Chapter 23: Blushing Ears

Chapter 23: Blushing Ears

Lin Shu was someone who could easily win people over when she put her mind to it. However, she wasn't so narcissistic as to believe she should be universally adored. Besides, Zhou Ye had a deep connection with the female lead in the book—after all, if Lin Yao didn't return to the Marquis's estate, she was destined to marry Zhou Ye.

Coupled with Zhou Ye's behavior over the past two days—he rarely looked her in the eye, spoke very little, and often deliberately avoided her—Lin Shu naturally assumed he was displeased with her, perhaps even harboring a hint of resentment.

Putting herself in his shoes, if a prize she'd worked hard for slipped away, she too would feel a pang of complaint. It was a crude thought, but it held true. Zhou Ye, being a decent person, understood that the situation wasn't her fault, which was why he didn't openly display his dissatisfaction.

As for why Lin Shu smiled so kindly at him, besides having her own agenda, it was also to adhere to the old saying: "You don't hit a smiling person." No matter how poor Zhou Ye's impression of her might be, he surely wouldn't have the heart to scowl at a gentle, kind, and innocent young girl, right?

But then, Xiao Pu dropped a bombshell, completely stunning her.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Lin Shu's gaze shifted subtly, her expression turning rather nuanced as she asked, "Little sister, why do you think Zhou Ye likes me? Elaborate."

Lin Xiaopu grinned, showing her teeth. "Oh, there are so many reasons! For example, every time you talk to Brother Ye, his ears turn red!"

Lin Shu was surprised. "He's so tanned—can you even tell if his ears are red?"

Lin Xiaopu said with certainty, "You still can. When Brother Ye's ears get hot, the dark skin shows a faint reddish tint, though it's not very obvious."

"Besides his ears turning red, what else?"

"He always steals glances at you, but when you look back, he avoids your gaze. And if you stare at Brother Ye while talking, he can't bring himself to look at you! Mom said that when Dad was young, he liked her so much he couldn’t look at her because it made his heart pound and chest feel tight and uncomfortable."

Lin Shu's lips curved into a slight smile as she listened, but she said, "I don't believe it. You must be overthinking."

"It's true!" Lin Xiaopu insisted eagerly. "Back when Sister Yao was here, Brother Ye never acted like this."

Lin Shu's gaze flickered. "Did Zhou Ye not know he was supposed to marry your Sister Yao in the future? Or did he find out very late?"

Lin Xiaopu said, "He knew very early on. Dad never hid his intentions, but Brother Ye and my Sister Yao were both very composed. Sister Yao was dead set on making money. She agreed to Dad's idea because she figured she'd have to marry eventually, and finding a husband who'd move in was better than marrying outside the family. As for Brother Ye, he didn't object at all. Back then, he was nearly starving to death, so he did whatever Dad told him to."

Listening to this, Lin Shu thought: Did Zhou Ye have no romantic feelings for the female lead at all?

If he was a pawn, he was truly just a pawn—not even an admirer of the female lead?

"Are you sure Zhou Ye doesn't like your Sister Yao?" Lin Shu asked, still somewhat doubtful.

This was the female lead of the book, after all. How could a female lead not have a few admirers? Zhou Ye happened to be a prime candidate.

Although Lin Shu hadn't met everyone in Sweetwater Village yet, she could guarantee that no young man in the village was a better catch than Zhou Ye—it would be hard to find one even in the surrounding villages!

Lin Xiaopu said knowingly, "He does like her. Sister Yao is hardworking and capable—who in the village doesn't like her? If Dad hadn't bought Brother Ye early on, matchmakers would have worn a path to our door coming to propose! Hehe, but it's definitely not the kind of liking you're thinking of."

"You little devil," Lin Shu snorted. "I'll believe you for now. Later, I'll feel him out. If I find out it's not true, I won't tell you any bedtime stories tonight."

Lin Xiaopu thumped her chest, assuring her it was definitely true.

While the two sisters were whispering, Lin Dashui had already reconciled with Lin Dashan and was preparing to leave. Before going, he made a point of thanking Lin Shu, his solemn manner making her feel rather embarrassed.

"Uncle, no need for formalities. You're my dad's own brother. Three years ago, we were still one family. Family should help each other."

Her words made Lin Dashui both ashamed and regretful.

He shouldn't have listened to his wife and argued with his second brother when the family split up three years ago. Even if he managed to get an extra acre of land, would Yu Shu have been able to afford an education?

"Shu, your uncle and aunt will remember your kindness. If Yu Shu makes something of himself in the future, you'll be like a sister to him!"

Lin Shu smiled. "I am now, too."

Lin Dashui quickly corrected himself, "Right, right—always!"

From the stove, He Guixiang called, "The food is ready. Third Brother, stay and have breakfast before you go!"

