Chapter 29 Night Visit to the Library
Su Ying smiled and said, "I'll make a list and send it to you tonight!"
When Rong heard this, she scratched Su Ying's nose and said, "You can bring it over anytime!"
After dinner, Su Ying made a list in her room.
She wanted a candlestick so that the library would have enough light when the day was cloudy. She also wanted two books, one to copy the new catalog and the other to record the details of borrowing and returning books.
With her round and small chin resting on the pen, Su Ying pondered seriously.
By the way, she also needs some things to mend books, such as rattan paper, cotton thread, bamboo ruler, wooden clips, etc.
It's not like my grandparents' academy here, where you have to buy a lot of things.
As the list grew longer, Su Ying suddenly realized she was asking for too much. Although her aunt always granted her requests, she still didn't make much money. She thought for a moment and decided to be frugal. She put down her pen and planned to go to the library tomorrow to check the list. After a few simplifications, she would give it to her aunt.
The incense burns out and the drum sounds.
Du Hengcai completed all his work for the day.
While tidying up the desk, he caught a glimpse of the book that Qingquan had gotten for him from the library.
Du Heng didn't know whether it was because the weather was cold or the heating was too strong, but he felt stuffy and strode out of the study.
Qingquan had been dozing outside the study when he heard the young master's footsteps and woke up with a start. Seeing that the young master did not call him but walked out of the courtyard, he quickly grabbed the young master's light fur coat, picked up the lantern, and chased after him.
"Sir, your fur coat."
Qingquan couldn't help but remind him.
Du Heng stopped and put on his fur coat without letting Qingquan serve him.
Qingquan was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard the young master say calmly, "Come with me to the library."
Going to the library in the middle of the night? Qingquan felt his ears weren't working well. He rubbed his ears and wanted to ask again, but saw the young master had already walked away, so he hurriedly chased after him.
On a cold winter night, everything around was pitch black, except for the corridor where palace lanterns were hung, which was shrouded in a dim halo, like a signpost, making people step on it unconsciously.
Du Heng couldn't explain why he went to the library. All day long, he kept hearing Qingquan's reply.
"Under the Hengmen Gate, you can rest for a while."
She actually hit the nail on the head about the origin of the name his father gave him.
For as long as he could remember, he had been immersed in the classics, histories, and collected works. His mother constantly talked about "passing the imperial examination," as if there was nothing else to do in life but study. The servants in the house also had children his own age. While some served in the courtyard, many played outside. He could often hear them playing outside, cricket-fighting in the summer and snowball-fighting in the winter. Never having to memorize or write, his days were filled with pure bliss.
He remembered one winter day when he was seven years old. Just like today, after the heavy snow had stopped falling, he once again heard the children playing and making noise outside. The servants who accompanied him had taken a nap somewhere. He took the opportunity to sneak out of the yard and play with them. After dusk, he quietly returned to the study.
The whole journey was quiet, just like the present moment. He felt relieved and thought that he could find the same opportunity to go out again in the future.
I never imagined that in the study sat my father holding a cane, my mother wiping her tears, and servants kneeling on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
"where have you been?"
His father's voice was like a loud bell, shaking his small body.
He felt guilty, but he was unwilling to accept it. Why could others play while he had to study hard by the window?
He lifted his chest and head and said, "Let's go play in the snow!"
"What a great way to play in the snow!"
The father laughed in anger, "Hold out your hand!"
In the end, he didn't dare to disobey. Even though he was unwilling, he still stretched out his right hand.
"Write with your right hand and extend your left hand."
The cane came down hard three times, and he endured it with gritted teeth.
He turned his head away, tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let a single tear fall.
"Under a humble family, you can rest and relax. Your father lets you study, not to make you a noble or a prime minister, but so that one day you can support this family."
At the time, he was naive and, though reluctant, he followed his father's instructions, diligently studying day after day. Over time, he even developed a taste for it. Perhaps it was genuine talent, or perhaps it was divine intervention, but he excelled from the Tongshi exam all the way to becoming the youngest person to win the title of Jieyuan (School of Science and Technology).
