Chapter 285: Nineties: Spring Water Family Chapter 285: The Ace Pilot's Black History

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Answered very well."

Lin Xiyu took the lead in applauding, to show commendation.

The other children were also very cooperative, clapping and cheering very enthusiastically.

The atmosphere in the classroom was very harmonious, and Li Ang's nervous mood eased somewhat.

"Next, our new teacher, Teacher Li, will teach everyone to learn today's paper-cutting pattern, Double Happiness Arrives at the Door."

Lin Xiyu deliberately wanted him to show his skill in front of the children, and specifically pushed him out.

"Me, me?"

Li Ang was suddenly called on, and his little heart trembled three more times in fright.

"Classmates, applaud......"

Lin Xiyu deliberately enlivened the atmosphere.

The children all gave face, clapping their little hands, pairs of expectant eyes looking at him.

"Okay."

Under his Senior Sister's encouragement, Li Ang's confidence greatly increased: "Since the classmates want to learn, I'll show everyone a hand."

——

Among Hu Nainai's ten disciples, Li Ang ranked third; back then among the ten disciples he was considered relatively older in age.

His talent was not outstanding; he won with solid basic skills.

For a relatively common pattern like Double Happiness Arrives at the Door, to him it was a piece of cake.

The scissors nimbly wandered on the paper; in less than a moment, a Double Happiness Arrives at the Door pattern took shape in his hands.

"Wow, Teacher Li is so awesome."

"Cut so fast."

"Worthy of being Teacher Lin's Junior Brother, hands just as clever as Teacher Lin's."

Superb skill let him successfully harvest quite a few little fanboys and fangirls.

The children all cast admiring, worshipful gazes at him.

"Hahaha."

Li Ang finally found a sense of presence; the previous restraint and embarrassment were completely swept away.

"Does everyone like Double Happiness Arrives at the Door?"

Lin Xiyu buoyed the atmosphere at just the right moment.

"Like."

The children answered in perfect unison.

"If you like, then start learning."

Lin Xiyu instructed on the spot: "Follow the teacher, first fold the paper into quarters, then start cutting from the upper right corner......"

The children followed instructions and did so, learning very seriously.

——

"Senior Sister, do you have any plans to accept disciples?"

Li Ang was thinking about the matter of applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor; taking advantage of the children learning paper-cutting, he sidled up to his Senior Sister to whisper.

"Yes."

Lin Xiyu frankly admitted: "Just haven't encountered a suitable opportunity yet."

"How long are you going to wait?"

Li Ang didn't understand: "Isn't there a prerequisite for applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor, that you must have disciples?"

Lin Xiyu's fine brows lightly furrowed: "That also requires a suitable candidate......"

"Isn't there a ready-made one right here?"

Li Ang glanced at the children currently cutting paper, meaning implied.

"Their ages are still a bit too young."

Lin Xiyu had her own view: "Whether they can persist to the end is still unknown; many children are brought by parents, thinking it's a free public welfare class, might as well attend since it's free; to them paper-cutting is just fun, not true passion."

"Who cares if they really like it or not."

Li Ang harbored his own little scheme, strongly urging: "First accept one or two disciples, get past that application hurdle, other things can be said later."

"That's not too good."

Lin Xiyu frowned: "Wouldn't that become fraud? If truly exposed, wouldn't it be even more humiliating."

"This has nothing to do with fraud."

Li Ang sophistically argued: "Disciples are also people; today they want to acknowledge a master and learn the art from the master, tomorrow they change their mind and don't want to learn anymore; this isn't something the master can control either."

"I'll still wait a bit longer."

Lin Xiyu had her own determination: "Accepting disciples is a major matter, relates to artistic inheritance; if not someone who truly loves paper-cutting, willing to treat this matter as their own mission to accomplish, I also have no mind to teach them."

"If you're this strict, accepting disciples will be difficult."

Li Ang failed to persuade her, sighed somewhat annoyed.

"If you want to accept disciples, you can accept them yourself, no need to mind me."

Lin Xiyu vaguely guessed his intention.

"How could I accept that."

Li Ang feigned refusal: "Senior Sister hasn't taken any disciples, yet I, as her Junior Brother, have snatched the lead instead."

"What's there to it."

Lin Xiyu didn't mind: "Taking disciples depends on fate; whether one can accept a disciple to one's liking depends entirely on one's own ability."

Li Ang secretly rejoiced: "Among the children in the classroom now, is there not a single one Senior Sister can look favorably upon?"

"For the time being, that is the case......"

Lin Xiyu did not speak in absolutes: "As for the future, whether I might encounter one with exceptionally good aptitude, that's hard to say."

"If Senior Sister doesn't fancy any, then I really get to choose?"

Li Ang asked again, uneasy.

"Choose then."

Lin Xiyu agreed readily, without any hesitation.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Li Ang's suspended heart settled back into his stomach.

