The first volume of the book starts with a discussion about the types of Corpse, of which there are really a great many. The kind like Little Huang Ying that could walk upright could only be considered mid-level dangerous in this book, and even then, slightly on the lower end.
But the more vicious the Corpse, the vaguer the records of its age and location are, and the more abstract the drawings become, gradually giving one the feeling of reading the "Classic of Mountains and Seas."
Li Zhiyuan felt that this was normal, as for those extremely fierce Corpses, there wouldn't be many who saw them and lived to come back, naturally leading to vague records.
Sister Yingzi came over, carrying a wooden stool and a small bench.
Li Zhiyuan raised his head and looked at Yingzi: "Sis."
"Here I am, hehe, come on, have some candy." Yingzi took out some candy from her pocket and handed it over.
"Thanks, Sis." Li Zhiyuan unwrapped a piece of candy, popped it into his mouth, and then walked into his bedroom.
Yingzi opened her cloth bundle, laid out the books and problems, and curiously reached out to flip through the book that Li Zhiyuan had left on the wicker chair. She frowned slightly; she couldn't understand this character.
At this moment, Li Zhiyuan came out with some snacks and placed them beside Yingzi: "Sis, eat."
"There's too much here, I can't eat all of this."
"Take it back for everyone, just don't let Grandfather and Grandmother see."
Li Zhiyuan brought out the snacks that Li Weihan had sent over in the morning, bought by Grandmaster, which he hadn't touched.
"It feels kind of bad to eat your stuff as the younger brother."
Seeing Li Zhiyuan had already picked up a book and started reading again, Yingzi continued:
"Yuanzi, when your sister starts working and earning money, I'll buy you even more delicious food."
Li Zhiyuan lifted his head and replied with a smile: "Okay, Sis."
Then he lowered his head and continued reading.
Seeing him so engrossed, Yingzi also bowed her head to review her own homework, but this time she didn't ask Li Zhiyuan whenever she encountered something she didn't understand, opting instead to jot it down and wait to ask all at once, so as not to disturb him.
After finishing the first volume, Li Zhiyuan stood up and went to an open space in the front, seriously performing a set of National Middle School Students' Radio Exercises.
Much of the content in this book was written in an obscure, esoteric, and vague way, forcing him to ponder while reading. This was the first time he found reading so exhausting.
But it was truly fulfilling, having a sense of achievement.
Li Zhiyuan was happy because he could finally empathize with the students in his class who were poor at studying; they had been living in such a fulfilled and blissful state all along.
After finishing the exercises, Li Zhiyuan took a trip to the bathroom; during the day, he didn't need the spittoon. He went downstairs and ran to the back of the house. On the way, he saw a girl sitting on the threshold and stopped to say hello:
Of course, the girl didn't respond, not even sparing him a sideways glance.
After returning to the second floor, he put the first volume back and took out the second one to continue reading.
With the experience of reading the first volume, Li Zhiyuan gradually got used to the author's writing habits, and he could even resonate with some of the author's mentalities. Thus, he finished the second volume in half the time it took for the first.
He immediately switched to the third volume, and by the time he finished it, it was nearly dusk.
Li Zhiyuan set down the book and looked over at Sister Yingzi.
"Sis, is there anything you don't understand?"
"Yes, this one, this one, this one, this one, and these..."
Li Zhiyuan took his sister's pen and began writing out solutions, trying to be as detailed as possible so that his sister could study them at her own pace, at least much more efficient than verbal explanations.
Watching her brother swiftly writing in the notebook, Yingzi felt quite envious.
Indeed, if one were to exclude the aunt and younger brother, the Li family with so many mouths to feed probably couldn't put together a single brain.
She also felt very lucky; although her parents would give her money to buy study materials, the supplementary books of that era were rather crude, with many real exam problems and explanations still confined to some key prestigious schools, and even if one were willing to spend money, they were difficult to get ahold of.
Not to mention the role of her younger brother, which had already surpassed that of any supplementary book, effectively becoming her private tutor. Her parents, even if they were more progressive, would not have hired a school teacher to give her private lessons, and they couldn't afford it either.
Li Zhiyuan finished writing, took a long breath, and massaged his sore wrist, saying, "Sis, I suggest you should thoroughly understand the concepts first, then combine them with simple problems to deepen your understanding. That way, your learning efficiency will improve."
Yingzi: But that's what I've been doing, right?
Yingzi lowered her head to start studying the solutions her brother had provided. She could tell they were very detailed, but as she went through them step by step, she still found it somewhat challenging.
It was like her brain was being forcibly pryed open and knowledge was painstakingly poured into it, little by little, losing half of it in the process.
At that time, Li Sanjiang came back. He went onto the terrace, looked up, and saw Li Zhiyuan and Yingzi sitting in the southeastern corner of the second floor.
He saw Li Zhiyuan's relaxed expression with a smile on his face and then observed Yingzi's brow furrowed in frustration.
"Hmph, that stinky kid, not studying hard, causing his sister to have a headache!"
For dinner, Yingzi did not stay to eat. Li Weihan had already instructed her when she arrived.
Li Sanjiang actually did ask her to stay this time, but seeing her insistence on declining, he let it be.
In the past, Li Sanjiang never had a high opinion of Li Weihan's four sons, and by extension, he didn't pay much attention to their children. But why would he have called Yingzi over for tutoring Little Yuanhou today.
"Little Yuanhou, share some snacks with your sister tomorrow."
Li Zhiyuan, who was eating, replied, "Grandmaster, I've already shared them."