Chapter 40 Study Room: The winds of exam-oriented education have finally reached the Song Dynasty.
Upon seeing Chen Chuan, Yao Ruyi felt a strange mix of emotions.
Watching Chen Chuan, now a tall and handsome young man, stand among the Yu family members, solemnly and quietly discussing the appropriate measure of hitting someone with Yu Erlang, his voice slow and gentle, he truly possessed a maturity beyond his years.
She couldn't help but smile to herself, "You may not recognize me, but I watched you grow up in books!"
At this moment, the world here truly came alive in Yao Ruyi's eyes.
This is no longer a world made up of a book, a few pages, and a few lines of text; it is not a world she stumbled upon by chance, but a small world with joys and sorrows, sunshine and rain; a world that will continue to exist and function even if that despicable author has stopped writing.
Time is passing, the children in the book will grow up, and spring will come.
The unease and sense of drifting that had always lingered in Yao Ruyi's heart vanished the moment she saw Chen Chuan, who had grown into a tall and straight bamboo.
But she said nothing, nor did she reveal anything else. She simply pulled the little parrot closer to her chest and retreated under the eaves to watch Aunt Yu greet the men.
She watched as the Yu family members, in a grand procession, unloaded their bundles, held their sticks in front of them, tightened their stirrups and saddles, and prepared to set off.
The Yu family prepared three carriages and four or five mixed-breed horses. Aunt Yu let the older uncles and elders ride in the carriages, while she herself would brave the cold and wind to ride the horses, striving to reach Luoyang as quickly as possible.
If the weather is good, it takes two or three days by fast horse from Bianjing to Luoyang.
The wind was like a knife cutting into her face, and the manes of several scraggly horses were blown into a mess by the wind. Aunt Yu put on her cotton hat and tied her cotton scarf around her face. Although she was plump and over forty years old, she mounted the horse with remarkable agility. With a hand on the saddle, a twist of her waist, and a kick of her legs, she was firmly on the horse's back.
Yao Ruyi was surprised. Aunt Yu was amazing! She had never known that Aunt Yu could ride a horse.
Meng Erlang and Chen Chuan also mounted their horses cleanly and nimbly.
On the contrary, Yu Shouzhen's left foot barely reached the stirrup before his right leg slipped. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he struggled to get his foot into the stirrup three or four times before finally managing to get it in. As he leaped up, the back of his robe got caught on the saddle, and he ended up leaning against the horse's belly like a sack of flour, with the hem of his cotton robe billowing high in the wind, revealing half of his cotton trousers. He had practically climbed up.
Fortunately, his horse had a good temper and only kicked its hooves impatiently.
Aunt Yu turned her face away and sighed. Although she didn't say anything, Yao Ruyi could tell from Aunt Yu's expression that she had been holding back and hadn't asked Yu Shouzhen to go into the carriage to accompany the old uncles, so as not to cause any trouble.
Once Yu Shouzheng had sat up straight, Aunt Yu took the reins, cracked the whip, and turned back to shout, "Is everything ready? Let's go!"
"Don't worry, if I don't beat his guts out, I'll be unworthy of being called 'uncle' by Jiuwan!" The burly man driving the cart spat viciously and pulled on the reins.
Aunt Yu nodded approvingly at him, then said to Yao Ruyi, "Ruyi, thank you for your trouble these next few days. When I return, I will definitely host a feast to thank you."
"Auntie, don't be so polite!" Yao Ruyi quickly picked up the parrot's little wing and waved it. "Auntie, Uncle Yu, have a safe journey! I... the bird and I are waiting for you all to come back safely for the New Year!"
A smile appeared on Aunt Yu's lips, but it quickly disappeared. Her expression turned serious, she squeezed the horse's belly with her legs, and rode ahead, leading the carriage and horses out.
Just then, a familiar figure came in from the alleyway, leading a farting old donkey.
Meng Qingyuan was stunned for a moment upon seeing the Yu family's display of power, but contrary to his usual behavior, he quickly stepped forward to Yao Ruyi and asked, "What's going on?"
She said succinctly, "Aunt Yu is going to Luoyang to pick up her daughter and bring her home after the divorce."
Just as Meng Qingyuan asked that extra question, the Yu family's carriages and horses rumbled past him one after another. The alley was narrow, so the horses could only move slowly for the time being.
