Chapter 50: Fierce face slapping, a great shame

Xu Wenzhao can clearly see everything.

In the first nine questions, Shen Lang only took a moment to answer without any calculation process. He almost wrote the answers at a glance.

Xu Wenzhao originally thought that Shen Lang was just hastily writing without much thought.

But to his surprise, all of the answers were correct.

This is absurd.

These nine questions are already very difficult arithmetic problems, and there are hardly a few people in the entire Xuanwu City who can solve them.

Even Xu Wenzhao himself would need some time and a lot of calculation to solve them all.

Shen Lang did it in just a moment.

How did he do that?

The key is that he didn't even use a counting frame, so how did he calculate them?

Shen Lang should have never come into contact with arithmetic before, is it possible that he is naturally gifted?

This is too terrifying.

...

Xu Wenzhao closed his eyes, calmed himself down, and then looked at the tenth question.

Shen Lang had answered the first nine questions correctly, and it was inevitable that Xu Wenzhao would lose face.

And the tenth question became a contest of arithmetic honor and a challenge to his arithmetic intelligence.

20 trees, planting 4 trees in each row, how many rows in total?

This question he had seen in an ancient arithmetic classic, and it took him over a decade to come up with fourteen rows.

Xu Wenzhao firmly believed that Shen Lang would not be able to solve it because this was a real test of arithmetic wisdom.

However...

Just one glance.

Xu Wenzhao felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, sending shivers down his spine.

Damn it, Shen Lang... Are you crazy?

No, my goodness, are you crazy?

This is a geometric pattern question, so obvious.

At a single glance, Xu Wenzhao realized that Shen Lang's answer far exceeded thirteen rows.

Then, he began counting.

Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen... Twenty-three!

A full twenty-three rows!

It made one doubt life and feel a chill running down their spine!

How did he do it?

Twenty trees, four in each row, and you planted twenty-three rows.

How did you do it?

Are you human or ghost?

I spent over a decade just to come up with fourteen rows.

And how long did Shen Lang take?

Less than half an hour!

For a moment, Xu Wenzhao truly doubted his own intelligence, feeling somewhat disheartened.

He loved arithmetic and had a high level of expertise.

Although he had not made a name for himself in the imperial examinations, he believed that in terms of arithmetic, he had no equal.

It was because of that belief that he managed the accounts of the entire Earl's Mansion and played an indispensable role there.

And now, he found out that his meager arithmetic achievement was completely crushed into nothing.

How could this not make him feel crushed?

...

The lady of the house was painting.

She had high martial arts skills but never liked it because she had been forced to practice from a young age.

She just liked painting, but her level?

Well, no one in the Earl's Mansion dared to say it was not good.

At this moment, a servant by the earl's side hurriedly spoke from outside, "Madame, the master wants you to go to the study."

Madame replied calmly, "What's wrong? Is Jin Mucong in for a beating? Then let the teacher do it."

The servant said, "It's not the young master getting a beating, it's..."

He didn't finish his sentence before the countess said, "It's only natural for a teacher to discipline a student. It's the same for other people getting punished."

The servant said, "It's Master Shen Lang. Xu Wenzhao wants to give Master Shen Lang a hundred lashes."

The countess angrily said, "What's gotten into Xu Wenzhao? Has he lost his mind? Lang is so clever and well-behaved, why does he want to beat him?"

With that, she threw her paintbrush, ruining the painting in her hand.

"What on earth has gotten into Xu Wenzhao? Is he out of his mind for wanting to beat Lang?"

She then strode off towards the study.

The servant followed behind but couldn't catch up. He couldn't help feeling sorry for the young master for half a moment.

...

Xu Wenzhao held Shen Lang's answer sheet, his hands trembling, his face pale.

What should he do next?

Admit defeat and apologize to Shen Lang in front of everyone? That would mean losing all of his dignity.

In this world, one's reputation is everything.

No, absolutely not!

Xu Wenzhao made up his mind and suddenly tore Shen Lang's answer sheet to pieces, rebuking him, "What nonsense did you write? Not a single question is correct!"

After tearing it up, there would be no evidence.

Seeing this scene, Shen Lang was truly taken aback.

The Xu Wenzhao in front of him was no longer just narrow-minded; he was clearly morally flawed.

Are all mathematicians like this? How could the earl tolerate him until now?

The earl furrowed his brow.

Even if Shen Lang answered none of the questions correctly, why did you have to tear apart all of his answers?

After Xǔ Wénzhāo completely tore up Shen Lang's test paper, he said coldly, "All wrong, a mess. What do you think we should do?"

However...

Shen Lang was calm and composed as ever, and he produced another identical test paper.

