Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 123: Want Me as Your Disciple? Sorry, My Babies Just Turned One Month Old!
The villagers’ mouths hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
The soldiers standing guard straightened their already stiff backs even more.
An assistant?
An assistant to the Dean of Beijing University?
What does that mean? That’s someone from the heavens!
After a brief moment of dead silence, the crowd burst forth like a pot of oil catching fire.
"Did I hear that right? Letting Mr. Lin be the Dean’s assistant?"
"Oh my god! This is about shooting to the heavens in one step!"
"A university student, not even enrolled yet, is set to be the Dean’s assistant? Unheard of!"
Tian Laosan and his daughter-in-law, mingled within the crowd, turned pale as a sheet, their bodies uncontrollably shaking.
They finally realized just what kind of person they had offended.
This was no fox spirit; this was truly the incarnation of the Wenchang Star!
Gu Yanshen stood by Lin Wan Yi’s side, his towering figure shielding her from most of the probing gazes. He said nothing, merely tightened his grip on her hand.
In the midst of all the noise, a discordant voice rose.
"Dean Li, this might not be appropriate."
A gray-haired elder with reading glasses and a serious face stepped out from behind Dean Li.
"Professor Wang?" Dean Li frowned.
Professor Wang adjusted his glasses, his scrutinizing gaze falling on Lin Wan Yi, filled with undisguised disdain.
"A girl barely in her twenties, from a capitalist background, hasn’t even set foot in university, how can she be your assistant?"
His voice was loud, full of old-school academic arrogance and stubbornness.
"If this gets out, how will people perceive our Beijing Agricultural College? Does it mean we have no talents?"
The murmurs around them quieted down, all eyes focused on Professor Wang and Lin Wan Yi.
Seeing this, Professor Wang straightened his spine even more, looking at Lin Wan Yi with a testing tone.
"Young comrade, since Dean Li values you so much, you must have real talent and knowledge."
"I happen to have a question. In the North, when growing sweet potatoes, ’black spot disease’ is most feared. Once infected, the whole field rots, and yields drop drastically."
He paused, his voice growing sharper.
"Go ahead and tell us, how do we prevent it? How do we cure it?"
At this question, several teachers from the Agricultural College who had come along showed solemn expressions.
This is a national technical difficulty; many experts have researched it for years but can only alleviate it, not cure it.
To use this problem to make things difficult for a student not yet enrolled is simply bullying.
Gu Lan turned red with anxiety, wanting to rush forward to argue, but was stopped by a single look from Gu Yanshen.
All eyes turned to Lin Wan Yi, waiting to see how she would embarrass herself.
But Lin Wan Yi just smiled. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Meeting Professor Wang’s scrutinizing gaze, she began to speak unhurriedly.
"Professor Wang, I think I saw this issue mentioned in a notebook left by my mother."
"A notebook?" Professor Wang sniffed with disbelief.
Lin Wan Yi seemed not to notice his expression, continuing to speak.
"The notebook said this black spot disease is actually caused by a fungus, which loves moisture and fears alkali."
"So the key to prevention is not after the plants get sick, but before planting."
Her voice was clear and her enunciation distinct.
"Mix wood ash and quicklime in a ratio of three to one, and on a morning when the rain has just cleared, before the dew has dried, sprinkle it evenly over the ridges."
"Wood ash is rich in potassium, which strengthens seedlings. Quicklime, upon contact with water, generates heat and kills bacteria, and can change the acidity or alkalinity of the soil."
"The notebook called this the ’dew alkalization method.’
When she finished speaking, the whole ridge fell silent.
Expressions on Dean Li and several professors’ faces went from surprise to shock, finally turning into sheer joy.
"The dew alkalization method... brilliant! Simply brilliant!"
Dean Li slapped his thigh, his face flushed with excitement.
"Utilizing morning dew to dissolve lime, allowing alkaline to slowly penetrate, neither burning the seedlings nor preventing the disease at its root! This... this is a genius idea!"
The previously arrogant Professor Wang stood dumbfounded, his mouth opening and closing, his old face turning the color of pork liver.
He had spent a lifetime researching sweet potatoes, yet had never thought along these lines?
Wood ash, quicklime, these are among the most common things in rural areas, with almost no cost!
If this method is indeed feasible, it would mean a tremendous contribution to national agriculture!
Looking at Lin Wan Yi, all traces of disdain in his eyes were replaced only by deep shock and a slight sense of shame.
Lin Wan Yi did not stop.
"As for those already afflicted, the notebook also suggested a ’smoke and scorch method,’ using dried chili stalks mixed with sulfur to smolder at the field edges, though it is a bit troublesome."
Yet another unheard-of method, but it sounded highly plausible!
Professor Wang swayed, on the verge of losing his balance.
He had been given a deafening lesson by a young girl not yet in university, using her mother’s "notebook!"
Dean Li, in his excitement, grabbed Lin Wan Yi’s hand.
"Classmate Lin! No! Teacher Lin! You are exactly the talent we need in our Agricultural College!"
"Let’s settle the assistant position then! No! When you arrive, I will start a separate research group for you, letting you be the leader!"
The surrounding villagers were dumbfounded.
They couldn’t understand anything about fungus or alkali; they only knew that the big professor from Beijing University had been completely won over by Mr. Lin and wanted her to be some sort of "leader!"
In the face of such monumental honor, Lin Wan Yi simply smiled slightly and gently withdrew her hand.
With an apologetic expression, she smiled lightly.
"Dean Li, Professor Wang, I am truly sorry."
"Thank you for your regard, but my two children have just turned a month old and desperately need attention, so I really can’t leave them."
"I’m afraid I cannot take up the assistant position."
She refused.
She actually, just like that, lightly refused!
Everyone thought they were hallucinating.
That was the assistant to the Dean of Beijing University! It’s a future countless people would break their heads to fight for!
Dean Li and Professor Wang were stupefied; they had imagined myriad possibilities but had not thought she would refuse so outright.
"This... this..."
Dean Li rubbed his hands in anxiety, while Professor Wang next to him turned red.
"Comrade Lin! Please reconsider! We can find ways regarding the children! The school can arrange the best caregivers for you!"
"Indeed, Comrade Lin, talent is rare, you can’t let family prevent contributions to the nation!"
The several professors talked over each other, fearing this gem would slip from their hands.
Lin Wan Yi maintained her calm smile and shook her head.
Seeing their persuasion was in vain, Dean Li seemed to make some decision. He glanced at the field of impressively growing crops and changed his approach.
"Comrade Lin, since you cannot currently engage in research work, perhaps... could you sell us some of these excellent seeds?"
Professor Wang quickly added, "Also, can you provide the methods you mentioned as technical guidance to our school? Price is not an issue!"
In an instant, all eyes turned eager.
They had finally revealed their true intentions.
This was the real reason for their visit today.
Lin Wan Yi lifted her gaze, sweeping over the typically high-above experts, now all faces of eagerness and yearning.
Slowly, she revealed a flawless smile.
"Deans, professors."
She pointed to the soldiers standing guard in the distance.
"As you can see, this place is now a special supply base for the military district; all outputs are considered strategic materials, and I personally have no authority to make any decisions."
In one sentence, she neatly kicked the ball away.
Dean Li and the others suddenly looked like deflated balloons.
Seeing their disappointed and helpless expressions, Lin Wan Yi changed the tone of her voice, now tinged with the respect of a student towards teachers.
"And, I am about to become a student of Beijing University."
"Once I enroll, there will be plenty of opportunities to sit down at the school and thoroughly discuss these issues from an academic standpoint."
"What do you say?"
