Chapter 321 Awakening
A cold wind carrying snow particles blew open the half-open wooden door. The broken snow met the warm wind with wood smoke, and turned into fine raindrops that fell silently. The cold wind rushed into the teahouse, and the drowsy merchants woke up a little. A burst of wood ash flew, and the burning cotton shells in the fire pit revealed scarlet sparks.
Mrs. Zhao Er yawned and stood up. She picked up a basket of cotton husks and poured them into the fire pit. She picked up the large copper pot and poured half a bowl of red date water into it, gulping it down.
She glanced outside the door and saw the gloomy sky. It looked like it was going to snow again.
On the stage, the girl singing the Kucha folk song slowly retreated, and Kurban and Anle came on stage with waist drums. When the drums sounded, the listless and lazy atmosphere in the teahouse quickly disappeared, and flowed out of the door like water.
Small flames shot up in the fire pit, and bubbles gurgled in the large hanging copper pot. The sweet fragrance of red dates and the spicy smell of ginger mixed together, diluting the smell of wood smoke.
Zhao Ersao sat down again, swinging her legs and tapping her hands as she looked at the foreign man on the stage who was twisting his waist and shoulders and beating the waist drum. She thought to herself that this was truly a life lived by gods. No wonder the two old men in the family were thinking about coming to Dunhuang every year after the autumn harvest.
Hua Niu and Da Zhuang appeared at the door carrying buckets. When A Qiang saw them, she walked quickly along the wall.
"We're selling braised eggs. Do you want to buy some?" Hua Niu asked.
The villagers sitting on the periphery waved their hands and said, "We are locals. Please ask the merchants sitting in the front."
Hua Niu smiled and agreed. She knew that most of the people sitting by the door were locals, and most of them wouldn't pay for food or drinks. But every time she went into the teahouse to sell something, she would ask questions to avoid being criticized, thinking that the maids in the teahouse looked down on people and went straight to the merchants to sell braised eggs without asking them.
Two slim girls landed lightly in the space between the tables and chairs. They asked the customers in clear voices whether they wanted to buy braised eggs. Dazhuang followed behind with a bucket in his arms, and from time to time he scooped a braised egg with a wooden spoon and placed it on the ceramic plate on the table.
After the bucket of braised eggs was sold, the three people quickly left the teahouse. The cold air in the snow penetrated their bones. Hua Niu and A Qiang shivered together. They asked Da Zhuang to take the bucket away, and they ran quickly to the school.
"Brother, how do you pronounce this word?" Zhao Erya asked.
The boy turned his head to look and said, "'Bamboo'? The teacher said it's something that looks like a tree but isn't a tree, and like a vine but isn't a vine. People in the interior use bamboo to weave baskets, unlike us who use sorghum stalks or red willow branches."
Zhao Erya said, "Oh," and said, "You know so much."
"It's all right. The old master told me so," the boy said modestly. He picked up a brush, dipped it in water, and wrote the word "sorghum" on the wooden board. He said, "Write these three words together. From now on, when you see sorghum, you will remember that there is a kind of bamboo in the interior of the country that can be used to weave baskets. It is green all year round, and its leaves are shaped like willow leaves, long and slender."
Zhao Dalang leaned over. He was about the same age as Sui Liang and had been working as a laborer on the farm in his hometown. The heavy farm work had left many marks on his hands, including thick calluses and large joints. This made his fingers not flexible. When he held a brush, his fingers were stiff and the words he wrote were unreadable.
The school had a heated kang, and the children had to wear thin jackets to sit inside. Zhao Dalang, wearing only three layers of clothing, was still sweating profusely. He was nervous during the teacher's lectures, and anxious when practicing calligraphy on his own. His heart was burning with anxiety, and the sweat on his head and hands never dried. After a month and a half of study, he could only write as many complete characters as his fingers could hold. Even though many characters looked familiar to him, when asked what they were, his mind went blank.
"Second sister, wait a minute." Zhao Dalang stopped Zhao Erya. His eyes fell on the wooden board and he said, "Let me take a closer look. I think I'm almost memorizing it."
"Let the kid write it for you again. I want to think about it carefully while the water marks are still there." Zhao Erya felt that she was almost able to remember these three words.
Zhao Dalang scratched his head. Xiaozai saw his embarrassment and took the initiative to say, "Brother, sit with me. If you don't understand something, ask me. If I don't understand something, ask my mother."
