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Reluctantly handing the book back, she instructed, "Don't sell it, keep it safe."

Shang Lin smiled and didn't take it: "Teacher Lin, please keep it. I know you like Mr. Li, and this book was originally bought for you."

Lin Tongmao shook his head: "That won't do."

She laughed; "If you don't think it's right, just give it to me at the original price, three cents."

Lin Tongmao smiled, knowing she wasn't short of money, and stopped insisting.

Shanglin admired this about him. He was passionate about knowledge but not corrupt. Unlike some self-righteous people who thought themselves superior to others.

She had received a lot of help from Lin Tongmao, and she would probably have to continue to receive it in her future studies. Of course, she would have to build a good relationship with him in advance, perhaps by offering a small bribe.

Lin Tongmao asked, "Where is Ye Yao?"

He had become quite familiar with Yin Yeyao over the past year.

"A new teacher just came to teach him martial arts. He's suffering right now, isn't he?" She squinted, gloating.

Lin Tongmao chuckled: "No wonder I didn't see him."

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "You still don't want to go to school?"

"I'm not old enough yet."

Lin Tongmao shook his head disapprovingly: "Don't try to fool me. You know more than a junior high school student, and you shouldn't be judged by the standards of ordinary children. You should start school earlier, skip a grade, I know of schools that specialize in training prodigies like you..."

Shang Lin interrupted, "Don't joke around. I'm hardly a child prodigy—at best, I'm diligent. You know, I'm good for nothing except Chinese."

Lin Tongmao paused for a moment, then smiled easily. "Yes, yes, you're not a child prodigy. If you're not a child prodigy, then everyone else is an idiot, and my daughter must be mentally challenged."

Qiu Shanglin's thoughts were simple. She wasn't particularly bright; at most, she had a slight edge in Chinese language arts, but when it came to science, she was completely lost. She didn't want to start school early, perhaps at seven or eight? Following the same path as everyone else, slowly earning money, slowly studying, graduating from university, building a fortune, first traveling all over the country, then the world… Later, she wanted a stable job, an honest husband, and a smart child. Her parents not divorcing, her brother not causing trouble, and having some money of her own—that was her ultimate goal in life.

As for how much money is enough... at least enough to live comfortably.

What does it mean to be free from worries about food and clothing? ... You can spend money without worry in a top-tier shopping mall in China, right?

Thinking about the astonishing luxury goods of later generations, I sigh and think, "Forget it, I'd better just keep making money honestly."

Sanda and Western Fencing

Yin Yeyao has been having a bad time lately, a really bad time.

He hadn't seen Qiu Shanglin for two weeks, which was a record-breaking period for him. Even when they argued or quarreled, their cold wars never lasted more than three days. Although that brat Qiu Shanglin treated him badly, with terrible behavior and rude words, she was interesting, very interesting indeed.

She always manages to come up with interesting, fun, and unique ideas, bringing life to a stagnant existence. These ideas help him relax and unwind after his demanding studies, preventing him from becoming gloomy and violent. Even Hua Ge says he's become much more cheerful since moving to town—a comment Yin Yeyao scoffs at.

Cheerful? The children of the Yin family are not worthy of being cheerful; no, the children of the Yin family cannot be cheerful. They must act with composure and the bearing of a great general. In other words, they must be ruthless and cunning, hiding everything in their hearts. His mother was even stricter with him, teaching him from a young age not to show his emotions.

Do you think I'm a wooden doll?

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

In Xu Mi's dictionary, keeping one's emotions hidden doesn't mean being rigid, lifeless, or dull. It means always keeping others guessing about what you're thinking or what you're planning. Even when you should be angry, you wear a smile; even when you should be sad, you never let sadness show in your eyes.

As for joy... he stroked his chin and thought for a moment. In his past, he didn't seem to have many joyful memories. If he had to name one... perhaps it was Qiu Shanglin and her simple-minded younger brother?

