So, she asked Old Mr. Bai in her heart whether he knew the methods of processing herbal medicine.
After receiving a negative answer, Zhao Zhitong was a bit disappointed. But she didn't bother Mr. Meng anymore, said goodbye to the teacher, and happily went to the kitchen to find Sun Mei.
The children came to the kitchen after school, waiting for Sun Mei to serve them food.
After all the children got their food and went to the hall, Sun Mei served Zhao Zhitong a spoonful of vegetables, half a piece of steamed bread, and a small bowl of millet porridge.
"Tongtong, I already spoke to Landlord Wei. In the next few days, you will eat with the students at the school, alright?"
Zhao Zhitong, being sensible and already thinking of reasons to go collect herbs, agreed happily, clapping her hands in agreement.
"Now you must be good, no crying or causing trouble, don't disturb the teacher's lessons, and don't run around. Stay at the school with the teacher until it's time to go home, and your mom will come pick you up."
After repeatedly reminding her several times, Sun Mei took the pre-prepared meal to the teacher, and by the way, informed him.
Zhao Zhitong, obediently holding her bowl, leaned on a wooden stump in the kitchen, taking a bite of vegetables and a nibble of bread.
"Zhao Zhitong."
At this moment, someone suddenly called her from outside the kitchen. Zhao Zhitong put down the bread and turned around to see Qiao Muchen standing at the door looking at her.
When rivals meet, they first measure each other's presence, not wanting to lose their aura.
Zhao Zhitong immediately stood up straight, puffing out her small chest, and in a childish voice exclaimed, "Qiao Muchen, what do you want?"
Qiao Muchen: "Did you forget? We still have a contest. Hurry up and eat, don't leave after eating, let's compete again, this time I won't lose to you."
Zhao Zhitong shook her head: "No, the teacher doesn't allow us to climb trees at the school."
Qiao Muchen: "Then we agreed to have a contest outside school after classes."
Zhao Zhitong refused again: "No, I have to go collect herbs after school."
Qiao Muchen was puzzled: "Why are you collecting herbs?"
Zhao Zhitong whispered: "For my dad. His legs hurt, but neither he nor my mom knows. I only told you, you have to keep it a secret, it's our secret."
The words 'only told you' filled little Qiao Muchen with a strong sense of trust from Zhao Zhitong.
He immediately pounded his chest, promising as a little man that he would keep her secret. Qiao Muchen also said he'd accompany her to find herbs after school.
How can two children quickly build a friendship? It's by keeping secrets for each other.
Zhao Zhitong, generously said: "You kept my secret, so from now on, we're friends."
Saying this, she took out a candy from her pocket and handed it to Qiao Muchen: "Here's some candy for you, it's sweet."
Qiao Muchen, who had never lacked candy since childhood and didn't like sweet things, still reached out to accept the candy from Zhao Zhitong.
Zhao Zhitong eagerly asked: "Is it sweet?"
Qiao Muchen: "Sweet."
Zhao Zhitong immediately smiled with squinted eyes.
Qiao Muchen looked at Zhao Zhitong's bowl on the wooden stump and said: "I just heard Auntie say that you'll be eating with us at the school from now on. So don't eat in the kitchen, come with me to the hall, it's lively there with all the students."
"Great, great, I love lively places."
So the two went to the hall with Zhao Zhitong's bowl of food.
They sat together at the long dining table.
As soon as Zhao Zhitong entered the room, Zhao Yue noticed her. Seeing the two rivals suddenly getting along, Zhao Yue was very puzzled.
The troublemaker and the nuisance didn't fight but became friendly, making him quite unhappy and feeling no fun.
Feeling Zhao Yue's gaze, Zhao Zhitong glared back and made a face at him.
Zhao Yue immediately retaliated, baring his teeth at her: "Childish!"
Then he hummed and focused on his own meal.
Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen, the two little fellows, found they had a lot to talk about.
Moreover, White Grandpa in the space said, Qiao Muchen is a very clever child, and she loved clever children the most.
As they chatted idly, they brought up today's lesson at school, where the teacher talked about "dew freezes into frost."
Zhao Zhitong then repeated Old Mr. Bai's words to Qiao Muchen.
Qiao Muchen was taken aback: "Are you saying the teacher was wrong?"
Zhao Zhitong quickly shook her head: "I wasn't saying the teacher was wrong, I was saying the book is wrong, dew doesn't turn into frost."
Qiao Muchen disagreed: "That's not right; how could the book be wrong?"
Zhao Zhitong: "Why couldn't the book be wrong?"
Qiao Muchen: "The book is the sage's book, sages don't make mistakes."
Zhao Zhitong: "Yes, they do."
Qiao Muchen: "No, they don't."
…
The two newly made friends argued over this matter in the hall.
Across the table, Zhao Yue's eyes lit up, feeling his joy return.
Unable to convince each other, they brought their argument to the teacher.
——
The teacher's residence.
At that time, a scene of "Two Little Children Arguing" was being played out.
Mr. Meng sat by the desk, smiling, listening carefully to the two little students sharing their arguments.
"Haha."
For two students who knew how to think and discover, Mr. Meng couldn't be more satisfied.
After hearing their account, he roughly understood the situation, stroked his beard, and said with a smile: "The girl's question is very good, and what she said is also very good. When winter comes, you can verify for yourselves."
Qiao Muchen was disheartened: "Teacher, do you mean the sages were wrong?"
Noticing Qiao Muchen's low mood, Mr. Meng nodded slightly, saying solemnly: "As the saying goes, 'to err is human,' actually, before becoming sages, the sages were also human, and humans make mistakes."
Zhao Zhitong was surprised: "Does that mean the teacher can make mistakes too?"
Qiao Muchen was puzzled: "But teacher, if the sages make mistakes, are they still sages?"
Seeing the eagerness to learn in his students, Mr. Meng decided to explain more. He first addressed Zhao Zhitong's question: "Girl, the teacher is ordinary and can make mistakes too. Making mistakes is not scary; what's scary is not facing one's mistakes."
Then he answered Qiao Muchen's question: "Sages are never afraid to make mistakes. Instead, they face their errors and shortcomings and find the reasons to correct them, improving themselves to make fewer mistakes and reaching the standard of sages."
"Therefore, in the future, you shouldn't fear making mistakes, nor should you be conceited, unable to admit your errors. Humility, careful speech, and understanding of propriety are what I expect of you."