A Little Chubby Boy 3

Wáng Gōnggōng, with an expression of genuine sincerity, said, “This old servant truly feels this way—last time, when young master Lin caught a cold, he wasn’t in good spirits, and I didn’t pay much attention. But today, upon seeing him, isn’t he almost identical to Your Majesty when you were young!”

“That nose, those eyebrows, that little curly hair, and the way he plays in the mud with his butt sticking out, it’s exactly like Your Majesty when you were a child!”

The Emperor, unimpressed, replied, “Alright, with your eyesight—don’t all kids look like that? All chubby and soft, with their mouths and noses squished together, and all you see on their faces are two puffy cheeks.”

“That little rascal only has eyes like Zimo’s that are worth looking at; the rest aren’t worth a glance—”

Wáng Dàhǎi: …

Such an adorable little rascal, and you say he’s not worth looking at! He held it in and held it in, but still couldn’t help but mutter softly, “Young master Lin is truly adorable, just like Your Majesty when you were young—”

The Emperor, half-heartedly, said, “Adorable, indeed adorable—”

Wáng Dàhǎi: …

Meanwhile, over at the Lin family’s small courtyard, Lín Láng brewed a pot of tea for Fàn Zhòng and Lù Jì, letting them sit under the old locust tree. He quickly finished preparing the braised pork knuckle, roasted lamb leg, lamb skewers, braised goose, and chicken soup, and also stir-fried a few vegetarian dishes. Soon, a large table of sumptuous dishes was ready.

They set the table directly under the old locust tree. Fàn Zhòng and Lù Jì didn’t just sit idle; they helped move stools, fetch bowls and chopsticks, and serve dishes. By the time everyone sat down to eat, it was just past noon, still quite early.

Lù Jì, looking at the table full of delicious dishes, took a deep breath of the mouth-watering aroma and couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, saying, “Brother Lin, your cooking skills are amazing!”

Lín Láng pulled the Little Chubby Boy into his arms, habitually ruffling his soft hair. He took out the little wooden bowl specially for him, picked out several large pieces of his favorite pork knuckle and lamb leg, and added half a bowl of rice. While serving, he modestly said, “It’s just average, mainly because the little guy loves to eat. To fill his belly, I had to hone my cooking skills—”

Both Lù Jì and Fàn Zhòng couldn’t help but sigh, “Brother Lin/ Brother Lin, you’re truly a good father—”

The little guy chimed in, “Daddy is the best daddy in the world!—” As he spoke, he stuffed his little mouth full of the fragrant, tender pork knuckle, his two shiny black eyes squinting with joy.

Lín Láng ruffled the little guy’s head and laughed, “Why do you always have to make your presence known everywhere?—”

The Little Chubby Boy snorted like a little piglet, happily gobbling up the meat and rice in his bowl. Then he pushed the little bowl in front of Lín Láng, proudly saying, “Daddy, I want chicken soup, more rice, and more meat!”

Lín Láng, full of indulgence, said, “Alright, alright, alright, you can eat as much as you want—” As he spoke, he filled the little wooden bowl with more meat and rice.

After taking care of the little guy, Lín Láng didn’t forget to use the communal chopsticks to serve dishes for Lù Jì and Fàn Zhòng. Lù Jì was so engrossed in eating that he couldn’t lift his head, saying while eating, “Brother Lin, your cooking skills are truly unmatched, even better than the chef at Chunfeng Building! If I could eat your cooking every day, I’d be willing to lose ten years of my life!—”

Lín Láng couldn’t help but be a bit dumbfounded, thinking to himself, is this the dedication of a foodie?! He quickly said, “No need for that! No need for that! If Brother Lù likes it, you can come over often to eat—”

Lù Jì’s eyes lit up with joy, “Then I won’t be polite and will often come to bother Brother Lin—”

The Little Chubby Boy, full of meat and soup, soon felt sleepy and was taken for a nap by Uncle Lin.

Lín Láng took out the plum wine he brewed in early spring, poured a cup for each of them, and said with a smile, “This plum wine is made with snow water from past years and plum blossoms from winter. There’s not much left this season, so have a taste.”

“Meat is best paired with wine for flavor. Every time I take it out, the little guy clamors to try it. I only dared to bring it out now that he’s asleep—”

Both Lù Jì and Fàn Zhòng laughed, “The little guy likes wine so much at such a young age; when he grows up, he might be quite something—”

Lín Láng laughed, “He’s just a little drunkard—”

He sipped half a cup of wine, feeling completely relaxed, and asked, “You’ve been on duty for so many days now, how do you find it, Brother Fàn, Brother Lù?”

Fàn Zhòng, being more reserved, simply said a few words, generally that everything was fine.

Lù Jì, however, was much more straightforward, pouring out his grievances, “Brother Lin, you have no idea. I arrive at the crack of dawn and leave at dusk, busy like a spinning top every day, but it’s all just odd jobs.”

“Cleaning the library, drying books, copying books, that’s all fine. But also cleaning the offices of superiors and seniors, washing chess pieces and teapots, making tea, running errands, there’s endless busywork every day. When I get home, I just want to lie on the bed and stare blankly, questioning life—”

“Is this the ideal Hanlin Academy I dreamed of after eighteen years of hard study and finally becoming a top scholar?!—”

Fàn Zhòng couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic after hearing this, and with a hint of disbelief, said, “Is the Hanlin Academy really like this? Shouldn’t there be dedicated servants for these chores, while you focus solely on studying the classics?”

