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“I’m going now.”
Jiang Mixia quickly informed Liu Shi in the courtyard that she was heading to the private school, then hurried off to Dayangshu Village.
Upon reaching Yang Shunde’s courtyard, she found Song Jingyun standing by the wall. When he saw Jiang Mixia enter, his eyes reddened slightly. Despite containing his frustration and grievances, he softly called out, “Wife is here.”
Observing the faint red marks on Song Jingyun’s face and his clothes slightly torn and disheveled, it was evident that he had been scolded and roughly dragged out.
Inspecting his hand…
His hands resembled swollen dough, nearly like pig hooves, indicating they had been harshly treated.
“Why did the teacher hit you?” Jiang Mixia asked, furrowing her brows.
“During class here, the teacher read a passage from the ‘Thousand Character Classic’ twice for us to memorize. After reading it twice with two different words, I asked which was correct to follow,” Song Jingyun explained quietly. “The teacher claimed both readings were correct and accused me of disturbing the class and not paying attention. He hit my palms and made me stand here.”
“After reading those two lines from the ‘Thousand Character Classic’ twice, I had memorized them. I wanted to understand the meaning behind those two sentences. The teacher said, ‘Reading a book a hundred times reveals its true essence,’ advising me to read and memorize them thoroughly to grasp their meaning naturally.”
“However, I pondered that for things I don’t understand, even if I read or recite them a thousand times, I still wouldn’t comprehend the essence. It’s like giving you a bundle of bamboo strips – no matter how much you examine or experiment, without someone teaching you or providing a sample, you wouldn’t be able to weave a basket.”
“So, I persisted in seeking guidance from the teacher. He grew irritated, accusing me of disrupting the class and affecting others’ learning. He hit my palms again and ordered me to stand in the courtyard. I refused, explaining that I wouldn’t be able to hear the teacher if I stood outside. Consequently, the teacher dragged me out, warning that I wouldn’t be allowed to attend classes if I caused further disruption…”
Listening to these words, Jiang Mixia furrowed her brows deeply.
Her husband had an exceptional memory; if he claimed Yang Shunde had read two words incorrectly, it was likely true. Teaching should involve helping students understand the meanings behind texts, not just memorizing them mechanically.
Without grasping the interpretations, even if one could recite the text flawlessly, it would be pointless – merely a soulless recitation machine.
Even though the imperial examination system was more rigid than modern testing methods, with fixed structural frameworks, filling these structures with appropriate content to make the text vibrant and engaging required injecting one’s own thoughts.
Without understanding the meaning of the text, one couldn’t stand out in the highly competitive imperial examination system, risking criticism and ridicule.
It must be acknowledged that Yang Shunde, despite reaching grandfatherly age, remained at the level of a student, failing to even pass the exam to become a successful candidate. It wasn’t just a case of being misunderstood or facing a tumultuous fate; the root cause lay in his flawed study methods.
As Jiang Mixia contemplated, Yang Shunde emerged from the house.
Noticing it was Jiang Mixia and not Jiang Youcheng who had come, Yang Shunde felt that their family hadn’t given this matter enough attention. He looked displeased, stating, “Your husband is truly dim-witted, quite a challenge to teach. After many years of teaching, I’ve never encountered a student like him.”
“As Song Jingyun’s wife, take him back and teach him the importance of respecting teachers and the value of humility and eagerness to learn. He can’t continue questioning me without cause and complaining about my teaching!” Yang Shunde expressed sternly.
“I understand. We’ll make sure to teach him properly,” Jiang Mixia nodded. “After being treated like this, not retaliating is one thing, but not even knowing how to handle the situation shows a significant lack of understanding. I will heed the teacher’s advice and ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Yang Shunde had expected Jiang Mixia to offer apologies and assurances, but her response surprised him with her firm stance.
The implication here is that, if reprimanded again in the future, one should either run away or fight back, right?
“You…,” Yang Shunde was so furious that his goat-like beard bristled, pointing at Jiang Mixia’s hand which was shaking uncontrollably. “What nonsense are you talking about!”
“This is utterly unreasonable and shows a lack of respect for the teacher! I can’t teach this student anymore; you might as well take him away!” Yang Shunde exclaimed.
“We were planning to leave anyway,” Jiang Mixia reached out her hand towards Yang Shunde.
“What are you up to now?” Yang Shunde demanded angrily.
“Yesterday, we just paid a year’s tuition fee to the teacher. He only attended half a day; shouldn’t the teacher refund part of the fee?” Jiang Mixia explained, “A year consists of 360 days, and with the fee being 1 tael and 5 mace of silver, that’s 4 wen per day. For half a day, it’s 2 wen, leaving 1 tael and 4 mace plus 98 wen. The teacher must return the remaining amount to me.”
“Furthermore, my family presented an extra piece of meat and two bags of pastries, intended as a gesture of respect due to my husband’s intention to study here. Since he can no longer continue his studies, should the teacher also refund these items?”
Yang Shunde was so infuriated that he trembled with rage.
If a student from another family fails to study here, they would all feel embarrassed. When it comes to refunding fees, even if it needs to be brought up, they would typically feel ashamed and only ask for a small portion back. The difference is negligible; missing a few months wouldn’t make much difference.
This Jiang Mixia even calculates on a daily basis!
And she’s even asking for the meat and pastries brought the day before!
The items received that day, Yang Shunde was concerned about the meat spoiling, so he had his daughter-in-law stew most of it, enjoying two hearty meals of meat slices. As for the pastries, they were enjoyed intermittently over the past few hours, with almost half consumed.
It’s quite audacious for Jiang Mixia to request items that have already been eaten.
“If the teacher has already consumed the meat and pastries, then I won’t ask for them back,” Jiang Mixia stated.
Upon hearing this, Yang Shunde breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he had been thoroughly irritated by Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia today, the meat was substantial, the pastries were plentiful, and they were quite delicious. Considering the value of these items, they compensated somewhat for the frustration he endured today.
“The meat weighed over six catties, so let’s calculate based on that. Premium pork costs 17 wen per catty, making it a total of 102 wen for six catties. The pastries were bought from the county town; there were two large bags, each purchased for 200 wen, totaling 400 wen.”