Things about studying
Back home, the Shi family breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how thorough and confident their previous analysis had been, believing it would be easy for their family to gain a foothold in this area, they were still a little worried before the final results came out. While they weren't afraid of anyone, it was always better to make peace with others than to make enemies, wasn't it?
So, that evening, Shi Wenbing and his wife were quite happy. The four of them had dinner together in the main room of the Xiluo family, with the three concubines still standing by obediently. After dinner, the table was cleared and tea was served. Shi Wenbing said, "Now that we've settled in, Xian'er and Jia'er's lessons are about to begin. Mr. Jiang has asked me when they'll start, and I said tomorrow. From now on, their main priorities will be studying and needlework."
Xiluotai said, "They don't have much else to do, so they'll just do what they've always done. They'll learn to read in the afternoon, and then come back to sew." Shi Wenbing agreed, and Xiluotai said, "The furniture in our house was bought by the fourth old master and the fourth old lady. With so many people here, it's not enough. We should find a craftsman to make some furniture."
Shi Wenbing said, "You can handle these things yourself, but why are you asking me?" Xiluotai said, "I need to tell you this. The furniture is placed in the house, and there may be differences in size. We must have someone look at the room and then determine the size accordingly. I think there are quite a few maids and servants in the backyard, so we need to find a time to get them all out of the way. I'll send the steward outside with someone to measure the room, make a list, and give it to the carpenter so he can get started."
Shi Wenbing smiled and patted his forehead. "You're right. I was negligent. Set a date, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, when the sisters are studying. Leave two maids in each room to watch over them. Call the maids together and then send someone in."
Xiluo Te smiled, stroked her temples, and said, "One more thing. Didn't you say earlier that your second uncle's cousin has been transferred to Kaihua Prefecture in Yunnan? Should we send some things over?" Shi Wenbing said, "We just arrived in Hangzhou, so we don't have much good stuff with us. Let's buy some of Hangzhou's best stuff to make up for it. That place is new, and I think it must be very desolate."
The two of them began to discuss serious matters. Shuxian winked at Shujia. Shujia raised her eyebrows inwardly, stood up with her, and said goodbye to her parents.
Back in the room, Shujia said to Chunxi, "My daughter will start studying tomorrow. Find my things and get them ready." Chunxi said, "Don't worry, my daughter. The pens and ink are ready, and the books are on the table." Xiaxi brought a bowl of mung bean soup and put it down, saying, "All those things can be taken right away. My daughter must be tired after a day. Have some mung bean soup and go to bed. Oh, my needlework aunt has already made a pair of slippers for her."
After saying this, she turned to look for her slippers to present to the treasure. Chunxi shouted behind her, "You are the one who is so frightened."
The slippers arrived. With a lotus-colored upper, a blue cloth hem, and a few pink lotus flowers embroidered on it, the felt sole gave them a light and cheerful look. Children's things always look cute. But no matter how cute they were, they couldn't hide the fact that they weren't slippers at all! Shujia had initially assumed they were slippers, since they were worn indoors, after washing up, and before bed. Shouldn't they be slippers? But they turned out to be a pair of shoes that looked just like embroidered shoes. Was there any difference between these and ordinary shoes?
Shujia asked doubtfully: "These are no different from the shoes you wear when going out, right? How are they more comfortable than other shoes?" Aunt Wuya smiled and said: "You will know later, girl." Silly girl, Banner girls wear flat-soled shoes, and it is comfortable enough for them to wear flat shoes when they come back.
After washing up, Shujia put on her new shoes and found them surprisingly comfortable. She even said that what Wuya Ma said was right. There really was something mysterious going on. The second young lady was indeed blind to common sense in this dynasty.
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The next day, when she went to class, Mr. Jiang first reviewed her previous lessons. Shujia felt a little guilty. Arriving in Hangzhou, she'd been so excited to see her own courtyard that she'd spent a long time pondering how to decorate it. Then she went to see her great-aunt, and then she went to meet guests with her mother, leaving her no time to review her lessons. She'd relied on her academic record to treat these past few days like Sundays. She'd only picked up her book and flipped through it when she was bored in her room. She'd only reviewed and previewed it this morning before class, but she hadn't written a single word. It's a shame that books can be bent, but words can't be conjured out of thin air.
