The Book of Words
Bai Shanbao turned around with excitement in his eyes and tightly clenched fists, asking, "Which mountain? Have you seen them?"
"No, my fourth brother told me," Man Bao said, looking puzzled. "Why are you so angry?"
Bai Shanbao snorted, "I hate bandits the most." "I will definitely exterminate all the bandits in the world in the future."
Man Bao nodded, "It's wrong for bandits to steal, but you don't have to kill them all." And can you really kill them all? "I'm not looking down on you, but you're not even as good at fighting as I am."
"That's because you're a girl, so I let you win," Bai Shanbao exclaimed excitedly. "If I used my full strength, you definitely wouldn't be able to beat me."
"Hmph, I dare you to fight at the door."
"You have to promise not to bite me first," Bai Shanbao said, disliking fighting with Man Bao. She would always bite him when she couldn't win, and he couldn't retaliate, so he always lost.
Man Bao felt a bit embarrassed but stubbornly said, "Fighting is about winning by any means necessary." "I never said you couldn't bite me."
Bai Shanbao gritted his teeth and really wanted to bite her right then and there.
Bai Shanbao snorted and turned away, ignoring her. He even pulled the book from her side and then took out a spare stone to reinforce the middle line, making it more prominent. "You're not allowed to cross this line."
"I won't cross it, hmph!" Man Bao dragged a stool to the edge and sat down, also snorting at him. Then she said, "Bandits are skilled in martial arts. They can fly through the sky and perform incredible feats." "You can't even jump high, so how can you fight them?"
Bai Shanbao was astonished. "Are bandits really that powerful?"
"Of course!"
The temptation to buy some storybooks: It must be a collection of ancient martial arts novels in some storybook. Oh no!
Bai Shanbao forgot about being angry with her and pulled a stool over to ask, "How do you know?"
"I heard someone say it." The storyteller said, "Since it's written in a book, it must be true."
Bai Shanbao didn't believe it because their family also had guards. When they arrived from Longzhou to this place, their grandmother specifically hired guards from the escort agency to accompany them, but they did not see them anywhere.
However, they didn't encounter any robberies on the way, so perhaps they didn't have the chance to show off?
Bai Shanbao felt regretful. It would have been great if they had encountered a robbery; then he could have witnessed the guards from the escort agency in action.
Man Bao, seeing that he didn't believe her, chose her favorite story and shared it with him. She loved listening to and telling stories. Even though the book didn't necessarily describe them vividly, she added her own interpretation and gestured animatedly while telling the story. Not only did Bai Shanbao listen in awe, but even their classmate next to them was also captivated.
Bai Erlang didn't know when he had moved his stool next to Man Bao and was listening with great interest.
Mr. Zhuang, who had come to give the children their books, noticed that the whole class was gathered around Man Bao, who was in the center, not only unflustered but also very excited. She wished she could stand on the table and tell the story. However, considering Mr. Zhuang's authority, she didn't dare to do so, but she still gestured animatedly.
Just as Mr. Zhuang was about to knock on the door to remind them, he heard Man Bao say, "Just as Wei Chi Gong swept his whip, he knocked the enemy general off his horse…"
Bai Erlang couldn't help but applaud and eagerly asked, "What happened next?" What happened next?
Man Bao took out a bamboo tube from her book box, took a sip of water, and said, "Let me take a break."
Mr. Zhuang waited for Man Bao to finish a section and reach a climax before knocking on the door.
The students all turned to see Mr. Zhuang standing at the door, not knowing how long he had been there. The children scattered like startled fish, and soon, everyone around Man Bao had dispersed.
Mr. Zhuang looked at Man Bao and said, "Don't leave after school. Come to my courtyard."
Seeing Bai Shanbao next to her, he added, "Bai Shan, you come too."
The two children glanced at each other and lowered their heads in guilt.
Mr. Zhuang didn't scold them, but after inquiring about the situation, he asked Man Bao, "Where did the story you told come from?"
"It's from a collection of stories."
Mr. Zhuang asked, "Can you show it to me?"
In her heart, Man Bao asked Keke, and Keke quickly scanned the storybook she had bought, confirming that there was no inappropriate content, and then said, "Okay."
As for the nonexistent dynasties, that was easy to explain because, in Keke's view, these storybooks were already very far-fetched. They were written by humans in the 22nd century of the Earth era, imitating the writing habits of the 19th and 20th centuries, but most of the stories were from before the 16th century.
Apart from the correct names of the characters, Keke believed that the rest of the events were all imagined. It must be that the host had bought too many books during this period and didn't notice that they had purchased such worthless junk books.
It seemed that in the future, one would have to be more careful. The host was already stingy and unwilling to spend points, so if they had to spend points, it should be on something worthwhile.
How about a variety of books on scientific and technological development?
Keke thought silently to itself, while Man Bao had already crouched down and pretended to search in her book box. She then took out the storybook and handed it to Mr. Zhuang.
Mr. Zhuang opened the book and discovered that none of the dynasties described in it were real, and the timeline was completely inaccurate. This was not a storybook at all, but a fabricated book of words.
How could children read such things?
Mr. Zhuang rubbed his forehead and asked Man Bao, "Did your family buy this for you? Is your family so rich now?"
The books that Man Bao used were still being copied by Mr. Zhuang. Since there weren't many words, Mr. Zhuang copied them for her while practicing calligraphy. Because it was for his beloved disciple, Mr. Zhuang didn't use regular script; instead, he used his favorite running script, which appeared somewhat sloppy but was exceptionally beautiful. Man Bao also admired it.
Man Bao said, "It wasn't bought by my family; I exchanged it myself."
Mr. Zhuang asked, "What did you exchange it for?"
"Grass!"
Keke thought to itself, "That's right, exchange grass for points, and points for books."
Mr. Zhuang thought she had exchanged it for the snow grass she had pulled in the summer, which wasn't very expensive. Mr. Zhuang didn't blame her, but still reminded her, "Don't be so reckless in the future." Be careful not to be deceived. This book of yours is not a storybook, but a fabricated collection of words. The dynasties described in it are unheard of, and reading it is of no benefit and can lead to addiction. "Don't read it in the future."
"But the people in it are so powerful, sir." Are those martial artists truly as skilled as they are described in the book, possessing incredible agility and the ability to glide over snow and water?