Chapter 13: I Don't Pit My Father, I Pit My Grandfather

"Professor Liu, are you saying: every weekend?"

"Yes, every weekend."

"That's too much trouble for Sun, and it delays her rest; I feel terrible about it!"

Liu Rong was so angry she laughed: "Lin Sicheng, don't play coy after getting a bargain: Sun is a Peking University Doctor; there are so many people who want to beg for her guidance but can't get it!"

"I know, but Professor Liu, really no need... I promise, I will definitely write the graduation thesis well."

Liu Rong didn't speak, just stared at him. Her gaze revealed a hint of suspicion, as well as being beyond question.

Lin Sicheng was very helpless: "Professor Liu, really, I promise to study hard from now on. As long as it's your class, I guarantee I will listen carefully to every single one."

"Heh, you've said that before, did you listen well?"

Lin Sicheng was speechless: those were all burdens from his past life.

Who would have thought that even after being reborn, they could still be pinned on him?

But he couldn't really come for tutoring every weekend from now on, right?

What, not come?

Lin Sicheng could imagine the scene where, in every future "Archaeology General Theory" and "Scientific Examination" class, Professor Liu would pay special attention to him, making him stand up to listen during every class, and even making him answer every question.

That would be social death.

But if he did come for tutoring: half a day was enough for him to take a trip to Xiaodongmen, or mold a Han Tile Pot.

Let alone half a day every week?

Lin Sicheng sighed, steeled his heart: "Professor Liu, actually my grandfather thinks very highly of you, saying you are conscientious and responsible, gentle and patient, have a good temperament, and your teaching is both organized and focused..."

Liu Rong was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening: "Lin Sicheng, your flattery is useless!"

"It's really not flattery!" Lin Sicheng swore, "So starting from the summer vacation, my grandfather tutored me, focusing on 'Archaeology General Theory' and 'Scientific Examination'. I basically understand the knowledge points, which is why I didn't listen carefully today..."

Liu Rong sneered: "Lin Sicheng, do you think I'll believe that?"

"It's true!" Lin Sicheng pointed at the lesson plan, "If you don't believe me, ask!"

Is it true or false?

Liu Rong was half-believing, and she exchanged a look with the teaching assistant.

If Lin Sicheng were lying, the lesson plan was right there on the table; one question would reveal it.

But if what he said was true... thinking of his exam results at the end of last semester, Liu Rong wanted to hit someone.

After thinking for a moment, she nodded: "Sun, you ask, just ask about the Uranium-series Dating!"

"Okay, Teacher!"

The teaching assistant Sun picked up the lesson plan and flipped it open: "The principle of Uranium-series Dating?"

"Utilizing the radioactive disequilibrium between the parent isotopes Uranium-238 and Uranium-235 and the daughter isotopes Thorium-230 and Protactinium-231 in the decay chain to calculate the ratio, then estimating the age of deposition."

"Main methods and time span?"

"Thorium-230 Dating: 10,000 to 400,000 years; Protactinium-231 Dating: 5,000 to 150,000 years. Comprehensive range: young geological samples from a few decades to 1 million years."

Huh, he really had been tutored?

The teaching assistant Sun was taken aback; Liu Rong waved her hand, meaning for her to let her take over.

"Applicable scenarios!"

"Relatively closed environmental systems: karst cave deposits, seabed and lake deposits, volcanic rocks and fossils, and Paleolithic sites under strata."

"Advantages!"

"Can solve long-term dating needs that Carbon-14 Dating cannot cover."

"Can be applied to inorganic samples without organic matter."

"Can detect age faults caused by secondary displacement of sediments."

Liu Rong's eyes lit up: "Limitations!"

Lin Sicheng paused: "Professor Liu, this seems to be beyond the syllabus?"

I'm only a senior, you're asking me graduate-level questions?

Liu Rong snorted coldly, rolled up the lesson plan, and tapped it toward him.

Lin Sicheng sighed helplessly:

"Initial conditions are difficult to determine; cannot guarantee that the decay rate remains constant;

cannot ensure the environment is closed, controlled, and free from external interference; nor can it ensure the sample has not been subject to later Uranium contamination or daughter isotope loss."

"Solutions!"

"Need to combine with other isotope precision measurement methods for cross-verification: such as Paleomagnetism Dating, Fission Track Dating..."

Liu Rong opened her mouth, not knowing how to praise him.

Really, even if she let Sun answer, she might not be as comprehensive and precise as he was.

So, he wasn't lying: Professor Lin had tutored him.

