Annual Ceremony

Chapter 21 Beginning of Summer (Part )

Zhenyi is going to study at Lord Chen Tu's home.

Mr. Chen's wife's surname is Bu. She is over 50 years old this year and very talented. Many local dignitaries and officials sent their daughters to her to learn etiquette.

Wang Zhefu also thought about teaching his granddaughter himself, but he also had many military students and had other things to do during the day. Mrs. Bu's school was a proper girls' school, where there were many girls of the same age as Zhenyi. It would be better to make friends and have more playmates than being stuck in this small courtyard all day.

And this is what Chen Tu has repeatedly suggested - "Since we have tricked the person here, how can we let this pearl in the prince's family be covered in dust?"

Chen Tu had a granddaughter named Chen Ningtian, who was only one year older than Zhenyi and was twelve this year. She had heard her grandfather's words "Don't let a pearl be covered in dust", so when Zhenyi came to the study, a group of girls surrounded her, and someone whispered to Chen Ningtian: "Wanyu, is this the pearl from Nanjing City?"

"What's your sister's name?"

"Since you are from Nanjing, you must have been educated?"

"Can you read?"

The Jilin dialect they spoke was very similar to Mandarin, and Zhenyi, who had learned Mandarin since childhood, could understand most of them. She answered them carefully one by one: "... I recognize a few words, and I have read some poems, essays, and mathematics."

Zhenyi was not an introvert, but she still felt a little awkward when surrounded by more than a dozen strange girls.

"My sister has learned so much!"

"Mathematics? Accounting? Is your sister's family in business?"

Just as Zhenyi was about to speak, she heard the crisp sound of a ruler hitting the table. Everyone dispersed and returned to their seats. Zhenyi was frightened by the scene, but didn't know where to sit. She could only stand straight, holding her breath and not daring to look around.

Juzi saw this scene through the window and felt that Zhenyi was like a primary school student who was going to participate in military training, and that wherever she stood, she would be a little soldier.

The old lady who walked in with neat white hair and a ruler in her hand was Madam Bu.

This old lady, in Jinling dialect, had a very "half-cooked" face and looked very serious.

In the past, Juzi thought that Mrs. Dong looked unapproachable, but this time, compared with this old lady, the former seemed extremely kind.

Zhenyi had seen this old lady before when she came to the Chen family. When she saw her again in this study, she felt that her face had become more majestic.

She pointed out a seat to Zhenyi, and Zhenyi bowed and sat down properly.

Mrs. Bu was a truly strict teacher who treated all her students equally.

Mrs. Bu's girls' school, like the private schools in Jinling City, also used etiquette, needlework and "Instructions for Women" as the basis of teaching. Its main purpose was to adapt to feudal dogma and prepare for married life - at that time, this was the only school available for women to study.

In comparison, the Confucian articles that Zhenyi studied with her father were already "superior and profound" things that ordinary ladies could hardly reach. As for calculation, it was even more impossible for it to be a subject in women's studies.

But Zhenyi keenly discovered that although Mrs. Bu also taught "Instructions for Women", she did not do much discipline, and did not use it as the main content, but focused more on literacy, calligraphy and poetry.

There are many Manchus in Jilin. The Qing emperors have long advocated Confucianism and culture for governing the country. The Manchus have also gradually developed a trend of letting their children learn Chinese studies. Half of the students in Mrs. Bu's school are Manchu girls. However, the folk customs in Jilin are rough and open. These girls never bind their feet and often go horseback riding after school.

Old Mrs. Dong has thought that the reason why Madam Bu, the private tutor, focused on literacy and downplayed the teachings of "Instructions for Women" was probably related to the local customs. This might be an accidental phenomenon under the harmony of Manchu and Han cultures.

This is also one of the reasons why Wang Zhefu was willing to send his granddaughter to study.

Unlike her grandparents, Zhenyi was not old enough to explore the deeper meaning of this, but she already felt like she had found a treasure. Madam Bu’s teaching content was very practical for a child who was eager to learn.

Juzi observed for seven or eight days and gradually felt relieved when he saw that although Madam Bu was strict but not mean.

