"Si Lang, Si Lang!" Teacher's voice pulled Zhuge Yuan's attention away from the dragonfly flitting past the window and onto Teacher's stern, commanding face.
"Daydreaming again!" Teacher looked as though he hated iron for not becoming steel. "Si Lang, those who study under me do not prize cleverness and quick wits above all else. Diligence, steadfastness, humility, and restraint come first!"
"Yes, Teacher's lesson is correct." Zhuge Yuan straightened up and respectfully bowed to him.
Seeing Zhuge Yuan looking like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Teacher sighed, walked over, and looked the half-grown youth up and down. "Si Lang, living in such a muddle every day, have you ever thought about what you want to achieve in the future?"
"I have! I want to be a great hero!"
"Have you been reading storybooks again? Where did you hide them? Once I find them, I'll burn every last one! Why aren't you this enthusiastic about proper books?"
After searching furiously and finding nothing, Teacher helplessly spoke to Zhuge Yuan again. "If you want to be a great hero, you can't keep daydreaming in class. Great heroes naturally need great abilities. At the very least, shouldn't you earn some scholarly distinction?"
"Look at yourself. What part of you measures up? You still want to be a great hero? Throw you out there, and you'd probably be unable to feed yourself!"
Just as Zhuge Yuan was about to argue, a palm-sized booklet slipped from his sleeve. "Aha! Caught you this time!"
Seeing Teacher roll up his sleeves and approach him, Zhuge Yuan jolted in fright. His body suddenly jerked, and he woke with a start.
Looking at the beam overhead, then around the cramped dwelling that could barely fit a single bed, Zhuge Yuan finally realized that he no longer needed