But those words definitely weren't said by Professor Lin, at least not all of them...

Subconsciously, she recalled the image of Professor Lin standing on the podium, talking eloquently, witty and humorous, when she was a graduate student.

After a long while, she put down the lesson plan and sighed softly: "Not bad."

The teaching assistant Sun blinked: More than just "not bad"?

The latter part already involved graduate-level knowledge; for Lin Sicheng to answer so comprehensively, he must have studied it deeply.

Could it be that Professor Lin wants him to apply for Professor Liu's graduate program?

She only thought it, but Liu Rong asked it out loud: "Does your grandfather want you to apply for my graduate program?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head decisively: "He never said that!"

Applying for graduate school is impossible; at most, he would pursue a part-time graduate degree after graduation.

"Hmm, I'll ask him later. But you can't let your other classes slide; postgraduate entrance exams are different from others, it's useless no matter who tries to put in a good word!"

Liu Rong paused slightly, then smiled again, "But there's no need to worry too much; if your score isn't too far off, it's not like there aren't other ways..."

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: I didn't say I wanted to take the postgraduate entrance exam?

But that was secondary; the key was Professor Liu's expression and tone: he always felt she was being overly kind?

This was the formidable Professor Liu, whom even the Dean found a headache.

Lin Sicheng felt a bit panicked and took the opportunity to excuse himself: "Professor Liu, should you get back to your work?"

"Alright!"

Liu Rong actually stood up and saw him to the door.

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat again: he always felt something wasn't right?

Confused, he went downstairs, and the more Lin Sicheng thought about it, the more wrong it felt: if it were just out of a relationship between colleagues with his grandfather, she certainly wouldn't be this attentive to him.

Even adding the bond between teacher and student with his grandfather, it was impossible, at least she wouldn't have taken the initiative to arrange for a teaching assistant to tutor him.

And she certainly wouldn't have blatantly said things like "even if your score is a bit off, it's not like there aren't other ways."

Then why?

After thinking for a long time without coming to any conclusion, Lin Sicheng took out his phone.

His grandfather should be at the Xiaodongmen market; it was a bit noisy on the phone.

"Grandpa, let me ask you something!"

"Haha... did you get into trouble?"

"No, I just wanted to ask, what is your relationship with Professor Liu like?"

The phone went silent instantly.

Did it hang up?

He took the phone down: it hadn't disconnected?

Then why wasn't he speaking?

Just as he was feeling suspicious, the old man sighed: "Why are you asking about this?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: No... I haven't even said who it is, why are you sighing?

According to normal logic, shouldn't his grandfather ask: Which Professor Liu are you talking about?

As far as Lin Sicheng knew: there was one in the Archaeology Department, one in the Cultural Relics and Museology Department, two in the Cultural Heritage Conservation Department, and even more in the College Office and the Academic Affairs Center... In the Heritage College alone, there were at least ten or more professors surnamed Liu.

How did his grandfather know who he was asking about? The key was, why that tone?

In an instant, Lin Sicheng's eyelids twitched.

"Just... just... just asking casually!"

"Speak clearly: did you get scolded, or did you fail a test?"

Lin Sicheng didn't know how to say it.

He couldn't just say that for no reason, Professor Liu had taken the initiative to ask a teaching assistant to tutor him and even urged him to apply for her postgraduate program.

The key was, why was she so kind?

The question was, when did she start being kind?

It seemed to be right after he had spouted nonsense about his grandfather tutoring him over the summer break:

Professor Liu, my grandfather thinks very highly of you...

He said your personality is great, gentle and patient...

He even said your temperament is good too...

Lin Sicheng's scalp tingled: It's over... I'm afraid I've dug a pit for the old man?

"Lin Sicheng, speak!"

Lin Sicheng gritted his teeth:

"I was distracted in class today and got a good scolding from Professor Liu, and she said she wanted to tutor me. I had no choice, so I used your name to say a few nice things: I said you praised her for being conscientious and responsible, having a gentle personality, and I even praised her for having a good temperament..."

There was no sound on the phone again.

After a long time, the old man sighed leisurely: "Lin Sicheng, come home tonight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, with a "beep," the call disconnected.

Lin Sicheng's eyes went blank, staring straight at the phone screen: Did he really guess right?

Both were widowed/single, so why didn't it happen in his past life, and why didn't even a whisper of it get out?

His grandfather must have had concerns.

Forget it, the trouble was already caused, so be it.

Anyway, he absolutely could not return to that house, at least not for a short while...