The siblings are really interesting; one is incredibly shrewd, while the other is utterly clueless.

Speaking of which, it's been six or seven days since that silly Qiu Xialin last came, hasn't it? Ever since his Sanda and swordsmanship coaches arrived.

Thinking of his master, who had won the national Sanda championship, Yin Yeyao broke out in a cold sweat.

Given Xu Mi's outstanding performance over the past few years, the Yin family patriarch agreed to grant her a wish. Although Xu Mi really wanted to say, "I want to be the legal wife, I want to ascend to the throne of the Yin family's young mistress," who is she? She is Xu Mi, not one of those brainless women who rely on their youth and beauty to rise to power.

So she subtly expressed her concern for her son who was far away from home.

After hearing this, Old Master Yin became very interested in Yin Yeyao. Given that his son Yin Yeyao's father had numerous children, both well-known and unknown, the Yin family had never cared much for boys. On the contrary, they would raise any girl they had, as long as it was proven she was a member of the Yin family, they would never renege on their promise.

Why, you ask? Because girls can get married into other families in the future! Boys, on the other hand, only know how to spend money!

The old man had never met Yin Yeyao. Occasionally, when the Yin family held banquets, out of consideration for the wife's reputation and the family's decorum, illegitimate children were never allowed to attend. After all, turning a company banquet into a family gathering of kids and women vying for attention seemed inappropriate no matter how you looked at it.

He only knew that Xu Mi had given birth to his grandson, who was said to be very clever and quick-witted—thank goodness, he wasn't just obedient and quick-witted. The old man hated obedient and quick-witted children more than anything else in his life.

His son Yin Yeyao's father was also very well-behaved and clever when he was young, but look at his current behavior!

The old man would rather his son be obedient but not clever, so that he wouldn't have women coming to his door crying every few days.

In short, after Xu Mi's explicit suggestion, the old man realized that he had a grandson who had been forced to flee. This grandson was not only intelligent but also studious and ambitious. Although far away from home, he never stopped thirsting for knowledge. Moreover, his mother had raised him to appear knowledgeable and refined on the surface, but inwardly ruthless, cunning, and adept at political maneuvering. From a young age, he learned the principles of interpersonal relationships, reading "Cai Gen Tan" and "Hou Hei Xue" as if they were fairy tales, and treating the Four Books and Five Classics like comic books.

Now, this grandson is no longer satisfied with spiritual pursuits; he has returned to simplicity and begun to yearn for physical training.

After a moment's thought, he generously offered to let him learn Tai Chi.

Xu Mi was overjoyed. The old man had practiced Tai Chi for eighteen years and valued this skill of using softness to overcome hardness.

However, she then subtly mentioned that when her child was four or five years old, his maternal grandfather said that his personality was not suited to Tai Chi.

The old man suddenly remembered that Xu Mi originally came from a scholarly and prestigious family—although they had fallen on hard times, she possessed an elegance and erudition that most women couldn't match. Look at her standing next to those busty women, who brings more honor to the Yin family?

Instead of being displeased, the old man became even more amiable and offered to introduce her to a renowned Wing Chun master. However, Xu Mi refused. She believed that Wing Chun was too gentle and unsuitable for Yin Yeyao to learn.

She said with elegance, confidence, and pride, "Ye Yao is suited for exploration, not for maintaining the status quo."

She was practically begging the old man for favors—knowing full well that his greatest worry was that the next generation would be better at maintaining the status quo than expanding the family business. The Yin family was currently experiencing a period of rapid growth.

Although the old man saw through her ulterior motives, he was not disgusted by her little scheme.

In recent years, Xu Mi has displayed exceptional talent in the battle for the position of legal wife. What pleases the old man is that although she is radical, she is not ruthless or heartless, always leaving room for others. Among the several potential successors, the daughter-in-law who is about to be ousted does not hate Xu Mi at all.

