Tang Yunshu said,
“Father, I want to go too. Let’s finish digging the field quickly so we can start gathering herbs.”
“Yunshu, you’d better stay home and rest for a few days,” Tang Dashan advised.
“Father, I want to go. I’m not tired, and more exercise will make me stronger.”
Second Brother chimed in, “Father, I can go too.”
Third Brother hurriedly waved his hands, “Second Brother, you’re hurt—you shouldn’t go.”
Tang Yunshu nodded in agreement, “Yes, Second Brother should stay home to recover, Mother can take care of First Brother, and Second Brother, it’s settled.”
When they arrived at the field, Yunshu didn’t know how to work at first, so she stood aside and observed how her father removed weeds and dug the soil.
After a while, she grasped the technique and picked up the tools herself, working diligently.
Third Brother, concerned she might get sunburned, thoughtfully put a straw hat on her.
“Thank you, Third Brother, you’re so kind,” Yunshu said with a smile.
Her words were overheard by Fourth and Fifth Brothers, who immediately came over,
“Fourth Brother, are you okay?”
“Fifth Brother, are you okay?”
“Oh, Fourth and Fifth Brothers are fine,” Yunshu quickly said, smoothing over the situation.
Her brothers always competed for her attention, which became a sweet burden for Yunshu. She silently resolved to be fair with her words in the future. (Author’s note: I also have a brother who is very good to me. Do you have brothers? Share in the comments.)
After several hours of weeding, Yunshu truly felt the hardships of farmers. She recalled Li Shen’s poem “Pity the Farmer”:
“Plowing millet under the midday sun, sweat drips onto the soil beneath. Who realizes that every meal on the plate, each grain is hard-earned?”
Her head and body were covered in sweat, droplets streaming down her face. As a child, she had read this poem as just words on a page—she never truly understood the hard, physical labor behind it.
The Tang family had no paddy fields, only dry land, where they grew millet, sorghum, soybeans, mung beans, and wheat.
After several hours of work, the field tasks were completed. Tang Dashan looked at the rain falling and sighed,
“This rain is so timely. The crops have been dry. It’s as if Grandfather in heaven has sent it for us.”
Yunshu added,
“Since it’s raining, let’s rest and practice literacy.”
Tang Dashan nodded,
“Yes, let’s teach your brothers to recognize more characters so they won’t grow up illiterate.”
“Yes, Father. Everyone in the family must learn—both you and Mother included,” Yunshu insisted.
Zhao Lanzhi hesitated,
“Eh? Me, at my age? Isn’t it too late?”
“Yes, you and I are already this age. No need to trouble ourselves,” Dashan said.
“No, Father,” Yunshu insisted. “It’s never too late to learn. Any skill we acquire may come in handy someday. From now on, everyone must learn three new characters each day and be able to write them. No one is exempt, and only after learning can you sleep.”
The family wilted at her strict words, like frostbitten eggplants, except for Fourth and Fifth Brothers, who were still energetic.
Yunshu bought a copy of Three Character Classic as teaching material and prepared ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones for everyone.
Fourth and Fifth Brothers, being young and sharp, learned quickly. Yunshu gave them extra lessons.
Fifth Brother was particularly serious, while Third Brother, though fond of reading, now treated studying as a task. With Yunshu’s rule of “learn first, sleep later,” he obediently put in effort.
The drizzle lasted two full days. Tang Dashan looked out the window and said,
“This gentle rain nourishes the crops. Every drop seeps into the soil, none wasted—perfect for our fields.”
Zhao Lanzhi sighed,
“Let’s hope for a good harvest this year. Farmers’ lives are not easy.”
In these two days, the family learned over ten new characters, and even Third Brother began to write them neatly.
From her experience selling herbs, Yunshu knew Fourth Brother was quick with numbers, so she taught him bookkeeping and arithmetic, including Arabic numerals, calculation shortcuts, and multiplication techniques. She thought to herself: Fourth Brother would be a perfect science student in the modern world.
Fifth Brother seemed more suited for art. Third Brother, already liking books, now only completed studies as a chore. Yunshu decided to teach him a few characters and let him learn gradually.
First and Second Brothers, being older, might feel embarrassed going to school formally, so she decided to observe their talents first.
That evening, the rain stopped, and two brilliant rainbows appeared across the field.
Fourth and Fifth Brothers shouted excitedly,
“Little Sister, come see! Two rainbows! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—so beautiful!”
Yunshu ran outside, and the sight of two rainbows spanning the sky took her breath away.
She suddenly realized that everything seemed beautiful here. Perhaps it’s the heart that measures beauty. In her past life, she had seen few rainbows, even the dazzling neon lights of the city. They were exquisite, yet her heart was cold, and no scenery could warm it.
Now, with a warm heart, every sight felt like a landscape. Seeing the rainbows, she laughed from the bottom of her heart.
“Fifth Brother, wait, I’ll get paper and pencils to draw you,” she said, running back to fetch colored pencils.
Fifth Brother was thrilled; Yunshu was the first to draw him. Clearly, he felt closest to her. If he knew this, Yunshu would secretly regret not being fair to everyone.
Fifth Brother stood still, afraid to move and disturb her drawing.
Yunshu carefully sketched the rainbow and the blue sky in the background, smiling,
“Fifth Brother, you don’t have to stand so stiffly—you can move a little.”
After over an hour, the portrait was complete. Fifth Brother’s eyes lit up.
“Wow, Little Sister, I’m so handsome! You drew so well! I’ll treasure this painting!”
He ran off to show the other brothers. Yunshu noticed their envious and eager looks. She quickly reassured them,
“First, Second, Third, and Fourth Brothers, don’t worry. I’ll draw yours too, and Father and Mother’s. After that, we’ll make a family portrait of everyone together.”
Only then were her brothers appeased.
After the rain, the sun shone for two days, drying the roads. The Tang family set out again, full of enthusiasm, searching the hills for herbs.
Suddenly, a faint, subtle “woo-woo” sound caught Yunshu’s attention. It immediately drew her focus.