dognovel Chapter 50 This is the real nurturing (2)
Chapter 50 This is the real nurturing (2)
A warm hand gently pulled him, and with a slight effort, he was led back. Before he could react, he turned around and saw the person urgently gesturing for him to squat down.
Though he had doubts, he always doted on his students, so he obediently knelt down and looked up quietly to watch the other person's actions. He saw the person take a box of ointment from a medicine gourd and carefully apply it to the scar on his face.
"Huo Huo?"
"Teacher, scars on my face don't look good."
Seeing the remorse and worry in the other person's eyes, he simply touched the area where the ointment had been applied; it felt cool and refreshing.
Looking at the person in front of me again, I felt a warmth in my heart—this is what a sweet little cotton-padded jacket is, this is what a real sweet little cotton-padded jacket is!
What kind of miserable life did he live before?!
"This little scar won't leave any lasting marks."
"But you...remember what I told you?"
"Never do anything you're not sure of unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Especially when it involves one's own safety."
"When sacrifice is truly necessary..."
"Pah, pah, pah... It hasn't come to that yet, why am I saying these things?"
Suddenly realizing that what he had said might be inappropriate, he quickly stopped himself from having such a terrible thought, then patted the other person on the head, telling them not to take it to heart.
"Don't listen to what comes next; you don't need to think about those things right now."
He stood up, gently took the other person's hand, and was about to turn and leave. However, the next moment he found that his steps did not move as expected; the resistance in his hand made him stop in his tracks.
Turning to look at Ji Yan beside him, he saw only the other man with his head bowed, his shoulders trembling slightly. Before he could even ask a question, Ji Yan's slightly hoarse voice rang out first.
"What about you, teacher?"
Will you sacrifice yourself one day...?
"Will they, like those people before... never be able to appear in my life again?"
"..."
Feeling the hand gripping him tighten even more, as if afraid the person in it would vanish, he didn't turn to look at the other person. Instead, he slowly raised his eyes and gazed at the distant, unreachable horizon.
Though I have a thousand words in my heart, I don't know where to begin, to explain to the person before me the meaning behind the word "sacrifice".
"...Avoid flames"
Why should we go to the front lines to fight?
"..."
Looking at Ji Yan, who had suddenly fallen silent, he slowly revealed his innermost thoughts, his tone gentle yet firm, attempting to offer the other a sliver of comfort and encouragement.
"Because behind us are those who yearn to protect and cherish."
"And to achieve this goal, the road ahead will inevitably be stained with blood."
"...You will witness your companions brush past you, and then there will be no way back."
Sacrifice is inevitable.
"So before that moment arrives, we must be prepared for everything that might happen."
Looking at the slightly confused expression on the other child's face, a self-deprecating smile suddenly welled up inside him—he had actually tried to impart so much wisdom to a child; it was indeed a bit unreasonable. He sighed softly and patted his forehead.
"I should have told you this during the new recruit induction ceremony at the Bell Square."
"【Choosing to walk through the long night, I've never regretted it】"
"They chose this path themselves, and what they did was not for praise, but for everything they cherished."
"Leave new life and hope to those who come after."
So even if the road ahead is destined to be dark and thorny, I will have no regrets.
As I explained my understanding to the other person, a flood of memories came rushing back, and all the knowledge and experiences I had learned from the manual came flooding back to me.
As his memories flowed, his heart gradually calmed down, and his voice rang out in a deep and firm tone.
"...I am the same."
So when the inevitable moment of parting arrives... please don't grieve for me.
You will follow the path unfinished by those who came before, leading more people toward dawn.
"..."
Sensing that the topic had become particularly heavy because of him, and seeing Ji Yan's obviously off state, a sense of apology welled up in his heart. He forced a smile and spoke first, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"These words are indeed a bit too early for you right now... You'll understand later."
"And I want to watch you grow up. As your guardian, I won't just die like this."
"Uh... let's eat first, otherwise we won't have time this afternoon."
Somewhat abruptly changing the subject, they couldn't care less about anything else, and forcefully pulled the other person back.
But my own state of mind was unstable along the way, and I felt a bit upset by what I had said—I regretted making this precocious child think even more.
