Once the primers like the “Three Character Classic,” “Thousand Character Classic,” and “Hundred Family Surnames” were finished, Lin Yushu would need to be sent to a school in town as soon as possible. Every profession has its specialty, and if he were to take the path of the imperial examinations, the masters in the schools would be the most professional.
Lin Shu suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and calmly answered his questions. Picking up from the line he had learned years ago, she continued the lesson: “It says: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. These five constants must not be in disorder. This line speaks of the Five Constants of Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust. One who is benevolent…”
The more Lin Yushu listened, the more delighted he became. He could sense that his cousin Lin Shu was truly well-versed in literature. Her explanations were even better than those of the old Tongsheng—easy to understand, cited from classics, and rich with references! He understood her immediately upon hearing it, without needing to ponder over it repeatedly as he had before.
A single sentence wasn’t long, but it could be supported by many references; there was so much that could be taught. Lin Shu had originally planned to only explain the sentences on the first day and teach writing on the second, but Lin Yushu was such a good prospect that she could completely combine them into one day. Any more would be unnecessary; biting off more than one can chew leads to nothing.
“Is there anything in what I’ve explained that you don’t understand?” Seeing Lin Yushu shake his head, Lin Shu asked again: “Then, of these sentences, are there any characters you don’t know how to write?”
“Aside from the characters I learned before—’says,’ ‘righteousness,’ ‘propriety,’ ‘this,’ ‘five,’ and ‘not’—I don’t know the rest.”
Lin Shu led him to the courtyard, found an empty patch of ground, and picked up a thin wooden stick. She wrote the characters down one by one, stroke by stroke, on the ground. She turned her head to ask Lin Yushu, “Did you see my stroke order clearly?”
Lin Yushu replied honestly, “Except for the character for ‘this,’ I’ve memorized all the others.”
Lin Shu then wrote it a few more times in front of him. After the second time, Lin Yushu remembered it clearly.
Afterward, he took the wooden stick himself and practiced by drawing on the ground.
Lin Shu then turned to ask Lin Xiaopu, “Did you understand what I taught today?”
Lin Xiaopu straightened her chest proudly. “I understood all of it.”
She had thought studying would be very boring, but she hadn’t expected the content her sister taught to be so interesting. There were even a few small stories mixed in; she had listened with great relish.
Lin Shu patted her head. “Xiaopu is so great. I’ll write down all the lines I taught today. Memorize as many characters as you can; don’t force yourself.”
About fifteen minutes later, Lin Yushu had memorized the new characters and took the initiative to say his farewells. “Sister Shu, thank you for today.”
Though Lin Yushu was still a young boy, he was already slightly taller than Lin Shu. Mimicking Lin Dashan, Lin Shu gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Go back and review thoroughly to consolidate what you’ve learned. You have excellent natural talent; don’t waste it. Go back and ask Third Uncle and Third Aunt to buy you a copy of the ‘Three Character Classic.’ You must buy this book; it stays fresh no matter how often you read it. It’s not enough to just keep it in your head. Also, prepare your brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones as soon as possible. You’re not young anymore; if you want to go far, you must start practicing your calligraphy quickly.”
Hearing Lin Shu praise his natural talent as excellent made Lin Yushu feel a bit dizzy with joy. However, after hearing the rest, he couldn’t help but be slightly startled. “Didn’t Sister Shu say we wouldn’t consider those things for now?”
Lin Shu saw that he was worried about the money. She immediately placed a large, round “cake”—radiating an enticing aroma—right in front of him. “Silly cousin, once you make something of yourself in the future, what will these small amounts of money spent now matter? I heard my mother say that Tianshui Village hasn’t produced a scholar in many years. As long as you continue to study, won’t our Tianshui Village be able to produce a scholar once again?”
“A scholar?” Lin Yushu froze.
He just had a better memory than most people; he had never imagined he could pass the exams to become a scholar.
That was a Scholar! Among the several nearby villages, only Daoxiang Village and Dafu Village produced one scholar every three to five years. Their Tianshui Village hadn’t produced one in decades.
“Sister, the scholar exams are very hard to pass.” He thought Lin Shu didn’t quite understand.
Lin Shu glared at him: “I came from the capital; do you think I know less than you? Forget it, forget it. I’ll go straight to your house and speak with Third Uncle and Third Aunt!”
