New ink fragrance in old times

The sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves, dappling onto the spacious courtyard of the Lin family, adding a bit of liveliness and vitality to this quiet afternoon.

The breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness, but it could not blow away the quietly pervasive tense atmosphere.

It was lunchtime, and the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, like an invisible hook, whetting everyone's appetite.

However, surrounded by this alluring aroma, Lin Mo, Lin Sizhe and Tang Qing in the center of the courtyard had solemn expressions, standing still like three stone sculptures.

Beside them, Lin Xuebao was announcing their punishment in an unquestionable manner.

"You three failed to complete the recitation task on time. According to our previous agreement, you will not have lunch today."

Lin Xuebao's words were calm and powerful, and every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of the three people, making their faces even gloomier.

Is it true?

An indescribable regret suddenly surged in Lin Mo's heart.

He originally thought that Lin Xuebao was just saying empty words to motivate them, just like last time, but he didn't expect that he would be so strict this time and really didn't let them eat.

His stomach began to rumble slightly, forming a stark contrast to the tempting aroma of food around him, making him even more embarrassed.

Lin Sizhe secretly glanced at his mother Shen Xin who was standing not far away.

Shen Xin's eyes were full of heartache and helplessness. He clenched his hands and moved his lips slightly. He obviously wanted to step forward and beg for mercy, but he did not dare to act rashly because of Lin Xuebao's majesty.

In fact, this is just Lin Sizhe’s own imagination.

Shen Xin saw that Lin Sizhe had not been memorizing his lessons properly the whole morning. Although he was angry, he still resisted the urge to beat him. He just hoped that he could learn a lesson from this punishment.

Just then, a light breeze blew by, bringing the aroma of food from the distant kitchen, making the three boys' stomachs protest even more fiercely.

Lin Sizhe looked at Lin Xuebo, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. He couldn't help but promise, "Uncle, I will definitely memorize it well and never be lazy again."

Lin Xuebo looked at Lin Sixuan, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, but his tone remained firm: "I'll save your food this time. You can eat when you finish reciting. If this happens again next time, I won't save any food for you."

Tang Qing also quickly agreed: "I understand, little uncle, we will definitely study hard and never make the same mistake again."

Lin Xuebo nodded, said nothing more, and went back into the house to eat. His back looked particularly tall in the afterglow of the setting sun, making it difficult to look directly at him.

Inside the house, Han Suniang spoke first: "Third brother, the children are still young, and it is inevitable that they will be careless occasionally. Look at this lunch..."

Inside the house, Han Suniang looked at Lin Xuebo and finally couldn't help but speak: "Third brother, the children are still young, and it's inevitable that they will be careless occasionally. Look at this lunch..."

Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Lin Xuebao shaking his head gently.

"Second sister-in-law, rules are rules."

Lin Xuebo's eyes were firm. "If we let them go this time, what about next time? Will they remember this lesson? We can't indulge them just because we feel sorry for them. This will only hurt them."

Lin Xiya was listening on the side, looking anxious. Just as she was about to plead for Tang Qing, Shen Xin gently pulled her sleeve.

Shen Xin said softly, "Third brother, you have a point. Let's teach them a lesson this time. I believe they can learn a lot from this experience."

Han Suniang looked at Shen Xin and Lin Xuebo, and finally nodded: "Okay, Third Brother, we will do as you say."

At this time, Lin Wenhong slowly said to the others in the room, "Listen carefully, anyone who doesn't study hard will end up like you three brothers, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Sinan, Lin Siheng, and Tang Shan quickly nodded and said, "I understand."

A hint of fear flashed in their eyes.

Lin Sixuan and Lin Siyuan did not interrupt. They each lowered their heads, seemingly thinking about their own things.

After dinner, the atmosphere in the courtyard grew a bit solemn. Lin Sixuan stood before the three of them and said, "Sanlang, Silang, and cousin, although this article is difficult, I believe you can overcome it."

After saying this, he gave a firm look and then turned back to the house, leaving the three of them looking at each other in confusion in the courtyard.

Lin Siyuan did not leave immediately. He slowly walked to Lin Mo's side, his eyes full of encouragement and trust.

"Don't worry, Sanlang. I'm here. We can definitely memorize it together."

Lin Mo looked at Lin Siyuan gratefully, and said with a slightly trembling voice: "Thank you, brother. With you around, I have confidence."

But Lin Mo knew in his heart that he couldn't show it too much. While pretending to concentrate on reciting, he secretly observed Tang Qing and Lin Sizhe beside him.

Tang Qing frowned and muttered something, but it was obvious that he was not reciting it smoothly and would pause from time to time.

Lin Sizhe seemed a little anxious. He kept pacing back and forth, muttering to himself, and seemed unable to recite even a complete sentence. He was in a state of anxiety.

You two are usually pretty good at memorizing, so why are you so disappointing today? Are you making a fuss?

Lin Siyuan seemed to notice Lin Mo's abnormality. He patted Lin Mo's shoulder gently and asked with concern: "Sanlang, are you hungry? Don't worry, we can eat together after you finish reciting."

Lin Mo forced a smile and said, "It's okay, brother, I'm not hungry."

Lin Siyuan nodded and said firmly, "Okay, let's get started. You recite the first part first."

Lin Mo took a deep breath and began to recite. He tried hard to recall the contents of the book, reciting them word for word. The first paragraph went smoothly, without any obvious mistakes.

After hearing this, Lin Siyuan nodded with satisfaction and said, "Not bad, Sanlang, you recited it very well. Continue reciting."

Lin Mo nodded, stuttering a little as he recited.

Lin Siyuan encouraged him, "You did quite well in reciting the first two parts. Now, let's recite the rest. I believe you can do it."

Lin Mo took another deep breath and began to recite the rest of the content.

However, he only memorized five or six sentences before pretending that he didn't know them.

I can't distance myself from them too much, or it will arouse suspicion.

So, when Lin Mo was reciting the key part, he paused deliberately, frowned slightly, as if he had encountered some difficulties.

He turned to look at Lin Siyuan, with a hint of help and uncertainty in his eyes, and said slowly:

"Brother, I can't remember what happened next. Can you tell me more?"

Lin Siyuan: "Sanlang, don't be anxious. This matter cannot be rushed. We need to take our time."

Lin Mo nodded gratefully: "Thank you, second brother."