Chapter 6 School

Walking out of the alley, Gu Shiba Niang stood at the street corner for a moment of daze. The familiar streets, familiar crowds, familiar shops, and familiar cries all rushed towards her.

"Shiba Niang, Shiba Niang." A young girl of fifteen or sixteen years old in a tofu shop, wearing a blue cloth apron, reached out to greet her.

"Sister Douhua..." Gu Shiba Niang looked at her, calling out in a daze.

The young girl readily responded, showing her white teeth as she smiled, "Are you okay? You scared me... Let me see, did it leave a scar?... How could you be so careless..."

As she spoke, she walked over to her, wiped her wet hands on her apron, and carefully checked.

"...Such a big scar," the young girl exaggeratedly exclaimed, then immediately reassured, "Don't worry, luckily it's not visible in your hair... Oh..."

As she spoke, she saw the young girl in front of her staring at her in a daze, and couldn't help but smile, "What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen Sister Douhua..." Gu Shiba Niang murmured.

The young girl covered her mouth and laughed, "A long time? Haha... " She blinked her big eyes, pinched Gu Shiba Niang's braid, "Blame me for not visiting you? You little grudge... Although I didn't go, I had someone send you several bowls of tofu pudding... You know my sister-in-law is about to give birth, and my mother asked me to stay at home to take care of her..." As she spoke, she sighed, looking worried, "I don't know if my sister-in-law will give birth to a son this time. If not, my mother will scold her again... My sister-in-law is really pitiful..."

"She's giving birth to a son," Gu Shiba Niang said seriously.

The young girl burst into even more laughter, "I'll take your words as good luck, I'll take your words as good luck..."

Gu Shiba Niang also smiled at her, waved her hand to bid farewell, took a few steps, then remembered something and turned back, saying seriously, "By the way, Sister Douhua, when my sister-in-law gives birth, remember to ask Mrs. Wang from West Street and Mrs. Zhou from East Street. Mrs. Zhou won't be at home that day."

"Not at home that day?" The young girl was puzzled, looking at the girl's retreating figure, "Do you know when my sister-in-law is going to give birth?"

Xianren County is a small county town located ten miles outside of Xuzhou Prefecture, with beautiful mountains and clear waters. Originally, it was an uninhabited wasteland, but at some point in history, a wise man practiced here and eventually became an immortal, riding on a crane to ascend to the heavens. The wings of the immortal crane swept across both sides of the open space, resembling the shape of a crane spreading its wings, and it was hailed as a blessed land, gradually becoming a gathering place for the people, hence the name Xianren County.

The county's school was built at the place where the immortal ascended, at the foot of a small mountain outside the city. Perhaps it truly borrowed the spirit of Feng Shui, this small school, originally established by wealthy families in the city, produced outstanding talents and had even produced two Jinshi scholars.

For a small county town, this number was quite astonishing, attracting students from nearby counties to come and study.

Approaching the area, the sound of reading could be heard from afar. It was time for lunch, but there was still such a loud reading sound, indicating a strong academic atmosphere.

A statue of an iron crane stood outside the school, which was cast at some unknown time. The years had already covered it with a rusty coat, but the iron crane, with its wings spread, looked lifelike.

Gu Shiba Niang did not enter the school. She vaguely remembered that her father had brought her here to see the iron statue, but they had only come once because the teachers here were very knowledgeable but had a bit of a strange temper, one of which was that they did not like women entering the school.

Standing outside the school, Gu Shiba Niang peeked inside, hoping to find someone to pass a message to Gu Hai. As she looked around, three young men in blue cloth shirts, aged fifteen or sixteen, were walking and chatting, and when one of them saw Gu Shiba Niang, he stopped and said a few words to the other two. Then all three of them walked over with smiles on their faces.

"Young lady, who are you looking for?" one of the young men with small eyes asked, his gaze falling on her basket.

The school also had its own mess hall, but many poor students couldn't afford meals, so they either brought their own or had their families send them. Seeing the young girl carrying a basket and smelling the scent of food as she approached, the three immediately knew her purpose.

"Are you here to deliver food?" the young man with small eyes said with a smile, reaching out his hand. "I'll take it in for you."

In the past, Gu Shiba Niang would have agreed and been very grateful to hand over the basket to him. But the current Shiba Niang would never trust others easily, unless she personally witnessed, heard, and experienced it.

"Thank you, brothers, but I still have something to tell, so please help me call my brother out," she said, lowering her head and holding the basket without loosening her grip.

This young girl! The young man with small eyes was quite surprised, and his face looked a bit unpleasant.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" another chubby young man laughed and said, reaching out to take the basket.

Where there are people, there are all kinds of people, and the school was no exception. While most people were earnestly studying for their future, there were also those who were idling away their time.

Although these three young men were dressed like scholars, their actions and demeanor were far from scholarly.

Gu Shiba Niang quickly took a step back, and she could see the wariness in their eyes.

Could it be that these three were trying to snatch the food she had brought? They were better off than her in terms of family background and appearance.

In fact, Gu Shiba Niang guessed half right.

The three of them did indeed want to snatch her basket, but not for their own hunger, but to collect a fee for their trouble.

Because the recipients of the food deliveries were all from humble backgrounds, they were generally of lowly demeanor. Furthermore, the master detested any conflicts within the school, and in the event of a dispute, regardless of who was right or wrong, there would be a scolding, and in severe cases, expulsion from the school. Therefore, the students who were being extorted chose to remain silent when faced with extortion in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.

As a result, very few people had their families deliver food to them. These three individuals had not received any income for a long time, and finally, they encountered a potential target today, who appeared to be a timid and weak young girl.

Unexpectedly, they were met with rejection.

The chubby youth reached out in vain, feeling somewhat annoyed. "You, little lady, really don't know what's good for you!"

"What's the harm in letting us take something along?" the narrow-eyed youth snorted, sizing up Gu Shiba Niang with a strange and sarcastic tone. "Could it be some kind of private matter that's not fit for others to see?"

Upon hearing this, all three of them burst into laughter.

"This is a place of elegance and refinement, so it's best for you all to be more cautious with your words," Gu Shiba Niang said calmly, lifting her head.

"Huh! Now it's your turn, little lady, to lecture us!" the narrow-eyed youth exclaimed loudly. "Hand over the goods, and I might just do you a favor..."

As he spoke, he indeed reached out to snatch Gu Shiba Niang's basket. At that moment, a deep cough was heard.

"What are you doing?" a clear and youthful voice rang out.