Sad summer travel
After reaching the canal, Mr. Jiang began to require them to memorize the Four Books due to the need to adjust the curriculum. The core content of the Four Books was actually not very extensive, and the little girl was not required to master it in depth, so it was easy. After a few days of sailing down the canal, Shujia memorized two more chapters of the "Mencius" that she had already memorized half of. Then, trouble came -
When I first boarded the boat, I was so excited I didn't think anything was wrong. But after two days, the aftereffects kicked in. It was the fourth month of the lunar calendar, and we were on a canal boat. Forget the ice cubes we always had at home to cool down, and even the cool well water we used to cook fruit was gone. The women in the inner courtyard, regardless of their ethnicity or fitness, were all confined to their own courtyards these days, with no access to a gym. In the middle of summer, on the bare, unshaded canal, the weather kept getting hotter by the day, and even those who were lucky enough to avoid seasickness began to suffer from heatstroke.
The worst part was that Shi Wenbing was traveling south along the Grand Canal, and the weather was getting hotter the further he went. Furthermore, they were on their way to take up their new post, so they couldn't stop to rest or even turn back.
After suffering from heatstroke, the seasickness symptoms, previously suppressed by the novelty of the situation, began to appear in many people. Xiluo Te was the mistress of the house, and her conditions were better, with a fanner, tea-servants, and her own private room. The same was true for Shujia and Shuxian; they ultimately couldn't take it anymore.
Shujia found this summer particularly unbearable. Back in Beijing, she'd said that without the greenhouse effect, summers weren't hot, and she was thankful she could survive without air conditioning. But it wasn't that summers here weren't hot, it was simply that her family's well-being kept her from feeling the heat. Once the novelty of the boat ride wore off, she felt weak and hot. This frightened Xiluotai, who kept watching over her, constantly throwing wet towels to wipe her and asking Xiaxi to fan her.
Though the maids and servants aboard Xiluo's ship weren't seriously ill, they were still staggering. The room was a bit cooler, but it was still stuffy—we weren't wearing enough clothes, so we couldn't open the windows. That didn't make it much more comfortable. Traveling in the summer these days was a tragedy. We sat in the small hall, with a maid fanning us. The summer sun was already dazzling, and the reflection off the water only made us feel even more dizzy.
At home, Mrs. Xiluo was hesitant to let her daughters eat anything cold, not even summer fruits like watermelon, fearing their coldness would make them unbearable. Now that this restriction has been lifted, they can no longer eat as much as they want, nor are they limited to a few bites at a time. They prepared well for the trip, bringing along herbs like Rendan to cool them down. They divided the ingredients according to their status and kept them in their mouths.
Seeing this constant state of affairs was unbearable, Xiluotai pulled herself together and checked on the maids. She ordered the maids to be more relaxed and the servants to be more relaxed. She then issued an order that every evening after sunset, when Shi Wenbing, also feeling a bit dizzy, went ashore to ride his horse, the women would be allowed to walk on deck for a while, helping them to quickly acclimate to the ship's surroundings—they would still be there for nearly two months. Shujia and her sister were also given this treatment. If it weren't for the ship's general dizziness, Xiluotai would have been reluctant to let her daughters run wild like this.
Even so, the daytime was sluggish. Activities like memorizing had to be postponed until dawn and before breakfast, after which she would huddle in her cabin for a nap. This meant she could memorize less each day. Fortunately, Shujia had already memorized the entire Analects and most of the Mencius, so the remaining homework wasn't much, so she managed to get through the day without much trouble.
Because of these setbacks, Shujia's fifth birthday wasn't a grand occasion. They just had a bowl of longevity noodles. Xiluotai and Shi Wenbing each gave her a small gift: a pair of gold bracelets inlaid with beads, and Shi Wenbing a pair of purses filled with gold ingots. Mr. Jiang gave her two books: "Three Hundred Tang Poems" and "Classic of Mountains and Seas." Shuxian gave her a homemade purse. The craftsmanship wasn't particularly impressive, but it had a childlike charm.
