Author: 打字机N号
Chapter 36: The search for one’s mom second spring 4/For the sake of my mother’s remarriage 4
T /N: This is MTL work. I tried to edit as best as I could, any mistake plz do put your comment and I will edit it ASAP. This is my first attempt on Chinese novel so please cheer me up! I hope you will find this novel as interesting as I do.
I’m sorry if the quality is not up to par. it nearly 4 am here. Anyway, this is the final chapter for this batch release. Enjoy.
There were still a year and a half before the event which will lead Meng Yun-niang to self-mutilate herself happened. During this time, Jiang Liu must first improve his position within the family. At very least, he must let the family’s head view him as someone useful. Even if he could avoid the first disaster, it was not a guarantee that he can escape for the second time, or third time, or…..
Therefore, for now, he should gain the benefit that comes from being in a clan.
In “the four classes” of ancient China, scholars was the most respected among others. If Jiang Liu can show enough talent for study he will be able to let the clan view him as a seed worth investing. Hopefully, by then the life of this pair mother and son in the family’s clan will be much more comfortable. [T/N: “The four classes” of ancient China, i.e. scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants]
Because once he developed himself, the benefits will not only be for his own but also will affect the glory of the entire clan.
If he remembered correctly, the Wang family had three scholars in their family that even the country magistrate pay respect to them. Every time the court recruited labour, the number of people from Wang’s family is always the fewest.
No matter small or big family, if the family can have a person related to the government, how much benefit will there be for the family?
All these years, the Jiang clan also attached great importance to the cultivation of the children in the family. But, since the family was poor, the majority of the people can’t even afford to study. There were also not many people who are willing to spend money to let their children and grandchildren go to school. Not to mention that there were only a few available outstanding talents. In the past few decades, the family only able to produce five scholars and nine examination candidates. Three of the scholars came from Jiang’s mainline.
Certainly it was an important view that weighs the word. Just having one hundred scholar doesn’t necessary mean that all will be useful.
There was a school in this village and it was operated by two scholars, one of them was the son of the patriarch while the other one came from a poor family who need the money to repair their house. Jiang Liu decided to start his first approach from the son of the patriarch.
*****
Jiang Liu first went to the mill in the village. He planned to greet his mother and told her his plan of the day. He did not want his mother to be worried when she did not find him at home after coming back from the mill.
The mill in the village belonged to the clan. Part of the money earned will be used to maintain a series of expenses such as the repair of the tool. It was convenient for the people and the cost to use the stone mill was cheap. However, due to the low cost, they could not have the mules to work with the grinder and had to use the human strength to operate it.
Now it was still in early spring, ordinary people will wear two spring shirts in order not to feel cold, but Meng Yun-niang, who has been grinding for half an hour, only wore one-piece spring shirt, and she was already sweating. Her hair stuck to her forehead as the sweat slides down from her hair and wet her eyelashes before entering her eyes. Even though those sweat that fell into her eyes felt salty and thorny, not to mention the burning pain, but Meng Yun-niang did not care about it as she continued to grind the beans. After she finished with it, she still needs to go back and prepare the tofu that needs to be sold tomorrow.
Inside the mill, there were six stone mills. Except for Meng Yun-niang who was grinding for soy milk, the rest of the people were grinding flour. From his observation, it was mainly man who worked on the grinder while the women were helping to store the flour inside a bag to be put away.
In contrast, Meng Yu Niang looked a bit miserable.
“Da-lang, how come you are here?”
When she saw his son running to the mill, Meng Yun-niang quickly untied the rope that was tied to her body as she soothed the tense shoulder muscles and quickly walked down to meet her son.
“Is there someone who came to our house to make some trouble?”
No one could blame Meng Yun-niang for those assumptions. During the time when her husband just passed away, some people had come to the door from time to time. During that time, she didn’t dare to go to the mill to grind the soymilk. She was afraid that if she did not pay attention, her son will be taken by them.
“Nobody comes to our house. Mother, I wanted to tell you that I am going to the school to find Uncle Xin.”
The full name of the uncle Xin that came out from Jiang Liu was Jiang Fangxin. He was only two years older than the original body. Although they came from a different generation, the two of them get along with each other well on the normal days
“That’s okay, but you have to wait outside the school. If the teachers are in class, you must not rush into it. Also, don’t go to the mountains or walk out of the village. If you meet someone who gives you candy, after you ate the candy, you must yell out and call out all the elders in the village.”
Meng Yu Niang also knew that it was not good to confine her son at home. After carefully reminded him a few things, she agreed with her son’s request.
Before he left, Jiang Liu looked at his mother who re-tied the rope to her body as she worked on the grinder. Jiang Liu felt that he need to speed up his plan a little faster.
*****
“Man at birth is fundamentally good in nature. The nature is similar, the habit/appearance/the distance within oneself… one to ten, ten to hundred, hundred to thousand is a great number”
Jiang Fangzheng was walking from the direction of his home. When he was about to enter the school, he was attracted by the childish voice that came from the direction of the apricot tree outside of the school.
Instead of entering the school to learn there was still student staying outside, repeating the lesson they had to learn. Yet, he felt that the voice sound unfamiliar and he could not connect the voice with any of the students that he had taught.