Madam Bu never explicitly expressed her likes or dislikes towards Zhenyi, nor did she ever praise or encourage her. Juzi was a little confused, because a good student like Zhenyi should be well-liked by the teacher.

Zhenyi didn't care about these things. Like other students, she was in awe of this teacher. Besides, she also felt grateful to this teacher.

Zhenyi cherished this hard-won opportunity to study, so she was extremely serious and diligent.

It takes more than two quarters of an hour to walk from Wang Zhefu's residence to Chen's house. Throughout the entire month, Zhenyi has never been late, rain or shine.

Wang Zhefu personally made a small bookcase for his granddaughter. He made a bamboo outline with linen sewn on it, and used ropes made of colorful cloth strips as a shoulder strap. When she carried it on her back, it could be used to hold books and also to provide shade.

When Zhenyi carried the book box on her back on the first day, she was so excited that she ran all the way to Chen's private school.

Zhenyi would put the necessary books, paper and pens in her school box every night. Orange, who had no clear understanding of his own weight, would occasionally jump in and ask Zhenyi to carry him to school.

The weather gradually became cooler, and a patchwork of green and yellow covered the sky and earth. When the autumn harvest season came, katydids jumped out of the farmlands, chirping day and night, keeping the oranges very busy.

Juzi often caught crickets all night long, so when Zhenyi went to the private school in the morning, Juzi was too sleepy to get up.

Zhenyi told Juzi that he could pick her up after he had enough sleep.

Zhenyi has to be diligent, but Zhenyi's cat doesn't have to.

Early in the morning, Zhenyi went out accompanied by Taoer.

Ji Wu, who was busy in the farmland, waved to Zhenyi from afar, and Zhenyi also raised her hand high and shook it in response.

The autumn dew wet the hem of Zhenyi's skirt and shoes. Zhenyi walked briskly with the book box on her back, and would always run while walking.

Although Juzi was too sleepy to accompany Zhenyi to the private school, she would always lie on the low gray-tile roof and watch Zhenyi go.

Looking at Zhenyi's brisk running back, then looking at the open mountain sky, and the grassland and lake in the distance, Orange squinted his eyes and tucked his front paws in, thinking that it would be nice if Zhenyi could stay here forever.

Orange likes this place much better than the prosperous Jinling, and it guesses Zhenyi does too.

But Orange still likes Zhenyi the most, wherever Zhenyi goes, it will go, whether it likes it or not. Orange thought aimlessly, and when the golden sun rose higher, Orange turned over, basking in the sun on his furry belly, and fell into a comfortable sleep.

Madam Bu’s class only takes half a day, and she goes in the morning and returns at noon. At noon, Juzi will go to pick up Zhenyi on time.

Gradually, when Zhenyi came back, there was a figure by her side who was always brightly colored.

That was Chen Ningtian, the granddaughter of Master Chen Tu.

Although Mrs. Bu was strict, she raised a granddaughter with a very lively personality.

After two months of getting along, Chen Ningtian and Zhenyi have become very close. They are not allowed to gossip in class, so after school, Chen Ningtian always pesters Zhenyi to stay at home for a while. Zhenyi agrees, but when they are about to leave, Chen Ningtian still feels that she has not had enough fun, so she simply goes home with Zhenyi.

In order to avoid being questioned by his family, Chen Ningtian said that he had to do homework with Zhenyi.

After Zhenyi returned home, she really had to do her homework. She first practiced calligraphy and then solved the math problems left by her grandfather.

Chen Ningtian asked Zhenyi to teach her how to calculate, but for some reason, the more she learned, the sleepier she became.

Zhenyi was writing on the table on the kang. Once, Chen Ningtian fell asleep beside Zhenyi. Zhenyi carefully covered her friend with a blanket before continuing her homework.

Orange could see that Chen Ningtian really didn't like mathematics, but he really liked Zhenyi.

Chen Ningtian's father Chen Wen came to Wang Xichen to ask him to identify a painting. At this moment, the two of them passed by the small corridor outside the house. Chen Wen saw Zhenyi writing seriously through the small window, and then saw his sleeping daughter, and he couldn't help shaking his head.

