The little ones are happier working than studying!

Shen Le stared at Teacher Lu awkwardly.

Ever since Teacher Lu had been hired, he had always been gentle and mild, fond of talking and laughing.

Whether he was chatting with others or teaching the little ones, he had always been like a spring breeze. Shen Le had never seen him speak harshly. It could be said that he had taken the persona—no, the artifact persona—of "warm mutton-fat jade" to the utmost extreme.

But now, Teacher Lu's entire bearing had changed. Jade was still jade, but it was no longer warm mutton-fat jade.

Instead, he was like a freshly carved blade of green jade that had yet to be patiently polished.

Well, while it did not possess the obvious lethality of a steel sword, when he stood before you, you could clearly tell that his will was as firm as iron—unchangeable and impossible to bend.

"Um... well... I didn't stop them from going to school..."

Shen Le tried hard to defend himself.

"I just needed their help for a while..."

"But they should be in school right now!" Teacher Lu frowned deeply. "You took them off to work, so didn't that interrupt their studies? Why did you hire me?"

Before he had finished speaking, a Lead Weight suddenly poked out of Shen Le's hiking backpack. It lifted itself up, tugging the Ink Line as it swayed left and right.

[But I like working! I want to help Shen Le work!]

[Me too! Me too!]

[Shen Le worked so hard to repair me, and I have no way to repay him... I want to help him with something!]

[Working is great! Working makes me happy!]

Shen Le became even more awkward. You weren't speaking up for me—you were making Teacher Lu look bad right to his face!

The teacher was taking