“Who are you?”
When he walked to take a look, he came upon a completely unfamiliar and delicate child with round face. Jiang Fangzheng was even more convinced that this one was not one of his students.
“Uncle Jiang-zu.”[T/N: zu: suffix to indicate uncle from the same clan]
Seeing that his goal had finally arrived, Jiang Liu stopped his reiteration and stood up as he very politely, bowed.
“Who are you, my child? What are you doing outside the school?”
Upon hearing Jiang Liu’s address, Jiang Fangzheng realized that this was not his own student, but the member of his family’s clan. He was very curious. How can this child be able to recite the [Three Character Classic] fluently? He did not look like to be more than five or six years old. In regards to their age, it was necessary to note that the age for the children to be accepted into school was six years old. Even then, the students can only recite the first part [Three Character Classic] and it was not even as fluent as him.
Is this someone who had gone under the tutelage of the elder?
There were only a few scholars in the family. But Jiang Fangzheng was familiar with all of them. If the other person’s family has such a bright child, it doesn’t make any sense for him not to know about it.
“My father already passed away. My mother was known as tofu lady.”
It was a taboo for a junior to directly name their elder. Fortunately, the young Jiang Liu put an ignorant appearance as he told the person in front of him of his mother’s nickname. Therefore no one will accuse him of being insensible.
“Mother was grinding the beans at the mill so I felt bored. I decided to wait outside the school for uncle Xin so that we can go and play later on.”
Jiang Liu pointed at the direction of the school, indicating that he was not so free to wait outside the school for no reason at all.
When Jiang Liu mentioned the tofu woman, Jiang Fangzheng knew whose Jiang’s son was his. After all, the only family in the village who would make tofu was Jiang Dachun. After his death, the craft was passed to his wife. Jiang Erchun’s family had run to patriarch multiple time for this incident. As the son of the patriarch as well as the future patriarch, Jiang Fangzheng also aware of this matter.
But if he remembered correctly, Jiang Dachun was illiterate, so he could never teach his son anything. So who did taught Jiang Liu the three-character scriptures?
“What are you doing just now?”
Jiang Fang bent down, his tone seemed to be as if he was planning to swindle a kid.
“I don’t know, I just listen to the people inside and learn casually.”
Jiang Liu shook his head, his face was very innocent.
“What did you learn?”
Jiang Fangzheng was excited as he continued to ask.
“Besides those few paragraphs, what else have you learn?”
There was a faint guess in his heart, but he was not sure.
“What else?”
Jiang Liu pondered before he started to speak out.
“Regulation of a disciple, Sage teaching… you must respect the teaching of your parent… Do not keep any possession. I don’t understand some so I could not remember it.”
He didn’t dare to show too much. He repeated the regulation of disciple, pretending as if he could not remember and finally stop reciting.
Even that, it was enough for Jiang Fangzheng to look at Jiang Liu up and down as if he was looking at the rare treasures.
To have such a highly retentive memory. No that’s not right. He will not forget everything that entered his ear.
In the past, Jiang Fangzheng had only heard of such a genius in rumours. The kind of person who could remember everything once they heard it. If this child was cultivated well, let alone showing off his talents, it was also a matter of time before he becomes the champion in the imperial examination.
Jiang Fangzheng was cultivated to become the next patriarch. His heart was quite open-minded. He will not hate Jiang Liu just because this child was better than him. He will never consider killing this genius in the cradle. Jiang Fangzheng started to consider the benefit that will come from cultivating Jiang Liu. If he can become the champion, how good will it be to the Jiang clan?
Let’s just say, as long as Jiang Liu passed the imperial provincial examination, then the Jiang’s clan’s right to speak will not be comparable as of now.
Jiang Fangzheng took a few deep breaths, but now he did not dare to act recklessly without further consideration. He was pleased as he patted Jiang Liu’s head and planned to discuss this matter with his father tonight.
*****
Although there was no immediate satisfactory result, Jiang Liu knew that everything will develop as he planned. After dinner that night, Jiang Liu was lying on the bed. When he was about to sleep, 001 suddenly came out.
“Are you not going to study hard, host?”
001 floated mid-air as it looked at Jiang Liu.
Today, Jiang Liu had managed to deceive Jiang Fangzheng. Therefore, the expectation of Jiang Fangzheng towards him will be greater. Although Jiang Liu had the original’s memory, it was still difficult for him to use it unreservedly.
For example, the ancient fonts and the simplified words used by Jiang Liu were quite different. It was meant to make it easy to dictate. When Jiang Liu wrote any word, it was easy for him to accidentally miss some strokes or lines. According to 001 observation, from now on, Jiang Liu should start familiarized himself with the current world’s text.
“You have to think of those lovely girls. They are waiting for you to save them.”
001 started to cheer Jiang Liu.
Listening to 001’s word, Jiang Liu finally got down from the bed. He took a bowl from the kitchen and filled it with water before returning to his room. He then took a piece of tree branch and started writing on the stone floor.
For the sake of the lovely girls, is this cute boy destined to endure the ravages of fate, ma?
The author has something to say:
My finger is numb, how did it get so cold? Who said that body fat and vital energy can help you to keep warm??
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