Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Xu Wensu had seen it clearly. Shen Lang had solved the first nine problems in a very short time, without any calculation process whatsoever; he seemed to write down the answer as soon as he saw the problem. He had thought Shen Lang was just scribbling nonsense, but to think they were all correct answers… It was utterly absurd. The first nine problems were profound arithmetic challenges that few in the entire Xuanwu City could solve. Even Xu Wensu would have needed a considerable amount of time and extensive calculations to solve them all.
How on earth did he do it? The key thing was that Shen Lang hadn't even used counting rods. How in the world did he calculate? Shen Lang had probably never encountered arithmetic in his life. Could it be that he knew arithmetic from birth? If so, that was a truly terrifying thought.
Xu Wensu closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and then looked again at the final problem Shen Lang had solved. With Shen Lang having answered the first nine problems correctly, his own face was already lost. But the tenth problem was a contest for the honor of arithmetic, a battle of wits against Xu Wensu himself.
If you plant 20 trees with 4 trees in each row, what is the maximum number of rows you can make?
He had seen this problem in an ancient text and had spent over ten years to come up with an arrangement of 14 rows. This problem required true wisdom in arithmetic, which was why Xu Wensu had been certain Shen Lang would not be able to solve it.
And yet…. Just one look at the answer he had provided made Xu Wensu's hair stand on end, a chill running down his spine.
‘Damn it, is he possessed by a ghost? No, no, Heavens, have you gone mad?’
It was, at a glance, a geometric figure. Even with a quick look, Xu Wensu could tell that Shen Lang's answer had far more than 13 rows. And so, he began to count slowly.
‘15, 16, 17, 18… 23 rows? A full 23 rows?! It makes me question my own life, sends a shiver down my spine! H-how is this possible? Twenty trees, four per row, and he made 23 rows. How can anyone do that? Are you a man or a demon? It took me, Xu Wensu, over ten years to create 14 rows. But how did you find this answer in less than an hour?!’
In that moment, Xu Wensu doubted his own intelligence and fell into despair. He was passionate about arithmetic and had profound knowledge in the field. Although he had never passed the imperial examinations, he believed he had no equal when it came to arithmetic. That was why he was in charge of the entire estate's finances, an indispensable role which he had enjoyed while living a life of arrogance. But today, everything he had built in the field of arithmetic had been utterly crushed in an instant by Shen Lang…. How could he not break down?
* * *
At that moment, the Countess was painting. Her martial arts were formidable, but she had been forced to learn them by her family since childhood and did not particularly enjoy them. She preferred painting to martial arts, but unfortunately, she seemed to have no talent for it. Even so, no one in the Count's Estate dared to tell her she was a poor artist. Just then, a servant who attended the Count spoke from outside in a very urgent voice.
“My Lady, the Count requests your presence at the academy hall immediately.”
The Countess replied calmly.
“Has Jin Mucong done something to deserve a beating? Then tell the teacher to strike him.”
“It is not the Young Master who is being beaten…”
Before the servant could finish, the Countess said,
“It is an immutable principle for a teacher to strike a student. It's the same for anyone else.”
“It's Young Master Shen Lang. Xu Wensu says he will give him a hundred lashes.”
*Swish.*
The brush drew a long stroke across the paper. The Countess's painting was ruined. The Countess became furious.
“Is Xu Wensu mad? Has his head been filled with water? How dare he try to beat my endlessly clever and kind Lang'er?”
She quickly threw down the brush in her hand and hurried toward the academy hall. The servant followed behind but could not keep up with her. When Jin Mucong's name was mentioned, she had said to let him be beaten, yet for Shen Lang, she ran so fast. He briefly grieved for the poor Young Master in his heart.
* * *
Holding the answer sheet Shen Lang had given him, Xu Wensu's hands trembled and his face grew pale. What was he to do now? Should he admit defeat and apologize to that upstart Shen Lang in front of everyone? What would become of his face? Isn't face the most important thing for a man in this world?
‘No, absolutely not!’
Having made up his mind, Xu Wensu tore Shen Lang's answer sheet to shreds and berated him. If he tore it all up, there would be no evidence.
“What is this mess you've written? You didn't get a single problem right!”
Shen Lang was stunned by the scene. Xu Wensu wasn't just narrow-minded; his character was fundamentally flawed. Could it be that all mathematicians in this world were as emotional as him? How had the Count tolerated such a person for so long?
The Count frowned. Even if Shen Lang hadn't gotten a single problem right, was there any need to tear up the answer sheet like that? After completely shredding Shen Lang's answer sheet, Xu Wensu said in a cold voice,
“It's all wrong, a complete mess. Now what are you going to do?”
But Shen Lang, not at all flustered, took out an identical answer sheet. Shen Lang always prepared for the worst-case scenario when confronting others.
“What a coincidence. I had a lot of time left after solving the problems and was quite bored, so I wrote out two copies of the answers.”
Shen Lang handed that answer sheet to Old Master Lin, who taught the *Book of Changes*.
“You are also well-versed in arithmetic, Master. Please take a look. How many problems did I get right?”
Xu Wensu was momentarily dumbfounded. To think Shen Lang was this devious?! His body swayed, and he nearly fainted. Old Master Lin took Shen Lang's answer sheet and said,
“Those who study the *Book of Changes* all enjoy arithmetic. Though my knowledge is not as deep as Master Xu's, I can certainly tell right from wrong.”
