Honey Water Balloon (2)
Choi Yeom and Cai Yong were enjoying relatively peaceful days in a scenic annex with a fine view.
Among the many mansions Mi Zhu owned across Xuzhou, they'd been given a decent one.
Cai Yong sat on the veranda, basking in the sunlight as he jotted down lines of text, a sense of relief evident on his face. After all the chaos, he finally felt like he was settling back into everyday life.
The world might be in turmoil, but as long as he could write, he had a good feeling he'd navigate even the harshest chaos somehow.
Here, I can create a masterpiece, he thought with anticipation as he continued writing.
Rustle. Rustle. Clank.
But the servants inside were making such a racket that it was impossible to concentrate.
"…."
Cai Yong set down his brush and began watching his daughter Choi Yeom and her friend Cho Seon.
"Uh…. Wouldn't it be better to move this over here?"
"D-Does it smell or anything? I lit the incense sticks already…."
They were cleaning house like it was moving day. Ever since hearing that some guy named Kim was coming today, things had flowed this way.
The benefactor of the Cai family—naturally they want to make a good impression, Cai Yong figured, rolling up his bamboo slips and setting them aside. Yeah. No way I can focus.
Before heading to the training grounds for drills, he'd stopped by Choi Yeom's place to study writing. He'd already packed his brush and bamboo slips during patrol duty—fully prepped for learning.
He'd even told Yong Hwa and Guan Yu upfront that he couldn't hang out right after work.
"Hmm. Gong-gong? I think he's better off kinda dumb."
Bu Yonghwa dropped a massively rude line.
"N-No, not dumb…."
Guan Yu's lips twitched at the words, but she smoothed her expression and pressed on.
"Hmm. Kim's got that idiot charm going on? That's his appeal, I think."
What the hell's my image to them?
"Ah, right!! Sis Guan totally gets the vibe!"
Yong Hwa suddenly smacked Guan Yu's arms in agreement. Seriously, why's my rep like this?
"Hearing that just fires me up more!! Just watch!!! I'll master literature, strategy—everything!!"
Become a perfect all-rounder!! Like Jiang Wei!!!
"Not settling for his current self, always sharpening his edge—that's pretty cool."
Guan Yu tossed in the carrot after the stick.
"Right? Felt it the moment I saw him. Hehe."
Yong Hwa chuckled.
Anyway, that's how I ended up visiting Choi Yeom's house.
"Ah, you've arrived."
Choi Yeom smiled and greeted me at the entrance.
"Ah, Kim Gong. Nice to see you."
Cho Seon, now living with the Cai family, came out to bow as well.
Two beauties welcoming me at the door. Felt ridiculously luxurious as a guy.
Anyway.
"Then, Teacher—teach me your writing."
I clasped my hands in a bao quan toward Choi Yeom.
"No, Teacher? That's far too gracious a title…."
Choi Yeom flushed shyly.
"No, you're the one gratefully teaching me writing. That makes you my teacher."
I grinned.
"No, anyone can teach writing. But turning righteousness into action? That's another matter. You've done something far harder, Kim Gong."
Choi Yeom smiled back.
"I should be calling you Teacher."
She nodded firmly, expressing her gratitude in return. Smart folks really are different! Their way with words hits different!!
Anyway, we dove straight into study time on the veranda.
"First off, you can already read and write the basics, right?"
Choi Yeom asked.
"Yeah, reading and writing's no problem."
Just everything else. Honestly, since I'm "born" in China, I gotta compose some slick poetry at least. All I've dropped here so far are pad rips.
"Hmm, I see. Then we'll work on getting comfortable with it."
Surprisingly pragmatic, Choi Yeom nodded and pulled out a bamboo slip.
"What's this?"
It was a thick tome.
"Spring and Autumn Zuo Commentary and Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies."
Choi Yeom smiled.
"Oh."
Story-based picks—easy and engaging.
Confucius's Spring and Autumn might sound dry, but it's anecdote-packed, Talmud-style. The Zuo Commentary, with its scholar's notes, reads even smoother—perfect intro text.
And Shiji Biographies? Peak fun. Turbulent-era heroes in bite-sized tales.
Spring and Autumn Zuo Commentary: Difficulty 1
Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies: Difficulty 2
The status window popped up with difficulties. Every book in this game had one: 1 easiest, 5 brutal. Low Intelligence? Can't read. Barely enough? Ant-crawl speed.
Viable strategy tomes and such had high diffs, so grinding Intelligence to read 'em was key.
"Then I just read?"
"But aloud, please—not silent."
Choi Yeom instructed.
"Ah."
Right, silent reading wasn't mainstream here.
