In the blink of an eye, time had flown from the harsh winter of snow and wind outside the window to the vibrant May of warbling orioles in green trees, and the sound of reading continued to echo in the private school.
In the study, Zhan Feiyu, who was practicing calligraphy, put down her brush, stood up, and said with a respectful yet not overly warm attitude, "Stepmother."
Madam Wang looked at the fair-skinned and delicate Zhan Feiyu with a cold eye, admitting that she had misjudged the girl. The young lady had fair and tender skin, and her clear eyes exuded intelligence, her appearance being both elegant and noble.
Now only eight years old, Madam Wang could imagine that in ten years, after shedding her baby fat and childishness, she would undoubtedly be a peerless beauty.
"Little Yu, you are so intelligent, you must understand why your tutor does not accept you as a disciple, but only refers to himself as an enlightenment tutor," Madam Wang's clear and cold voice carried a hint of resentment.
She hadn't expected Madam Li to reject her marriage proposal. No, more accurately, Zhan Feiyu was unwilling to marry Yuan'er!
Her own handsome son was being looked down upon by a little country girl. If it weren't for her pride, Madam Wang would have really wanted to ask these mother and daughter who they thought they were, to dare to disdain her son!
"Little Yu understands the tutor's good intentions," Zhan Feiyu nodded.
Tutor Lin knew his knowledge was shallow. He could teach what was tested in the county and prefectural examinations, but he was powerless for the academy examination. In his own academy examination back then, his ranking was only in the middle.
Now, so many years had passed, and all his energy was focused on teaching students. He hadn't written a well-crafted essay in a long time. If she were to become his disciple and establish a master-disciple relationship, Zhan Feiyu would not be able to seek a renowned teacher later.
Tutor Lin hoped that Zhan Feiyu would find a great scholar to be her teacher after the provincial examination. Not only could this teacher guide her in the imperial examinations, but whether she continued with the imperial examinations or pursued academic research, she would at least have a teacher to protect her.
Looking at the calm Zhan Feiyu, Madam Wang felt inexplicably agitated. Her expression darkened, and she said, "Your tutor and I only have Yuan'er as our child. If you are grateful, you should agree to this marriage. Then, when your tutor and I return to the underworld, we will not have to worry about Yuan'er!"
Lin Xiuyuan's weak health was one thing, and his temperament was too gentle. Madam Wang worried that if she married him to a woman with a strong personality, the wife would overpower the husband, and Lin Xiuyuan would not be able to control her.
But if she found a gentle and soft-spoken woman as his wife, Madam Wang worried that the couple would be bullied together.
Especially since Tutor Lin had enmity with Scholar Zhang. If Lin Xiuyuan truly opened a bookstore in the county in a few years, Madam Wang could not rest in peace knowing how ruthless and cunning Scholar Zhang was.
"Stepmother, I am the tutor's student. As long as I am alive, I will protect my senior brother," Zhan Feiyu could understand Madam Wang's maternal love, but she could not use her own marriage as a bargaining chip for gratitude.
Hearing this polite refusal, Madam Wang sneered sarcastically, "I naturally believe you, but what about when you get married? With a husband and children, how can you take care of an outsider? One or two years might be fine, but after ten or twenty years, when your tutor and I are dead, you will probably forget all about Yuan'er!"
Madam Wang had one more thing she didn't say: even if she wanted to take care of Yuan'er, would her husband agree? Would her in-laws consent?
As childhood sweethearts, if Zhan Feiyu took care of Yuan'er with intention, and some rumors were to spread, to prove her innocence, she would have to distance herself from Yuan'er to protect herself.
Therefore, Madam Wang felt that the safest method was for Zhan Feiyu to marry Lin Xiuyuan. She had been adopted from the Zhan family last year, and her mother had moved out of the Zhan residence. At such a young age, she was already so cunning and resourceful. Madam Wang would not have to worry about Lin Xiuyuan being bullied after her death.
Moreover, looking at Zhan Feiyu with her chubby cheeks, her physique clearly indicated good health and fertility. If she could give birth to three or five sons after marriage, Madam Wang could rest in peace in the afterlife.
Seeing Madam Wang's obsession, Zhan Feiyu said helplessly, "Stepmother, I cannot agree to the marriage."
Having long anticipated this answer, Madam Wang looked at Zhan Feiyu with icy eyes for a while, then turned and left indifferently. However, judging by the obsession in her eyes, she would not give up easily.