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When the ship reached Cangzhou, Shi Wenbing ordered them to stop for a day. Cangzhou was a large port, with frequent ships and a large flow of people, which led to a flourishing industry. Shi Wenbing ordered Zhang Lu to go ashore and fetch a doctor. He prescribed anti-heat medicine for the crew and also bought some ingredients for sour plum soup. He then ordered Zhang Lu to take his name card and go to a nearby post station to fetch some ice. Given his rank, he even managed to get a small box of ice to help everyone cool down.
Although the people on the boat couldn't go ashore to play - they were dizzy and had no interest in playing, at least the boat stopped and they could all take a break.
The doctor who arrived was an elderly, white-bearded doctor with a local accent. Fortunately, northern Chinese dialects are relatively easy to understand, so inquiries about the patient's condition presented no difficulty. The doctor felt Shi Wenbing's pulse again, nodded, and went outside to talk. It wasn't a serious illness, simply a case of being a bit delicate and unable to withstand long distances. He was also asked to prescribe a few prescriptions to alleviate seasickness, and the doctor thought to himself that even the maids were delicate.
He wrote some common prescriptions and pointed out where to get the medicine. Shi Wenbing took a look at the prescriptions and found that they were all common medicines with the right properties. He thanked Zhang Luduo for the consultation fee and ordered him to take two servants to buy more herbs. They still had a long way to go.
We took some medicine boiled on the boat, and while we were at it, everyone said they felt better, perhaps because it was a psychological effect. Shujia also felt a bit more energetic. The boatmen stopped swaying, and those who were seasick gradually got better, though everyone still felt a bit listless. The weather was getting hotter, and normally, even at home, they'd feel drowsy, let alone on a boring road.
Xiluo Te discussed with Shi Wenbing: "The two girls are still young, and it will take time to study hard. Mr. Jiang is too cautious. It's better to talk to them. There's no need to be so strict. It's sunny and long, and it's not good for such a small child to get hurt. It would be better to reduce the homework, or teach them something less demanding. Once we settle down in Hangzhou, there will be a lot of books to teach them."
Shi Wenbing called his daughter over and asked what she was studying. Shujia looked at Shuxian, who was also looking at her, then lowered her head. Shuxian replied, "Mencius." Shi Wenbing guessed what Mr. Jiang meant and didn't want to give up halfway. Knowing that scholars often have a bit of a dull air, he formed an idea.
Shi Wenbing said to Mrs. Xiluote, "I know about this and I will tell him. Just let them read less so that they will have more free time. Don't let them be too idle. It's not good for children to be lazy." Mrs. Xiluote said, "I think the boat is sailing steadily. Let's teach them some needlework. They are not young anymore." Shi Wenbing said, "It's up to you." He turned around and went to look for Mr. Jiang.
Mr. Jiang was examining his students when a maid came over to refill their tea. She didn't leave until he paused to teach something new, then she came up to say the master and mistress wanted to question two young ladies. Puzzled, Mr. Jiang let them in. When he heard footsteps again, Shi Wenbing emerged.
Shi Wenbing said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your class and keep you waiting." Mr. Jiang pleaded no contest and asked Shi Wenbing for his advice. Shi Wenbing recounted his discussion with Xiluo Te and said, "Since we've already started the Four Books, there's no need to rush to finish them in these two months. We can just slowly teach them. We can even continue teaching them in Hangzhou. After this, we can move on to other subjects. It's boring on the boat, and I'm afraid it'll be exhausting for them young children. Please consider this."
Mr. Jiang was also from the north, and although his surname was Jiang, he also got seasick on boats. He'd only managed to get through it by sheer strength, and now, hearing that he could teach slowly without having to worry about changing subjects halfway through, he readily agreed. He then asked Shi Wenbing, "Since that's the case, would you mind reducing the two young ladies' homework by half? Perhaps you could share some coastal scenery and historical allusions, or perhaps teach them a few painting lessons?" Shi Wenbing replied, "My wife invited you here. If we were at home, we wouldn't have asked any more questions. It's just the unexpected circumstances of the journey that have forced us to do this." This was his agreement.
