Chapter 5, Landing, Beginning

"Please tidy up and come out with me. We will gather here in ten minutes," Cheng Pan said to the other ten boys.

"Yes, sir," the two girls replied emphatically

Especially over the past month, Cheng Pan has been leading them in practicing thrusting with bamboo spears on the back mountain

For the villagers, such a scene occurred a year ago. A scholar, who appeared to have the demeanor of a young wealthy gentleman, settled in the west of the village with about ten children who were not much younger than him. Soon after, he began to build a school to teach the children to read and write. The village children, curious, listened for a while and were invited by the scholar to stay for a hearty meal. The scholar stated that as long as the children listened attentively in class and answered questions correctly, the school would provide daily food and lodging. As the saying goes, a half-grown boy can impoverish his father. All the children in the village were compelled to attend classes. The scholar was also somewhat peculiar. According to the boys at home, the teacher had a third eye and could know every move of everyone in the house even through the walls.

They have cultivated a strong sense of discipline in themselves and others

Xiaohuang Village is situated on a large river island in the Yangtze River. Surrounded by water on all sides, the villagers rely on fishing for their livelihood. Apart from the tax collectors and river bandits who frequently visit, no one else comes to harm the villagers. In the morning, the sound of reading can be heard from several earthen houses outside the village, though the content is unique in this world and in literature.

"Yes, sir," answered Cheng Pan in a loud and orderly manner

Twelve children followed Cheng Pan into the third room, where Cheng Pan waved his hand and threw out a large amount of food from the Sea of Consciousness.

Dissolve

The sound of a house is like this

Twelve children stood up in response and walked out of the house, automatically lining up in order of height

One minus one equals one, one plus two equals two, two times two equals four

On that day, Cheng Pan was called by the village chief

The second point is that every day, all the children are required to line up in a square formation and either walk or run while lifting their left and right legs. Any slight deviation will result in being whipped on the buttocks with a rattan stick

The third point is that the scholar does not transport grain to the granary yet is able to produce enough food daily for about forty boys to eat well.

These twelve children are the younger brothers that Cheng Pan took in a year ago. Over the past year, Cheng Pan has shared meals and living quarters with the ten boys.

After a year of training and good nutrition, all ten boys have grown taller and stronger

Cheng Pan smiled and said: "Yes"

Twenty minutes later, Cheng Pan and ten boys were walking in a secluded forest. After walking for a while, they suddenly stopped and took out five shoulder poles and five baskets of salt from the sea of consciousness. The ten boys lifted them up in pairs. Three minutes later, they arrived at a hidden port. A boat was docked there, and three fishermen were waiting. One of the leaders said, "Mr. Cheng, you are indeed trustworthy. May I inspect the goods?" Three minutes later, they arrived at a hidden port. A boat was docked there, and three fishermen were waiting. One of the leaders said, "Mr. Cheng, you are indeed trustworthy. May I inspect the goods?"

A month ago, Cheng Pan confidently visited the water bandits near Xiaohuang Village. In the bandits' den, he showcased his skills—within three seconds, he captured the images of six men wielding machetes, and then presented them with a gift of money. This served to inform the local underworld that there was a scholar named Cheng in Xiaohuang Village

The leader carefully opened each salt basket and examined them closely. After a while, he looked up and said, "Mr. Cheng, impressive skills, to be able to acquire such a large quantity of fine salt"

Cheng Pan patrolled between the two rooms, using his heightened senses to monitor the children inside. (Such a teacher is simply a bug)

Cheng Pan confidently replied: "Please do as you wish"

Follow me

The village chief said: "The court will not hold the imperial examination, and it will not be held. There is nothing anyone can do about this matter, so do not dwell on it. Let us disband the school and change to another profession. The village has received such great favor from you, yet everyone feels uneasy in their hearts."

Arriving at the classroom, I called out: "Group 1, step forward"

These twelve children have witnessed Cheng Pan's creations in the void multiple times and are no longer surprised. However, they still look at Cheng Pan with eyes full of reverence

Ah, oh, goose, alas mhetushucomcom, eh, concave, Europe, peace, grace, rise

Cheng Pan said, "A friend occasionally gets hold of some goods. Such business is rare, and Sun, the head of the household, need not inquire further."

I am going on a trip. You all should manage the cooking at home as usual. In the cupboard, there are some math problems I prepared. Please help the village children practice the four basic arithmetic operations and review the characters I have taught.

The elders in the village privately say that the scholar is a person who possesses magical abilities

Zhang Xue and Zhao Yu, two girls of average appearance with healthy red complexions, took a step forward (this book is not a romance novel; there are beautiful female characters, but they are few)

Cheng Pan smiled and said: "Huang Lao, do not worry, I will find a way to make a living. The school will not be disbanded; I can still support the mouths of dozens of children. Although the imperial examination has been abolished, it is still beneficial for the children to learn more characters, as it will prevent them from being deceived when they go out into the world."

The other house is like this

"Cheng Xiucai, I have heard that the court will no longer conduct the imperial examination in the future, is that true?"

... ...

After a round of pleasantries, Cheng Pan bid farewell to the village chief