Old Master Bai personally escorted a crestfallen Bai Erlang to copy manuscripts. Along the way, he earnestly advised his son, "I know copying books is tedious, and writing too much not only tires the hand but also causes irritability. Once a person gets irritable, it's easy to make mistakes, and the handwriting starts to become sloppy..."
"But you'll need to take part in the imperial examination in the future. Each time, a considerable amount of writing is required; after drafting, you must copy onto the exam paper. What if you write too slowly, run out of time, and your writing speed is still slow? Wouldn't that be disastrous?"
Bai Erlang, surprised by each word he heard, realized for the first time he had such a grand goal. So, he asked in bewilderment, "Dad, why do I need to take the imperial examination too? Isn't that for my older brother?"
