Chapter 32: The Cautionary Tale Fabricated by Deng Qiang

For the next five days, Yun-ge slept soundly, while Deng Qiang, by contrast, spent every night tossing and turning, occasionally punching his bed in frustration.

"Darn it! Why didn't I play that better?"

He slept right next to Uncle Li, who could hear every thump from the next room. Uncle Li would merely open his eyes, smile to himself, and then roll over to sleep even more soundly.

Uncle Li had long realized that Deng Qiang’s temperament was problematic. However, aside from the debt of having saved his life, there wasn’t a deep emotional bond between them, and he had never quite known how to guide the boy. He feared that being too strict would drive him away, while being too lenient would ruin him.

Now, things were working out perfectly; letting Yun-ge temper the boy’s character was proving effective.

During this period, Uncle Li and Li Fu had been closely observing both the educational progress of Deng Qiang and the behavior of young Yun-ge. Every time the two boys finished their sand-table simulations, Li Fu would recount their conversations to Uncle Li in full detail.

The more he heard, the more Uncle Li became convinced of Yun-ge’s extraordinary intelligence. Although many of the things the boy suggested would certainly face practical difficulties in execution, one had to remember that Yun-ge was only two years old.

It was a mystery how such a mind could develop so early.

Strategies like freezing water to reinforce city walls, digging tunnels for warfare, launching fire attacks on exhausted troops at night, and the guerrilla tactics of "the enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy settles, we harass"—Yun-ge had a ready explanation for everything, and Deng Qiang simply couldn't out-argue him.

Li Fu, being a scholar, merely thought that Yun-ge had a silver tongue. But Uncle Li, who had wandered across various regions and witnessed small-scale skirmishes, sometimes pondered Yun-ge's words and found them genuinely insightful. Occasionally, when Yun-ge played with excitement, he would spout seemingly disjointed methods of training troops; yet, when Uncle Li sat quietly in the evenings to reflect on them, he often felt that the child wasn't speaking nonsense at all.

These past few days, Uncle Li was delighted by the change in Deng Qiang’s temperament, but he was also filled with admiration for Yun-ge. It would be a true tragedy if such a brilliant child were to die young.

Uncle Li made up his mind: once they returned to Xijing, he would pay respects to his ancestors and pray for Yun-ge’s protection. Even if Yun-ge’s fortune remained hidden for now, it would be a blessing to have him stay at the ancestral estate in the future to serve as a strategist for the Li clan.

Unaware of Uncle Li falling asleep in a mix of surprise and joy, Yun-ge slept soundly until dawn.

Early the next morning, Yun-ge set out in high spirits. He had just finished his toddler meal when Auntie Zhang announced that Deng Qiang had arrived.

Originally, Deng Qiang only came at night with Li Fu for dinner and study. However, after losing consecutive sand-table games to Yun-ge, he began showing up in broad daylight. But he always made sure to eat his fill before coming, and he never stayed for lunch. The Li household wasn't stingy, but Deng Qiang was proud and stubbornly refused to eat their food. Ever since the first time he had a "supplemental meal" at the Li estate, he had kept his appetite in check even when staying for dinner.

Yun-ge would tease him for being "too proud to live comfortably," but Deng Qiang would only turn bright red and hum in silence.

Xin Niang and the others were used to it by now, so they had Auntie Zhang bring him in. As expected, Deng Qiang immediately clamored for a sand-table game. Winning against Yun-ge had become an obsession.

But today, Yun-ge didn't want to play.

For one thing, he was tired of it; for another, he had run out of things to say. He felt as though his head had been emptied of all its clutter, and he needed to save some material for later—he couldn't play all his trump cards at once, could he?

"Why? Do you look down on me?" Deng Qiang’s eyes turned red upon hearing the refusal.

Yun-ge sat primly in his high chair, his small face looking quite serious. Xin Niang and Mrs. Bu found it hard not to laugh, but Yi-ge and Deng Qiang were quite susceptible to his act. Whenever Yun-ge assumed this "adult" demeanor, both boys would subconsciously straighten up and listen intently—it worked better than any adult’s reprimand.

"Why would you think that?" Yun-ge pointed at Deng Qiang, looking earnest. "Even though we are playing a sand-table game, it is not just a game. It is like practicing calligraphy; you don't just learn it once and be done with it—it requires constant, repeated practice."

"When you play this game with me and lose, have you ever stopped to summarize why you lost? Have you ever thought about how to turn a defeat into victory in similar situations? You never think about these things. You just come back the next day to play another round without any reflection. If you keep this up, how can you ever become a great general?"

Deng Qiang stared at Yun-ge in a daze. Yun-ge was right. He spent his nights agonizing over his losses, unable to sleep, thinking only of how he would win the next day, but he never truly considered the strategic problems Yun-ge had pointed out. A sudden wave of shame washed over him.

Seeing Deng Qiang’s face flicker between pale and red, Xin Niang quickly intervened: "Yun-ge just has a sharp tongue, don't mind him."

Deng Qiang held great respect for Xin Niang and Mrs. Bu. Feeling even more ashamed, he stood there for a long moment before speaking to Yun-ge with genuine sincerity: "Yun-ge, you are right. From this day forward, I will study and summarize as you said. I have been taught a valuable lesson."

