The two major surnames in Dongping Village are Gu and Zhao.

　　The teacher who taught Gu Zhao was named Zhao, and he was a distant cousin of the current village chief of Dongping Village. Because of his meritorious service, he was exempted from the tax on fifty acres of land. So the village chief’s thirty acres of land were registered under the name of Teacher Zhao, thus exempting him from tax.

　　Master Zhao has a son and a daughter. His daughter has been married for a long time and his son is also studying, but he is not good at it. Now Master Zhao concentrates on raising his grandson.

　　”…When I was studying, I studied with the master’s son. He was eight years older than me and only passed the examination to become a Tongsheng. When I took my first college entrance examination, he had already given up the exam.”

　　”Master Zhao’s family only has ten acres of land, which is managed by his son Zhao Ming. It is enough for the family to eat for a year. The living expenses are all dependent on the tuition collected by Master Zhao. However, he is getting older now, and there are few children in the village who can be sent to school.”

　　Gu Zhao held Zhou Zhou’s hand as they walked slowly along the snowy road, which was a good opportunity for them to talk about the Master’s matters.

　　”Did my husband pass the imperial examination at the age of ten?” Li Zhouzhou calculated.

　　Gu Zhao nodded. His original self passed the imperial examination at the age of ten and was very popular in the village. He was even called the child prodigy. Perhaps it was also because of being Zhongyong^[1]Zhongyong, or the “doctrine of the mean”, is a core concept in Confucian thought that refers to the principle of finding the middle ground between two extremes. It is a fundamental … Continue reading that his original self neglected his studies.

　　When they arrived at Dongping Village, Master Zhao’s home was inside, and the location was quiet and a bit remote. Gu Zhao deliberately took a detour and entered from the other side of the field, directly avoiding the village entrance and going around to Master Zhao’s home.

　　The courtyard of Master Zhao’s house looked no different from other courtyards in the village. There were yellow mud walls, two black wooden doors, and a couplet on the door, with black characters on a red background, and the font was a little more formal.

　　It should have been written by Master Zhao’s eight-year-old grandson.

　　Gu Zhao raised his hand and knocked on the door. A woman’s voice came from inside: “Who is it?”

　　”Master’s wife, it’s me, Gu Zhao.”

　　Footsteps approached from far away, and the door creaked open. The woman had her hair tied up in a bun and pinned with a silver hairpin, and she was dressed very neatly. When she saw Gu Zhao, she smiled and said, “It’s Zhao’er.” Her eyes turned to Li Zhouzhou who was beside Gu Zhao.

　　Gu Zhao immediately introduced: “This is Gu Zhao’s wife, Li Zhouzhou.”

　　Although Zhou Zhou is a brother, it is more respectful to introduce his wife in formal occasions.

　　When Master Zhao heard this, she understood, smiled with relief, and invited the two to come in. Li Zhouzhou was a little nervous when he came. He heard from his husband that the master was a serious person, but Master’s wife was kind and easy to talk to. When he saw her, she was indeed like that.

　　”Hello, Master’s wife.”

　　”Okay. Come in and sit down. Why are you still taking things? You’re welcome.” Mrs. Zhao did not refuse. She took the basket and put it in the kitchen. She came back with the teapot and teacups and poured tea for the two of them.

　　After a while, Master Zhao came out. He was a man in his fifties, wearing a cotton robe that had just been washed and was a little stiff. He was thin, with a straight back and a serious expression on his face. He had high cheekbones and sunken cheeks, and no expression at all.

　　Li Zhouzhou felt nervous when he saw it.

　　Gu Zhaoxian greeted the teacher, and Li Zhouzhou also called him teacher.

　　Master Zhao didn’t look at Li Zhouzhou, but asked Gu Zhao what he wanted. Gu Zhao knew that this master was stubborn, even a little old-fashioned, and he used to have a stern face. Now that he was a son-in-law, Master Zhao looked down on son-in-laws and probably felt that he had brought shame to a scholar.

　　But no matter how much Master Zhao looked down on him, he still had to make a living. Zhao Ming managed ten acres of land to feed his family of six, but he couldn’t sell much. On weekdays, Zhao Ming’s wife and mother-in-law raised pigs and chickens, as well as the money he saved from the tuition fees. Master Zhao was obsessed with his dream of fame and fortune. He knew he couldn’t pass the exam, so he placed all his hopes on his grandson.

　　Which of these doesn’t cost money: studying, writing, or taking imperial examinations?

　　Gu Zhao first said he was here to pay New Year’s greetings. Master Zhao’s face darkened, and before he could speak, Master Zhao’s wife cleared her throat and invited Gu Zhao and Li Zhouzhou to have tea, saying that Gu Zhao had brought meat, sugar and wine, which was really a waste.

　　Master Zhao swallowed his words with a dark face.

　　His mistress looked kind and smiled at everyone she met, but the housekeeper knew Master Zhao very well. Gu Zhao smiled in his heart, but he bowed to Master Zhao with a serious face and explained his purpose.

　　I still want to continue studying for the imperial examination and want to ask the master for advice. Now I live in Xiping Village, and it is inconvenient to go back and forth. When I have saved up money and come to ask for advice, I will still pay one or two taels of silver every year according to the previous tuition.