But she clearly knew that her dismount was inextricably linked to Xu Mi.

The old man asked her very kindly what he wanted her child to learn.

Xu Mi expressed her desire to invite a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and Western fencing master to teach her son.

The old man laughed when he heard that.

Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and fencing. One Chinese and one Western, a perfect combination, elevates the evaluation of Xu Mi to a new level.

He happened to know two masters, and without saying a word, he presented them with generous gifts and instructions. Both masters agreed to send one of their disciples to enlighten Yin Yeyao.

It must be said that Xu Mi's move was extremely clever. She successfully drew the old man's attention to Yin Yeyao, adding another layer of protection to his safety. At the same time, it was a veiled show of force to her opponents—the old man personally assigning someone to teach his grandson was a gesture, a silent but exceptionally effective one.

As the two mentors arrived, all the major and minor events of Yin Yeyao's past nine years were laid out on the old man's desk. What caught his attention was Yin Yeyao's actions in a foreign land—investing in opening a stationery store.

He was impressed by the child's precociousness and business acumen, but he was unaware that the information he received was only incomplete. Everything related to the Qiu family had been cut.

Xu Mi was very satisfied, which meant that she had extended her influence to the Yin family mansion and to the old man's side.

Don't mistake her kindness for helping Qiu Shanglin cover up the truth. She simply didn't want anyone to share the credit with Yin Yeyao. After all, there's a big difference between one person's idea and two people's decision.

She secretly told Hua Zi that it was time to prepare to leave that remote place.

Hua Zi felt a pang of sadness.

This was the most peaceful year he had ever had. It was also the happiest and most carefree year.

Although he had to deal with the difficult Qiu Shanglin and the eccentric Yin Yeyao, under Qiu Shanglin's influence, Yin Yeyao began to respectfully and sincerely call him "Brother Hua" instead of calling him "Hua Zi" with a sense of entitlement. He began to learn to respect himself and stop acting as he pleased.

Hua Zi even felt happy just accompanying Yin Yeyao to study every day, and then helping Qiu Shanglin set up a stall to sell things, even if it was just selling a pencil sharpener for three cents.

But he knew even more clearly that Yin Yeyao's life could not end here, and that his life would become even broader in the near future.

Neither Xu Mi nor he planned to tell Yin Yeyao about this beforehand.

He will have to learn to face separation sooner or later, and making tough decisions is a valuable lesson he must learn.

Silently picking up Yin Yeyao's sweat-soaked clothes from the floor, he asked in a low voice, "Why don't you take a nap first? I'll call you for dinner." Yin Yeyao, who was slumped on the sofa but still maintained an elegant posture, asked, "Why don't you take a nap first? I'll call you for dinner."

His gaze was unfocused, he shook his head, and forced himself to ask, "Shanglin didn't come to see me today?"

Hua Zi paused, then shook his head: "No."

She's having a great time selling and buying books. Just a few days ago, she even asked me with a wicked grin to wish me a speedy journey to becoming a martial arts master who can leap across rooftops.

Yin Yeyao was a little disappointed.

Seeing this, Hua Zi couldn't help but tease, "A few days apart feels like three autumns?"

His face flushed slightly, and he growled, "Don't talk nonsense. Who misses her!"

"You don't like her?"

Yin Yeyao was a little embarrassed and annoyed: "Nonsense, I was just bored here and wanted to tease her!"

Hua Zi smiled and said, "That's good. Actually, it's not a big deal if you really like her. When we go back to the Yin family, we can just make her our mistress. That would be easy."

Seemingly not expecting him to say such things to him when he was only nine years old, Yin Yeyao was taken aback.

Mistress? Yes, given her status, if he were to actually become the heir in the future, she could only be a mistress.

Don't assume that a nine-year-old doesn't understand anything; a nine-year-old is innocent and naive.

He was precocious, physically as mature as a twelve or thirteen-year-old; as for his psychology... who knows?