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"Ah, Mister Bai graces us with his presence, I apologize for not having gone further to welcome you!"

Upon learning that Bai Hua had paid them a direct visit, Shen Qingfeng excitedly went out to greet him personally, with Shen Yan following behind. Almost all the elders were present, except for those who were busy with affairs. This grand welcome slightly overwhelmed Mister and Missus Bai.

Watching the incredibly enthusiastic Old Master Shen, Bai Hua felt deeply moved.

The Bai Family was a renowned Sorcerer Family, yet such titles were not highly respected among scholars.

After all, miscellaneous studies were still considered marginal, especially in the Capital City.

When he came to Capital City to make his way in the world, those prestigious families looked down on him, and none showed him the slightest respect, not to mention the Sorcerer Families.

However, he had not expected that after the changes in Jiangnan, people like himself would become sought-after. He received great respect in Jiangnan, and now that he was in the Capital City, even a traditional Sorcerer Family showed him such reverence....

Lord Chen... truly extraordinary, practically changing an era!

"Come, come, all of you come greet the master!"

In the Shen Family Courtyard, generations had been eagerly waiting for his arrival. Hearing Shen Yan’s urging, the group hurriedly paid their respects.

"We greet Mister Bai!"

Bai Hua smiled and returned the greeting. It was quite the spectacle, but he could tell that these young fellows, especially a few standing in the front, were not really warm to him.

Nonetheless, he understood. Unlike the elders who could see the bigger picture, it would be difficult for these offspring of prestigious families to change their mindset so quickly.

He didn’t care. He was only at the Shen Family to temporarily avoid some trouble and had no intention of staying for long. Even though that young Shen Yuan had asked a favor of him, if the younger generation here didn’t respect him, he had every reason to seek out other options....

Clearly, Bai Hua was quite dissatisfied with Shen Yuan using him for his own schemes.

As he was thinking this, suddenly a young girl’s voice rang out, "Are you Mister Bai Hua?"

"Hmm?" Bai Hua was startled and looked over to see a girl standing in the last corner. Judging by her attire and position, she probably didn’t hold a high status among the Shen Family’s third generation.

"Girl, what do you mean by that?" said Bai Hua with amusement. "Have you heard of me?"

"I have heard," the girl nodded vigorously.

"The most recent edition of Jiugong Arithmetic includes your notes. Your new perspectives on The Principle of Three Elements enlightened me; having learned from your latest version, I have gained a better understanding of the Principle. Mister, your knowledge is profound; it is the younger generation’s fortune to be taught by you! "

Shen Yu and others in the front couldn’t help but snicker upon hearing this. They had not noticed that this little bookworm from the Fourth Aunt’s side, who usually seemed confused and silly, turned out to be a little flatterer.

But that was expected. After all, she was raised by a concubine; naturally, she had the fawning nature only a concubine would possess.

"You understand The Principle of Three Elements?

" Bai Hua was taken aback. The Principle of Three Elements in Jiugong Arithmetic was content from the last few issues. Normally, the children of a family’s concubines would only read the first three Chapters, which dealt with financial Arithmetic, and that would suffice.

However, the Chapters on The Principle of Three Elements delved into the more profound study of Art Calculation.

He had only come to understand this content when he was fifteen, and in his family’s history, that was already considered a sign of exceptional talent. This girl... how old was she?

"I barely understand a little...," the girl replied rather reservedly, "I only know the basics; I’ll need to ask more from you in the future."

"Then let me test you!" Bai Hua did not give her any chance to avoid the question. If she was only flattering him, he would have no interest in dealing with such a calculating woman in the future. But if she truly had such talent...

And so, with an exchange of questions and answers, Bai Hua examined her for half an hour.

The other children in the courtyard clearly looked impatient. Had it not been for the Old Master and the Family Head being there, they wouldn’t have dared to be disrespectful and would likely have complained long ago.

"My lord, it’s scorching hot and the children have been standing; what are you doing?" Bai Hua’s wife finally spoke up, prompting Bai Hua to stop his questioning.

"Yes, yes, yes..." Bai Hua’s face was full of surprise. He had originally thought the girl was using him just to show off, at best knowing only superficially, but familiarity with The Principle of Three Elements, even if only superficially, demonstrated extremely high talent for her age.

But she completely exceeded his expectations; she had a deep understanding of The Principle of Three Elements and possessed a solid foundation in Art Calculation. At such an age, even he might have been slightly inferior in comparison back in the day. A girl... truly rare!!

