Chapter 5: The Beauty of the Countryside

Wu Jingcheng had once been considered a promising student in Mr. Xie’s eyes, yet even he needed to recite the text five or six times before he could memorize it. Seeing that Li Yu only required three readings, Wu Jingcheng was genuinely impressed.

He voluntarily switched seats with a classmate sitting next to Li Yu, then bowed to Li Yu with the respectful politeness of a young gentleman.

“My name is Wu Jingcheng. My father is Doctor Wu, who runs a clinic on East Street. My courtesy name is Yunfei, taken from Zhuangzi’s ‘Free and Easy Wandering’: ‘The water strikes three thousand miles, and one who rides the wind soars ninety thousand miles.’ May I ask what your courtesy name is, fellow student Li?”

In this culture, a young man would receive his courtesy name upon reaching adulthood or before taking the imperial examinations. Nowadays, children mostly went by their childhood names, which were akin to pet names.

Li Yu’s childhood name was “Gousheng,” which literally meant “Dog Leftover.” However, he dared not speak it aloud, lest he be mocked for a lifetime.

Better to forge one’s own identity when away from home.

So his mind raced swiftly, and soon he devised a courtesy name for himself: “Siyuan,” inspired by the phrase from The Great Learning, “Think, and then you will be resolute.”

In wealthy families, names were often chosen with humility, while modest households took pride in meaningful origins.

After exchanging courtesy names, the two became fast friends.

At dinner, when the matter was mentioned, Li Gang suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering he had yet to give his own child a courtesy name.

“You’re quite clever, boy. But how did you come to read The Great Learning?”

The Great Learning was studied by youths over fourteen years old, unless one was a prodigy.

Like that old prodigy Xie Huan, who had finished books meant for fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds by the age of twelve.

His parents constantly compared themselves unfavorably to him, and even their teacher’s attitude changed. To the prodigy, the teacher smiled benevolently; to others, he was cold and distant.

Li Yu answered without hesitation, “When I was in the countryside, I heard the clan leader’s son mention it once. He just happened to recall it today.”

Zhang Sanniang was surprised. She didn’t recall the clan leader’s son having much contact with her son.

But being adept at reassuring herself, she guessed Li Yu must have overheard the clan leader’s son reciting, and somehow memorized it.

That her son could remember something just by hearing it—could he be a genius? She immediately fed him a big piece of pork with chopsticks.

“Son, eat more. When you finish, go back and practice your large characters.”

Even in ancient times, there was homework. Li Yu’s assignment today was to write large characters.

Shang, Da Ren, Qiu Yiji, Hua Sanqian, Qi Shi Shi, Er Xiao Sheng, Ba Jiu Zi, Jia Zuo Ren, Ke Zhi Li.

Mr. Xie said that once one could write these characters well, learning the others would be easier.

Of course, it wasn’t expected to finish them all in a day.

One could write two characters a day, each repeated ten or twenty times, then move on once mastered.

Li Gang smiled at his wife, saying, “If Yu’er has such talent, I suppose my little one has some as well.”

“I think you should go home tomorrow and help the child start learning properly. Don’t let his future be delayed.”

“There’s a saying: You can lose many things for your children, but never their education.”

If they could nurture two scholars for the court, it would be a great merit for themselves.

Zhang Sanniang had been waiting for her husband’s words, and readily agreed. Nearby, Li Ying said she wanted to come along.

“Mother, please take me too; I want to see little brother.”

She had never been to the countryside, only imagining it through poetry and books.

There was a verse: “Green trees cluster around the village, blue hills lean beyond the city walls,” and another: “Stepping out the front gate, gazing at wild fields, the moonlight makes the buckwheat blossoms look like snow.”

So beautiful.

She longed to see it for herself.

“All right, you can come.”

Zhang Sanniang patted her stepdaughter’s back affectionately; though not her own, she truly cared for her as if she were.

Thinking that her younger brother could now study, a bright smile lifted Li Yu’s lips.

If he enjoyed life in the city while his brother toiled in the countryside, he would never sleep at ease.

The next day, after class, he politely declined Wu Jingcheng’s invitation and hurried home, eager to learn how things had gone with his brother.

At home, he did not see his mother and went to the kitchen, where he found her wiping tears while speaking with Granny Chen.

Seeing him return, she forced a smile. “Son, you’re back. Go to your room and practice your large characters. Your father will be home soon, and then we will eat.”

Li Yu’s heart sank. He quickly asked if there were troubles with his brother’s schooling.

Zhang Sanniang bit her lip. Her husband said a scholar should not be disturbed by mundane matters; she did not wish to burden her son with such troubles.

Li Yu’s face darkened. “Mother, even if you won’t say it, I can guess what they have done.”

Li Ying was washing her cloth shoes in the backyard. Despite her careful steps, she had still stepped in the Shen family’s chicken, duck, and goose droppings.

The village roads were poor—no carriages could pass.

After the main road, one had to take a narrow path lined with dewy weeds that soaked her new trousers.

Even walking on the ridges between fields, there was no escape from the endless duck and goose droppings.

Poetry lied; the countryside was nowhere near as picturesque as described.

Before Li Yu could ask, Li Ying spoke first.

“Your grandparents aren’t good people at all, not as honest as the other villagers. Their minds are as cunning as those officials in power.”

“Thankfully, they aren’t scholars. If they were, and held office, who knows how much trouble they’d cause.”

It turned out that Old Shen and his wife did not oppose the second son studying, but they believed that if he did, the family would lose a laborer.

That wouldn’t be fair to the other grandchildren, so if the second son was to study, the parents demanded not only tuition and food expenses, but also an annual payment of one tael of silver as compensation.

Li Ying had snapped back, “He’s your grandson, not hers. Why should that matter?”

But they sneered, “Since he is our grandson, we decide. Does the county inspector want to meddle in private matters?”

Li Ying sighed. “My father isn’t short of a tael or two, but your grandparents… surely they can’t treat him as a free spender?”

It was clear they were taking advantage of their family’s wealth.

Though her father was over forty, many young women in the county still wished to marry him. He married her mother for her reputation and ability to bear sons.

But now, she thought, he had brought trouble home.

Though her mother was kind and her brother good, she felt for her father’s frustration.

The county inspector held modest power, yet even the local magistrate showed him respect, and still these unreasonable rascals bullied him.

Seeing Li Yu’s eyes redden, she softened and quietly apologized.

“I’m not angry at you, please don’t take it personally.”

That second son was pitiful, too. When they arrived, he was in the back of the house gathering firewood, dragging a basket bigger than himself down the hill.

At four years old, she was still nestled in her father’s arms, asking for candied hawthorns.

But the second son was filthy, his trousers smeared with droppings that he refused to change.

He said rural children weren’t precious; cow dung could serve as a pillow.

If not for their seniority, she would have spat on them.

“I know, Sister Ying, you go on with your work. I’ll go back to practice my large characters.”

Li Yu understood she wasn’t angry with him, but as he turned away, tears slipped down his cheeks.

He hadn’t cried once as a beast of burden in the modern world, but in this ancient time, he found himself unable to hold back tears from time to time.

Clenching his fists tightly, he resolved to find a way—he would not let those two old people bully them so.