The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 223 Going Out
The children at Sishui Pavilion were looking up at the teacher pointing to places on the map and telling them about every place in the world.

Occasionally, villagers passing by would come to listen to this teacher's lectures. He taught some very good knowledge, and even the villagers would listen for a while longer.

The reason I'm saying all this is because Jing has been taught by Master Weinan since childhood that the world is vast and it's best to go out and see it for yourself.

Therefore, Jing also hopes that these children can go out and see the world, see Guanzhong, see the North, or even go to the South.

Only by broadening their horizons can they gain a higher level of understanding and acquire more knowledge.

This is also the philosophy that Jing wants to convey to these children.

Then, Jing took out another picture, which depicted a sphere made up of orbits.

This is an armillary sphere. Jing said, "There are two armillary spheres in this world. The armillary sphere was created by Prince Fusu and Zhang Cang, the Junior Chamberlain. There is one armillary sphere in Xianyang Palace and another in Langya County."

The children looked at the picture with curiosity. They didn't know what the armillary sphere was for, and of course, they wouldn't ask.

Because the children didn't know what the object was for, their eyes were full of curiosity.

Jing continued, "Some people say that this armillary sphere is used to predict good or bad fortune, but in fact it is used to calculate celestial phenomena. If you can understand celestial phenomena in the future, you may be able to use the armillary sphere."

In his words, Jing planted a seed in the hearts of these children, a seed that was probably aspiration and dream.

Let these children know that besides farming, they have a better future and can go out and see a wider world.

Among the knowledge gained in Weinan, one principle is of paramount importance.

That means we must go out and explore.

Going out is something that teachers who volunteer to teach in rural areas, and students today, must do.

People must go out and explore.

Only by venturing out can one discover what a wider world is like and what people are like.

Only by venturing out can this country expand its territory.

Therefore, in Jing's understanding from a young age, going out into the world was an extremely important thing.

Therefore, he did not stay in one place for long. After two years in Wuzhong, he came to Fengyi.

In the years that followed, Jing wanted to travel to every place in Chu and see all the people of Chu.

As dusk fell and the sweltering heat subsided, rumbling thunder could be heard in the sky, suggesting an impending thunderstorm.

The children gathered together to listen to the lesson, paying no attention to the thunder. Children who used to be afraid of thunder are no longer afraid now that they are with many peers.

Jing continued introducing the armillary sphere, explaining that Prince Fusu had calculated the twenty-four solar terms using it, which are now the new solar terms used in various counties and prefectures of the Central Plains.

Prince Fusu also learned about the conjunction of Mars and Antares through the celestial sphere.

While Mars did indeed align with Antares last year, the Central Plains remained peaceful throughout the year, with no wars or southward incursions by the Xiongnu.

After class today, Liu Fei returned home.

Mother Cao was cooking dinner.

As soon as Liu Fei entered the door, he saw his father, Liu Ji.

Upon seeing his eldest son, Liu Ji stepped forward, picked him up, and asked, "Did you cause any trouble today?"

"No, son." Liu Fei thought for a moment and then said, "The teacher talked a lot today."

Liu Ji asked, "What did you learn today?"

Liu Fei sat down and took a bowl of rice from his mother. He struggled to hold the chopsticks with his small hands as he ate.

Seven-year-old Liu Fei was exceptionally sensible and obedient. Liu Ji often smiled when he looked at his son, but he also felt guilty because he could not bring his son home with Cao Shi.

But Cao and the children never blamed Liu Ji, which made Liu Ji feel even more guilty.

Liu Feigang swallowed the rice in his mouth and said, "Today, the teacher talked about a person."

Liu Ji asked, "Is it Prince Fusu?"

“No,” Liu Fei shook his head and said, “It was a man named Xiang Yu.”

"Xiang Yu?" Liu Ji pressed, "Who is he?"

Liu Fei paused again, then continued, "Xiang Yu is a Chu man, and he is currently in Kuaiji County. The Master said that he is particularly stubborn and does not listen to advice. He also said that he is extremely powerful in battle, and no one in Kuaiji County can defeat him."

"Hehehe..." Liu Ji chuckled softly, clearly not believing the child's words. He added, "Later, I will personally go and meet this Xiang Yu."

Liu Fei grinned, said nothing, and continued eating from the bowl that was bigger than his face.

After exchanging a few more words with Cao, Liu Ji carried his hoe and walked back into the rain, heading home.

