Zhou Yulin’s voice carried a trace of deliberate maturity put on by a young man, but his trailing tone couldn’t hide that condescending scrutiny.

The gray-clad old servant behind him stood like an emotionless stone statue, his gaze sweeping indifferently across this shabby room. His eyes lingered on Su Ming and Zhao Rui for less than a breath before lowering again, as if looking any longer would be a waste.

Zhao Rui was already too frightened to make a sound. He instinctively shrank back, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

This was the Zhou family’s prized son, the County School Director’s only heir, someone all the scholars in Qingshi Town had to look up to.

Yet Su Ming merely gently closed the book in his hand, placed it by the table, then stood up and looked back at the other party without servility or arrogance.

“I am Su Ming.”

His voice was very calm, as if stating the most ordinary fact.

This composed attitude instead made the barrage of questions Zhou Yulin had prepared get stuck in his throat. He had anticipated the other might panic and lose composure, might flatter and fawn—he just hadn’t expected such straightforwardness.

“My father heard that you are here investigating the Way of Investigation of Things?” Zhou Yulin’s gaze finally fell on the three plain-looking clay pots in the corner.

Dirt, beans, hemp rope.

No matter how you looked at it, it reeked of country bumpkin poverty and nonsense.

If not for his father’s solemn admonishment, he would never have set foot in such a filthy place.

Lin Yu’s voice sounded leisurely in Su Ming’s mind, “Disciple, steady. Right now he’s here to verify, his heart is more uncertain than yours. Remember, you’re not planting beans, you’re expounding the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Bring out the energy you used reciting your script yesterday, your eyes should be ethereal, your speech pace slowed, make him feel every word you say contains profound meaning he can’t comprehend.”

Su-Actor-Ming took a deep breath, silently recited his master’s teachings in his heart, and a perfectly measured trace of indifference appeared on his face.

“I dare not claim such.” He shook his head slightly, pointing to the three clay pots. “I’m merely emulating the ancient sages, conducting some shallow examinations.”

“Examinations?” Zhou Yulin frowned. He’d heard this term from his father, but coming from a country youth’s mouth, it felt somewhat strange.

“Exactly.” Su Ming stepped forward, slowly walking to the clay pots. Seeing this, Zhao Rui hurriedly followed, like a nervous attendant.

“Young Master Zhou, please look.” Su Ming pointed to the leftmost pot. “This pot, I call it the ‘Natural Way Group.’ Planted with beans, watered daily only according to the four seasons’ rhythms, normal watering, left to grow without any human interference. This is following heaven’s way, observing its natural state.”

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, carrying a peculiar rhythmic quality.

Zhou Yulin’s gaze slowly shifted from initial contempt to focused attention.

Su Ming then pointed to the middle pot using hemp rope to draw water: “This pot, I call it the ‘External Intervention Group.’ Using hemp rope to draw water, emulating the ancients’ ‘siphon method,’ keeping the root soil constantly moist. This is human intervention, observing the variables.”

Finally, his finger landed on the rightmost pot that looked dry and withered.

“And this pot, I call it the ‘Adversity Survival Group.’ After planting, no water is given for three days, observing whether it has any survival strategies in desperate circumstances.”

The courtyard fell extremely quiet for a moment, only the rustle of wind through the old locust tree leaves.

Zhao Rui’s mouth hung open. Yesterday he thought Su Ming was crazy, but today hearing this “group by group” explanation, though he still didn’t understand, for some reason it felt… really impressive.

Zhou Yulin was completely stunned.

Heaven’s Way, human effort, adversity.

Following heaven, variables, strategies.

He understood all these terms—they were in the sage’s books. But he’d never imagined these profound concepts could be so intuitively presented using three shabby clay pots and a few beans.

Was this… this was what his father called “the great Way is supremely simple”?

The Investigation of Things essays he’d been struggling with always tried to start from grand themes like wind, rain, thunder, lightning, celestial trajectories, but always felt hollow and hard to put into words.

Yet this shabbily dressed youth before him had dug out a whole new world from the humblest dirt and seeds beneath his feet.

“You… why are you doing this?” Zhou Yulin’s voice unconsciously carried a tremor.

“The Great Learning says: The extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things. When things are investigated, knowledge is extended.” Su Ming raised his head, looking at him with clear eyes. “I am dull-witted, unable to comprehend the great principles of heaven, earth, wind, and thunder, so I can only observe the growth of each plant and tree, the changes of flourishing and withering, to glimpse a trace of the ‘principle’ behind all things.”

“How a bean breaks through soil is principle. Why a leaf faces the sun is principle. How a root seeks water is also principle. The convergence of these myriad minute principles might help us… gaze upon the great Way.”

These words exploded like thunder in Zhou Yulin’s mind!

He stood rigidly in place, his face alternating between pale and flushed, his eyes full of shock and shame.

Yes!

Principle exists within all things!

