Chapter 140 — Guan Xuewen, the Student
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
On the surface, Wei Zhao's answers seemed like nothing more than an exchange of views, a scholarly back-and-forth. He never stated the answers outright; more often he circled the question, touching on related matters from the side.
But Guan Xuewen knew clearly that Wei Zhao was guiding him — like a dedicated teacher patiently leading a student on, gently inspiring and instructing him, granting the student the freedom to think for himself and, in doing so, building up his confidence.
With Wei Zhao's prompting, Guan Xuewen quickly worked through the doubts that had troubled him before. What he arrived at through his own reasoning was, by its very nature, entirely different from having the answer simply handed to him.
So although nothing was said aloud, Guan Xuewen had already taken on the demeanor of a student, sitting there with grave respect, his words to Wei Zhao full of deference.
In time he even straightened his back, the very picture of a schoolboy. How many years had it been since Guan Xuewen had forgotten what it felt like to sit in a classroom? It had always been he who taught the students... Yet now he found himself naturally transported back to his own student days — the reverence for the teacher, the hunger for knowledge — and it felt like another lifetime.
"Knock, knock, knock" — the rapping at the door pulled Guan Xuewen back from his state of self-forgetfulness. Even so, toward Wei Zhao he now behaved entirely as one would toward a master.
"Mr. Lin, let me see who it is." Like a schoolboy, Guan Xuewen asked Wei Zhao's leave before going to the door.
Wei Zhao smiled wryly. They were back to that again. But he knew too that if he made Guan Xuewen call him Little Yi, the old man would never get past it in his heart.
The knocker was Yang Huaijun. He had waited outside, left and right, and the lunch hour had long since passed with still no sign of Wei Zhao and Guan Xuewen. He waited a while longer, then, fearing something had gone wrong, knocked to inquire.
"Grandpa Guan, it's well past lunchtime. You and Wei Zhao..." Yang Huaijun saw Guan Xuewen open the door and, judging by appearances, nothing was amiss; he let out a breath of relief.
"Oh? Past lunchtime already?" Guan Xuewen checked his watch — indeed, it was nearly one in the afternoon. He sighed inwardly at how fast the time had flown. He would have liked to go on consulting Wei Zhao, but he had been forgetting food and sleep, and Wei Zhao still had to eat. Besides, he had already taken up the whole morning; whether the young man had other business in the afternoon was anyone's guess. Guan Xuewen was too embarrassed to press further. "Then shall we go out and get something to eat?"
"Grandpa Guan, no patients this afternoon?" Yang Huaijun was rather surprised to hear this. Guan Xuewen had patients every day, though today, to wait for Wei Zhao, he had deliberately put off the whole morning's appointments. But it was nearly afternoon now — if they went out to eat, he would likely be pressed for time.
"Even so, I can't skip a meal," Guan Xuewen said. He had already taken up Wei Zhao's whole morning; if he didn't at least treat the young man to lunch, he would not feel right about it. But there were indeed patients coming that afternoon — Old Liu from yesterday had already arranged to come by.
"Ha, since you still have patients, Grandpa Guan, let's not eat now. Brother Jun and I will grab a bite somewhere ourselves." Wei Zhao had sensed Guan Xuewen's predicament and embarrassment, so he spoke up first. "I'll come mooch a meal another day — you won't turn me away, will you, Grandpa Guan?"
"Turn you away? Of course not!" Guan Xuewen was overjoyed to hear that Wei Zhao would come again, and he knew the young man had said it on purpose. "Next time, I'll have my granddaughter cook a few of her specialties. Little Yang has tried them — they're as good as any restaurant's."