Chapter 8, Breakfast

Li Diudiu hurriedly bent down and said: "It's just that I have never eaten so much food... No, it's that I have never seen so many things to eat."

The disciples in the academy live in luxury and abundance, while the common people outside the city have become bandits due to their inability to afford food

Zhang Xiaolin originally intended to humiliate Li Diudiu, but Li Diudiu remained silent and focused on eating, treating him as if he were air. This made Zhang Xiaolin feel as though he was the one being humiliated by Li Diudiu, which infuriated him

So good

Once Zhou Huaili's carriage had departed, the middle-aged Taoist spat and said, "Hmph! What is there to be proud of for a former official who has already stepped down?"

He found a corner to hide in, and waited until the street was completely deserted. Then he chose another pile of firewood to burrow into, covering himself with dry wood and hay, completely concealed, as he had already grown accustomed to it

Aunt Wu stood there watching the three children talk, feeling bewildered again, wondering if this young gentleman was truly a poor boy

After saying this, he looked at Li Diudiu's school uniform and smiled again

... ...

After Li Diudi left, Aunt Wu looked at the utensils Li Diudi had used. There was only a little soup left in the plate, and not a single grain of rice was left. It was so clean that she thought she was seeing things.

This startled the other students who were eating. Some turned around with angry expressions. Zhang Xiaolin quickly apologized with a smile. Every student in this academy comes from a prestigious background... Hmm, except for Li Diudi, so he only dares to bully Li Diudi.

"Poor boy, have you never seen so much food before?"

However, Aunt Wu really did not think that Li Diudiu had any merits

Zhou Huaili instructed the coachman to go and inquire. The middle-aged Taoist who had driven away Changmei reportedly said that someone from the original magistrate, Lord Zhou, had come to ask. With a beaming smile, he replied that no one had come, and he had never seen a scruffy old Taoist. He said that if that person were to return, he would certainly provide a warm reception

He thought for a moment and added, "You may not have encountered a poor student before"

What does it matter

Zhang Xiaolin slammed his hands heavily on the table

Li Diudiu was too lazy to explain further and pointed to something he had never seen before, asking: "What is this?"

Standing there like a fool, looking at these, Li Diudiu thought, what is Master eating

Aunt Wu was startled, thinking that she had said something wrong again

He walked up to Li Diudiu and sat down, tapping his fingers on the table

He and his master traveled extensively within the seven counties, encountering all kinds of people. The master said that to understand a person, one must look into their eyes, for the eyes conceal thoughts and character.

The plump aunt in the cafeteria saw Xiao Li for the first time. This child is not particularly tall, but has a delicate appearance. The way he stood in front of the food, lost in thought, was something the aunt had never seen before

Aunt Wu cautiously asked, "But what is unsatisfactory about the food?"

Li Diudiu feels somewhat out of place both with himself and in this cafeteria

Aunt Wu said: "Young master, you should first drink some porridge and eat some light food; otherwise, eating this eight-treasure rice directly will upset your stomach"

Like a madman

After finishing his meal, he picked up all the utensils and put them back in place, then smiled at Aunt Wu again and said, "Thank you, it was really delicious."

How could there still be such a young gentleman in the academy

Li Diudiu asked, "Um, can I take a copy with me?"

She does not believe that there would really be students in the academy who are so interested in such breakfast, nor is it that she does not believe; she does not even dare to think about it.

Aunt Wu said with a somewhat anxious expression, "Young master, please do not joke around..."

Li Diudiu thought about his first day of class and realized that he would have to wait ten days before he could go to Wuwei Temple to find his master, so he nodded and said, "Then I will have a portion."

He is just organizing clothes for Li Diudiu and also removing the hay from Li Diudiu's hair

Li Diudiu glanced at him and nodded: "Yes"

Although he knew that the meals in the Wuwei Temple were likely not poor, he still took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention to slip two eggs into his bosom. Upon careful reflection, he and his master realized that it had been several years since they had eaten eggs.

Aunt Wu said: "This eight-treasure rice is sticky and tastes good when hot. If the young master takes it away, it will become dry and hard when cooled, which is not tasty."

Li Diudiu followed Aunt Wu's instructions, took a bowl of porridge, some pastries, a few side dishes, and a serving of eight-treasure rice. Just as he sat down and prepared to eat, Zhang Xiaolin and Sun Rugong entered side by side. Upon seeing Li Diudiu sitting there, Zhang Xiaolin couldn't help but laugh.

Do not be afraid to come

Aunt Wu felt somewhat anxious: "Young Master, if there is anything you are not satisfied with, please let me know."

It's nothing, really

Zhang Xiaolin snorted and pulled Sun Rugong away. Throughout the entire time, Sun Rugong did not say a word, but Li Diudiu always felt that this fellow was unusually gloomy for a child

She prefers those students who leave a lot of food uneaten after just a few bites, as this allows her to take the leftovers home. The children can enjoy them, and her husband can also use these leftovers to accompany his drinks.

Li Diudiu finished a bowl of porridge, had some noodles and side dishes, and then pulled over the eight-treasure rice. This sweet and sour eight-treasure rice, which had some candied fruits mixed in, made Li Diudiu's eyes light up; he had never eaten such delicious rice before

Li Diudiu simply felt that it was very boring; kneeling down to bow and admit one's mistakes was such a childish thing to do

The Long-Browed Daoist mocked himself, yet he always felt as if Xiao Diudiu was standing right in front of him, looking up at him and saying... Master, I am hungry

Aunt Wu was taken aback and quickly said: "Young master, you are too polite. Everything here is prepared for you, feel free to eat and take as you wish"

The Long-Browed Daoist watched as the other party closed the door, reaching out his hand in an attempt to stop them. However, his hand, extended in mid-air, came to a halt, for in that moment he suddenly realized that some forms of pity cannot be sought after.

