Lessons in the Countryside

[Living with Ai Lei has changed your living habits a bit]

[From time to time, Ailei would wake up from her sleep and then keep her eyes open until dawn]

[In the past, your daily task involved verifying intelligence across the nation, then personally eliminating certain individuals.]

[Now, far removed from the clutches of power, you find yourself with ample time to instruct the young girl.]

[Aile was akin to an untamed beast, utterly ignorant of worldly conventions, yet, thankfully, she learned with remarkable speed.]

[You taught her not to eat with her hands, but with utensils; however, she misunderstood, believing herself to be your personal utensil.]

[Nevertheless, these initial blunders gradually faded. Her quick learning prompted you to lavish her with praise.]

[Her wariness slowly receded, and your presence seemed to be weaving itself into the fabric of her life.]

[Soon, a month had passed.]

[Under your gentle care, Aile’s disposition began to subtly transform.]

[With your consistent attention, Aile grew increasingly docile.]

[When you approached her, she no longer raised her hands to shield her face.]

[Whenever you left her sight, a flicker of unease would cross her features.]

[However, you had almost forgotten.]

“How exactly am I supposed to cultivate this land?”

Mingqian, hoe in hand, gazed out at the endless fields stretching before him.

“Can anyone tell me how to plant these fields?”

It was utterly unbelievable; in games, farming merely involved clicking “build” or using a shovel to clear plants.

Who even played a farming game that wasn’t automated?

“This is too strange…”

“Why do I have to sow the land myself? It’s utterly peculiar.”

Naturally, he had no idea how to farm.

Passing villagers cast him peculiar glances.

“No, it’s fine. Chris left me three brocade pouches before she departed!”

Mingqian pulled the first brocade pouch from his pocket.

This pouch, shimmering with golden light, was his beacon of hope.

[Go die, you shitty master.]

“…”

‘Right, I’ll go back to the capital and give her a good beating.’

Mingqian sighed softly, about to put the note away, when the golden light emanating from it made him pause.

A magical image began to play in his mind.

Chris had thoughtfully prepared the essential points for cultivating almost all crops, which he would naturally grasp as he farmed.

It was, indeed, a brilliant scheme.

With a soft creak, Mingqian gently pushed open the door.

Aile sat idly on the edge of the bed, softly swinging her legs.

Upon seeing him enter, a flicker of joy danced in the girl’s eyes.

She hastily stood up.

“Wel—welcome back, Master.”

Mingqian offered a wry smile, stepping forward to pat the girl’s head.

“Aile, how many times have I told you, I am not your master.”

“But…” Aile fidgeted, standing awkwardly, unwilling to meet Mingqian’s gaze.

Since a certain day, Aile had stubbornly refused to call Mingqian by his name.

Perhaps it was a touch of girlish reserve, but for Mingqian, it was becoming rather troublesome.

Rural areas, in essence, were agrarian societies, and as the famous writer Zhou Shuren once said…

In any case, no gossip escaped the ears of these villagers. If they were to hear a young girl call him “Master,” his name would likely appear in the Imperial Police Chief’s office by the next day.

That wouldn’t be much of an issue; Chris would certainly handle a mere police chief for him. But what if the Princess herself were to hear of it…?

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

‘Just think of all those days and nights spent locked in the basement!’

‘No matter what, she absolutely must not learn of my whereabouts.’

Therefore, to change the girl’s form of address, he had to start early.

“Aile, you can call me Mingqian, you know.”

He smiled, extending his hand to the girl, but Aile evaded his touch this time, keeping her head down.

“…”

“Aile, come on, try saying it?”

Mingqian lowered himself, trying to meet the girl’s gaze at eye level.

‘They say little girls are just like cats; if you look at them gently, you’re sure to achieve a connection!’

“Ma—Master.”

The girl remained unresponsive to Mingqian’s words, stubbornly insisting on calling him ‘Master’.

She harbored no thoughts of becoming Mingqian’s family; she simply wanted to stay by his side. She knew clearly that she was merely a foundling.

If he were to find a girlfriend, she might be discarded as a burden.

She refused to be abandoned again.

Thus, she preferred to be Mingqian’s servant.

“Maid.”

“Master.”

She pointed to herself, then to Mingqian.

“Listen carefully, Aile, I am a farmer.”

“How can a farmer have a servant?”

“Farmer? What is a farmer?”

She tilted her head, and only then did Mingqian recall that while he had taught the girl daily life skills, she had received no formal education whatsoever.

She might not even know how to write the characters of this world.

“A farmer is someone who cultivates the land.”

“And what is cultivating the land?”

“…”

‘What was this, a conversation like Ma Dong Shenme Mei (TL Note: A reference to a popular Chinese comedy sketch where a character repeatedly forgets a name, symbolizing a frustratingly cyclical or nonsensical conversation)?’

Mingqian felt utterly unsuited to teaching others.

He decided that starting today, he would spend an hour each evening teaching the girl to read.

She was also of noble birth; illiteracy certainly wasn’t a virtue.

“Tonight, I’ll teach you to read, Aile.”

“To read!”

She smiled brightly, thinking that this way, she could be even more helpful to Mingqian.

‘It’s never wrong to learn more things,’ she had been taught by Mingqian.

‘Being helpful — being useful — not being abandoned.’

This chain of thought instantly formed in the girl’s mind.

“However, I have one condition.”

Mingqian settled her in front of the table, looking into her eyes.

Aile hesitated, then softly spoke:

“Wh-what?”

“When we’re outside, you must call me Teacher.”

“…”

She glanced cautiously at Mingqian’s eyes, then tentatively nodded.

More than her own feelings, Aile’s primary concern was always Mingqian’s attitude.

When she agreed to learn, Mingqian was always happy; when she occasionally threw a tantrum and refused, Mingqian would be deeply disappointed.

She was terrified of disappointing Mingqian, believing she would rather die than let him down.

This was a common habit of hers, always subconsciously observing whether Mingqian was angry or happy—a bad habit of Aile’s.

He resolved to teach Aile to pursue what she wanted, even if it meant becoming an obstacle to others.

At the very least, he couldn’t let her be bullied by others.

“Master… no, Teacher.”

“Please teach me to write. Aile will become very useful and be able to assist you.”

[And so, the girl’s lessons began.]

[You felt a deep sense of relief; her current life was far more peaceful than the one of constant struggle and bloodshed she might have otherwise led in the martial world.]

[Free from the machinations of power and the specter of revenge, time flowed gently through this quiet village.]

[You were astonished by the girl’s innate talent. Typically, learning a new language was an arduous process.]

[Yet, she mastered the language in a mere three months.]

[You often marveled, exclaiming that she truly was a ‘Female Xiao Yan’ (TL Note: A reference to Xiao Yan, a protagonist from a popular Chinese web novel known for his exceptional talent and rapid growth), learning as if she possessed a cheat code.]

[Aile began actively seeking out books from you to read.]

[There were only a few books brought from the capital. That day, you were preoccupied with farming, so Aile had to retrieve a book from your bedroom herself.]

When Mingqian returned home, he felt as though the sky was about to collapse.

“Teacher, is this also a textbook?”

Aile held a book he had specifically brought from the capital—”Heart-Pounding~ Swimsuit Big Sister’s…”—and calmly began to flip through it.

“This one is quite difficult.”

Aile furrowed her brows, still unable to comprehend what kind of book this truly was.

Mingqian snatched the book, tossing it into the hearth. He secretly vowed that from this day forward—he was quitting!

‘Look at you, being impulsive again.’

[In short, Aile was growing, slowly but steadily.]