Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C32

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"Mister," Grandpa Gong began, addressing Mr. Li, "yesterday at the ferry park, I accidentally tipped over my tricycle, spilling oranges all over the ground. Thanks to these five young comrades—Gu Lu, Chen Xue, Wang Hongming, Fan Xiaotian, and Zhang Yudong—I was able to gather everything quickly." The old man had asked their names when handing out oranges as thanks the day before.

"All five of these kids are good children," Grandpa Gong added.

Funny enough, hearing themselves described as "good kids" made even Zhang Yudong puff up his chest a little in pride.

"From what Gu Lu mentioned," Grandpa Gong continued, scanning the classroom in an attempt to locate the other four (though his failing eyesight didn’t help), "they were punished for being late despite doing a good deed. That shouldn’t happen. Good deeds deserve recognition, not punishment."

As Grandpa Gong spoke, Gu Lu noticed how he referred to everyone as "comrades." Given the old man's posture—stooped but still sturdy—and his manner of speech, could he be a veteran?

While Gu Lu was lost in thought, Grandpa Gong grasped Mr. Li’s hand firmly. "Mister, I’m telling the truth."

"I understand, Elder," Mr. Li replied gently. "Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is one of our nation’s cherished virtues. Their act of kindness should indeed be rewarded."

"That’s good to hear," Grandpa Gong said, visibly relaxing. "I won’t disturb your class any further."

"Take care on your way, Grandpa Gong," Gu Lu said respectfully. "Thank you for coming all this way."

"Not at all—it’s the least I could do," the old man replied warmly. Then, turning to Gu Lu, he encouraged him to study hard. "The future of our country rests on shoulders like yours."

Watching the frail figure hobble away, Gu Lu couldn’t help but think of his past life—one without money, love, or even health.

Mr. Li also saw the elder off, then quietly instructed Gu Lu to return to his seat.

"Continue morning reading!" Mr. Li announced loudly to the class before stepping out of the room.

The chorus of voices resumed once again.

"So you really did go off to do something good yesterday?" Zhou Lin whispered, hiding behind her literature textbook like a turtle retreating into its shell.

"Helping others is just a hobby of mine," Gu Lu quipped casually. "World peace is my ultimate goal."

"What world peace? Our country will unify the world someday," Zhou Lin muttered under her breath. Still, she found herself looking at her desk mate in a new light—he wasn’t half bad after all.

Hmm... Gu Lu glanced at Zhou Lin. A genius-level girl who excelled academically without trying, harboring lofty ambitions. With classmates like her around, he could afford to coast through life guilt-free.

About ten minutes later, just as morning reading was wrapping up, Mr. Li reentered the classroom. "Alright, let’s take a brief pause."

"Regarding yesterday’s misunderstanding involving Ms. Yan and the five students—Gu Lu, Zhang Yudong, Fan Xiaotian, Chen Xue, and Wang Hongming—Ms. Yan feels deeply apologetic. She wanted to apologize personally, but since she has another class next door, she entrusted me to convey her apologies. As a gesture, she’s treating you all to ice cream—one popsicle each. During the first break, head to the school store; Ms. Yan provided the funds."

"Other students should follow their example and uphold our traditional values of respecting elders and helping those in need," Mr. Li concluded.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of morning reading and the start of the first lesson.

Was it pride or simply no time? Gu Lu wondered if Mr. Li had actually paid for the ice cream himself. But he quickly dismissed the thought—it wouldn’t be fair to assume the worst of a teacher.

During the first break, Mr. Li returned with five ice creams—all Cute Duo popsicles. How nostalgic! Back then, they only cost two yuan each.

The five students sat in a row along the edge of the flower bed, squatting side by side.

Gu Lu suddenly understood why troublemakers often stood or squatted together—it felt oddly satisfying.

"You went too far, dragging Grandpa Gong into this," Chen Xue said between bites of her popsicle.

"Yeah, standing outside isn’t such a big deal. I get punished all the time," Wang Hongming chimed in nonchalantly. Talking during class was practically his trademark offense.

Zhang Yudong waved off the matter entirely. "If you hadn’t brought this up today, I would’ve forgotten about it completely."

Fan Xiaotian silently ate his ice cream, silently agreeing with the others.

"I didn’t want to bother Grandpa Gong either, but I believe good deeds shouldn’t lead to punishment—they should be praised instead," Gu Lu thought to himself. If they weren’t, who’d want to help next time?

"Praise doesn’t matter much," Chen Xue mumbled, though she’d nearly confronted Ms. Yan yesterday if not for Zhang Yudong pulling her back. It wasn’t about the cost of the ice cream—free treats always tasted better.

Suddenly, Zhang Yudong piped up excitedly, "Chen Xue, Wang Hongming, Gu Lu, Fan Xiaotian—if one person alone is weak, let’s team up!"

"??" Everyone stared at him incredulously.

"We’ve got nothing better to do at lunch anyway," Zhang Yudong explained. "Let’s go out every day and do good deeds! That way, even if we’re late, we’ll have a valid excuse."

"...Are you Zhuge Liang reincarnated?" Gu Lu deadpanned.

"Get real," Chen Xue scoffed. "There aren’t enough good deeds in the world for you to pull that off."

"Just wander around town!" Zhang Yudong insisted.

Wang Hongming interjected dryly, "How’s that different from what we usually do?"

"Come to think of it, you’re right," Zhang Yudong nodded sagely.

Thankfully, Grandpa Gong worked at a rehabilitation center; otherwise, Gu Lu wouldn’t have known where to find him.

"What do you think, Gu Lu?"

In the past, no one would’ve bothered asking Gu Lu’s opinion, but now Zhang Yudong valued his input.

Over the past half-month since his arrival, Gu Lu had gradually reshaped his image among his peers.

In the end, however, Gu Lu declined. He needed to write manuscripts at Fat Boss's place during lunch. Doing good deeds was fine, but not at the expense of his daily responsibilities—that was his philosophy.

Since homework was optional and teachers rarely bothered him in class, Gu Lu spent his time quietly reading extracurricular books.

"You sure love reading," Zhou Lin remarked, picking up Four Generations Under One Roof. Spotting the author’s name, Lao She, she wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, Lu Xun, Lao She, Ba Jin… Haven’t you had enough of these authors in class?"

"There’s gold hidden within books!" Gu Lu declared dramatically, though inwardly, he groaned. Truthfully, he didn’t enjoy literary works—it took immense effort to pick up such dense texts.

But Gu Lu knew better than anyone that appearances mattered. To ascend the literary world using his mysterious ability, he needed to appear well-read. So, gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep reading...

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