Zhan Laotai ultimately did not go to the clinic. Fortunately, she could only not speak.
The ten taels of silver from Zhan Feiyu were not borrowed by the people at the old house, so they could only watch as the village chief took the silver he brought back with him.
"I think Mother is delirious from the fever, not taking the silver that was offered!" Xiao Yao Shi was so angry that she paced back and forth in the room. Ten taels of silver! It would take a year for the head of the household to earn that by pulling a cart.
"Mother, can you please stop talking!" Zhan Dalang pushed away the nagging Xiao Yao Shi with a sullen face and walked outside.
"Dalang, it's so cold, where are you going?" As the door opened, a cold light streamed in. Xiao Yao Shi shivered. She had just grabbed Zhan Dalang's arm when he flung it away.
Zhan Lao Er sat by the fire, roasting himself, and said without looking up, "That's enough. Dalang has been in a bad mood these past few days, just let him go."
Speaking of this, Xiao Yao Shi became angry again. She put her hands on her hips and cursed, "It's good that he's not going to Zhang's private school. That young master Zhang dared to kick Dalang. If he went to private school, wouldn't he be bullied to death!"
Thinking of the large bruise on Zhan Dalang's calf, Xiao Yao Shi felt both heartache and anger. Her face contorted even more, "And he's the son of a scholar, what's the difference between him and a street thug! He just hits people, he's not a mad dog!"
"If anyone hears what you're saying, Dalang and Sanlang won't be able to study anymore!" Zhan Lao Er shouted fiercely, his gloomy eyes looking at the vulgar Xiao Yao Shi. What a foolish woman!
Xiao Yao Shi, who was being scolded, was unconvinced. But looking at the fierce-looking Zhan Lao Er, she opened her mouth but ultimately did not dare to curse again.
After a moment, thinking of the Zhan family's current situation, Xiao Yao Shi couldn't help but speak again, "Husband, why don't we find another private school for Dalang? There's more than one in Sixian County. And what business are you planning to do? Maybe we can earn some money before the New Year."
"We'll find a private school for Dalang after the New Year. Don't worry about the stall, I have it under control." Zhan Lao Er planned to visit Constable Ma with gifts after the Laba Festival, and then discuss the small business.
Zhan Dalang left the house. The cold wind outside made him shiver, but he didn't want to go back, so he had to walk into the sheltered area.
"Yo, isn't this Dalang? Aren't you supposed to be studying at home instead of wandering around?" A mocking voice rang out.
Zhan Dalang looked up and saw two people standing outside the Li family's wall. The wind couldn't reach here, but the sun could, so it was a good spot.
"Brother Liu, Brother Zhou." Zhan Dalang greeted them, envying the two of them.
Liu Fu was the only son of Widow Liu. His mother, being a widow, doted on her son excessively. He had never suffered hardship since he was young. He was not good at studying, and even worse at working. At seventeen or eighteen years old, he wandered around the village all day.
As for Zhou Tian, his life was much harder. When he was seven years old, the Zhou family's house caught fire, and only Zhou Tian survived out of the six family members.
With the care of the village, Zhou Tian, who grew up eating from the hundred families, did not develop a diligent and hardworking nature. Instead, he led Liu Fu, who was three years younger than him, in petty thievery.
Liu Fu chuckled and hooked his arm around Zhan Dalang's shoulder, "Dalang, what's wrong? Your family has over a hundred taels of silver now. Why the long face?"
Zhou Tian's thin, dark face flashed with cunning. He was already over twenty, and he was too lazy to bother with this young boy Zhan Dalang. As for the Zhan family's silver.
Zhou Tian and Liu Fu had been tempted before, but because there was too much silver, they became afraid. Stealing a chicken or a duck, or pocketing a piece of clothing, would at most result in a scolding. If they stole over a hundred taels of silver, they would go to jail.
"It's not about the silver, my family isn't short of money." Zhan Dalang's voice rose a few decibels, with a proud look on his face, "It's about my studies. Zhan Feiyu, that dead girl, offended Scholar Zhang, and now I can't go to Zhang's private school. I'm bothered by it."
After being scolded and kicked twice by Zhang Tianhao, Zhan Dalang realized what had happened after his anger subsided.
At the literary gathering at Leshan Ju, Zhan Dalang dared not enter the main hall. He watched with some people from outside the window. Zhang Tianhao, unable to do anything to Zhan Feiyu, took his anger out on himself, since his surname was also Zhan!
As soon as they heard Zhan Feiyu's name, Liu Fu and Zhou Tian exchanged glances. Although they engaged in petty theft, they usually did it in other villages.
But with the cold weather, there was little work to be done in the fields, and the farmers stayed at home. The two of them did not dare to steal from people's homes. If they were caught, they would surely be beaten.
But with no money to spend, the desperate Liu Fu and Zhou Tian set their sights on Zhan Feiyu's house. More precisely, they targeted the seven hens raised in her backyard. It would be good to steal them and sell them, or to feast on them privately. In any case, they had set their sights on them.