Lín Láng also worriedly said, “Could it be because I offended Dean Yuán and Dean Hú last time, and since they can’t find me, they’re taking it out on you?”

Lù Jì waved his hand, took a big bite of meat, and drank a large gulp of wine, saying, “Probably not. I heard that every three years, after the imperial exams, the newcomers have to go through this kind of treatment, under the guise of grounding us.”

“Brother Lin, you were lucky to be noticed by His Majesty and directly serve at the Zichen Palace, so you were spared this ordeal. You have no idea how envious everyone is of you, even Dean Yuán and Dean Hú, who always try to get close to His Majesty, but His Majesty doesn’t want to see them at all—”

Lín Láng also took a sip of wine, self-deprecatingly laughing, “His Majesty didn’t let me serve at the Zichen Palace because he values talent. Would you want such a good thing?”

Lù Jì shook his head directly, “No, no, not at all. With my looks, I’d only be a nuisance in front of His Majesty, nowhere near as impressive as Brother Lin—”

He couldn’t help but sigh, “Is it always this frustrating to be on duty?! After eighteen years of hard study, finally becoming a top scholar, I thought it was like jumping over the dragon gate, but it turns out to be just doing odd jobs?!”

“And people like Dean Yuán and Dean Hú, who I thought were role models for scholars, turn out to be fame-seeking opportunists, never delving into their studies, only writing flowery articles to flatter the Empress Dowager. Such people can become deans, what kind of world is this—”

Fàn Zhòng advised, “Brother Lù, be careful with your words. It’s fine to say these things here, but don’t say them outside—”

“Life is full of disappointments, nine out of ten times. If you pass the exams and meet a good superior, able to fulfill your ambitions, that’s good luck.”

“What you’re experiencing now is normal. Being in the court, you must endure both the glory and the loneliness, the ups and downs. Consider it a practice to improve yourself.”

Lù Jì, hearing Fàn Zhòng’s words, couldn’t help but admire him greatly, “Brother, your mindset is truly admirable. If I had even a fraction of your mindset, I wouldn’t find it so hard to endure—”

Fàn Zhòng laughed, “Everyone has a different personality. Not being in your situation, it’s easy for me to say—”

Lín Láng added, “Brother Fàn is right. Everyone’s experiences can’t always be smooth. If you can’t change the outside world, then work on changing your mindset—”

“However, in my opinion, changing your mindset is one thing. Keeping a low profile and increasing your knowledge, so that when the opportunity arises, you can seize it, is also very important.”

Lù Jì, eager to learn, asked, “Brother Lin, what do you mean by that?”

Lín Láng said, “The Hanlin Academy’s collection of books is unmatched elsewhere. More importantly, the strategies for governing the world and the nine provinces, if the Hanlin Academy is second, no one dares claim first—”

Hearing Lín Láng’s words, Lù Jì felt a surge of enthusiasm, but also felt he was missing something, so he humbly asked, “Could you explain in more detail, Brother Lin, how to learn the strategies for governing the world at the Hanlin Academy?”

Lín Láng, having drunk half a cup of wine, was more talkative than usual. Since Lù Jì was willing to ask, he spoke more.

“The strategies for governing the world are nothing more than the people as the foundation, the state as secondary, and the ruler as light. The major concerns of the people are nothing more than birth, aging, illness, death, clothing, food, housing, and transportation. When these eight matters are improved, all industries will thrive. Additionally, officials and the judicial system must be clear, taxes and military affairs must be solid. To seek the growth of a tree, one must strengthen its roots; to seek the flow of water, one must dredge its source (Note 1). The country is based on the people, and the people are based on food and clothing. All efforts in food and clothing must not miss the right time (Note 2).”

“The nine provinces of the world, with their different landscapes, require different methods to stabilize the people and strengthen the foundation. However, the essence of governing and benefiting the people is ultimately the survival and development of the state. Agriculture is fundamental, mutual exchange is essential, and resources like grain, mulberry, salt, iron, porcelain, medicine, wood, cattle, sheep, and vehicles are all survival essentials. Technological innovation, cultural progress, and education are key to the state’s development. I call this the twelve strategies for governing the country.”

“The ancients said, ‘To establish the heart for heaven and earth, to establish the life for the people, to continue the lost teachings of the sages, to open peace for all generations’ (Note 3). The path sought by scholars is nothing more than this: the laws of the universe, the foundation of people’s livelihood, the ultimate development of all skills, and the sustainable development of the state. If one can achieve something in one path, it is not in vain for decades of hard study.”

“However, the power of one person is limited. Whether it’s the universe, individuals, skills, or the state, none can fully comprehend its principles. Hence, Qu Yuan lamented, ‘The road is long and far, I will seek it high and low.’ Recognizing and accepting one’s insignificance, always maintaining a sense of awe and striving for knowledge, if one can gain even a little, it is not in vain for this short life of several decades.”

After saying all this, Lín Láng realized that both Lù Jì and Fàn Zhòng were staring at him in amazement. He couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, saying, “I guess I drank too much and got a bit carried away, rambling on. Brother Fàn and Brother Lù, just take it as a joke.”

Fàn Zhòng and Lù Jì quickly said, “Not at all, not at all. Listening to you is better than reading ten years of books. Brother Lin/Brother Lin, you truly have great talent!”

Note 1, 2: From “Zhenguan Zhengyao.”

Note 3: From Zhang Zai’s “Four Sentences of Hengqu” in the Northern Song Dynasty.