Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 229: Visiting the Mentor
The north wind was piercing cold, and yellow leaves occasionally drifted down by his feet.
Zhu Ping’an, with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder, leisurely walked out from the Li family’s residence. At this time, the sun still hung in the western sky, and there was still some time before sunset.
Zhu Ping’an briefly oriented himself and headed toward the home of his mentor, Master Sun. As usual, the door to his mentor’s house was not shut. Zhu Ping’an tidied up his clothing and stepped through the door.
Inside the house, only the master’s wife was present. She said that Master Sun was still teaching at the hillside school. After greeting her, Zhu Ping’an bade her farewell and made his way to the hillside.
Ever since Zhu Ping’an passed the provincial-level exam and became a juren, Master Sun’s private school had gained more and more fame. Some high-ranking families offered large sums of money to invite Master Sun to be a private tutor for their children, but he politely refused all such offers with a smile. Many people from other towns had also come seeking to enroll their children under Master Sun’s tutelage. Master Sun welcomed these students, though they had to arrange their own food and lodging. Some gave up due to the long distance, but others even purchased property nearby just so their children could attend his school.
Zhu Ping’an climbed the hillside, passed through a bamboo grove, and soon saw the private school come into view.
It had been a while since he last came, and the school had expanded significantly and improved in condition. Inside, Master Sun was leading the children in reciting the Analects, their clear and rhythmic voices echoing like a refreshing spring breeze: “The gentleman is broad and composed; the petty man is constantly anxious.”
In the classroom, younger children sat in the front rows, while the older ones—such as Zhu Pingjun—sat in the back. After leading them through the Four Books and Five Classics, Master Sun walked to the back and began explaining the structure of the eight-legged essay.
“The eight-legged essay is a form of current literature, written in response to the times. One must keep pace with the times and not cling stubbornly to the old ways…”
Though Master Sun’s hair was white, his spirit remained vigorous. His limbs were still agile, and his face was glowing with health and energy.
Zhu Ping’an stood quietly at the door, respectfully waiting without interrupting the class.
A few children sitting in the front, unable to contain their curiosity, looked outside and noticed Zhu Ping’an standing at the door. They stared at him with wide eyes, wondering who this older boy was, since they were from other towns and didn’t recognize him.
After finishing his explanation of the essay, Master Sun assigned the students a topic and told them to bring their compositions for the next day’s class.
Just as he was about to check the children’s memorization, he noticed Zhu Ping’an standing at the door.
“Student greets his honored teacher.”
Zhu Ping’an extended his arms forward, slightly bent his right hand, placed his left hand over it, and moved both arms from his forehead down to his chest. At the same time, he bowed at a forty-five-degree angle to greet Master Sun.
“Mm, very good.” Master Sun stroked his beard and nodded, clearly pleased with Zhu Ping’an.
“I apologize for disturbing your class, Master,” Zhu Ping’an said, noticing the students had been distracted by his voice and entrance, and offered his apologies.
“No matter,” Master Sun replied with a gentle smile and shake of the head. He then led Zhu Ping’an to the front and introduced him to the students. “This is your often-mentioned Senior Brother Zhu Zihou.”
Upon hearing this, most of the children inside the school lit up with excitement like modern-day celebrity fans. They eagerly crowded around Zhu Ping’an, bombarding him with questions. After Zhu Ping’an answered them, their little faces flushed with joy, and they proudly boasted about it to the children around them as if they had each drunk a couple of shots of liquor.
It was likely that next year, Master Sun’s school would welcome even more students. The school-grain system proposed by Zhu Ping’an was about to be implemented in Xiahe Village, and according to the village elders’ estimates, the number of children attending school would be several times more than in previous years.
“Zihou, why don’t you explain this line to your junior brothers?” Once order had been restored in the classroom, Master Sun gave up the platform to Zhu Ping’an, asking him to explain the sentence from the Analects to the curious students.
The line Master Sun had previously led the children in reciting was: “The gentleman is broad and composed; the petty man is constantly anxious.”
By asking Zhu Ping’an to explain the Analects, Master Sun was not only satisfying the students’ curiosity but also testing Zhu Ping’an’s recent studies.
“A gentleman is calm and open, while a petty person is always anxious. To be calm and open is to have a broad mind; to be constantly anxious is to be often troubled and worried. This sentence means that a gentleman has a broad mind and a peaceful spirit. A petty person is calculating and worried about personal gains and losses. Therefore, from now on, we should all strive to be gentlemen.”
Zhu Ping’an stood at the front, calm and composed, explaining this sentence to the students in the private school in a clear and simple manner.
“Senior Zihou, what is a gentleman?” a child below asked, puffing out his cheeks.
“A gentleman is someone who has no worries or fears in his heart,” Zhu Ping’an replied with a slight smile.
“That simple?” the child asked in confusion.
Hearing this, Zhu Ping’an couldn’t help but laugh. This was so much like a scene from the Analects, where a student named Sima Niu once spoke with Confucius in the same way.
Then Zhu Ping’an used his knowledge from the Lecture Room program in modern times—especially Yu Dan’s explanation of this part—along with Confucius’ teachings and his own understanding, to explain it to the children in plain and simple language.
Thanks to drawing from the strengths of the Lecture Room, the children in the private school listened with great interest. Sitting at the back, the old master Sun nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining with approval. He was very pleased with this student Zhu Ping’an—only someone who had fully mastered the Analects could explain it to this depth.
“Zihou, as you head to the capital, I have expectations for you,” Master Sun said to Zhu Ping’an after the lecture.
This meant: I have great expectations for you as you go to the capital to take the imperial exam.
Hearing this, Zhu Ping’an was somewhat flattered. In the past, when he went to take the apprentice exam, Master Sun hadn’t placed great expectations on him. When he went to take the provincial exam, Master Sun hadn’t said anything like this either—only gave him an encouraging look. But this time, as he was going to take the metropolitan and palace exams—competing with the nation’s brightest—it was unexpected that the master had so much confidence in him.
“I will do my utmost and will not let you down, Master,” Zhu Ping’an said with a deep bow, promising not to disappoint.
Not long after, a touch of crimson sunset light shone through the windows of the private school. In the distance, large patches of white clouds were lit by the afterglow, looking like flames burning half the sky.
As school ended, Zhu Ping’an bid farewell to Master Sun and, as usual, walked with Zhu Pingjun across the narrow log bridge toward Xiahe Village.
“Brother Zhi, after the new year, I’m going to take the apprentice exam too,” Zhu Pingjun suddenly said seriously as they walked.
Then Zhu Ping’an imagined the scene of Uncle Zhu Shouren and Zhu Pingjun taking the apprentice exam together…
“I wish you great success in advance, Brother Jun,” Zhu Ping’an said sincerely.
“Hehe, you think so too? I also think I’ll pass,” Zhu Pingjun grinned, then frowned slightly. “But what if I pass and my father still doesn’t? How will he save face?”
You really think too much.