Meng Qingyuan froze for a moment, then suddenly turned around, forcefully pulling the braying old donkey along as they chased after it, grabbing Aunt Yu's saddle and saying urgently, "Auntie, I...I'll go with you too!"
Aunt Yu frowned and asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"
Meng Qingyuan was so anxious that he wanted to trot alongside the horse, while the donkey was kicking and bucking behind. He couldn't think of a reason for his actions, so in desperation he could only shout, "Auntie, I...I...I have a loud voice! I can help scold them! Even if I can't win the argument, I have some fists and kicks! There are many of us, and more people means more help. Let me go with you!"
Aunt Yu looked down at him, first puzzled, then seemingly lost in thought, and fell silent for a while before tapping the donkey behind him with her whip, which was looking at him askance, and said, "If you want to go, then go. But how will you go? Riding this donkey? I'm afraid you won't be able to catch up with us."
"Auntie, don't worry about me! Slow down a couple of steps, I'll go home and get the horse right now! I'm coming right away!"
As he spoke, Meng Qingyuan swiftly pulled the donkey through the door of the Meng family, and in no time, he quickly replaced it with the only old horse in the Meng family, which was the one that Meng's father usually used for delivering goods.
Without even packing his clothes or luggage, he hastily stuffed a stack of sesame cakes into his satchel, mounted his horse, and whipped it to catch up with the Yu family.
Yao Ruyi and the birds craned their necks, watching him run in and out, completely dumbfounded. A moment later, Guan Shi, who was warming herself by the fire inside, finally heard the news. She rushed out of the house, but could only stamp her feet and incoherently shout at Meng Qingyuan's already galloping figure, "Sanlang, where are you...where are you going! Why did you take your father's delivery horse? Are you expecting that stubborn donkey to deliver goods?! Hey! Are you...are you coming back for dinner?! It's almost New Year's! You—"
But only the urgent clatter of horses' hooves echoed in the wind, responding to her.
“Children are all a burden, none of them are easy to deal with…” Madam Guan sighed deeply, stood there for a while, and shivered from the wind. She had rushed out without wearing a coat, tightened her robe, and turned to the general store. She sighed again to Yao Ruyi, who was still somewhat confused, and said, “Ruyi, get two catties of barley wine and two catties of mutton jerky for your aunt.”
Yao Ruyi snapped out of her daze, quickly put the bird in her pocket, and lifted the curtain to let the thinly dressed Guan Shi into the room: "Auntie, come in and wait."
Guan nodded with a troubled expression, walked into the shop, and sat down at a narrow table against the wall.
Yao Ruyi glanced at her face and didn't dare to say anything. She weighed out plenty of wine and wrapped up some dried meat for Guan Shi. Guan Shi then picked up the wine jar and the meat, silently calculated the bill for Yao Ruyi, and hurried home.
While buying wine and meat, Yao Ruyi managed to piece together the little-known history between the Meng and Yu families.
The Yu family had lived in the alley for over a decade, while the Meng family had only moved in this year. Logically, the two families shouldn't have had any prior connection. Meng Qingyuan's actions today were therefore particularly puzzling.
However, she suddenly remembered something: when Sister Yinzhu and Madam Cheng came to the general store to eat snacks and chat, she had overheard the two sisters talking about something.
It's said that Jiuwan has a hard life, having married twice at a young age. Her first husband's family lived in the outer city, and although they lived close by and were considered a harmonious couple, he died of illness less than two years later. She remained a widow for three or four years before finally remarrying, only to be treated this way by her in-laws. Judging from Aunt Yu's current worried expression, she probably doesn't have a good future. If Aunt Yu really decides to bring her back in the future, she probably won't be willing to remarry her off again.
"It's better to support her for the rest of her life than to send her to suffer in the homes of those unknown people again." Sister Yinzhu and Madam Cheng sat around eating mixed vegetable stew, gnawing on large chunks of radish soaked in soup. "If it were me, I would think the same way. You can know a person's face but not their heart. Back then, everyone said that Jiuwan's husband was a decent person, considerate and thoughtful. The two families were also considered a good match. Who knew that in just a few years, he would turn out like this?"