"What is this all about!" Zhan Feiyu said with a distressed face, slumping onto the table as if life had lost its meaning.
Fortunately, she was only eight years old. Otherwise, Zhan Feiyu truly worried about what methods Madam Wang would use to force this marriage.
When Tutor Lin came to the study, Zhan Feiyu had already composed herself. "Tutor."
"Your recent essays have greatly improved," Tutor Lin praised with a smile. In just a few months, Little Yu's essay writing skills had progressed by leaps and bounds.
The opening and elaboration were beyond reproach, as these were her strong points. Now, after reading the entire essay, the framework and structure were impeccable. Only the literary flair still needed further refinement.
Looking at the beaming Zhan Feiyu, Tutor Lin changed the subject and said sternly, "However, you still haven't reached the level required for the imperial examinations. There are time limits for the exams, and you don't know what kind of questions the chief examiner will set. You won't have ample time to ponder and think."
"I know," Zhan Feiyu nodded, accepting the advice.
If ordinary scholars could write a qualifying essay in half an hour, she would need at least an hour, or even more, to draft her thoughts.
Ultimately, it was still due to her insufficient grasp of the Four Books and Five Classics, not being able to recall them at will. If the questions were obscure, strange, or even more perverse "intercepted" questions, then she would have a ninety-nine percent chance of failing.
"It's good that you understand," Tutor Lin was most satisfied with Zhan Feiyu's attitude towards learning. She was never complacent, nor arrogant or impatient, which was unlike a child.
"From today onwards, I will set questions, and you will complete an essay within the specified time," Tutor Lin quickly wrote down the topic: "Someone said to Confucius, 'Why do you not engage in politics?'"
"Tutor, you must have thought of this topic last night," Zhan Feiyu weakly protested, yet she had to answer on the spot. Where was the fairness?
Ignoring the protesting Zhan Feiyu, Tutor Lin lit an incense stick to start the timer, a quick flash of a smile in his eyes. "Alright, I'll be back in half an hour. Hurry up and write!"
"Yes, Tutor," Zhan Feiyu replied crisply. Watching Tutor Lin leave, she stretched out her neck and added, "Tutor, why don't you have lunch early? I'm afraid you'll lose your appetite if you get angry later."
His footsteps paused, and Tutor Lin shook his head with a smile, thinking this girl was becoming more and more unrestrained as she grew older.
The study fell silent, and Zhan Feiyu began to ponder the topic.
This question came from the "Wei Zheng" chapter of the Analects. The original text was: "Someone said to Confucius, 'Why do you not engage in politics?' The Master said, 'The Book of Documents says: Filial piety! Only filial piety, and brotherly love, extend to the government. Why must one hold office to be considered engaged in politics?'"
Translated, it meant: Someone asked Confucius, "Why do you not hold office and participate in politics?" Confucius said, "The Book of Documents says: Filial piety! Only filial piety, and brotherly love, extend to the government. Why must one hold office to be considered engaged in politics?"
Zhan Feiyu touched her nose. The tutor was clearly doing this on purpose. After she was adopted last year, and her mother moved out of the Zhan residence, the tutor had given her an essay on filial piety to write.
Confucius valued filial piety. He believed that filial piety towards parents and brotherly love towards siblings, then extending to relatives, friends, and neighbors... when all relationships were harmonious, the entire society would be peaceful. It was not the only way to participate in politics to hold office.
Time passed slowly, and Zhan Feiyu put down her brush, having missed lunchtime.
Seeing Lin Xiuyuan enter with a food box, Zhan Feiyu's scalp tingled. She picked up her brush again. I can write another essay!
"Little Yu, eat first," Lin Xiuyuan smiled, seeing the girl with a distressed expression, mistaking it for being stumped by the topic.
"Senior brother, I'll eat in the lecture hall." Zhan Feiyu was also hungry, but to avoid being alone with Lin Xiuyuan, she decided to eat in the lecture hall.
Although Shanwazi and the others were a year older, they were still as mischievous as ever. After eating, they ran out of the private school to play.
Zhan Feiyu carried the food box in. Zhu Peng and the others glanced at it but said nothing.
They were still reciting the Collected Annotations of Mencius. Zhan Feiyu had started writing essays last year and would be taking the county examination in February. The gap was too large for them to feel jealous. They were like strangers in a well.
