LOT -Chapter 328 Childhood Arc: A Frightening Poem

When Lin Mo was brought before the headmaster, her mind was still a bit dazed.

Why did this uncle’s gaze seem so lecherous? And his eyes—when he looked at her—seemed to be shining.

The headmaster looked at the little version of Lin Huan in front of him, his heart brimming with excitement. “Hello, little Lin Huan. I am the headmaster of this academy. You may call me Headmaster.”

Lin Mo lifted her head and said expressionlessly, “My name is Lin Mo.”

Headmaster: “Alright, little Lin Huan.”

Lin Mo: …Is this man old enough that he can’t understand what I’m saying?

This is the first time she had met someone more stubborn than herself—it was a bit troublesome.

Lin Qi and Ji Qianhua went to school normally, only occasionally glancing outside with concern.

Honestly, they were quite surprised that Lin Mo had really managed to climb the mountain on her own, and she hadn’t once complained about being tired.

This little girl’s stamina wasn’t bad… so why couldn’t she shed any weight?

Lin Mo got along quite well with the headmaster—aside from having lost her own name, that is.

“Come, come, little Lin Huan. Your father was excellent at studying from a young age, and your brother is also talented. You shouldn’t be any worse. Why don’t you compose a poem? Let me see if you have the talent.”

“Just write a poem about me—any theme is fine, as long as you write it.”

Lin Mo held the brush and stared at the paper, deep in thought. Was this old man perhaps overestimating her?

Although she looked a lot like her father, she didn’t enjoy studying.

But now it wasn’t really appropriate to say she couldn’t—saying so would bring shame to her family.

“My skills are limited… I might not be able to come up with anything good.”

Lin Mo thought it best to set expectations in advance, so as to avoid conflict later.

The headmaster rubbed his nearly bald head and chuckled, “Just write with confidence. Your father was already a standout among scholars at your age—I believe you won’t be any worse.”

Lin Mo: …Well, then you’re really in for disappointment. I really just happen to look like my father.

Under the headmaster’s watchful eye, Lin Mo began her composition.

“Your head is big and round, I kick it all the way to the Western Garden. Oh, the Western Garden, so grand and exquisite, The cooks of the Western Garden excel at their craft, Left steaming, right frying, The big head tastes crispy and roasted.”

After finishing, Lin Mo stared at the headmaster with wide eyes.

The headmaster looked at the poem, his mouth moving but unable to utter a single word for a long time.

How should he put it…

How on earth had Lin Huan taught this child to study? Surely he didn’t just teach her normal books, right?

The headmaster asked Lin Mo seriously, “Child, what kind of books do you usually read?”

Lin Mo answered very honestly, “Supernatural tales… strange and wondrous stories.”

Headmaster: …Ah, no wonder.

No wonder she could write such a thing—kicking heads, steaming heads, frying heads… it looked utterly terrifying.

When he read the poem, he even felt a chill at the back of his neck.

Moreover, the child’s handwriting looked like ghostly claws, yet somehow it suited the poem perfectly.

Was Lin Huan planning to raise this child in a completely unconventional way, thinking that raising a normal child wasn’t enough, so he aimed to cultivate a genius?

Meanwhile, Lin Shangshu, busy with official matters, sneezed repeatedly.

“Could it be that little girl is thinking about me? Surely no one there is bullying her… and even if they tried, they couldn’t manage it.”

Lin Shangshu was quite worried about Lin Mo going to school for the first time—he worried both about her adjusting and about her being bullied.

Some children were arrogant and unruly, and some families were unreasonable; children from poorer families were especially vulnerable.

The academy had strict rules to limit such occurrences, but behind the scenes, some people still disregarded the rules. Almost every year, a few students were expelled.

Reading without proper character was pointless; even if one became an official, they wouldn’t be a good one.

The morning passed quickly. The headmaster had wanted to teach Lin Mo some proper books, but she would get sleepy and nap whenever she encountered them. He was at a loss.

“I don’t understand this little fellow at all—how is she nothing like your father or your brother? You look so much like your father, yet back then he loved books dearly… how are you nothing like him?”

Lin Mo, lying lazily on the table, answered, “Everyone is unique. If I were exactly like my father, what would be the point?”

The headmaster was genuinely shocked by her words. At such a young age, she could express something so reasonable. This little girl really did have some talent.

Raising children was exhausting, especially a naughty one. The headmaster wasn’t young, and Lin Mo was constantly exploring the courtyard.

The headmaster had no children of his own, so he didn’t know how to handle a child. Watching Lin Mo crawl through cracks in the stones and play in the little pond made him terrified.

What if she hit her head on a stone? What if she fell into the pond?

No wonder people said raising children was difficult—danger seemed to be everywhere!

“Little Lin Huan! Come here immediately, don’t go onto that bridge!”

“Stop playing with those flowers, you’re going to ruin them! Don’t go chase the chickens—you’ll get pecked!”

You couldn’t play here or there. Lin Mo found it utterly boring; home was much more fun.

The headmaster was nearly at his wits’ end, running after her everywhere. How did children have so much energy?

The children at the academy weren’t like this; they were orderly and quiet.

He had to take this little one into the academy to experience some proper cultivation.

This old man felt like he was being exhausted to death. How had Lin Huan produced such a daughter? Her personality was completely different from his as a child.

Two people could look identical, yet have such different temperaments.

At lunch, Lin Mo ate half a chicken by herself. The headmaster’s eyes nearly popped out.

Could children really eat this much? It looked terrifying.

Lin Mo noticed his stare and said, “Watching me like that… you make me feel embarrassed to eat.”

Then she wiped her greasy mouth and stuffed another big bite in.

Headmaster: …How is that embarrassed? You’re eating just fine.

Fortunately, this child was born into a wealthy family; otherwise, most couldn’t afford her appetite.

Lin Qi and Ji Qianhua were also talking about Lin Mo while eating.

Lin Qi wanted to go to the headmaster to bring Lin Mo back—he really couldn’t relax.