In the middle of the night, the two of them, carrying a large cloth bag sewn from old clothes, planned to climb over the bamboo fence into the backyard to steal chickens. But in the end, they didn't steal any chickens, and they were almost bitten by Da Huang. They ran out in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, and the cold wind almost made them sick.
Zhou Tian looked at the resentful Zhan Dalang and said with a cold face, "That girl is now the golden goose of the village and the clan. If you dare to touch her, being confined to the ancestral hall would be the least of it."
"Dalang, just endure it. Who told your old Zhan family to let a girl study? Now she's acting like a bully on your head." Liu Fu's words were meant to be comforting, but they were more like fanning the flames.
Zhan Dalang was only brave at home. Thinking of Zhan Feiyu, who shone brightly at the literary gathering, he didn't even have the courage to hit her.
What a coward! Liu Fu curled his lips in disdain, but said with a smile, "Why don't you go kick Da Huang a few times to vent your anger?"
Zhan Dalang was stunned. That's right! That dead girl cherished Da Huang, that beast, the most. Just kicking it twice wouldn't be enough!
"Brother Zhou, Brother Liu." Zhan Dalang smiled obsequiously, rubbing his frozen hands, "It's getting cold, why don't we eat dog meat?"
"No, I, your Brother Liu, don't lack this meat. If that little girl reports us to the village chief, we'll get a scolding." Liu Fu refused and waved his hand.
Zhan Dalang dared not bully Zhan Feiyu, but could he not bully a dog?
Wanting revenge, Zhan Dalang smiled ingratiatingly, "Brother Liu, just help me out. I can't catch Da Huang alone. If the village chief finds out, I'll take all the blame!"
It's just a dog! Zhan Dalang was not afraid at all. If he was scolded, so be it. Besides, if he killed Da Huang and roasted it, and buried the bones in the mountains, who would know it was him.
Liu Fu, who was being pleaded with, had no choice but to agree, "Brother Zhou, Dalang is our brother, so we'll help him vent this anger!"
...
As the saying goes, studying hard means getting up from a warm bed to study even when the weather is cold, and holding a brush to practice calligraphy even when the water freezes.
After the private school students left, Master Lin looked at Zhan Feiyu, who stayed behind, and sighed, "Actually, it would be better to study at the county school."
"No!" Zhan Feiyu refused decisively.
Zhan Feiyu's expression changed. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Master Lin pitifully, drawing out her small voice, "I can't bear to leave you, Master. Even if you drive me away, I'll still stay here."
Even though Master Lin was usually strict when teaching students, he couldn't help but soften his heart when he saw the little girl with a fair and tender face acting pitifully. "Fine, then I'll teach you for another year."
Zhan Feiyu nodded with a smile, but before she could be happy for long, Master Lin had already started his teaching mode.
"Today, I will explain how to write a 'Zhiyiyuan' essay." Master Lin knew that Zhan Feiyu was fast at memorizing, almost having a photographic memory. She didn't need to worry about the questions on inscribed classics or the interpretation of ink.
Inscribed classic questions were equivalent to fill-in-the-blank questions that guaranteed points. As long as one had memorized the books required for the imperial examinations, had neat handwriting, and no typos, it would be fine.
Ink interpretation questions were short answer questions based on the interpretation of classics and their annotations.
As for the test-poem, Master Lin did not expect Zhan Feiyu to have any poetic talent, so she could only rely on writing more poems daily.
Zhan Feiyu sat up straight, "Yes, Master."
"If the people are prosperous, how can the ruler not be? If the people are not prosperous, how can the ruler be?" Master Lin asked first, instead of directly explaining how to write.
Zhan Feiyu thought for a moment and replied, "It's from the 'Yan Hui' chapter of the Analects. If the people are prosperous, you will not be unprosperous. If the people are not prosperous, you will not truly be prosperous."
The original text was the statement made by You Ruo, a disciple of Confucius, in response to Duke Ai of Lu's question, "In a year of famine, resources are insufficient. What should be done?"
Master Lin continued, "The topics for 'Zhiyiyuan' essays come from the Four Books and Five Classics. The 'Jieda' questions posed at the literary gathering before were difficult ones among them. If one's mastery of the Four Books and Five Classics is not thorough enough, one cannot even understand the questions."
Master Lin's words were not alarmist; on the contrary, this was the most basic part of the imperial examinations.
For lazy and playful students like Zhan Dalang, even if they studied for fourteen years, not fourteen years, if they couldn't recite the Four Books and Five Classics by heart, they would forever be barred from the imperial examinations.
"Master, I've remembered it." Zhan Feiyu nodded. She had to persist with her morning readings every day. Who knew what bizarre questions the chief examiner would ask? She had to ensure that as soon as she saw a question, she could recall its source, understand its meaning, and then conceive how to write the essay.
"The ruler is rich because the people are rich. If the people are already rich, how can the ruler be alone in poverty?" Master Lin's expression became a little more serious, and he solemnly cautioned Zhan Feiyu, "If the opening statement is biased or lacks grandeur, the examiner will not continue reading, or will directly grade it into the next category."
This was like writing an essay. If the opening statement was off-topic, the grading teacher would not give high marks, even if the rest of the essay was flowery.
