The fire incident at the Lotus Pond Shuhe School stirred up the entire village, becoming the hottest topic of conversation.
After the great fire, the school at the Lotus Pond was reduced to ruins.
Villagers discussed the sudden disaster everywhere; the desks and books in the school were completely burned away, leaving only a few charred beams standing alone.
“This school, truly unlucky!” Villager Old Wang shook his head and said, “If it weren't for those trees causing trouble, it wouldn't have burned down like this.”
“Indeed, Master Ji said those trees growing near the school possessed Spiritual Nature and absolutely refused to be cut down, claiming it was about blending with nature. Our Village Chief Zhao Biao is really unlucky; this time it’s a huge mess.” Another villager chimed in.
Zhao Biao was the Village Chief, usually making decisions on all major and minor village affairs.
But once this fire incident occurred, the village began to buzz with discussion, and the blame was pointed toward him.
The matter had to be traced back to earlier—Zhao Biao had long wanted to cut down the miscellaneous trees around the school, feeling they not only took up space but also easily caused fires.
Master Ji insisted that these trees provided shade and wind protection, especially during the height of summer; moreover, these pine trees added Vitality to the school.
At that time, a fire started from burning weeds in the Outer Field near the school, and the flames, whipped by the wind, quickly spread to the school, with those trees acting as fuel for the blaze.
Master Ji watched the school turn to ashes, so angry he puffed out his beard and glared, pointing at Zhao Biao’s nose and starting to curse: “Zhao Biao! If you had burned the grass in the Outer Field earlier, would this have happened? Now look, the entire school is gone! Furthermore, I warned you many times, weeding is not burning the grass; you saved yourself trouble with a single fire, and we suffered the consequences.”
When Zhao Biao heard this, he couldn't save face, and retorted stubbornly: “Tutor, don't just blame me! If you hadn't initially stopped the trees from being cut, things wouldn't have escalated like this! Besides, who knew the fire would spread so large, following the wind!”
Master Ji certainly wouldn't yield, his voice growing louder: “Negligence! As Village Chief, you didn't guard against a summer fire? You only worried about the trees being in the way, and now the school is gone—where are the students supposed to study?”
The two argued back and forth, unable to reach an agreement, and the village's major and minor issues instantly became a tug-of-war between the two men.
Master Ji slammed the table in anger, threatening to leave Song Village. “I’m not staying here anymore! The school is reduced to ash, how am I supposed to teach? I’m leaving right now!”
When Zhao Biao heard this, he panicked internally as well.
The villagers dared not openly interfere, but quite a few were discussing it secretly behind closed doors.
“Do you think our Village Chief is truly finished this time?” one older woman whispered.
“Isn’t that right? This incident is truly his fault due to negligence. If Master Ji leaves, our children will have nowhere to study,” another villager said helplessly.
If Master Ji really left, the children of Song Village would be without a teacher.
Master Ji’s reputation was well-known in the area; he taught so well that even the few wealthy families in the village sent their children to study with him.
If Master Ji left, not only would the school fall into disuse, but the village’s reputation would also suffer.
Thus, a few days after the incident, Zhao Biao quickly swallowed his pride and forced himself to go apologize to Master Ji.
“Oh, Tutor, this is truly my fault; let’s not dwell on it. The school must certainly be rebuilt; I’ve already made arrangements. We still need you to continue teaching; we can’t let the children delay their studies!”
Master Ji snorted coldly and looked up at Zhao Biao: “You are a reasonable person. This was your negligence; the school’s reconstruction must be taken seriously.”
Zhao Biao smiled broadly, repeatedly apologizing: “Tutor is absolutely right; it was all my negligence. However, regarding this school reconstruction, I guarantee there won't be any problems this time.”
“Hmph, then how will you rebuild the school?” Master Ji asked tentatively.
Zhao Biao quickly nodded: “This time we’ve learned our lesson. I’ve already hired someone to design the new school. We will directly channel a water channel in, and install a Waterwheel behind the school. This way, if there’s a fire in the future, water can directly isolate it, preventing the school from burning down again.”
Master Ji’s expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but he remained cold: “Fine, you showed some sense this time. But remember this: if you do anything so foolish again, I will truly leave!”
Zhao Biao nodded profusely, breaking out in a cold sweat: “Yes, yes! Tutor, rest assured, I will never make the same mistake again.”
