novelAbuy 0034 [The Hope of the Whole Village]
0034 [The Hope of the Whole Village]
Xu Lai went back to his room to find the manuscript of "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects," and casually inquired about the school: "How many students are there at the Guangzhou Prefectural School?"
"I don't know." Yang Shu's answer was unexpected.
Xu Lai pressed further, "Approximately how much?"
Yang Shu explained in detail: "Some scholars from particularly wealthy families would study at the state school for one or two years, or even just a few months, before leaving to study at private academies in other places. But as long as they returned on time to take the exams, they would still be considered state students and would have the opportunity to enter the Imperial Academy through the state school."
Xu Lai finally understood: student registration being held by someone else!
Yang Shu continued, "Some scholars couldn't afford to attend the academy, but they couldn't learn anything at the state school, so they traveled around studying. They shamelessly mooched food, drinks, and books, and when they were starving, they copied books for others to earn money. If these scholars returned every year to take the annual examination, they wouldn't be expelled from the state school and would have a chance to enter the Imperial Academy."
Can you really travel on a shoestring budget while studying abroad?
Xu Lai brought out "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects": "How many students studied at the state school for a long time? And how many lived at the state school?"
Yang Shu roughly estimated: "There are about two hundred students who stay at the state school long-term, and there are probably only a few dozen boarding students. Of course, the non-local students are not included in the count; they study at the state school outside the city, which is separate from the state school inside the city."
"Is there anything in the dormitory that you don't need to bring with you?" Xu Lai asked again.
Yang Shu said, "The dormitory only has tables, chairs, bed frames, wardrobes, and oil lamps. The bed frames are covered with a layer of straw, and you need to bring your own mats and quilts. You also need to buy your own lamp oil and wicks. And you need to bring your own buckets and basins."
"Understood." Xu Lai didn't ask any more questions.
Yang Shu buried himself in reading the manuscript of "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects" and found that the opening chapter was Xu Lai's new interpretation, which was more detailed than what he had written during their previous conversation.
Moreover, there's a lot of content!
Pick any one of these passages and Yang Shu would have enough to ponder for a long time.
[At thirty, one stands firm. The commentaries merely state that this signifies having achieved something. I believe this interpretation is inadequate. "Achievement" refers to the completion of one's studies or the accomplishment of a single task. Simply stopping at one task does not constitute standing firm. Standing firm means establishing oneself firmly between heaven and earth, with a resolute will and consistent actions, unmoved by external things. These external things include wealth, poverty, power, and so on… "No longer confused" means understanding this principle. One can align with the East or the West, understanding the middle way… Knowing one's destiny is the ultimate state of "no longer confused," understanding the reasons behind things…]
Upon reading this, Yang Shu couldn't help but gasp.
Thirty is the age of establishing oneself, forty is the age of no longer being confused, fifty is the age of knowing one's destiny... Is this really how it should be understood?
It connects the Book of Rites and Mencius!
Yang Shu asked curiously, "Brother, you haven't studied the Book of Rites or Mencius yet, have you?"
Xu Lai casually made up a story: "I remember bits and pieces from when I used to eavesdrop at the village school. But I never really studied properly, so it's all very unrefined."
Just because someone overheard bits and pieces of the Book of Rites and Mencius, they actually used them to explain the Analects? And the explanation was even presented as reasonable.
In that instant, Yang Shu felt incredibly stupid; he realized he wasn't cut out for studying.
The gap between people is just too big!
After reading the manuscript section by section, Yang Shu was already in a daze. He didn't know whether to believe Xu Lai's new interpretation or the Song Dynasty textbook "The Analects with Commentary".
My brain feels like it's about to explode.
After a dazed lunch, Yang Shu took a while to recover and dared not discuss academic matters with Xu Lai anymore.
He pointed to Tian Chunlan, who was weaving, and asked, "Does your village still use waist looms?"
"Hmm, the villagers have seen those foot-operated looms down the mountain, but no one is willing to teach them how to weave them," Xu Lai asked. "Are foot-operated looms very complicated? Could the carpenters in the mountains replicate them?"
Yang Shu said, "There are many parts to weaving, but if you compare it with the real thing, it is very easy for a carpenter to imitate it."
Xu Lai made up his mind that once he had money, he would hire a woman from outside the mountains to teach the mountain people more advanced weaving techniques.
There are many kudzu vines in the mountains, which can be used as raw materials for weaving cloth.
After using foot-operated looms, villagers' incomes have increased significantly—weaving efficiency has increased five to ten times.