"Ugh……"
He closed his eyes and sighed. Fortunately, this place wasn't far from the direction he needed to go back to; he'd be there soon.
"Teacher, I understand."
"...I will accept it."
As they approached their destination, slightly dazed, he heard a soft murmur beside him. He instinctively rubbed his forehead, but couldn't help calling out to the person, offering words of comfort.
Stop overthinking it.
"...There's no need to accept it so quickly; I'm still your guarantor."
"I will stay by your side until you turn 14."
I feel like I'm setting more and more goals lately—but why should I care so much when I've already become a teacher, a high-risk profession?
He traveled from the future, so how could he not know which point in time he left?
I can't believe I'll be killed by these flags!
He returned to his room in silence. To be honest, he had wanted to make an excuse that he wasn't hungry and didn't need to eat, but Ji Huohuo ultimately stopped him.
Looking into those aggrieved and worried eyes, I instantly softened and couldn't resist at all.
Sitting in the chair, watching Ji Yan busy in the kitchen with a bit of helplessness, I always felt that I, as the teacher, was the one being taken care of.
It's getting emo again.
But if I remind them not to cook too much food, they should listen, right?
It will be a bit difficult to chew a bunch of tasteless and unpleasant things then.
The food was served quickly, thankfully not a lot, just some simple home-style dishes, and even the portions were rather small.
If he hadn't lost his sense of taste before, it should have been just enough for him alone.
Silently, he pushed the bowl and chopsticks to the other person, showing no intention of touching them himself, and quietly watched Ji Yan.
"..."
Realizing that her actions might have made the other person nervous, she looked away, but still struggled to pick up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her own bowl, swallowing it expressionlessly.
Hmm...it's a bit spicy, and overall the texture is a bit easier to chew than rubber.
"Teacher, how does it taste?"
“Good craftsmanship!”
Ji Yan didn't reply, silently staring at the dish on the table—a dish that even locals might not be used to, and would make most people tear up from just one bite.
Watching Mo Wunian oblivious to his surroundings, still shamelessly praising the dishes while deceiving himself, his hand involuntarily tightened its grip on the chopsticks.
He has now confirmed his thoughts—
His teacher lost his sense of taste
"……Really?"
Feeling uneasy under that gaze, his chopsticks trembled involuntarily, nearly causing him to drop the food he had just picked up. If he hadn't been certain he had never revealed his secret of losing his sense of taste, he would have almost thought the person before him had seen right through his little secret.
"Ha...really?"
"Don't believe it!"
"...Did the teacher really not lie to me?"
"..."
That sentence almost silenced him again. He nervously wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to get away with it.
Why can't I bring myself to lie to this child? Why am I suddenly so guilty? Didn't I lie to Xiaobai so easily back then?!
Damn it, it's all because this kid is too innocent. I feel guilty about lying to him!
Seeing that the other person was still trying to argue, Ji Yan simply picked up some food and put it in the other person's bowl, then stared intently at him and slowly spoke.
"Can the teacher tell me if this dish is sweet or savory?"
"..."
He felt like he was being tested. Considering what he had said earlier, he realized he couldn't escape it even if he wanted to. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and he trembled slightly as he picked up a piece of food and tasted it.
"Salty...?"
"..."
"No, no, no! It's sweet!"
"..."
"...What is that?!"
Realizing he couldn't hide it any longer, he tilted his head back, feeling utterly helpless.
How long has he been teaching them? He's already been exposed twice.
His IQ dropped because he didn't get enough rest last night!
Finally, his gaze fell upon the child before him. Looking at the innocent face and seeing a flicker of displeasure and heartache in the child's eyes, he gave a reply that, after a moment, was so utterly repulsive it made one want to vomit blood.
"teacher……"
"This dish is sour."
"what?"
After a brief moment of mental reconnection, he realized he'd been tricked. Looking at Ji Yan, who seemed naive but was actually quite shrewd—he didn't know whether to praise him or say something...
He wanted to say something, but felt he had no right to do so since he had lied to the other person first. Yet, if he didn't say anything, he felt his dignity as a teacher would crumble further.
