Notebook of Fortune

Chapter 16: Is the Teacher Crazy?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
It wasn’t until a long time later that Mr. Xin finally realized what was going on. “You’re talking about the container where spicy lobsters are made?”

“That’s right!”

Shen Zhe nodded.

“You can make drugs… with that?”

Xin Qi was truly going crazy.

Crucibles could melt herbs thanks to their high melting point, but what could griddles do?

It was weird enough that oil and pepper powder were added in the process, and Shen Zhe was even asking for a different pot…

Holding his chest, Xin Qi felt that he was having a heartache.

Why did it feel less and less related to refining?

Was it a mistake to bring Shen Zhe to his office?

“Master, please wait a moment. I’ll go and fetch my pot…”

Seeing that the teacher was confused, Shen Zhe smiled and ran to his dormitory.

He returned ten minutes later with the iron griddle he had used before.

His lips twitching, Xin Qi waved his hand helplessly and said, “Here are the drugs. You can refine them for me…”

Words were always easier than action. He wanted to find out if it could work.

“Alright!”

Shen Zhe was about to get started, but then he turned around and asked, “Do you have seasonings in your place?”

“…”

Xin Qi left his office speechlessly.

After another ten minutes, he returned with soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, pepper power and other seasonings that he had just bought.

“Are they enough!?”

“Of course!”

Shen Zhe nodded in a hurry.

All preparations were done. Shen Zhe picked up the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus and placed them in the griddle.

Fire sprang again when he added oil into the griddle, and smoke spread out as he sprayed the pepper powder.

Shen Zhe had learned to put less salt that time.

“They have indeed melted…”

Xin Qi was stiffened and dumbfounded to witness the whole procedure.

He had done 129 experiments without any success, but Shen Zhe made it with nothing but some oil and pepper powder…

Since when had herb liquids become so easy to make?

Xin Qi’s world collapsed even harder.

“It’s done!”

It was very easy to melt the herbs. Shen Zhe grabbed the griddle and poured the product into the crucible. It was perfect with the attractive amber color.

Xin Qi moved closer in a hurry and studied the crucible carefully, only to discover there were no flaws at all.

“Can… Can I try it?” Xin Qi asked excitedly, his hands shivering.

“Of course…” Shen Zhe nodded in a hurry.

“Thank you…”

Xin Qi cleaned the griddle, put the herbs in, and poured oil according to Shen Zhe’s procedures.

Fire was burning, and the fragrance of oil spread out.

As a Druggist, Xin Qi had an even better memory than Ling Xueru’s. Although Shen Zhe had only done it once, he had remembered all the details.

BAM!

The moment Xin Qi added the Purification White Lotus, the griddle exploded with a dull noise, and the herbs splashed out.

“Well…”

Xin Qi was stunned.

He did exactly what the young man had done, but why was there an explosion?

“My crucible…” Shen Zhe, upset by the loss of a great tool, asked with a scolding tone, “Are you really capable of refining?”

He had spent quite a lot of money on the griddle…

“I’m sorry…”

Xin Qi was rather embarrassed.

Their procedures were the same, but Shen Zhe had created the perfect herb liquid whereas he broke Shen Zhe’s pot… It was truly humiliating!

It was truly a fiasco for a renowned Druggist… He wished that there was a hole on the ground that he could hide in!

…

“The class is already over, and the teacher and Shen Zhe are still not back. Is he really giving him a beating?”

After Ling Xueru explained her answer, the bell rang. She turned around, only to see that Mr. Xin Qi and Shen Zhe were still not back. She was slightly worried.

Shen Zhe hadn’t explained to her how he resolved the question the other day. How could she find the answer if he was sent to the hospital?

“I’ll take the answers to Mr. Xin’s office…”

While she was stunned, Cui Xiao approached her.

“That’s unnecessary. Let me take them.”

Glad that she had a chance, Ling Xueru collected the paper on the desk and walked to Xin Qi’s office in a hurry.

She was about to knock on the door, when she heard someone scolding angrily.

“Are you really capable of refining?”

“Isn’t it… Shen Zhe’s voice?”

Ling Xueru was stiffened once she heard that.