Zhu Peng, walking over, leaned against the table and said to Zhan Feiyu as she ate, "Do you know that Zhan Dalang is going to Scholar Zhang's private school?"
"Scholar Zhang is actually accepting him?" Zhan Feiyu was stunned, inexplicably feeling that there was some conspiracy involved.
After the Chinese New Year, Zhan Dalang couldn't stay at home all the time. Zhan Lao Er no longer went to Scholar Zhang's private school to humiliate himself. He found an old scholar in the county town and sent Zhan Dalang to study there.
The old scholar was pedantic and extremely strict. On Zhan Dalang's first day of studying, his left palm was swollen from the ruler. After that, it was a life of misery.
As lazy as Zhan Dalang was, the old scholar was that strict. If he didn't memorize the text: beat him! If his handwriting was ugly: beat him! If he was late, early, or dozed off: beat him!
Zhan Dalang's left hand never stopped swelling. When he was beaten severely, he started to refuse to go to school. Then the old house became chaotic again. Zhan Feiyu did not expect Zhan Dalang to go to Scholar Zhang's private school.
Zhu Peng did not keep her in suspense. He always remembered Steward Zhu's words about befriending Zhan Feiyu.
"Zhan Dalang is engaged to the youngest daughter of the Xie family from Taifu Restaurant. With Mr. Xie's influence, Scholar Zhang will surely give him some face."
"Taifu Restaurant, the largest in Shangsi County? Zhan Dalang?" Zhan Feiyu's eyes widened, almost thinking she had misheard. "Is the Xie family's youngest daughter very ugly? Disabled? Or has a damaged reputation?"
Zhu Peng burst into laughter. He suddenly felt that Zhan Feiyu was completely different from the scholars he had met. She was not pedantic or arrogant! Her question hit the nail on the head.
"I heard my father say that she is the Xie family's youngest daughter, who was not well-nourished in the womb and is not very bright," Zhu Peng initially thought Mr. Xie was blind, otherwise, why would he choose the arrogant and foolish Zhan Dalang?
A foolish girl! Zhan Feiyu understood and felt it was all rather boring.
How much the Zhan family valued Zhan Dalang, their eldest grandson! His food, clothing, and daily necessities were the best among the children. He was sent to study early, but in the end, he was to marry a foolish girl.
...
While other students were taking their afternoon nap, Zhan Feiyu and Lin Xiuyuan were sitting upright in the study. Both of their essays had been submitted. However, Lin Xiuyuan had spent the entire night writing his, while Zhan Feiyu had completed hers within the allotted half-hour.
After reviewing both essays, Tutor Lin did not comment immediately but asked, "Little Yu, your essays have been improving rapidly. Tell me, how should a good essay be written?"
Yin Wuyan had sent ten volumes of essay model texts, a total of over five hundred essays. Zhan Feiyu had read them three times and analyzed and thought about each one. Although she had only studied the first fifty essays so far.
Zhan Feiyu replied, "Tutor, I believe there are three points: First, the opening and elaboration must not deviate; one must accurately grasp the meaning of the topic."
If the chief examiner is testing on spring flowers, you cannot write about autumn moon. Purposefulness is paramount, which depends on the solidity of one's knowledge of the classics. If one's grasp of the Four Books and Five Classics is not thorough enough, when encountering difficult, obscure, or "intercepted" questions, one will certainly not pass.
"Second: the reasoning must be thorough and elaborated layer by layer. Essays are meant to speak for the sages, so one must not deviate from the principles of Confucius and Mencius. Third: the choice of words and sentence structure must be brilliant and stunning."
After sharing her insights on writing essays, Zhan Feiyu smiled sheepishly at Tutor Lin's gaze, "I have only achieved the first point so far. The second and third points still need refinement."
"It's important to correct deficiencies when you know them," Tutor Lin said gently, and then began to analyze Zhan Feiyu's essay, pointing out areas that needed revision...
When school ended, Zhan Feiyu returned home alone. The plan was still for Tutor Lin to set questions tomorrow, and she would write them within a time limit. The homework for today was to revise the essay she had just written and rewrite it.
"Little Yu is back." Under the large banyan tree, more than a dozen villagers were gathered, chatting.
The May weather had warmed up, and after dinner, the villagers liked to gather here to chat. However, today, there were clearly more people, and there were also four or five men.
Zhan Feiyu greeted her uncles and aunts. Just as she was about to go back for dinner, she saw Madam Xiao Yao and Madam Ma arriving together. The sisters-in-law were chatting and laughing, like close sisters.