Sister Yinzhu thought of herself and Xiaosong, and felt sad. She ate a radish and her eyes reddened. She didn't even finish the last bowl of mixed vegetables that she had only chosen some vegetarian ingredients for.
"People's hearts are fickle," Madam Cheng sighed sadly. Although she had met a good man, like Jiu Wan's first husband, he had died young, leaving her all alone. Her only advantage over Jiu Wan was that she hadn't chosen to remarry, preferring to grit her teeth and raise her child alone. Now, it seemed that this had turned out to be a good thing.
After all, no one knows how fate will play tricks on a person.
Madam Cheng smiled bitterly: "Sometimes it's not that mothers don't love their daughters, nor that they misjudged them at first. The person was certainly good at first, and their feelings were genuine, but people, gradually, all change. This has been the case for thousands of years. Isn't the poem 'The Peasant Woman' in the Book of Songs also a tearful poem written by a man and woman who were sincerely in love at first, but in the end, the woman was betrayed?"
A man's infatuation can be explained, but a woman's infatuation cannot. Marriage is not a lifelong commitment, but how easy is it for a woman to break free and start over? Many women, without a strong family like Aunt Yu's, may not even have the courage to break free.
“When Xiaosong grows up and it’s time for her to choose a husband, I must tell her that everything can be rushed, but marriage is the most important thing. Don’t listen to a man’s sweet words, and don’t give your heart away lightly. If she becomes an old maid because of this, it doesn’t matter. I’d rather support her for the rest of my life than let her suffer. Even if we miss out on a good match, so be it. I’d rather miss out than give my heart to the wrong person.” Sister-in-law Yinzhu said this resolutely while munching on a radish.
Upon recalling this, Yao Ruyi understood somewhat.
Meng Qingyuan's genuine emotions today suggest there may be only one truth!
Detective Ruyi pushed up his non-existent glasses and boldly speculated: It is said that Jiuwan's ex-husband's family lived in the outer city. During the years she was widowed, could she have met Meng San, who also lived in the outer city? However, for some reason, she still chose to marry someone else.
The two not only missed each other, but also ultimately misplaced their trust.
As she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a slight itch on her waist. She finally remembered that she still had a bird in her pocket! She quickly took out the colorful parrot that was still nestled in her pocket and angrily pecking at her belt.
During the Song Dynasty, most parrots were scarlet-breasted parrots, which were small in size and had exceptionally bright green feathers, like newly sprouted bamboo leaves in spring. Their heads were grayish-blue, their breasts were covered with crimson down, and the tips of their tail feathers had a touch of blue. Their entire bodies were extremely bright, hence the name "five-colored parrot".
This parrot has a round head and is extremely cute. When held in your hands, it doesn't make a fuss or struggle; it just stares at you with its two black bean eyes. Aunt Yu said that Uncle Yu raised this bird himself from its shell, hand-raising and taming it from the very beginning. Moreover, Uncle Yu has suppressed its temperament since it was a chick and often took it out on duty, so it has long been used to noisy and crowded environments. Now, if you let it go, it won't leave. It will fly around once, and if you whistle, it will immediately fly back to your shoulder.
Yao Ruyi tried to imitate Uncle Yu by carrying the bird on her shoulder, and it actually stood obediently on her shoulder!
She tried calling softly again, "My darling?"
Upon hearing this, the parrot immediately opened its beak and cursed, "You bastard!"
Yao Ruyi: "..." Well, it's its own fault. I'd better not call it by its name.
I took the key from Aunt Yu and went into the Yu family's yard to take a look. Most of the flowers and plants that Uncle Yu grew were various kinds of orchids. Orchids do not need to be watered often. Uncle Yu must have watered them before he left. Most of the wood chips and moss in the pot were wet.
The orchids were too delicate, and seeing that those that needed to be moved into the greenhouse had already been moved, Yao Ruyi didn't bother to take care of them. She only took the little parrot's daily food, and added water and food to the thrushes, pigeons, and larks kept in the other bamboo cages of the Yu family. Finally, she took a bird stand and a ceramic bird food jar, and then carried Haobao back to her shop.
I found a wooden wedge in the shop to hang an oil lamp, put the perch on it, placed my hot-tempered baby on it, poured in food and water, and that was it.
Only then did she have time to sit on the cushioned rocking chair in the shop, flip through the account books, drink tea, and occasionally glance at the parrots on the shelf.
