Lu Yun puffed out his chest, "Of course we won! As soon as Tie Ge, Tu Shu, and Shui Shu's socks were brought out, they instantly made my classmates' foot odor pale in comparison. The gap in strength between the two was more than just a little."
Everyone burst into laughter. While winning in such a way wasn't something to be proud of, they all felt a sense of shared pride.
Lu Ye glanced meaningfully at Tie, Tu, and Shui, hoping they would take this as a warning and pay more attention to foot hygiene in the future, to avoid cultivating unpleasant odors.
However, Tie, Tu, and Shui were instead thinking about whether they should continue to persevere and strive to become invincible with their foul foot odor.
Bai Sheng eyed the three with hopeful expressions and knew Lu Ye's intentions were in vain. After dinner, she would have to remind them directly to bathe and change their shoes and socks daily.
Her people must maintain good hygiene.
If they could win a foot odor competition just with their socks, what would happen if their actual feet were involved?
Bai Sheng then looked at the disheveled and grimy Wu Wa, "You few, come and eat first. Stay after dinner, I have something to discuss with you."
"Yes, sister-in-law (teacher's wife, eldest madam)!" Wu Wa happily agreed and joined them at the dining table. Since sister-in-law said so, Big Brother probably wouldn't spank them.
After the meal, Bai Sheng asked Lu Tie, Lu Tu, and Lu Shui to stay as well, while the others quickly departed, including Lu Ye.
Foot odor was difficult to conceal, hence difficult to keep private, but the cause of foot odor was definitely private.
Bai Sheng secretly gave herself a thumbs-up in her heart; she deeply respected others' privacy.
As everyone left, they all looked at Tie, Tu, and Shui with smiles and a hint of amusement in their eyes.
Bai Sheng sat at the head of the table, with Wu Wa sitting to the side.
Looking at Tie, Tu, and Shui standing side-by-side, feeling uneasy, Bai Sheng cleared her throat and said, "Uh, that, Tie, Tu, Shui, today, though your socks helped Little Yun win the foot odor competition.
However, I still require you to bathe and change clothes daily, wash your hair frequently, change shoes and socks often, and pay attention to personal hygiene to avoid getting sick." Moreover, it would also have less impact on the surrounding environment. Bai Sheng inwardly felt for Yang Ming, Lu Tong, and Jin Mu.
Lu Yun and Wu Wa exchanged glances, both lowering their heads in embarrassment. It was their lie that had put Tie, Tu, and Shui in an awkward situation.
"Yes, Master," Lu Tie replied, blushing. If he washed his feet and changed his socks daily, his feet should be more fragrant than Lu Tong's.
Lu Tu also felt his old face heat up and replied with a "yes." Ah, at his age, he had no wife to manage him, so he was a bit willful about personal hygiene.
The twenty-something Lu Shui became anxious and hurriedly explained, "Replying to Master, this subordinate bathes and changes clothes daily, washes my feet... very diligently, and changes my socks every day. This subordinate... never expected to win the foot odor competition even with this."
Wu Wa felt even more guilty at this moment, and they all silently apologized to Uncle Lu Shui in their hearts. It was all their fault for making Uncle Lu Shui think his foot odor was invincible.
Hearing Lu Shui's words, Bai Sheng suddenly recalled a young boy she and Lu Ye had met in Yuan Qing Huang Country last year. The boy was named Da Li, and he also had incredibly foul-smelling feet; even from ten meters away, the odor was still strong. The experience was still vivid in her memory.
Bai Sheng couldn't help but smile and gently asked, "Shui, do your feet have any signs of blisters, itching, festering, or peeling?"
Lu Shui immediately shook his head, "Replying to Master, there are none at all."
Bai Sheng hummed, "Oh. So, Lu Shui is naturally prone to 'Hong Kong feet.' This is not something he can control."
"Shui, I will give you some odor-eliminating and fragrant medicinal herbs tomorrow. You can soak your feet in them. If they still smell afterward, it won't be your fault, and you don't need to worry about it."
Lu Shui's face lit up with joy, "Yes, thank you, Master."
"Alright, you three can go and rest now," Bai Sheng said to them.
After the three left, Bai Sheng turned to Lu Yun and the other few, "You five, come here."
Wu Wa lowered their heads and stood in a line in front of Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng's smile faded, and she said earnestly, "All along, I have hoped that you would grow into the people you wish to be, not the people your elders expect you to be. Therefore, I have given you the most relaxed environment to grow. I won't inquire about what you did today; I believe none of you would do anything evil or wrong.
However, no matter what you do, you must prioritize your own safety and the safety of your family. Do you understand?"
"We understand," Wu Wa replied one after another.
Bai Sheng looked at their dirty, wrinkled clothes and the scraped skin on their foreheads and necks, her voice softening, "Before you sleep tonight, all five of you must properly reflect on what you did today and learn from your experiences. Otherwise, you will suffer losses again when similar situations arise in the future."
"We understand, sister-in-law," Lu Yun answered, taking the lead, to prevent his younger brothers from bursting out and revealing the truth.
Bai Sheng waved at them, "Alright, hurry back, wash up, and get some rest early."
"Okay, sister-in-law (teacher's wife, eldest madam)!" Wu Wa's spirits instantly lifted, and they scurried out.
Heng Heng chimed in Bai Sheng's mind, "Master, I think these little fellows are definitely lying. Should I go to their room and eavesdrop?" Their rooms should be within a 200-meter radar range.
Bai Sheng flatly refused, "No! Heng Heng, didn't I tell you? It's forbidden to spy on family privacy in their rooms! If I catch you looking or listening around in someone else's room, I'll give you a big demerit."
"Ah, no, Master, absolutely no demerits! I will never eavesdrop or peek; I respect family privacy!"
Heng Heng didn't know why, but every time Master praised it, it felt so good it wanted to fly. Moreover, its hearing, sight, intelligence, and dexterity would improve, and it would become… as handsome as a jade tree.
However, if Master gave it a demerit, saying it hadn't done something well, it would feel chest tightness, a dull mind, and a loss of spirit.
It suspected that it advanced through Master's recognition and praise. Although it didn't know what it would eventually evolve into, it understood one thing: if it lost Master's recognition, it would slowly degenerate and become more and more like a pig.
Wu Wa first went to the east courtyard to apologize to Tie, Tu, and Shui, their attitudes very sincere.
Tie, Tu, and Shui stated that they hadn't gone to complain to the elder, they had only mentioned San Gou Zi.
Wu Wa said that it was fine to mention San Gou Zi; it was their fault as five.
Before leaving, Tie, Tu, and Shui repeatedly cautioned that if Wu Wa needed stinky socks again, they must notify them ten days in advance to prepare, because they would be washing their feet daily from now on.
Back in their room, after washing up, Wu Wa lay comfortably on the large communal bed.
Lu Yun reclined, resting the back of his head on his arm, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, and said languidly, "Brothers, do you still remember what sister-in-law just said?"
Tie Zhu half-turned, his eyes wide, and asked, "Does Eldest Madam already know we went for revenge?"