"Oh, the little prodigy is out of school." Still with a sarcastic tone, Madam Xiao Yao tilted her chin, disdainfully looking Zhan Feiyu up and down, suppressing her jealousy. This damned girl couldn't finish wearing her new clothes, changing them every three days!
Before Zhan Feiyu could speak, Madam Xiao Yao proudly boasted, "My Dalang will start studying at Scholar Zhang's private school in the county from tomorrow. Last year's Tong Sheng examination, Tutor Lin's students didn't pass a single one, but Scholar Zhang's private school had three students who obtained the Tong Sheng title!"
"The private schools in the county are certainly different," a woman immediately chimed in.
"Yes, I heard Scholar Zhang teaches well, but unfortunately, the tuition is too expensive. How can we farmers afford it!"
As soon as Madam Ma heard the word "tuition," her smile faltered, and she said impatiently, "That's simply robbing money! The tuition is twenty taels a year! You still have to buy your own brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and pay extra for lunch! You also need to buy clothes. It costs at least thirty taels of silver a year!"
"So much!" The villagers under the banyan tree gasped.
A family of five or six men could only save thirty to fifty taels of silver in a year of hard work. If all of that was paid for private school, would the family of over ten people not eat or drink?
Therefore, families that had not split up in the village could only save about ten taels of silver a year, as they had to eat, drink, and wear clothes. This was even if no one got sick. Otherwise, not only would they not save money, but they might even have to borrow money for medical treatment.
Madam Xiao Yao glared impatiently at Madam Ma, who was dragging her down, and said proudly to the smiling Zhan Feiyu, "Although it costs money, it's because Scholar Zhang teaches well. He wouldn't accept just anyone who offered money. Little Yu, you are also a scholar, I'm not wrong, am I?"
Zhan Feiyu nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, Scholar Zhang's private school is the best private school in Shangsi County."
She wouldn't dare to talk nonsense! Madam Xiao Yao straightened her back, but Zhan Feiyu changed the subject and said, "However, it's still far from the county school. After all, the tutors in the county school are all Jinshi graduates, while Scholar Zhang's private school only has two Xiucai and two Tong Sheng."
"You!" The smug smile froze on her face, and Madam Xiao Yao glared furiously at Zhan Feiyu, but she couldn't retort.
Shanwazi's mother, standing nearby, couldn't stand Madam Xiao Yao's show-off, and said with a smile, "Then when will you go to the county school, Little Yu? I heard that only Xiucai can study in the county school!"
No matter how remarkable Zhan Dalang was, could he compare to Zhan Feiyu? She held a recommendation letter for studying in the county school!
"Auntie, I'll go after the Tong Sheng examination in February next year," Zhan Feiyu replied.
This was also the time Tutor Lin had set for her. The private school was for students who were just beginning their studies, or students like Zhu Peng who had studied for several years but still couldn't write essays and were just passing the time.
Only Lin Xiuyuan studied a bit deeper, but he was still far behind Zhan Feiyu. She studied alone in the study, and going to the county examination would allow her to communicate more with her classmates.
Madam Xiao Yao saw the villagers praising Zhan Feiyu again and her face twisted with anger. Then she said, "My husband took on a business deal in the county a few days ago. From now on, all the vegetables our family grows will be sent to Taifu Restaurant. We don't need to sell chickens, ducks, or eggs ourselves anymore."
"Taifu Restaurant?" The villagers were surprised, almost thinking Madam Xiao Yao was bragging. These restaurants never accepted vegetables from villagers; they were too scattered, and the restaurant's procurement staff had their own channels for buying vegetables.
Zhan Feiyu, however, asked, "Such a large restaurant needs a lot of vegetables every day. Aren't the vegetables in the fields enough?"
"Of course, it's not enough. So, whoever grows good vegetables in the village, we will collect them and then send them to the restaurant. Not only in our village, but my husband will also go to the neighboring villages to collect vegetables!"
Madam Xiao Yao finally finished her boastful words, waiting for the villagers' envy and flattery.
Indeed, upon hearing this, the villagers' eyes lit up, and they began to shower Madam Xiao Yao with compliments.
Every household had a vegetable patch, but if they grew too many vegetables and couldn't eat them or sell them, they could only feed them to chickens and ducks. If they could sell them to Taifu Restaurant, it would be a large sum of money in a year!