With this thought, an idea began to emerge in Bai Hua’s mind.

"Old Master Shen... this descendant of yours is extraordinarily gifted!"

"Haha, Mister Bai, you’re too polite!" Shen Qingfeng’s smile grew even wider. While he knew that Shen Xue had some foundation in Art Calculation, he hadn’t expected it to be this impressive—it was a pleasant surprise.

"I have a private matter to discuss, may I..."

"Certainly, certainly, this way please!"

As Shen Yan and Shen Qingfeng were attending to the husband and wife, leading them towards the inner hall, the younger members of the Shen Family finally let out a sigh of relief.

Shen Yu glanced at Shen Xue with a sneer, "Little sister sure knows how to seize an opportunity, but as a descendant of the family, fawning over a miscellaneous teacher—you really know how to bring honor!"

Shen Xue kept her head down without rebutting, honestly saying, "Brother is right, I was too rash."

"Hmph..."

Shen Yu punched into the cotton, feeling a wave of discomfort, and left with a cold huff, sweeping his sleeves behind him.

Many younger family members hurriedly followed him, leaving only Shen Xue and a few other bastards who were usually neglected.

"Little Xue, this..." Among those who stayed behind, the eldest couldn’t help speaking up, "Even if you want to gain the teacher’s favor, you don’t have to go this far.

You know, with Shen Yu and the others...

" he lowered his voice, "They’ve never learned Art Calculation from childhood, and now they’re lagging behind us; they’re already frustrated, and if you provoke them like this, I’m afraid. .."

"That is exactly why we must seize every opportunity!" Shen Xue’s eyes flickered with determination, "People like us were originally destined to manage the mundane affairs for a lifetime. We finally have a chance to turn things around. If we don’t grasp it, we’ll only be bullied even more in the future, or.

.. we’d show weakness from the start, showing no desire to compete.

But if we decide to fight, then forget about any escape routes.

If we fail, they will definitely not spare us! "

"This..." The bastards were taken aback by her words, looking at each other, their faces filled with struggle.

"Think about it yourselves," Shen Xue said coldly, "Shen Yu was never one of broad-mindedness. Now being forced to study mathematics and science, he will only become more irritable. The better we learn, the more problems he’ll have with us. Those who don’t want to fight better step back now!

" With that, she didn’t wait for a response from the relatives she usually got along with and headed straight to her own courtyard.

The group of younger relatives stayed behind, their faces etched with conflict.

------------------------------------

"Does the teacher have something he wishes to say?"

In the inner hall, after serving tea, Shen Qingfeng asked with a smile.

Bai Hua took a sip of the tea and immediately recognized it as the precious Dragon Twist from the Capital City. The gesture showed that they held him in high regard, but...

Honestly, the tea didn’t even compare to the second-rate stuff from Jiangnan these days...

"The child I spoke with earlier does indeed have good aptitude." Bai Hua thought for a moment and got straight to the point, "May I ask Lord Shen, does that child... have a betrothal?"

"Ah?" Both Shen Yan and Shen Qingfeng were taken aback, not having expected him to show this kind of interest in a young girl.

"My lord?" Bai Hua’s wife was also surprised, clearly not expecting her husband to suddenly bring up matrimonial matters.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I’ll just speak frankly..." Bai Hua continued directly, "My Bai Family lacks descendants, and now it’s come down to my next generation. I only have two sons. My eldest son is now a sixth-ranked official in the Capital City, something Lord Shen surely knows. As a child, he was keen on the imperial examinations, focusing on the classics, which meant he didn’t lay any foundation in Art Calculation.

As for my younger son..." He glanced back at his son, who was looking down, somewhat embarrassed, and sighed, "His talents are somewhat lacking. "

"Oh?" Shen Qingfeng’s eyes flashed, likely understanding what Bai Hua was hinting at.

"So... you wish to resolve this through a marriage alliance?"

"Yes!" Bai Hua said directly, "The situation is clear to Lord Shen. The Jiangnan Academy holds tremendous benefits, and I suppose it’s for this very reason that Lord Shen values us, teachers of miscellaneous matters, to such an extent. But I’m even more aware of what Jiangnan Academy represents. If you want me to wholeheartedly tutor the Shen Family’s younger generation, you must agree to my terms. That Shen Xue girl must marry my younger son; we become family by marriage, and I will make every effort to tutor the Shen Family. If you do not agree..."

Bai Hua’s gaze turned colder, "There is no shortage of people outside the Bai Family’s door begging for my services!"

Shen Yan: "...."