Training the Heavens

Chapter 239 Runtu
A round purple face was reflected in the water tank. The child wore a small felt hat and a shiny silver collar around his neck. He looked about eleven or twelve years old. Looking at this still childish face, Xu Lingjun was speechless for a while. How could he become a child again?
Before he could finish his sigh, he heard hurried footsteps behind him and an equally childish voice called out, "A Tu, A Tu! I've been looking for you for a long time, why are you here? Take me to catch birds!"

Looking back, he saw a child about his age, only wearing better clothes. Ah Tu immediately responded, "Ah Zhang, this won't work. It's going to snow heavily. On our sandy land, when it snows, I'll clear a space, prop up a large bamboo basket with a short stick, and spread chaff on it. When I see birds coming to eat, I'll pull the rope tied to the stick from a distance, and the birds will be covered under the bamboo basket. There are all kinds of birds: rice chickens, horned chickens, quails, bluebacks..."

Ah Zhang was very disappointed. He looked up at the sky. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and there was no sign of snow at all. He couldn't help but sigh, "It would be great if it snowed."

Ah Tu walked over to him, sat down on the steps, and continued, "It's too cold now. You should come to our place in the summer. We'll go to the beach during the day to look for shells. There are red and green ones, as well as those that look like ghosts and those that look like Guanyin hands. In the evening, Dad and I will take care of the watermelons. You can come too."

"Care of thieves?"

"No, if a thirsty pedestrian picks a melon and eats it, it's not considered stealing here. We have to worry about badgers, hedgehogs, and badger snipes. Under the moon, listen to the rustling sound—the badger snipes are biting at the melon. Then, grab your pitchfork and walk over quietly..."

"What is a civet cat? Does it look like a dog? And is it very fierce? Doesn't it bite people?" Ah Zhang asked curiously.

"Here's a pitchfork. When you get close and see a badger, stab it. The animal is very clever. It'll run towards you, but then it'll slip away from under your crotch. Its fur is as slippery as oil..."

Ah Zhang listened attentively and sat down as well, holding his face with his hands. Although his face was childish, his eyes were very stubborn. Ah Tu could vaguely feel that this face was indeed somewhat similar to the photos he had seen.

"In our sandy land, when the tide is about to come, there are many jumping fish, and they all have two frog-like feet..." As he spoke, he began to review his and A Zhang's identities.

A Zhang's academic name was Zhou Zhangshou, and later he became known as Shu Ren. His grandfather Zhou Fuqing passed the imperial examination ten years ago and was selected as a scholar. After his term as a scholar expired, he was sent to be the magistrate of Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province. Later, he donated money to be promoted to the cabinet secretary in accordance with the rules, and is still working in the capital.

His current identity is Runtu, who appeared in the Chinese textbook. Runtu's father is named Zhang Fuqing. He is a bamboo craftsman by trade. His home is in Dupu Village, which is by the sea and is all sandy land. He grows melons, beans, cotton and the like. He farms in the countryside during the busy farming season and comes to the Zhou family to help during festivals. This kind of work is called busy month, and he doesn't make much money.

This year happened to be the year when A Zhang's great-grandmother passed away. The funeral was held on New Year's Day, and it was also the turn to worship the "new year". They were really too busy, so they called Runtu to help manage the sacrificial utensils.

Runtu and Ah Zhang are of similar age and became friends as soon as they met. Runtu kept pestering Ah Zhang to tell him interesting stories about the countryside. Today, when Ah Zhang asked him about it, Runtu subconsciously recited the contents of his textbook.

Ah Zhang had always lived in the city, and last year he had studied with Mr. Shou Jingwu at Sanwei Academy. He had little free time on weekdays, let alone the chance to experience the wildness of the countryside. Therefore, Runtu's words left a deep impression on him, and he yearned for it. After chatting for a while, Ah Zhang was called away by his father to work. There was a lot going on at home, and as the eldest grandson, he was often involved. Runtu stayed here, managing the sacrificial vessels and pondering his own future.

Based on his memory, he easily determined that it was the 1892th year of the Guangxu reign (), still in the late Qing Dynasty. It was not easy for a child from an ordinary peasant family to make a name for himself at that time.

He has money in his space, and he has no shortage of gold and silver. However, if a child from a poor family suddenly takes out gold and silver, it will only bring disaster to himself. When the time comes, people will put a hat on him, and he will not be able to bear it, and even his family will be implicated.

So you still have to study! If you have the opportunity to read and learn to read, you can truly break free from the constraints of your background and gain some freedom for yourself.

But Zhang Fuqing's family was of modest means, and Runtu had never been able to start school when he was young. Now he was twelve years old, and by the standards of the time, he could be half a strong laborer. How could they allow him to go to school? Moreover, the family had no money to pay his tuition or buy him writing brushes, inkstones, and paper?
Alas, this is much more difficult than Gao Jialin's start. Although the Gao family was poor, at least they were born in the new society and had the opportunity to go to school. Now in the Qing Dynasty, how can children from poor families have the qualifications to study?
First of all, it was not financially possible. Secondly, even if Zhang Fuqing gritted his teeth and took out the tuition, those private tutors might not accept him, because Runtu was a little old, he had not yet started learning at the age of twelve. Even if he could recognize a few words, he had no future. His family background was also ordinary. There would not be much benefit in taking him in rashly. Why bother himself with trouble?

It's really a headache to think about it, but it's not completely hopeless. Zhang Fuqing is a good bamboo craftsman with excellent skills. The land at home is his own, and the weather has been good in recent years. He still has enough savings to support him to study for one or two years.

For Runtu, one or two years is enough. He can use this time to improve his social status. At that time, he won't have to worry about getting into trouble when he takes out the money. As long as he passes this hurdle, it will be easy to do anything he wants in the future.

But how could he find a teacher willing to take him in? Runtu first thought of A Zhang's teacher Shou Jingwu. Most private tutors might not be willing to give him this opportunity, but Mr. Shou Jingwu might be able to.

Runtu's memory contains information about Mr. Shou. He passed the imperial examination and became a scholar at the age of 8. Later, he was angry about the arrogance of foreigners and the Qing Dynasty's loss of power and humiliation of the country. He expressed his determination by not buying foreign goods and giving up his career as an official. He set up a school in his home, Sanwei Book House, to recruit disciples, and established rules, limiting the number of students to no more than per year.

Shou Jingwu was willing to live in poverty and loved his students. A Zhang's father was seriously ill, and the doctor prescribed a prescription that required rice that was more than three years old as a medicine guide. A Zhang searched everywhere but failed, so he told Mr. Shou about this. A few days later, Mr. Shou personally carried the rice on his back and walked to Lu Xun's house to deliver the medicine.

If such a kind-hearted person met someone with potential, then even if Runtu came from a poor family, he would definitely be willing to give him a chance, right? And if he spoke up, it would be much easier to persuade Zhang Fuqing.

But how can I attract Shou Jingwu's attention?
　One more chapter

　　
　
(End of this chapter)