Finally, under Zhao Biao’s persistent pleading, Master Ji reluctantly agreed to stay.
The villagers also breathed a sigh of relief; after all, Master Ji was the only teacher in the village, and if he left, the village children would truly face the awkward situation of having "no school to attend."
A month later, the new school was rebuilt on the old site.
The original Outer Field also had a water channel introduced, and a large Waterwheel was installed at the back.
The Waterwheel turned cheerfully, and the villagers felt much more at ease seeing the new school.
As for Master Ji, he felt that Zhao Biao had finally done something reliable. Standing in front of the school, looking at the newly built structure, he felt some comfort; after all, no matter how big the conflict, it was less important than the children's education.
“This is great! With water isolating the fire, we’re never afraid of it catching fire again!” the villagers commented with smiles.
During this time, Xu Hua also returned from visiting relatives in the city.
The round trip, relying on walking and traveling with companions, took over twenty days, plus Xu Hua had stayed in the city for some time.
Upon returning, Xu Hua brought back many souvenirs; in her basket were some unused incense sticks and candles from the Temple, the red candles inscribed with many hard-to-decipher Runes.
Li Jun naturally stared at them for a long time but couldn't make sense of any of it.
Xu Hua brought a pearl necklace for Li Yanyan, which was a gift from her eldest son, Li Zehua. Xu Hua secretly slipped it to Li Yanyan.
Li Yanyan was overjoyed upon receiving it and ran out to show off to her little friends next door.
Li Jun heard from Xu Hua that his brother, Li Zehua, was working as an Apprentice in the city, had learned a trade, and the shop owner liked him so much that he planned to cultivate him as a core member. She also mentioned many novelties from Xiping City, making Li Jun yearn for it for quite a while.
Li Zehua didn't particularly like his younger brother, so naturally, he didn't have a gift for Xu Hua to bring back for Li Jun.
Li Jun was young and didn't understand Li Zehua's feelings.
Li San listened from the side, remaining silent, taking puffs from his pipe one after another.
“What’s wrong? Jun’er? Why aren't you happy?” Xu Hua looked at Li Jun, who was squatting to one side with a pout.
This father and son pair—one frowning while smoking opium, the other pouting and throwing a tantrum.
“Mother, the day you left, that silver Squirrel also left; it disappeared.”
Xu Hua muttered to herself, thinking the Squirrel was probably taken by Li San... then turned to Li Jun and said, “Squirrels have to go home too. Are you unhappy because of this?”
“I... I just don't understand why the Squirrel had to go home when its home was burned down, and now it has no home.”
“Maybe it went to its mother’s home...”
“How do you know it has a mother...”
“Without a mother, how could there be a little Squirrel?”
“But why is it that every small animal I’ve ever brought home since I was little has disappeared...”
Li San stood up, went into the yard to grab his hunting gear, and shot a glare at Xu Hua.
Xu Hua felt a bit guilty and impatient, saying, “Why do you have so many questions? Animals have legs; couldn't it just run away? School starts again in a couple of days, have you been practicing your Literacy!”
Li Jun’s eyebrows shot up; sensing Xu Hua’s anger, he quickly ran back into the inner room.
Xu Hua watched Li San leave from a distance, muttering to herself: “Your little animals, weren't they all taken by your dad to use as bait.”
She couldn't help but shake her head.
“Mother...” A moment later, Li Jun appeared again.
“What is it?” Xu Hua was sorting through Li Zehua’s clothes brought back from the city; some were too small and had a few holes, but patching a few holes and tailoring them down would still be fine for Li Jun to wear.
Li Jun smiled slyly, taking out that brown Pinecone with a Silver Light, and said, “This Pinecone feels so comfortable to touch. Can you string it up with braided rope? I want to hang it around my neck.”
Xu Hua touched the Pinecone; it was warm, smooth, and comfortable, its color brown with a slight silver sheen, completely different from the other Pinecones, making her curious.
But she didn't say much, indulging Li Jun, stringing the Pinecone with braided rope and hanging it around his neck.
Seeing Li Jun’s mischievous smile, Xu Hua immediately understood; he was envious that his sister Li Yanyan had a pearl necklace gift while he only had his brother's worn-out clothes.
Although she had secretly given the pearl necklace to Li Yanyan, how could it escape the sharp eyes of Li Jun.
