Chapter 2

The *Liji* can be considered one of the most important classics of Confucianism, second only to the *Analects*. Especially the parts about the three obediences and four virtues for women truly struck a nerve with Lady Su, leaving her unable to refute Su Lin. She could only point at Su Lin angrily and say, "You little brat, I'll let you be arrogant for one more year. Since you spilled your own food, humph, you'll go hungry today!"

After saying this, Lady Su turned and left, leaving behind the shattered porcelain bowl and the spilled porridge on the ground.

"Lady Su, this venomous woman, has nothing to say under the 'three obediences and four virtues.' But why did these words from the *Liji* come to mind?"

Seeing Lady Su leave, Su Lin let out a sigh of relief. He had been thinking of what to say to properly scold Lady Su, and his mind had automatically presented this passage from the *Liji*, which was quite strange.

"There seems to be something extra in my mind... This... This is a book..."

Meditating, Su Lin discovered a book in his mind. The cover of the book was the *Analects* he had used in high school.

"The *Analects*? Although both the *Analects* and the *Liji* are supreme Confucian classics, why would the *Liji* text appear in the *Analects*?"

Su Lin was even more puzzled. He tried to control his consciousness to flip through the *Analects* in his mind, but as soon as his consciousness touched the *Analects*, the entire book flipped over, and all the characters, including the cover, disappeared, turning it into a completely blank book.

"What's going on?"

Su Lin's consciousness carefully examined the "blank book" in his mind and immediately understood. The "blank book" was not really empty but contained all the literary classics of the world.

"Great. I was worried that I couldn't remember many of the poems and verses I had memorized before. Now, with this 'blank book' that works like a search engine, as long as it's a poem or verse from ancient China, I can find it with a single thought."

Understanding the function of the "blank book," Su Lin was overjoyed and immediately tested its search function by looking for poems about spring.

Poems like Li Qingzhao's "Wuling Spring," Zhang Ruoxu's "Spring River Moonlit Night," He Zhizhang's "Praising the Willow," and Bai Juyi's "Recalling Jiangnan" all appeared in Su Lin's mind, whether he had learned them before or not. The content of these poems was exactly the same as what he had learned in his previous life.

Moreover, Su Lin discovered a particularly humanized feature of the "blank book." Some of the search results were highlighted in red. When he opened them, he found that most of the highlighted poems were from before the Han Dynasty, such as "Taoyao" from the *Book of Songs*.

"So, the red highlights indicate that these poems have already appeared in the Tianren Continent."

Su Lin nodded with a smile. This "blank book" in his mind was the foundation of his existence in the Tianren Continent. As long as he could open his intelligence and obtain holy power, these classic poems that could become famous and last for generations but had not appeared in the Tianren Continent could be his way to fame and fortune, and to obtain holy power and a literary position.

However, before reciting poems or writing articles, he first needed to fill his stomach.

Looking at the spilled porridge on the ground, Su Lin's stomach growled. He swallowed and said, "That wicked woman, Lady Su, only gives me a bowl of thin porridge every day, which can't fill my stomach. She even boasts about her virtues in the village, saying she treats me like her own and takes good care of me. It's only because the previous Su Lin was weak and powerless, and dared not resist, that she could bully me like this. Now that I'm in charge, how can I let you oppress me? I will expose your true face and make your evil deeds known to all!"

Rubbing his growling stomach, Su Lin continued, "At this time, my sister Su Ru should be bringing me a white steamed bun. Why hasn't she come yet?"

Su Ru was Su Lin's younger sister, not Lady Su's child. She was thirteen years old, two years younger than Su Lin. Su Lin's mother, Lady Su Tian, died in childbirth when Su Ru was born, and Su Jingtian then remarried Lady Su. Therefore, the previous Su Lin had always disliked Su Ru, thinking she was the cause of his mother's death.

However, Su Ru had always tried her best to serve her brother, saving food and money. She knew that Lady Su only gave Su Lin a bowl of thin porridge each day, so she saved a white steamed bun from her own food to bring to Su Lin every day. After the age of eight, she started doing embroidery and taking on jobs to sew clothes, earning a few dozen copper coins a month, which she secretly used to buy meat for Su Lin.

