It was already late at night. Dark clouds gathered in the sky and rain started to fall.
Ying Baiwu sat in the firewood room. Her legs were bent and hugged her knees tightly. Through the narrow window, she stared at the dark clouds in the sky.
The wounds on her body were burning hot, but Ying Baiwu was long used to it. She would be beaten every two to three days.
When her father drank too much, he would beat her. When he lost money in gambling, he would beat her. Even when he was in a bad mood or the food she cooked didn't suit his taste, he would beat her.
Ever since she was young, Ying Baiwu's deepest impression of her father was the way he swung the fire rod. It was even more terrifying compared to Yang Cai who wanted to rape her that day!
A gecko, black and white, crawled past his feet.
Rumble ~
Ying Baiwu's stomach suddenly growled. Just when the gecko was frightened and wanted to run away, this girl suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed it. She didn't even look and stuffed it into her mouth.
Crunch! Crunch!
Ying Baiwu chewed on the gecko, her mouth filled with bitterness. However, her face was numb as though she no longer knew how to smile or cry.
She naturally didn't get to eat dinner. Also, based on past experiences, she probably wouldn't be able to eat breakfast the next day either.
Although there was only half a cornbread for breakfast, it was still a rare enjoyment to Ying Baiwu.
Kacha!
Thunder rumbled and the heavy rain finally poured down.
Some of it splashed into the firewood room through the window, splashing onto Ying Baiwu's body. However, she was unmoved and just sat there in a daze, like a lifeless rock.
Pak!
A small cloth bag fell in and rolled to the side of her feet.
"Eat it!"
It was her mother's voice.
"Mn!"
Ying Baiwu picked up the cloth bag and clutched it tightly. However, she didn't move. "Mother, the rain is heavy outside. You should quickly return to the house!"
"Ai, Wu 'er, why don't you run away?"
Mother Ying cried. She truly couldn't bear to see her daughter living such a bitter life. Other girls wore new clothes and bought red headbands. However, her own Wu 'er had to haul swill at night and work as a blacksmith during the day. If this continued, when would there be an end?
"What about mother? Do you want to leave with me? "
When Ying Baiwu asked this, her voice was trembling.
"I … I'm about to die, where can I go?" Mother Ying smiled bitterly. "Let's go. Find a man who loves you, get married, have children, and live a peaceful life."
"I'm not leaving!
After Ying Baiwu spoke, she added another sentence in her heart. "Only a place with my mother is home!"
The wind and rain were too strong. Mother Ying could not persuade her daughter, so she could only leave.
Squatting in the woodshed for a night was a kind of enjoyment to Ying Baiwu. One must know that usually, she would have to work. She would only have time to take a nap at dawn after she finished her work.
In the morning, the rooster crowed in the yard.
Ying Tie opened the door of the woodshed and tossed two buns to Ying Baiwu. "There's no need for you to go to work today. Let's go to the Central Province Academy. Later on, just follow my instructions. If you dare to act recklessly, I will beat both of you to death!"
…
In the morning, when Zhou Shanyi came to the office, he heard Jiang Yongnian talking about Sun Mo. He originally wasn't interested, but after hearing that Yang Cai was beaten up, he couldn't help but come over.
"What happened?"
Zhou Shanyi was curious.
"Sun Mo beat up Yang Cai!"
Although Jiang Yongnian was a 1-star great teacher, he was a blabbermouth in private and loved to spread gossip. "I heard that when Sun Mo wanted to rape a girl, he was discovered by Yang Cai. Yang Cai's embarrassment turned into anger and he beat Sun Mo up."
"What the hell?"
Zhou Shanyi revealed an expression as though he had seen a ghost. "Are you sure you didn't say anything wrong?"
"How would I know if it's true or false? In any case, that's how the rumors are spreading!"
Jiang Yongnian shrugged.
"It's definitely fake!"
Du Xiao thought of Sun Mo whom she had met a few times and felt that his character wasn't bad. Hence, she couldn't help but interject.
"That's right."
Xia Yuan also spoke up. She flicked her short hair. "Even if Sun Mo can't control his lower body, he can go to a brothel. Why must he risk his reputation to rape a girl who carries swill?"
"Maybe he's a pervert?"
Yi Jiamin chimed in. When he heard that Sun Mo was unlucky, he really wanted to applaud and celebrate.
"Is there someone messing with Sun Mo?"
Pan Yi frowned.
The few people in the office all looked toward this old man, silently musing whether he was really stupid or pretending to be stupid. There was a high chance that this matter was done by Zhang Hanfu, who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance.
"Maybe his mentality is inflated!"
Gao Cheng mumbled in his heart. He felt that if he had God Hands and Sun Mo's great reputation, he'd definitely inflate to an unimaginable level.
Of course, he wouldn't take liberties with female students. But he'd definitely go to the best brothel in Jinling and invite at least ten famous courtesans to accompany him to seek pleasure.
"I heard that Sun Mo and Gao Ben arranged for a duel. I originally wanted to see the strength of their students, but from the looks of it now, I'm afraid I'll have to hold back."
Zhou Shanyi felt very regretful.
If Sun Mo couldn't avoid this, he'd be expelled at the very least. If it was serious, he'd be banned by the Saint Gate and wouldn't even be able to be a teacher.
"Stop discussing. Before things are clear, don't make wild guesses."
Xia Yuan persuaded. She was from An Xinhui's faction and naturally wanted to stop rumors that were unfavorable to Sun Mo.
