CH 59

Chapter 59 – Gratified

Man Bao took Bai Shanbao’s hand and ran all the way to Si Lang’s wasteland.

Da Tou and the Bai family’s servant who suddenly popped up followed closely behind.

Madam Liu had instructed her servant that if Bai Shanbao was playing with Man Bao, the servant should just let him be and take him home only when it’s time for the evening meal.

However, if he was fooling around with other students, the servant must take him home immediately.  As such, at this point, the servant just followed their young master and let him be.

Si Lang, Er Tou and Da Ya were resting. They were crouching on the ground and nibbling on thin sweet sticks. 

When Si Lang saw Da Tou leading Man Bao and a fat kid over, he reluctantly snapped off a few sections of the sweet stick in his hand and gave them to the kids.

Bai Shanbao had never seen this type of snack before and had no idea how to eat it.

Man Bao, however, has eaten it. This is one of the few snacks that her family will bring back to her from the fields. She taught Bai Shanbao how to eat it and said, “These can be boiled into sugar.”

Before Bai Shanbao could say anything, Si Lang expressed his doubts, “I’ve never heard that sweet sticks can be made into sugar.”

“Of course,” Keke told her previously. Since she was on the right track, she said “Wheat can be turned into sugar, why can’t we do the same with the sweet sticks?”

Most of the sugar they bought from the market was made from wheat, which Keke said was called maltose.

Since Si Lang was suppressed, he replied, “Fine, how would you do this?”

How would Man Bao know?

She asked Keke.

The system asked, “Does the host want to search for sugar-boiling technology?”

Man Bao answered “Yes”, and a string of data was generated inside the system, and Keke asked excitedly, “It costs 100 points. Is the host positive that you want to do a search?”

Man Bao blinked, “Why does it require points?”

Keke lowered his voice and said, “This is categorised as technical knowledge. The sweet sticks the host have entered currently only have the most basic introduction in the system, and the description of sugar-boiling technique is not comprehensive.

“So, if you want to make sugar, other than conducting your own research, you can only purchase this technology from the Encyclopaedia through the system.”

He paused and added, “After you run a search for this technology, the technical content will permanently exist in the system, and you can view it at any time.”

His subtext was – you shouldn’t lose to your brother.

However, Man Bao was a child who wouldn’t even spare a few points for a bag of sweets. Would she spend 100 points to purchase sugar-boiling technology?

So, Man Bao declined and then, pulled up the entries for the sweet sticks. Everything she included would be researched later and uploaded into the system, so she could click on them and view them for free.

The sweet sticks have been in the system for a long time, but the entries were very short, with only a description of the plant’s history, the area it was grown, and an introduction about how it could be turned into sugar, wine and so on.

Man Bao scratched her head and said to Si Lang, “Boiling sugar should be similar to boiling soup, just chop it up and cook it in water. Why don’t you ask those who turn wheat into sugar? It’s probably the same way.”

“That’s trade secret, why would they tell me?”

Man Bao just airily said, “Well, just try experimenting. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The sweet sticks don’t cost money, so just try whatever ideas you have.”

Si Lang was rendered speechless.

However, Bai Shanbao was thoughtful, “Didn’t Mr Zhuang said there is a lot of knowledge in the books? Perhaps the books would have the sugar-boiling methods?”

Man Bao, “I don’t have any books in my house.”

“I do,” Bai Shanbao replied, “There are many, many books in my house!”

Man Bao’s eyes lit up, “Really? Can I see them?”

“Yes, come home with me after school tomorrow. I’ll take you to check them out.” Bai Shanbao explained that when they left their previous home, they didn’t take many things, but they brought carriages of books.

His grandmother said the books are their family’s treasures and whether he could make a name for himself in the future depend on these treasures.

Bai Shanbao actually had another thought which he didn’t share with Man Bao. He felt there were just too many books, and the thought of his grandmother asking him to read all these books petrified him, so he wanted to give a few of the books to Man Bao.

Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea. In the future, when he makes new friends, he will also give them a book each, so that he would have one less book to read!

The little boy’s lightbulb moment came from looking at how Si Lang who had less sweet stick to eat after sharing the stick with the kids.

If Madam Liu and Mr Zhuang knew how fast Shanbao learnt by analogy, they would probably die of anger.

But at this moment, the adults had no clue. Man Bao felt Bai Shanbao was indeed a good boy. Not only does he play with her, he was also willing to show her, his books. In fact, he was whispering into her ear that he would give her books!

Man Bao was so touched that she saw Bai Shanbao looking at the mountain yearningly, she volunteered to take him up the mountain.

Since Man Bao wants to go up the mountain, Da Tou must follow to protect them. The excited Er Tou and Da Ya also wanted to join them.

So, Man Bao took away all of Si Lang’s helpers.

Si Lang was so incensed that he shouted, “Are you here to help? Is this considered helping?”

However, the group of children, who could only see the wildflowers and grasses on the mountain, could no longer hear him. They ran after each other, shouting and screaming.

The Bai family’s servant followed silently. He felt that he would have to report to Madam Liu that the young master should be given an older book boy so that the book boy would have the energy to run around after the young master.

The mountain is not big. What’s vast is the forest that stretches down behind it. This mountain mostly comprised low shrubs, weeds and so on. Since the villagers cut their grass from the mountain, there were barely any wild animals here, and so, the adults felt it was fine to allow the kids to muck around the mountain.

The reality is that the so-called mountain is just a hill.

When they rushed up to the top of the hill, the children were just too tired. They simply sat on the ground and panted. After catching their breath, they stood up, looked down and saw smoke rising from the village not far away. Bai Shanbao couldn’t help but shouted, ” “Ahhhhhhh”.

He startled Man Bao, who was standing beside him. But when she saw how much fun he was having, she shouted along.

Da Tou and everyone joined in, and soon, the hills and fields were filled with their shouts so much so that the servants thought they were going deaf.

Keke watched with interest and pointed out to Man Bao, “Cup your hands around your mouth and shout, then the sound will be louder.”

Man Bao covered both sides of her face with her hands and asked, “Like this?”

“Cup around your mouth……”

With Keke’s guidance, Man Bao finally got the hang of it, so she yelled again, after which she asked Bai Shanbao who standing beside her, “Do you think I’m louder?”

Bai Shanbao thought she wanted to compete with him, so he copied the hand cupping, shouted, and then said, “I’m louder.”

That set Man Bao off and the two kids started arguing. The servant was afraid that they would fight again, so he quickly pointed to a bunch of flowers nearby, “Young master, don’t you think these flowers are pretty?”

Man Bao glanced at the flowers and immediately said, “I know these flowers. Why don’t I make a wreath for you? It will look great on your head.”

Success! Their attention was diverted. The two kids ran over to pull out the flowers, more flowers, and the grass, and soon, they squatted down to make wreaths.

Although Man Bao’s handicraft was rather poor, the wreath she made looked much better than Bai Shanbao’s, so she gave him her own wreath and placed it on his head.

She also reluctantly accepted the wreath Bai Shanbao gave her. Although it was very ugly, to give him face, Man Bao insisted on wearing it home.

Bai Shanbao also went home to see his grandmother and mother with a wreath on his head.

When Madam Liu and Zheng saw Bai Shanbao, they were both amused and exasperated. But when they saw how happy he was, they were gratified.