Chapter 492 Gold Pimple
Mr. Bai personally escorted the dejected Bai Erlang to copy books. Along the way, he earnestly warned his son, "I know copying books is boring. Writing too much not only makes your hands tired, but also makes you irritable. When you are irritable, you are prone to making mistakes and your handwriting will become sloppy..."
"But you're going to take the imperial examinations in the future. Every time you take the exam, you have to write a lot of words. After you finish the draft, you have to copy it onto the test paper. What if you write too slowly and don't have enough time? If you write even slower, wouldn't that be fatal?"
Bai Erlang was stunned when he heard this. It was the first time he knew that he had such a grand goal. So he asked blankly, "Dad, why do I have to take the imperial examination? Isn't it my eldest brother who should go?"
Mr. Bai looked at him with a look of disappointment and said, "You are too lacking in ambition. If your elder brother wants to go, can't you go too?"
Then he talked about his eldest brother's hardship, "Look, your eldest brother barely left his study when he came home for the New Year. You can't rely on your eldest brother for everything, okay? If you can also pass the imperial examination and become an official, it will not only bring honor to your family, but also help your eldest brother in the officialdom."
Bai Erlang couldn't help but mutter, "You talk as if my elder brother and I will definitely pass the exam, Dad, I think you should be nicer to Shanbao and Manbao, let them take the exam, and then help each other with my elder brother."
Mr. Bai couldn't help but pat his head and said, "You are too unambitious. No, start by copying books. Copy as many books as Shanbao and the others. Believe in what Dad says. Once you have copied, you will know the benefits."
He sighed, "Dad just couldn't continue copying back then..."
Bai Erlang couldn't help but jump up and down, "Dad, you can't even do it, yet you ask me to do it!"
Mr. Bai glanced at him and said, "That's right. Back then, as soon as I cried, your grandmother wouldn't let me copy. Now, your father regrets it very much and even blames your grandmother for spoiling me too much. So, in order to prevent you from blaming me in the future, I decided to be strict with you."
Shirojiro:......
When they reached the study door, Bai Erlang finally managed to organize his words in his grief and anger, and shouted, "I blame you too, for being too strict with me!"
Mr. Bai stretched out his hand and was about to pat him on the head. Manbao happened to look up and saw him, so he said, "Mr. Bai, hitting someone on the head will only make them stupid."
Mr. Bai paused, and changed from patting to caressing. He narrowed his eyes and smiled at Bai Erlang, "Even if you want to complain, you should do so when you grow up. You don't have the final say now."
Shirojiro:......
Master Bai dragged Bai Erlang into the study and said to Manbao with a smile, "Manbao, uncle isn't going to hit him. I'm teaching him. By the way, how are you guys copying the books now?"
The two of them generously showed him the manuscripts they had copied.
Mr. Bai took a look and nodded repeatedly. Then he looked down at his pouting son with a smile and said softly, "Erlang, you are older than Shanbao and Manbao. The Thousand Character Classic and the Analects are the simplest ones, and you have learned them both, so you can definitely copy them well, right?"
Bai Erlang was still thinking about the bamboo rat he hadn't caught in the mountains, but after his father rolled up his sleeves, he replied with frustration, "Yes."
"Okay," Mr. Bai said with a proud wave of his hand, "Go ahead and write. Dad's watching you in the study."
Bai Erlang widened his eyes, looked at Bai Shanbao, then at Manbao, and finally reluctantly went to sit behind his own small table.
Mr. Bai walked around the study with his hands behind his back. He suddenly remembered that he hadn't read a book for a long time, so he took a book from the bookshelf and started reading.
The three children were making faces at each other behind their desks.
They don't like adults being in the study, as if there is a stick hanging behind them.
The three of them exchanged glances, and then Master Bai came out from behind the bookshelf. The three of them immediately calmed down, some lowering their heads to grind ink, some to spread paper...
Mr. Bai glanced at them and was about to find a place to sit down and read a book, but when he looked up, he saw Daji sitting motionless in the corner, which scared him.
Mr. Bai patted his chest, took the book and walked to Daji, took a small stool and sat down, sharing the brazier with him.
He opened the book, glanced at Daji, and asked, "Isn't it boring to sit like this all day?"
Daji bowed slightly to Master Bai and smiled, "It's not boring, but it's the young master and the others who never stop to rest. I get tired just watching them."
Mr. Bai nodded and smiled, "Studying is like this. Everything will be fine once they pass the exam."
Daji smiled slightly and said that this was just a lie told by adults to children. When they really grow up and pass the exam to become an official, that would be a really busy time.
Daji looked up at the three children who were copying books with pens in their hands, and thought to himself what a pity that the three children didn't know this.
I think this is the time when we can feel real happiness and relaxation.
It is indeed easy for children. Although they have to copy books, they don’t have to do it all day long.
When I get tired of copying, I go out to play. When I get tired of playing, I read books that I like and eat snacks that I think are delicious. I only continue copying when I feel I have nothing to do.
But even so, the three children's speed became faster and faster, especially Manbao and Bai Shanbao. In the end, they no longer needed to look at the book and copy it. They just recited and copied the entire book silently, then checked it again, and put it together after confirming that there were no typos.
Afterwards, Manbao would take it home and have his sisters-in-law bind it, and it would become a book.
After two or three days, Bai Erlang no longer needed Master Bai to keep an eye on him, as he had indeed discovered the benefits of copying books.
Although I still hate copying books, I am not as disgusted as before.
Before the Lantern Festival, the three children had only copied ten books. Manbao was not in a hurry at all. She planned to give them her old books, and then she would copy two books herself.
When Mr. Zhuang returned from the county town after celebrating the New Year, he saw Old Zhou leading a group of children to the school. Even though he had already known about it from his apprentice, he still couldn't help being surprised.
Mr. Zhuang was just surprised, but the villagers of Qili Village were stunned.
In the past, when the school opened, the villagers would not come to watch, because they thought it was very rude and might make Mr. Zhuang unhappy.
But at this moment, they could not help themselves and gathered together to watch the excitement not far from the school, feeling extremely surprised.
"Did the Zhou family find some gold? Why did they send all their children to school?"
"Is it that Mr. Zhuang doesn't want to accept their tuition?"
"Why? Because of Manbao?"
"It's good to have a smart daughter."
"You know what? The books that the Zhou family's children use are all copied by Manbao. Oh, I went to take a look yesterday, and they look exactly like the real thing."
“…are there fake books?”
"I mean, it's made just like the ones sold in the county bookstores. The Zhou family didn't just pick up gold, they gave birth to a gold nugget."
(End of this chapter)
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