After chatting for a while, Yang Shu got up to say goodbye.
"It's getting late, brother, why don't you leave tomorrow?" Xu Lai urged.
Yang Shu said, "On my way back, I will be traveling by merchant ship the whole way, and I will have to follow the ship owner's schedule."
"I'll see my two elder brothers off." Xu Lai didn't insist on keeping them any longer.
After seeing him off to the village entrance, Yang Shu said, "Brother, stop here. Don't see me off any further. We'll meet again at the prefectural school."
Xu Lai clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Take care, both of you."
"Take care." Yang Shu returned the greeting, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and turned to stride away.
His clansman Yang Huan also clasped his hands in farewell and left carrying his spear.
The two left the valley and walked along the foot of the mountain. Near Yinshabu, they hired a boat from the Tanka people and arrived in the county town after dark.
Merchant ships docked at the South City Wharf.
Yang Shu bought some food and returned to the cabin, giving the silver ingot back to his brother.
"He refuses to accept it?" Yang Xun asked, somewhat surprised.
"Mm." Yang Shu nodded.
Yang Xun sighed with emotion: "I underestimated him. With such character, talent, and ability to handle affairs, if he passes the imperial examination, he will surely achieve great things! You must befriend this man."
Yang Shu took off his iron sword, hard bow, and short spear, and neatly placed them one by one at the head of the bed: "My friendship with Xu Sanlang is not based on his achievements. He can flatter eunuchs for me, and I regard him as a brother."
"That's how it should be," Yang Xun laughed, then said regretfully, "What a pity, Sixth Sister is already engaged, otherwise Xu Sanlang would be a good match. Fourth Uncle's Seventh Sister will be thirteen (by Chinese reckoning) next year, perhaps we could try to match them up."
Yang Shu thought for a moment: "I can sound him out. But to be honest, Qi Niang is not good enough for him."
Yang Xun laughed, "Fourth Uncle's family owns over two hundred acres of land, and Seventh Aunt has been educated since childhood. Aren't they a good match for a country boy? I know Xu Sanlang has a bright future, but that's a matter for the future. It's difficult for people from Guangdong to pass the imperial examinations. Even if Xu Sanlang is exceptionally talented, it's still too late for him to start studying. If he only passes the examinations at forty, can his family afford to support him?"
That's the truth; the imperial examinations were very expensive.
“Brother, you don’t understand,” Yang Shu said. “Once Xu Sanlang enters the state school, he will surely become a prominent figure, and many wealthy families in Guangzhou will be vying to take him as their son-in-law.”
Yang Xun laughed heartily: "You have a discerning eye for talent, treating Xu Sanlang like a treasure, but others wouldn't do the same. The vast majority of people in this world are actually blind."
Yang Shu stopped speaking.
Yang Shu never saw Xu Sanlang standing at the bow of the boat reciting poetry, a scene that his elder brother could not forget.
His elder brother had not read Xu Sanlang's "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects," but those manuscripts had a tremendous intellectual impact on Yang Shu.
In Yang Shu's mind, Xu Sanlang was an exceptionally talented man, and there was no one else like him in the entire Guangdong province.
Yang Xun toyed with the silver ingot: "Although I sold nearly a hundred acres of land this time, I finally managed to secure a military post. The envoy kept his word and was indeed willing to help with a few dozen taels of silver. If you still can't pass the imperial examination, I'll raise money to send you to Nan Jian Prefecture when I have more money."
Nan Jianzhou refers to the area around Nanping and Sanming in Fujian Province, a place with a flourishing literary culture and a large number of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).
The Guangzhou State School is dilapidated, and its teaching quality is truly worrying.
And what about the state school of Nan Jian Prefecture?
The school boasted a distinguished faculty and strictly implemented a system of separate classrooms for instruction. A special classroom was established for teaching subjects such as military strategy, water conservancy, and law. There was even an archery range on campus for teachers and students to practice archery.
The scholars of Fujian were fiercely competitive, and the imperial examinations were like hell for them!
Yang Shu shook his head slightly: "My family doesn't have much money left, and studying in another place is too expensive. I'm afraid that if I don't pass the exam, my whole family will be ruined because of me. Let's not talk about Nan Jianzhou anymore. I will definitely study harder."
……
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Uncle Zhang and Bu Chao are probably very busy; they didn't go back to the village for the Spring Festival. I wonder if they received overtime pay.
On New Year's Eve, Xu Lai's family killed another chicken and stewed it with soaked bamboo shoots and mushrooms. They also ate white rice, which was quite rare for them.
