Chapter 54: Household Chores

Sun Shan wrote a character and pronounced it using the capital mandarin accent, which Yang Qingbei beside him would repeat, and eventually, all three of them were reading and writing simultaneously. Whenever they encountered a character whose pronunciation they were unsure of, they would consult one another.

When the tutor called for everyone to enter the classroom, the three boys could read all twenty-four characters fluently.

Master Zheng said approvingly, "Not bad. You can read everything taught yesterday and today. Now, I will ask some questions. Sun Shan, explain the meaning of: 'Of old, Mencius's mother chose a neighborhood; when her son would not learn, she cut the weaving shuttle.'"

Even without Master Zheng's instruction, Sun Shan understood this well. He recounted the story of Mencius's mother moving three times and summarized it: "Master, this teaches us three things. First, a person must draw close to good people, affairs, and things in order to cultivate good habits. Second, one's environment can alter personal preferences and habits. Third, the three of us must study diligently to foster a fine academic atmosphere within our schoolroom."

Master Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "Well said. Not only do you grasp the text's essence, but you also apply it to your own lives and understand what actions to take."

After a brief pause, he addressed the three students, "Sun Shan's explanation is excellent. The three of you should study diligently, strive for excellence, and lead by example to influence others. Foster a vibrant academic atmosphere in the schoolroom so that your interest in learning will only grow."

De Geer and Yang Qingbei indicated that they understood.

Master Zheng then called upon De Geer to stand and asked, "What is the meaning of: 'If not taught, the nature changes; the proper way of teaching values absolute concentration'?"

De Geer scratched his head and stammered, "Once upon a time, there was a mischievous troublemaker named Li Bai who was ignorant, playful, and disliked studying. He saw an old woman grinding an iron rod and asked her what she was doing. The woman replied that she was grinding the iron rod into an embroidery needle. Upon hearing this, Li Bai was deeply ashamed and from then on studied diligently. This shows that children must be properly taught; without proper instruction, they will go astray. Furthermore, education must be persistent and patient, pursued with unwavering dedication. Whatever one does, one must apply a single-minded focus to succeed."

Upon hearing this, Master Zheng nodded and said, "Not bad. You have grasped both the story and its underlying meaning."

He then questioned Yang Qingbei in turn.

After a round of questions and answers, Master Zheng announced, "That is all for today. Return home, write down everything we learned yesterday and today on paper, and hand it to me tomorrow."

The three boys nodded, stood up, and respectfully bowed to see Master Zheng off.

Before the bell signaling the end of the school day could ring, Sun Shan and his companions remained in the classroom to continue studying. Before departing, they read through yesterday's and today's lessons one more time.

As soon as the resonant chimes echoed, De Geer’s straight posture instantly slumped like a deflated balloon, and he murmured weakly, "Shanzi, my hands are so sore, and I'm so tired."

Whose hands weren't sore? Whose body wasn't tired? Studying was arduous labor, especially when repeated year after year, day after day.

Sun Shan, having experienced the formidable gauntlet of modern college entrance examinations, understood the hardships all too well. It was precisely because of that past experience that he appreciated the true value of education even more.

Especially now, he was fortunate to be born into a family that could secure three square meals, possessed a little disposable income, and had him as an only child.

All the family's resources could be concentrated on him without requiring him to first fight his way out of a crowd of siblings just to take a step further.

No matter what, Sun Shan was resolved to study diligently.

The three boys packed their belongings, walked over to the kitchen, retrieved their lunchboxes, and bade farewell to Uncle Zheng, the gatekeeper.

As soon as they stepped outside the school gates, Sun Bomin was already waiting there.

He hurried forward, took the lunchbox and slate from Sun Shan's hands, and asked solicitously, "Shanzi, how were your lessons today?"

Sun Shan raised his head and replied earnestly, "Father, the tutor taught very well, and I understood everything."

He said goodbye to Yang Qingbei, whose escort had not yet arrived.

Sun Bomin led Sun Shan and De Geer away first. As for Guang Geer, Yong Geer, and Qing Geer from the intermediate class, they were older and able to return home on their own.

