Chapter 770: Seven Senior Brother

Zu'an initially worried about trouble and thought of giving a false name to mislead the man. However, he remembered Mi Li's advice about building a reputation, and how he had recently found his own path, feeling like he could conquer anything and become the strongest man in the world. Hiding and being evasive simply didn't align with his true nature. So, he smiled and said, "You are too kind, I am Zu'an."

As the Grand Tutor's direct disciple, Yin Shi held an extraordinary position in the Imperial Academy. In a previous life, he would have been at least a professor, even a doctoral supervisor, at prestigious universities like Tsinghua or Peking University. It was always a good idea to build a good relationship with someone like him.

"Zu'an, why does that name sound so familiar?" Yin Shi murmured to himself, then his eyes lit up. "Could it be the great hero Zu, who obtained the method of immortality and presented it to the Emperor, thwarted the schemes of various factions, and repeatedly performed remarkable deeds in the Eastern Palace?"

Zu'an was speechless.

He suddenly found himself liking this place. The people here were kind and spoke so nicely. The School of Names truly lived up to its reputation; their flattery made even someone as thick-skinned as him blush a little.

The students who had been listening intently suddenly realized:

"So he's Miss Chu's husband!"

"He looks quite decent. No wonder Miss Chu likes him."

"Really? I think he looks quite ordinary."

"I can't believe even the academy's renowned beautiful teacher is with him now. Why don't I have such good fortune?"

...

By this time, Zu'an had already replied, "Brother Yin, you flatter me. What I did was not worth mentioning."

"Handsome and humble, no wonder Eighth Senior Sister is fond of you." Yin Shi cupped his hands. "I'm eager to go and contemplate the inspiration my teacher just gave me, so I won't chat any longer. I'll seek your advice next time."

With that, he transformed into a ball again and rolled along the shaded path out of sight. Pu Guochang and the other disciples quickly chased after him, calling, "Teacher, Teacher, wait for me!"

Jiang Luofu took the opportunity to lead Zu'an away. Once they were clear of the gawking students, she suddenly hesitated.

Zu'an chuckled wryly. "What does the beautiful Principal want to say? This isn't like you."

Jiang Luofu then said, "Don't take what Yin Shi and those students said to heart. My feelings for you are not romantic, but those of a friend."

Zu'an looked disappointed. "Oh, you're breaking my heart by saying that. I thought you at least had a tiny bit of affection for me."

Jiang Luofu explained, "I do have a good impression of you, but not in a romantic way..."

"I understand," Zu'an interrupted her. "We have a pure relationship between a man and a woman."

Jiang Luofu blinked, feeling that there was something not quite right with that statement, but she couldn't pinpoint it at the moment.

However, she was more curious about something else: "What was that 'quantum' thing you mentioned, and 'Be-...something'? How did you manage to impress Yin Shi so much with it?"

"I don't know either. I was just rambling nonsense; who knew that guy would actually believe it?" Zu'an thought to himself. He had learned Bayes' theorem in school, but he'd mostly forgotten it. As for quantum mechanics, he'd only read some amateur science articles online when he was a keyboard warrior, looking up information during arguments with netizens.

If he really understood quantum mechanics, why would he be just a keyboard warrior?

Jiang Luofu was speechless.

She had considered countless possibilities, but never this outcome.

Finally, she said, between laughter and tears, "If that fatso knew you'd completely fooled him, he'd probably buy a block of tofu and smash his head against it to die."

Zu'an shyly said, "Sister, you won't betray me, will you?"

Since she was no longer the Principal, calling her "beautiful Principal" wasn't very appropriate, so he naturally changed how he addressed her.

Jiang Luofu, however, quite liked being called "Sister." "Don't worry," she said. "Every time that fatso bothers me, I get such a headache. I'd rather be as far away from him as possible, so why would I tell him?"

Zu'an chuckled. "There you go then."

As they walked, Zu'an suddenly let out a surprised sound. For a moment, he wondered if he had been tricked by Jasri again and walked into some illusion.