The damselfly ate with grease dripping from her mouth, sucking on her chopsticks as she said, "I wish every day could be New Year's Day."
Hearing this, the whole family laughed.
Xu Lai asked, "How many of the characters I taught you do you still remember?"
The damselfly traced patterns on the table with her finger: "People, mouths, hands, sun, moon, mountains, water... I remember so many!"
"What is three plus two?" Xu Lai asked again.
The damselfly blurted out, "Five."
Xu Lai asked again, "What about five plus six?"
The damselfly started counting on her fingers, and after a while said, "Eleven!"
Bu Erniang said happily, "Douniang can write and do arithmetic now. She can manage the household after she gets married."
The damselfly asked, "Can the steward eat delicious food every day?"
"Hahaha!"
The family burst into laughter upon hearing this.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the father, Xu Yongnian, went back into the house and came out with a basket of copper coins: "The whole village has contributed a full string of coins for you. The family has also prepared a hundred coins for you. Don't think it's too little; you still need to save money for spring plowing and buying silkworm eggs."
Looking at those copper coins, Xu Lai didn't know what to say.
He didn't plan to bring too much money; just enough to take a boat to Guangzhou would suffice. He could eat dry rations along the way and sleep in the abandoned Dinglin Temple before enrolling in school.
After enrolling in school, I'll find opportunities to earn money on my own.
Even if I can't earn money in a short time, does the school think I'll starve? I can just shamelessly mooch meals from the cafeteria.
Xu Lai never expected that the villagers would actually pool their money to help him.
He recalled China in the early 90s, when a college student came from his village. The villagers pooled their resources, putting together five cents and several dollars to support the student's education.
I never expected that after time-traveling, I would encounter this situation.
Xu Lai did not refuse and silently carried the copper coins back to his bedroom.
He refused the silver offered by Yang Shu because he couldn't accept the money from the sale of the land; he would feel guilty if he did, and he didn't know how to repay him in the future.
But the villagers' good intentions could not be refused.
The only thing we can do is earn money as soon as possible so that every woman in the village can use a foot-operated loom!
Night falls.
Xu Lai couldn't sleep no matter what he did, so he took a stool and went out.
He sat in his own courtyard, looking at the outline of the distant mountains, a myriad of thoughts surging in his mind.
There were no firecrackers, and no Spring Festival Gala.
In the quiet mountain village, the Lunar New Year's Eve passed peacefully.
The calmness made him uneasy.
Just like a fierce tiger lying in a desolate hill, concealing its claws and teeth and enduring hardship!
……
The days passed by.
From New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, only half a month has passed, and Xu Lai's mood has become increasingly restless.
He was a little impatient.
Only by going to Guangzhou could he read more books and find opportunities to make money.
The whole village saw me off on the day I left home.
The villagers not only pooled their money to give him a string of cash, but some also gave him dry food and boiled eggs, just like sending a college student to study.
Xu Lai stood silently at the village entrance, looking at the crowd waving at him, his words stuck in his throat.
This was something he had never experienced in his previous life.
His parents were both middle school teachers. Although their salaries were not high, they were not worried about food and drink.
He studied diligently from a young age, and also enrolled in several inexpensive extracurricular classes, such as calligraphy, Go, and sketching. But when he entered high school, he abandoned all his extracurricular interests and was forced to do more practice problems every day.
In high-rise residential areas, there's little sense of community; people only greet each other when they encounter neighbors.
But at this moment, facing the ragged villagers, he truly felt that he was the hope of the entire village.
The Lantern Festival had just passed, and the villagers took off their decent clothes, saving them for future festivals. They wouldn't wear even a single good garment, but they were willing to pool their money to support his education.
Xu Lai silently bowed deeply to everyone, then slung his basket over his shoulder and picked up his load.
He had a lot of luggage.
Straw mats, quilts, mosquito nets, changes of clothes, and even a raincoat.
That raincoat was used to protect the books from the rain.
Bathed in the early spring sunshine, Xu Lai, carrying a load on his back and leaning on a bamboo cane, slowly descended the mountain.
"Third Uncle, Third Uncle!"
Suddenly, the damsel burst into tears and chased after him, wanting to go to Guangzhou with him.
The little girl cried and chased after him all the way, but was carried back by her grandfather before they left the valley.
Bu Erniang went home early and secretly wiped away her tears in her room. She was afraid that her son would go on a long trip and never come back.
Xu Lai walked out of the valley and found himself in a wide-open space.
His mood improved, he shook off his earlier emotions, and slowly walked along the country road.