I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 20 Teacher

Looking at Zheng Fa, the expression on the curly-haired old man's face was hard to describe:  

It was a mix of surprise, curiosity, and awkwardness.  

Clearly, he recognized Zheng Fa.  

He glanced at the branch above Zheng Fa's head, then measured its height against his own, cautiously speaking to Zheng Fa:  

"Y-young man... is that kung fu?"  

"No! I was practicing high jumping!"  

"Don't lie to me! I’ve done high jumping before!" The old man boasted proudly. "I even won first prize in track and field at our city sports meet when I was young! What you did there—nothing like high jumping!"  

"...I’m just winging it."  

"I get it! Hidden sects, ancient secrets!" The old man wore a knowing expression. "Let me tell you, I practiced qigong back in the day!"  

"Quite the hobbyist, aren't you..."  

"Of course! My master used to say I had great potential. If not for an... accident, I’d have made a name for myself in the martial world by now."  

"Accident?"  

"Oh, he got arrested—for fraud."  

Zheng Fa: "..."  

The old man looked at Zheng Fa with a fawning grin on his wrinkled face. "Young man, my master said I have talent, and I think he wasn’t lying. Why not—how about you teach me? I can be your apprentice!"  

Zheng Fa felt his brain going numb.  

"Sir, there’s no such thing as kung fu! We have to believe in science!"  

"Nonsense! Science isn’t something shallow! True science is about seeking the truth. If kung fu exists, then science should study kung fu!" The old man spoke with conviction. "What I’m doing here—isn’t it scientific research?"  

Zheng Fa had to admit, the old man had a point.  

"And how exactly are you going to study it? Dissections?"  

The old man’s expression turned peculiar as he scrutinized Zheng Fa from head to toe. "I was thinking of trying it myself, but if you insist, I can find someone to dissect you."  

"Don’t! You know the rules of my sect—our secrets can’t be easily shared."  

"Ah, you secretive types, hoarding knowledge. No wonder your kind fades away!"  

"Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right!"  

Zheng Fa listened to the old man’s lecture while quietly retreating. The old man, seeing Zheng Fa wasn’t interested in further conversation, stayed put, though his gaze lingered wistfully.  

---

By the afternoon, the classroom atmosphere became restless.  

Qingshui High School seniors didn’t get regular weekends off. Instead, they had a break every two weeks, starting Friday evening and ending with evening self-study on Sunday.  

Friday evenings were the most exciting time for students. Many day students would linger to have fun before heading home.  

"Zheng Fa! Want to play basketball after school?" Wang Chen called out to him.  

Zheng Fa wasn’t particularly skilled, but he was tall, had good stamina from years of farm work, and could hold his own among the boys in class.  

"Not today, I’ve got plans with someone."  

Wang Chen looked surprised. "Plans? With who?" He had known Zheng Fa since childhood and couldn’t recall him having close friends outside their group.  

Following Zheng Fa’s gaze, Wang Chen noticed he was looking at Tang Lingwu.  

"Tang Lingwu!" Wang Chen’s face showed an array of complicated emotions, like a mix of disbelief and reluctant blessings.  

"I didn’t hear a peep from you, and now you’re going all out?"  

"...She invited me."  

"Master! Teach me your ways!"  

Seeing Wang Chen’s sudden change in demeanor, calling him "Master," Zheng Fa knew the boy was dead serious.  

"Trust me, girls love this!" Wang Chen confidently assured Zheng Fa as they stood outside a milk tea shop by the school gate.  

"I just want to express my gratitude," Zheng Fa explained. Tang Lingwu had agreed to introduce him to her teacher, and it was only polite for him to thank her.  

But as someone with little experience dealing with girls his age in this world, Zheng Fa had sought Wang Chen’s advice. The result? A trip to this milk tea shop.  

The shop was quite popular, especially on Fridays, with many girls buying drinks there. Zheng Fa, however, had never been. Spending over ten yuan on a drink seemed extravagant to him.  

"Give me your most popular drink," he told the staff, unsure of what to order.  

As it turned out, their most popular drink was also one of the pricier ones. At 28 yuan, Zheng Fa felt a bit swindled.  

---

Tang Lingwu and Zheng Fa had arranged to meet near the faculty housing. Zheng Fa arrived first, and it was nearly half an hour before Tang Lingwu showed up.  

"Sorry, my family needed something," she apologized as soon as she saw him.  

"No problem, I didn’t wait long."  

Behind her, a black car lingered at the corner. While Zheng Fa didn’t know much about cars, his simple aesthetic sense told him it wasn’t cheap.  

"This way," Tang Lingwu said, leading the way. Zheng Fa handed her the milk tea he was holding.  

"This is for you."  

Tang Lingwu looked at him quizzically.  

"Just a token of thanks for bringing me here."  

She nodded in understanding but waved her hand at her chest. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t drink milk tea—it’s unhealthy."  

"Huh?"  

"I don’t drink milk tea. My mom doesn’t let me."  

Ah, so the hand wave was just an act.  

"I’ll drink it myself later," Zheng Fa thought, regretting his wasted 28 yuan.  

---

Tang Lingwu led him to a more secluded building. Once inside, she stopped abruptly, holding out her hand in front of him.  

Looking at her five slender fingers, then at the milk tea in his hand, Zheng Fa silently placed the drink in her palm.  

Tang Lingwu immediately took a huge sip, eager and satisfied.  

"Didn’t you say it was unhealthy?" he asked.  

"Are you dumb? My mom’s watching from the car!" Tang Lingwu rolled her eyes. "I said I don’t drink it because she doesn’t let me!"  

Got it. That was just for show.  

"Wait for me to finish, and then we’ll go up!" Tang Lingwu, clearly experienced in such covert battles, happily drank while chatting.  

"My competition coach is an old relative of mine—a distant grandpa or something. My mom knows him and managed to get him to take me under his wing," she explained.  

"He teaches at our school?"  

"No, his daughter works here. He’s retired now," she said, finishing the large milk tea in just a few gulps. She looked like she could have drunk another.  

"He used to be a university professor. I heard he was even part of the national Olympiad question committee."  

"Sounds impressive."  

"Yeah, my mom had to pull some serious strings. We haven’t had much contact with him before," Tang Lingwu added, pausing.  

Zheng Fa glanced at her and refrained from commenting.  

It was clear her family had some serious clout.  

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