Chapter 403: Chapter 399: Son, You Have the Nerve!

Qin Liuxi couldn’t straighten up from laughing, pointing at Qin Mingchun, “Stingy poor ghost Junior Master, hahaha, she’s dying of laughter.”

Qin Mingchun’s resentment deepened, staring at her dissatisfiedly, “I was suddenly called Junior Master, how could I have prepared any gifts for meeting, that’s not my fault.”

“Sure, sure, but as the new Junior Master, shouldn’t you also give something?” Qin Liuxi chuckled.

Qin Mingchun stiffened slightly, somewhat embarrassed.

Well, he was indeed poor.

If the Qin family had not fallen from its peak, he would have had plenty of little treasures to offer as meeting gifts, but now, it seemed he really had nothing of worth to give.

Qin Mingchun grew anxious, wanting to rush back and rifle through the belongings in his room; he had to present some sort of gift.

“I’ll make it up later,” he vowed.

Qin Liuxi wanted to laugh again but held back, pinching the soft flesh on his face, “How are your studies in the academy?”

Qin Mingchun stood before her, straightening his back, “The Mountain Master and the teachers are all quite good.”

“And your classmates?”

Qin Mingchun fell silent.

Qin Liuxi glanced over, raising an eyebrow, “What, were you bullied?”

“Not really, I’m fine, I’ve got thick skin, and I’m young. I ignore the gossip, play dumb,” Qin Mingchun immediately said: “But Fourth Brother can’t stand provocation, he got into a fight and was punished by the teacher.”

“Provoked over what?”

“Somehow they found out about our family’s situation, saying we’re on stinking dog shit luck, that our fathers and brothers eat dirt in the northwest, and here we are, studying in the academy, saying we’ve got wicked hearts, that we should go eat dirt too, not basking in comfort here,” Qin Mingchun shrugged his nose, “If you ask me, they’re the wicked ones. They’re purposely agitating us with such words. It’s not like we could just go join in eating dirt if we wanted to, they’re just mouthing off without any pain.”

Qin Liuxi was immensely amused, “And then?”

“Then Fourth Brother couldn’t take the provocation and started fighting them. He got punished by the teacher, had to copy the text a hundred times,” Qin Mingchun clicked his tongue and shuddered at the thought, “Thankfully I didn’t join in, or else I’d be punished too.”

Qin Liuxi squinted, asking, “Letting your Fourth Brother fight alone without helping, you think that was right?”

A chill ran down Qin Mingchun’s back.

He swallowed hard and said, “I couldn’t have beaten them; if I’d charged in, wouldn’t I just have ended up beaten? I lay low and then found an opportunity for a sneak attack.”

“A sneak attack?”

Qin Mingchun said, “I waited until the guy went to the outhouse, caught a toad and threw it in, scared him right into the pit! Don’t worry, before I did it, I’d calculated all the escape routes and even found a classmate to be my alibi. He couldn’t pin it on me.”

A prank, all in good fun.

Qin Liuxi nodded and said, “Indeed, courage and strategy are necessary, not rashness. In the face of such an obvious provocation, it’s correct for you not to fall for it. However scathing his words may be, they can’t outweigh the pride of presenting excellent results.”

Qin Mingchun tilted his head and replied, “But afterward, fourth brother scolded me for lacking in mettle, calling me a soft egg.”

“He has mettle, but what good has it brought him besides getting into a fight and being punished?” Qin Liuxi glanced nonchalantly out of the window, continuing, “He gained nothing, only earning the teacher’s punishment and perhaps disfavor. And to copy texts as a punishment is both time-consuming and draining. Wouldn’t that time be better spent reading more books and interacting with the teacher?”

“Is his so-called mettle simply an inability to withstand provocation, or is it an inability to tolerate the mockery? It’s hard to say. Without strength, what’s the point of talking about mettle? You are still just students in the academy. After this incident, you’ve left the impression on the teacher and the Mountain Master of being unable to handle situations and lacking patience. This does you no good. If the punishment drags on and affects your monthly examinations, and you fail, you’ll just have to pack up and leave, playing right into their hands.”

“When one is in dire straits, focus on improving oneself; when powerful, work for the common good. You are all but mere fledglings; the Qin family is in decline and vulnerable. As mere visiting students at the academy, you are virtually insignificant. How can you afford to talk about mettle when you are so weak and can’t even withstand simple provocations? What can you possibly achieve in the future?” Qin Liuxi’s voice was sharp, “If I were you, I’d be discreet and endure, first securing a solid footing in the academy before gradually strengthening oneself. In time, whether one turns out to be a worm or a dragon will become evident. Remember, only when you’re strong can you rejuvenate the family. Like weaklings talking about mettle and showing off unbending pride—that is foolishness.”

Qin Mingchun’s heart trembled, and he bowed his head, accepting the lesson.

“You did well. Since we can’t defeat them openly, we’ll resort to subtler means.” Qin Liuxi looked at him approvingly and said, “You’ve planned your escape route well, and knew to look for witnesses to cover your tracks. Since they can’t find any fault with you, even if their words are foul and stink, it serves them right. Xiao Wu, although your fourth brother’s fault lies in his impulsiveness, you are brothers, part of the same family. Sharing in glory and loss, it’s right to band together. It’s all about being smart.”

Qin Mingchun scratched his head with a bashful smile, “I didn’t think that much; I just felt that I couldn’t let him get the better of us.”

Qin Liuxi glanced out of the window, ignoring the crunching footsteps in the snow, and began to test Qin Mingchun’s knowledge of recent studies.

The examination was, to say the least, disappointing.

“The Mountain Master said I have quite a talent for mathematics.” Qin Mingchun began to feel nervous again.

Qin Liuxi hesitated, then sighed and said, “Alright, strive to learn as much as you can. What will be, will be. Now go.”

“Okay.”

Qin Mingchun bid farewell to Qin Liuxi and scurried back to his own courtyard, rummaging through his possessions.

Aunt Wan approached and asked, “Weren’t you at your elder sister’s courtyard? I already told you she wasn’t there.”

“She was. Elder Sister has returned.” Qin Mingchun sat down heavily on the kang bed and said, “Aunt, I’ve met the two disciples of elder sister.”

Aunt Wan uttered an “Oh” upon hearing his downcast tone, and then said, “What’s wrong, did they intimidate you? What’s there to fear? You are your sister’s blood brother, even if you can’t surpass them in certain ways, there’s definitely something they can’t surpass you in.”

“What’s that?”

“Your face, son. You’ve got a good-looking face.” Aunt Wan sat down and said, “I’ve seen them, none are as handsome as you. When you grow up, you’ll definitely be more appealing. They wear simple Daoist robes, but with a little dressing up, you’ll shine like a flower and surely catch your sister’s eye.”

Qin Mingchun frowned, “Aunt, I’m not worried about that sort of thing.”

“Then what is it?”

“According to our generational rankings, they should address me as Junior Master. Elder sister has acknowledged this too, and since they’ve paid their respects to me, shouldn’t I give them a welcome gift? But I have nothing worthy to present.” Qin Mingchun was scratching his head in frustration.

Aunt Wan went blank for a moment, “Junior Master? If that’s our rank, doesn’t it make me their Grandmaster? Good heavens, am I that old!”

Qin Mingchun: “!”

Forget it, there’s no point in discussing this with her; they’re simply not on the same wavelength!