Chapter 49: Interpretation

The Zheng Family.

Since there was no study, Zheng Fa simply set up a small dining table and wrote at it in the courtyard.

Little sister Zheng Shan, wearing new clothes made by Zheng Mother, ran back and forth in the courtyard.

She dared not disturb her own brother, so she could only run around the yard, or pull at the green grass in the corner of the wall, or pick up a stone and draw back and forth on the ground, her small head occasionally glancing toward Zheng Fa's direction.

Until Zheng Fa raised his head.

"Brother! Have you finished writing?" Zheng Shan ran over with a clatter, tugging at Zheng Fa's sleeve, and curiously stood on tiptoe to look at the table.

Inside the house, Zheng Mother, still busy at the loom, spoke: "Shan'er, don't disturb your brother from studying."

Zheng Shan pouted, but still obediently let go of Zheng Fa's sleeve.

"Mother, it's fine; I'm writing this for little sister." Zheng Fa pinched little sister's small cheek and said with a smile.

"Written for me? Can I study now?"

Zheng Shan's eyes lit up; she leaned on Zheng Fa's knee to look at the table, where two books with ink still wet lay.

On the cover of the top book were a few characters.

"Pri..."

"Primary School Mathematics, First Volume." Zheng Fa taught little sister to read.

Since moving to the Zhao family, he had wanted little sister to study, but this matter was not easy to handle.

Now the household actually relied on Zheng Fa's monthly stipend to live; although food and clothing were not a worry, as newcomers they had no savings.

Zheng Mother had always wanted to find some work at a clothing shop, but after asking several shops about her background, learning Zheng Mother was from a farming family, they felt she lacked skill.

So they could not yet afford little sister's tuition.

The money issue was manageable; the most important thing was actually safety: little sister would have to go outside the prefecture to attend school, and could only be escorted by Zheng Mother, which made Zheng Fa not very reassured.

These past days, with no books to read, and with Zheng Mother not letting her run around the Zhao Manor to avoid offending nobles, she could only play alone in the small courtyard.

"What's wrong? Nothing to do lately?" Seeing her so excited, Zheng Fa knew that for lively little sister, being confined to a tiny courtyard was indeed rather uncomfortable.

"There are things to do!" Zheng Shan shook her head: "In the morning, accompany Mother to cook, then wait for brother to eat lunch. Then accompany Mother to cook again, then wait for brother to eat dinner."

Zheng Fa patted little sister's head: "So you want to study?"

"Study!" Little sister nodded vigorously: "Mother said brother studied, became a book boy, and could buy me delicious food and new clothes to wear. I want to study too!"

"What's the point of studying?" Zheng Fa asked.

"Mother still has no new clothes to wear!"

Zheng Fa smiled, held little sister in his arms, pointed at the book titled "Primary School Mathematics, First Volume," and said: "From now on, brother will teach you this every night; remember to study hard."

"Okay, I will definitely study well!"

The ignorant little sister made this vow, perhaps the heaviest one in her brief life.

Watching little sister happily clutching the new book she didn't understand and flipping through it, Zheng Fa picked up the other book and walked toward the study.

Teaching little sister mathematics had been on his mind for a long time; even without involving immortal sect knowledge, mathematics was very useful in daily life in the Xuanwei Realm, but he was naturally cautious and felt it was not safe in the manor.

Only today, having cultivated the Spirit Crane Body and believing he had gained some self-defense capability, did he bring it out to teach little sister.

As for the other one, it was prepared for the Seventh Young Master—"Junior High School Mathematics, First Volume."

This came to him from the Brain-Borrowing Plan and Old Bai's words.

After all, Old Bai was only one person, and his time was limited; facing the endless talisman diagrams, he might be overwhelmed, and he was indeed very busy, sometimes even going on strike; to be honest, Zheng Fa was not very reassured.

He must stockpile new brains; Tang Lingwu had great potential.

As for knowledge like Topology that might involve the immortal sects, he did not yet plan to spread it.

But Junior High School Mathematics could be; for him, the greatest function of this book was to screen for brains with potential.

