Chapter 0005: The Slow Bird Takes Flight First
However, at this moment, Xu Jin realized the true reason: he did not possess the ability to remember everything at a glance, but rather, the bookworm had already memorized these books thoroughly. He had usurped the bookworm's memories, but had not yet fully integrated them. When he read the books attentively, it was equivalent to reviewing them, which made the inherited memories clearer, thus creating the illusion of having a "photographic memory".
In contrast, scholars only need to pass the examination to become a xiucai, which allows them to meet officials without bowing, be exempt from taxes and corvée labor, and travel freely across the country without needing a travel permit
However, perhaps due to the lack of proficient teachers, although the bookworms have memorized the texts, their understanding of the content is extremely superficial, or even entirely lacking, as they merely recite it in a haphazard manner.
These books were all left behind by the scholarly father Xu Xiucai, and they are primarily related to the imperial examination. Additionally, some of them include Xu Xiucai's reading notes and manuscripts. The bookish son cherishes these books as if they were his life, taking great care of them, which is why they have been preserved so well; even in times of poverty and illness, he did not sell them. Xie Wan'niang clearly understands that her husband places great importance on these books, which is why she pawned all her clothes and shoes at the beginning, without daring to touch these books
However, with the illumination of the torch, the room became bright, yet Xu Jin was so engrossed in his reading that he did not notice the change
"You little girl, why aren't you going into the room to weave? The light outside is dim; be careful not to damage your eyes!" Xu Jin scolded as he slipped on his boots.
Xu Jin felt an inexplicable calmness in his heart, and with a slight smile, he picked up a copy of the "Analects" and began to read it carefully. Perhaps it was because the "Analects" were more straightforward and comprehensible, or perhaps it was due to his tranquil state of mind, but this time Xu Jin actually immersed himself in the text and found it quite enjoyable.
The so-called travel permit is a pass or certificate of departure issued by the local authorities. Anyone wishing to travel more than one hundred li away from home must possess a travel permit; otherwise, if caught, they will be punished according to the law
"I am afraid of disturbing you while you read, and besides, it is easy to damage your eyes... Be careful, let me help you!" Xie Xiaowan brushed off the grass clippings from her clothes and quickly ran over to support Xu Jin
Xu Jin quickly picked up a copy of "Mencius" to verify his thoughts, and indeed, it was just as he suspected
Time passes unnoticed, and the sky gradually darkens. Xie Xiaowan peeks her head outside the door and sees Xu Jin still engrossed in his studies. A sweet smile unconsciously appears on her small face; her husband is so diligent in his reading, which naturally makes the young girl very happy. However, she is also a bit worried that her husband, being so frail, might not be able to endure it.
The "Analects" consists of a total of 10 chapters, amounting to 11,705 words. Xu Jin spent nearly an hour to read it, which is the result of careful consideration of each word and sentence
"Xiao Wan, your husband is useless. You have not enjoyed a single day since you married in, only accompanying your husband in enduring hardships and suffering!" Xu Jin gently stroked Xie Xiao Wan's face and said with deep regret
However, Xu Jin soon realized that he was wrong, and that he was extremely mistaken
Xie Xiaowan quietly stole a glance for a while before tiptoeing out, took a torch from the kitchen, lit it, and inserted it into the crevice of the wall for illumination
However, after some contemplation, Xu Jin felt that pursuing education and taking the imperial examination seemed to be a better path. As the saying goes, among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, scholars are generally respected and favored, while merchants hold the lowest social status. Even if they are wealthy, they cannot wear silk garments, and they must kneel and bow before even the smallest county officials
The Ming Dynasty coincided with the Little Ice Age. Although the Huguang region is located further south, winters are still extremely cold, and snowfall at the end of the year is quite common. Moreover, it is the kind of damp cold that penetrates the skin and chills to the bone. Xu Jin, dressed in cotton clothes and pants, still felt cold enough to shiver, let alone Xie Xiaowan, who was dressed so lightly.
The family is so poor that they do not even have a single cent, and naturally cannot afford to light an oil lamp. This torch was made by Xie Xiaowan using pine resin that she collected herself. The smoke is quite thick, and the smell is extremely unpleasant
After lunch, Xu Jin habitually took a short nap and then found the books that the bookworm usually read to browse through them
Xu Jinhé closed the book and silently recited the content he had just read in his mind. To his surprise, he found that he could clearly remember it and recite the Analects word for word from the beginning.
If placed in modern times, these words could be spoken by a girl of twelve or thirteen, but perhaps not even by someone at the age of twenty. This indicates that understanding and maturity are not determined by age.
It is worth mentioning that in order to firmly bind the peasants to the land and prevent them from colluding to rebel, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty not only established a strict system of accountability through the Baojia system but also implemented a system of travel permits.
Xu Jin felt exhilarated, as if he had discovered a treasure, fully immersing himself in the excavation of the bookworm's memories, reading the "Mencius" followed by the "Great Learning," and then the "Doctrine of the Mean"
However, the five to six hours spent were absolutely worth it. After careful exploration, Xu Jin discovered that the bookworm not only memorized the elementary literacy texts such as the "Three Character Classic," "Hundred Family Surnames," and "Thousand Character Classic," but also nearly memorized the Four Books and Five Classics, with the exception of the most difficult "Book of Changes" which was not memorized.
Xu Jin claimed that he did not need it, but due to prolonged sitting and lack of movement, the circulation in his legs was poor, making it difficult for him to stand steadily. Furthermore, having just recovered from a serious illness, he felt discomfort throughout his entire body.