That person, always liking to imagine the worst-case scenario for people, had long since made preparations.

"It's quite a coincidence. I had plenty of time just now and was so bored that I wrote two sets of answers."

Shen Lang handed the test paper to Master Lín, who taught the Book of Changes, and said, "You are also proficient in arithmetic. Help me take a look, how many questions did I answer correctly?"

With these words, Xǔ Wénzhāo was at a loss.

Shen Lang, you are so cunning!

His body shook suddenly, almost fainting.

The old master took Shen Lang's test paper and said to the lord, "Those who study the Book of Changes, also like arithmetic. Although my arithmetic is not as good as Mr. Xǔ's, I can still tell right from wrong."

Then, the old master began to grade the test paper.

After reading it from start to finish, the old master was completely shocked.

He had full confidence in Shen Lang, and thought he could at least answer three or four questions correctly.

However, he never expected that he would get them all right!

Some of the questions were really tricky.

The most amazing thing was the last question.

Xǔ Wénzhāo completed it in 14 rows, and he completed 15 rows, just never showing it, but proud of himself in his heart.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang completed 23 rows?

This... This is really unbelievable!

This... This is simply a arithmetic genius!

The Earl asked on the side, "Mr. Lín, how is it?"

Master Lín of the Book of Changes bowed to the Earl and said, "Congratulations, my lord, you have obtained an arithmetic genius! I have seen, and heard, nothing like it before!"

The Earl asked, "How many questions did he get right?"

Master Lín said, "He got them all right, and Shen Lang's arithmetic skills have far exceeded the limit of these ten questions. I am not worthy compared to him."

The Earl was suddenly incredulous and pleasantly surprised.

This son-in-law had given him a few surprises before, especially his photographic memory.

But math is something that needs to be taught by a teacher, isn't it? Can someone naturally be good at it?

"Lang'er, how did you do it?" the Earl couldn't help but ask.

Shen Lang said, "Father-in-law, I self-studied."

The Earl said, "But if there is no guidance from a teacher, how did you self-study to this level?"

Shen Lang said, "Father-in-law, sometimes genius is just that excellent, very despairing. Ninety-nine percent of math depends on talent, and one percent is sweat."

Now not only Jīn Mùcōng didn't want to talk to him, even the Earl didn't want to talk to him and instead wanted to hit him.

No wonder you don't have friends, Shen Lang!

Next, the Earl wanted to directly question Xǔ Wénzhāo about why he tore up Shen Lang's test paper, but considering there were still more than ten students present, he did not get the question out.

It's not something an earl could do to shame someone in public.

However, this was something Shen Lang liked the most.

"Mr. Xǔ, why did you tear up my test paper just now? Don't tell me you wanted to eliminate the evidence?" Shen Lang asked.

Suddenly, Xǔ Wénzhāo's face turned green, and his teeth trembled with anger.

Shen Lang said, "Mr. Xǔ, you promised that if I answered five questions correctly, you would apologize to me. Now, I answered ten, so what are you going to do now?"

"Of course, make the teacher apologize to me, the student does not dare to demand it, after all, I am respectful of my teachers. But Mr. Xǔ, as a teacher, you must surely keep your word."

With these words, all the more than ten students in the room were excited.

Such a rare sight in decades.

Xūn Yùbórào, who usually acted ruthlessly, would actually be shamed?

Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned to Xǔ Wénzhāo.

Xǔ Wénzhāo was burning up all over, this was an unprecedentedly shameful moment for him, and he really wished a crack would appear in the ground for him to slip into.

Would he really have to apologize to this inexperienced little pretty boy?

Then he snorted and wanted to leave.

He was going to play dumb.

He had already decided that he didn't want to teach anymore and would be in charge of the accounts of the Earl's residence. He wouldn't have to face these students again.

However, at this moment, the Earl spoke up.

"Mr. Xǔ, for a teacher, the most important thing is to lead by example and set a good example."

For the Earl, this was already a very heavy statement.

Xǔ Wénzhāo wanted to leave, but he didn't dare in the end. After all, this was his master.

Then, the countess walked in gracefully, her voice gentle yet firm: "When you make a mistake, you must take responsibility. When you make a promise, you must keep it."

Xu Wenzhao was a distant relative of the countess, so she could be considered his backer.

With both masters speaking, he dared not be too reckless.

So Xu Wenzhao gritted his teeth and approached Shen Lang.

Under the watchful eyes of many, every step felt like a thousand pounds.

He bowed to Shen Lang, his hand over his chest, and said, "I'm sorry, Shen Lang! I was too reckless just now and wrongly accused you!"

Shame, an unprecedented humiliation!

Oh earth, please split open and let me disappear.

...

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