Yang Ershun puffed out his cheeks and stuffed another mouthful of vegetables into his mouth.
"Sister..." he looked towards Jiang Xiaoxiao again, his eyes filled with admiration, "Aren't you very powerful?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "Hm? What do you mean by that?"
Yang Ershun said casually, "One night, I saw a lot of people come to Xie Xun's home, but not a single one came back, so I guessed that Sister Jiang must have taken care of them."
Jiang Xiaoxiao was taken aback, "What people?"
Apart from Dean Gu and Chen Sixi, she didn't remember anyone else coming to her home.
Yang Ershun said, "Lots of them, young and old. Oh, and there was a child who seemed to be an idiot, eating candles instead of food."
Jiang Xiaoxiao instantly realized that Yang Ershun was talking about the group of ghosts that had come to seek her help for exorcism a few days ago.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was, how could Yang Ershun see them?
After all, not everyone was like Xie Xun and possessed the ability to see ghosts and spirits.
Yang Ershun didn't notice Jiang Xiaoxiao's expression and became increasingly indignant as he thought about it.
"I told my dad that I saw a little idiot eating candles, and he didn't even ask any questions, he just beat me up. My butt still hurts now, I need to eat more meat to recover."
"Apart from that night, have you seen any other strange people?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked again.
Yang Ershun thought carefully, "I think I have."
"Where?"
"When Xie Xun rescued that old man last year."
Yang Ershun looked disgusted, "There was a very beautiful sister, lying on the old man's back, I don't know what she was thinking, she had her own hands and feet but still let the old man carry her."
It seemed he was talking about the time when Xie Xun saved Dean Gu.
Xie Xun had said that Yang Ershun saw it at that time.
He meant that Yang Ershun saw him save Dean Gu.
Xie Xun probably didn't know that Yang Ershun could also see ghosts.
It's just that this little kid didn't realize that what he saw wasn't a person, but a ghost.
"Sister, you're so powerful, can I follow you and learn your skills?" Yang Ershun finished eating and drinking, and rolled up his sleeves to wipe his mouth.
Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, "Why do you want to learn skills?"
Yang Ershun said, "My dad beats me all the time, and if I learn some skills, then if he beats me again, I can beat him back!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "...Then you should ask your dad first."
"That won't work! If I ask him, won't that give it away? He'll definitely beat me again!"
As they were talking, Chen Sixi, who had been slumped over the table sleeping, finally woke up.
He opened his eyes to see Jiang Xiaoxiao and an unfamiliar little brat sitting across from him, and looked around, "How did I suddenly fall asleep? Where's Xie Xun?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said gloomily, "With such a poor alcohol tolerance, you shouldn't drink anymore."
"Something's not right here!"
Chen Sixi rubbed his forehead. He had always been able to hold his liquor quite well, he shouldn't have passed out after just one bowl, right?
If he couldn't even out-drink Xie Xun, how would he survive in this town?
Thinking of this, Chen Sixi asked again, "Where's Xie Xun?"
"Taking an afternoon nap in his room." Jiang Xiaoxiao pointed at the table, "You don't need to look for him, just wash the bowls and you can leave."
...
In the end, Chen Sixi was assigned to wash the bowls and chopsticks together with Yang Ershun.
In the kitchen.
Chen Sixi glanced at Yang Ershun beside him, "You little brat, how did you end up at Xie Xun's place, trying to mooch food?"
Yang Ershun snorted, "I came to do whatever you came to do."
"Well, well! You're young but you've got quite the temper!"
Yang Ershun shot back, "You're old but I don't see your temper being any better."
Chen Sixi glared at him, "You dare talk back? You little brat, do you want me to smack your butt?"
Yang Ershun wasn't afraid of him, "If you dare hit me, I'll have my sister hit you."
"Your sister?" Chen Sixi was taken aback.
"Jiang Xiaoxiao will be my sister from now on," Yang Ershun said. "I just acknowledged her as family."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sixi burst out laughing.
"Your sister? She's a great master, how could she be related to you? Do you think she'd acknowledge someone like you?"
Yang Ershun looked at him, ground his teeth, and after a moment, he began to wail loudly.
Jiang Xiaoxiao heard the commotion and came in, "What's going on?"
Yang Ershun wiped away his tears as he cried, "Sister, this man hit me."
Chen Sixi: "...I didn't, Master, please let me explain."
This little brat was good at making false accusations!
However, before he could finish his explanation, Jiang Xiaoxiao grabbed him and threw him out.
Yang Ershun ran out, stuck his tongue out at the battered and bruised Chen Sixi.
Chen Sixi cursed, "You little brat, just you wait, I'll get you back for this sooner or later!"
After Chen Sixi left, Yang Ershun returned and obediently washed the bowls. Afterwards, he tugged at Jiang Xiaoxiao's sleeve, "Sister, sister, you still haven't agreed!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao pried his chubby little hand off her sleeve, "I don't take apprentices."
"I won't be your apprentice," Yang Ershun said. "I'll be your brother, and you'll be my sister."
Jiang Xiaoxiao said again, "I'll be leaving soon anyway."
As Dean Gu had said, Xie Xun would be able to enter the capital this year.
Luming Academy would be accepting new students next month, so it seemed the time was drawing near.
"Leaving?" Yang Ershun looked puzzled, "Where to?"
"A very distant place."
"Then I'll go with you!" Yang Ershun puffed out his chest, "It'll be great, if I leave then my old man won't be able to beat me anymore."
Jiang Xiaoxiao grabbed the back of his collar and easily lifted him to throw him out of the courtyard, "Go tell your dad these words, and if he doesn't get mad, then come find me again."
Yang Ershun cried out as he walked home, realizing he had been rejected.
Xie Xun slept through till nightfall, and when he woke up, lanterns had already been lit in the room.
Xie Xun sat up and rubbed his temples.
He pushed open the door, and the moon had already risen. Jiang Xiaoxiao was sitting in the courtyard eating mooncakes.
Xie Xun realized that this was the first time he had drunk alcohol and gotten completely drunk.
But he really couldn't remember anything, so after some hesitation, he looked towards Jiang Xiaoxiao, "During the day, did I say anything strange?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "Nothing too bad."
He had just acted like a stubborn puppet, repeatedly calling out her name and asking why she had come to find him, as if he wouldn't stop until he got a satisfactory answer.
"Then I didn't do anything strange?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "Nothing too bad."
He had just kept insisting on going to catch frogs, and in the end she had to carry him back.
This tone didn't sound too good.
Xie Xun felt his eyelid twitch violently, "I'll go make you some food."
There were still ingredients left over from the morning, so Xie Xun made a chicken stew.
Jiang Xiaoxiao finished the last bite of her mooncake and walked into the kitchen.
Xie Xun thought she must be hungry, but instead she said, "Did you know that Yang Ershun can see ghosts?"
Xie Xun shook his head, "Did he tell you that himself?"
"That night when the ghosts came to seek my help for exorcism, Yang Ershun saw them all," Jiang Xiaoxiao said. "He also saw the female ghost that possessed Dean Gu last year. But he didn't realize they were ghosts, he just thought they were people."
Xie Xun understood Jiang Xiaoxiao - she wouldn't bring up a child for no reason.
"So, do you have any ideas?" he asked.