"Third Aunt taught you that." Zhao Dalang sat down and said, "I've farmed before, so I'm familiar with crops. First, teach me how to write wheat, millet, soybeans, broad beans, sorghum, and rice."
The boy agreed immediately and said excitedly, "My mother and my uncle both taught me. They taught me to read by starting with the things around them: chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, sheep, horses, donkeys, camels and mules, tables, chairs and benches... I'll teach you the same way."
Zhao Dalang breathed a sigh of relief. He called Sanlang and Silang, who were three years younger than him and said, "You are as stupid as pigs. Why are you still hiding in the back? Come and learn from me."
"Master? Sir? Why don't you go in?" Hua Niu spoke rashly.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping stood up straight. People in the school looked outside when they heard the noise. The little boy dropped his brush and ran out, his eyebrows dancing with joy as he asked, "Mom, Dad, are you here to see me?"
"I came to see if anyone was slacking off." Sui Yu pushed him in and said, "It's cold outside. You're wearing thin clothes. Don't run out."
Hua Niu and Ah Qiang stamped their feet and went inside. Zhao Dalang came out, wearing a sheepskin coat. His face flushed, he said hesitantly, "I'm not very smart and can't remember words. Uncle San, I'll go clean the livestock pen for you, or maybe shovel some snow."
"You have learned very well from the kid just now. If he is willing to teach you, just follow him. When he is tired of teaching, you still have Aning and Sui Liang. You can ask them to teach you again." Zhao Xiping said.
Zhao Dalang wiped his face and took the opportunity to ask about his recent troubles: "I'm already so old, but my memory is not good. If I don't practice calligraphy for a day, I will forget it after a night. Besides, I don't have any place to use the calligraphy I learned. What's the point of learning it?"
"Why not? At least you know the characters for the crops you grow. You know millet is called millet and wheat is called wheat. You are familiar with every stage of their life from sprouting through the soil to bearing fruit. But these stages are created by water, soil, fertilizer, and the sun. Even without human intervention, they can still sprout, grow, bloom, and produce ears. But the names of the five grains were given by humans. Our ancestors named millet millet and created these two characters so that future generations could learn." Sui Yu said, "People don't have to use everything they know. I heard from your mother that you are very good at water skipping. You can rub tiles into five or six splashes on the water, but this is of no use to you when it comes to food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Don't you still like it and feel proud of it?"
Zhao Dalang's face became redder and redder, like a pig's liver dripping with blood.
"Learn first. You'll know if it's useful once you learn more." Zhao Xiping said, "Sui Liang has been learning to read from your third aunt since he was a child. He can now understand the law on his own. He doesn't have anyone to recommend him. If someone did, he might be able to work as a clerk at the post station. Do you think he's impressive?"
"Great!" the kid responded loudly in the house.
Sui Liang turned around and glared at him.
Zhao Dalang nodded and said, "I'm not very smart, I can't think of that much. Uncle, Aunt, I'm going in."
"Go ahead, stop daydreaming. If you have some free time, practice writing. The more you learn, the more skills you'll have. Besides learning to read, you can also learn to use an abacus from Xiaozai and Ashui. They calculate accounts quickly and accurately." Zhao Xiping said, "You know your grandparents moved to Jiuquan from the interior of the country. They farmed and depended on the weather for their livelihood. Once there was a natural disaster, farmers would be ruined. If you learn a skill, if there's unrest outside the country one day and your family can't farm, you can find a job as an accountant so your family won't starve to death."
This was very apt. Zhao Dalang took it to heart and walked in with a firmer step.
Sui Yu walked out from under the eaves, and Zhao Xiping left the school with her. After the two of them left, the school was quiet for a moment. A short while later, someone shouted, and a sporadic burst of recitations began to emanate. One group read the law, another group stared at the wooden board and recited the poems they had copied, while another group sat in the back, concentrating on practicing calligraphy, reciting as they wrote.
The clear and powerful sound of recitation washed over the cold wind. Sui Yu glanced back, then took the man's arm and said, "The men in your Zhao family are all obsessed with face. Dalang has been holding it in for over a month and finally knew to seek help. Sanlang and Silang are still holding it in. But they can't compare to you. You would rather learn secretly from me for four or five years than ask me to teach you."