"After the opening statement comes the continuation, which is to further elaborate on the opening statement." Master Lin looked at the attentive Zhan Feiyu and continued in a gentle voice, "For the ruler's wealth is in the people. If the people are already rich, how can the ruler be alone in poverty?"
This continuation could be said to be the essence, concise and clear, with profound reasoning! The height of the article was elevated.
After the continuation came the policy discussion part, "You Ruo deeply elaborated on the idea of the ruler and the people being one entity to inform Duke Ai, meaning that the ruler's increased taxes were due to insufficient usage: if you want to satisfy the usage, why not satisfy the people first..."
Master Lin praised the essays written by the great scholar Wang repeatedly when he reached the brilliant parts, wishing he had been born a few decades earlier to witness the great scholar's demeanor.
But Zhan Feiyu's head was spinning.
She wasn't afraid of being tested on recitation, and she was good at explaining the meaning of classics, but to ask her to complete an essay independently, and in classical Chinese, using the words of the sages she had memorized, Zhan Feiyu's face turned bitter, and she clearly realized the difficulty of the imperial examinations.
An hour passed like this. Master Lin explained how to write 'Zhiyiyuan' essays through three model essays, how to write the opening statement, how to continue it, and how to conclude it.
Looking at Zhan Feiyu, who was staring blankly with wide eyes, Master Lin took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and smiled, "Don't be afraid, just write and practice more."
"Master, are there any such books for sale in the bookstore?" Zhan Feiyu asked weakly. Her head was buzzing, so she could only look at model essays to learn more.
Master Lin hesitated for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, "This is why it's hard for poor families to produce noble sons. Scholarly families might have collections, but they are never shared or lent out."
She was a little disappointed, but Zhan Feiyu could understand. If this were modern times, full-score college entrance examination model essays could be bought in any bookstore.
But this was ancient times, which valued inheritance. Classics were treasured in their own studies, and essays written during the imperial examinations were never shared. Perhaps some officials and nobles collected some essays for their descendants, but outsiders could not see them, and bookstores could not sell them.
Leaving the private school, Zhan Feiyu's steps were heavy. Without model essays to study, she could only write more herself, hoping that Master would not be angry after reading her "nonsense" essays.
"The halo of a child prodigy is about to disappear." Zhan Feiyu gave a self-deprecating smile and then regained her spirits, carrying "Thousand Family Poems" back to the village.
It got dark late after the Winter Solstice. Zhan Feiyu entered the courtyard, "Mother, I'm back."
"You must be tired. Hurry up and wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon." Li Shi was still busy in the kitchen.
"Okay, I..." Zhan Feiyu froze for a moment and looked around the courtyard, confused, "Mother, where is Da Huang?"
Every day when Zhan Feiyu returned, Da Huang would run to greet her little owner first.
"Not in the courtyard?" Li Shi came out and called a few more times, but still did not see Da Huang.
Although Jinlin Village was not small, Da Huang was very well-behaved and never ran around. Moreover, the dog's ears were sensitive. If Li Shi called out so loudly, Da Huang would definitely hear it.
"Da Huang..." Forgetting about dinner, Zhan Feiyu didn't even put down her schoolbag, turned around, ran out of the courtyard, and started calling.
At this time, all the households had already eaten. After all, it got dark, and they had to light candles to eat. Hearing Zhan Feiyu and Li Shi calling, several neighboring families opened their courtyard gates and came out.
"What's wrong? Da Huang is missing?" Aunt asked with concern.
"Yes, I went to the vegetable patch in the afternoon and was busy cooking when I got back, so I didn't notice." Li Shi looked worriedly at Zhan Feiyu, who was walking faster and faster, with unease in her eyes.
"Could it have been stolen by a dog thief?" A young woman interjected sarcastically. As wives, Li Shi lived such a comfortable and carefree life that it was inevitable she would attract envy and jealousy.
An old woman standing aside frowned and scolded her daughter-in-law, "What nonsense are you talking about? Da Huang is very smart. If it were a stranger, it would have barked long ago. I was at home all afternoon pickling radishes and didn't hear Da Huang bark."
Zhan Feiyu's voice was hoarse from calling. She called from the head of the village to the tail. She wanted to go to the back mountain but was held back by Li Shi.
"Mother, let go of me, I'm going to the back mountain to look." Zhan Feiyu suppressed the discomfort and unease in her heart, her eyes red, and pleaded with Li Shi, "Mother, I won't run around, let me go."
"Xiao Yu, it's dark, you can't go up the mountain!" Li Shi did not let go, her voice choked with emotion. She knew that Xiao Yu liked Da Huang, but compared to her daughter's safety, Da Huang was ultimately nothing.
The villagers who came to help also chimed in, "Xiao Yu, your mother is right. It's too dangerous to go up the mountain now. If Da Huang is fine, it will definitely come back. If something happens, you won't find it even if you go up the mountain."
The words were right, but thinking of Da Huang being in trouble, Zhan Feiyu's tears streamed down.
When she was learning to walk, she regained her memories from her previous life. Da Huang had always been by her side. It was a companion who grew up with her, her family!