With its familiar wooden frame and food bowl, Hao Bao'er strolled around on the frame for a while, drank some water, ate a few sunflower seeds, and then quieted down.
They're not that hard to manage.
Yao Ruyi turned her attention back to the account book in her hand and made some notes. She heard that Grandpa Yao seemed to be getting up from his midday nap in the yard. She peeked out and saw Grandpa Yao yawning and scratching his head as he walked out, followed by a row of his little dog grandchildren who were also yawning. Both the man and the dogs had droopy eyelids.
She watched as Grandpa Yao washed his face with a basin of warm water, and after he finished washing himself, he wiped the faces of each of the dogs who were also sleeping with him and were still sleepy-eyed. He even carefully wiped their ears. Yao Ruyi felt soft-hearted and warmed by what she saw.
Now, Grandpa Yao is taking care of all three puppies.
Although Woof Woof grew up with dogs and was more affectionate than other cats, it was still a cat after all. As it grew older, its temperament changed, and its lone wolf and disdainful nature resurfaced. It no longer spent much time with its dog brothers. It usually wandered around the shop, either sleeping on the shelves or on the laps of students who came to eat snacks.
Yao Ruyi barely feeds it during the day anymore, because so many students are feeding the dog!
Several students even come every day after school, just to pet the dog and eat, rain or shine, regardless of the heat or cold.
The students who come to pet the cats are the easiest to spot; most are fair-skinned and quiet. They order two sausages, and even tell Yao Ruyi not to brush one with sauce. Then, as soon as they enter, they wander around the shop looking for Wangwang, holding the sausage. Once they find him, they sit facing each other, one sausage for the person and one sausage for the cat, leisurely enjoying their afternoon together.
However, there was only one cat, and often two students would fight over who got to pet the cat first, making Yao Ruyi, who was standing by and advising, "Stop fighting, stop fighting!" wonder if she had opened a cat cafe.
What's even funnier is that one time, Wangwang sneaked out to play, but Yao Ruyi didn't pay much attention. It was a well-behaved cat; it would wander around the alleys a couple of times and then come back. However, it was brought back by a student from the Imperial Academy in less than fifteen minutes. The student kindly lifted Wangwang up and said to her, "Miss Yao, your cat is lost! I've brought it back to you!"
After the kind student left, Wangwang, unwilling to give up, sneaked out again, only to be sent back by another group of people. Poor Wangwang rarely wanted to go out and play, because it had recently taken a liking to Dr. Jiang's lion cat, and whenever it went out, it wanted to visit its good cat friend, but it was repeatedly sent away as soon as it stepped out the door.
After being sent back four or five times, it got so angry that its fur stood on end. It barked and meowed loudly at the students, and a few students who saw the injustice even patted its head and said, "Don't thank me."
Yao Ruyi was holding back her stomach cramps. Although she couldn't understand it, she felt that it wasn't saying thank you; it was probably cursing as filthy as the little parrot.
In the courtyard, after Grandpa Yao finished washing himself and the dogs, he led them to the stove to teach them numbers. Yao Ruyi watched as he tapped the edge of the charcoal brazier with a thin stick, the three puppies squatting in a row, their black grape-like eyes fixed on the dried field mice in his hand. She couldn't help but shake her head with a smile; Grandpa Yao's passion for teaching was truly too strong.
He has recovered considerably, and his medicine has been reduced to once every other day, but his memory is still somewhat confused. The last time I saw Cong Xin turning over the soil in the yard, I pulled Cong Xin aside and earnestly advised him to go back to his studies and not sell himself into slavery. I even said that if he was worried about money, I would be willing to sponsor his studies.
This left Cong Xin both amused and exasperated, gripping his rake. However, Cong Xin had a strong passion for farming. Although it was winter and he couldn't plant vegetables, he still tended to his vegetable garden every few days, burying wood ash and rice husks as fertilizer, just waiting for spring to arrive so he could put his skills to good use.
Yao Ruyi took a sip of tea from her teacup, while Grandpa Yao was already teaching in the courtyard, nodding and swaying his head.
"This is one, the number one!" Grandpa Yao said this to the dog while holding a rattan ball, then gave the ball to it and told it to hold it, and then gave it a piece of dried meat.
