Taking Master

After Lin Xia finished speaking, the room fell silent. Those who had initially looked at her with surprise now wore faint traces of shame on their faces.

Whether they had heard or seen the title *Big Breasts and Wide Hips* beforehand, everyone naturally formed unfavorable associations in their minds.

Yet, after listening to Lin Xia’s remarks, they could not help but feel ashamed of their prior thoughts.

How old was she, really? How could she possibly harbor such thoughts?

Were these conjectures and associations merely imposed upon them by adults after all?

Then Lin Xia shifted the topic, smiling as she said, "And the teacher's latest novel, *Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out*, subtly weaves the Eastern concept of the 'Six Realms of Reincarnation' like the faint tracks of a snake in the grass between the lines of the entire book, composing both an epic song of praise and a lament for the peasant's unwavering devotion to life. Though I am untalented, I can still perceive that the core theme of the teacher's work rests precisely upon these four words: 'Six Realms of Reincarnation'."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "*Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out*—such a unique title. I imagine most people would find it difficult to conceive. I only wonder what the origin of these four words might be."

Lin Xia smiled, pressing her lips together, lowered her gaze to sip her water, and said no more.

She had already said enough for now; she needed to leave room for others to converse with Xu Yin.

One must know how to read the room.

As they were talking, the study door opened. Madame Xu emerged from the study, nodded in greeting to everyone, walked across the living room, and headed toward the kitchen.

Because the doors and windows had been tightly shut earlier, the scent had not been particularly strong. Now that the kitchen door was open, a rich fragrance of traditional Chinese medicine drifted out.

A thought stirred in Lin Xia's mind: as she had suspected.

The moment she had stepped into the house, she had vaguely caught the scent of medicine, but since modern people rarely drank traditional Chinese medicine and everyone else seemed oblivious, she had kept silent.

After a few minutes, Madame Xu walked out of the kitchen carrying a white porcelain bowl.

Instantly, the bitter yet aromatic scent of traditional Chinese medicine filled the entire room.

"Ah, time for my medicine again," Xu Yin said with a calm expression, taking the bowl from his wife's hands. Madame Xu gracefully seated herself beside him.

Fortunately, the windows were already open, and as a gentle breeze blew in, the medicinal scent in the room gradually dispersed.

Chen Qing asked, "Teacher Xu looks so robust; why do you still need to take medicine every day? Could it be a lingering illness from your time sent down to the countryside?"

Madame Xu nodded and said, "Of course it is. Our generation... how many people were left with chronic ailments from those years. Well, at least we managed to endure it all."

At this, a look of reminiscent nostalgia appeared in the eyes of both husband and wife.

Seeing that everyone was looking at them, Madame Xu laughed softly first. "My, these are all old matters. Why bring them up?"

She smiled at the assembled group. "I was busy doing scholarly work in the room earlier. I hope I didn't neglect you all."

With these words, the previous aura of cold aloofness faded by three parts, revealing the benevolence proper to an elder.

Hearing this, everyone chimed in with remarks such as, "Not at all, not at all; it was we who intruded."

Xu Yin finished his medicine, and Madame Xu took the empty bowl back to the kitchen to tidy up, then returned to sit calmly among them.

Her movements were so practiced that she had undoubtedly performed them countless times.

Lin Xia sighed inwardly. The women of their generation, regardless of high or low social standing or profound learning, possessed a woman's innate gentleness and tenderness.

By contrast, modern women were mostly unwilling to bow their heads thus for a man. They chanted slogans of gender equality while ignoring the most beautiful gentleness in a woman's nature.

That was why Zhao Xin had so swiftly captured the hearts of Chen Zimo and the Chen family. Regardless of whether she harbored schemes, such a woman was already nearly extinct in this society.

Even Lin Xia herself could not imagine spending a lifetime confined to the small universe of a kitchen; if she had the money, she would much rather hire a cook.

She did not harbor any aversion to cooking; she simply did it as she pleased.

"What were you all discussing just now? You looked to be having such a lively chat," Madame Xu said with a smile, smoothly picking up the conversation.

The one who answered was a woman who had barely spoken since entering—Ming You, an emerging writer recently promoted by *Xinyue*. Perhaps because she had just gained a little fame and was not very familiar with the rest, she remained quiet and reticent throughout.

Now, genuinely interested in the topic, she took the initiative to speak. "We were discussing the teacher's latest masterpiece, *Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out*, but we were wondering about the origin of those four words."

Madame Xu observed the expressions of everyone present, pausing briefly on Lin Xia, and smiled. "This young lady seems to have some inkling of it. Why not let her explain it to everyone?"

Lin Xia hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare. The teacher and madam can just call me Xiaoxia."

"This young girl is really quite pleasant," Xu Yin said, looking at Lin Xia and nodding with a smile. "She has spirit and works hard. For such a tender age, she has read quite a number of books."

"Oh?" Madame Xu's curiosity was genuinely piqued.

Since ancient times, talented scholars all possessed a certain pride—it was a common failing of intellectuals.

Xu Yin certainly possessed talent, and she understood her husband's temperament well. He never praised anyone lightly; no matter who you were, without true talent and learning, you could never extract a single kind word from his mouth.

Over this very issue, the two of them had quarreled countless times in their youth. The root of his chronic illness stemmed from his refusal to bow to those petty and vile villains during the Cultural Revolution.

