The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"Du Ziteng," Wang Zhonghua turned to the side, "go and invite that scholar who's resting at the local temple over. Remember, treat him with courtesy."

Before long, Du Ziteng led a person along a side path.

The young man was about seventeen or eighteen years old, slender yet straight as a pine tree. His coarse cloth short coat had long been washed faded, the cuffs were frayed, and the hem was patched with fine stitches, the neat stitches unable to conceal the traces of repeated mending. The paint on the book box he carried was peeling off, revealing the grain of aged wood inside, the corners of the box were heavily bound with hemp rope, as if it would fall apart at the slightest loosening of his grip.

The most shocking sight was his pair of straw sandals—the soles were worn through, patched only with freshly cut calamus grass, and dark red scabs covered his toes, blending with the mud to create a mottled color. With each step he took, wounds from thorns were revealed on his ankles, some already scabbed over, others still oozing blood.

His hair was hastily tied up with a broken hairpin, a few stray strands of hair stuck to his forehead by sweat and mist, making his face appear even paler. Only his eyes, despite the dust and grime of his journey, still shone with an astonishing brightness, like a fire that refused to be extinguished. A tattered copy of the Analects peeked out from the book box, its title page bearing his own handwritten annotations, the ink blurred by rain and then dried, leaving faint traces—the marks of grinding ink with the leaking eaves of a dilapidated temple where he had sought shelter from the rain the previous night.

He tightened the hemp rope around his shoulders; the marks were deep in his bone. A long sunburn line ran down the back of his neck: the upper half was dark, the lower half pale, clearly a mark of the long journey under the sun and rain. His steps were slightly unsteady, obviously from the long trek and near exhaustion. However, when he raised his head, his eyes shone with an astonishing light, like a young animal trapped in thorns, full of vigilance, weariness, and an undiminished sharpness and inquisitiveness. His face still held a touch of childishness, but his brows already bore the marks of a weathered and resolute spirit beyond his years.

When he saw Shen Zhou trembling as he stood up under the locust tree, he froze, his bamboo cane clattering to the ground. He opened his mouth as if to shout, but no sound came out; only large tears rolled down his cheeks without warning.

"Father...Father!" The hoarse cry, as if squeezed from the deepest part of his chest, finally broke through his throat.

"Cunzhong! My son!" Shen Zhou could no longer care about anything else. He stumbled over and hugged his son tightly.

Father and son embraced, weeping uncontrollably. Shen Kuo's shoulders trembled violently, as if he were crying out all the fear, hardship, grievances, and longing of the past three months. Shen Zhou, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly stroked his son's thin, bony back, murmuring, "You've suffered so much, you've suffered so much..."

After a long while, his emotions calmed down slightly. Shen Kuo wiped his face hastily with his sleeve, quickly regaining his composure, but his red eyes and trembling fingers betrayed his agitation. He gently pushed his father aside, stepped forward, subtly shielding him behind him, and looked directly at Wang Zhonghua, bowing deeply: "This junior, Shen Kuo, thanks you for taking care of my father. I cannot express my gratitude in words, but I will repay your kindness in the future. Now that my father has been found, I will take him away immediately and will not cause you any further trouble." His words were clear and his manners impeccable, but his inherent pride and wariness were unmistakable.

Wang Zhonghua nodded to himself. As expected of Shen Kuo, even in his current state of destitution, he still retained his integrity and keen insight.

Shen Zhou hurriedly pulled his son back: "Kuo'er, you mustn't be rude! This is Young Master Wang Zhonghua, my employer and a great benefactor to both of us! If it weren't for Young Master Wang taking us in, I would have been wandering aimlessly long ago!"

Shen Kuo's eyes flickered slightly as he sized up Wang Zhonghua again. Seeing that the man was about his age, with a composed demeanor and clear eyes, lacking the arrogance of a typical rich kid or the scheming of a commoner, Shen Kuo felt somewhat relieved, but his vigilance remained. He simply cupped his hands again and said, "Young Master Wang is very righteous. However, my father's identity is special, and I fear it may bring trouble to you. Although I am not talented, I do not wish to implicate others."

Wang Zhonghua smiled slightly: "Brother Shen, you worry too much. Uncle Shen is just my steward, Shen Fu, and no one knows his past. As for trouble," he paused, his tone becoming serious, "I, Wang Zhonghua, only seek to act with a clear conscience. Uncle Shen is diligent and loyal, and deserves my sincere treatment. As for you, Brother Shen, your filial piety in searching for your father across a thousand miles is commendable; your unwavering spirit in adversity is even more admirable. Although this place is not a treasure trove, it is precisely where like-minded people are needed to work together for development. If you don't mind, you can stay with Uncle Shen. Uncle Shen will still be in charge of affairs, and you don't need to be treated as a servant. I can provide you with food, clothing, and lodging. You can work for me or focus on your studies, whatever you wish. If you ever intend to take the imperial examinations or have other ambitions in the future, I will do my best to help you without any hindrance."

These words were sincere and heartfelt, offering Shen Kuo the respect and freedom of choice he so desperately craved. The phrases "focus on reading and scholarship" and "absolutely no constraints" particularly resonated with Shen Kuo. In the past three months, he had endured countless hardships, even doing odd jobs and copying scriptures to earn a meal, gaining a profound understanding of the fickleness of human nature. How could Wang Zhonghua, so young, possess such insight and magnanimity?

He was silent for a moment, then looked at his father. Shen Zhou's eyes were full of expectation and pleading as he nodded gently.

Shen Kuo took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him. He stepped back, straightened his tattered clothes, and solemnly and slowly bowed to the ground before Wang Zhonghua: "My lord has treated me with the nation's favor. Though I am foolish, I know that 'a scholar will die for one who understands him.' My words today are witnessed by heaven and earth. I, Shen Kuo, wish to stay and follow my lord, to serve him wholeheartedly and repay his kindness!"