The tranquil campus environment, with its lush green lawns and ancient towering trees, was gone. In its place was a vast field of vibrant green crops: wheat seedlings, rice shoots, and various fruits and vegetables. Many people dressed as farmers were swinging hoes, working in the fields, as if they had arrived at a large farm.

"What's going on?" Zu'an asked, turning to look at Jiang Luofu incredulously.

Jiang Luofu smiled faintly, then walked straight towards the largest rice field ahead. She bowed respectfully to an old man wearing a gray-white short jacket, with dark skin and a forehead full of wrinkles like countless earthworms. "Seventh Senior Brother!"

"Seventh Senior Brother?" Zu'an was dumbfounded. This man, who looked like the most ordinary, seasoned farmer, constantly working the land, turned out to be Jiang Luofu's senior brother and a direct disciple of the Grand Tutor.

Thinking of the argumentative Yin Shi, Zu'an briefly questioned the Grand Tutor's taste in disciples. What kind of students did he take on? Comparatively, Jiang Luofu seemed more normal.

"Oh, it's Eighth Junior Sister." The old farmer propped his hoe aside, wiped the sweat from his face with the cloth draped over his shoulder, and revealed a simple, honest smile.

"Seventh Senior Brother, are you researching new crops again?" Jiang Luofu asked curiously, observing the vibrant green plants in the nearby field. "Are those leeks?"

Zu'an's eyes widened. For a moment, he questioned everything. Were *those* leeks?

The old farmer sighed softly. "Those are wheat seedlings..."

"Ah?" Jiang Luofu's face turned beet red with embarrassment. For a moment, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

After all, she was a young lady from an aristocratic family, and her usual work was far removed from such matters, so she couldn't really distinguish these plants.

The old farmer smiled. "Eighth Junior Sister, don't worry about it. It's quite normal for you not to recognize these."

The blush on Jiang Luofu's face slowly faded, and she pretended to be calm, asking, "What was Seventh Senior Brother just researching?"

Zu'an was somewhat surprised. She clearly didn't know much about farming, yet she chatted enthusiastically with the old man, a stark contrast to her attitude towards Yin Shi earlier.

At this point, the old farmer pointed to the lush green seedlings not far away and replied, "Wheat cultivation consumes a lot of soil fertility. Often, after one season, the land needs to rest for one to two years. This efficiency is too low, and frequent irrigation can easily lead to soil salinization. So, I've been looking for alternatives. Later, I discovered that rice doesn't require fallow periods; in suitable areas, it can even be harvested two to three times a year."

Jiang Luofu smiled. "That's good news! Why do you look so worried, Seventh Senior Brother?"

The old farmer sighed. "There's no such thing as a perfect solution. I soon found that rice also has its disadvantages. In recent years, the Great Zhou Dynasty has enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the population has surged. The per-unit yield of rice is nearing its limit. If we don't find a solution soon, within twenty years, the current rice production in the Great Zhou Dynasty won't keep pace with population growth, and a major famine will surely occur."

Zu'an, who had been casually looking around, felt a surge of admiration as he listened.

At that moment, he also understood why Jiang Luofu treated this old farmer so differently from Yin Shi.

Yin Shi's brand of philosophical debate, while popular among the aristocracy, offered no benefit to the common people. In contrast, this old farmer was thinking entirely about practical matters concerning the nation's welfare and the people's livelihoods.

In any world, those who genuinely care for the well-being of the common people deserve respect.

Then the old farmer said, "Furthermore, rice has another problem: it's too susceptible to disease. A slight mishap can lead to total crop failure, leaving entire fields with no yield, and the people's year-long hard work comes to nothing."

Jiang Luofu's delicate brows furrowed as she listened. She wanted to offer comfort, but unfortunately, expertise was specialized; she truly didn't understand this field and had no way to console him.

Just then, a voice came from nearby: "Then why not try hybrid rice?"