Why bother making things difficult for a child?

Apprentice under me?

Whose apprentice?

Ye Xiu smiled as he looked at He Daoxuan, who, judging from his attire, looked like a young scholar. "Young brother, what brings you to my humble home?"

He Daoxuan looked Ye Xiu up and down, a look of wild ecstasy appearing on his face.

He immediately dropped to his knees and knocked his head against the ground three times with loud thuds. "Master is above, please accept your disciple's bow!"

What the hell!

Ye Xiu was dumbfounded, utterly perplexed. "Do the two of us know each other?"

"Master, naturally you do not know this disciple yet, but your renowned name has long thundered in my ears."

He Daoxuan's gaze was resolute. "Ever since I had the privilege of reading Master's *Ci Poem Presented to Abbot Yansong at the Jinling Bianyifang*, I secretly swore in my heart that I must become your disciple and be at the beck and call of my benevolent master."

"Wait a minute..." Ye Xiu furrowed his brows, full of entanglement. "Where did you see the lyrics I wrote?"

"Abbot Yansong invited my uncle to discuss Chan Buddhism, and it just so happened that I went along."

He Daoxuan explained, "That was when I saw that poem. My uncle also spoke very highly of you, praising you as a man of great erudition, and told me to seek your guidance and instruction more often in the future. Seeking instruction—wasn't that a hint for me to find you and become your apprentice?"

"Wait... your surname is He?" Ye Xiu's heart skipped a beat. "Who is your uncle?"

He Daoxuan made no attempt to conceal it. "My uncle is He Jizhen, the president of the Lanting Poetry Society."

"..." Ye Xiu felt completely numb all over. Could this damn thing possibly be such a coincidence?

"I just finished drinking tea with your uncle, and he didn't mention a single word about this matter. You should be on your way back."

Ye Xiu immediately issued an order of dismissal. Even if he were given the courage of a bear, he wouldn't dare to take the nephew of He Jizhen as his apprentice.

People ought to have self-awareness; apart from reciting memories of past works, he knew absolutely nothing.

"Master, you refuse to take me as your disciple?" He Daoxuan blocked the doorway. "If you won't accept me as your disciple, I will kneel right here and never leave!"

"Playing shameless tricks with me? How naive!" Ye Xiu laughed heartily. "Then by all means, keep kneeling."

With that, he took Zhao Youyou by the hand and walked back into the small courtyard.

He Daoxuan cared nothing for that. He knelt right at the threshold, stubbornly refusing to get up.

Out of sight, out of mind, Ye Xiu lay back on a rocking chair under the shade of a tree to enjoy the cool breeze.

The weather was gradually growing sultry and oppressive. Ye Xiu picked up a cattail leaf fan and flapped it furiously.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye toward the gate from time to time, he saw that He Daoxuan was still kneeling there.

At that moment, Zhao Youyou walked over carrying a bowl of cold noodles with sauce.

Ye Xiu perked up instantly. In this ghostly weather, taking a bite of cold noodles was nothing short of an immortal's delight.

"Brother You'an, that person is still kneeling outside," Zhao Youyou said, a trace of hidden worry in her voice. "Will he get heatstroke from the sun?"

"Probably not..." Ye Xiu checked on He Daoxuan every now and then, genuinely terrified that the fellow might suddenly drop dead.

"Brother You'an, judging by what you said, his uncle has a very powerful background. Why not just take him in?"

Ye Xiu sighed. "A master for one day is like a father for life; personally, I wouldn't mind. The main issue is that you, the master's wife, are wealthy and possess a strong sense of responsibility—wouldn't this be a losing business venture? If I take one in today and another tomorrow, won't our home turn into a sanctuary for the destitute?"

"Mm, making money is not easy." Zhao Youyou nodded meaningfully. "Eating our food, drinking our water, and living in our house—it truly would be a terrible loss."

Although Ye Xiu had no desire to take on a disciple, he was genuinely afraid that the young man might suffer a real heatstroke, leaving him unable to face He Jizhen.

After finishing the cold noodles, he scooped up a bowl of mung bean soup and walked out to the entrance. "Want a drink?"

"Yes!"

He Daoxuan was the scion of a noble family; when had he ever suffered such hardship?