Xu Jin only felt a tingling in his nose, as if his throat were blocked by something, and he couldn't help but embrace the frail Xie Xiaowan in his arms
Xu Jin felt an inexplicable pang of heartache, grasped Xie Wan's hand, brought it to his lips, and exhaled a few breaths of warm air. Frowning, he asked, "Does it hurt?"
Xu Jin rubbed his frozen and numb feet, raised his head, and looked around. He noticed a torch inserted in the wall crevice, crackling softly as the pine resin burned.
Xie Xiaowan nestled in Xu Jin's embrace, feeling a bit dizzy, her heart racing wildly. Since marrying into the Xu family, the bookworm had not even touched Xie Xiaowan's hand, let alone engaged in such intimate actions.
When Xu Jin closed the Book of Changes, it was already You time (around seven o'clock in the evening). At that moment, Xu Jin suddenly realized that it was completely dark outside, and he had actually been reading for five or six hours, which was truly hard to believe
Xie Xiaowan, originally shy to the point of her neck turning red, hurriedly said, "Husband, please don't say that. We are a couple; shouldn't we share joys and sorrows and support each other? Let's work hard together, and our lives will get better and better in the future"
The imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty was divided into four levels: the provincial examination, the county examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination. Once a candidate passed the provincial examination, they would become a formal student, commonly referred to as a "xiucai," which is equivalent to being admitted from elementary school to junior high school.
The Four Books and Five Classics are essential readings for the imperial examination. Xu Jin casually picked up a copy of the "I Ching" and found that after reading only a few hundred characters, he could no longer continue. The obscure and difficult text truly left him with no desire to read at all
Xu Jin inadvertently touched Xie Xiaowan's sleeve and discovered that it was surprisingly only a single layer. Upon touching her shoulder again, he immediately sensed that something was amiss
"Xiao Wan!" Xu Jin called out, and Xie Xiao Wan immediately appeared outside the door, joyfully saying, "Husband, you have finished reading!"
Xu Jin quickly picked up a smaller edition of the "Thousand Character Classic" and read it carefully once more, then closed the book and recalled it silently. Indeed, he was able to recite it perfectly without missing a single word.
Such a severely restrictive and perverse regulation that binds freedom is, of course, intolerable for a modern individual like Xu Jin. Therefore, Xu Jin feels it is necessary to participate in the imperial examination. At the very least, he aims to attain the status of a xiucai, which would exempt him from taxes and corvée labor, while also allowing him the freedom to travel across the country.
Xu Jin noticed that Xie Xiaowan was covered in grass clippings, and she was holding half of a straw sandal that had not yet been woven. It turned out that she had just been sitting behind the wall by the door, using the light that leaked out to weave the straw sandal.
Therefore, Xu Jin now possesses a wealth of knowledge; what he lacks is the experience and skills required for participating in the imperial examination. However, for Xu Jin, who was once a top student, the least of his worries is the examination itself. As long as he can obtain a few past examination papers to study and practice, he is quite confident in his ability to pass and achieve the status of a scholar.
Xu Jin originally planned to engage in some small trading activities, and once he earned enough money, he would acquire more land and then live as a comfortable small landlord in the Ming Dynasty
Xie Xiaowan's massage is very comfortable, but even through the clothing, one can feel that her hands are very cold. The back of her hands is covered with frostbitten cracks, some of which even ooze with traces of blood
Xu Jin was frustrated as he threw down the book, realizing that he truly could not even pass the entrance exam for junior high school
Indeed, the clumsy method of the bookworm, who believes that the early bird catches the worm, has greatly assisted Xu Jin. It is important to note that Xu Jin possesses over fifty years of rich experience from his previous life, and his comprehension ability is simply not comparable to that of a fourteen-year-old bookworm. What the bookworm cannot understand, Xu Jin can generally comprehend, and what the bookworm fails to grasp, Xu Jin can mostly understand.
Xu Jin was both surprised and delighted. Could it be that after his time travel, his memory had become extraordinary, reaching the legendary level of photographic memory?
Xie Xiaowan was wearing a loose ru skirt, which at first glance appeared to be quite thick. However, upon touching it, one would realize that this was not the case; she was likely only wearing fitted clothing underneath, and the ru skirt itself was actually quite thin, providing no warmth at all
Thus, Xu Jin changed to another copy of "Mencius," but in the end, he only read the beginning and was defeated by the archaic expressions within it.
"It shouldn't be too difficult to take the scholar's examination, right?" Xu Jin thought to himself. After all, he graduated from a key university. If he couldn't even pass the ancient equivalent of a primary school entrance exam, he might as well buy a block of tofu and end it all.
Xie Xiaowan shyly shook her head: "My husband, Xiaowan is not in pain, Xiaowan is used to it!"
Outside, there came the sound of thumping. Xu Jin looked through the window and saw that the girl, Xiao Wan, was diligently chopping firewood in the yard. The afternoon sunlight bathed her frail figure, her face flushed, and a happy smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, as if she had boundless energy.
Xie Xiaowan helped Xu Jin sit down by the bedside, then skillfully massaged his legs and feet. Xu Jin felt secretly frustrated; this body was indeed too weak. Continuing like this was not a solution; he needed to supplement his nutrition and strengthen his exercise regimen.
Xie Xiaowan smiled and said: "The thick winter clothes at home have all been pawned, but my husband need not worry, Xiaowan has been fishing at Poyang Lake since childhood, so I am well-prepared and not afraid of the cold"
Xu Jin sighed softly, truly a lovable little girl, but suddenly his expression changed slightly: "Xiao Wan, why is your clothing so thin?"