Mr. Jiang had high expectations for them, but they weren't overly demanding. He first checked Shujia's homework, which she found to be flawless. When he looked at her handwriting again, her ears flushed. She still had some leftovers on her hands, left over from a few practice sessions when she wasn't satisfied with her handwriting. She turned in the ones she was satisfied with and set aside the less satisfactory ones.
Wuya Mama collected all the paper and, upon arriving in Hangzhou, opened the boxes and asked what to do with them, Shujia, not wanting to leave any evidence of her ugly handwriting, wanted to burn them. Wuya Mama said it was not appropriate to use a fire, as there were no extra pots to burn them, and suggested she put them away first: "They were all written one stroke at a time."
The room was spacious, so Shujia reluctantly agreed to stay, thinking of taking advantage of Xiluo's purchase of supplies to request a porcelain basin for burning paper. This was a great help, as it helped the second young lady's homework. However, the young lady was careless, and the handwriting was not as good as before, so it would still be judged as lax and inattentive.
Shuxian handed in her homework, writing it neatly. As a control group, Shujia was extremely embarrassed.
Big sister, you are so hardworking, you don't act like a child at all! Obviously I am the old cucumber who came here by chance!
Before she could finish her inward complaint, Mr. Jiang spoke up, "Your studies are okay, but your handwriting is limited. You need to work harder on your writing. Learning is like sailing against the current; if you don't make progress, you'll fall behind. This is true for everything." He gave her a thoughtful look. Shujia blushed immediately. What a loser! He even complained that she was working too hard. Did he really want to be a control group?
That day, in addition to her regular homework (Mr. Jiang was both pleased and concerned to see she was still mastering it quickly), Shujia was given special training. She was to copy two famous sayings, each 120 times, and hand them in three days later. One: Learning is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. The other: Excellence comes from diligence, and failure comes from play.
Shujia: I have brought shame to the time travelers. I have brought shame to the Qing Dynasty.
Shujia secretly resolved that she would never again embarrass herself like this. A person's reputation is like the bark of a tree; without it, they'll perish! Self-righteousness and resting on one's laurels—if there were a "Time Travel Guide," this would likely be listed as a reason for a time traveler to be eliminated. It should be prominently displayed, reminding all time travelers to be mindful. One shouldn't be too complacent, and one shouldn't look down on others. The tortoise and the hare race is a bloody example of this. Besides, sometimes, it's hard to say who's the tortoise and who's the hare!
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When Shujia returned from dinner, the other pair of slippers was finished. Nanny Yin reported that Zhang Lu had brought someone to look at the room that morning and had ordered a six-panel screen. Nanny Wang said, "They also sent a sewing basket. They said the mistress ordered it for the second young lady to learn sewing." Shujia said, "Never mind that for now. From now on, I have to study hard."
It was still early, and Shujia ran to the west study to get some paper. Chunxi came over to grind ink for her. Shujia thought for a moment and began to make her own schedule. She couldn't get any later than 6:30 a.m., as Shi Wenbing had to get up early for work, and the family's time revolved around him. Then she'd wash up, greet her parents, have a snack, and then come back to review and preview her lessons. Breakfast would be around nine o'clock, followed by cultural studies. There was an hour's break at noon, and needlework lessons in the afternoon. Dinner would be around four or five o'clock, and after that, she'd have to practice calligraphy, do her homework, and, oh, needlework too. It seemed like time was pretty tight.
Even though there would be a lot of entertainment during the day, and the ladies would probably return the favor and introduce their younger generations to Miss Shi, she couldn't relax after returning home at night. She didn't want to lose face again.