It is quite troublesome

I am here to issue a challenge to you

Li Diudiu nodded and murmured to himself, "Is it about the lineup"

Aunt Wu quickly returned the greeting: "Young master, there is no need to be so polite, I cannot, I cannot."

As the Long-Browed Daoist walked, he thought to himself, although he had no money for food or lodging, at least there was plenty of firewood available.

At the Four-Page Academy, Li Diu stared blankly at the sumptuous breakfast laid out on the long table before him, having never seen anything like it. After following his master for so many years, he had no idea that breakfast could be enjoyed in such a way. To this day, his ultimate fantasy regarding food is to have another taste of braised dishes.

Who among the students in the academy would come to eat so early, and who would gaze at the dishes with their eyes sparkling with delight

Li Diudiu turned around and looked. There were only about five or six people eating in the cafeteria, while the prepared meals were enough for over a hundred people. He couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed: "With so much food, isn't it a waste if we can't finish it?"

Aunt Wu smiled and said, "This is the Four-Page Academy; how could the food in the academy possibly be subpar? If it were, it would not be worthy of the prestige of our academy"

Zhang Xiaolin is merely a loud and boisterous person, while Sun Rugong followed him without uttering a word. The fleeting disdain in his gaze towards Li Diudiu was momentary, yet that brief moment made Li Diudiu regard Sun Rugong with greater importance

The Long-Browed Daoist found himself completely out of money, his stomach growling with hunger. As the sky gradually darkened, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Had he known better, he would not have urinated on that pile of firewood during the night, and now he had to search for a new place to rest.

Aunt Wu quickly said: "Is it because the quality is too poor?"

Zhang Xiaolin said: "That day, in front of the teacher, I won by a fluke when you ambushed me. I am not satisfied with that. After this afternoon's class, let us have another match in the woods behind the academy. If I lose again, I will avoid you in the future. If you lose, you will kneel down and bow to me in apology."

In recent years, Jizhou has become increasingly chaotic, and the lives of the common people have become exceedingly difficult. The life outside Jizhou City is entirely different from that of the city dwellers, as if they have not seen a chicken for several years.

Good

Little Doudou must have already fallen asleep in a clean and tidy house, with thick and warm blankets and comfortable pillows. How nice.

With his stomach growling, Zhang Mei strolled along the street for a while, then found a relatively spacious spot to sit down. He planted his divination banner into the ground, trying to remain as still as possible, for the more he moved, the hungrier he became

The pitiful ones who are begged to come will also be very humble.

Li Diudiu nodded and replied with a single character.

At the moment when Li Diudiu walked out of the canteen, she turned her head and happened to see Wu Shen putting eggs into her own pocket. When Wu Shen looked up and saw her, they both felt embarrassed.

Li Diudiu shook his head: "Auntie, I am not a young master. My family has no money, no power, and no parents. My master said that my parents are farmers, so I dare not call myself a young master. I am just a poor student."

Are there so many details to consider?

The Long-Browed Daoist murmured to himself as he turned to walk back, feeling a tinge of sadness and regret in his heart. However, the thought that Xiao Li Diu Diu had already entered the Four-Page Academy brought him joy once more. It was merely a temporary lack of a place to stay; it would not be this way forever.

Have you ever worn clothes made of such fabric? It seems like you haven't even worn it before. I see that you are being very careful and even put a piece of cloth underneath. Are you afraid of getting your uniform dirty while eating? You haven't even worn this kind of clothes before, it's really pitiful.

I said, that poor boy must be here.

This gentleman.

She instinctively raised her head to look at other places, where the empty seats of those who had finished their meals were piled with leftovers. Some items had only been bitten once, deemed unpalatable, and discarded to the side, while others had not been touched at all, the contrast could not be more evident

That... Auntie, I just took two eggs.

Shortly after he left, Zhou Huaili took a carriage to the outside of Wuwei Temple. He could probably guess what happened to Master Changmei, but he didn't see anything after he arrived.

The master said, "Do not embarrass yourself."

No, no.

Bang! The door closed again.

Ah?

Thinking about these things, Chang Mei Dao Ren fell asleep.

Zhang Xiaolin smiled and said, "It's not your fault. You are just a poor boy. If you want to blame someone, blame your parents for not giving you a good background."

In the canteen, there is a row of iron pots filled with various porridges such as white rice porridge, millet porridge, pumpkin porridge, eight treasure porridge, as well as more than five or six kinds of soups. Li Diudiu has never seen so many types of main dishes and side dishes, all of them are diverse and eye-catching.

This is Eight Treasures Rice.

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Li Diudiu raised her head and glanced at Zhang Xiaolin's face, just a faint glance. For some unknown reason, Zhang Xiaolin felt as if she had been slapped in the face again, and it burned fiercely.

What is Xiao Diudiu eating

Li Diudiu smiled and stepped towards the classroom

Li Diudiu ignored it and ate with his head down.

Are you foolish

It was another morning, and the Longbrow Taoist had to get up early. What if someone saw him being taken to the authorities while they were going out to gather firewood? After getting up, he stretched lazily and then stood by the street, facing the air, mumbling something while gesturing with his hands in the air.

In Jizhou City, a curfew is enforced; after dark, individuals are not permitted to roam freely on the streets. If discovered by the patrolling officials, they will be imprisoned and treated as thieves. Otherwise, Changmei would not have had to sneak into a pile of firewood to sleep with Li Diudiu.