Cao would watch Liu Ji leave in the rain every time, and then she would devote all her attention to her child, Liu Fei.

Liu Fei is still young; he doesn't understand anything yet.

After the child finished eating, he went to the basin under the eaves to wash the bowls and chopsticks himself.

Cao sat down next to him and asked, "Did anyone bully Liu Ying today?"

Liu Fei shook his head and said, "Mother, don't worry, no one is bullying him."

Cao let out a long breath and reached out to pat her son's back. She knew she could raise the child on her own, and her eyes were full of doting affection.

The thought of Liu Ji wanting to send him to Guanzhong in the future filled Cao Shi with immense bitterness.

"Mother, let's go to Guanzhong together in the future."

Cao smiled and nodded, without saying anything more.

Liu Fei smiled happily.

Cao Shi can leave this place, but Liu Ji cannot. Liu Ji is the head of this village and cannot leave his post without permission.

The child doesn't know that if he goes to Guanzhong, he might never see his father again.

The roof of the backyard was leaking again. I don't know why, but there have been a lot of rainy days in Chu this year. Cao put a basin on the ground to catch the water.

After that, Liu Fei would continue reading the books he had borrowed from the Master.

Cao sat to the side, mending the child's clothes.

Life wasn't particularly good, but it wasn't particularly bad either. After having a child, Cao's life became much simpler than before.

The next day, before the rain had stopped, Liu Fei saw that the water basin in the backyard was full. Seeing that it was still raining outside, he struggled to drag the basin and empty the water.

Then the water dripping from the roof fell into the wooden basin, making a much louder noise.

Cao, who had just finished making the cakes, came over and handed one to him, saying, "If you see Liu Ying, give him one."

Liu Fei replied, "Okay."

Watching the child run to the school wearing a straw hat and raincoat, Cao stood at the door for a while before going back inside.

Liu Fei was the first to enter the study hall, and before the other children arrived, he could still have a sip of soy milk.

The beans were given to the master by the local villagers, and the soy milk was ground by the master himself.

This was Liu Fei's first time drinking soy milk.

Jing asked, "Is it good?"

Liu Fei wiped his mouth and replied, "It's delicious."

Jing relaxed his arms for a while, thinking to himself that grinding soybeans was really tiring work, and he never wanted to grind soybeans again.

Liu Fei arrived here, and Liu Ying was the second to arrive; this was something the two of them had agreed upon yesterday.

Jing watched as Liu Fei divided the remaining half bowl of soy milk among Liu Ying and gave him half a pancake. A moment later, the rest of the children arrived.

Life in Chu remained peaceful as always. During this year, some people said that the First Emperor's health was deteriorating, while others said that he was critically ill and on his deathbed.

The farther away from Xianyang, the more prevalent these rumors become.

The thirty-seventh year of the First Emperor's reign passed peacefully, and the world remained the same. More and more people migrated to Guanzhong, and the population of the counties and prefectures in the Central Plains continued to decline.

This situation will likely persist for the next few years, until Liu Fei's generation of children grows up.

Even if Liu Fei's generation of children grows up, it will never be able to restore the six kingdoms to their former glory.

In the spring of the thirty-eighth year of the First Emperor's reign.

Liu Ji heard these discussions in the county of Zhongyangli, but these words were still too far removed from his own life; his mind was preoccupied with his family matters.

"This year our county can also conduct evaluations and promotions, so I hope all the village heads and township chiefs will work hard."

After hearing the magistrate's words, everyone bowed and left.

Liu Ji left with a thoughtful expression. Today, there was another important matter for him: military service.

This year, there are more than twenty eligible young men in Sishuiting who have reached the required age and have been registered as military officers. These young men will be sent to the north to participate in military service.

According to the county magistrate, whether he will receive a promotion this year is closely related to this military service.

After returning to the village, Liu Ji found Fan Kuai, and the two families are now very close.

After discussing it, the two went to various houses to look for the person.

Fortunately, there were enough people. Liu Ji handed the people over to the county. He originally thought that he, as the head of the village, would lead the team this time, but he was told that it was not necessary.

This piqued Liu Ji's curiosity, and he pressed further, "Didn't I always deliver them in previous years?"

The magistrate looked at the document and replied, "This year, the prefecture is in charge. You people from the villages and towns are too prestigious to lead the teams. We don't want you to cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ji smiled. He thought that his sons Liu Fei and Liu Ying were still young, and he didn't want to leave this place. Why would he cause trouble?