"Brother Cunzhong, you flatter me!" Wang Zhonghua was overjoyed and stepped forward to help Shen Kuo up. "It is my great fortune to have Brother Cunzhong's help! From now on, let us address each other as brothers!"

As night fell completely, three hands clasped tightly together under the old locust tree.

Back at the Wang family courtyard, upon seeing her son, Madam Xu naturally broke down in tears again. Wang Zhonghua instructed that hot water and food be prepared so that Shen Kuo could thoroughly wash up and rest. Wang Zhuacai, Madam Yao, Qin Tiehua (who stayed at the Wang family to recuperate because of the inconvenience caused by Old Qin and Qin Tiedan), and Wang Xiangjun, upon learning the whole story, were also deeply moved and felt even more pity and care for Shen Kuo.

The next morning, in the study.

Wang Zhonghua sat opposite Shen Kuo. After a night's rest, Shen Kuo looked a little better, but the long-term malnutrition and exhaustion could not be recovered from in a short time.

"Brother Cunzhong, the most important thing right now is to take good care of your health." Wang Zhonghua pushed a bowl of warm goat milk over. "This is what Aunt Xu prepared for you. You need to drink it every day. In addition, I have asked Doctor Liu to take your pulse and prescribe a remedy."

Shen Kuo was touched, but shook his head: "I appreciate your kindness, young master. However, I cannot accept undeserved rewards. Since I have stayed, I will immediately share your burdens. May I ask what is there to do now?"

Knowing that he was ambitious and unwilling to accept favors without working, Wang Zhonghua said, "Very well. I do have a few things that I need to rely on Brother Cunzhong's talents for."

"First, strengthen your body," Wang Zhonghua said solemnly. "Whether it's studying, pursuing knowledge, or doing things in the future, without good health, it's all just empty talk. Starting tomorrow, you will train with the village guards for half an hour every morning. It doesn't have to be as intense as theirs, but you need to loosen up your muscles and learn some basic self-defense techniques and breathing methods. I have already discussed this with Qin Tiedan."

Shen Kuo was slightly surprised, but considering that his health had almost collapsed over the past three months, he nodded in agreement: "Yes, Shen Kuo obeys."

"Secondly," Wang Zhonghua pointed out the window towards Hulu Bay in the distance, "I intend to develop various crafts outside of the winery. Uncle Qin and the others are trying to improve the iron smelting method, but it's mostly based on trial and error, lacking systematic records and theoretical research. Brother Cunzhong is well-read, especially skilled in arithmetic and physics. I would like to ask you to visit the blacksmith's shop in your spare time and record their daily fuel usage, ore quantities, firing times, and the quality of the finished products, trying to find patterns. If you can propose a method for improvement, that would be even better."

Upon hearing "investigating things" and "recording patterns," Shen Kuo's eyes lit up instantly—this was precisely what he had been fascinated by since childhood! "Young master, do you mean... that I observe the metallurgical process and explore its underlying principles?"

"Exactly." Wang Zhonghua smiled. "Not only that, I've also heard that the rock formations in the Ziyun Mountain and Laoya Mountain areas, especially the Xilongquan Mountain area in Wuyang County, Ruzhou, which is not far from here, are quite unique. Once you're feeling better, I can send someone with you to investigate and see if there are any usable mineral deposits, such as those that can be used to make lime, clay, or even... a raw material for something as transparent as crystal (glass)."

"Transparent as crystal?" Shen Kuo's interest was piqued. "How is this made? How did you learn of this, young master?"

Wang Zhonghua had already prepared his explanation: "When I was young, I met a wandering Taoist priest who mentioned that there was a method in the Western Regions that could produce glass by mixing certain sand and alkali powder and melting it at high temperatures. As for the specifics, you will have to explore it yourself, Brother Cunzhong." He explained some basic glassmaking principles (quartz sand, pure alkali, limestone) and simple chemical concepts in a way that he could understand at that time.

Shen Kuo listened with rapt attention, his fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the table as if calculating and deducing, muttering to himself, "Sand... alkali powder... the right heat... if it can truly be made, its uses will be immense! It can be used to make telescopes for stargazing, to add large windows to buildings, and to make utensils more transparent..."

Seeing that he quickly got into the zone, Wang Zhonghua secretly praised him and continued, "Thirdly, there is reading and teaching. Uncle Shen is very learned, and Brother Cunzhong is even more talented. I plan to set up a school in the village, not limited to the essays for the imperial examinations, but also teaching arithmetic, physics, geography, and basic agricultural and industrial knowledge. This matter needs to be planned in the long term. For now, Brother Cunzhong can focus on his studies and organize what he has learned. He can also occasionally give guidance to the members of the village protection team who are willing to learn to read and do arithmetic."

Shen Kuo took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed deeply to Wang Zhonghua again: "What you are planning, sir, is no ordinary matter. Strengthening the body to consolidate the foundation, investigating things to apply them, and promoting education to enlighten the people... I, Shen Kuo, am not talented, but I am willing to do my best to help you accomplish this great cause!" At this moment, there was no more hesitation or wariness in his eyes, only the burning light of having found the direction.

Wang Zhonghua helped him up, a surge of pride welling up within him. With Shen Kuo, this future scientific genius, joining the team, many things that had previously been mere ideas finally became possible. Glass, cement, improved metallurgy, standardized production, training of technical personnel… a path to change one's own destiny and even the fate of a region through science and industry was clearly unfolding before their eyes.

"Brother Cunzhong, the road ahead is long, but if we join hands, we will surely find a way to make everyone's life better!"

"Don't believe me? Let's try it!"