Chapter 10

After washing the dishes, the two of them nervously went to the toilet and then returned to the school. Despite Hou Zhongshu’s bold talk, he was actually very cautious along the way.

Walking back to the lecture hall, Lin Yanchao glanced sideways and saw his inkstone and books scattered on the ground. He recognized the inkstone and paper as his own. Beside Lin Yanchao’s desk, Zhang Haoyuan and a few other Zhang clan students were chatting and laughing, as if they hadn’t noticed anything.

Lin Yanchao remained calm, walked to his desk, and bent down to pick up the inkstone and brush. The brush handle was already broken, and the inkstone had a large crack. The remaining ink was nowhere to be found.

Lin Yanchao picked up the books and brushed off the dust from the cover. Several pages had been heavily stepped on, turning black. At the end of the book, a turtle was drawn, with "Lin Yanchao" written next to it.

These kids are really going too far, Lin Yanchao thought as he placed the book on the desk and glanced at Zhang Haoyuan.

Seeing this, Hou Zhongshu became furious and pointed at Zhang Haoyuan, "Was it you who did this?"

Zhang Haoyuan lifted his chin high and looked at Hou Zhongshu and Lin Yanchao. He stood up and pushed Hou Zhongshu, "What are you doing? Want to fight?"

"Your mother!" Hou Zhongshu swung his fist, but it was caught. The one who caught his fist was none other than Lin Yanchao.

Five or six students who were friends with Zhang Haoyuan surrounded them, ready to help.

"Don’t stop me, I’ll beat him so badly his mother won’t recognize him!" Hou Zhongshu shouted.

Zhang Haoyuan retorted, "Who are you, Hou Zhongshu? It’s not your book, why are you getting involved?"

Lin Yanchao said, "Zhongshu, don’t worry, I’ll handle this." He then stood in front of Hou Zhongshu and looked at Zhang Haoyuan.

"First, I want you to apologize!"

"Which eye did you see us do it? We just entered the lecture hall and saw it like this. Don’t frame the innocent," Zhang Haoyuan said smugly.

"Will you apologize or not?"

"I didn’t do it, why should I apologize?" Zhang Haoyuan puffed out his chest.

"Zhongshu, go get Mr. Lin here."

"Brother Haoyuan!" The other students were hesitant when they heard Lin Yanchao ask Hou Zhongshu to find Lin Chengyi.

"What are you afraid of?" Zhang Haoyuan stepped forward and said to Lin Yanchao, "Go complain to the teacher! Someone who can’t even pay the tuition, do you think the teacher will back you up? Besides, my father is the head of the village, the teacher will give us some face. If you have the guts, go call the teacher and see who he scolds."

"Zhongshu, what are you waiting for? Go quickly." Lin Yanchao ignored Zhang Haoyuan’s threats.

Hou Zhongshu responded and ran out the door.

Zhang Haoyuan pointed at Lin Yanchao, "Fine, you wait. We’ll see who the teacher favors. You’re going to be kicked out of the school!"

"The one who will be kicked out is you!" Lin Yanchao replied.

Just as tensions were high, Lin Chengyi, holding a ruler, and Hou Zhongshu appeared at the door.

"Teacher, Zhang Haoyuan defaced my books and drew on them. This disrespectful behavior towards written words, please, teacher, uphold justice for me."

After Lin Yanchao spoke, Zhang Haoyuan and the others felt a chill down their spines. They realized the severity of the situation. Arguments among students were minor, and even fights wouldn’t result in severe punishment from Lin Chengyi.

But disrespecting written words was a serious matter! It was very serious. From the first day of learning to write, the teacher had taught them to respect written words. Used paper couldn’t be discarded casually; it had to be burned in a special tower. For scholars, defiling written words was akin to defaming Confucius, a grave sin, equivalent to a child being disrespectful to their parents.

Fights wouldn’t get you expelled, but disrespecting written words would!

Lin Chengyi picked up Lin Yanchao’s book, and his face turned dark. What was destroyed was a sacred text.

The other students shivered at the sight, knowing this was a major disaster.

Lin Chengyi’s forehead veins bulged as he shouted, "Who did this? Step forward!"

Zhang Haoyuan was already scared. He hadn’t expected Lin Yanchao to make such a big deal out of it. If it was confirmed, it wouldn’t just be a few strokes with the ruler. He couldn’t admit it. "Teacher, it wasn’t us. It was already like this when we came in."

"Are you lying to the teacher? Did the pen draw a turtle on its own?" Lin Chengyi questioned.

Seeing Lin Chengyi’s reaction, Zhang Haoyuan’s allies were a bit intimidated. Zhang Haoyuan stiffened his neck and said, "Teacher, it’s like this. During lunch, my family sent some cured meat. Remembering the lesson from the Three-Character Classic, 'Rong at four could yield the pear,' I didn’t eat it alone. I decided to share the meat with my classmates."

