thought that raising a tree would require understanding the rebellious phase!
But she really needed to think about how Ling Xiaoshu would grow. She couldn’t always be by her side, and a person and a tree didn’t have many common topics…
Liu Sheng propped her chin with Ling Xiaoshu’s hand, seriously pondering a solution.
…
Seeing the familiar sign at the entrance, “Accommodation available, one Lingtual per hour,” Liu Sheng knew she had finally arrived.
However, as she stepped into this small shop, filled with strong fragrance and dim ambiguity, she was almost directly thrown out by the alluring man who had just enthusiastically greeted Liu Sheng.
“This isn’t a place for little children! Go, go!”
The man swept his long sleeve at “Ling Xiaoshu” to shoo her away, his voice completely reverting to its rough original tone, no longer alluring or melodious.
“Ling Xiaoshu” quickly widened her eyes, making them round and watery, looking pitiful.
“I’m here to find my Big Sister.”
“Your Big Sister?”
“Mm…” Then “Ling Xiaoshu” stated the room number.
The man immediately recalled the peculiar woman from earlier, suddenly understood, then scrutinized “Ling Xiaoshu” with a complex expression, finally filled with pity.
Liu Sheng had no interest in the man’s inexplicable conjectures.
Then, the man said with a serious face: “Don’t go in, I’ll call your Big Sister out.”
Liu Sheng initially wanted to object, but after thinking about it, he was being kind, knowing it was a smoky place and not suitable for children to enter.
So she gave up.
Anyway, she had already brought Ling Xiaoshu to her side.
So Liu Sheng instructed Xiao Shu to wait there, then with a shift of thought, re-entered the Star Sea.
Opening her eyes, it was still that gaudy room, and her consciousness had returned to her own body.
Liu Sheng put away the magic array, pushed open the door, and happened to bump into the alluring man.
His hand was suspended in mid-air, clearly about to knock, and he was momentarily stunned upon seeing Liu Sheng.
“You…”
“My younger sister is waiting for me outside, I know,” Liu Sheng said directly, then walked straight out.
“Yes…”
The man looked at Liu Sheng’s retreating figure, full of confusion, thinking: I haven’t said anything yet, how did you know?
…
Outside the alley, a dishevelled, rotund, white-haired old man watched from afar as Liu Sheng and Ling Xiaoshu walked out of the alley, gradually fading into the distance.
A benevolent smile spread beneath his messy beard.
This old man was precisely Taibai Sword Immortal, who had just hastily bid farewell to Liu Sheng in the guise of “Ling Xiaoshu.”
He couldn’t help but worry, and had quietly followed them until he confirmed that Ling Xiaoshu and Liu Sheng had met, only then did he finally relax.
At this moment, the long sword on Taibai Sword Immortal’s back hummed, and to him, it sounded like: “Ah, people, once they reach a certain age, they can’t help but become benevolent.”
Taibai Sword Immortal chuckled, but as he chuckled, it turned into a series of coughs.
The long sword became agitated, buzzing rapidly.
“You, ah, almost violated… it, do you know! Luckily, you didn’t continue talking to her.”
“Cough cough, no matter, cough cough.” Taibai Sword Immortal covered his mouth with his sleeve, coughing violently. He pulled out a large gourd from under his clothes and took a hefty swig, finally stopping the coughing.
At this moment, his mustache was stained with specks of blood foam.
These damn rules are truly powerful.
In his heart, he wished he could point at the sky and curse, but he still restrained his itching index finger.
Taking a step forward, the surrounding scenery had already changed.
At this moment, he had stepped from Chang’an into a green mountain full of pine, cypress, and bamboo forests, with several bamboo huts before his eyes.
A beautiful middle-aged woman was sitting in front of the courtyard, boiling water and brewing tea. Her long sleeves were rolled up, revealing a section of her fair wrist, looking very elegant and dignified.
But in the interval of the water boiling, the elegant woman, from who knows where, took out a large bag of potato chips, tore open the packaging, picked out a chip, and gently put it into her mouth, looking utterly satisfied.
“Why are you eating this? Don’t you forbid your students from eating it?”
Taibai Sword Immortal made himself at home, sitting directly beside the tea table and extending his hand to the woman, palm open, asking for something.
The woman gave him a sidelong glance, then took out another bag of potato chips and threw it to him.
Taibai Sword Immortal snatched the bag of potato chips in mid-air, directly tore it open, poured it into his mouth, and crunched loudly.
“Senior, why do you have time to come to Huai Mountain today? Instead of going to find Hanshan Jun, I imagine Hanshan Jun is closer.”
The woman was Nangong Wan, who lived in seclusion in Huai Mountain.
Watching this Senior, who had no immortal aura whatsoever, wipe his greasy hands on his clothes, she raised an eyebrow, a little disgusted.
“Xiao Hanzi has been busy with the Examination results these past few days, working tirelessly in the palace, so he has no time for me.”
“That’s true,” Nangong Wan nodded. “And with the sudden change in the imperial Examination format, I imagine there’s a lot to deal with.”
Thinking this, she furrowed her brows.
“Don’t worry, your students are naturally intelligent and have met such an enlightened teacher as yourself, they should do well in the exams,” Taibai Sword Immortal comforted her.
Nangong Wan, however, shook her head without a word.
At this moment, she had just finished a bag of potato chips, scooped a spoonful of stream water from the urn to wash her hands, and then meticulously dried the water from her hands with a handkerchief.
Taibai Sword Immortal, however, didn’t care; he found Nangong Wan’s actions truly cumbersome, but he couldn’t help but praise how delicious the snacks here at Nangong Wan’s place were.
“However, such delicious things, yet not given to your students, even if you are an enlightened teacher, you are a bad teacher who eats alone,” Taibai Sword Immortal even sucked on each finger, licking the remaining crumbs.
Nangong Wan slowly said, “They can’t compare to me. I produce and consume my own, it’s all transformed from my Guai Qi. How could I possibly get a stomach ache?”
Upon hearing this, Taibai Sword Immortal paused his finger-licking action.
Who, eats potato chips and still sucks their fingers!