Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 48 The Master's Advice

As time passed, autumn turned to winter, and the old locust tree outside the window of Qingyang Academy had shed its last withered leaf, with a few layers of frost hanging on its branches.

Before we knew it, the twelfth lunar month had arrived, and the time had finally come to reveal the answer to Class C's year-long rigorous early childhood education.

As early as a month ago, Master Zhao sent a letter to Lu Family Village, inviting the head of the household to come to the school at the end of the year.

The atmosphere inside the schoolhouse was tense that day.

For the first time ever, Master Zhao did not have everyone recite the classics. Instead, he distributed a blank sheet of paper with only one line of text as the title:

"Try to describe the scenery of a rural village in the dead of winter, striving for clear and fluent writing and appropriate depiction."

This is to see if these children, after recognizing a thousand characters and learning couplets, can truly wield their pens skillfully.

Inside the schoolhouse, some people were scratching their heads and looking at the crows outside the window, while others had bitten deep teeth marks on their pen holders.

Lu Chuan unfolded the paper, pondered for a moment, and then his pen fell like flowing water.

He didn't write those clichéd phrases like "a bountiful harvest after a timely snowfall" that he had read in books. Instead, he used the winter in the village as a backdrop: he wrote about the medicinal herb fields that were soaked through with frost, the white breath exhaled by the old ox, and the faint life flowing beneath the frozen river.

The words he writes are clearly structured, progressing from barrenness to flourishing, from stillness to movement.

This keen observational ability was precisely what Master Zhao valued most.

After the exam papers were handed in, Master Zhao worked through the night to mark them up.

The list was posted the following day.

Lu Chuan unsurprisingly topped the "A" category with his short essay, which was "broad in scope and substantial in content."

The real highlight took place in the side room.

Master Zhao gathered the invited parents together, including Lu Dehuang and Lu Shouye, who nervously rubbed their calloused hands.

Master Zhao, without any formalities, went straight to the point:

"Fellow villagers, a year of primary schooling is not only about children learning to read, but also about me learning to judge character. The door to the imperial examinations may be knocked on by anyone, but very few can actually push it open."

His gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, his expression solemn and calm: "The imperial examinations are not only mentally taxing, but also financially costly. Pens, ink, paper, and inkstones are the fire, and the tuition fees year after year are the firewood. Without exceptional aptitude, forcing them to study will not only cause suffering for the children, but will also be a devastating blow to your families."

Master Zhao sighed and offered the most practical advice:

"After careful consideration, I have found that some students do not have a high aptitude for reading. It would be better to transfer them to Class B after the new year to specialize in counting rods, writing, and contracts."

"In the future, I can make a living by working as an accountant in the city or by taking the civil service exam. If my family doesn't have enough money, forcing myself to take the imperial examinations will likely be counterproductive and I'll end up losing both my money and my life."

These words were like a bucket of ice water, waking up several parents who had been hoping their children would become successful.

A year of private schooling alone costs enough to make a farming family wince in terms of the cost of Xuan paper and ink sticks, not to mention the subsequent study of the classics.

However, in this era where "all other pursuits are considered inferior," many parents still stubbornly choose to persist:

"Master, my child may be a little slow, but if I support him for another two years, what if he gets lucky and passes the imperial examination?"

"We'll sell everything we own to support him... For generations, our village has been hoping for someone to wear a long gown."

Hearing these simple yet stubborn words, Master Zhao gently shook his head.

He wasn't looking down on anyone, but the cruelty of the imperial examination system far exceeded his imagination.

When it was Lu Dehuang's and Lu Shouye's turn, a genuine smile finally appeared on Master Zhao's stern face.

"Uncle Lu, Shouye, I won't hide Lu Chuan's situation from you," Master Zhao said solemnly. "This boy's talent and comprehension are the best I've ever seen in my life. What's even more remarkable is his ability to apply what he's learned to other situations. He even ranked first in this assessment."

He lowered his voice, his tone more solemn than ever before:

"After the new year begins, I will personally guide him in studying the Four Books. This is not only the foundation for the imperial examinations, but also the beginning of a painstaking and costly undertaking. The road ahead will not be as simple as just learning to read; you must be prepared."

When Lu Shouye, this honest and kind man, heard that his son had received such high praise from the teacher, his eyes welled up with tears. He could only say in a strained voice, "Yes, I will definitely provide it. Teacher, please rest assured, even if I have to sell my bones, it won't stop Chuan'er from studying."

Lu Dehuang took a deep breath and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting:

"Master, I, Lu Deshou, hereby swear that as long as Chuan'er can read, the entire Lu family will tighten our belts and provide for him, and we will never fail to repay your kindness in nurturing me."

Looking at Lu Dehuang's hands, which were covered with cracks from years of hard work, Master Zhao couldn't help but feel a slight stirring in his heart.

As a teacher, he had seen too many fanatical parents, but the Lu family, with their reverence for the land and their clear-headed and resolute determination to change their fate, was truly rare.

"Alright." Master Zhao nodded, took out a pre-prepared reading list from his sleeve, and gently pushed it in front of Lu Dehuang. "Since that's the case, then I must say something unpleasant beforehand. The study of the Four Books is not like elementary school where you have to memorize everything. In addition to understanding the meaning of the classics, you also need a lot of policy essays and commentaries as supplementary materials."

"Although the school has copies of these books, if Lu Chuan wants to truly understand them, it would be best if he could have his own notes and unique copies."

He paused, his tone becoming more practical: "This means that the cost of writing materials after the start of the year may be three times what it is now."

Lu Dehuang took the thin book list; the book titles on it felt like a heavy brick.

But he did not back down. Instead, he carefully folded it and tucked it into his bosom, close to his chest.

"Don't worry, Master, the medicinal herb fields in the village are almost ready for harvest. As long as Chuan'er can learn, the village will absolutely support him." Lu Deshou's voice was not loud, but it was firm and resolute.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Dehuang and Lu Shouye left the room.

Walking along the corridor, Lu Shouye still felt a little unsteady on his feet. He wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes and said with a simple smile to his sixth uncle, "Sixth Uncle, did you hear that? The teacher said our Chuan'er is outstanding. Although I don't understand what that means, judging from the tone, he's definitely much better than that guy from the next village who failed the preliminary exam three times."

Lu Dehuang wasn't as optimistic as him; his expression became more somber: "Shouye, the Master is laying it all out for us. We need to hurry back to the village and inform the clan."

"If we're going to make offerings, we have to do it properly. We can't let Chuan'er follow in other people's footsteps just because of a few pieces of paper or a piece of ink."

The two arrived at the back gate of the school and saw Lu Chuan squatting in a corner, drawing something in the snow with a dry twig.

"Chuan'er!" Lu Shouye took a few quick steps and placed his large hand on his son's shoulder, the force so strong that Lu Chuan's body swayed.

Lu Chuan looked up: "Father, Sixth Uncle. Has the Master finished speaking with you?"

"That's all, that's everything!" Lu Shouye grinned, wanting to praise his son, but afraid that the child would become arrogant, he held back for a long time and only managed to say one sentence: "The teacher said that you will be studying those Four Books in the future, so we should save more money."