Studying was difficult. In this world, too few people could read and write. The reasons were threefold, lack of money, lack of opportunity, and insufficient intelligence.
Previously, not a single village had a school, and children had to go to the county town to study. However, even providing basic necessities like food and clothing was difficult for most, let alone the ability of even somewhat wealthy families to afford their children's education.
It wasn't until Old Master Bai moved to Qili Village with his family that this changed; his two young masters needed to be educated, so he went to the county town specifically to hire Mr. Zhuang.
Although Mr. Zhuang hadn't passed the imperial examination to become an advanced scholar, he was nonetheless educated at the prefectural school and was a man of good character and integrity. Why would he be willing to come to a small mountain village like Qili to teach for just a common salary?
To offer Mr. Zhuang a salary tempting enough to persuade him, Old Master Bai was quite reluctant. In the end, he came up with a solution: the Bai Family would fund the establishment of a school for Mr. Zhuang, providing the larger part of his salary, and they would then recruit suitable children from nearby to attend, each paying their own share of the tuition fees. Over time, these small amounts would accumulate to a generous compensation.
The school was built by Old Master Bai, but it belonged to Mr. Zhuang, who also kept the students' tuition fees. Naturally, he had the final say in which students were admitted.
However, out of courtesy or perhaps because of his collaborative relationship with Old Master Bai, whether Manbao could enter the school to study was something that had to be communicated with Old Master Bai.
Yet Mr. Zhuang felt there was no rush with this matter because Manbao was still young, and it was fine for her to start off slowly learning the basics with him.
After the new year, when she was a bit older, she could formally join the school.
The fact that the Zhou Family was willing to allow Manbao to come out and study was already quite remarkable.
When Mr. Zhuang first arrived, he recruited students from several nearby villages. The adults understood the benefits of education and would encourage their sons and nephews to work hard to earn money so they could attend school. Yet when they saw the yearning in the girls' eyes, their reaction was to scold, "What are you girls joining the fuss for? Rush home. Are academic matters for you to concern yourself with?"
Manbao, eavesdropping from outside the window, had initially caused quite a stir in Qili Village — the child was young and knew nothing.
But Mr. Zhuang was aware that the Clan Elders had approached Old Master Bai to have Junior Ms. Qian dismissed from her duties to prevent Manbao from eavesdropping and corrupting the village's customs.
He was the one who stopped it.
Firstly, because Junior Ms. Qian was indeed diligent and not troublesome, and secondly, at that time, he was quite fond of Manbao.
So he said, "Everyone harbors a desire for learning; why stifle it?"
Then, more children began sneaking to the windows to listen. At peak times, both windows were crowded with boys.
In the scholars' circle, this was considered unethical behavior, but since Mr. Zhuang had spoken, he couldn't discriminate based on who was listening.
Because of this incident, several students immediately withdrew from the school. Their parents took back the tuition fees and sent their children to the windows to learn stealthily.
Mr. Zhuang, exasperated, could only keep his anger to himself and pretend not to see the people outside the windows.
But not everyone was like Manbao.
She was just over a year old at the time, only recently having learned to speak and still unsteady on her feet. Her understanding of the outside world was insufficient. Not prone to mischief, she could sit quietly on the threshold and play by herself all day, occasionally repeating a line from the classroom if the mood struck her, or amusing herself poking at ants with a small stick.
The youngest child clinging outside the window was seven, the eldest, ten — precisely the age when they are most restless and play-hungry.
Within five days, they had mostly run off on their own. The parents of the children who had withdrawn were furious. Not only had their children failed to learn anything new, but they had also nearly forgotten what they had previously learned.
Out of options and quite irate, they were forced to send their children back to school.
From then on, very few boys came to eavesdrop. Instead, one or two girls began to cautiously peer in through the windows.
Before Mr. Zhuang could react, the parents of these girls were the first to erupt.
They would drag their daughters away and then chide them, "Are you supposed to be studying? You must be getting too big for your britches. Go and cut pig grass, weed the fields, gather firewood in the mountains. You don't seem to have any work in your eye, how are you going to get married in the future..."
In fact, some of these attitudes were once Mr. Zhuang's own beliefs.
For example: the idea that educating boys was more important than educating girls — he too had valued boys more.
But whether it was because he was getting older and considering more or because people tend to develop a rebellious streak when faced with things they cannot abide, he unwittingly changed many of his opinions.
Especially as Manbao grew day by day, her intelligence and astuteness became more and more apparent.
She memorized more texts by listening at the window than the students seated inside the school, and she recognized as many characters from his manuscripts as those students did.
She was also dutiful, aware that after listening to his lesson, she should address him as 'Teacher,' knew to help him tidy up the courtyard and clean off his desk...
When he fell ill, and the official students were told they could take a break, they ran out, but she busied herself fetching him a cup of hot water and took his clothes to her sisters-in-law to wash...
She would even hassle her mother for an extra egg to bring to him.
He knew the Zhou Family doted on their youngest daughter, but he was uncertain if they were willing to let her study.
So, to increase the likelihood and ensure this turned into a positive development, he didn't want any tuition, nor did he expect the Zhou Family to buy ink, paper, and writing utensils for Manbao.
The extent of the Zhou Family's commitment came as a pleasant surprise to him.
For they brought not only a piece of cured meat but also a full set of clothes and a pair of shoes.
Mr. Zhuang couldn't help laughing. It seemed the Zhou Family indeed valued this little disciple highly, and he gladly accepted their gifts.
Old Zhou breathed a sigh of relief seeing this and hastily had Manbao kneel down to kowtow and present tea to Mr. Zhuang.
Mr. Zhuang took a sip of the tea and handed Manbao a set of writing materials he had prepared in advance, oh, and also a bunch of scallions he had pulled from the backyard.
Having acquired such a clever and adept disciple, Mr. Zhuang was very pleased.
Old Zhou and his sons were also delighted. From Mr. Zhuang's tone, Manbao wouldn't need to worry about books for now; whatever was required could be copied by hand when the time came.
The three men discreetly glanced at the items Manbao held tightly in her arms, thinking that, with the writing materials already acquired, they would just need to buy her some paper, and everything would be set.
Although the household would incur an additional expense, it was much less than initially anticipated, so naturally, everyone was very happy about it.
Manbao was happy too. Everyone delights in receiving gifts, especially when they come from her beloved Mr. Zhuang.
Everyone was in high spirits.
Old Zhou wanted to invite Mr. Zhuang home for a meal to celebrate Manbao's apprenticeship.
Mr. Zhuang, however, shook his head and declined, saying, "I still have classes to teach today. I'll come to bother you some other day."
It only then occurred to Old Zhou that Mr. Zhuang had lessons to teach and he immediately became somewhat restless.
As they spoke, the sound of children's playful chasing and shouting reached them from outside, and Mr. Zhuang knew the students had arrived.