"You're choosing a disciple, why thank me."

Lin Xiyu could understand his urgent desire to take a disciple; after all, applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor status had requirements, and to be eliminated solely because he had no disciple was truly a pity.

"I only just arrived......"

Li Ang was embarrassed: "Unlike Senior Sister, who has spent a long time with these children and already developed feelings, if Senior Sister intends to take a disciple, the children would certainly be more willing to be your disciple; I, this Uncle-Master, would have to stand aside."

"Children?"

Lin Xiyu raised an eyebrow: "Disciples are valued for quality, not quantity; one with good aptitude is enough. How many do you still want to take?"

"Disciples are naturally the more the better."

Li Ang took it for granted: "Grandma Hu back then took ten; we can't be fewer than that old lady."

"Ten?"

Lin Xiyu laughed and countered: "That's a bit too many, can you teach that many?"

"What's so hard to teach about it?"

Li Ang didn't mind: "The master leads you through the door; cultivation depends on the individual. Whether they learn well depends on themselves."

"You this......"

Lin Xiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "A bit irresponsible, isn't it? Isn't this screwing over your disciples?"

"This isn't screwing them over; it's casting a wide net."

Li Ang argued confidently: "Take more disciples, the base is larger, you'll always be able to pick out a few good ones. Then focus on cultivating them, let them inherit my mantle."

"Looks like our ideas really aren't quite the same."

Lin Xiyu saw a child had already cut out a finished piece, and laughed, interrupting him: "Alright, let's not talk about it. Since you have the idea of choosing a disciple, then interact more with the children. Over time, you'll see each person's strengths and weaknesses."

"Junior Brother has exactly that intention."

Li Ang didn't wait for her to finish, and eagerly walked toward a child who had cut the best.

Lin Xiyu paid no attention to his petty thoughts; as per custom, she began inspecting the children's works from the first row.

——

Old House.

Grandpa Gu organized the closet, and from the bottom drawer of the cabinet rummaged out an old photo album; the photos inside were all of Fu Zheng and Guben as children, recording the beautiful times of their childhood.

"Ruirui, come, look at your dad's childhood photos."

Grandpa Gu called her great-great-grandson over with great interest, accompanying her to look at the photos.

"This is, Dad?"

Ruirui looked at one of the photos, eyes suddenly widening.

"Yes, that's your dad."

Grandpa Gu covered her mouth and laughed: "When he was little his hair was black and long, like satin, especially soft; on a whim I combed it into a topknot."

Tying a little bun was one thing, but wearing a skirt — what's that about?!

Could it be Dad had a hobby of dressing up as a little girl when he was young?!

Ruirui looked at the "little girl" wearing a skirt in the photo, shocked enough that her eyeballs nearly fell out.

"The skirt was also put on him by me......"

Grandpa Gu laughed until she couldn't close her mouth: "That day was also a coincidence; organizing the closet, I found a skirt your Grandma — that is, your dad's mother — had worn as a child. Xiao Zheng happened to be playing nearby, so I had a thought, wanting him to put it on and see."

Ruirui listened, her small heart trembling; she silently shifted her body, moving farther from Great-Grandmother, afraid she'd dig out another old skirt from the closet and make her wear it.

"Your dad was obedient as a child, quiet and still, like a little girl; not like your uncle, especially naughty......"

Grandpa Gu didn't notice his little movement, turned another page of the album, found another photo, pointed it out for him to see: "Look at this one, this is your uncle as a child, and your dad — isn't the difference huge......"

"This is, Uncle?"

Ruirui glanced at the photo, and nearly crossed her eyes again.

"A little monkey......"

Grandpa Gu looked more and more amused: "After the rain, he came back from playing outside, like he'd rolled around in a mud pit — covered in mud from head to toe."

Uncle's black history, black history.......

Auntie saw this, her expression would definitely be spectacular.

Ruirui looked at the photo, holding back laughter, her inner activity very rich.

"You're like your dad, obedient and sensible from a young age......"

Grandma Gu's thoughts turned quickly, and immediately she turned from the photograph to Sibao: "Pingping's personality takes after your uncle, he's very mischievous, when he grows up he'll be a naughty monkey too."

"Put a skirt on him and he won't be able to be mischievous anymore."

Ruirui said it casually as a joke, never expecting the speaker had no intention but the listener took it to heart.

Grandma Gu's eyes lit up, she turned her head to glance out the window, and laughed with a fox-like cunning.

"Uh."

Ruirui was embarrassed, and silently lit a candle for her little brother in her heart.

——

Recently Guben has been a bit busy; the staff responsible for fire safety came to inspect the training institution, he led people to rectify according to requirements, trained the teachers, conducted fire drills, was busy for several days, and finally successfully met the standard, allowing them to continue operating.

After seeing off the fire inspection personnel, before he even had time to breathe a comfortable sigh of relief, he received a call from Grandma Gu.