"How can we control the mouths of people?"
Yi Jiamin gloated.
Creak!
The door was opened. Everyone turned their heads and saw Sun Mo carrying a potted plant as he walked in.
For a time, the office fell silent.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
Sun Mo casually greeted.
"Teacher Sun, good afternoon!"
Du Xiao smiled.
"Teacher Sun, are you changing the potted plants again?"
Xia Yuan was curious. During this period of time, Sun Mo had to change a new potted plant every day. She didn't know if it was because he liked gardening or because of his weird hobby.
"En!"
Sun Mo was only here to store the lesson plans. It would be too troublesome to bring them around every day. He might as well just leave them in the office of the teaching building. In any case, after so many days, he had already memorized all the contents.
After Sun Mo left, Xia Yuan threw a glance at the others. After pausing for a while, she left the office and chased after Sun Mo.
"Teacher Sun!"
Xia Yuan chased after him.
"What happened?"
Sun Mo had a pretty good impression of this short-haired lady who was over 30 years old. She was warm-hearted and dedicated to her work. When she saw injustice, she would also speak up.
"If you encounter any problems, don't fight them head-on. If you need to look for Headmaster An, then look for her."
Xia Yuan advised. She was worried that Sun Mo would be too chauvinistic and insist on going head-on against Zhang Hanfu.
"Thank you, Sister Xia."
Sun Mo broke into a smile and also changed the way he addressed her, pulling their relationship closer.
Xia Yuan wanted to say a few more words but was interrupted by Lian Zheng.
"Teacher Sun? I was looking for you. Come with me to the principal's office! "
Lian Zheng's square face was solemn and his tone was deep.
"Alright!"
Sun Mo nodded to Xia Yuan and then left.
Lian Zheng was in front while Sun Mo was behind him. When they reached a place with fewer people, Lian Zheng asked, "You are currently in the limelight and it's a good opportunity to increase your reputation. Why did you get involved in such a thing?"
"You should ask Yang Cai!"
Sun Mo's lips twitched.
"I'm guessing he's trying to frame you, but with your intelligence, you shouldn't fall for it, right? To put it bluntly, you are still too arrogant and confident, feeling that no one can do anything to you. Sun Mo, I admit that your God Hands are very powerful, but you don't know how to conduct yourself. Sooner or later, you will stumble. "
Lian Zhen spoke earnestly.
"Hmm?"
Sun Mo was astonished. What kind of wind was blowing? Could it be that Lian Zhen had forgotten that he had angrily rebuked him for Jiang Leng's sake? Moreover, from what he said, he seemed to have a very high opinion of himself!
"Hmm what?"
Lian Zhen was perplexed.
"You believe that I'm innocent without any evidence?"
Sun Mo was curious.
"Yang Cai is scum!"
Lian Zhen's words were concise and comprehensive. He was someone with an inflexible personality, and he wouldn't hate Sun Mo just because he didn't like him.
"Since you know he's scum, why didn't you expel him?"
Sun Mo asked.
"Teacher Sun, even if it's a saint or an emperor, it's impossible for them to do whatever they want to do. They would also be restricted in all aspects. Headmaster An wants to get rid of Yang Cai, but Zhang Hanfu is standing behind him."
Lian Zheng didn't hide anything.
There were three factions in the Central Province Academy, and An Xinhui was the weakest. No matter what she wanted to do, there would be great resistance.
Sun Mo didn't find it strange. Looking at the history of the gardening industry, how many emperors wanted to change things? For example, Wang Mang's new policy, Wang Anshi's reform, and Zhang Juzheng's new policy? These were all famous characters, but what happened to them in the end? All of them failed.
Every time there was a change, there would always be people with vested interests obstructing it.
Lian Zheng wasn't roped in by Zhang Hanfu's money and authority because he still had a conscience.
...
They arrived at the headmaster's office.
Lian Zheng pushed open the door and glanced at Sun Mo again. He then sighed helplessly.
Although he didn't like Sun Mo, Sun Mo had God Hands. As long as his name spread throughout Jinling, he'd surely be able to bring a lot of students to the school. But now, before that time came, Sun Mo had to scram.
This time around, Yang Cai had come in a threatening manner. Sun Mo should have met with misfortune.
Sun Mo walked into the headmaster's office and saw that there were already six school leaders present. Among them, the most eye-catching one was a middle-aged man dressed in moon-white robes. He had a long beard and used a jade crown to tie his hair. His every action exuded a scholarly aura.
This man was none other than Wang Su, a 4-star great teacher. He was one of the top major characters in the Central Province Academy. Everyone in his faction was a teacher, unlike Zhang Hanfu who accepted all sorts of people.
It was impossible to say that they were greedy. These teachers only felt that An Xinhui didn't have the talent to govern this school. Hence, they stood on Wang Su's side.
Other than these major characters from the upper echelons, there were two other people sitting on the chairs. One was Ying Baiwu, and the other was her father, Ying Tie. He was a gambling addict with a lame leg.
Yang Cai's entire body was covered in bandages. He leaned against the chair and howled in grief. When he saw Sun Mo entering, a hint of malevolence and hatred flashed in his eyes. After that, he cast a glance at Ying Tie.
"It's this fellow. There's no escaping!"
After ascertaining that Sun Mo was the culprit, Ying Tie immediately rushed over and cursed at Sun Mo, "You bastard, you want to rape my daughter? I'm going to fight it out with you! "
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