Old Master Lin began to read the answer sheet. Reading it from beginning to end, Old Master Lin was completely astonished. He had expected Shen Lang to get three or four problems right at most, but every single one was correct. Xu Wensu had posed very difficult problems, but the most shocking of all was the final one.
Old Master Lin had also pondered this problem for a long time. Xu Wensu had managed an arrangement of 14 rows, but he himself had achieved 15. However, he had never told anyone, feeling secretly proud of his accomplishment. But to think Shen Lang had come up with 23 rows?!
Just then, the Count asked from the side,
“Master Lin, how is it?”
Old Master Lin, the teacher of the *Book of Changes*, bowed to the Count and said,
“My Lord, congratulations. You have gained an arithmetic genius! A genius the likes of which this old man has never seen or heard of!”
“How many problems did he get right?”
“He got all of them right. Moreover, his understanding of arithmetic far surpasses that of the one who set the problems. It is enough to make this old man feel ashamed.”
The Count couldn't believe it for a moment, but his joy was beyond words. His son-in-law had given him several pleasant surprises before. His eidetic memory, in particular, was astonishing. Besides, wasn't arithmetic a subject that could only be learned with a teacher's guidance? Could he truly have known it from birth?
Unable to contain his curiosity, the Count asked,
“Lang'er, how did you solve the problems?”
“Father-in-law, I taught myself arithmetic.”
“Without a master's guidance, how did you reach such a level on your own?”
“Father-in-law, sometimes a genius is so brilliant that he drives many to despair. Mathematics is a discipline that relies on ninety-nine parts talent and one part effort.”
At that moment, not only Jin Mucong but even the Count felt the urge to hit him.
‘This is why you have no friends, Shen Lang!’
Next, the Count wanted to ask Xu Wensu why he had torn up Shen Lang's answer sheet, but with a dozen or so students in the classroom, he couldn't bring himself to ask. The Count couldn't bear to make someone lose face in front of others. Shen Lang, however, unlike the Count, relished it. Shen Lang asked Xu Wensu.
“Master Xu, why did you tear up my answer sheet just now? Were you, by any chance, trying to destroy the evidence?”
At that moment, Xu Wensu's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth in rising fury.
“Master Xu, you said that if I got five problems right, you would apologize to me. Now that I've gotten ten right, what will you do? Of course, a student cannot dare force a teacher to apologize. I am, after all, a person who respects teachers and propriety. And since you, Master Xu, are a model for others, I trust you will keep your word.”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, the dozen or so students in the classroom all grew excited. To see the always harsh and willful Master Xu lose face was a once-in-a-lifetime sight. In that instant, all eyes turned to Xu Wensu, and he felt his entire body flush with heat. He was so ashamed he wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole, a feeling he had never experienced before. Did he really have to apologize to this wet-behind-the-ears brat, Shen Lang? What would become of his face then?
“Hmph, I don't know what you're talking about. Utterly ridiculous.”
Xu Wensu tried to deny the promise and immediately prepared to leave the classroom. He decided that from now on, he would only handle the estate's finances and avoid these students. But just then, the Count spoke up.
“Master Xu, the most important thing for an educator is to lead by example, in both word and deed.”
The Count said in a very heavy tone. Xu Wensu wanted to flick his sleeves and flee, but he ultimately could not, for the Count was his master. Then, the Countess walked in slowly and said in a soft but firm voice,
“When you make a mistake, you must admit you were wrong. A promise made must be a promise kept.”
Xu Wensu was a distant relative of the Countess, so she could be considered his backer. But with both of his masters telling him to admit his fault, he could no longer act as he pleased. Finally, Xu Wensu gritted his teeth and walked before Shen Lang. With so many eyes on him, each step felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He looked at Shen Lang, clasped his hands, and bowed.
“My apologies, Shen Lang! I was rash just now. I misunderstood and rebuked you!”
‘Humiliating. This is the greatest shame I have ever experienced in my life!’
Xu Wensu couldn't process the situation. It felt as if someone had slapped him hard across the face. His ears turned red, and it felt as though every hair on his body was burning. His hair stood on end, and his heart felt like it would burst. Unable to remain there for another moment, he immediately turned and left.
The dozen or so students in the classroom looked at Shen Lang with eyes full of respect. At that moment, the Count suddenly shouted at Shen Lang.
“Shen Lang, hold out your hand.”
Shen Lang trembled and asked,
“Father-in-law, what is it?”
“Hold out your hand.”
Shen Lang held out his palm. The Count raised a ruler and struck Shen Lang's palm once.
“Guard against arrogance and haste. A man should not be so smug!”
‘Stubborn old man, this rigid old fool.’
Contrary to his inner thoughts, Shen Lang answered obediently.
“Yes, Father-in-law.”
Shen Lang knew his father-in-law had done it with good intentions, fearing the other students in the classroom would become jealous of him. The Count had admonished him out of concern that Shen Lang, drunk on his momentary victory, would become complacent and carry that arrogant attitude into everything he did.
*Sigh!* Even so, a father-in-law and his son-in-law are natural enemies! No matter how much the Count might like his son-in-law in his heart.