Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 39

However, Qiu Xialin is different from Li Changsheng.

Both of them were very intelligent. Shang Lin remembered that in later generations, she hadn't seen her younger brother study diligently, yet his exam results were always good. Judging from Li Changsheng's usual behavior, he was not only intelligent but also cunning, so he probably wouldn't have any trouble with his studies—and even if he did, he wouldn't be afraid, with Shang Lin helping him with tutoring, she refused to believe that either of them would be at the bottom of the class!

Elementary school courses are boring and tasteless, and homework is even more boring.

Twenty repetitions of a pinyin syllable, twenty repetitions of a Chinese character syllable, how many ducks and chicks are there in total, how many are there separately? Xia Lin had already taught her the second-grade curriculum, but Chang Sheng was different. They had only spent a short time together, and he had no interest in learning, his mind only focused on his martial arts.

To ensure that Changsheng wouldn't fall too far behind, Shanglin decided to personally tutor him in his homework.

Anyway, they would have dinner together in the evening. After dinner, watching the two of them do their homework became Qiu Shanglin's recent task.

With her head down, biting her pencil, her left hand fidgeting restlessly on her leg, she stole a glance at the girl opposite her. Under the desk lamp, the little girl's left hand was supporting her chin, while her right hand hung naturally at her sides. She had just taken a bath, and her hair was casually draped around her neck, with a few stray strands falling loosely on her cheeks. Her eyes were closed, and from this angle, she seemed to be asleep.

Don't get me wrong, it's not erotic at all, not even cozy. It's just Li Changsheng secretly observing Qiu Shanglin.

He was itching to make a move. He gestured for Xia Lin to be quiet, then silently put down his pencil, tiptoed to his feet, and tried to sneak away.

My hand touched the doorknob; victory was in sight.

"Stop." A deep, unquestionable voice rang out.

Changsheng sighed silently, just one step away!

He turned his head and calmly stated, "I'm going to the outhouse."

She frowned deeply: "The toilet!"

"Go to the outhouse, go to the outhouse," can't you just change the way you address it?

He said nonchalantly, "Okay, I'm going to the restroom." His demeanor was open and his tone natural, as if he really just wanted to go to the restroom.

Qiu Xialin secretly gave him a gesture of admiration, then grinned at Changsheng with his back to his sister, making a beheading gesture with his hand on his neck.

Bro, you have no idea how formidable my sister is...

Shanglin smiled slightly: "Go ahead, come back soon. Even if you're on the toilet for twenty minutes, that'll be enough. Oh, it's late, the dew is heavy, and there are lots of mosquitoes. Xialin, get your brother some clothes, and take a flashlight with him, lest he get caught by the female ghost!"

Xia Lin grinned. "See? I wasn't wrong, was I?"

A hint of annoyance flashed across Changsheng's eyes as he lowered them, but he quickly regained his composure and said in his usual deathly tone, "I don't want to go anymore."

He walked back honestly, sat down, as if he hadn't lied and hadn't been exposed.

Xia Lin was completely impressed. My brother is really strong. Even when ridiculed by my sister like that, he remained as steady as a mountain, without getting anxious or angry. If it were me, I would have jumped up and down by now!

He took the workbook, glanced at it quietly, and a sneer appeared on his lips: "Chang Sheng, you can only write three words in half an hour?"

A look of embarrassment flashed across Li Changsheng's eyes.

"I'm your brother!" Even a saint would be driven mad by a girl, let alone him. Li Changsheng rarely retorted, but he lowered his voice. If the room hadn't been quiet, only he himself could probably hear it.

Shang Lin let out a long "Oh," not without sarcasm: "Thank goodness, you still remember you're the older brother—the great, omnipotent, and highly skilled older brother. I'll give you another half hour. Can you finish your homework then?"

Chang Sheng blushed, a rare occurrence for him. He snatched the homework book from her and glared at her fiercely.

If he looked at anyone else like that, they would probably be trembling with fear. But Qiu Shanglin was immune to it all. He lazily met his gaze, his eyes full of provocation: What, you're not convinced? If you're not convinced, come and hit me.

Changsheng swallowed hard. He had to be patient. She was a girl, younger than him. He had to be patient…

Xia Lin shrank back, pretending not to exist.

But Qiu Shanglin had no intention of letting him go, and reached out: "Give it to me."

She easily took the notebook he was protecting, flipped through it, and her smile grew even brighter: "Qiu Xialin, you've improved quite a bit!"