This was the first time he had addressed Yun-ge properly. Before, he had either called him a "little brat" or nothing at all.

Yun-ge felt very satisfied. He discovered that he quite enjoyed the feeling of being a "little teacher." Most importantly, the once-arrogant Deng Qiang had been successfully educated, just like Yi-ge. He felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

Over the next few days, Uncle Li and Li Fu both noticed that while Deng Qiang no longer played the sand-table games, his temperament grew steadier by the day. He had previously been impatient with reading and writing, but now, upon returning from the Li estate, he would practice calligraphy until late into the night. He also developed a habit of keeping a journal, in which he recorded his reading experiences and anecdotes of his time with Yun-ge.

He even took the initiative to turn the pieces of advice he deemed valuable into little stories, almost like moral fables.

Yun-ge had caught a glimpse of one once and immediately thought, *I must make sure this 'diary' never gets out, or I’ll never hear the end of it.*

Even the casual remark Yun-ge had made—"A good memory is not as good as a dull pen"—had been turned into a parable about the importance of study. The protagonists were clearly Yun-ge and himself, while Yi-ge, who had been there as a bystander, was cast as the one who refused to listen and wouldn't study. Although no names were used, everyone who knew them would understand.

Yun-ge had carefully put the notebook back. He planned to tease Deng Qiang about his "black history" once Yi-ge was older; for now, Yi-ge was too young to understand.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The weather remained bitter, though the heavy snow had stopped. The cold was so intense that water left outside in the courtyard would turn into a block of ice overnight. Yun-ge, as always, was bundled up so tightly he looked like a ball.

To be honest, Yun-ge’s boundless energy meant that even bundled up, he spent his time exploring the Li estate. He had now visited almost every corner of it.

Then, he grew bored.

In the past, a long afternoon nap would take up most of the day, and he would be tired early at night. But now, he was full of vitality throughout the day, and with nothing to do, he began to pine for the outside world.

It just so happened that a few days earlier, he had heard Gouzi say he wanted to ask Auntie Guo to go to the village at the foot of the ridge. He wanted to send home the silver and some old clothes that Xin Niang had given him. But because of the freezing weather and the distance to the village, Auntie Guo had no plans to make the trip. She told Gouzi to wait until spring, when she could ask someone to help him out.

Yun-ge had remembered this the moment he heard Gouzi mention it. He wanted to see it for himself.

So, during their evening study session, Yun-ge excitedly brought it up to Li Fu.

"Father, let me go. I want to visit Gouzi’s hometown. I asked him, and he said it only took him half a day to walk here from the village; it’s not that far. I can stay at Gouzi’s house for one night and come back after playing. Can I?"

"Besides, Gouzi has been with us for over half a year. He didn’t even go home for the New Year. His parents must miss him. Let him go home for a visit, too."

As long as a request was reasonable, Li Fu was rarely one to refuse. For instance, when Yun-ge wanted the sand-table game, Li Fu had the means to provide it and didn't consider it a waste of time, so he had gone out of his way to find the best craftsman to build it.

However, this request was harder to judge. His primary concern was Yun-ge’s health.

"Your mother won't agree to it."

Yun-ge puffed out his chubby cheeks and continued to plead, "I’ll go convince Mother. Let me go out and see the world! I’m either stuck in the room or the study; it’s really too boring."

Yun-ge was much brighter than Yi-ge; he spoke and acted like a little adult, and his energy was immense. For such a child to be confined to these two places, it was inevitable that he would feel stifled.

Li Fu pondered for a long time before smiling. "Fine, but we have a deal: your mother must agree. If she doesn't, you cannot go."

Yun-ge immediately reached out to "high-five" Li Fu to seal the pact.

When dealing with children, one made a "pinky promise," but when dealing with adults, one had to use a high-five—Yun-ge understood the strategy of adapting to local customs. Li Fu laughingly extended his large hand to meet the child’s chubby palm.

Seeing this, Yi-ge giggled and tried to mimic them. Li Fu smiled and extended his left hand to high-five his eldest son as well.

Persuading Xin Niang was not easy, but she couldn't resist when Yun-ge looked at her with his deep, dark eyes—he was simply too adorable. Furthermore, he was usually so sensible and rarely made demands. When he did ask, she felt a pang of guilt if she refused him.

In truth, Li Fu felt the same way. With Yi-ge, who was a normal one- or two-year-old—frequently crying or throwing tantrums—Li Fu did not have this same psychological struggle.

As soon as Xin Niang agreed, Yun-ge couldn't wait to tell Li Fu and Gouzi, and he even shared the news with Deng Qiang. Both boys were overjoyed. Gouzi’s face flushed with excitement, and while Deng Qiang pretended to be indifferent, the thrill in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

However, Li Fu’s permission did not mean he would let the children go alone. He made Yun-ge wait a few days and then, "abusing his authority," he arranged for two gang leaders to lead the way, along with a group of men Uncle Li had brought. With ten men in total to look after the three children, he finally felt safe enough to let them set out on their journey.