Long since dizzy and suffering from ringing ears and blurred vision, he reached out eagerly to take the bowl of mung bean soup.

Who would have thought that Ye Xiu would suddenly pull it away? "Drink it and then leave?"

"Ah?" Hearing this, He Daoxuan's face suddenly hardened with an expression of unyielding determination. "Even if I die, I will die on the path of seeking discipleship."

"No, look at me, I'm just a kid myself!" Ye Xiu squatted down and patiently tried to persuade him. "You come from a scholarly family, and your uncle is the leader of the Jiangnan Poetry League—why must you make things difficult for a mere child?"

"You are different from them. With their mouths they speak of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, but in reality, they say one thing and do another, having eyes only for the top students. When things are clearly wrong, they pretend not to see. Yet every time I debate with them, I lose so completely I'm left with no ground to stand on." He Daoxuan stubbornly raised his chin. "I dream of refuting them, of letting them know what teaching without discrimination truly means, of letting them know that in this world, there are no worst students, only worst teachers. And the ones who turn out best, the ones who cherish the grace of their teachers forever, are always those so-called worst students."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Ye Xiu asked, bewildered.

"I don't know. I only know that the moment I saw your poem, a sudden enlightenment struck me, and I knew you were my master—the one who could surely teach me right."

Ye Xiu sighed. "Isn't that a bit too hasty on your part..."

*"A breath of noble spirit, a thousand miles of joyous wind." Doesn't that mean that everyone encounters various difficulties and challenges on the path of growth? But as long as one possesses steadfast courage and conviction, one can cross every obstacle and eventually realize the value of one's life?* He Daoxuan leaned closer to Ye Xiu, his voice sincere and earnest. "This student is merely a lost soul who does not know where his path in life lies. Only by following my teacher can I find my own great dao. I earnestly beg my benevolent master to accept this disciple; I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life and tend to your burial when you pass..."

Having said that, he proactively performed the formal ceremony of taking a master.

Then he produced his formal apprenticeship application letter and held it high above his head.

In an instant, Ye Xiu felt his scalp go numb: this damn guy was like a dog-skin plaster, impossible to shake off once stuck.

Helplessly, he handed the bowl of mung bean soup to He Daoxuan. "Get up first."

He Daoxuan gulped down several large mouthfuls, immediately feeling as though he had been reborn.

Looking excitedly at Ye Xiu, he asked, "Master, have you decided to accept me?"

"No." Ye Xiu teased, "I simply felt that your flattery tickled me in all the right places."

Sensing that Ye Xiu's attitude had softened somewhat, He Daoxuan simply resorted to playing the rascal. "Then should I keep kneeling?"

"What do your parents and your uncle have to say about this?" Ye Xiu asked.

"Because I am far too outstanding at home, I make all my own decisions in everything."

He Daoxuan's eyes lit up, sensing a chance of success. "My uncle cares even less; he's probably praying I'd question him less often."

"Come in."

Ye Xiu allowed He Daoxuan to enter the courtyard and served him a bowl of cold noodles as well.

Opening the apprenticeship letter, Ye Xiu was puzzled. "You're still just a preliminary licentiate (Tongsheng)?"

"Because of my uncle, I have a guaranteed recommendation quota without needing to take the examinations."

"Then do you have no intention of participating in the provincial examinations?"

"This..." He Daoxuan froze for a moment. "A bunch of bookworms who only know how to drill into the eight-legged essays—their standards are far too low. Therefore, I plan never to participate in the imperial examinations for the rest of my life, lest they drag down my standards."

Ye Xiu instantly spotted something amiss. If things were truly as the young man claimed—that he was the most brilliant in the entire He family—they would have poured vast resources into making him sit for the autumn examinations long ago; why would they leave him with merely the title of a preliminary student?

"Now look here..." Ye Xiu narrowed his eyes meaningfully. "Are these cold noodles delicious?"

"Delicious, exceptionally delicious. The master's wife's culinary skills are simply peerless."

"Then how about you compose a poem taking these cold noodles as your theme?" Ye Xiu tested him.

"This..." He Daoxuan scratched his head vigorously, looking at Ye Xiu with a guilty conscience. "Would it be alright if I don't write a poem?"