Her concerns about socializing affecting her study time were completely unfounded. Mrs. Li Zhifang's request to return the banquet was impossible to implement, and the next performance had to be postponed. Two days later, in June, Governor Li Bensheng died. It wouldn't be easy for the Governor's family to invite friends and family to a banquet, right? Shi Wenbing even went to pay his respects, so Shujia learned of this and thought to herself, "The Governor's wife had been so elegant and cheerful just a few days ago, chatting and laughing with everyone, but now, life has become so unpredictable."
The adults began to wonder: Who would be the next governor? What were his backgrounds? Within two days, an imperial decree arrived, appointing a new governor, Wang Guoan. Officials in Hangzhou, and presumably officials throughout Zhejiang, were beginning to inquire about Wang Guoan's identity.
For Shi Wenbing, these were not worth paying attention to. He was a garrisoned military officer, and the transfer of civilian posts had no effect on him. Even if someone difficult to get along with came, the first person who would have a headache would be Hangzhou General Mahada. What really got on his nerves was that Kangxi could no longer hold back and wanted to take action against Taiwan, and Fujian had already begun to prepare. Fujian and Zhejiang were connected, and the Hangzhou bannermen also began to be on guard, ready to go if needed. He even asked Xiluote to prepare the luggage. Xiluote was really scared, and Shi Wenbing explained: "I'm just afraid that if there is an imperial decree, I will be in a panic at the last minute, and I don't have to go."
The whole family was quite panicked.
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Traditional parents may have this mindset: First, children are too young to discuss important matters with them; they should only be considered adults once they grow up and get married. Of course, if they demonstrate remarkable accomplishments or talents before then, they might be involved in major family events. Second, if there's a major event, sons should be discussed with them; only when sons are no longer sufficient will daughters be considered.
Unfortunately, Shujia is only five years old and a girl. Her older sister, Shuxian, is considered an older friend and also a girl. So far, the two girls have only learned the rules well and their grades seem decent, but they haven't risen to the level of being able to participate in major events. They can only listen to the occasional gossip, clean up their own rooms, and go to school.
Even more tragically, they now had their own room and didn't have as much contact as they had when they lived with Xiluo Te. They even saw Xiluo Te's maids and nannies less often, and were particularly out of touch with the news. Shujia could only write and sew in frustration.
Mrs. Xiluo Te allowed Shujia to begin picking up a needle. She followed the basics Shuxian had learned, first sketching a simple pattern and then slowly embroidering it stitch by stitch. The tasks she was given were minimal, and the requirements were low, simply to familiarize her with the feel. As Shujia began, Madam He kept saying, "Young lady, don't get too close to your eyes." Needlework also requires proper posture. Otherwise, even if the work is excellent, it wouldn't be considered mastery for a young lady. After all, you're not a needlework expert, so the performance is more important than the actual work.
Shujia diligently writes every day, but she always feels her handwriting isn't good. Firstly, she's still young and hasn't fully developed, and secondly, she just can't seem to get the hang of it. Every time she holds her arm up, she tires after a while. Soft-pen calligraphy is more strenuous than hard-pen calligraphy. Even when she was just starting elementary school, learning to write wasn't this strenuous. Back then, her entire arm rested on the tabletop, supporting the pencil.
One day, Shujia was writing again, and as she was writing, her arms couldn't hold up. Mr. Jiang frowned, looked her over for a long time, and then said slowly, "Why don't you learn how to grind ink first?"
Huh?
Well, isn’t that something that servants and maids serving in the study need to learn?
In fact, grinding ink is also a science.
Mr. Jiang looked at her and thought, no matter how smart she is, she's still a child, with many things she doesn't understand. He patiently said, "Grinding ink is also a form of practice. Grinding ink with a dignified posture is very beneficial for writing. From today on, you should grind your own ink every day when writing. Write less, and make sure your handwriting is in the right shape."
After a long time, I realized that grinding ink is also a way to practice writing posture and increase wrist strength. Mr. Jiang began to explain -
When grinding ink, one should hold the inkstone parallel to the tabletop, with the arm suspended, as if holding a pen. Grinding should be done with the movements of the wrist and arm. The grinding should be done with a moderate amount of force and speed. The person grinding the inkstone should maintain an upright posture, holding the inkstone vertically and level, and rubbing the inkstone in vertical circles. Avoid grinding at an angle, pushing straight ahead, or randomly grinding.