The first one was the Seventh Young Master.

In the study, the Seventh Young Master stood before Zheng Fa's desk, gently flipping through a stack of papers with talisman diagrams drawn on them, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Young Master?" Gao Yuan, feeling his relationship with the Seventh Young Master had grown considerably closer, looked at his gloomy face and asked in surprise: "What's wrong?"

"How long has Zheng Fa been here?"

The Seventh Young Master silently put down the diagram in his hand and suddenly asked.

"Less than two months?"

"He started learning the Complete Interpretation of Talisman Diagrams less than half a month ago..."

As he spoke, the bitterness on the Seventh Young Master's face grew thicker.

"Young Master?"

"The Yang Yuanfu he has analyzed in these half months is more than what I analyzed in three years..." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master turned, took a book titled "Supplement to the Complete Interpretation of Talisman Diagrams: Basic Yang Yuanfu Chapter" from the bookshelf, opened it, and compared it one by one with the patterns Zheng Fa left on the paper, then dejectedly put it down: "And they are all correct."

He turned to look at Gao Yuan, his eyes empty: "Tell me, how can the gap between people be so great?"

Gao Yuan felt like crying: "Young Master, what you say, I experienced long ago... I asked myself this question a hundred times already."

"Now I feel we are soulmates!" The Seventh Young Master put his arm around Gao Yuan's shoulder: "Among so many book boys, you are the one who best suits my heart!"

As soon as Zheng Fa entered, he noticed the atmosphere between the Seventh Young Master and Gao Yuan was much more harmonious than usual, giving him a feeling that he was an outsider.

"Zheng Fa, what are you holding?"

"Oh, I have a book; I thought it might be useful for the Talisman Dao; isn't the Young Lady returning soon?" Zheng Fa handed over "Junior High School Mathematics, First Volume" and said: "Although this book shows no effect for now, the sooner one learns, the better."

The Seventh Young Master paused, as if recalling something: "This is... given to you by the person behind you?"

"Behind?" Zheng Fa blinked, guessing some of the Seventh Young Master's meaning, and could only speak vaguely: "You could say so."

We have a whole world of people behind us; I don't know which one you mean.

"Did you learn this book and thus gain your current Talisman Dao talent?" Glancing at the Yang Yuanfu diagrams on Zheng Fa's desk, the Seventh Young Master said excitedly.

"You could say so; however, this is only the foundation." Zheng Fa thought for a moment and felt this statement was not wrong.

"Of all my many young attendants, Zheng Fa, you are the best!"

Behind him, Gao Yuan looked at his newly acquired confidant, opened his mouth as if wanting to curse, yet found himself with nothing to say.

The Seventh Young Master took the book Zheng Fa handed over; his hands even trembled slightly. Looking at the name on the cover, he read softly: "'Primary Mathematics, First Volume'—this name clearly indicates an immortal-grade technique!"

"... Interpret it for me?"

Zheng Fa was quite curious; how had he figured that out?

"'Primary' should refer to the time of the primordial origin, before heaven and earth were born, signifying that this secret technique points directly to the ancient past! 'Middle' speaks of the heart of the Great Dao, indicating this is a righteous immortal method, perhaps containing the meaning of the Golden Mean." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master furrowed his brow: "As for 'Mathematics', how is that interpreted? Could it have some relation to the Numbers of Change? Might the great power who wrote this book be of Confucian origin?"

Having finished, he said somewhat embarrassedly: "My learning is shallow and my knowledge limited; I cannot fully comprehend it and must reflect on it further."

"You understand it very well, very profoundly," Zheng Fa praised. "I think you understand it even more profoundly than the person who wrote this book."

Holding the book, the Seventh Young Master fell silent for a moment: "Actually, my sister's return was also to prepare me for the Immortal-Grade Gathering."

"The Immortal-Grade Gathering?" Zheng Fa looked at the Seventh Young Master with some confusion; why hadn't he mentioned it before?

"..." The Seventh Young Master averted his gaze from Zheng Fa, his face showing a hint of shame.

... Understood. Another treacherous dog trying to secretly make an effort.