He thought that the future would be as smooth as expected, but his father passed away suddenly due to illness. For a while, the Du family was left with no one to rely on.
His mother could cry, his grandmother could cry, and everyone in the Du family could mourn the passing of their patriarch. But he alone couldn't. Only then did he truly understand the weight of his father's words.
Su Ying's casual question evoked his longing for his father. He walked down the corridor alone, his desolate figure stepping into the night. The darkness at this moment became the best cover for his sorrow.
This library had originally been his study during his youth. His father had thought the secluded solitude of the courtyard would help him focus. However, he hadn't anticipated that the noises outside would constantly disturb his mind. After that sneak out, his father had built him a quiet room in the east courtyard, and this place was now occupied by his second uncle.
Pushing open the closed gate, Du Heng walked through the small courtyard and into the study.
He sighed softly: "Is there not even a light here?"
Qingquan raised the lantern higher and said, "I think the Second Madam and the cousin only come during the day, so there are no lanterns."
Du Heng continued, "No lamps, no charcoal basin?"
"Yes, yes. When I came today, the house was very warm."
Qingquan hurriedly took the lantern and shone it into the corner of the wall, and indeed found the charcoal brazier.
He put down the lantern and lit the charcoal brazier, but it would take a while for the whole room to be truly warm.
White mist emerged with each breath. Du Heng rubbed his hands and looked around the room. The lantern light was too dim to see clearly.
The snow outside the window hadn't completely melted, but instead, the moonlight made it appear even whiter and brighter, making the area near the window brighter than elsewhere. Du Heng involuntarily walked towards the desk by the window.
He scanned the four treasures of the study on the desk and picked up the only booklet. Leaning closer to the windowsill, in the moonlight, he could clearly make out the words "Catalog" written on it. The handwriting seemed familiar, so he flipped through a few more pages, only to remember it was his second uncle's handwriting. Putting the catalogue down, he glanced at the rice paper beside him, which was covered in beautiful small regular script.
The characters are as big as beans, neat and elegant, and each stroke reveals tranquility. Compared with the vigorous and powerful strokes when copying scriptures, the style is very different.
If he had not known that Su Ying was checking the bibliography here, he would not have dared to conclude that such beautiful small regular script and the Wei stele were written by the same person.
Suddenly remembering Qingquan's mention of Su Ying writing down the details of the borrowed books, he flipped through a few more pages to search. But every page was filled with deletions or additions to the list, and not a single page related to the borrowed books. He felt a little disappointed.
He turned and asked, "Where is the piece of paper that recorded the borrowed book?"
Qingquan glanced at the desk and shook his head, saying, "I didn't notice it, I think it's right there on the desk."
With no results for the time being, Du Heng had to give up.
The room gradually became warmer, and a wisp of smoke rushed into Du Heng's nose. He felt a little uncomfortable. After thinking for a moment, he asked Qingquan to place the lantern next to the desk.
Qingquan did as he was told and stood aside.
The young master picked up the water jar, dripped clear water onto the inkstone, then picked up the ink stick and patiently and carefully ground it in the inkstone. Qingquan didn't know if it was because of the lantern's halo or because the room was gradually getting warmer, but he felt that the young master at this moment was a little warmer than usual.
The young man wrote calmly and soon handed over the paper with the details.
Qingquan reached out and took it, only to see the following words listed on it:
A glass oil lamp, a pot of lamp oil, two white silk-covered booklets, a basket of silver charcoal, a little sandalwood, and some soft cloth.
Just as I was looking down, I heard the young master's calm instructions: "Replace the desk as well. Buy the four treasures of the study as usual. Go to the storeroom and say they need it from the west courtyard study. The library is empty in the morning. You know what to do, right?"
Qingquan hurriedly put the details into his arms and said, "Don't worry, sir!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