Why had he always abandoned the near for the distant, aiming too high, yet failing to see the reality beneath his feet?

His father was right to scold him—all those books he’d read had gone to the dogs!

“Masterful! Truly masterful!” Lin Yu cheered excitedly in Su Ming’s mind. “Disciple, not bad! This performance, master gives you full marks! Look at that kid, his soul is practically hooked! This is called dimensional reduction strike! Using our simple materialist worldview to strike his vague idealist metaphysics!”

Su Ming remained expressionless on the surface, but thought inwardly: “Master, isn’t this called deception?”

“Nonsense!” Lin Yu declared righteously. “How can matters of scholars be called deception? This is ‘conceptual reshaping’ and ‘intellectual enlightenment’! We are helping a lost lamb find the correct scientific research method!”

Zhou Yulin took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He stepped forward and actually bowed solemnly to Su Ming.

“Brother Su, Yulin has been enlightened.”

This address of “Brother Su” made Zhao Rui’s eyes nearly pop out.

Su Ming calmly accepted this bow, sidestepping half a step to avoid facing it directly, and returned the courtesy: “Young Master Zhou flatters me. I am merely picking up others’ crumbs, engaging in armchair strategy.”

“No, this is not armchair strategy!” Zhou Yulin’s eyes became fervent. “Brother Su’s method strikes directly at the core! Yulin… Yulin wants to know, what results will these three examinations yield later?”

He wanted to know too much!

He seemed to see a shocking Investigation of Things essay slowly sprouting within these three ugly clay pots.

The opportunity had arrived.

Su Ming’s heart stirred, but a trace of difficulty and regret appeared on his face.

“To be honest, my companion and I are only staying here temporarily, waiting for County School registration. Counting the days, we can linger here at most five or six more days before leaving this place.”

He sighed, his gaze sweeping over the three clay pots.

“Plant growth is not the work of a single morning. To observe the entire process and see the final results, I’m afraid… I won’t have that opportunity.”

As these words came out, the fervor on Zhou Yulin’s face instantly froze, turning into extreme disappointment and anxiety.

What?

He’d just seen a glimmer of dawn, and the guide was about to leave?

This couldn’t be!

“Master, the timing is about right.” Su Ming said inwardly.

“Mm, perfectly measured.” Lin Yu lazily affirmed. “Disciple, remember master’s words. Giving someone a fish is not as good as teaching them to fish. But sometimes, just showing them how to use the fishing rod without giving them bait works better. We don’t know this Zhou Wenhai’s character—what if he’s narrow-minded? If you hand over everything, he gets the benefits, then turns around and cuts off you, the ‘source’—wouldn’t that be unjust?”

“Adding legs to a snake is a major taboo. We just need him to know you have something, and it’s good stuff—that’s enough. Let him itch for it himself, come begging himself, then we can take the initiative.”

Su-Deep Strategist-Ming deeply agreed.

Looking at Zhou Yulin’s anxious face, he said sincerely: “Actually, this method is quite crude. If Young Master Zhou is interested, you could easily try it yourself. The Way of Investigation of Things values personal practice, not hearsay. What I can see, if you apply yourself, you can certainly see too. You might even see deeper ‘principles’ that I cannot see.”

These words were both modest, flattered the other, and kicked the “ball” back.

Hearing this, Zhou Yulin’s anxiety slightly eased, replaced by a strong impulse.

Right!

Why can’t I do it myself?

If Brother Su can think of it, can’t I, Zhou Yulin, think of it too?

Looking into Su Ming’s clear, candid eyes, the last trace of doubt and arrogance in his heart dissipated.

This person had broad-minded integrity and extraordinary insight—definitely not someone chasing fame and reputation.

“Brother Su’s words are deafening.” Zhou Yulin bowed again. “Today’s guidance, Yulin will remember in my heart. When I return and report to my father, I will certainly visit again.”

After speaking, he took another deep look at the three clay pots, as if wanting to carve their images into his heart, then turned and quickly left with the gray-clad old servant who hadn’t spoken a single word from start to finish.

Only when their figures disappeared beyond the courtyard gate did Zhao Rui, like a deflated ball, suddenly collapse sitting on the ground.

“Oh my mother…” he gasped, looking at Su Ming as if seeing a monster. “Su Ming… you… what kind of person are you? You actually… convinced the Zhou family’s eldest young master?”

“I said nothing,” Su-Mystic-Ming calmly walked back to the table, picking up the “Essential Farming Techniques” book again, saying lightly, “I was merely discussing scholarship with him.”

“Discussing scholarship…” Zhao Rui murmured to himself, feeling his worldview had suffered a violent impact.

So, studying could be done like this?

So, gift-giving could be done like this?

Looking at the remaining hundred-plus copper coins on the table, then at the three clay pots in the corner that cost only a few coins, he felt for the first time that Su Ming, this companion, was truly unfathomable.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep