After Descending the Mountain, Seven Big Brothers Spoil Me - Chapter 459

Chapter 459: Baby Zhou Learning English
“Who are you? Outsiders are not allowed in.” The security guard blocked him, casting a strange look at him.

This person seemed peculiar, as if not entirely in his right mind. He couldn’t be allowed in, what if he harmed the children?

The Taoist hesitated to turn back, afraid to confront those faces again. As Zhouzhou was about to turn the corner, he urgently shouted, “Little Celestial Master, save me!”

Hearing the commotion, Zhouzhou glanced back. After glancing at the spirits following him, she nodded in understanding and waved to them, “You guys chat among yourselves.”

With that, she took Huo Ji’an’s hand and skipped away. The Taoist felt as if his fate was sealed.

What could they possibly chat about? What common ground could he have with these underworld beings? But Zhouzhou was already out of sight.

She was no longer her former self; she was now dedicated to learning, with determination in her heart.

The spirits behind her curiously approached. “You can still see us?”

Odd, though they could roam during the day, the night was their domain.

People, exhausted from their daily tasks, under the weight of darkness, could sometimes perceive them. But how could they be seen in broad daylight?

The Taoist felt his body stiffen further, at a loss. Did he really want to see them? But judging by their words, they didn’t seem to intend to frighten him deliberately.

His numb mind slowly processed what had happened earlier. Suddenly, it dawned on him.

He took out the charm Zhouzhou had given him. Did she arrange for them to talk? Was this her doing?

As he held the charm, it burned his hand. He quickly dropped it to the ground, only to hear a chilling voice by his ear, “Hey, why would you litter like that? Have some manners.”

As the long tongue flicked and occasionally tapped his leg, the Taoist felt weak, almost fainting.

The long-tongued spirit chuckled, “So you can see us after all.”

“Come, let’s have a chat.” With a wave of her hand, other spirits approached, supporting his arms as they led him into the alley.

The Taoist struggled hysterically, but his efforts were futile. Instead, they attracted the attention of passersby.

Unaware of the spirits, the onlookers admired his apparent strength in maintaining his balance while walking backward.

The Taoist’s cries for help went unanswered, and he could only watch helplessly as he was dragged into the dim alley, the pale faces closing in on him.

The long-tongued spirit smirked, “Stop shouting, no one will come to your rescue.”

The Taoist: “…”

Little Celestial Master, save me!

Meanwhile, the only person who could save him was gazing up at the teacher, eyes brimming with a thirst for knowledge.

Even in kindergarten, children were not idle; they had lessons to attend.

At this age, children were in a sensitive period for language acquisition, so foreign language classes were included in the curriculum.

Of course, there were no formal exams; the focus was on spoken language.

Zhouzhou, having had no prior exposure, echoed each sentence the teacher uttered. After a while, she noticed Huo Ji’an hadn’t joined in.

His mouth remained shut, prompting her curiosity. “Little Skinny Pole, why aren’t you reading? You won’t get a scholarship like this.”

Huo Ji’an shook his head, saying, “I’ve learned this before. My former father hired a foreign tutor for me, so I already know.”

He then fluently recited the sentences the teacher had just said, his pronunciation even more accurate than the teacher’s.

Zhouzhou looked at him admiringly. “Little Skinny Pole is so amazing!”

Huo Ji’an straightened up, finally realizing his superiority over the chubby girl. Maybe his former father wasn’t entirely useless after all.

He’d treat him to sweets when he earned that scholarship, and save the rest for his current dad to enjoy some meat. Yes, that’s the plan.

Zhouzhou also pondered this. “No, big brother said there can only be one top student, so I have to study hard too. Even a clumsy bird can improve with effort.”

With renewed determination, she studied even harder.

Unlike most children, Zhouzhou was not easily distracted; having followed her master in studying the Tao from a young age, she had a remarkable ability to focus.

The prospect of a scholarship further motivated her.

She remembered many sentences and practiced with Huo Ji’an. “Little Skinny Pole, how are you?”

“Fine.” Huo Ji’an found it odd being called Little Skinny Pole but obliged nonetheless.

Zhouzhou, however, wasn’t satisfied with his response. “No, Little Skinny Pole, you should say ‘I’m fine.’ You said too little. Did you forget?”

“Foreigners say it this way,” Huo Ji’an explained.

“But that’s not how the teacher taught us,” Zhouzhou countered confidently.

Huo Ji’an, feeling defeated, conceded, “Alright, I’m fine.”

Then, remembering Zhouzhou’s expectant gaze, he added, “Thank you, and you?”

“I’m okay!” Zhouzhou replied cheerfully, eager to continue practicing.

She hadn’t learned much yet, her vocabulary was limited, and she couldn’t generalize from examples, which exhausted Huo Ji’an.

But Zhouzhou was enthusiastic, and by the time school ended in the afternoon, she was still chattering away.

Huo Ji’an wanted to cover his ears but didn’t dare, resigned to watch her with a pained expression.

As they reached the door, Zhouzhou dashed into Yu Ze’s arms, urging, “Dad, let’s go!”

Perplexed, Yu Ze complied, thinking something was wrong.

Unaware of being snubbed, Zhouzhou cheerfully waved goodbye to Huo Ji’an with her poor spoken English, “Good-bye, Little Skinny Pole!”

Hearing this, Huo Ji’an buried his face in Yu Ze’s arms, desperate to escape. If only he hadn’t said he learned it before!

Ye Lingfeng, drawn by her excitement, raised an eyebrow and flicked her forehead lightly. “Well done, mastering another language.”

Zhouzhou grinned, then quickly added modestly, “I’ve only learned a little bit.”

She pinched her fingers together, indicating a small distance between her thumb and forefinger, humbly acknowledging her accomplishment.

Ye Lingfeng chuckled, “I’ll find you a tutor if you like, for one-on-one lessons.”

Zhouzhou shook her head vigorously. “No, Brother Dafu said having a tutor is expensive. We should save money. Little Skinny Pole has learned it, so I’ll learn from him. My brothers at home have also learned, they can teach me.”

As she spoke, she tightened her grip on her bag, glaring at Ye Lingfeng, accusing him of being wasteful.

Ye Lingfeng’s lips twitched. Dafu and Caicai, together they were frugal to the extreme.

“Let’s go.”

“Mm-hmm!” Zhouzhou took his hand and skipped along.

But as they took a step forward, Zhouzhou’s ears perked up, and she turned to look at a nearby alley.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. Weren’t they supposed to be chatting? Why were they fighting?