Chapter 299: Chapter 301: Delivering Strawberries
An Ning held the hard blackboard eraser, wiping away the white chalk on the blackboard bit by bit.
Specks of chalk dust were clearly visible in the sunlight, and Zhou Xiaoshan subconsciously covered his mouth and nose.
With her back to him, An Ning continued to speak. "As for intelligence, there are several people in this village who are at least your equal."
"I can see the answer with a single glance, yet I still answer every question according to the instructions."
"Li Chengze, who will soon be my eldest disciple, returned from his studies abroad, yet he remains here in the village to learn."
"Yu the Elder, a mathematics professor from Beijing University, still possesses a drive to learn and improve, and is preparing to ask me to be his teacher."
"Jiang Xia, my neighbor, scores perfectly on every exam, yet that never stops him from following the instructions to the letter."
An Ning turned around and gently placed the eraser in the chalk tray at the bottom of the blackboard.
"Zhou Xiaoshan, there’s nothing wrong with breaking the mold, but there are still rules that must be followed."
"Following the rules doesn’t mean you’re surrendering or admitting defeat. Instead, it’s a sign of confident humility and grace."
"Making things difficult for others just to show off is never the right way."
It was the first time An Ning had said so much at once. She clapped the chalk dust from her hands and finally said two words, "Class dismissed."
Yin Xuemei, Yang Jianguo, and An Guoping all rose to their feet. They didn’t say, "Goodbye, Teacher An," but their respect was clearly genuine.
Zhou Xiaoshan kept his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes, squirming with discomfort.
"I don’t believe it! I don’t believe you’re all smarter than me!"
Zhou Xiaoshan suddenly shouted, snapping his head up to look at An Ning.
An Ning, whose back was turned, broke into a triumphant smile. The expression vanished the instant she turned to face him.
"Who do you want to compete against?"
Just as An Ning finished speaking, Li Chengze happened to walk in.
An Ning pointed to the newcomer. "This is my future eldest disciple. Why don’t you start by debating him?"
Zhou Xiaoshan stared at Li Chengze. The usually gentle and kind Li Chengze instantly straightened his back upon hearing An Ning call him her "future eldest disciple."
’I’m about to compete for my master. I can’t bring her shame.’
"Fine!"
Zhou Xiaoshan was unconvinced. He considered himself well-read, able to understand any book after just one reading.
’He pretty much knew he was going to stay. But if he was staying, he had to do so willingly.’
An Ning turned and walked toward Li Chengze.
She stopped beside him and whispered, "Crush him. Utterly."
"Yes!"
Li Chengze looked like a soldier who had just received his most glorious mission, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Zhou Xiaoshan.
’Zhou Xiaoshan wasn’t a stumbling block—he was the sweetest slice of cake!’
Victory was the only outcome Li Chengze would accept.
With an air of nonchalance, An Ning left the courtyard, victory already in her grasp.
’Zhou Xiaoshan is smart, but for a raw, unpolished genius who hasn’t been tempered by rigorous study, Li Chengze is more than enough.’
As An Ning passed Yu the Elder, he eagerly volunteered, "Teacher An, I’m available as well."
"No rush. I’m sure you’ll get your chance."
The confidence in An Ning and Yu the Elder’s exchange made Zhou Yicheng a little worried for his foolish son.
’I hope this doesn’t crush him.’
’Probably not. He’s my son, after all. He can’t be that spineless.’
After a moment of self-reassurance, Zhou Yicheng felt much better.
He never once considered the possibility of Zhou Xiaoshan winning.
He just couldn’t figure An Ning out.
The morning lesson ended, and the students departed to go about their day.
Li Chengze dragged Zhou Xiaoshan into what would become a grueling and soul-crushing ordeal.
No matter what question Zhou Xiaoshan posed, Li Chengze could answer it with ease. In fact, Li Chengze’s methods were always a cut above.