Just as Grandpa Yao was perfectly lucid when teaching dogs to count, he was equally so in other areas of knowledge. He might mistake people for others, forget things, or get lost, but he never forgot a single thing about his vast knowledge. Occasionally, when Cheng Shujun came to ask him about his studies, Grandpa Yao could use classical allusions to refute him and make him feel ashamed of his own ignorance.
Yao Ruyi curled up in the rocking chair, watching him teach the dog to count, when suddenly an idea struck her.
Although business was much slower after the holidays, there were still students studying diligently in the South Study of the Imperial Academy who hadn't gone home. Yao Ruyi often saw them coming and going to find food or buy daily necessities and snacks from the general store. She had actually been thinking for a while about setting up a paid study room for Grandpa Yao.
She reasoned that most of the students willing to stay and study were determined to be the top scorers in next year's imperial examinations. Moreover, the imperial examinations at this time emphasized policy essays and poetry, unlike the standardized format of later examinations.
Here, it's not enough to write an essay on your own; these kinds of "subjective questions" and "essay questions" really need teachers' guidance and feedback to improve.
Having a study room would greatly alleviate Grandpa Yao's urge to be a teacher, and she could also earn some money. After all, it's natural to charge per seat for studying. After a hard day's work of studying, it's only natural to take a break to drink tea, warm yourself by the stove, make some instant noodles, or eat some snacks when you're hungry.
Such paid study rooms naturally sell themselves as efficient learning and guidance from renowned teachers. Once they are established, they can also sell workbooks, exam preparation materials, and the like.
Grandpa Yao will be very busy then.
The more Yao Ruyi thought about it, the clearer her mind became, and she unconsciously touched her chin with her fingers.
Fortunately, the Meng family's woodblock printing workshop was located here, so printing study materials would not be a problem. As long as she could collect some "outstanding essays" from previous years, she could collaborate with the Meng family to publish them into a booklet.
Yao Ruyi recalled that when she was cleaning the storage room, she had found seven or eight large boxes for Grandpa Yao. Inside were not only several boxes of students' homework and exercises, but also Grandpa Yao's lesson preparation notes over the years. With just sorting and screening, the collection of excellent essays from the Imperial College over the past ten years could be engraved in an instant!
If we were to further persuade Grandpa Yao and other senior doctors to compile and create works such as "Five Years of Scientific Exams and Three Years of Simulations," "100 Essential Lectures for Scientific Exams," "Complete Explanation of Yao Qizhao's Scientific Exam Textbook," "Top Student Essays on Current Affairs and Policy Writings," "A Collection of Excellent Essays on Scientific Exams (with Expert Commentary)," "One Lesson, One Exercise (Enhanced Edition)," and "Detailed Explanation and Categorized Analysis of Ten Years' Real Exam Questions on Current Affairs for Scientific Exams"...
The winds of exam-oriented education eventually reached the Song Dynasty.
The more Yao Ruyi thought about it, the more she wanted to laugh.
In particular, the publishing industry was highly developed at this time, and private bookstores and private printing were not prohibited. In fact, the Imperial Academy itself was the official printing office of the imperial court for external publication. However, the Imperial Academy mainly printed classics, historical texts, legal documents, medical works, etc., and never printed the kind of supplementary teaching materials that would later torment students to the point of exhaustion.
Officially printed books required rigorous proofreading, while private publishing was much easier. Books only needed to be sent to the government's "bookplate repository" for record-keeping. Once it was confirmed that there were no prohibited items (such as those related to divination, military strategy, or superstitious practices), and taxes were paid, the books could be published. [Note]
This matter can be handled by printing it in the private sector.
Thinking about it this way, it would be better to find a place in the courtyard to test the waters first. If it goes well, we can rent an empty house nearby later. It doesn't need to be big or decorated. We can just find some beech wood, put some tables and desks, plain screens and bamboo curtains in it, and that will be it.
Yao Ruyi even figured out the business model in a flash: the study rooms could be set up on a time-based system, with single-day tickets and multi-day tickets to meet the short-term or long-term exam preparation needs of different students. Seating could also be divided into single tables, booths, and private rooms. Once the business was running smoothly, monthly, quarterly, and annual passes could be offered, with members receiving discounts, priority reservations, and exclusive seats, thus locking in and stabilizing cash flow.
