The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

"Call the police?"

Wang Cuncun seemed to have his tongue burned by those two words.

His cheeks, which had been flushed red with extreme anger, turned a deep liver color due to indescribable shock.

His right hand, which had just been raised high as if to dial the city construction bureau's hotline to report the issue.

Suddenly, it loosened as if I'd been electrocuted.

The black smartphone fell to the ground covered in wood shavings with a "thud".

He didn't bother to pick it up, and didn't even glance at it.

Immediately afterwards, he gripped the hardcover notebook that he had been clutching tightly in his left hand.

He threw the pen, cap removed, into the nearby weeds as well.

Screw force-section analysis! Screw modern architectural physics common sense!

Compared to true, time-honored techniques, the formulas he had just proudly listed were nothing but a pile of waste paper.

Wang Cun's legs were shaking violently and uncontrollably.

Her knees buckled, and she was about to perform a full prostration for Lin Mo in this dilapidated courtyard filled with broken bricks.

He was the head of the Department of Ancient Architecture at Tsinghua University, a leading figure who enjoyed special government allowances.

At this moment, a fervent academic light burned in those eyes hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses.

That is the ultimate fervor of "If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

Lin Mo reacted quickly, taking a light half-step to the side.

They just happened to avoid the old man's overly solemn bow in the air.

"Uncle, you mustn't."

Lin Mo's voice remained calm and composed, showing neither smugness nor flattery.

It was as if this was just an ordinary street chat, rather than something that shattered the experts' worldview.

But in Wang Cunzun's eyes, this calm and composed demeanor was the epitome of a reclusive master.

"Master! No, Grandmaster!"

Wang Cunzhu lunged forward and grabbed Lin Mo's right hand, which was still covered in wood chips.

His hands were like a pair of rusty pliers, gripping tightly and refusing to let go.

My ten fingers turned slightly white from excessive force.

"I take back my ignorance! I was blind to your greatness!"

The old expert's voice trembled violently with excitement.

Saliva flew through the cold autumn wind, almost spraying onto Lin Mo's thin work pants.

"This 'hidden cross' mortise and tenon joint only exists in fragmentary documents from the Tang Dynasty!"

"I led my team of doctoral students and spent three whole years building a model using the school's supercomputer."

"We simply couldn't untangle that intricate internal stress knot!"

Wang Cunxin looked up at the huge old red pine beam that was steadily suspended in mid-air.

Tears of emotion welled up in the corners of his eyes.

"Those three blows you just delivered looked effortless, as if you hadn't exerted any extra force at all."

"Yet it perfectly channeled the terrifying stress from four directions into the inherent toughness and structure of the wood itself!"

"These three blows are worth a lifetime of hard work for me, Wang Zuncun, in the research institute!"

The elderly men from the alley who were watching outside the gate were all dumbfounded.

The midday sun shone on their shocked faces, and even the howling autumn wind in the alley seemed to quiet down.

The university professor who was just now shouting and demanding that the police arrest him.

How come you've suddenly become so humble and respectful of your ancestor?

Grandpa Zhao tilted the purple clay teapot in his hand, not even noticing the warm tea dripping onto his cotton shoes.

"What does this young man do? Has he really driven that professor crazy?"

In the courtyard, Wang Cunzhun didn't care at all about the shocked looks from the ordinary people outside.

Faced with the ultimate academic truth, personal face is nothing. He gripped Lin Mo's hand tightly, his face full of outrageous fawning and humility.

"Grandmaster, do you accept disciples?"

"Although I'm a bit older and my mind doesn't work as fast as a young person's, I have a solid foundation!"

"If you're willing to teach me this lost art, I'll pay your tuition! Any price will do!"

Lin Mo felt a chill run down his spine from the old man's fanatical, almost predatory gaze.

He frowned slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, he used a very subtle and precise force to pull his hand out of Wang Cuncun's iron clamp.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the back of his hand, which had been pinched by the old man and left several red marks.

He made no attempt to hide it as he wiped his hands on the white leg of his work pants.

That genuine sense of disgust was almost palpable.

"Uncle, I don't take on apprentices."

Lin Mo picked up the teacup, took a slow sip of warm water, and spoke crisply and decisively.

"I don't have the time or the leisure to teach people."

Wang Cunzhu was stunned for a moment, then quickly and shamelessly went along with it.

"Yes, yes, your intangible cultural heritage-level skills naturally cannot be easily passed on to outsiders."

"Then... how about I go and help you? I'll hand you the saw!"

Lin Mo put down his teacup and looked at this old, slick fellow, as sticky as taffy.

"Uncle, you might have misunderstood something."

He raised his long, slender finger and pointed to the ruins of the main house behind him, where the roof had not yet been repaired.

"I went through all this trouble to repair this dilapidated courtyard, not to hold any academic exhibition on the restoration of ancient buildings."

"I'm planning to open a restaurant."

"Therefore, this is not an architecture school, nor do I need apprentices in ancient architecture."

Upon hearing this, Wang Cunzhu froze on the spot.

The autumn wind blew across his slightly thinning hair, bringing a chilling sensation.