Yet this young girl before her, after such a short time, had caused her husband to look at her in a completely different light.

Thinking of this, Madame Xu scrutinized the composed Lin Xia sitting before her and asked with a smile, "I wonder what insights Xiaoxia might have regarding these four words?"

"You flatter me, Teacher," Lin Xia said softly. "It is merely a shallow understanding, hardly worthy of being called an insight. I vaguely recall a passage in the *Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings*: 'Realize that excessive desires lead to suffering. Fatigue of life and death arises from greedy desires; with few desires and non-action, the body and mind are at ease.' Buddhism holds that the highest realm of life is to attain Buddhahood, and only through Buddhahood can one escape the painful cycle of the Six Realms of Reincarnation. Yet because human beings possess greed, it is difficult to contend with fate. The book is largely composed of reflections and interpretations of these four words, 'Six Realms of Reincarnation,' with all the characters undergoing trials in the mortal world and struggling bitterly."

Seeing that everyone wore thoughtful expressions, Lin Xia prudently paused.

"What a truly good child. Who would have thought that at such a tender age, you would even delve into Buddhist scriptures? It truly astonishes me. No wonder even this stubborn old man of mine praises you." Madame Xu beckoned with her hand. "Come sit by Grandma. I must take a good look at whose family raised such a daughter."

Shyly, Lin Xia rose and sat beside her. A faint scent of sandalwood drifted from Madame Xu, and at last Lin Xia understood.

No doubt the elderly lady was a devout Buddhist. This time, her blind cat had truly bumped into a dead mouse; her preparations had certainly not been in vain.

Xu Yin smiled. "It's rare for Madam to take such a liking to you. You are truly a blessed child."

A surge of joy welled up in Lin Xia's heart. It seemed the matter Chen Qing had spoken of was about to succeed—an unexpected delight indeed.

Though she thought this inwardly, her expression remained entirely untainted, showing only a shy and innocent smile toward Madame Xu.

Being young and untouched by the great dyeing vat of society, her eyes were clear and pure, which only made Madame Xu dote on her even more, drawing her hand to ask a flurry of questions.

Inquiries such as "How old are you this year?" and "Where do you go to school?" tumbled forth.

Chen Qing had spent a long time tempering herself in society, guided by her uncle on the side and polished since the founding of *Xinyue*. She was no longer the novice who failed to grasp the subtext of conversations.

She smiled and said, "Then I must truly congratulate Sister Xiaoxia. To catch the teacher's personal eye this way—you're making the rest of us green with envy."

Lin Xia feigned annoyance. "Sister Qing, stop teasing me."

Observing Lin Xia's quiet yet charming demeanor, Madame Xu felt a rising fondness, though a second thought prompted her to muse silently: To be so worldly-wise at such a tender age is perhaps not entirely a blessing.

She smiled and said, "Reading books is all well and good, but given your tender years, how did you come to read such an obscure book? You must know that hardly anyone reads it nowadays. Even among my own students, when I mention it in passing, none of them have read it."

Qin Mo smiled. "I know about this. She wrote a historical novel called *Conspiring Against the Realm*, and because it's set in ancient times, she needed to draw upon a vast array of knowledge. Women of that era were mostly devout Buddhists, so she went looking for many Buddhist scriptures to read. Am I right or not?"

Lin Xia nodded. "Sister Mo is entirely right. Because the writing required it, I consulted a great deal of material. At first, the Buddhist scriptures felt somewhat dry, but the more I read them, the more I truly felt they contained profound principles. It is a book worthy of careful savoring. There were many sentences I grew fond of, and by reading them often, I naturally memorized them."

Her demeanor was exceedingly docile. Among the elderly, there were none who did not wish for compliant and obedient grandchildren.

Madame Xu stroked her hair. "Such a good child. Have you ever thought about which university you want to attend in the future?"

Lin Xia nodded and answered calmly, "Ever since middle school, I have had only one goal: to enter the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University."

Her tone was serene and her expression ordinary, yet a natural pride emanated from her very bones.

This prompted Xu Yin, observing from the side, to nod repeatedly. Neither arrogant nor impatient, able to keep a calm head and completely free of stage fright—she would undoubtedly accomplish great things in the future.

Thinking of this, Xu Yin laughed heartily. "You often complain that students nowadays are too impetuous and unwilling to settle down to pursue genuine scholarship. Since you like little Xiaoxia so much, why not take her as your disciple and temper her for a couple of years? Once she successfully enters Peking University in the future, you can pass down your mantle to her and fulfill your own wish as well."

Madame Xu had indeed harbored the thought of taking a disciple, though she had originally intended to accept her first as a nominal student and elevate her to a personal disciple only after observing her performance. However, since her husband had brought it up, she could not well reject his face, so she turned to Lin Xia and said, "Are you willing to honor me as your master?"

Though she had mentally prepared herself, upon actually hearing these words, a wave of ecstasy slowly spread through her chest. Lin Xia felt her heart pounding furiously, as if it might leap straight out of her ribs, while the blood throughout her body was already burning to a boil.

How many brilliantly talented minds filled the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University? How many graduate students and doctoral candidates were there? What kind of immense fortune had she, a mere high school student, encountered to be valued by Xu Yin's wife?

Though the madam was not as famous as her husband, she was nonetheless a professor at Peking University, a figure equally not to be underestimated.

Then, she heard her own calm voice reply, "Lin Xia would wish for nothing more."