The story of Madam Shen in the book illustrates how she built her business by selling grilled fish!
As she pondered this, Yao Ruyi took another sip of tea. However, she couldn't be too hasty. This was her first time doing this kind of business, so she had to do some "market research" first, starting by finding out what the students who hadn't gone home for winter break were thinking.
That's the decision!
Yao Qizhao was rewarding the field mice that had correctly counted the gold-plated puppy when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. He shivered. Turning his head, he saw Ruyi in the shop staring at him intently, a thoughtful smile on her face.
He was startled; why was this girl staring at him like that? He shook his head and smiled, then continued to fuss over the dog. Little did he know that these carefree days of sitting by the fire, playing with the dog, would soon be gone forever.
The next day at dawn, Yao Ruyi had just propped up the window, opened the shop door, swept away the fallen leaves in front of the door, and was preparing to change into decent clothes and go to Xingguo Temple to continue discussing her snack business.
Suddenly, the sound of wheels came from the alley entrance. Old Xiang hurriedly wrapped himself in his tattered cotton-padded coat and came out of the duty room to look, but when he saw the sign held out by the driver, he was so frightened that he quickly stepped aside and bowed deeply.
Who's here? Is my second uncle back?
Curious, she swept the floor and stood on tiptoe to look, only to find that the carriage seemed to be heading straight for her. A short while later, it stopped in front of her.
Yao Ruyi glanced around and was a little disappointed. The driver wasn't Uncle Cong, and the carriage and horses weren't her second uncle's either.
The carriage was simple, revealing no sign of the owner's background, but the horse was exceptional—a purebred chestnut with a single stray hair, a sight rarely seen in ordinary households. The horse my second uncle had previously hired was brown and white with a mottled coat.
It must be a wealthy family that keeps a low profile.
Unexpectedly, the curtain was lifted slightly, and a slightly plump old man with a fair complexion and no beard came down from inside. He was dressed in the clothes of an eunuch. When he saw Yao Ruyi, he smiled kindly and said, "Are you Miss Yao? I have come on the orders of the Emperor to ask Miss Yao for the recipe for making sour rice porridge."
Yao Ruyi immediately understood: with the year-end approaching, the palace must be preparing a banquet. She hadn't expected the Emperor to actually like sushi!
Her eyes darted around, and she asked, "Does His Majesty wish to know how sour rice is steamed?"
Liang Da Dang laughed and said, "Young Lady Yao is indeed clever. That's right. The Emperor wants to set up a large boat of rice dishes at the banquet to entertain the officials. Unfortunately, the palace kitchen has tried several methods to steam rice, but none of them are as delicious as the young lady's. That's why he specially sent me to inquire."
Yao Ruyi thought to herself, "Just as I thought." Sushi looks simple to make, but there's a trick to steaming sushi rice properly; it's not as simple as just adding a little vinegar to make "vinegar rice."
People often think that sushi is just rice with some toppings, and that it tastes good because the ingredients are high-quality and fresh. However, they overlook the fact that the rice is the real source of sushi's good texture. If the sushi rice is not cooked properly, the whole sushi is ruined, and no matter how expensive the fish or how good the meat is on top, it won't make up for it.
Liang Da Dang recounted in detail the various methods used in the inner kitchen, and asked very humbly, "I've soaked the rice and added vinegar, but I don't know where things went wrong? I hope Miss Yao can give me some pointers?"
Yao Ruyi pondered for a moment, then glanced at Liang Da Dang's face, and slightly curled her lips: "If Your Majesty is willing, this humble woman naturally dares not refuse, and is willing to sell this sashimi recipe to Your Majesty at a discounted price."
She paused, then emphasized, "It's a discounted pawn sale."
Liang Da Dang was taken aback.
Why does this sound so familiar?
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Note: Private publishing in the Song Dynasty faced numerous restrictions and wasn't as simple as Ruyi imagined in the story. However, since we're transmigrating into a book, any inconsistencies or errors in this world's setting are the fault of the original author of the previous book. [Sunglasses]
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Ruyi: Grandpa, you're in your sixties or seventies, that's the perfect time to make your mark! [Sprinkling flowers]
Grandpa Yao: ? ?
I'll focus on my career for a few days until my second uncle comes back for the New Year, then I'll think about dating. [Cat emoji]
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