His eyes widened as if he had heard some earth-shattering fantasy.

"Open...open a restaurant?!"

The old expert's heart was bleeding terribly; it was even more heartbreaking than seeing a national treasure burned.

Using the highest architectural skills of the Tang Dynasty, which had been lost for thousands of years, and using these top-quality old red pines that cannot be bought on the market even with a lot of money, as beams and pillars.

He even went shirtless and personally brewed the purest traditional lacquer.

After going to such great lengths, they have created such a remarkable achievement that has shocked the academic community both at home and abroad.

As a result, the young man told him casually.

All this just to sell fried rice and noodles in this run-down house?!

What a waste!

This is nothing short of a degrading insult to the wisdom of our ancestors and a blatant waste of its precious resources!

Wang Cunchu clutched his chest, feeling his blood pressure spike again, as if he was about to have a heart attack.

But he took two deep breaths and forcefully suppressed the urge to accuse.

It's understandable that highly accomplished people might have eccentricities or unusual hobbies.

Since this kid wouldn't listen to either soft or hard tactics, he had no choice but to resort to the last resort of a scholar.

To cheat.

"It's fine if you don't teach it!"

Wang Cun decided to throw caution to the wind and walked directly to a clean half-plank of wood next to him.

He plopped down on his stomach, clutching his chest tightly with both hands.

They adopted an attitude of "I'm not afraid of boiling water, what can you do to me?"

"I'll just stay here and watch you fix it!"

"Don't worry, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut and won't disturb you while you work!"

"Even if you hit me with that saw today, I absolutely won't leave!"

A dignified department head at Tsinghua University, in order to steal knowledge from others, threw away even the last shred of scholarly dignity into the muddy alley.

Lin Mo looked at this shameless, persistent plague that he couldn't get rid of no matter what.

Helplessly, he gently rubbed his brow with his fingers, which were covered in wood chips.

These days, why do I always encounter people who don't play by the rules and like to pester others?

There was a young lady who climbed over the wall in the middle of the night and clung to a pillar, refusing to let go; and there was a middle-aged man sitting on a wooden plank, acting like a scoundrel and insisting on watching him repair the house.

Lin Mo turned his head slightly, his gaze casually sweeping over the yard full of weeds.

My gaze finally settled on a sheltered spot in the corner of the yard.

There was a huge old-fashioned bamboo basket there.

The basket was filled with a large bunch of Chinese cabbages, still covered in fresh soil.

This basket of unassuming cabbages was something he went through a lot of trouble to get back this morning.

Just as dawn broke, he went to the large vegetable market at the entrance of the alley to buy ingredients.

The vendors who usually greeted him with smiles and enthusiasm.

Today, however, they all avoided his gaze as if they had encountered some terrifying evil star.

Some stammered out excuses, saying the food had already been bought up by someone else.

Some simply turned around and went to sort the goods, pretending not to hear him.

In the bustling market, with dozens of stalls, not a single person was willing to sell him even a single head of garlic.

It's as if they both received an irresistible, top-level ban last night.

Lin Mo didn't think much of it at the time, and he had no idea that it was the impotent rage of his father-in-law, Jiang Jianguo, the richest man in the country.

This invisible network of commercial blacklisting is nothing more than a gentle breeze to this man who once stood at the pinnacle.

He just felt that the merchants in the capital today were acting strangely and inexplicably.

Finally, he simply strolled out of the market.

At a secluded intersection outside the alley.

The entire basket of cabbages was bought directly from an old farmer who had come from the suburbs on a dilapidated tricycle and was illegally setting up a stall.

The cabbage is of the highest quality, with a slightly yellow heart, and is crisp, tender, and juicy.

It was just pulled from the ground, and there's a lot of black mud around the roots, so it takes a bit of work to clean it.

Lin Mo looked at the basket of cabbages covered in mud.

He turned his head again and looked at Wang Cunzhu, who was sitting on the wooden board staring at him expectantly.

A rare glint of cunning flashed in his deep, calm black eyes.

Lin Mo put down the sandpaper he was using for polishing.

He picked up the dry towel draped over the broken armchair and casually wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead.

He raised his handsome eyebrows and walked confidently to Wang Cuncun.

Looking down at this academic giant who disregarded his reputation for the sake of scholarship.

"You can stay and watch if you wish."

Lin Mo's voice remained relaxed and slow, without any discernible emotional fluctuations.

Upon hearing that there was hope, Wang Cunzhen's eyes immediately lit up like two several-hundred-watt light bulbs.

I was so excited I almost jumped off the wooden board.

"However, I don't keep idle people here."

Lin Mo slowly extended a finger and pointed to the enormous basket in the corner.

As the autumn wind blew, a few drops of glistening morning dew still clung to the cabbage leaves.

"If you can, go and wash that basket of cabbages, separate each leaf, and wash off all the mud."

"Then take a knife and cut it into thin strips of even thickness."

He looked at Wang Cuncun's old face, which froze instantly, as if he were questioning his existence, and calmly stated his terms.

"If you do these jobs well, I'll provide you with lunch."

"Will you do it or not?"