Lin Dashui quickly waved his hand. "No, no, I'll be going now. I'll call Yu Shu over in a bit."

Lin Dashan stopped him and shoved a piece of wild pork, well-marbled with fat and lean, into his hands. "Take this back to eat."

"Second Brother, I can't accept this!"

Without waiting for further refusal, Lin Dashan pushed him out.

After seeing him off, Lin Dashan returned, the wrinkles on his weathered face smoothing out with a smile.

He Guixiang was also happy today and made plain rice. The rice was already steamed, and she let Lin Shu handle the side dishes.

They had finished the fish caught yesterday, but there were still two yellow eels left. Lin Shu made yellow eel stir-fried with wild onions.

She heated the wok, added oil, and stir-fried chopped wild onions, wild garlic, and Chinese mugwort until fragrant. Then she added the eel segments and stir-fried them before adding soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings to braise and reduce the sauce. It would have tasted even better with aged rice wine, but the family had to save their grain—who would dare use it to make wine? If they craved it badly, they would buy some by the scoop from town.

After braising the eel, Lin Shu went to the back of the house to pick some greens.

Every household had sloped areas around their homes, unsuitable for farming. They usually cleared the weeds and used the space to grow fruits and vegetables.

Leafy green and radish seeds were the cheapest and easiest to grow, so most people planted them. Some also grew cucumbers, known as “hú guā” at the time, which were the cucumbers of later generations.

Like most villagers, He Guixiang only grew leafy greens and radishes. The spring radishes had all been harvested—some were pickled with the leafy greens, and the rest were dried into dried radish. The summer radishes had just been planted, so it would be a while before they could be eaten, but the leafy greens could be eaten fresh anytime.

However, Lin Shu thought it was a pity—with so much empty land, they could easily grow more fruits and vegetables. She decided to look around town later and buy more seeds.

The family ate breakfast feeling fully satisfied.

The yellow eel stir-fried with wild onions was an extra meat dish. He Guixiang had baked quite a few griddle cakes early in the morning. Zhou Ye took four for provisions, leaving three behind. Lin Dashan ate one, and the remaining two were shared among the mother and two daughters. With the plain rice and vegetables, everyone ate their fill.

Lin Xiaopu patted her bulging little belly and accidentally glanced outside the courtyard, suddenly exclaiming, "Dad, Mom, Cousin Yu Shu seems to be here!"

Lin Dashan cleared his throat. "Well, call your cousin in. What's he doing standing outside the courtyard?"

Lin Xiaopu chuckled and hurried to the gate to call him in.

Lin Yushu was naturally shy. After greeting Lin Dashan and He Guixiang as "Second Uncle" and "Second Aunt," he stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Lin Dashan patted his shoulder. "Pay attention to your sister's teaching."

After this brief remark, Lin Dashan shouldered his hoe, picked up his sickle, and went to work in the fields, his steps lighter than usual.

He Guixiang said gently, "The table's just been cleared. Go to the main room."

Lin Shu placed two long benches with their backs to the door. Lin Yushu and Lin Xiaopu sat on the lower seats, while she took the upper one.

The lesson pace was set according to Lin Yushu's progress. Lin Xiaopu would absorb as much as she could, and Lin Shu would fill her in on what she missed later.

At first, Lin Yushu seemed a bit uncomfortable, but after Lin Shu straightforwardly asked about his progress from years ago under Old Student Scholar, Lin Yushu answered respectfully, though his tense body relaxed noticeably.

"...The teacher taught the Three Character Classic. I could already recite it entirely six years ago, but the teacher didn't finish explaining the whole text. I only learned up to the line: 'They are the scholar, the farmer, the artisan, and the merchant; these four are the nation's pillars.'"

Lin Yushu spoke calmly, but Lin Shu was already stunned by his first sentence.

The *Three Character Classic* is over a thousand characters long. Lin Yushu was only about six at the time, yet he had already memorized the entire text?

"How much of it do you still remember now?" Lin Shu asked.

Lin Yushu replied, "I still remember all of it," as if it were the most natural thing.

"Recite it for me!"

Lin Yushu immediately began reciting, and he recited the entire thing without a single stumble, as if it had long been engraved in his mind.

Lin Shu then quizzed him on some earlier passages. Not only could Lin Yushu explain their full meaning, but he also offered his own insights and raised some surprisingly deep questions.

What's more, Lin Yushu could even write from memory all the sections Old Student Scholar had taught him earlier!

For a moment, Lin Shu was completely floored.

No way. Seriously?

She had originally planned to just teach him casually—get him to learn some more characters, cover some basic arithmetic, and set him up to become an accountant in the city someday. She never expected that Lin Yushu was a natural-born learner.

Suddenly, she understood why Third Aunt had been so bitter for so many years.

He must study—Lin Yushu absolutely must continue his education!

Author's Note: