Chapter 68: Learning Words
Many needles were in their heads. It looked scary, but it really didn’t hurt at all.
For Su Chong and Su Hua, it even felt good.
“The young girl’s technique is better than mine. If she says it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t. Don’t worry.”
Old Wu spoke.
With that, Old Wu stroked Su Xiaolu’s hair and said, “Little girl, you should go and read. Leave this to me. Study hard and you’ll be able to graduate soon.”
!!
Su Xiaolu was very talented. She would definitely be able to finish her apprenticeship soon. Just thinking about it made him happy.
Su Xiaolu also wanted to read medical books. The medical skills that Old Wu had taught her were different from what she had learned in her previous life. For a medical pract.i.tioner, knowledge was always the most important.
Su Xiaolu took a book and read it in the house. Most of the books were in traditional Chinese characters. Su Xiaolu could not understand much and had to ask Old Wu about many of them.
Old Wu seemed to be a little annoyed. He tugged at Su Xiaolu’s hair and said, “Little girl, you can’t be illiterate.”
Then, Old Wu looked at Zhou Heng and said, “Kid, teach the girl how to read when you’re free.”
Zhou Heng glanced at Su Xiaolu and nodded. “Okay.”
Zhou Heng was taught by the imperial. He was much better than the commoners’ teachers. Thinking of this, Old Wu stroked Su Xiaolu’s hair and said gently, “Little girl, hurry up and thank your Big Brother Zhou Heng.”
What a blessed little girl.
Su Xiaolu was very sensible. She immediately smiled at Zhou Heng and said, “Thank you, Big Brother Zhou Heng.”
Su Xiaoling stood silently at the side and sighed in her heart. If only she could learn too. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t, as long as her sister learned well.
Su Xiaolu suddenly grabbed Su Xiaoling’s hand. She looked at Zhou Heng and asked him, “Big Brother Zhou Heng, can you teach my third sister too? Please.”
Su Xiaoling was a little surprised. Her eyes lit up and she looked at Zhou Heng expectantly. Would Zhou Heng be willing to teach her?
Zhou Heng glanced at Su Xiaoling. He pursed his lips and answered softly, “Sure.”
He looked at the confused Su Chong and Su Hua. Seeing that they were also looking at him, Zhou Heng said, “Ah Chong and Ah Hua can learn together too.”
Su Chong and Su Hua didn’t understand the benefits of being literate. They just thought that their third and fourth sisters liked it, so they wanted it too. Now that they were sharing the joy, they both smiled happily.
“Thank you, Little Brother Heng.”
Su Chong and Su Hua thanked him in unison.
Zhou Heng felt his face heat up. He said softly, “You’re welcome.”
Zhou Heng looked at Old Wu and said to him, “Dr. Wu, please help me buy some pen and paper.”
Old Wu nodded. “Okay.”
It was indeed necessary to buy some for a few more people to use.
Zhou Heng’s needles could be removed in an hour.
However, Su Chong and Su Hua’s needles needed two more hours.
When the needles were removed, it was already past noon.
Treatment was a long process. Su Sanlang and Madam Zhao decided to let the children stop working and focus on treatment at home. Every day, after taking out the needles, they would help Su Xiaoling make dinner.
After breakfast in the morning, Su Chong and Su Hua carried Zhou Heng out to play. Old Wu was busy picking herbs every day, so he left Zhou Heng in their care. After spending a few days together, Zhou Heng, Su Xiaolu, and her siblings became familiar with each other.
One afternoon in early September, Su Xiaolu and her siblings took charcoal and wrote on the ground. Zhou Heng’s wooden wheelchair was pushed outside. He sat on it like a serious teacher.
“Little Brother Heng, I’ve written it.”
Su Xiaoling wrote her name on the ground. After practicing for two days, she could finally do it properly.
Zhou Heng looked over and smiled. “Xiaoling wrote it very well.”
Su Chong and Su Hua only knew how to write the word ‘Su’.
Su Xiaolu already knew how to write, but she watched her third sister practice quietly. She didn’t want to spoil her third sister’s joy, so Su Xiaolu drew a turtle.
“Xiaolu, you’re drawing nonsense again. Be careful or you’ll be punished by Uncle-Master.”
Su Xiaoling looked at what Su Xiaolu had written and said helplessly. Even her tone was doting.
Su Xiaolu smiled mischievously and asked, “Third Sister, Big Brother Zhou Heng, does my drawing look real?”
Zhou Heng looked at it and asked, “Xiaolu, why are there circles under the turtle you drew?”
Su Xiaolu waved her hand.
“They’re not circles. That’s a turtle hatching its eggs.”
She was very imaginative. How boring it would be to draw only one turtle.
Zhou Heng was a little stunned. In the end, he smiled helplessly.
Su Xiaoling stroked Su Xiaolu’s hair and said, “Xiaolu, you can’t do this again. We have to learn seriously, understand?”
“Got it.”
Su Xiaolu ran away and pulled two handfuls of gra.s.s back from the roadside. She surrounded the turtle seriously and muttered, “Hehe, I’ll make a nest for the turtle.”
Su Xiaoling looked at her lively and cute sister and couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Zhou Heng glanced at Su Xiaoling and smiled too.
Su Chong and Su Hua looked over, deep in thought.
Su Chong frowned and said, “No, no. Father said that turtle eggs are buried in the ground.”
Su Hua nodded in agreement. “Big Brother is right.”
Su Xiaolu smiled and said, “Then let’s dig and bury them.”
Su Chong and Su Hua nodded, then happily went to dig.
Zhou Heng also had a smile on his lips. He looked at Su Xiaoling and said, “Xiaoling, let me teach you how to write other words.”
Su Xiaoling came back to her senses and nodded happily. “Okay, thank you, Little Brother Heng.”
Su Xiaoling looked at Zhou Heng in admiration. She felt that Zhou Heng was really amazing. He knew many words and had a lot of knowledge. He knew even more than Su Qing Su Shun, who often liked to show off.
Zhou Heng blushed. Su Xiaoling’s admiration made him feel an indescribable feeling. He knew Su Xiaoling’s desire for knowledge. Zhou Heng thought to himself that he would definitely teach her everything he knew.
On that day, the sunset was only dark red. Su Xiaoling said to Zhou Heng reluctantly, “Little Brother Heng, let’s learn again tomorrow. Let’s go home and cook.”
With that, Su Xiaoling shouted to Su Chong, Su Hua, and Su Xiaolu, who were catching insects not far away, “Xiaolu, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, we should go home.”
Su Chong and Su Hua quickly ran back. One carried Zhou Heng, and the other brought the wooden wheelchair back.
The uneven road made it difficult to push the wooden wheelchair.
Su Xiaolu carried a bag of insects wrapped in leaves and hummed a tune she could remember as she skipped home.
Old Wu returned when the meal was almost ready.
It was dark when Su Sanlang and Madam Zhao returned.
Everyone ate together. After the meal, Su Chong and Su Hua took Zhou Heng to wash up. They had the strength of a young adult and the mind of a young child. They could make Zhou Heng relax. To save trouble, Old Wu let Zhou Heng and Su Chong sleep together.
For convenience, Zhou Heng lived in the Su family’s house and did not have to be moved around.