My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 9 The Academy Turmoil (5)

About an hour later, Mu Shaoying heard a commotion coming from outside the courtyard gate.

A servant stood at Master Li's door and said, "Master, Master He, Master Lin, and Master Zhang have arrived."

The door, which had closed with a creak, opened from the inside.

Master Li's calm voice rang out, "Let them in."

The original owner's uncle and the other two hurriedly walked past Mu Shaoying. One of the two was dressed in brown clothes and had a plump figure, while the other was dressed in gray clothes and was taller and thinner.

The three entered Master Li's classroom. They were a little far away, so it was difficult to hear what they were saying.

After a while, a voice came from inside the room: "Bring the three of them in."

Attendant: "Yes."

He walked up to Mu Shaoying and the other two, led them to Master Li's classroom, opened the door, and let them in.

Inside the room, Master Li sat in the center, with the original owner's uncle sitting to Master Li's right. On the left side of the guest table sat the plump middle-aged man and the tall, thin middle-aged man, respectively.

"Master An," Mu Shaoying, and the other two bowed respectfully.

Master Li looked at the three men and said, "Now that your parents have arrived, tell me why you three were fighting today."

He Jinbao and Zhang Mo lowered their heads and remained silent. Mu Shaoying pursed his dry lips, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Master Li, the student fell into the water the other day because of He Jinbao. I have already explained this to Master Cheng today. I saw He Jinbao beating Zhang Mo for no reason by the pond, and I went to stop him, but who knew..."

Mu Shaoying didn't say the rest aloud, but those who understood understood.

After hearing this, He Jinbao pointed at Mu Shaoying and shouted angrily, "You little eunuch!"

The air seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Mu Shaoying felt as if the heartbeats of the people in the room had become unusually clear at this moment. Each beat was accompanied by an inexplicable sense of tension. In this suffocatingly quiet environment, her nerves were taut, as if they could be triggered at any moment. Even her breathing became cautious, for fear of breaking this fragile peace.

"Insolence!" Suddenly, two voices broke the silence. One was Master Li, and the other was the plump middle-aged man.

Mu Shaoying looked toward the source of the sound and saw the middle-aged man step forward, slap He Jinbao hard across the face, and shout, "You beast, kneel down!" He then turned to Master Li and his original uncle and bowed, saying, "Master Li, Master Lin, it is my fault for failing to raise my son properly."

The original owner's uncle remained silent for a long while before bowing to the middle-aged man and saying, "Master He, it's just a child playing around; there's no need to make a big fuss."

The tall, thin middle-aged man also chimed in with agreement.

Upon seeing this, Master Li pondered for a moment and said, "Now that the headmaster is not at the academy, I will temporarily take charge of the academy. Today, Lin Ziping, He Jinbao, and Zhang Mo have all made mistakes. They should each go back with their parents, reflect on their mistakes for three days, copy the books ten times, and then return to school."

The original owner's three uncles stood up, agreed, and prepared to take their leave.

Seeing this, Mu Shaoying wondered if they were all trying to downplay the incident. He thought, "Then all my efforts today have been in vain." He quickly said, "Master, regarding my fight with He Jinbao and Zhang Mo, I know I was wrong and will accept the punishment. But what is your judgment on He Jinbao pushing me into the water?"

The group looked at Mu Shaoying, and the original owner's uncle murmured, "Ziping..."

Master Li looked at Mu Shaoying for a long time and said, "I will give you an explanation after I have investigated this matter."

Mu Shaoying was indignant; was this another instance of him turning a blind eye?

“He Jinbao and Zhang Mo are both here today, why not confront them face to face?” Mu Shaoying said again.

The original owner's uncle pulled Mu Shaoying aside and said to Master Li, "Master Li, it's just children playing around. We've disturbed you a lot today, so let's call it a day."

After listening, Mu Shaoying looked at the original owner's uncle.

Master Li remained silent for a long time before saying, "Lin Ziping, He Jinbao pushed you into the water. If I find out that this is true, I will have He Jinbao apologize to you when the three of you return to school."

Upon hearing this, Mu Shaoying felt a lump in her throat, knowing that arguing was pointless. She then followed her uncle, the original owner of the body, to pay respects to Master Li and leave.

Ignoring He Jinbao's resentful gaze, Mu Shaoying followed in the footsteps of the original owner's uncle as they walked out of the academy and slowly descended the mountain, where a carriage was already waiting.