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Mr. Jiang pondered the curriculum changes. Memorization and calligraphy were mandatory, but they could be cut in half. The Shi family also required some Manchu listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Many in the Shi family spoke Manchu, so speaking wasn't a big problem for the two girls. Writing, however, was a bit more challenging. It was a bit demanding for beginners, so they only wrote one or two words a day. He could teach them some basic painting. Jiangsu and Zhejiang were a vibrant literary region, and not knowing these skills would be inadequate. He didn't plan to teach them any musical instruments, though they should learn the qin.
Mr. Jiang prepared a schedule in his mind and handed it to Shi Wenbing for review. Shi Wenbing didn't take it, saying, "Of course I trust you, sir." Why wouldn't he trust her? When his daughter was studying, maids and servants accompanied her. Even if they couldn't learn the content, they could still learn the words, and there was no guarantee that any prohibited content would appear.
Mr. Jiang had a different point. If we wanted to teach courses that cultivated our moral character, we needed more teaching equipment. Piano lessons required instruments, painting required supplies, and if we wanted to teach a little chess, we'd need a chessboard and pieces, which required applying for equipment and funding. Shi Wenbing finally grasped Mr. Jiang's point. He took the list and listened to Mr. Jiang's explanation: "When you get to the south, you'll need to know a little bit about these things. You don't have to be a genius, but you should know a little so you understand what others are saying."
Mr. Jiang initially thought he had grasped his employer's temperament. After reading halfway through the Four Books, he decided his daughter needed to memorize them once she was older, clearly harboring a different vision for her upbringing. Mrs. Xiluo also requested some arithmetic instruction if possible, suggesting she was being prepared to serve as a housekeeper, rather than focusing solely on nurturing a talented daughter.
Unexpectedly, Shi Wenbing agreed with his statement. Mr. Jiang was stunned, but then he put his mind at ease and stopped speculating. What was there to speculate about? Quality-oriented education has always been something only wealthy and freelancers who haven't had to worry about getting ahead through test-based education. The Shi family happened to be wealthy and free, and they weren't worried about finding a job after graduation.
Shujia was quite satisfied with this. She was more comfortable with a schedule that combined Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, art, music, and physical education. She also created her own schedule. Summer days are long, and dawns come early. Getting up, getting ready, meeting Mr. Xiluo, and having a snack didn't take long, leaving her with two hours before breakfast.
Those two hours were more than enough for reading, memorizing, and writing. Chinese language wasn't a problem for her. She hadn't studied the Four Books systematically before her time travel, but she'd absorbed a lot of them. In fact, some excerpts had even been included in Chinese language textbooks, challenging students of all ages. The same went for math. While her math scores on the Gaokao were a bit dismal, simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division would be something any student would know three hundred years later. After the initial struggles with Manchu, she gradually adapted. Having someone to study alongside someone really does inspire a competitive spirit.
I've strayed off topic. After breakfast, she rested for a while. By then, Xiluo had finished her chores and would chat with her daughters or watch them sew. She had no say in the matter; she was completely at Xiluo's beckoning, asking the daughter-in-law who was best at needlework to teach her. From simple to complex, Shujia herself didn't know much about these crafts. She had only done a half-dozen cross-stitches and knitted a set of scarves and gloves.
She didn't start by learning embroidery. She first practiced her hand by sewing a few lines on cloth. The course mainly explained the various tools: needle, thread, ruler... Shujia, having read "Dream of the Red Chamber," remembered a section on lacemaking and asked to learn. But she was told, "It looks easy, but it requires strength. If you want to learn, you should just learn the easy ones. It'll take another two years before you can learn the rest." This left her feeling quite depressed.
Seeing her depressed look, Mrs. Xiluo smiled but didn't point it out.
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