Turning Words into Images, Turning Numbers into Swords

The next day, the carefully adjusted lessons were immediately put into practice.

The morning etiquette and history classes indeed presented a completely different scene from before.

Instead of dryly reciting the textbook and explaining sleep-inducing rules and dates, Teacher Edna had carefully designed a series of vivid, interesting "little scripts."

For example, while studying court etiquette, Teacher Edna played a dignified king, while Cui Ciyou played an arrogant and rude envoy from a neighboring country who had come for an audience.

Alice had to play the representative of the Boreas Greyrat Family.

Before the "king," she had to show proper respect for royal authority while skillfully handling the "envoy's" various provocations and striving to defend her family's honor.

Although Alice was initially still somewhat reserved and unwilling.

When the "envoy" played by Cui Ciyou mocked her family in an arrogant tone, her competitive nature was immediately ignited!

Alice tried hard to recall the etiquette rules Teacher Edna had taught her before.

Holding back her anger, she launched a verbal counterattack in the most "ladylike" manner she could manage.

Though the entire process was filled with all manner of hilarious moments.

For instance, Alice nearly lost her patience several times and drew the knight's sword at her waist to chop down the "obnoxious envoy."

But through this interaction filled with "dramatic conflict," Alice's understanding of when to bow, when to smile, when to remain silent, and when to argue her case grew deeper.

It was clearly far more profound than mechanically memorizing a list of rules.

The history class, meanwhile, had transformed into Alice's favorite "war game."

Using a sand table and some simple models, Cui Ciyou recreated several famous battles from the history of the Asla Kingdom.

Teacher Edna was responsible for explaining the historical background, the troop deployments on both sides, and the characteristics of the principal generals.

Alice played the commander of one side, while Ghislaine was sometimes even dragged over by the enthusiastic Alice to play a formidable enemy general...

Though when Ghislaine played a general, she only used the most direct and simplest method—leading the "army" in a charge...

Alice had to arrange her forces and devise an initial battle strategy based on limited intelligence.

And she had to do her best to handle all sorts of sudden developments randomly arranged by the "hand of fate" played by Cui Ciyou.

After every "battle," Cui Ciyou and Teacher Edna guided her through a review, analyzing the reasons behind the "battle's" success or failure.

They discussed how the real commanders of history had made their decisions, and how different choices could have led to utterly different historical outcomes.

This learning method, which cleverly combined historical knowledge, strategic thinking, and even a small element of luck.

Greatly stirred Alice's interest and innate competitive spirit.

Alice no longer felt that history was a dull and tedious past, but an incomparably thrilling adventure story filled with wisdom and challenges.

When afternoon arithmetic and reading-and-writing class arrived, the classroom was moved to a more spacious corner of the training grounds.

Cui Ciyou still began with the most basic knowledge, but he expanded the teaching tools beyond mere pebbles to include commonly used wooden practice swords, heavy sandbags, and even the various obstacles set up around the training grounds.

Ghislaine sat beside Alice with paper and pen in hand, wearing a serious expression—or, more accurately, a bewildered one—as she served as a "study companion."

"All right, Alice, Ghislaine." Cui Ciyou picked up three wooden practice swords. "This is three. Now..."

He picked up another two wooden swords. "This is two. So, three swords plus two swords makes how many swords?"

"Five!"

Alice shouted the answer almost immediately. Ghislaine nodded along beside her, indicating that she understood as well.

"Very good." Cui Ciyou placed the five swords together and continued.

"Now, Alice."

"Please choose your favorite three of these five swords as quickly as possible. Then use a standard thrust to accurately strike that straw target over there three times."

"Ghislaine, please record how long it takes Alice to complete this task."

"Huh?"

Alice froze for a moment, seemingly unable to understand what this had to do with arithmetic.

But the moment she heard she could use a sword, she immediately became excited and swiftly selected the three swords that felt best in her hands.

Then, like a little leopard pouncing on its prey, she rushed toward the distant target and cleanly completed three precise thrusts.

"It took... five seconds?"

Ghislaine looked at the simple hourglass Cui Ciyou had specially prepared and somewhat uncertainly reported Alice's time.

"Excellent, Alice. Your movements were fast and standard."

Cui Ciyou first praised Alice's performance without reservation, then began guiding her thoughts.

"So, what 'numbers' did the task we just completed contain?"

"How many swords were there in total? How many did you choose? How many thrusts did you make? And how much time did you use?"

Cui Ciyou guided Alice and Ghislaine in recording the entire sequence of choosing, counting, and timing with specific numbers and simple equations.

For example: total number, 5; number selected, 3; number of actions, 3; time used, 5 seconds.

"Now, let's do it another way." Cui Ciyou set a new task.

"Alice, attack Ghislaine five times with two swords."

"Ghislaine, you need to successfully block three of those attacks. So, how many attacks will ultimately hit you?"

Upon hearing this, Ghislaine immediately stood up, drew her wooden sword, and assumed a standard defensive stance.

Alice also excitedly picked up two wooden swords and attacked Ghislaine without hesitation.

For a time, the training grounds echoed with the sharp crackle of wooden swords colliding as the two exchanged blows.

In the end, two of Alice's attacks successfully struck Ghislaine.

"Five attacks minus three successful blocks equals two effective hits. That is, five minus three equals two."

Cui Ciyou calmly explained from the side and clearly wrote this simple subtraction equation on the small wooden board he carried with him.

In this way, Cui Ciyou cleverly incorporated what had originally been dry and tedious arithmetic practice into sword-training scenarios that Alice knew best and loved most.

Numbers were no longer abstract symbols, but:

They were closely tied to the number of each sword swing, the success rate of each block, the time needed to complete a specific task, and even the choice and combination of weapons.

Reading and writing practice likewise took on more vivid and interesting forms:

Recording daily training reflections, reading simple illustrated sword manuals, or writing challenging "letters of challenge"—mostly for Ghislaine or Cui Ciyou!

This entirely new teaching method of "turning words into images" and "teaching through fun" produced immediate results.

Cui Ciyou thought, This method really was well suited for students like Alice.

Alice's interest in learning was stirred as never before.

Alice no longer regarded the afternoon cultural classes as a heavy burden.

Instead, because they incorporated the swordsmanship elements she loved, she became exceptionally proactive and enthusiastic.

Though she still encountered considerable difficulty in understanding those abstract mathematical concepts.

With concrete combat scenarios to rely on, as well as Ghislaine, a fellow "sufferer" who was learning alongside her.

Her sense of frustration noticeably decreased, replaced by a competitive desire to "complete the task" and "win the challenge" through her own efforts.

After a month, it was not only Alice whose arithmetic and reading-and-writing skills had visibly improved.

At the very least, Alice could now calculate basic addition and subtraction within ten quite proficiently.

And she could also write quite a few common words, albeit in a crooked scrawl.

Even Ghislaine, the Sword King who could be called an "elderly illiterate," had, under Alice's invisible "encouragement" and Cui Ciyou's patient, repeated explanations, stumblingly mastered basic addition and subtraction as well as dozens of common Human Common Tongue words!

Looking at his two students:

One an active, lively child, the other a quiet "older" auditor, both making gratifying progress in their respective areas.

Or, more accurately, in their respective weak areas of knowledge.

Cui Ciyou also felt, for once, a small sense of accomplishment... as a teacher.