Chapter 741: Sun Fuzi and the Kite

The courtyard of the new house was much larger than that of Panlong City, measuring at least sixty or seventy square meters. Under the eaves stood a large water tank, easily big enough to hold an adult.

Given the freezing weather, Master Sun was, of course, not in the water but standing by the tank, drawing water.

He Lingchuan stepped forward and, without being asked, picked up the bucket and walked into the house.

In the Master's living room, the brazier was burning brightly, and a wave of warmth enveloped him as soon as he entered.

A large basin sat on the brazier, big enough for a child's bath. Dozens of bamboo strips were soaking in it.

Sun Fuling pointed at the basin and said, "Pour it in."

He Lingchuan immediately emptied the bucket into the basin. He then retrieved a bamboo strip and tested it; it was very thin but remarkably flexible.

He gasped, "Are the students so unruly that you need this many canes?"

The image of bamboo strips hitting palms was a vivid childhood memory for him.

Sun Fuling picked up a clean bamboo strip and lightly tapped his back, saying, "These are all for your benefit!"

He Lingchuan straightened his back and patted his chest. "Not to boast, but you could wear out all these bamboo strips, and they still wouldn't hurt me. You'll need something more potent."

Given his current physical resilience, the bamboo strips would only tickle him, not hurt.

"So, you're asking for a beating, are you?" Master Sun chided with a laugh, then tapped him again, this time with a bit more force, right on his rear. But the man was thick-skinned and still felt nothing. "If all students were like you, the academy wouldn't need to open!"

"What are these for, anyway?"

"To make kites," Master Sun said, grabbing a well-soaked bamboo strip and wiping it dry. "The wind will pick up in two or three days, perfect for taking the students outside the city to fly kites. It would be best if the Xiluo and Changhou children could play together."

He Lingchuan saw several stacks of white paper on the table. "Such child's play, how dare they bother our esteemed Dr. Sun with it?"

"The academy is short-staffed. The artisan who makes kites fell ill a few days ago, so the task was assigned to us; each master has to make ten." She deftly split a bamboo strip in half with a small knife, as if cutting asparagus peel rather than stiff bamboo. "Oh, I used to think being a master only involved teaching. Who knew there were endless chores, most of them unrelated to actual instruction?"

She pouted slightly, looking a little displeased.

Clearly, everyone dislikes bothersome tasks outside their primary duties.

It was the first time He Lingchuan heard her complain to him, a departure from her usual detached demeanor.

"Teaching is hard enough," He Lingchuan agreed. "Your academy's students are like wild monkeys, every one of them."

He had visited Yuheng Academy, and during break times, it was as noisy as a monkey mountain, making his head buzz.

"Indeed, quite like you," Sun Fuling hummed. While the bamboo strips were softened by the hot water, she quickly bent and tied them into a rhomboid frame, the classic kite shape.

Despite her complaints, her movements were swift and efficient.

"Master Sun, you're very skilled!" He wondered what kind of woman couldn't cook but had amazing knife skills and could make kites.

"I used to make these with my father when I was little. Our kites would fly the highest and farthest in competitions." Sun Fuling glanced at him. "Can you make them?"

He Lingchuan also picked up a small knife to help her trim the bamboo strips. "A piece of cake. I can even make giant dragons!"

Sun Fuling chuckled softly, not speaking, but clearly conveying her skepticism.

"You don't believe me?" He Lingchuan challenged, staring at her. "Shall I make one for you to see?"

"First, make a few small kites and let me see," Sun Fuling said, pointing at the bamboo strips. "You haven't even finished one yet."

"Alright, alright." This kind of task was no challenge for He Lingchuan; as a child in the countryside, he was always involved in making scarecrows, kites, and grasshoppers, valuing both ingenuity and speed.

He quickly fashioned frames in the shapes of a falcon, a swallow, and even a bat and a cobra.

Sun Fuling was now convinced, as these bamboo strips would be impossible for an outsider to bend into suitable shapes, let alone with his speed and skill.

"Don't make them too complicated; I'm not good at drawing them," she said. She took the finished bamboo frames, applied glue, then covered them with wet paper, stretching it taut and carefully trimming the edges.

Once the paper dried, she would have to draw on it, and some would need long tails attached before they became complete kites.

"Why bother drawing?" He Lingchuan pointed to the side. "Hand me that red paper!"

Sun Fuling looked at him and handed him the red paper. This type of gold-flecked red paper was typically used for formal invitations; it was both expensive and stiff.

He Lingchuan grabbed a brush, dipped it in ink, and with bold enthusiasm, wrote fluently on the red paper:

"The Three Classics must be recited daily; your studies must not diminish."

"The path to simplicity! Just paste this on the back of the kite! I guarantee any child who gets it will be so excited they cry."

The "Three Classics" were the bulky textbooks prescribed by Shumin Academy for students under twelve, weighing about four catties when stacked together.

Master Sun's hand trembled as she dipped her brush in paint, unsure whether to be angry or amused. "You... you actually..."

She also believed that any child who received it would most likely cry.

He Lingchuan admired his own handwriting, quite pleased with it. "Learning through fun, isn't it great?"

Sun Fuling bit her lip, suppressing a smile, and leaned closer to add a small line of text to the paper:

"Presented by He Lingchuan, Commander of Yuheng."

She certainly wasn't going to take the blame for that.

She was so close that He Lingchuan saw her beautiful face just inches away, and a subtle fragrance wafted toward him. He felt an uncontrollable flutter in his heart.

Before he knew it, he had already kissed the beauty's face.

Sun Fuling froze, then turned to look at him, her bright eyes misty.

He Lingchuan's mouth went dry. "Master, I..."

He was just about to pour out his feelings when a bamboo strip on the table suddenly sprang up and smacked Sun Fuling across the face with a distinct "smack."

It turned out the bamboo frame he had made wasn't secure enough, causing a strip to snap out.

But wasn't that too, too coincidental? The bamboo strip moved so fast it was a blur, and both he and Sun Fuling were so preoccupied with each other that neither blocked it.

The "smack" was quite loud, nearly shattering He Lingchuan's heart.

Sun Fuling was startled—she actually jumped, covering her face with one hand, her eyes wide with shock.

"Does it hurt?" He Lingchuan quickly offered, "Let me see, let me see!"

Sun Fuling removed her hand, revealing a prominent red mark on her tender young face.

This, this...

It was over, completely over!

"I have medicine!" He gritted his teeth and pulled out a tube of ointment from his pocket. He took a small amount and carefully spread it evenly on her skin. He was always on fieldwork, so he kept burn and pain relief ointments readily available.

Her complexion was delicate, and after applying the ointment, it felt as smooth as congealed fat.

Only that red mark was quite an eyesore.

She remained silent, her cheeks slightly puffed, though he couldn't tell if it was from anger or swelling. The mist in her eyes, however, had vanished.

Ah, so this was how Master Sun looked when she was angry; he finally witnessed it.

Seeing Sun Fuling's expression change from clear to cloudy, He Lingchuan, fearing it would turn into a downpour, quickly discarded irrelevant thoughts and said, "I'm so, so sorry! How about this: you won't have to lift a finger for the rest of these ten kites; I'll make them all. You just supervise, alright?"