Sanlang looked at Jiang Wan's pleading expression and nodded, "Alright, I'll go with you to ask Scholar Zhou."
He felt he had to strive for his schooling himself; otherwise, he would feel guilty for letting his family worry about him.
Chen Yuezhi glanced at Madam Cheng with a troubled expression. Since they were so actively helping, it would be rude for the two children to try and find a tutor themselves, wouldn't it?
Madam Cheng, however, did not mind. "Sanlang is a good child. Let them try. If it works out, it will be a joyous occasion for everyone. Scholar Zhou is very talented, and becoming his student would be even better than entering Qingyue Academy. Even if it doesn't work out, three days won't delay anything."
With the matter settled, Jiang Wan and Sanlang went to the county town the next morning.
They bought some gifts and headed straight for Scholar Zhou's residence.
Scholar Zhou lived in a courtyard in the west of the city. The courtyard was quite dilapidated, and the main gate looked as if it were about to collapse. Standing outside the gate, one could see the canopy of the legendary osmanthus tree.
When they arrived at the gate, Sanlang took a deep breath, feeling very nervous.
Jiang Wan raised her hand and knocked gently three times. A hoarse and irritable voice soon came from within the courtyard: "Who is it?!"
Just by the sound of it, one could tell the person had a bad temper.
"Mr. Zhou, we've come to visit you."
Since the other party was unwilling to touch books anymore, Jiang Wan guessed he disliked the title of scholar. Therefore, she addressed him as "Mr."
After a while, footsteps approached, and the gate creaked open with a grating sound.
Scholar Zhou, with an unkempt face and swollen eyes, looked at the siblings.
"Who are you? I don't know you."
Jiang Wan smiled innocently, "Mr. Zhou, my brother and I have come to visit you. We were wondering if you..."
"No time!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the gate slammed shut with a bang, shaking loose some woodworm dust that choked the siblings.
Sanlang was somewhat stunned. He had prepared himself for Scholar Zhou's bad temper, but clearly, his preparation was insufficient.
"Wan Wan, this... can we really succeed?"
Before coming, he thought that as long as they showed enough sincerity, they would surely succeed.
But in this situation, his sincerity, even if it moved heaven and earth, was useless. The other party didn't even give them a chance to finish their words.
Jiang Wan was also a little surprised, but not entirely.
"Little brother, where there's a will, there's a way. If he weren't so difficult to deal with, it wouldn't be our turn. Don't worry, I'll think of a way."
Although Scholar Zhou had only appeared for less than a minute, Jiang Wan had already gathered a lot of information.
Scholar Zhou's bloodshot eyes and irritable temper indicated strong liver fire. His dark circles and swollen eyes suggested he had been resting poorly lately.
Whatever could make a widower who had lived alone for many years so anxious that he couldn't sleep must be a significant matter.
Since the other party had difficulties, it meant they had an opportunity!
So, Jiang Wan summoned her little helper and asked it to find out what had been happening with Scholar Zhou recently.
After the little helper flew away, Jiang Wan took Sanlang to a nearby teahouse to wait.
Sanlang watched Jiang Wan leisurely sip her tea, feeling extremely anxious. If they couldn't get Scholar Zhou's agreement within three days, he would have to go to another town to study.
He didn't want to leave home. They were still unfamiliar with Jiangnan, and if he were to leave home as well, the mere thought filled him with resistance.
Although he didn't know how to make Scholar Zhou agree to teach him, sitting there drinking tea was clearly not helping.
Seeing him about to jump out of his skin with anxiety, Jiang Wan reached out her chubby hand and patted his. "Little brother, calm your heart."
Sanlang wanted to say that he couldn't calm down in this situation, but strangely, the agitation in his heart quickly dissipated.
"Little brother, haste makes waste. We were already rejected when we visited earlier. If we disturb him again rashly, it will only annoy him more. So, we need to wait for the right moment to knock on the door again."
The right moment?
When would that be?
Sanlang looked utterly confused.
The little helper returned half an hour later to report.
It whispered something in Jiang Wan's ear and then flew away again, flapping its wings.
Sanlang asked curiously, "Wan Wan, why is this little helper so human-like? I always feel like it can talk to you."
Jiang Wan grinned, "Little brother, your imagination is quite vivid."
"Alright, let's go. The time is right, we'll go again."
Sanlang: ???
The time is right already? How did it become right?
The siblings, holding gifts again, arrived at Scholar Zhou's gate.
Jiang Wan still knocked gently three times.
"Who is it!"
The voice was still irritable.
Jiang Wan stood outside the gate and said, "Mr. Zhou, I have a way to cure your osmanthus tree."
Sanlang looked bewildered. When did their trip involve an osmanthus tree?
The gate was soon opened. Upon seeing the two children outside, Scholar Zhou's face immediately fell. "Whose children are you? What are you doing here causing trouble? Go back quickly, or I'll hit you!"
With that, Scholar Zhou was about to close the gate again.
This time, Jiang Wan quickly moved her hand to prop the gate open, smiling and saying, "Mr. Zhou, please don't be angry. We are not here to cause trouble. Your osmanthus tree is sick, and we've come to cure it."
Sanlang was a little nervous, truly not understanding what his little sister was talking about.
Fearing that the irritable Scholar Zhou might hit a child, Sanlang quickly stepped forward to guard against any sudden move from Scholar Zhou.
Unexpectedly, Scholar Zhou's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my osmanthus tree is sick?"
He had never revealed this matter to anyone.
Jiang Wan smiled mysteriously, "Naturally, it was told to me by someone who cares for this osmanthus tree, and they asked me to come and help you resolve your worries."
Scholar Zhou remained blocking the doorway. "What capability do you, a little girl with yellow hair, have to help me? Little girl, countless people have tried to enter my courtyard over the years. Don't think that just because you've found out about my osmanthus tree, you can use it to your advantage."
Jiang Wan tilted her chin up and smiled enigmatically, "Simply because that person appeared in my dream last night and told me to make this trip. That person said that if the osmanthus tree dies, their connection with you will also be severed. If you don't believe me, Mr. Zhou, then just pretend I never came today."
With that, she picked up the gifts and turned to leave.
Sanlang quickly followed.
He truly didn't understand what his little sister was up to.
He could understand everything she said, yet he felt as if he understood nothing.
What osmanthus tree? What person in a dream? He hadn't heard a single word about any of this from Wan Wan before they came.
Jiang Wan didn't have time to pay attention to Sanlang's head full of question marks. As she walked forward, she silently counted down in her heart: three, two, one.
As soon as "one" landed, Scholar Zhou's voice called out, "Wait!"