Lin Shu informed He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu, then followed Lin Yushu to his home.
Speaking of which, the Third Uncle’s thatched cottage was not far away; there were only five or six households in between. The courtyard was smaller than Lin Dashan’s, and hemp was also being dried there. They didn’t raise any chickens or ducks, as such chores required careful attention, and Wang Qiaohua truly didn’t have the spare time for it.
When Lin Shu arrived, Wang Qiaohua was weaving straw sandals in the courtyard. Her handicraft was good; when she gathered enough of these woven sandals to sell at the town market, it brought in some income. Third Uncle Lin Dashui had hurried to the fields to work after breakfast. Now that Lin Yushu was studying, the field work all fell to him alone, so he had to be even more diligent than before.
“Why has A-Shu come?” Wang Qiaohua called out affectionately. She quickly put down her work and stood up. Remembering something, her expression became anxious and uneasy. “Is it because Yushu did something wrong and you don’t want to teach him anymore?”
“Third Aunt, I’m here to bring good news!”
“What good news?” Wang Qiaohua was dazed.
Lin Shu took that “big cake,” sprinkled some sesame seeds on it, and threw it in front of Wang Qiaohua again. “Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that my cousin Yushu is a genius for studying! Only after teaching him today did I discover that he understands everything I teach and grasps every point immediately. Even the young masters of the famous noble families and scholarly clans in the capital are rarely as bright as he is. He was born to study! Third Aunt, I’ll put it plainly: if Yushu continues to study, I can’t guarantee anything else, but he will definitely pass the exams to be a scholar! In the future, he will be a Master Scholar who doesn’t need to kneel when meeting government officials, is exempt from corvée labor, and can even receive government grain!”
Wang Qiaohua’s mouth opened wider and wider. For a moment, her expression turned into one of extreme, wild joy. “A-Shu, is everything you’re saying true? Is my son really that impressive?”
“Third Aunt, why would I lie to you? It’s absolutely true! When I was at the Marquis’s manor, I had a brother similar in age to Cousin Yushu; I know what children that age are like. His aptitude is not inferior to the sons of princes and dukes. So, Third Aunt, even if we have to sell everything, we must support Cousin Yushu’s studies!”
Wang Qiaohua nodded vigorously. “We’ll support him, we’ll support him! With your words, even if Third Aunt herself has to go without food or water, I must support my son’s education!”
She knew her child was smart, but she hadn’t known he was this smart. When Yushu studied with Lin Duoliang from the Eldest Uncle’s house as a child, he could always memorize a few more lines than Duoliang, and his writing was decent. Unlike Lin Duoliang, whose characters looked like dog scratches and who couldn’t even write many words. Based on that alone, she had thought her son was smart enough. Who would have thought her eldest niece would assert that her son was destined to become a scholar!
Wang Qiaohua didn’t know the phrase “hiding one’s light.” Even at a young age, Lin Yushu knew that in that big family, the Eldest Aunt held a position higher than his own mother. Thus, he didn’t dare appear significantly smarter than his cousin Lin Duoliang; he only showed himself to be slightly smarter, just enough to give his mother some pride.
Hearing Lin Shu say they needed to prepare brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones as soon as possible, Wang Qiaohua didn’t hesitate for a second. “If my niece A-Shu says to buy them, then we buy them! It’s just, A-Shu… every time I pass that bookstore, my heart starts to flutter. I don’t dare step inside; I always feel it’s a place only scholars can enter. If Yushu goes to buy them himself, he’s a boy of few words, and I’m afraid he’ll be swindled. See if you can help Third Aunt prepare everything. I’ll give you the money right now, and we can settle the difference later.”
Lin Shu smiled and said, “It’s a small matter. Since I’m teaching Cousin Yushu to read and write, I need to prepare some supplies for myself as well. However, I have other things to do these next two days. Let’s wait for the next market day. Third Aunt, you must be going to town then; bring Cousin Yushu along, and I’ll accompany him to browse the bookstore.”
Jingxi Town held a market every five days—that is, on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of every month. On these three days, people from the various villages under Jingxi Town would go to the town for the market. Villagers would either set up stalls to sell things or buy daily necessities. Especially the market on the 25th at the end of the month; it was the largest market and was incredibly lively!