Lin Chengyi nodded, his expression softening slightly.

Seeing the situation slightly in his favor, Zhang Haoyuan continued, "But there wasn’t enough meat for everyone. Lin Yanchao and Hou Zhongshu didn’t get any, so they harbored resentment. Lin Yanchao deliberately defaced the book and had Hou Zhongshu report it, framing us."

As he spoke, Zhang Haoyuan shed a few fake tears.

What an actor! Lin Yanchao couldn’t help but admire him. Even Lin Chengyi was half-convinced, asking, "It’s not about scarcity but about fairness. Yanchao, Zhongshu, is this true?"

Hou Zhongshu was stunned. Zhang Haoyuan was shameless, lying to the teacher and almost succeeding.

Lin Yanchao was truly impressed by Zhang Haoyuan. This kid was talented, knowing that the key to winning the teacher’s favor was the teacher’s good impression. He even cited the Three-Character Classic to share the meat.

The son of the village head was indeed different!

Lin Chengyi found it hard to judge. As the other students finished their lunch and entered, some immediately took Zhang Haoyuan’s side.

Someone said, "Yes, Haoyuan shared the cured meat with us during lunch. I ate it. Lin Yanchao and Hou Zhongshu didn’t get any."

"Teacher, Haoyuan is generous. How could he be like Hou Zhongshu?"

"Teacher, they are framing us. Kick them out of the school."

This was a case of ganging up. With the support of his classmates, Zhang Haoyuan felt more confident and said to Lin Chengyi, "Yes, teacher, I’m being framed. They are so cunning, they will harm other classmates in the future. I’m ashamed to be their classmate."

"I’m ashamed to be your classmate, Zhang Haoyuan. Have you finished your performance?" Lin Yanchao shouted. Zhang Haoyuan sneered.

Lin Chengyi found it hard to judge, "Yanchao, both you and Haoyuan have valid points. Who should I believe?"

Lin Yanchao approached Lin Chengyi and extended his hand, "Teacher, can I examine the book?"

Lin Chengyi, still unsure after hearing Zhang Haoyuan’s story, asked, "What do you need the book for?"

"Teacher, the book contains beauty and wealth. The book will tell us who did it," Lin Yanchao said.

Zhang Haoyuan laughed, "Yanchao, are you crazy? Books can’t talk."

Lin Chengyi, hearing Lin Yanchao’s words, recognized them from the "Encouragement to Study" he had taught before. He nodded approvingly and handed the book to Lin Yanchao, "Fine, take a good look."

Hearing Lin Yanchao’s mysterious words, the other students watched with wide eyes, eager to see how he would uncover the truth.

Lin Yanchao held the book and examined it several times, then smiled slightly, "Teacher, I have the answer."

Lin Chengyi, seeing Lin Yanchao’s calm and steady demeanor, said, "Tell me."

"Teacher, look. Both Hou Zhongshu and I are wearing straw shoes. If we stepped on the book, it wouldn’t leave these patterns. Only Zhang Haoyuan’s cloth shoes could leave such marks on the paper."

"Teacher, if you want to determine who did it, just compare the shoes of Zhang Haoyuan and the others with the marks on the book. The size and pattern will reveal the culprit."

Lin Chengyi nodded, "That’s a good idea."

Zhang Haoyuan and his friends turned pale, not expecting this.

Hou Zhongshu stood up and took off his shoes and socks, "I’ll go first. You guys, take off your shoes. What are you waiting for? Let’s see who gets kicked out."

Good move!

Lin Yanchao praised Hou Zhongshu and also took off his shoes and socks, "Take them off. Didn’t you say it made sense?"

Zhang Haoyuan’s face turned even paler. His allies looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Lin Chengyi saw through their hesitation, "Still not admitting? Do you want to wait for the evidence to be complete before being punished?"

Lin Chengyi’s stern voice silenced the other students.

Several students, except Zhang Haoyuan, burst into tears. Young as they were, they only knew to cry when in trouble. Zhang Haoyuan was a bit better, but he was clearly very afraid.

Lin Chengyi said coldly, "Crying won’t help. I used to use the ruler to discipline you for your own good, but now I’m too lazy to use it. You are like rotten wood, not worth carving. You disrespected written words, damaged a classmate’s property, and lied to the teacher. From today, you are not welcome here. I don’t have students like you."

Hearing this, the students fell silent. The punishment of expelling five or six students was too severe.

The students’ faces turned pale. One student cried, "Teacher, we know we were wrong. Please don’t expel us from the school."

"Yes, teacher, it was all Haoyuan’s idea. He said he didn’t like Lin Yanchao and wanted to teach him a lesson. We just helped." Several students knelt down.

Seeing the betrayal, Zhang Haoyuan’s mental defenses crumbled. He knelt down, grabbing Lin Chengyi’s robe, "Teacher, forgive me this time. If I’m expelled, my father will beat me to death."