Chapter 7: Sword Drawn and Bowstring Taut

  "Jiulang, what are you doing?" Li Tao angrily asked.

  Fan Changfeng's face was filled with terror, he didn't even glance at Li Tao, but instead accompanied by a smile, carefully and cautiously said to the green-clothed girl: "Lu Xiaoniang, Atao has been afflicted with a strange illness for the past two days, he doesn't remember anything from before, you mustn't blame him!"

  Li Tao couldn't help but look down on Fan Changfeng a bit - just a little girl, no need to be so nervous, right?

  "Is that so? You think you can deceive me with this made-up story?" The green-clothed girl slanted a glance at Fan Changfeng, enunciating each word.

  At the same time, several boys who were originally sitting at the table stood up and surrounded Li Tao and Fan Changfeng.

  At this point, Li Tao was no longer foolish and understood: it turned out that the green-clothed girl was not a simpleton, but rather the "big sister" of this private school. He somewhat understood why Fan Changfeng would be so frightened.

  Fatso, why didn't you tell me earlier? Now I'm going to be humiliated! Li Tao secretly cursed and couldn't help but blame Fan Changfeng in his heart.

  In his later years, Li Tao was not a well-behaved child either. When he was young, he often fought with his classmates and wasn't afraid of fighting. But that was then and this is now. At that time, he was as strong as a small bull calf, and getting hit by a few punches and kicks didn't do much harm. Now, with this body, not to mention fighting, even a gust of wind could blow him away, let alone withstand a beating.

  Isn't there a single righteous master in this private school? Li Tao held onto a glimmer of hope and looked around, while the other children cowered in fear, not even daring to glance at him. Li Tao had completely lost heart, it seemed that the intimidation factor of this "Big Sister" was not ordinary.

  As he saw those boys approaching, Li Tao steeled himself for a beating, but unexpectedly, Fan Changfeng suddenly appeared in front of him.

  Li Tao did not expect that at a critical moment, Fan Changfeng would stand up for him, and his previous blame towards Fan Changfeng instantly turned into nothing.

  Was Fan Changfeng a master of fighting? Li Tao looked at the mountain-like figure in front of him with some expectation. But the result was disappointing, and Fan Changfeng's legs, shaking like sieves, betrayed him without hesitation.

  "Get out of the way!" a handsome young man in blue clothes shouted coldly.

  "I won't!" Fan Changfeng's voice was trembling slightly, but he didn't budge an inch.

  With swords drawn and bows taut, Li Tao was tense and almost breathless, but he walked unhesitatingly to the front of Fan Changfeng. Although he knew he wouldn't have a good outcome, being a turtle with its head withdrawn wasn't his style.

  "The Master is here!"

  Someone shouted, and the blue-shirted youth who had already moved stopped abruptly, retreating to his original position at an incredible speed. "Big Sister" also quickly sat down in front of her own desk.

  It's really one thing after another, the "big sister" who was just full of herself and the blue-shirted youth are now as meek as kittens, Li Tao didn't think that Master had such great power.

  In an instant, Li Tao was suddenly pulled to the front of the table by Fan Changfeng. He was caught off guard and almost fell over. After he sat down properly, he couldn't help but look in the direction of the voice from earlier. As his gaze swept across the room, a girl wearing a light yellow long dress came into view.

  The girl in yellow is also a beauty, and she doesn't lose out to "Big Sister".

  Isn't it said that ancient girls couldn't attend school? How did two beauties appear in the private school? Li Tao was stunned, and suddenly felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He turned his head to look, and it was Fan Changfeng again.

  "Ah Tao, kneel down, otherwise Master will hit the board!" Fan Changfeng said in a low voice.

  "What? Want to hit the board?" Li Tao heard this and thought it was unacceptable. Protecting his own body was now the most important thing.

  What is seiza?

  Li Tao looked around and finally understood: it was just his buttocks pressing down on his own calves and ankles, sitting up straight.

  Li Tao didn't want to get hit by Master Fu on his first day at the private school, so he hastily sat up straight.

  No sooner had he sat down than his wife appeared.

  The husband wore a round-necked and narrow-sleeved gown, about 41 or 42 years old, of medium build, with broad shoulders and a thick back, a wide forehead, a thin and long face, under the rough eyebrows were bright and spirited eyes, a straight nose slightly flat, a wide mouth and thin lips, a long beard, quite elegant.

  Li Tao had heard Fan Changfeng say that Mr. Cheng Dechang was the most learned man in Shucheng County, and indeed in all of Luzhou Prefecture. Yet this extremely learned man preferred to live in seclusion in the countryside, serving as a teacher in a private school.

  There are eighteen students in the private school, each with a square table. There is also a square table in front of Cheng Dechang, which is slightly larger than that of the students, on which there are inkstone, small water cup, teapot and tea bowl.

  At this moment, Cheng Dechang sat in front of his desk with a serious and intimidating expression, facing the students who were kneeling.

  First, he asked about yesterday's homework. Cheng Dechang called one student to stand in front of his desk and start reciting the text. After finishing, the student went down, and another was called up, and so on until everyone had finished. Those who couldn't recite it smoothly, stuttered, or repeated too much would naturally be beaten with a ruler.

  The board was made of mulberry wood, about the length of a ruler. The person being hit had to voluntarily stretch out their left hand, and if they used their right hand, it would be unable to write afterwards. The teacher would use his left hand to hold the student's left hand back, and with his right hand, he would hit the board, once, twice... how many times it was hit, whether it was really painful or not, depended on the teacher's level of anger. With just two or three hits, the person being hit's hand would immediately swell up high.

  Li Tao didn't come to the private school for two days, so Master naturally wouldn't ask him about yesterday's homework, and he managed to avoid this calamity. However, hearing the crackling sound of the board being beaten, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, although it wasn't on his own palm, yet there was a faint feeling of physical pain.

  Without the psychological burden, Li Tao secretly hoped in his heart: It's best if "Big Sister" and the blue-shirted youth can't recite the book either, let Master Cheng scold them severely, it would be a way to vent his own anger.

  But the result was very disappointing to Li Tao, "Big Sister" and the blue-shirted youth recited the book very fluently. Although Li Tao couldn't understand what they were reciting, seeing Master nodding his head, he knew that these two dogs would definitely pass.

  "Big Sister" and the blue-shirted youth passed easily, but Fan Changfeng fell flat on his face.

  Fan Changfeng went to Zhaozhuang to visit Li Tao yesterday, and after chatting with Li Tao, he returned home very late. The homework arranged by the teacher had been forgotten. Now that Cheng Dechang is going to test his homework, he knows he's in trouble.

  Stammering for half a day without saying anything conclusive, Cheng Dechang furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice: "Put out your hand!"

  Fan Changfeng's face was wretched, but he didn't dare hesitate and pitifully stretched out his left hand.

  Li Tao was well aware of why Fan Changfeng's work had not passed, and he wanted to explain it for him, but seeing Cheng Fuzi's dark face, he hesitated and ultimately did not speak up.