lcionline Chapter 577 Master Li's Acquisition
Chapter 577 Master Li's Acquisition
Gu Qingchen stomped her feet in anger and paced back and forth in the room.
Her stomach started growling, and she realized she hadn't eaten lunch yet.
"A bunch of bastards! They won't even give me food!" She sat in the corner, pouting in grievance. "I knew I shouldn't have come to this awful place!"
As night deepened, the small house became even darker.
Gu Qingchen was hungry and sleepy, so he curled up in a corner and began to miss the warmth of home.
Just then, light footsteps came from outside the door.
"Sister?" Qian Zhenyun's voice rang out from outside the door. "Are you alright?"
Upon hearing his voice, Gu Qingchen almost burst into tears: "Qian Gungun! What brings you here?"
"I brought you some food," Qian Zhenyun said softly. "I secretly took it from the cafeteria."
A small bundle was slipped under the door, containing several steamed buns and a small pot of water.
Gu Qingchen took it and wolfed it down. The steamed bun was a little cold, but to her it tasted sweeter than any delicacy.
"Money rolling in," she said between bites, "but you're still the best to me."
“Sister, you should apologize to Master Li tomorrow,” Qian Zhenyun advised from outside the door. “He’s not a bad person, he’s just a bit too strict.”
"I'm not apologizing!" Gu Qingchen retorted, "He bullied me first!"
Qian Zhenyun sighed: "But this can't go on forever. You can't stay locked up inside forever."
"That's still better than bowing down to that old fogey!" Gu Qingchen mumbled, biting into a steamed bun.
After a moment of silence outside the door, Qian Zhenyun whispered, "Sister, I'm going back now. It wouldn't be good if we got caught. You should get some rest. I'll figure out how to bring you food tomorrow."
Hearing his departing footsteps, Gu Qingchen felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Although she was locked in this dark and gloomy little room, at least there was someone who cared about her.
She leaned against the wall, gazing at the sparse starlight outside the small window, and began to ponder what to do tomorrow.
An apology is out of the question, but dragging this out indefinitely isn't a solution either.
"Hmph, just wait until I think of a good plan, and I'll see how I deal with that Mr. Li!" she muttered under her breath, a sly glint in her eyes.
Qian Zhenyun had only taken a few steps when he heard footsteps behind him.
Startled, he hurriedly stuffed the remaining steamed buns into his pocket and turned to leave quickly.
“Scholar Qian.” Master Li’s voice rang out in the night, carrying a touch of authority.
Qian Zhenyun froze, stopped in his tracks, and turned around to bow respectfully: "Master Li."
Master Li walked slowly towards us. His face was not clearly visible in the moonlight, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
He glanced at the bulging collar of Qian Zhenyun's clothes, then looked at the tightly closed little house behind him.
"Why are you still in the courtyard so late?" Master Li asked, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
Qian Zhenyun lowered his head, his small hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes: "Student, student can't sleep, so I came out for a walk."
"Is that so?" Master Li moved closer. "Then what are you hiding in your bosom?"
Qian Zhenyun's face instantly turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to speak.
He wanted to lie, but he didn't dare. He wanted to tell the truth, but he was afraid of implicating Gu Qingchen.
Master Li sighed inwardly as he looked at him like this.
This child is honest and doesn't lie; he's clearly worried about that little girl.
"Take it out," Master Li said, extending his hand.
Qian Zhenyun bit his lip, but eventually obediently took the steamed bun from his arms and placed it in Master Li's hand.
"The student knows he was wrong," he said softly. "The student shouldn't have stolen the steamed buns from the cafeteria."
"Do you know that private schools have their own rules?" Master Li asked.
“The students know,” Qian Zhenyun said, head bowed. “The students are willing to accept the punishment.”
Master Li was silent for a moment, then handed the steamed bun back to him: "Take it."
Qian Zhenyun was stunned, and looked up in disbelief: "Master?"
“Since you’ve taken it, don’t waste it.” Master Li said, his hands behind his back, looking at the small house. “That girl may have a bad temper, but she’s still just a child. How can she reflect on her actions on an empty stomach?”
A hint of surprise flashed in Qian Zhenyun's eyes, but he quickly became worried again: "Master, aren't you angry?"
“What’s the use of getting angry?” Master Li said calmly. “The most important thing in teaching and nurturing students is to teach according to their aptitude. Some children need to be strict, and some children need to be lenient.”
He turned to Qian Zhenyun and said, "You're a kind-hearted kid who cares about your classmates, which is a good thing. But remember, you can't break the rules. If you need anything next time, you can come to me directly."
Qian Zhenyun nodded vigorously: "The student has remembered."
Master Li waved his hand: "Go on, get some rest. You have class tomorrow."
Watching Qian Zhenyun cautiously walk towards the hut, Master Li shook his head.
These two children, one too flamboyant and the other too reserved, both need to be properly guided.
The next morning, Gu Qingchen woke up groggily in the small room, his body stiff.
She rubbed her sore neck and looked through the small window to see that it was already bright outside.
"Damn Mr. Li, he made me sleep on the hard floor all night!" she muttered through gritted teeth, her stomach starting to rumble again.
Footsteps came from outside the door. Gu Qingchen thought it was Qian Zhenyun bringing her food, so she quickly went to the door.
"Money rolling in?"
"It's me." Master Li's voice rang out from outside the door, sounding somewhat gentler than yesterday. "Student Gu, what's your decision?"
Gu Qingchen rolled her eyes: "What's there to consider? I didn't do anything wrong!"
Master Li sighed: "Yesterday you didn't pay attention in class and talked back to your teacher in front of everyone. Wasn't that wrong?"
"I already know the Three Character Classic, why should I waste my time listening to you repeat it?" Gu Qingchen said matter-of-factly.
"Besides, I'm just telling the truth. Does that mean I can't even tell the truth?"
There was a moment of silence outside the door before Master Li's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of helplessness: "Your knowledge may not be lacking, but your character needs to be cultivated. A private school is not only a place for studying, but also a place for learning how to be a person."
"Be a human being?" Gu Qingchen sneered. "Then teach me what it means to be a human being? Is it like you, using your position as a teacher to arbitrarily detain students? Or is it like those students, only good at flattering others?"
Master Li was speechless, choked by her words.
This little girl is quick-witted and sharp-tongued; every word she utters hits the nail on the head.
"Think about it again," Master Li could only say before leaving.
Gu Qingchen leaned against the wall, growing angrier the more he thought about it.
She grew up in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Although her mother was strict, she had never suffered such grievances.
"Hmph, it's just a run-down private school, what's so great about it!" She stood up and paced back and forth in the room. "Just wait until I think of a way, and see how I deal with you all!"