After teasing his own daughter, Chen Wen said that he also found it difficult to resist the calculation, and his child probably took after him. He also lamented that the calculation became very "unreasonable" once he learned it.

Mother Zhuo took Tao'er to wash soybeans by the well in the yard. The soybeans were soaked in a wooden barrel. She scooped out a ladle with a water scoop and poured it onto the table to rub and sort them. She picked out the shriveled and inferior beans, and used the rest to dry and extract oil.

Chen Wen looked at this scene and said with a smile: "When I first planned to get started, I only saw one or two beans and thought it was nothing special. When I learned more deeply, the beans became a handful, and you took in and I took out, which was quite manageable. However, when I was planning to proceed step by step, I don't know what happened, and a bean warehouse suddenly collapsed without any explanation, almost burying me!"

This statement made Wang Xichen laugh, but he also nodded in agreement: "I plan to study it in depth. If I can't learn it, I really can't learn it and I can't understand it... It's not like learning to read. If you work hard, you can make some progress."

Chen Wen said, "I think your daughter could learn something more advanced... A child this young doesn't find calculations boring, but instead develops an interest in them. This is enough to show that she has talent."

Wang Xichen: "Yes, my father is good at calculations, and I am the only child in the family who has inherited this talent. My father is now teaching me diligently... But even if I learn it, I have nowhere to use it."

The imperial court only valued the eight-legged essay when selecting officials, and calculation was not the mainstream, let alone for women.

This was an unanswerable topic, so Chen Wen did not discuss it in depth. He then asked about Wang Xichen's recent affairs: "...I heard that you are now practicing medicine in this area, and you have become famous for your miraculous healing skills."

Wang Xichen waved his hands in shame and embarrassment: "I just read a few medical books and randomly prescribed a few medicines that day, but I have gained such a false reputation... If someone comes to me, I will never dare to make a promise again."

"Excuse me, is this Doctor Wang's home?" An anxious voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard: "My old father has a high fever, please ask Doctor Wang to come over!"

"...Wait a moment!" Wang Xichen hurriedly bowed to Chen Wen and said goodbye, then went into the house. When he came out a moment later, he had a medical box in his hand and hurried away with the visitor.

Chen Wen burst out laughing.

After Wang Xichen finished his medical examination, he would always say, "I am just a scholar, not a doctor... I hope to consult someone else next time."

Yet, people still keep coming looking.

One day, someone came to thank him. He rushed into the courtyard and bowed to Wang Xichen: "If it weren't for Doctor Wang's treatment, my child would not be alive!"

There were quite a few people outside the door. Seeing this, they all looked at Wang Xichen with respect and praised him.

"A miracle doctor!"

Wang Xichen hesitated: "..."

Well, actually he is a scholar.

But the feeling of being praised as a miracle doctor... is indeed such a sense of accomplishment.

At night, lying in bed, Wang Xichen thought of the miracle doctor and couldn't help but smile with relief again.

So, Orange watched as Wang Xichen dried more and more herbs, and gradually lost himself but found himself again in the praise.

Wang Xichen undoubtedly likes to study medical theory.

However, he had the title of scholar, and it was difficult for him to let go of his identity as a scholar when he was in Jinling. Now that he was here, no one cared about his identity as a scholar, and it seemed as if he was able to temporarily take off the shackles of the long gown.

And in this way, I unexpectedly got an extra source of income for my livelihood.

Wang Xichen told himself that this was only a temporary measure for the time being, and he would not be idle again when he returned to Nanjing.

The rainfall was good this year. Although it was a wasteland, the weather was favorable and Ji Wu took good care of the fields. After the autumn harvest, there were still three extra stones of grain.

As more and more children came to study with Wang Zhefu, Wang Zhefu began to teach in a small courtyard vacated by a nearby military household. People often came to his door to give him tuition.

After a while, although it was not as good as in Jinling, life gradually became much more comfortable.

Juzi saw this and decided that he and Zhenyi were both lucky stars for Old Wang. With the arrival of Juzi and Zhenyi, Old Wang's life became better.

　I updated a chapter late at night. Thank you all for your monthly tickets, comments, and rewards~Good night.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)