With Lin Chaobei's meticulous care, Huang Banxian's health improved more and more. What he didn't expect was that the family that saved him was a farming family, and a family where everyone was literate.
Lying still on the kang (a heated brick bed) is very uncomfortable. Huang Banxian, who had nothing to do, started by chatting and gossiping with Lin Chaobei, and now he has begun to teach Lin Chaobei basics. Lin Chaonan and Erhu also listened in, and later Xiaoman'er joined in. They all listened very attentively.
As for Yue Jiuyue and Liu Shi, neither of them had much ambition. One of them spent her days thinking about how to make money, how to utilize her six mountain strongholds, and how to maintain her secluded paradise. The other was busy with laundry, cooking, cleaning, feeding the chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits, and managing all the household chores. Both of them felt that their lives were already set in stone; what difference did it make if they studied more or not and became top scholars? They had completely given up.
Of course, while Liu Shi was truly lying down, Yue Jiuyue would still learn to read from her son and granddaughter. After all, she wasn't truly illiterate; she just wasn't very good at writing traditional characters. With more learning and recognition, she would gradually learn.
Through his observations over this period, Lin Chaonan discovered that this Huang Banxian was indeed no ordinary person. At the very least, he was exceptionally knowledgeable, even more learned than the village chief, who was a mere student. His brother had truly struck gold.
Well, he benefited from it too.
Before his plan even began, he had already benefited greatly from it, making him too embarrassed to inquire about Huang Banxian's true identity, even though he was even more curious.
Lin Chaonan dared not inquire because he feared that Huang Banxian might utter something like "sinner" or "fugitive." After all, what respectable scholar would stoop to fortune-telling to swindle or extort money? Scholars are known for their pride and would never stoop to such a level unless they were desperate.
Well, I'll just learn for now. At least he's a free tutor, much more reliable than the village chief's tutor.
We have plenty of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones at home, though they aren't the best quality, just the worst kind, but good enough to get by.
Before breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner, these were the times they spent attending classes with Mr. Huang. Sometimes they would learn to recognize and write characters, and sometimes Mr. Huang would teach them to recite the Four Books and Five Classics. Then, in the next class, he would explain what they had memorized. This filled their days with activities, making them even more fulfilled than during the spring planting and autumn harvest season.
"...Mother, this is what we learned today."
Lin Chaobei recited what he had learned that day to Yue Jiuyue, then handed her the large characters he had practiced writing that day, and then asked curiously:
"Mother, why don't you study with Mr. Huang?"
Why would she insist on having the two brothers write large characters instead of learning from a ready-made teacher, and why would she require them to recite what they learned that day to her before going to bed every night? Lin Chaobei didn't understand.
"Why? I can't get up that early in the morning, and I need to take a nap at noon. After a day of work, I don't have the energy to listen to any lectures at night. It's better to let you two brothers explain it to me. Anyway, I'm old, so I'll learn as much as I can. It's not really of any use to me anyway."
Yue Jiuyue said in a "what's the use" manner.
Of course, while saying that, Yue Jiuyue didn't really think that learning it was useless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