"Your handwriting is full of mistakes, what are you teaching me?" Zhao Xiping said stubbornly, "I didn't learn from you secretly."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what you do." Sui Yu stepped on him and said, "Fortunately, my son's temperament is not like yours."
Zhao Xiping was speechless, and he also felt fortunate.
Da Zhuang ran out of the kitchen with a big mouthful of meat in his mouth. When he saw his two masters, he wanted to say hello, but the meat in his mouth was not chewed enough and he couldn't swallow it. For a moment, he was so anxious that he wanted to take out the meat to speak.
Zhao Xiping waved his hand and told the silly boy to get out.
Dazhuang strode along the dog paw prints in the snow. The big black dog came out of the kitchen again with a pig's leg bone in its mouth. It was reluctant to drop the bone in its mouth. It whimpered a few times, wagged its tail vigorously, and stepped on the broken snow to get into the warm teahouse.
Sui Yu took a breath of the cold wind with the aroma of meat. She took Zhao Xiping's hand and walked into the kitchen. The couple filled bowls with tender stewed pork and sat in the warehouse next to the kitchen to check the accounts.
…
At the end of the year, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping led camels to the government to pay taxes. The income of the inn and the caravan totaled more than 32,000 coins.
"Isn't that Song Congzu?" Zhao Xiping recognized him and called out, "Congzu, are you here to pay taxes today too?"
"Oh, yes." Song Congzu nodded and waved to his servants to help move the cash box.
"How much tax did your family pay this year?" Sui Yu asked.
Song Congzu raised his hand and said, "Forty-seven thousand nine hundred coins, aunt, your family has quite a bit of money, right?"
"Our guesthouse is 15,000 coins less than yours. Our guesthouse is not as profitable as your camels." Sui Yu said.
"Our two families are major taxpayers in Dunhuang." Song Congzu joked.
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers from the government office came out with smiles on their faces, and they eagerly helped to move the cash box.
"Am I right? Auntie, you can have a pot of fresh tea when you come in now," said Song Congzu.
Sui Yu glanced sideways. After not seeing him for half a year, Song Congzu looked much calmer, and his former impetuousness seemed to be gone.
Song Congzu couldn't help but notice her scrutiny. He smiled shyly and asked frankly, "Aunt, are you surprised that I've changed so much?"
"Your mother will definitely be happy when she finds out." Sui Yu said.
"I was ignorant before and made her angry and disappointed," Song Congzu said. "Last year, I was arrogant and foolish, making people laugh. Now looking back, I am really too embarrassed to face people. After my mother left, I stayed in the desert with the old servant to raise camels. I didn't come to the city until the New Year, so I never apologized to my uncle Zhao. Last year, he came to my house with good intentions to persuade me, but I didn't know what was good for me and treated him with disrespect."
"It's nothing. Young people are so impetuous. We have been through your age and can understand it," said Sui Yu.
Song Congzu shook his head and said, "Are you at home on the first day of the Lunar New Year? I'll come to your house to wish you a happy new year."
"Okay, come over. We'll wait for you at home." Sui Yu agreed. She remembered the sound of recitation in the school all day long and asked, "Are you going to the desert to raise camels after the New Year? Are you still coming to learn to read with Master Chen? Your uncle Zhao's nephews and nieces came over last month and they were also learning to read with Master Chen. If you come, you can start with them, starting with holding a brush."
"I'll go over. When does the class start after the New Year? I'll be there on time." Song Congzu said excitedly. He had regretted it a long time ago, but he was too embarrassed to mention it. He was also worried that a rash visit would affect the teacher's teaching progress.
"The sixth day of the Lunar New Year." Sui Yu said, "Before that, if you have time, you can come to my house and let Liang Ge give you some private lessons so that you won't be able to keep up with the pace when the classes start."
Song Congzu readily agreed. He stood outside with Sui Yu and waited until Zhao Xiping came out with his servants before he drove the camel caravan away.
Sui Yu told Zhao Xiping the news that Song Congzu had come to his senses. Zhao Xiping sighed and said, "That's good that he's come to his senses. People of this age are always restless. It's good that they get busy."
"That's not the case with Liang Ge'er. I've never seen him being impetuous." Sui Yu couldn't help but say, "It has to do with the person, not his age."
Zhao Xiping sighed, "How can you say that? He's always here to provoke me, or hit me, and then run away. What a mean guy."
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