Jiang Pan saw his youngest daughter looking listless and picked her up, placing her on his lap.
"Wanwan, you should try not to go into the mountains anymore. I heard the owner of that courtyard in the back mountain has returned, and they don't seem very friendly."
Although the back mountain was not small, the villagers had already explored all sides of it. Anyone with eyes could see that courtyard. As the village chief, Jiang Pan naturally knew of its existence.
Jiang Wan quickly said, "Dad, are you talking about that little哥哥 and his master?"
Jiang Pan was taken aback. "You've met them?"
Jiang Wan nodded. "Yes, I met them. They're very nice! That little哥哥 even helped me with the horses. He really likes our horses. It's a pity the little哥哥 isn't in good health. His master looks a bit fierce, but he's not a bad person."
Jiang Pan, worried his daughter might be deceived, quickly said, "Wanwan, you're still young. You can't distinguish good people from bad. You shouldn't..."
Jiang Wan smiled slightly and whispered in his ear, "But the old immortal can tell! He said they aren't bad people."
Mentioning the old immortal, Jiang Pan didn't know how to argue further.
There was no way around it. The status of this old immortal, whom they had never met, was too revered in the hearts of Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi.
Jiang Wan sighed. "Dad, don't worry. The little哥哥's master finds me annoying and doesn't want me to play with the little哥哥."
"What? He finds you annoying?!"
The father, who had just been worried about his daughter's safety, immediately shifted his focus.
"What kind of eyes does he have? My Wanwan is so cute and capable, and he finds you annoying?! Come on, Dad will take you to talk to him!"
Jiang Pan, unwilling to accept his daughter being disliked, immediately prepared to take Jiang Wan to the back mountain.
Chen Yuezhi quickly stopped him. "Since they live in the back mountain, they must prefer peace and quiet. It's already wrong for Wanwan to disturb them so rashly. What are you, as a father, getting all worked up about!"
Jiang Pan was displeased. "But they shouldn't find Wanwan annoying! It's as if anyone cares about them!"
Jiang Wan pursed her lips guiltily. She actually cared quite a bit.
Jiang Pan thought about it more and more, feeling increasingly annoyed. "Wanwan, don't play with that kid anymore. Erlang, you'll accompany Wanwan to the back mountain to tend to the horses from now on! He likes our horses, doesn't he? Then let him look all he wants, but don't let him touch them. Let him covet them!"
Chen Yuezhi couldn't help but laugh and cry. "How old are you to still be playing such childish games? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you if they hear about it?"
Jiang Pan snorted proudly, and the matter was considered settled.
When the little horse returned again, Jiang Wan didn't let it go to the private school. Instead, she sent it to the back mountain to keep watch.
She refused to believe that the master and disciple duo wouldn't return.
In the evening, Sanlang was brought back.
Jiang Wan immediately forgot about the master and disciple in the back mountain and pulled Sanlang over to ask, "Little brother, were you bullied at school? Is the teacher short-tempered? Did he deliberately find excuses to make things difficult for you? And what about those little brats, did they ostracize the new student?"
Sanlang smiled and tapped her head. "What's in that little head of yours? You have so many thoughts. The teacher is a bit short-tempered, but he's very particular about academics. The classmates at school are also very... cute."
He started his education late, so all his classmates were younger than him.
Seeing that he was very happy, Jiang Wan finally felt relieved.
Although her little brother was very smart, she still worried that he would be bullied by others. It was no wonder that those who were protective tended to worry.
Chen Yuezhi asked, "What did the teacher teach today? Have you learned any characters yet?"
Sanlang's eyes curved into crescents. "He taught the 'Three Character Classic.' I've already memorized what the teacher taught, and the teacher praised me for being intelligent."
Chen Yuezhi's eyes lit up. "Is that so? Then hurry up and recite it for us."
Sanlang immediately stood up, cleared his throat, and then began to sway his head and recite, "Ren zhi chu, xing ben shan, xing xiang jin, xi xiang yuan..."
Jiang Wan was stunned by his reciting posture.
What kind of pose was that? Could it be some ancient method for enhancing memory?
But it was too unsightly!
The others looked delighted. Jiang Pan even swayed his head slightly to Sanlang's rhythm.
Sanlang had only learned a short passage of the 'Three Character Classic,' so he finished reciting it quickly. Then, with sparkling eyes, he asked, "How was my recitation?"
Chen Yuezhi kept nodding. "Good, good, our Sanlang is indeed intelligent. I remember when the Jiang family's scholar husband first enrolled, he cried several times while reciting this, and even got spanked by his teacher a few times before he barely managed to memorize it."
Dalang and Erlang looked amazed. "Third brother is so smart. He remembered so much in just one day. He's clearly destined to be a top scholar!"
Jiang Pan, though very happy, deliberately suppressed the corners of his mouth and nodded indifferently. "Not bad."
Jiang Wan couldn't help herself. "Little brother, who did you learn this habit of swaying your head while reciting from?"
Sanlang blinked. "That's how the teacher taught it?"
Jiang Wan frowned. "Don't you think it looks unsightly?"
Sanlang, as well as the others in the family, looked at her in confusion. "Does reading have to look good or bad? Don't everyone read like this?"
Jiang Wan: ...
Fine, she would demonstrate reciting without swaying her head.
So she stood before her family, puffed out her small chest, put her hands behind her back, and recited loudly, "Ren zhi chu, xing ben shan..."
Her crisp, childlike voice stunned the entire family!
Jiang Wan stopped after reciting the passage Sanlang had recited. "How is it? Does my way of reciting look better?"
But who would care about that?
Sanlang, full of admiration, grabbed her hand. "Wanwan, how did you manage to memorize it all after hearing it just once?"
He had to recite it several times at school to barely remember it.
Jiang Wan scratched her head. "I don't know. I just remembered it after hearing it once. But that's not the point. The point is my reciting posture!"
Sanlang also scratched his head. "It does seem a bit better, but the teacher might not be happy."
Jiang Wan waved her hand. "Forget it. Let's stick to what your teacher taught. Even if it's unsightly and useless, at least you won't be criticized."
That old man had such a peculiar temper. He might lash out at her little brother for being unconventional.
Sanlang didn't seem to care about this matter and held Jiang Wan's hand. "Wanwan, why don't you learn to read and write with me? You're smarter than me, you'll definitely learn better."
Jiang Pan immediately nodded. "That's a good idea. Wanwan, you learn with Sanlang too, and become a talented woman in the future."
Jiang Wan wasn't particularly interested in reading and writing, but thinking that she was currently illiterate, she didn't resist. "Alright then. Little brother, you teach me after you've learned."
Upon hearing this, Sanlang immediately pulled Jiang Wan back into the house. "Let's go, brother will teach you now."
Jiang Wan: ...It's not necessary to be this eager.