HLnovel Chapter 232 Extra (3) Daily Life of Raising a Child 04
Chapter 232 Extra (3) Daily Life of Raising a Child 04
Lin Shihe raised Lin Shiming, and Lin Shiming then raised his nephew—this is a kind of inheritance. Lin Shihe was always angry and resorted to violence, and Lin Shiming saved up his strength to discipline the child—this is also a kind of inheritance.
Out of pity for the children, Her Majesty the Queen turned a blind eye, allowing the two little ones to ride wolves in the forest for almost half an hour. The two energetic cubs started making a ruckus, leaving Lin Ha and Lin Qi panting with their tongues hanging out, looking more like dogs than huskies.
When the two men and two wolves, covered in dust and dirt, were carried back by the guards, even Lin Shiming, the originator of all trouble, laughed in anger.
He tugged at Lu Tingsong's clothes, his disdainful gaze sweeping over him.
"You two are really something! I spent over a month crawling around in the mountains and I was still cleaner than you two little brats! And in less than half an hour, you've almost turned into beggars!"
As he spoke, Lin Shiming glanced at the two wolves who were slumped in the arms of the guards, panting, and felt as if he had encountered a living ancestor.
"Look at Lin Ha and Lin Qi. A little over a year ago, when they were still tiny, they could cause trouble in the East Palace from morning till night. Today, they've really run into bad luck by running into you two. Look how tired they are, they're panting like dogs!"
"Tell me, are there any children in the world more mischievous than the two of you?"
Lu Tingsong lowered his head, feeling guilty and not daring to refute.
But Lin Anji was different. He held his head high and wasn't intimidated at all. "Uncle is lying! Daddy told me stories about Uncle. He said that once when he brought you home from the snow, you were about to freeze to death in the summer! Uncle is the naughtiest one!"
"Pfft-"
His Majesty the Emperor couldn't help but laugh, and Lin Shiming kicked him.
"I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn't have interrupted you while you were disciplining your child..."
Enraged that his nephew had exposed his shortcomings, Lin Shiming shouted, "Get lost! Or I'll beat you up too!"
Lu Yuxi cooperated very well, begging for mercy repeatedly and taking several steps back before Lin Shiming was satisfied.
With no one to disturb her, Her Majesty the Queen could finally concentrate on arguing with her nephew.
"Lin Anji!"
Having been called out by name, Lin Anji imitated the heroes in her mother's stories, hands on her hips and chest out, "Fight if you want! If I blink, I'm not a hero!"
OK OK.
In my lifetime, I've encountered a living ancestor who's even more fearless than I am!
Lin Shiming stopped lecturing him, rolled up his sleeves, and walked toward Lin Anji, who appeared brave and fearless on the surface but was actually trembling with fear.
"Well said, you truly are my nephew. Your uncle will grant your wish!"
"Waaaaah—help!"
When disaster struck, Lin Anji's feigned heroism completely vanished. Before Lin Shiming's slap could even land, he clutched his backside, yelping and hiding behind Lu Tingsong.
Lu Tingsong cooperated by hiding Lin Anji behind his back, and hurriedly pleaded, "Uncle! Uncle, don't hit Anji, hit me instead! I'm the one who asked him to come with me to ride the wolves, it was all my idea!"
"Don't worry."
With a swift movement of his long arm, Lin Shiming easily grabbed Lin Anji, who was hiding behind Lu Tingsong, and lifted him up by the collar.
“Uncle is very fair. One by one, none of you can escape today! I will definitely give you two a complete childhood!”
"Waaah!" Lin Anji, who was in mid-air, burst into tears instantly, flapping her limbs and pleading with Lu Yuxi not far away, "Uncle Emperor, save me!"
Lu Yuxi dared not provoke Lin Shiming at this moment. He looked up at the sky, pretending to be deaf and dumb.
Soon, a mournful symphony began to play behind him.
After living a carefree life for so many years, Lin Shiming still achieved the status of a "tyrannical patriarch," following in his brother's footsteps.
*
Everyone says raising children is a never-ending source of worry, and Lin Shiming certainly experienced it firsthand. And it was double the workload, an even more challenging version.
Since the two cubs secretly went to ride wolves during the last autumn hunt, they quickly became familiar with each other and switched on the "cooperation and win-win" switch.
One was clever and quick-witted, agile despite his young age, while the other was calm and resourceful, having perfectly learned his uncle's mind. One was a scholar, the other a warrior, and they worked together seamlessly, driving Lin Shiming to the brink of madness several times in just over two months, pushing him to the brink of exasperation.
It is the same today.
When Lu Yuxi returned from court, he saw His Highness the Empress, who had been slacking off and not going to work, lying in bed biting her blanket.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yuxi asked, puzzled. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently taking Lin Shiming's hand that was gripping the blanket. "Are you hungry? Why hasn't the meal been served?"
Lin Shiming angrily threw a memorial into Lu Yuxi's arms.
"...I request to resign from my position as the mathematics tutor in the Imperial Study..."
Lu Yuxi paused. He looked up and glanced at Lin Shiming, carefully observing Lin Shiming's expression, and then he understood what was going on.
Your Majesty, prepare yourself mentally and continue reading.
"...Today, Professor, there is a nine-story pagoda. Each floor requires climbing twenty-four steps. How many steps are needed to reach the top of the nine-story pagoda from the ground? Young Master Lin replied: 'No steps are needed. I have someone with superb light-footed skills by my side who will escort me.'"
"...Unable to do anything else, I wanted to teach him again, but His Highness the Crown Prince resolutely refused. He said, 'The Lin family is skilled in Taoist arts, why do we need to go up the Buddhist pagoda?' Young Master Lin suddenly understood, as if struck by a thunderbolt, and clapped his hands in congratulations, 'That makes sense! My uncle has gunpowder hidden in the courtyard, we should steal it to destroy the pagoda and rebuild the Taoist temple on the ruins.' His Highness the Crown Prince praised him repeatedly."
"...I am over forty years old and too old to teach. I beseech Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire."
Lu Yuxi fell silent.
He was feeling conflicted and wanted to bite the blanket to vent his frustration. Perhaps due to their different upbringing, the couple had given their child ample care, so Lin Anji and Lu Tingsong were not like the children in the Imperial Study of previous dynasties, who were all obedient and sensible, hoping to gain their father's attention through their teacher's praise.
They didn't need to think about being a good child to gain their parents' favor; instead, they were full of confidence and did whatever they wanted, which successfully drove away several teachers.
"Sigh... how many times is this already?"
Lin Shiming loosened his jaw, his expression calm. "The third one."
Lu Yuxi nodded. "It's better not to keep changing teachers. It's not good for the children's studies. I'll call the teachers over to talk again tomorrow when I have time."
Lin Shiming didn't care about that. He waved his hand to indicate his agreement and then changed the subject to a new direction.
"Now I know how much effort my brother put into raising me and dealing with all my whimsical ideas."
If there were an award for best parent in the world, it would undoubtedly belong to Lin Shih-ho.
Lu Yuxi smiled, "That's great. Our Shiming has grown up too, and knows how to care for his older brother..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Lin Shiming looked at Lu Yuxi with a look of astonishment, leaving Lu Yuxi bewildered.
"Didn't you say you understood the hardships your brother had endured?"
Lin Shiming's expression of shock deepened.
"What are you thinking? How could I possibly feel sorry for my brother because of these things?"
"then you--"
"I'm just gloating over my brother's miserable life over the past ten years or so." Lin Shiming smacked his lips smugly as he spoke. "It's all thanks to me. I only had to suffer for three to five years, while my brother raised me from a baby! He made a huge profit!"
Lu Yuxi: "?"