Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 23: Sitting In on a Class
After climbing a little over ten meters up the slope, the ground leveled out somewhat. A bamboo grove stood ahead, and behind it was Shanghe Village’s private school.
Zhu Ping’an tied the cow to a tree, letting it leisurely graze on the tender grass, while he continued walking forward with his short legs.
A narrow path wound through the bamboo grove to the school entrance. Zhu Ping’an followed it, surrounded by the faint fragrance of bamboo leaves and fresh grass. Immersed in nature, he naturally felt his mind grow calm.
As the saying goes, “At eight years old, a child enters school, sits upright, and recites aloud.” Sure enough, as soon as Zhu Ping’an emerged from the bamboo grove, he heard children reciting in chorus.
“Heaven and earth are mysterious and vast, the universe ancient and boundless, the sun and moon wax and wane, the stars are arranged in their constellations, the cold comes and the heat goes, autumn harvests and winter stores…”
The private school was built mainly of wood, with some brick and stone, giving it a simple, old-fashioned charm. Half-height windows surrounded the classroom, their bamboo blinds rolled up to let in the sunlight and brighten the room. Inside, about twenty children of seven or eight recited with their heads bobbing. Two children shared each table, and brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were laid out before them.
On the eastern wall hung a portrait of Confucius. Below it was a large table, with a chair behind it. On the table, besides the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, there were also poetry books and textbooks, along with a pot of strong tea.
Seated in the chair was an energetic scholar in his fifties. This should be Old Scholar Sun, whom Zhu Ping’an had heard about.
Zhu Ping’an avoided the doorway and sat on the ground, listening for a while.
Old Scholar Sun was teaching from the “Thousand Character Classic,” which is one of the most excellent ancient textbooks in China. The whole text is coherent, with a rhythmic and harmonious flow, making it pleasant to read aloud.
Old Scholar Sun’s teaching style wasn’t rigid, unlike the common stereotype of ancient education. He didn’t just lead the children to recite the text over and over again; he also provided explanations, which was quite rare in ancient times.
“Heaven and earth are mysterious and vast—this phrase comes from the ‘Book of Changes,’ and its meaning is profound. ‘Mysterious and vast’ does not simply refer to colors; it describes the deep and unfathomable nature of heaven and earth. The ways of heaven are high and distant, while the ways of earth are deep and profound…”
Although Old Scholar Sun explained the text, he used ancient language and references to the ‘Book of Changes,’ which was truly incomprehensible for children just starting their education.
Look, some children had already fallen asleep on their desks.
Wait a minute.
Isn’t that Brother Jun?
Zhu Ping’an noticed that more than one child had fallen asleep. By coincidence, two of them shared the same desk, and one was his cousin Zhu Pingjun.
Zhu Ping’an could see that Old Scholar Sun had noticed them as well.
Old Scholar Sun was a person who wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense. He walked over to where Brother Jun and another child were sleeping, holding a ruler in his hand. He tapped the ruler on the desk, startling both children awake.
The other child was a little chubby. Like Brother Jun, he looked startled at the sight of the teacher and shrank back timidly.
“Extend your hands,” Old Scholar Sun said with a stern expression.
The two of them timidly extended their hands.
Slap! Slap! Slap! “Pay attention and don’t fall asleep again.”
Old Scholar Sun lightly struck the palms of both children three times as a form of punishment.
“Who is Zhou Gong? I didn’t meet him!” Zhu Pingjun scratched his head and muttered, completely baffled.
The surrounding children burst into laughter upon hearing this. These kids had arrived a few days earlier than Zhu Pingjun and had already been reprimanded by the teacher. Although they didn’t understand the meaning of Zhou Gong, they knew it referred to sleeping, so they all laughed at Zhu Pingjun’s confusion.
Old Scholar Sun heard the laughter but did not fly into a rage or scold the children. Instead, he simply quieted them down and began to explain.
“Zhou Gong refers to a wise man from the Western Zhou Dynasty. He assisted King Cheng in governing, making significant contributions to the Zhou Dynasty, and was revered as a sage in later generations. Confucius greatly admired Zhou Gong, so much so that he often dreamed of him. At some point in history, sleeping has also come to be referred to as meeting Zhou Gong. Do you understand? If you want to become wise, you must keep your books close and not waste your youth. Especially you two, if I catch you sleeping again, a good beating is inevitable.”
After Old Scholar Sun finished speaking, he began teaching the children to recognize characters, as learning to read was their first step. Only by recognizing characters could they begin to write.
“Today, we’ll learn eight characters: ‘Heaven and earth are mysterious and vast, the universe ancient and boundless.’ After class, I will check each of you individually, so remember not to slack off. We’ll start with the first character, ‘Heaven.’ Heaven is the top of humanity…”
Although Zhu Ping’an had studied Classical Chinese and could recognize traditional characters, years of using simplified characters had left him with a habit of unconsciously writing them. Correcting that habit would take time and practice.
Zhu Ping’an sat on the ground outside the school, using a small stick to draw and write in the dirt, then erasing it with his foot.
Old Scholar Sun also noticed Zhu Ping’an, but he thought he was just a mischievous child from some family playing on the hillside. Seeing Zhu Ping’an scribbling on the ground with a stick and then stepping on it, he assumed the boy was playing with ants and didn’t pay him much attention.
Recognizing characters was easy for Zhu Ping’an. The real challenge would come later, with the Four Books and Five Classics and the writing of essays. Eight characters a day offered him little that was new, so after listening for a while he turned back to tend the cow.
Speaking of which, he needed to make a simple brush. Hmm, and also bring back a black lacquer wooden board. He should practice brush calligraphy properly.
After passing through the bamboo forest, he arrived at the old yellow cow, who was leisurely swishing its tail while grazing, completely unaware that its tail had caught someone’s attention.
A brush was an ancient invention, and a crude one was simple enough to make. Its tip could be made from sheep wool, cow hair, weasel hair, or other long animal hair, while bamboo would serve as the handle. A fine brush required many complicated steps, but Zhu Ping’an only needed something sturdy and usable, so a simple tip fixed into a bamboo handle would do.
He wondered how that scheming little loli at the bottom of the slope was doing. She wouldn’t really go and call her brother to come beat him up, would she? Generally, after being provoked, children wouldn’t follow through with their threats.
The cow had been grazing for quite some time and should go drink some water. After all, there was a clear stream at the bottom of the slope. He could lead the old yellow cow to drink and let it munch on some salt-rich water plants, all while checking to see if that scheming little girl was still around.
By the way, in this era, people usually had only two meals a day, which was quite an adjustment for him. He felt hungry after noon, and if possible, it would be nice to catch one or two small fish by the river and grill them for a meal.
He untied the rope, leisurely leading the old yellow cow down the slope.