Urban All-Round Master

21: Chapter 21 The Beautiful Teacher 21: Chapter 21 The Beautiful Teacher Chapter 21 The Beautiful Teacher

“Come!

Zifeng, you hold onto this money for now.”

After taking the money, Li Tian’s hands trembled slightly as he held it out to Lin Zifeng.

Although he said this, his heart ached as he let go of the money.

Who wouldn’t be pained to part with money these days?

“Uncle Li!

I really can’t take this money.

If it weren’t for Uncle and Auntie Li’s care over the past five years, my family’s house would probably be in ruins by now, not to mention how you doted on me when I was little, Uncle Li.

Even though my parents are no longer with us, I will still need Uncle Li’s care for this house in the future, so you should keep this money!”

“No, that won’t do!

Zifeng, I know it hasn’t been easy for you out there, and we can’t just take this much money from you, especially since I wasn’t able to help you much.

So, you must take the money back; otherwise, I’ll feel uneasy!”

Li Tian’s words were truly sincere; after all, he hadn’t really interfered much with Lin Zifeng’s family land over the last five years.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended up in such dismal condition.

So, when Lin Zifeng pressed the money into his palm, he felt a twinge of guilt, as it was difficult to accept the money peacefully, especially seeing Lin Zifeng in his security guard uniform, looking like he’d had a tough go of it over the years.

“Uncle Li, please keep it.

We’ve still got a long life ahead of us.

Even if you don’t need it now, you and Auntie will have to take extra care of the house in the future.

Besides, Linlin has grown into a young lady now!

There will be plenty of expenses, so please don’t skimp on my account.

My parents are gone, and when I come back home, I’ll still be coming to your house to mooch meals!”

“Please keep it, Big Brother Lin!” Li Lin pouted her rosy lips, looking somewhat aggrieved, but with Li Tian present, she didn’t say much more.

Lin Zifeng gave a heartfelt smile, full of simplicity, which made Uncle Li and Mother Li feel somewhat embarrassed.

After all, they hadn’t really taken care of Lin Zifeng’s family house over the past five years; it was mainly the little girl, Li Lin, who had been managing it.

Because she believed that Lin Zifeng would one day return.

Her Big Brother Lin wouldn’t just disappear like that.

When Lin Zifeng mentioned her, Li Lin’s shy face turned slightly red.

So Big Brother Lin still remembers me, she thought, pleased that her years of waiting weren’t for naught.

Although Big Brother Lin looked a lot more careworn now, he exuded more of a manly charm.

She just wondered if Big Brother Lin had a girlfriend now.

With this thought in mind, Li Lin’s eyes were dark and shining.

“Since you insist, Zifeng, I’ll hold onto the money for now.”

Li Tian put on an innocent face and quickly changed his tune, calculating inside.

In the days ahead, there would be plenty of opportunities, and Lin Zifeng was likely to come home often and inevitably eat at their house.

Even if food was cheap, more mouths meant more chopsticks!

Mother Li, seeing his greed, immediately stepped forward and pinched his waist, casting a reproachful glance at him.

Somewhat awkwardly, she said, “Zifeng, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?

Why don’t we have dinner first?

It’s mealtime anyway.”

Li Lin’s mother was quite down-to-earth.

After all, the quality of a people’s teacher wasn’t for nothing; she was upright and honest.

She also looked older with more white hair, but fortunately, her family was happy and content, with not too many setbacks.

Only occasionally they were bullied by the likes of Liu Lao Wu from the street corner.

“Yes!

Yes!

Let’s have dinner together, Zifeng!”

Having accepted the money, Li Tian finally felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.

He had been truly afraid that Lin Zifeng would hold a grudge for accepting his money without cause, fearing that one day Lin Zifeng would come back to settle the account, complicating things horribly.

What a relief now!

Nobody would have imagined that Lin Zifeng, dressed as a security guard, would be so generous.

“Hehe, sure!”