Grandma Gu ordered him to hurry, no delay allowed, right now, immediately, go to the mall and buy four identical little skirts and bring them back.

His own matriarch's command, whether he listened or not he had to listen.

He didn't think much of it, mistakenly thinking it was for the two girls to take turns wearing, spent a great deal of effort carefully selecting in the mall, only to discover after returning home that it wasn't that at all.

Grandma Gu laughed like an old fox that had stolen a chicken, holding four identical little skirts she walked toward the fish pond, after changing the precious great-granddaughters into them, she then turned her target to the two great-grandsons.

Dabao and Pingping were easy to coax, seeing the two younger sisters wearing skirts looking very pretty, they also changed into them and grinned foolishly happy.

Anan wasn't that easy.

Anan is a little person of influence, from a young age he discovered the difference between himself and his younger sisters.

He and his older brother look like Dad, the two younger sisters look like Mom.

Dad doesn't wear skirts, Grandpa Liu doesn't wear them, Ruirui Gege doesn't wear them either.

He also — shouldn't wear one.

As for his foolish older brother, whatever, let him do as he pleases.

He burrowed into the skirt on his own initiative, stupid to this extent, there's nothing to be done.

Can't stop him even if you want to!

——

Grandma Gu coaxed and deceived, wasted a whole lot of saliva, but still couldn't successfully coax and trick Anan into changing into the little skirt.

The old lady was very disappointed, her mood not so wonderful anymore.

The great-grandson is too young, doesn't understand, can't be reasoned with, can't be beaten, she could only transfer her resentment onto her grandson.

Guben suffered innocently, was inexplicably scolded a whole bunch, leaving him quite speechless.

Lin Xiyu finished her public welfare class at the Youth Palace in the afternoon, and when she returned home she happened to see Grandma Gu throw a brand new little skirt at her own grandson, hitting him in the face.

Guben caught the skirt, turned his head, and met his beloved wife's astonished gaze.

"Wife, you've finally returned."

He let out a heavy breath of relief, said with a laugh-cry: "If you hadn't come back, my head would've exploded."

"What's going on here?"

Lin Xiyu stepped past him and glanced toward the fish pond.

Anan saw Mom, and also stopped struggling and crying, using hands and feet he crawled toward Mom.

Lin Xiyu hurried over, picked up her son, kissed her son's small face with tears hanging on it.

Anan like a frightened little quail, shrank in Mom's arms, refusing to raise his head again.

"Grandma wanted the babies to wear skirts, Anan wouldn't wear one, kept making a fuss......."

Guben couldn't well complain about Grandma, so he could only blame the son.

"If Anan doesn't want to wear it then don't wear it."

Lin Xiyu saw her son's eyes red and felt a bit heartache, her tone involuntarily carried a few hints of reproach.

"Grandma has no other meaning, just wants to coax the children to play."

Guben saw her expression wasn't right, hurriedly explained.

Lin Xiyu still couldn't swallow her anger: "The child doesn't want to, you can't force them either?"

"Ay ay......"

Guben didn't want mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to have a rift, subconsciously took all responsibility onto himself: "It's my lack of consideration, didn't expect this child Anan, his temper is this stubborn."

"It's originally your fault."

Lin Xiyu glared at him with disdain: "What skirt does a boy wear? In this scorching heat blindly messing around, not afraid of heat rash."

"You also don't need to blame Xiao Bin, it was my idea, I brought dislike on myself."

Grandma Gu couldn't stand hearing her complain about her grandson, her mood was already bad, now she was even angrier.

The old lady angrily flung her sleeve, turned and entered the living room.

"Anan cried, I said two sentences and it's not allowed?"

Lin Xiyu's face also darkened, holding her son she returned to her own bedroom.

"Tsk."

The atmosphere took a sharp turn for the worse, Guben encountered this kind of thing for the first time, sucked in a breath of cold air, truly a bit dumbfounded.

He glanced at the living room, then glanced at the bedroom, headache rubbing his brow.

"Uncle, look at this photo album."

At the critical moment, Ruirui is still reliable, taking advantage of Grandma Gu not paying attention, sneakily slipped into the inner room, took the photo album out from the closet.

Guben saw the yellowed old photographs, only then did he understand where his own old lady's sudden whim of bad taste came from.

——

Bedroom.

"This is... Eldest Brother?"

After a moment, Lin Xiyu saw the "certain eldest uncle" wearing a skirt in the photograph, and almost couldn't hold back, laughing out loud.

"Grandma's preference hasn't changed in all these years..."

Guben smiled luckily: "Fortunately I was mischievous as a child, not as obedient as Eldest Brother, so I didn't leave behind such a miserable black history."

"Has Ruirui seen this photograph?"

Lin Xiyu felt sympathy for Eldest Uncle: "Will it influence Father's tall and mighty image in his son's heart?"