Zhao Rong had always insisted on knowing the exact number of cups of well water for tea brewing that he was entitled to. Zhu Yourong hesitated slightly and said she would do her best to obtain it, but he could not guarantee a specific amount.
Zhao Rong thought about it, did not insist any longer, and then agreed.
At that moment, in the garden, he pondered again to check for oversights and gradually said:
"One more thing, I can teach and guarantee not to slack off, but what if the students don’t accept my authority? Many of them are older than me, which may inevitably lead to such issues. Worse still, some might blatantly slack off. What then?"
Zhu Yourong nodded, smiling lightly as she said,
"Should there be any severe cases, you could directly discuss it with me at the Yilan Pavilion. However, to facilitate your teaching, I will have the senior students in your hall collaborate with you and assist in the classes."
As she finished, Zhu Yourong turned her head toward Yu Huaijin, who had been silent all along.
"Xuanji, are the other senior students of the Five Halls not gathered yet? Are they at the Guest Pavilion?"
Yu Huaijin quietly absorbed the gaze of the woman in the Confucian robe for a while before respectfully lifting her head to say, "Yes, Teacher. Brother Han, Brother Gu, and the others came early in the morning and are waiting in the pavilion."
Zhao Rong slowly nodded on the side.
Zhu Yourong stood and smiled. "Ziyu, Xuanji, come, let’s go meet them—they will surely be pleased with this arrangement and can address some of the previous issues..."
About a quarter of an hour later, next to the courtyard door of the Yilan Pavilion, inside the Guest Pavilion.
Zhu Yourong, Zhao Rong, Yu Huaijin, and the other five hall seniors were present.
However, a young blue-clothed girl had spotted Zhao Rong from afar just before and dashed away, tactically avoiding him as she put it.
At that moment, the people inside the pavilion did not pay attention to her absence, as there were more pressing matters.
Gu Yiwu tilted his head, staring blankly at the student named Zhao Ziyu, scrutinizing him up and down as if meeting him for the first time.
Even though Teacher Zhu had reintroduced Ziyu to them just now, unlike the casual introduction by Yu Huaijin earlier, this time, the closeness in Teacher Zhu’s tone and the consequent disclosure had them all showing shocked expressions.
He was the new teaching assistant for the Calligraphy classes? From now on, fully in charge of two halls?
Gu Yiwu doubted he had heard correctly, and looking around at his peers’ expressions, realized he wasn’t the only one in doubt.
"What do you all think of this matter? Any objections?" the woman’s voice was clear and melodious.
Zhu Yourong looked around the circle.
Inside the pavilion, for a moment, there was complete silence.
All six seniors from the Mochi remained utterly silent.
People exchanged glances, and soon, inevitably, their gazes fell on Yu Huaijin, carrying a complicated meaning.
Normally, under such seemingly inappropriate circumstances, she would be the first to stand up and vehemently oppose, followed by the others chiming in. But this time...
After a long pause, the other seniors did not witness Yu Huaijin stepping forward as expected.
The pavilion stayed quiet, and Zhu Yourong’s smiling gaze moved over them.
Yu Huaijin stood still, her eyes downcast and silent, like a Goddess statue perched on a cliff.
The seniors gradually withdrew their gazes, except for Han Wenfu, because compared to this new assistant’s sudden promotion, he was even more concerned about whether Yu Huaijin had consumed the Vermilion Fruit.
Han Wenfu was quietly panicked, hoping Yu Huaijin disliked him so much that she might have discarded the fruit along the way... She must not eat it!
Seeing that several seniors, including Gu Yiwu, neither picked up her words nor seemed to agree or object,
Zhu Yourong gently nodded.
"Seeing no objections, then it’s settled. Starting today, Ziyu will be the assistant for the Calligraphy classes, in charge of the academic responsibilities of two halls. The assigned seniors must endeavor to assist him in teaching and, in the classroom, should regard Ziyu just as they would regard me as their Teacher."
The woman’s voice was earnest, and soon after, she turned her head towards Zhao Rong with a smile, "Ziyu, this will be hard on you."
Zhao Rong shook his head with a calm expression.
Gu Yiwu and the others couldn’t help but give the young student sidelong glances. With his sleeves rolled up and his eyes downcast, his indifferent demeanor was similar to Yu Huaijin’s as he stood beside Zhu Yourong. For some reason, many in the pavilion suddenly felt a strange sensation. Although Zhao Rong’s tall figure and Yu Huaijin’s short stature didn’t match, in other respects, the two appeared unexpectedly compatible.
Could he be the next Yu Huaijin? He didn’t seem quite like her when they met earlier in the morning, but the way he dared to tease Yu Huaijin and touch her whiskers indicated that this was no ordinary person.
Gu Yiwu’s expression remained unchanged as he thought to himself.
Just then, Zhu Yourong raised her hand and lightly tapped her pale forehead with her index finger. She thought for a moment and then grinned, "Why not let Ziyu take charge of Shuaixing Hall and Cultivation Hall?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Rong’s eyebrows slightly lifted. These were the best two among the Six Halls and should be quite convenient to manage with the seniors’ cooperation.
Yu Huaijin pursed her lips, her eyes still downcast and silent.
Han Wenfu’s eyelids twitched, and he took a sidelong glance at Zhao Rong, his mind flashing back to when Zhao Rong nonchalantly handed a cucumber to Yu Huaijin, who had accepted it, followed by the troublesome Vermilion Fruit. Han Wenfu felt like it was almost as if the acceptance was merely to preserve his face while taking the fruit incidentally!