Lin Zifeng smiled broadly.

He could see Li Tian’s greed, but greedy people aren’t all that bad; at least they can be bought with money.

He didn’t find them repulsive—after all, this was Li Lin’s father, and they had been neighbors for many years.

Lin Zifeng didn’t want to fall out with them.

After five years, although his hometown had changed greatly, the nature of its people remained the same.

When the meal was served, everyone ate heartily.

Lin Zifeng knew that being a good person sometimes meant playing the fool.

These days, who didn’t have a bit of mischief in their belly?

Everyone was well aware of this, so there was no need to rupture relationships over trifles.

“Brother Lin, does it taste good?”

At the dinner table, the young girl, Li Lin, was always tiptoeing and staring at Lin Zifeng.

Her round eyes surveyed Lin Zifeng, afraid of missing any small detail.

But seeing Lin Zifeng in his security guard uniform, her heart ached!

She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lin Zifeng, remembering how he used to be so impressive and unbeatable back in their hometown, even the street thugs would call him Brother Lin.

But now in his security uniform, he looked much older, with a mature charm about him, even his eating and talking seemed to have a frown, perhaps this is what time does to mature a person!

Anyway, Li Lin didn’t quite understand it; at least not at the moment.

In her eyes, there were two types of men, one with an enigmatic authority that’s never fully comprehensible.

Though not striking in appearance and with a simple demeanor, they handle everything decisively and may even be scheming yet very easy to get along with.

The second type is the image of a nouveau riche, who spends all day with moneyed vulgarians indulging in pleasure-seekers’ pursuits.

She found this type the most disgusting, even if they donned Dragon Robes, they would not resemble Crown Princes, but rather monkeys clad in silk.

Fortunately, Lin Zifeng belonged to the first type.

Even though he was unremarkable, he gave a very dependable impression.

If a woman wasn’t rotten to the core, she would mostly choose this kind of man to spend her life with.

That face, with its distinct features and upstanding integrity, had indeed matured a lot.

It had been a full five years since they last met; at that time Li Lin was still a naive little girl, but now in this information-rich society, she had grown into a tall and graceful young woman.

Time is indeed a frightening destroyer.

“Hmm!

Delicious!

Auntie Li’s cooking is always delicious!” Lin Zifeng said, his mouth greasy as he wolfed down his food.

“Pfft!”

Both Li’s mother and father exchanged smiles.

“Brother Lin, that was my cooking, not mom’s.”

Upon hearing Lin Zifeng praise the wrong person, the young girl instantly pouted, clearly a little upset.

“!”

Lin Zifeng was eating with a mouthful of oil when his expression suddenly froze; he realized he had praised the wrong person.

“Hmm!

No wonder it’s so delicious; it’s the Crybaby who made it, huh?

Really nice, really tasty.

I have to have another bowl.”

Lin Zifeng first looked embarrassed and then casually changed his tone, his face unabashed and his heart unflustered.

“Brother Lin, you’re really annoying!

Don’t call people ‘Crybaby’ anymore; I’ve grown up now, and I’m even a middle school teacher!”

Li Lin retorted with feigned annoyance.

Although she was a middle school teacher who appeared mature and sisterly in front of her students, in front of Lin Zifeng, she was still the same little sister who used to rely on him.

“Wow!

Linlin has become a teacher now?”

Lin Zifeng was startled!

So this little girl had now become a role model for others.

Impressive.

“Exactly, she just graduated from university, and this year she was hired by the county middle school.

Right now, the students’ summer vacation isn’t over yet, so she came back to visit.

Just in time, Zifeng, you’re back too, so you two could meet up.”

Li’s mother explained warmly, her face beaming with smiles; it seemed that Li Lin was doing quite well for herself.

“Oh!

That’s great!

You’ve become a teacher.

Looks like Brother Lin really can’t call you ‘Crybaby’ anymore; otherwise, if your students saw it, that would be so embarrassing later on!” Lin Zifeng joked.