The more questions he asked, the more frustrated Zhou Xiaoshan became. He’d read plenty of university textbooks himself, so why couldn’t he measure up to Li Chengze?
’In truth, Li Chengze was also stunned. So this was the disciple An Ning had her eye on, the one she wanted to recruit personally.’
Before studying with An Ning, Li Chengze might have been able to answer Zhou Xiaoshan’s questions, but not with his current effortlessness.
His current ease was undeniably a direct result of An Ning’s one-on-one instruction.
Unfortunately for Zhou Xiaoshan, he didn’t know this.
He was facing the very first "boss," and he was already stumped.
In the early morning sunlight, the two sat on small stools facing each other before a window, a wooden table between them. Their eyes were locked in a silent, intense battle of wits.
Though repeatedly defeated, Zhou Xiaoshan only grew more determined with each failure. Li Chengze had to admire the speed at which he learned.
An Ning watched them for a while before turning her attention elsewhere.
’Li Chengze has this handled.’
She picked up a basket of strawberries and headed to her uncle’s house.
Before An Ning even reached Uncle An’s house, she ran into him carrying a hoe on his shoulder, on his way to the fields.
"Uncle."
"An Ning... where are you off to?"
An Ning held up the basket of strawberries. "I was just on my way to your house to drop these off. I also had something I wanted to ask you, Uncle."
Hearing this, Uncle An simply turned around and headed back home with her, hoe still on his shoulder.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they were spotted by her aunt, who had come out to feed the pigs.
"An Ning’s here! Quick, come inside."
An Ning greeted her aunt with a respectful warmth and followed Uncle An into the house.
An Ning set down the strawberries. Her aunt, who had followed them in, washed a handful for An Ning and her husband, then set aside the rest to divide among her sons.
"Auntie, more will be ripening in the greenhouse over the next few days. Just let my cousins know they can come pick some themselves."
"Alright, I will."
Her aunt agreed readily, though she had never once taken the initiative to go to the An family’s greenhouse.
That’s why An Ning had gotten into the habit of bringing some produce over to her uncle’s family whenever she harvested.
Inside, An Ning handed a strawberry to Uncle An.
After tasting it, Uncle An gave his honest opinion. "It’s delicious. With the right connections, you could sell these for a good price."
An Ning offered a charming smile. "My second brother said the same thing."
"Uncle, there are two things I’d like to discuss with you."
Uncle An nodded, gesturing for her to speak her mind.
"First, I’m preparing to take on a disciple, and I wanted to ask about the proper process and how to set an auspicious date."
Uncle An wasn’t surprised; An Sancheng had told him about Li Chengze.
"Alright, leave it to me. I’ll go find the Half-immortal to divine a good date and get back to you."
An Ning nodded her thanks and brought up the second matter.
"Uncle, I want to have the village roads repaired."
An Ning explained her idea in detail: paving the road with concrete or even asphalt.
"That’s a good idea."
"If we’re going to do it, we should do it right," Uncle An said, affirming her idea. "And while you’re at it, you might consider the village school as well."
An Ning’s eyes lit up. She nodded at once. "You’re right, Uncle. The school could use some renovations too."
They discussed the road and school repairs, agreeing that they would need to consult the village chief.
An Ning left Uncle An’s house and went to see the village chief.
The village chief, Sun Dazhuang, had no objections to An Ning’s proposal. In fact, he was ready to raise both hands and feet in approval.
At the village chief’s house, Sun Dazhuang advised An Ning.
"An Ning, don’t try to do both at once. Your heart’s in the right place, but don’t rush. Take them one at a time."
"Alright, I’ll follow your advice, Chief."
Her subtle flattery having hit its mark, An Ning was personally seen to the door by Sun Dazhuang.
"Come visit anytime, An Ning."
An Ning murmured her agreement, gave Sun Dazhuang a wave, and headed off.
After walking a few steps, An Ning remembered the vibration from her ’space’. She decided to head up the mountain to find a quiet spot and check on it.
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