Xu Hua felt a bit guilty, so she took out a small box of snacks she had prepared to give to relatives.
“This is from your brother for you. Take it inside and eat it slowly; don't let your sister see.”
“Oh, hooray! Thank you, brother, thank you, Mother!” Li Jun quickly took the snacks and vanished in a flash, returning to his room.
At night, the wind blew from the West Mountain in Song Village, rustling the fallen leaves, and dry branches gently tapped against Li Jun’s Window Lattice outside.
Before sleeping, Li Jun stuffed a piece of brittle candy into his mouth; it was sweet, and he chewed it until his mouth was full of fragrance. He couldn't bear to finish these snacks.
He carefully hid the rest under his pillow, pressing down with his hand to ensure it was securely hidden, before nodding with satisfaction.
Closing his eyes, he fell asleep with a satisfied smile.
As the night deepened, starlight filtered through the Window Lattice, shimmering like scales. An extremely faint Silver Light appeared outside the window, imperceptible to the naked eye, silently passing through the window paper and sinking into the Pinecone pendant Li Jun had been wearing on his chest. The Pinecone emitted a faint glow, as if some power was slowly awakening.
Just then, Li Jun had a strange dream.
In the dream, the forest of Song Village was a hundred times larger than usual, and he himself had shrunk to the size of a palm. He stood on a giant leaf, pushed off lightly with his foot, and floated up, landing gracefully on a horizontal tree branch.
Li Jun looked up and saw the gradually silvering Squirrel smiling and waving a paw at him. Its fur shimmered softly under the moonlight, and its tail was as fluffy as a cloud.
“Little Squirrel?!” Li Jun was stunned, then lunged forward, “Where did you go?!”
The gradually silvering Squirrel pulled him onto its back, then carried Li Jun as they darted between the branches; the breeze brushed their faces, and it was wonderfully joyful.
Li Jun lay on the Squirrel’s back, smiling so wide his eyes narrowed into slits.
They also ate all sorts of nuts he had never seen before: Black Tooth Fruit that tasted like honey, Chestnut Fruit that crunched like ice shards, and a Fruit Kernel as sweet as sugar.
“Where did these come from...?” Li Jun asked vaguely with the fruit in his mouth.
The Squirrel scratched its head.
Li Jun wanted to say more, but the scene before him began to blur; he felt his eyelids grow heavy, and his body felt increasingly weighted. The next moment, he opened his eyes.
It was already dawn, and frost had formed in the outer yard.
He reached under his pillow—the candy was still there with a giggle, but where had the little Squirrel gone?
A few days after this, Li Jun received notice—he was to return to Shuhe School with the other children.
Master Ji still looked the same, his eyes and brows seemingly etched with scholarly air year-round, holding a scroll in one hand and a teapot in the other; if anyone answered a word incorrectly, he would make them stand for punishment.
“Li Jun, read this passage—”
Li Jun shivered, stood up, and stared blankly at the page: “……”
“Hmm? You don’t know it?”
“Uh... uh...” Li Jun’s forehead began to sweat, “The... the Earth is receptive...”
“You come up and stand here too,” Master Ji said flatly.
“Oh...”
Li Jun had no choice but to walk forward with his head down, mumbling, having already mentally burned the book in a pile of firewood a hundred times.
What was worse was that whenever he slacked off in class, a flock of mountain sparrows would suddenly fly over, perch on the Window Lattice, and chirp noisily. Li Jun suspected these sparrows had come to mock him!
Returning home, Li San saw his son looking dejected, which angered him.
“You brat, you look like withered grass from studying. It’s truly a waste of food to feed you. If you continue like this, you might as well go farm.”
“Father...” Li Jun said with a mournful face, “I really tried my best...”
Li San snorted and retrieved the "punishment vine" from the corner of the wall.
When Li Jun saw it, he turned and fled.
Li San chased after him, and Li Jun ran wildly around the chicken coop at the village entrance.
The village elders sat under a tree, cracking melon seeds and laughing.
“This child, his legs are really nimble.”
“Don’t mention it, he really has the same spirit I had when I was young.”
“Come on, you. When you were young, you couldn't even climb a small slope.”
Sunlight shone on the village entrance, and Li Jun ran, panting heavily, the Pinecone in his arms feeling slightly warm.
That year, Li Jun recognized many characters, but reading the classics was a stumbling block; studying became his nightmare.