"Th-then, Spring and Autumn Zuo Commentary it is."
I cleared my throat and continued.
Started reading aloud right away.
"Hmm. Hmm."
Choi Yeom nodded, looking pleased.
"Oh."
Cho Seon, who'd been noisily cleaning, sidled up to listen to my recitation. No pressure or anything. Somehow it'd turned into story hour.
But I couldn't buckle. Stayed calm, enunciated clearly, and powered through the text.
"Ooh."
"Hmm."
Choi Yeom and Cho Seon reacted to every line, chiming in. Super awkward.
"…Your voice is really nice."
"Mm. Such a manly tone."
Voice compliments somehow made it more embarrassing.
Excruciatingly so—but the rising stats in the status window fueled me.
Intelligence: 26
Intelligence EXP ticked up steadily. Definitely worth studying under Choi Yeom—teacher quality boosted efficiency surprisingly well.
Grind to 50…. Then Art of War.
Just Sun Tzu covered basics like fire attacks, ambushes, deception. With Yuan Shu's army closing in, I needed command chops.
After aloud-reading one section, Intelligence hit around 28.
"Hehe. Now, the brush."
Choi Yeom's lesson didn't end there.
"Write out today's reading on fresh slips. Reading and writing—that's the proper way to absorb it."
She beamed.
"Got it."
She was way smarter—no arguing. Grabbed the brush and started copying onto slips.
Scrawl.
My handwriting looked weak. Can't help it—modern guy, brushes ain't my jam.
"Hehe. So cute…."
Choi Yeom mumbled something, then cleared her throat and slid beside me, layering her hand over mine.
"Ease up on the grip—letters flow better."
She murmured, guiding my hand with ticklish strokes.
"…A man's hand."
Choi Yeom muttered in some eerie tone, but I missed it.
"…."
Cho Seon stared, face red.
Anyway, after that excruciating dictation, quite some time had passed.
Intelligence breached 30.
Now, snag some pulp novels from local shops when I get a chance….
Even those bumped Intelligence. Balancing work and study—kinda diligent, huh?
"Alright, great work everyone."
As study wrapped, Cho Seon returned from wherever with tea and snacks, grinning ear to ear.
"Enjoy while you chat."
She poured my tea with a smile. Tea from a beauty…!! Priceless.
We chatted over snacks, then I headed home amid bows from the Cai household.
Sniff sniff.
The second I got home, Yong Hwa and Guan Yu glomped me, sniffing away.
"What're you two doing?"
I asked.
"Just went to learn writing, but you've got that woman scent."
Yong Hwa eyed me with axe-glare.
"Ehei. Coming from a lady's house? 'Course I smell like one."
Choi Yeom's place had that nice incense going—lingered heavy.
"Hmph. If you say so."
Yong Hwa sniffed skeptically, displeased.
"Well, can't help that…. Remember our talk last time? Kim."
Guan Yu chimed in.
"Right. Wives are just us two. More wives would tarnish your honor, Kim Gong."
Eh? Really? More women ain't a flex?
"Tyrants from old kept harems and botched everything. King Goujian too. Want that fate?"
Yong Hwa stretched my cheeks reeeal long.
"Ah, fair point…."
Yeah. Didn't wanna pile on more jealousy.
Meanwhile.
Yeo Po led her army to Shouchun, dragging Yuan Shu right up to the walls.
"What?! Won't let us in? What kinda talk is that!!"
Yeo Po exploded. Humiliated tone, though—even raging. World's mightiest Lu Bu, groveling to a nobody like Yuan Shu? Unbearable.
"Sorry, but we don't need you."
Yet Yuan Shu held the power. Yeo Po's whole force got entry-denied.
Watching them slink away dejectedly, Yuan Shu glanced backward.
"Can't invite a mad dog that'd even bite his foster mom. And Lu Bu? Pfft. I've got braver stock."
Yuan Shu grinned at one general.
"Yes, my lord."
A bit reluctant-faced, but he bao quan'd cooperatively.
"Sun Jian. With you, toppling Xuzhou's like pulling candy from a pocket."
Yuan Shu clapped his shoulder, laughing.
Yuan Shu's Xuzhou trump? Sun Jian, quietly building power in Jiangdong. Chasing interests beyond, he'd rallied his crew for Yuan Shu merc duty again.
All this… for the Sun family.
Humiliating to serve Yuan Shu, but Sun Jian aimed to curry favor, expand into south Yang Province and north Jiangdong.
Thus, he'd committed to the Xuzhou push.
Son Sun Ce and that big-headed Quan eyed him displeased, but he hoped they'd grasp Dad's will in time.