Difficulty
Compared to his pensive expression, Ji Yan, sitting opposite him, wore a look of heartache and helplessness. The emotions in his eyes were complex and difficult to describe; a profound sense of powerlessness made him feel at a loss even if he wanted to do something.
"teacher……"
"...You're quite clever; you figured it out so quickly."
"I have indeed lost my sense of taste for a while, but it's not a big deal."
"And this is also a good thing for me."
"Since I've lost my sense of taste, I don't need to eat anymore, so you don't need to prepare any food for me in the future."
Since I couldn't fool the kid anyway, I might as well reveal my true colors. I didn't want to see that kid bringing me breakfast again first thing the next morning.
Moreover, he felt that it wouldn't be a problem to talk about this, especially since the person he was talking to was his most trusted student.
It's just a minor issue; it won't affect him much.
He initially thought it was just a trivial matter, but as he looked at the other person, he noticed a glint of tears in their eyes. The person then slowly lowered their head, their entire body trembling slightly, trying to hide from his view.
"..."
It seems he made his student cry again?
Ji Yan's gaze gently fell on that person, staring at this person who seemed completely unaware of how tragic their situation was. His heart couldn't help but ache.
He said that the other person had no reaction to the medicine that would make adults nauseous when they were in the hospital, he said that no one except his comrades came to check on him, he said that he almost never saw that person eat...
It's because that person really had nothing, absolutely nothing.
Even the right to enjoy delicious food has been taken away.
"Hey... Huo Huo, don't cry."
"My sense of taste has just failed me, it's not yours..."
"If you don't eat soon, the food will get cold..."
Helpless, he stood up, slowly walked forward, and gently patted the other person's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. However, he helplessly discovered that his actions seemed to have the opposite effect; the other person's mood only worsened with his approach.
On her very first day as a teacher, she made her students cry several times – that's something else!
He had to write it down in his diary; he wanted to see how many more times he could make someone cry!
He finally finished the meal, albeit clumsily, but thankfully nothing was wasted; he naturally finished the sourest dish.
After quickly tidying up the dishes, I unceremoniously pushed the other person into the room to rest, ostensibly to balance work and rest.
He returned to his room and began writing in his diary, while also considering how to formally begin teaching the other person swordsmanship.
"When the weather is a bit better this afternoon, I'll have him practice the standard sword techniques of the Night-Returning Army."
"Teach me some practical combat tips...after all, I seem to remember there's some kind of simulation training to test things out..."
"...However, my sword technique is too aggressive; if your reaction speed isn't fast enough, you can easily get injured..."
"But isn't that kid a Wind Resonator... Never mind, it's too dangerous. I can handle this..."
As a teacher for the first time, he is currently pondering how to teach the other person his swordsmanship.
Although he learned directly through the system at the time, his proficiency was gradually gained through repeated practical battles and near-death experiences, allowing him to gradually grasp the knack of the techniques.
There is no defense whatsoever; every move is deadly, and once unsheathed, blood will surely be drawn.
The horizontal inscription means it's either you die or he dies. If he were to use this sword technique, the two would be locked in a life-or-death struggle.
I can work this hard, but that person can't.
"Ugh... I don't think this 'Basic Sword Techniques' is basic at all!"
"I want to create a world where I can easily teach my students..."
Dark, twisted, howling, crawling... that was what he originally intended to do.
Then, realizing that Huo Huo was still resting in the room next door, she gave up on the idea.
"If you can't do something, don't blame the road for being uneven..."
"Mo Wunian... if you're bad at it, just practice more."
Although it's unclear when the Battle of the Curved Blades will actually take place, the enemy has only just joined the army, so there should still be some time for him to prepare.
No! Not enough... not enough time...
The thought had barely formed when a dull ache returned to his head. Although he didn't quite understand why that obsession had surfaced at this moment, the words that came through instantly put him on alert.
"Is there not enough time... Mo Wunian..."
"..."
I tried to see if I could sense anything again, but unfortunately there was nothing.
With a helpless sigh, seeing that the agreed time was fast approaching, he could only rub his head and then walk out of the room.