Once they were a hundred paces away from the school, De Geer finally dared to speak aloud, "Uncle, studying is so hard! Even after the tutor taught us, I still couldn't read some parts, and the characters are so difficult to write. I practiced all afternoon and still couldn't get them right."

After a string of complaints, he tilted his head up and said, "Uncle, Shanzi is amazing! He understood everything the teacher taught, and he can write them all, too."

Hearing De Geer praise Shanzi, Sun Bomin's heart bloomed with joy, and he asked with a smile, "Did Shanzi really learn all of it?"

De Geer nodded, and before Sun Bomin could finish basking in his joy, added, "Little Qingbei is even more amazing than Shanzi. Not only did he learn everything, but his handwriting is much prettier, too. Even the teacher praised him."

Sun Shan cast a sidelong glance at De Geer. *You really do tell the whole truth, don't you—good and bad alike, you spill it all.*

Sun Bomin's smile froze halfway, and he thought to himself: *How could the son of Landlord Yang possibly compare to my Shanzi? My Shanzi is honest and steady; he looks like a model student at a glance. Landlord Yang is wealthy, so his son must be spoiled and cannot match my Shanzi's easygoing and steadfast nature.*

*Yes, indeed, Shanzi must be better than that Qingbei boy.*

Outwardly, however, he kept a straight face and said, "De Geer, you must work hard as well. If you don't study properly, even if the tutor doesn't cane you, your uncle and auntie certainly will."

De Geer fell silent. *Big Uncle really doesn't know how to talk; he's always going on about being caned. Hmph, I'm never going to get caned by the tutor, nor by Father or Mother.*

After walking for a long while, the three of them finally returned to Sun Family Village.

Sun Bomin led Sun Shan home and parted ways with De Geer.

Stepping into the courtyard and finding it empty, Sun Shan asked, "Father, where are Grandmother, Mother, and the others?"

Sun Bomin set down the lunchbox and small slate with a smile and said, "They've gone to the fields. Go on inside and practice your characters obediently; I'm going to the fields to work as well."

With that, he hurriedly grabbed a hoe from the utility room and carried a pair of baskets on a shoulder pole. Some radishes had been planted in the fields and were ready to be harvested. They would dry some into radish strips to eat during the busy farming season, and they tasted quite good.

Sun Shan acknowledged his words, put away his book box, picked up his slate, and began practicing his characters upon it. When he had practiced enough there, he moved on to writing on paper. The paper prepared by the family had already been ruled into nine-square grids, just like the sample Master Zheng had provided. He had to write his characters strictly within the grids; if any strokes crossed the borders, it proved the work was substandard.

The journey was long and arduous; this was merely the first step toward the imperial examinations, yet even the very beginning was immensely difficult. There were no shortcuts, no secret methods—only endless diligence and day-after-day repetition.

By the time he was able to write formally on paper, the sky was growing dark, and Madam Huang, Sun Bomin, and the others were returning from outside.

Madam Su was carrying a shoulder pole with baskets filled with white radishes.

Lixia was responsible for tending the ox. Upon returning, he first settled the ox in the neighboring shed, then went to the corner where the firewood was stacked, and fetched some rice straw for the ox pen. Although the ox had grazed in the fields all day, it still needed to be fed at night.

Gugu turned to cooking pig swill with Xiaoman and Hanlu. The feed here was mixed with sweet potatoes, sweet potato vines, and tender pig grass.

Every morning, the young girls of the family would go out into the fields to cut grass and bring it back. Sun Shan's family raised two pigs year-round; Sun Bomin believed that raising pigs didn't yield a massive profit, but profit it was nonetheless, and the household could not afford to let resources lie idle.

Seeing Shanzi, Madam Huang asked with maternal affection, "Shanzi, did your schooling go smoothly today?"

Shanzi nodded and replied, "Grandmother, it went very smoothly."

Madam Su set down her baskets of white radishes and asked with concern, "Are you feeling well? Was there enough food?"

After Sun Shan answered each question, Madam Su picked up some chicken feed to feed the poultry.

Sun Shan's family also raised chickens year-round—not to sell, but to nourish Sun Shan's health.

From time to time, they would slaughter one and stew it with red dates, medlar berries, and shiitake mushrooms. It was nutritious, delicious, and far cheaper than buying meat outside.