The original owner's uncle bowed to He Jinbao and Zhang Mo's parents, saying, "Master He, Master Zhang, I'll be leaving now. Let's meet again another day."

The two gentlemen, Mr. He and Mr. Zhang, returned the greeting with clasped hands.

Mu Shaoying followed the original owner's uncle back to the carriage. Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was rather silent. The carriage curtain swayed with the carriage, and the interior of the carriage was sometimes bright and sometimes dark. Mu Shaoying looked at the original owner's uncle, but he was hidden in the shadows, and his face could not be seen.

"Ziping, why didn't you tell me you fell into the water?" the original owner's uncle sighed.

Mu Shaoying didn't know how to answer, so she remained silent.

“You’ve always been timid and cautious since childhood, never daring to speak loudly. After arriving in Qingyang, I was busy making a living and didn’t care about you much. Since you woke up from the water, you’ve become much more cheerful, which has comforted me. Now it seems you still resent me.” Seeing Mu Shaoying remain silent, Uncle Yuansheng said again, “How about leaving the matter of He Jinbao pushing you into the water to your uncle? I will definitely get justice for you.”

Mu Shaoying inwardly groaned: I don't even know if Lin Ziping resents you! This is so difficult! But on the surface, she nodded, which was her response to the original owner's uncle.

The carriage swayed and bumped its way to the Lin residence in silence. Mu Shaoying lifted the curtain, jumped down, and planned to give a supplementary explanation about the matter of inviting parents today.

After thinking for a moment, she stood beside the carriage, bit her lip, and called out, "Uncle, I..."

The original owner's uncle lifted the carriage curtain and sighed, "Ziping, go change your clothes first, and have Granny Liao apply the medicine for you. Come to my room for dinner later."

When Mu Shaoying returned to his courtyard, Granny Liao was already waiting at the door. "Young Master, you've suffered."

After she finished speaking, tears started falling. Mu Shaoying paused for a moment, feeling a little uncomfortable, but still shook her head.

Granny Liao continued, "Hot water has been prepared in the room. Young master, please wash up first, and I will apply the medicine for you in a moment."

Mu Shaoying nodded and went back inside. There was hot water in the basin and bathtub. She washed her hands, wincing in pain. Standing in front of the bronze mirror, she couldn't see clearly, but her face was still covered in bruises. Looking down at her hands, she sighed, thinking they might swell up like pig's trotters tomorrow.

Mu Shaoying slowly undressed and began to wash up. After a while, Xiao Ya's voice came from outside the door: "Young Master, are you done?"

Mu Shaoying got up, dressed, and replied, "Okay, come in."

"Young Master, why are you standing here? Go lie down on the bed. Xiaoya, put the medicine by the bedside. I'll apply it for you. Go ask Steward Tao when the Master will start eating." Liao Mama stepped into the room, carrying a bowl in her hand. Xiaoya followed behind her, holding the medicine in her hands.

Upon hearing Liao Mama's instructions, Xiao Ya put down the medicine and then ran out again.

Granny Liao frowned as she watched the little girl run out, then turned to Mu Shaoying, "Young Master, let me dry your hair so you don't catch a cold."

Granny Liao draped a robe over Mu Shaoying, led her to the mirror, picked up a handkerchief, and carefully dried Mu Shaoying's hair. The original owner's hair was fine and soft, not yet shoulder-length, and dried in no time.

Then he carried Mu Shaoying to the bed and applied medicine to him, saying, "Young master, bear with it, it hurts a little. If you encounter this again in the future, tell Granny, and Granny will help you find a solution. You must never let things be like this again."

As Granny Liao applied the medicine, she chattered on and on. Mu Shaoying nodded in agreement, thinking to herself how kind Granny Liao was to the original owner of this body, like a mother. When she was little, her parents worked in the city, and she was raised by her grandparents. Every day, she and her friends ran around in the mountains and rivers. She was considered one of the best fighters among the village kids, holding her own among a group of mischievous children. Later, her parents returned to the village and had a younger brother. As she grew older and went to school, she moved further and further away from home. In the nearly ten years she had been working, her parents had never visited, always making excuses such as being busy at home or getting carsick. Who would have thought that her parents would have to come to the city where she worked this time, possibly to collect her body? Her mother would definitely be heartbroken.

Thinking about all this, Mu Shaoying felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She really wished this was all a dream!