"What can I say about this Su Lin? To have a sister like Su Ru who serves her brother so devotedly, and yet he treats her coldly. What does the death of a mother have to do with an infant? What fault does Su Ru have?"

Sighing, Su Lin was lost in thought when a head cautiously peeked out from the door. It was his sister, Su Ru, with a smile on her face, hiding something behind her back. She said to Su Lin, "Brother, guess what delicious treat I brought you today?"

"Is it not a white steamed bun? This smell... Could it be roasted chicken?"

As soon as Su Ru entered the room, Su Lin smelled the aroma of roasted chicken and couldn't help but swallow. He smiled and said.

"You guessed right, brother. You are indeed clever." Su Ru carefully took out a half-roasted chicken from behind her back and placed it on the table. Seeing the broken porcelain bowl and spilled porridge on the ground, she quickly squatted down to clean up. "Brother, what happened? Why did the bowl of porridge end up on the ground? Even if it's thin porridge, it's still food! What a waste..."

While cleaning, Su Ru saw some of the porridge that hadn't spilled out of the broken pieces and brought it to her mouth, slurping it down. Su Lin's eyes turned red, feeling heartache, and he quickly helped her up. "Ru'er, don't drink that porridge. It's already on the ground. Don't clean it up; I'll do it later. Come, let's eat the roasted chicken together!"

"Brother is a scholar, how can you do such rough work? It's fine, brother, eat the roasted chicken! I already ate a lot before bringing it to you, see, my mouth is still oily!"

Su Ru looked up at Su Lin, paused, and then forced a smile. She felt that today's brother, Su Lin, was very different from before. He didn't seem to dislike her and was even concerned about her. The previous Su Lin rarely spoke to her, and Su Ru would usually leave after placing the food or mended clothes for him, unless necessary, Su Lin never said more than a few words to her.

But today, from the moment she entered, Su Ru felt that Su Lin was more affectionate and even smiled at her. He was now showing concern for her. This sudden change made Su Ru feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Ru'er, don't think I don't know you deliberately smeared oil on your lips. You didn't eat at all. Ru'er, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you before, always thinking you were the one who killed Mother. I never fulfilled my duty as an older brother, but you saved and cared for me. I spilled that bowl of porridge in front of Lady Su. We have been oppressed by that wicked woman for too long. From now on, no one in the Su family can bully us."

Su Lin helped Su Ru sit down, took a chicken leg from the roasted chicken, and put it in her mouth, saying firmly, "Ru'er, eat the chicken leg. Thank you for always taking care of me. From now on, it's my turn to take care of you. I will take you to taste all the delicious food in the world and won't let you suffer anymore."

"Brother, you... Could it be that you have opened your intelligence?"

Su Ru, munching on the chicken leg, looked at the passionate Su Lin, feeling warm and content. This was the first time she felt her brother's care.

"Not yet, but I think it should be soon. Ru'er, don't worry, I will find a way to open my intelligence before I come of age. That way, Lady Su can't strip me of my scholar status, and I can officially take over the Su family, and even... humph! Send her back to her natal home!"

Su Lin also took a bite of the chicken neck. He didn't believe that with the "blank book" in his mind, opening his intelligence would be difficult for him.

However, as soon as Su Lin finished speaking, Su Ru's expression darkened. She lowered her head, put the chicken leg aside, and after a long hesitation, bit her lip and said, "Brother, I'm afraid... I won't be part of the Su family anymore. I can't... I can't bring you white steamed buns anymore..."

"What's going on? Ru'er, why won't you be part of our Su family? Could it be that... Lady Su, that wicked woman, is going to marry you off?"

"Um!"

Su Ru nodded, a bit aggrieved, and said, "The roasted chicken today was brought by Wang Tiezhu. He said it was to show respect to you, his future brother-in-law. He... He and his father are in the main hall, proposing to our stepmother..."

"What? Wang Tiezhu? The ugly, gambling-addicted son of the pork butcher from the east street? He wants to marry my sister? I don't care about his rotten roasted chicken. Ru'er, I will go and get justice for you. I won't let you marry someone like Wang Tiezhu."

Hearing this, Su Lin stood up in a rage, grabbed the roasted chicken from the table, and pulled Su Ru toward the main hall.