What Wrong Had I Done?
Uh.
Didn't that mean the same thing?
How had the Young Scholar come up with the name little Taotie?
How about putting it this way?
"I'm explaining it to you."
The Young Scholar looked innocent.
The woodcutter was so anxious his face had turned a little red.
The woman felt the same way as the woodcutter.
She understood what he meant.
But she opened her mouth and wasn't quite sure how to put it into words... so the Young Scholar would understand exactly what they meant.
The Young Scholar smiled.
"Enough joking around."
"I know what you mean."
Huh?
The woodcutter and the woman froze.
What did he mean?
Had the Young Scholar...
been joking with them just now?
The Young Scholar's expression grew solemn.
"Because I finally realized something."
Something?
The woodcutter and the woman stirred.
For some reason, they had a feeling that what the Young Scholar was about to say would be important.
Their expressions grew serious, too.
"..."
The Young Scholar took a deep breath.
Then he said slowly, "I... was wrong to blame my failure in the imperial examinations on..."
"Little Taotie..."
"It wasn't reasonable."
It was only a short sentence, but the Young Scholar struggled to say it.
He clenched his fists.
"Huh?"
The woodcutter and the woman both gaped.
They were completely bewildered.
What?
The Young Scholar smiled.
"I just heard a child cry out..."
Huh?
The woodcutter and the woman were even more confused.
Why was he starting a new story now?
Weren't they talking about... little Taotie?
But they didn't speak.
The Young Scholar hadn't stopped talking.
All they needed to do was listen.
They trusted that their confusion would be cleared up soon enough.