Grinding ink is a great way to practice the fundamentals of calligraphy. Grinding ink correctly is like practicing drawing circles. With regular practice, habit becomes second nature, and you'll be able to draw perfectly round, clean, and consistent circles whenever you pick up your pen. This will be extremely beneficial for future calligraphy, especially cursive script.
Then Mr. Jiang demonstrated. He filled the inkstone with water, took a small spoon, not much bigger than an ear pick, scooped a little water into the center, and slowly ground the ink, keeping his arm level and making circular motions. Don't be impatient... When the inkstone is almost ground, add a little more water and continue grinding. Don't add too much water at once. The water must be clear, not hot, to produce good ink.
Ink should be ground thickly, but there's a limit to how thick it can be. Too thick, and it'll be as viscous as mud, clogging the pen and making it difficult to write. Too thin, and the ink will seep through too quickly, leaving a large, blurred, and watery shadow on the paper. The ink should be moderately thick. If the ink quickly covers the grinding marks after grinding, it's not thick enough and you can continue grinding. If the grinding marks leave clear marks and the ink slowly covers them, it's just the right thickness. If the marks remain stationary, it's too thick and can be diluted appropriately.
After Mr. Jiang finished his explanation and demonstration, he dipped the tip of his brush in a little ink and dotted it onto the rice paper. Seeing that the ink was as thick as lacquer and slightly seeped through, he said, "This is polished, and you can write with it. Once polished, take out the ink stick and wipe off the water, then polish it again next time you need it. After polishing the ink, don't leave the ink stick in the inkstone pool to prevent it from sticking to the inkstone surface and becoming difficult to remove. Always wipe off the water on the ink stick to prevent it from becoming loose and shedding ink particles."
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Shujia's back and arms ached from grinding ink every day. Ever since the trauma of the homework incident, she'd taken everything very seriously, not taking things lightly. If Shuxian were truly gifted, with an IQ twice hers, that would be fine—that's just hardware, hardware, like Pan Changjiang versus Yao Ming—height is no match for that. But Shuxian was simply better at "hard work," and that was hard to accept.
Sometimes it's like this: the more you want to do something, the less likely you are to do it. Even when you put in a lot of effort, you end up doing worse than when you were careless. It's a true irony of hard work and dedication. Shujia was too hasty and inattentive while grinding ink when Mr. Jiang subtly reprimanded her: "If your right hand gets tired, switch to your left. Be steady and take your time..."
Back in her room, she wrote big characters. In her haste, she made another mistake. Halfway through the page, the paper was ruined. She threw her pen down in anger. Chunxi was startled by the sound of a bamboo tube hitting the ground and came over to look. Aunt Wuya heard the noise and came over. She bent down to pick up the pen and handed it to Chunxi, saying, "Clean it and give it to me, young lady."
Shujia blushed again, as if... she'd been blushing easily lately. Aunt Wuya said, "If you're tired or annoyed, wipe your face and drink some sour soup. It's summertime, and it's easy to get irritated." Her face flushed even more, almost bleeding. She threw away her pen and ruined her paper, so she walked away from the desk, saying awkwardly, "Thank you, Auntie."
Away from the desk, no longer facing failure, her heart slowly calmed down. Her adult self-control slowly returned. Seriously, Shuxian isn't even eight years old yet. Getting angry with a little girl like this is so childish, Shujia thought. But being outmatched by an eight-year-old in patience, perseverance, and self-control, the pretentious youngster felt embarrassed and started to get serious, and then began to act childishly.
Nanny Wang felt sorry for her and personally went forward to serve Shujia sour soup, feeding her mouthful by mouthful. Nanny He also knew that when her daughter was embarrassed, well, unfortunately, the maids were gathered together because someone from outside was coming to measure the size. In their eyes, it was not a big deal. The second daughter was much better than the eldest daughter on weekdays. Nanny Yin also said, "How old is the girl this year?"
