Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 5: Master Zhou

The night was as thick as ink that couldn't be diluted.

Su Ming lay prone on the hard earthen bed, the wounds on his back stinging with a piercing pain as the ointment took effect. He gritted his teeth, burying his face in the musty-smelling pillow without making a sound.

"Does it hurt?" Lin Yu's voice sounded lazily in his mind.

"Mhm." Su Ming responded gloomily.

"Hurting means it's working." Lin Yu's tone gave no indication of emotion. "Remember this feeling. Your body is like a broken boat trying to cross a sea of suffering. Today's beating was just waves slapping against the deck. If the boat isn't sturdy, when storms come, it will be destroyed instantly with everyone aboard."

What he actually thought was: "I need to improve this kid's physical condition. My retirement plan can't collapse right after I started paying into it."

Listening to his master's words, the pain in Su Ming's back seemed to take on special meaning.

"Master, I understand."

"Understanding alone isn't enough." Lin Yu shifted topics. "Starting tomorrow, you must memorize every single character Teacher Zhou teaches, without missing a single one. For a boat to be sturdy, it needs blueprints first. These characters are your blueprints."

Su Ming hesitated slightly. "But... my memory isn't good.""The slow bird must start flying early, and diligence can compensate for clumsiness." Lin Yu's voice carried undeniable authority. "This old master has ways to help you. Now, do something else."

"What is it?"

"Take off the ring."

Su Ming was startled but complied, pulling the cold ring from his chest.

"Your household has many eyes, and your second brother is particularly observant. If you keep wearing it while sleeping, you'll eventually be discovered." Lin Yu instructed. "See that crack in the roof beam? Hang it on that protruding wooden splinter inside the crack."

Su Ming looked up and, by the faint moonlight streaming through the window, indeed spotted an inconspicuous crack in the overhead beam. Stepping on the bed frame and standing on tiptoe, he carefully hung the ring there.

The ring disappeared into the darkness as if it had never existed.

"Alright, go to sleep." Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "Rest well. Tomorrow is your second lesson after joining."

The next day, as dawn was just breaking.

Su Ming climbed out of bed. The wounds on his back still hurt, but when he thought of his master's words, he felt filled with motivation.

At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Feng buried his head in his porridge, while Wang Chuntao glanced

Shan remained silent as usual, but placed an extra serving of pickled vegetables

at him with concern. "Little Ming, does your back still hurt? Maybe don't go

his head and quickly finished the porridge in

cloth bag hanging on the wall and

Yang watched his retreating back, his

basin of water. Her voice was loud and clear. "Why are you running so fast? Don't you dare skip Teacher Zhou's class

who is this auntie with the built-in amplification array?" Lin Yu's voice sounded in

Ming quickly replied in his mind: "That's Auntie Li, the neighborhood gossip. But her

village-level intelligence distribution center, high-risk interpersonal unit. Recommend maintaining

"mhm" and kept walking, almost jogging as he disappeared around the corner of

of firewood, sweat droplets sliding down his sturdy arms. Watching Su Ming's hurried retreating figure with his tightly furrowed brow, he turned and exchanged

schoolhouse, the air was filled with the

at birth are naturally

he led seven or eight children in

reading voices

but it made the entire schoolhouse

front of the hall with his head lowered,

of the ruler cutting through the air

"Smack!"

his palm, burning with pain. Su Ming clenched his teeth, not making a

to a more comfortable "position" inside the ring. But "this is also a lesson, kid. First rule of survival:

at Su Ming's failure to meet expectations, then resumed

natures are similar, but their habits make them

palm feeling like it

to open the

voice emerged. "This is called tactile memory method. Simple and brutal, but highly effective for

unfamiliar character "beginning" in the book as

but

buzzing reading voices filled his ears again. He took a deep breath, suppressing the burning sensation, and

through the small schoolhouse, making the window paper

stinging in his palm gradually

character rolling out of his throat feeling like he was

who knows how long, Teacher Zhou's ruler

"Tap."

in the room

slightly clouded eyes sweeping over each

your books. Grind ink, prepare to learn