Having been his classmate for nine years, she could easily tell whose voice it was.

Shen Zhe…

That infamous student was questioning someone else’s ability of refining?

While she was puzzled, she heard Mr. Xin Qi’s apology, “I’m sorry…”

“…”

Ling Xueru trembled.

She had thought that she would overhear Mr. Xin berating if not abusing Shen Zhe. Little did she expect that it would be Shen Zhe who was the one doing the scolding! He was even questioning Mr. Xin’s ability of refining!

What was going on?

Ling Xueru felt that she was passing out because of the shock.

She could accept that Shen Zhe had defeated Lu Zihan because he might be a good Body Practitioner.

However… Questioning the only Druggist in the kingdom, whom even His Majesty respected, and even letting him apologize willingly…

Why did it feel so weird?

“Whatever it is, I shouldn’t be involved…”

The girl was too scared to knock on the door anymore.

Mr. Xin had been criticized but he didn’t dare try to defend himself. Whether or not her eyes had deceived her, it was too uncanny, and it would be inappropriate for her to barge in. She thought for a moment and decided to leave.

It was too scary…

She’d be better off by staying out of it…

…

“Forgive me, sir, I was too blunt…”

Shen Zhe was covered in cold sweat after he scolded his teacher.

That was one of the most bad-tempered teachers in the school, and Shen Zhe had just reprimanded him… He was too audacious!

“It’s fine!”

Xin Qi waved his hand and said, “It was my mistake that caused the explosion. I should take the blame.”

Despite his crankiness, he respected the truth.

Shen Zhe had successfully created the liquid with the griddle. It meant that what he said was true.

Although he was only a student, what he said didn’t matter when what he did was correct.

“Well…”

Shen Zhe was finally relieved. “Sir, the next class is about to start. Can I go back?”

“Of course!”

Realizing that a whole class had passed without him knowing it, Xin Qi nodded.

He had remembered all the procedures. He could buy a few more griddles and try more times. It was unnecessary to keep Shen Zhe there.

“Good bye!”

Seeing that he had survived the trial and the teacher probably wouldn’t beat him, Shen Zhe hurried to leave the office.

After he left, Xin Qi sat down and began his calculation.

Very soon, his eyes glowed as he read the results.

“While the griddle is thin and cannot take the high temperature, it can transmit the heat dozens of times faster than regular furnaces can! The greatest problem to melt the Masculine Sun Grass and the Purification White Lotus was their different melting points. If the temperature is improved within five breaths, they can be melted without any herbal catalysts! Once oil is added, the heat in the griddle will be transferred to the herbs, and the problem will be solved…”

“Most importantly, because of the fast transmission of heat, the herbs are melted without any attrition, and their characteristics are perfectly maintained…”

“Hahaha! This is the reason!”

Xin Qi burst into laughter after figuring out the puzzle that had bothered him for years.

He had found it odd that griddles were used instead of furnaces, but after calculating, he realized that griddles met the requirements perfectly!

It meant that Shen Zhe’s procedures were correct!

As a Druggist, he had worked on it and failed for years, but a student who had only scored three points had found a solution…

It was truly an irony.

“Is it possible that he didn’t find it out on his own but had a great teacher behind him?”

The idea suddenly popped up in Xin Qi’s head.

Calculation was the foundation of everything. Xin Qi didn’t believe that Shen Zhe could devise such a brilliant method when his grades were so terrible.

Perhaps, he had a mentor who offered him guidance.

However, Shen Zhe didn’t mention any names. It was possible that the master didn’t want to be known.

“It seems that I have to investigate secretly…”

In any case, that thing had to be kept a secret until he had more discoveries.

…

Ling Xueru, who had just stepped away, heard that someone opened the door. She hurried to hide herself. Then, she saw Shen Zhe rushing to the classroom.

“He’s gone… I can deliver the paper now!”

Shen Zhe had left, which meant that Xin Qi was alone. It wouldn’t be too awkward for her to visit then.

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She returned to the office and was about to knock, when she heard a voice again.

“Hahaha! This is the reason!”

Xin Qi was obviously excited, if not frantic.

“Well…”

Ling Xueru was confused. “Is Mr. Xin crazy?”