Chapter 361 - True Disciple (2/2)

Little Shitou’s main teacher also encouraged him, “We have both wine and tea available here. Let’s conduct the formal ceremony of you becoming his disciple right now then!”

Headmaster Yuan’s full attention was currently on the dense fragrant smell of the Buddha jumps over the wall, so he absentmindedly went through the ceremonial procedures with Little Shitou serving him tea. Like that, the simple ceremony to take in Little Shitou as a formal apprentice was finished. Only after the celebration party ended did he realize that he had just taken a boy, not even nine years old, as his disciple. This disciple was also much younger than all of his other disciples.

The last time Headmaster Yuan took in a disciple was over twenty years ago. All of his other disciples, as well as himself, thought that he wouldn’t be taking any more true disciples for the rest of his life. When he said that he was going to take Little Shitou along, it was because he liked talented people and didn’t want the boy’s innate talents to go to waste. Who would have thought that he would absentmindedly take in another disciple during a banquet? Argh! Good food could truly make a person lose their wits!

However, that Buddha jumps over the wall dish was truly too delicious. Headmaster Yuan, who often bragged that there were no delicacies in the world that he hadn’t tried, had also been firmly conquered by it.

The person who was most happy after all of this, other than Little Shitou, was Yu Xiaocao. After Royal Prince Yang explained the situation to her, she understood just how fortunate it was that her younger brother was able to become Headmaster Yuan’s last disciple. It could be said, that as long as Little Shitou didn’t make any big mishaps in the future, his future could only be limitless and smooth. Not only would he have access to the best education and materials, but he also now had connections to all of the talented and skilled older disciples. They would later be his network! In the future, it was almost an iron-clad guarantee that Old Yu’s family’s descendants would be bound for officialdom!

“Hee hee! Young Royal Prince, I have to hand it to you; it was a great idea to hold this banquet! I don’t even know how to thank you properly!” Yu Xiaocao was filled with gratitude from head to toe. Her eyes shined with light full of gratitude and seemed to glow with an inner radiance.

Zhu Junyang felt his heart skip a beat after looking into her shining eyes and he couldn’t help but turn his head away. He had never known before that a person’s eyes could look so incredibly luminous and beautiful. They looked as if they were crafted out of the most expensive glass and jade and didn’t have a single flaw. It was as if they could see into the depths of a person’s soul and purify all darkness within.

“Ahem…then, how do you want to thank me?” Zhu Junyang was also happy for Little Shitou. With Little Shitou around, the court would also have another person there supporting the Yu Family wholeheartedly.

Yu Xiaocao grinned until her eyes turned into crescents and looked like tiny moons, “How about I make you Buddha jumps over the wall every day? What do you think?”

“Eat it every day? No matter how delicious something is, it’s always possible to get sick of it!” Zhu Junyang was not very satisfied with her answer.

Yu Xiaocao slanted her head to the side as she contemplated. After thinking a bit, she was in low spirits. Imperial Prince Jing’s youngest son was also the person the emperor regarded with the most importance right now. There really wasn’t anything that she could take out that would be a proper gift to him to express her gratitude.

Zhu Junyang watched as the little girl nibbled on her fingernails as if she was a little kitten stuck in a bunch of yarn. Her face was full of confusion. He silently laughed and then patted her small head, “If you can’t think of anything, it’s okay. I’ll be merciful and let you have a debt for now.”

Yu Xiaocao hated owing other people the most. She stated with an expression full of dissatisfaction, “Young Royal Prince, tell me what you want the most. As long as I am able to, I’ll do it for you!”

Royal Prince Yang revealed an arrogant expression, “A gift you give voluntarily versus something I ask for, can those two be considered the same? No sincerity!” After he finished, he strolled away with large steps.

Yu Xiaocao followed him as if she was his personal tail as she continued to say, “Just tell me ah! You don’t lack for anything and it’s not as if I can read your mind! I really don’t know what you need!”

Zhu Junyang could hear in her voice hints of acting spoiled and being cute, and it felt like a little cat was tickling the inside of his heart. He suddenly stopped walking and turned around to look at the little girl whose head didn’t even reach his armpits.

Yu Xiaocao didn't expect that the person in front of her would suddenly stop moving. She was still speed-walking forward as she roasted him in her mind, ‘Must be nice to have such long legs, ah! You can walk so fast!’

“Ouch!” The result was tragedy. The little girl bumped her head straight into Zhu Junyang’s abdomen and her nose stung after hitting his rock-hard stomach. Tears involuntarily came to her eyes and dripped down her face.

“You didn’t even give me a head’s up when you stopped. Now my nose is going to be flat after hitting you!” Yu Xiaocao wiped the tears off her face as she loudly protested. Noses weren’t very strong to begin with. If her nose got hit a couple more times, wouldn’t she have a flat nose for the rest of her life then?

[1] ”The Lament of Zhongyong” (伤仲永) - A story written in the Northern Song Dynasty about a boy named Fang Zhongyong who was a child prodigy. Moral of the story is this: It doesn't matter how much talent you have if you don't work hard.