The magistrate said impatiently, "Let's go, let's go. We have a lot of official business to attend to, so stop talking."

Liu Ji left with a forced smile.

This year, all those serving in the military will be uniformly called up by the county and prefecture, and the population will be disrupted.

"How is it this year?" asked Lü Zhixian, who was waiting outside the county.

Liu Ji didn't speak, but he was thinking to himself.

It wasn't until he returned home that Liu Ji told his wife what the magistrate had said.

Empress Lü thought this was a good thing, as Liu Ji wouldn't have to travel far, and his children were still young.

Liu Ji said, "We need to work hard this year, and maybe we'll get a promotion."

Upon hearing this, Lü Zhi glanced at her husband again, but only for a moment before looking away and saying, "Ying'er said he drank the Master's soy milk today."

"Soy milk?" Liu Ji glanced at Liu Ying, who was drawing on the ground with a twig in the yard.

Lü Zhi said, "We still have some beans at home, let's grind them too."

Liu Ji didn't reply, but went forward to see what his son had drawn.

The kid drew a circle and said, "This is an armillary sphere."

Liu Ji didn't know what a celestial globe was, so he listened to his son's explanation.

Liu Ying's understanding of the armillary sphere came from what Confucius had told him; it sounded quite magical.

After returning home, Liu Ying could not remember much of what he had said to the old master; he could only recall it as he spoke.

This year, with the conscription of soldiers, Guanzhong will likely face another test.

Xianyang holds this kind of exam every two years.

Liu Ji felt that these things had nothing to do with him; he and the people of Sishui Pavilion were almost exhausted from plowing the fields every day.

Empress Lü Zhi sat with her son and daughter on the edge of the field. As a wife, she had to look after them and hand them farm tools.

The life of the head of the Sishui Pavilion was the same as that of other farmers.

Empress Lü was an extraordinary woman. After marrying Liu Ji, she voluntarily cut off the support her family provided.

This woman was ruthless and decisive, which made Liu Ji feel that she was a woman who could take good care of the family.

The crisscrossing paddy fields look like a large pond, the water is shallow but can reflect the blue sky and the working farmers.

After working from morning till dusk, Liu Ji, his back aching from exhaustion, returned to the edge of the field, wiped the mud off his feet with weeds, and then took his wife and children home.

After the busy spring season ends, summer arrives once again.

Since Liu Ying started studying, Liu Ji felt that time was passing exceptionally quickly, especially when his son began to speak in terms of knowledge that Liu Ji could not understand.

Liu Ji sometimes thinks that one day in the future... this son might teach him how to do things.

Liu Ying is only six years old, but she is particularly confident because of her studies.

Empress Lü was weaving cloth at home. She was very pleased with her son's changes; he was becoming increasingly knowledgeable.

That night, during the family dinner, Empress Lü asked Liu Ying a few questions, which he answered fluently.

Empress Lü was certain that this teacher was truly talented, and she whispered to her husband, "It seems that the teacher from Guanzhong is indeed very good."

Seeing how well his younger brother's son was doing in school, Liu Ji's older brother smiled silently.

Old Master Liu sat at the head of the table, eating his meal in silence.

Liu Ji then said, "Brother, let's go to the neighboring village tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ji's elder brother raised his head and asked, "Is it about water again?"

"Hmm," Liu Ji said, "I'm just worried they'll steal our water again. Bring more brothers, but don't bring sticks. Just guard the irrigation ditch and make sure they don't dig it off."

Liu Ji's elder brother nodded.

There are still a lot of things to do at Sishui Pavilion that Liu Ji needs to arrange.

Here, Liu Ji has nothing but his older brother and good brothers.

The next day, Liu Ji gathered a group of his brothers to occupy the water source upstream, allowing a group of older villagers to continue farming.

Because the allocation of non-local water resources is already tight, this has been the case almost every year.

Liu Ying asked curiously, "Why are you taking our water?"

Empress Lü taught her son, "If they take away our water, we will have no water to farm, and our family will go hungry."

"Then we should take it back?"

Lü Zhi nodded and said, "Yes, you must take it back. And remember this: if anyone tries to take your things in the future, you must take them back."

His mother suddenly became very serious, and Liu Ying didn't know why she was like this. He could only nod and try to understand what his mother was saying.

It wasn't until nightfall that my father returned with a group of villagers.

After everyone listened to their father's words, they left.

Liu Ying saw all of this and heard their words: the older men in the village were going to fight to the death with the people in the neighboring village.

(End of this chapter)