Shujia looked up and thought, her age was really hard to calculate. Five? Six? Or... twenty-five, twenty-six, or maybe already over thirty? Matron He said, "That's right, the girl is only six this year, why are you in such a hurry?"
Anxiety... There's really nothing to be anxious about. It's just a bit of reluctance. And when you're anxious, you can't get anything done right. The worse things get, the more anxious you get. Shujia thought slowly, and realized that nothing can be rushed. She sighed, "I'm fine. I'm going to go to bed." She needed to calm down. After a moment's thought, she said, "Throw away the damaged writing. Don't let me see it."
That night, she thought a lot about her attitude towards things and what she would do in the future. She had learned a big lesson.
The next day, looking at her neatly arranged desk, Shujia slowly ground her ink and wrote her calligraphy, gradually settling into the flow. See, it wasn't that she couldn't do it, as long as she wasn't affected by bad moods. From then on, she felt much calmer. Though a homebody by nature, she was able to calm down and write slowly.
After finishing her homework last night, it was almost breakfast time, but she still felt unsatisfied. She picked up a piece of paper and wrote: "Without being indifferent, one cannot clarify one's ambition; without being tranquil, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals." This was clearly a way of taking advantage of the maid and nanny's illiteracy, a blatant revelation. These two sentences were not even in her homework.
Looking at the paper with satisfaction, Shujia thought to herself, if I don't calm down, how can I see the road clearly? If I don't calm down, how can I get things done?
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As the seventh month of autumn arrived, the heat of autumn still raged, but the mornings and evenings began to cool. With the better weather came a better mood, and Mr. Jiang became increasingly satisfied with his two students. The older one wasn't stupid and was very hardworking, while the younger one was a faster learner. She was also diligent at first, but then showed signs of slacking off. Mr. Jiang was a little worried that "Little Child" would become too mature, but unexpectedly, after she had calmed down and cultivated her character, grinding ink actually improved her temper.
Unfortunately, after having memorized the formal Four Books, he, a grown man, was faced with the difficult task of teaching a young girl the Four Books for Women. He had no experience in this field. The Four Books, both in terms of textbooks and annotations, had been continuously updated throughout the dynasties, and the information was comprehensive. Mr. Jiang came from a background in this field. The Four Books for Women proved more challenging, as they were taught by women, and their depth was inherently limited. There were fewer annotated books, and even fewer reference books. He had only skimmed through them before.
Unfortunately, Mr. Jiang happened to be teaching female students. The complete materials were completely useless, while the incomplete ones required detailed explanations. Mr. Jiang was scratching his head in agony. Ever since the two students started memorizing the "Great Learning"—oh, this one is a bit more advanced, even though it's short—it still takes some time to explain it briefly—this bought him a lot of time. He then began studying the "Four Books for Women." Although he agreed with what he read, how should he explain it?
In the past, when the girls' parents examined them on their studies, they only needed to memorize the Four Books and roughly understand their meaning. Now, they were learning the principles for women to establish themselves in society, so how could they still be so perfunctory in their questions? The girls were still young, so how could they understand and reason with them?
The problem is, seven-year-olds sit at different tables, and the younger one is only six. He probably doesn't fully understand the difference between men and women, right? So how can he explain it? He learned the Four Books so smoothly. If he's slow on the Four Books for Women, will his boss blame him?
Ahhhhh, why did she memorize it so quickly before? Why did I teach her so enthusiastically before?! Mr. Jiang was confused, banging his head in regret as he held up the thin Duowentang co-print of "Collected Annotations to the Four Books for Women in the Boudoir." Even if it was an antique book...it still couldn't hide the fact that it was incredibly thin!
Mr. Jiang Yuan, a grown man and a successful scholar in the Qing Dynasty, who was tutoring two little girls for the first time, temporarily put aside his goal of "going to the flourishing literary culture of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to learn from the classics and be influenced by them so as to pass the eight-legged essay exam", and almost burned himself out studying the "Four Books for Women"!
The sorrow is beyond words!
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