Xia Lin was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"You've been learning to write cursive script lately, oh?" Shanglin's praise was easy, but his criticism came even more promptly, immediately dispelling his desire to bargain.

He hung his head and didn't speak.

"You haven't even learned to crawl yet, and you already want to run?" Shanglin threw the workbook back without hesitation: "Rewrite it!"

This little brat is asking for trouble. If he's not disciplined for a few days, he'll cause trouble. Although he's learned to write simple characters, that doesn't mean he can write them carelessly—it's more than just careless, it's downright scribbles.

Even the prescriptions written by doctors at the hospital weren't as illegible as his, he thought to himself.

Writing cultivates patience and tests one's concentration; she hopes the two of them can experience this more. Less impetuousness, more pragmatism.

Xia Lin glanced at his brother, then looked at Shang Lin, who had returned to his previous posture, resting his chin on his hand and reading. Unconvinced, he asked:

Where is your homework?

Pshaw, don't think I don't know you make sure we do our homework every day, but you don't do it yourself!

Shang Lin glanced at him indifferently, took out his workbook from his schoolbag, slammed it in front of him, and asked, "Do you still want me to check your math homework?"

Undeterred, I flipped through it and saw that the lines were straight and the strokes were meticulously written.

Xia Lin deflated and replied listlessly, "No need."

After a few minutes of silence, he asked again, "You said that you need to have the correct posture when reading and writing, otherwise you'll become a four-eyed person, but you don't!"

You're resting your chin on your hand and leaning to one side.

Shang Lin maintained his facial expression, only raising his head to look straight ahead, and calmly stated, "I'm thinking about something."

Her eyes were closed, not open.

Qiu Xialin was completely discouraged. "I'm such a fool. I can't win, but I'm always unwilling to give up. I keep fighting, and I keep losing!"

My brother is the wiser one; he retreated immediately after the first battle failed, preserving his strength for the next. Look how serious he is now… Wait a minute!

Xia Lin stretched her head over the edge and onto Li Changsheng's notebook, then widened her eyes and shouted, "Sis, my brother is drawing little people in his homework!"

Small figures fighting with knives, spears, and clubs.

Li Changsheng was startled by his sudden exchange and glared at him fiercely.

Xia Lin shrank back, a little regretful, but seeing his sister's approving expression, he immediately felt at ease. "Amitabha," he thought, "better you than me, brother. This is a principle you and my sister have always taught me, don't blame me for betraying you. Besides, you dared to draw little figures on my sister's carefully selected homework book—that's taboo, a huge taboo! If she finds out, not only will you be in trouble, but I'll be implicated too!"

The two brothers rarely had a fight, and Shanglin caught them in the act.

Angrily, I snatched the notebook. Sure enough, there was a row of little figures drawn on the back, some with guns, some with swords, and some with big hammers, all in pairs, making a lively banging noise.

"Do you really hate doing homework that much?" she questioned coldly.

Seeing that Shanglin was really angry, Changsheng regretted it a little. He should have just done his homework.

"We already know all these characters, why do we need to write them?"

"Both Xia Lin and I can write it correctly. Can you guarantee that you would recognize it if it appeared in other places?" The question hit the nail on the head.

Changsheng did not answer. Qiu Shanglin's words made sense, but he could not agree with them.

"I don't think repeating this is meaningful! Didn't you also say that there's no need to chew up and mash up knowledge in your head, and that most knowledge is enough to just understand?"

She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. It seemed these two boys had both learned to misinterpret her words.

What I really wanted to tell Qiu Xialin, who's obsessed with listening to storytelling, is that there's no need to memorize every single part; it's a waste of time!

"Chang Sheng, you have to get up early every day to practice your skills, right?" She decided to try a different way of communicating.

Li Changsheng hummed in agreement.

"Do you practice the same set of punches every morning?" I continued to ask.

Li Changsheng was a smart man, and smart men understand things quickly. He vaguely grasped what Shanglin wanted to express, but he was unwilling to admit defeat, so he only grunted.

"Why don't you try something new every day, instead of practicing the same set of punches year after year? The principle is the same. Learning is like practicing martial arts. If you don't learn for a day, your meridians will rust—oh, I mean your brain will rust—and it won't function properly. Therefore, learning cannot be neglected for even a day. Diligent study and practice apply not only to martial arts." Was it easy for me? I patiently guided and persuaded, I earnestly explained, I scared the younger ones while coaxing the older ones.