Chapter 3, The Patriarch's Erroneous Reasoning

A chorus of agreement arose around the fire pit. Cheng Tong patted the chair beside him and said resolutely: "This chair should rightfully be occupied by the Master. It is thanks to the Master that our Cheng clan has achieved what it is today. In this year, the Master has contributed as much to our Cheng clan as a century of independent development. As we can see, our Cheng family has reached a critical juncture: our village has now surpassed one hundred households, and the authorities can no longer keep this a secret. Therefore, we need the Master—he must sit in this chair!"

When discussing "Cheng Tongyuanwai", people could not help but glance at the long-silent clan leader, and the noise in the ancestral hall immediately diminished significantly

A few days ago, the Master inquired about the registration issue. This time, he intends to take his students to Huangzhou Prefecture. I suspect he wants to register the children. Cheng Tong, with a serious expression, said: "Perhaps after the registration is completed, the Master will repay the life-saving grace of my family. What will he do afterwards, staying at Chengjiacao?"

"Silence!" Cheng Tong sternly commanded.

However, Cheng Lao Er relied on instinct to make a living. He approached Zhao Xing and earnestly requested the crafting of bows and arrows. Zhao Xing's spontaneous guidance was akin to breaking through a layer of paper, leaving the purely instinctive Cheng Lao Er in awe, leading to an unparalleled admiration.

We all use ceramic bowls for tea, but wealthy families do not use this. ... I saw him playing with a small cup in his hand and asked what it was. He said it was purple ... . ... The purple rabbit hair cup is the most favored tea set in the palace. Upon hearing this, I immediately broke out in a cold sweat

In fact, at this point, everyone already knows that a versatile talent like Mr. Xiang, if he cannot even be retained by the Xiang army, would certainly not be able to settle down in Chengjia'ao. However, everyone has also observed that Chengjia'ao has gained considerable benefits over the past two years, all thanks to Zhao Xing's guidance. During this period, Zhao Xing has shown no personal desires and has taken nothing for himself. Such a person, the villagers are truly unwilling to let him go

The second-ranking "Elder" Cheng Laoer immediately took over the conversation: "How could that be? The teacher takes the children out for... study tours; how can we let the teacher pay for it himself? My son, the money comes from me."

In fact, since Zhao Xing entered the village, he has always presented himself as a scholar. However, standing at a height of 1.8 meters, he appears extremely imposing, and in the vast mountains where survival relies on martial prowess, the image of a warrior is held in higher regard. Therefore, the more Cheng Lao Er spoke, the more regret the crowd felt: how could such a versatile teacher, skilled in both literature and martial arts, not be retained in Chengjiacao—did we offend him there?

Children can now study abroad, and parents immediately feel their status has significantly improved. Hmm, I used to be just a villager, but now it seems I should refer to myself as 'Yuanwai'. The problem is, in Chengjiacao, everyone is a 'Cheng Yuanwai', making it difficult to distinguish.

Old Man Cheng Wu was puzzled: "Could it be? We have treated him well in our village"

However, the auxiliary soldiers were treated as slaves, toiling under various forms of labor, and were even regarded as household servants by officials, with their earnings barely sufficient to feed their families. Consequently, large-scale desertions among the auxiliary soldiers were common, particularly among those born into prominent families. They received more education, were resourceful, and thus were unwilling to be reduced to the status of slaves, sometimes even inciting the entire army to desert.

What does Zhao Xing plan to do this time? "Traveling and studying around the world," a refined pursuit for scholars. Cheng Lao Er, having ensured his family's basic needs, now thinks about the future success of the next generation. Such an elegant endeavor, the teacher only takes ten students; how could anyone be left out? Who knows what else the teacher will teach this time? If other children can do things that my child cannot, will I still be "Cheng Lao Er"?

Since Cheng Tong left Zhao Xing, he had remained silent, only lowering his head and drawing circles in the fire pit with a poker. Cheng Er was a simpleton; he opened his mouth wide and addressed the clan leader with a new title: "Cheng Dayuanwai, please give us some advice—what should we do? Everyone is listening to you"

From a positive perspective, perhaps Zhao Xing believes that the Cheng family in Chengjiacao is not a prominent family, and is not sufficient to protect a fugitive like him. If he were to reveal his true identity, the villagers might find themselves in a difficult position. Therefore, he prefers to maintain an air of mystery.

Cheng Tong let out a sound of acknowledgment and decisively said, "In that case, Teacher, please rest for now"

Behind him, the people in the ancestral hall continued to forget the purpose of the meeting, chattering among themselves about the upcoming study tour for the children

However, the method of making this bow differs from that of traditional bows: it is not subjected to fire treatment, but is directly crafted from a single piece of hardwood that is bent into shape

Zhao Xing nodded

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Zhao Xing rose to take his leave

Cheng Tong regards the children's entrepreneurship as the common property of Cheng Jia Ao, which is a clan tradition. In this era, there are no private rights; the children in the clan are not yet of age, so it is difficult to communicate with them using modern concepts of "ownership".

With Zhao Xing's interference, the discussion in the ancestral hall immediately went off-topic

But can he refuse

Old Cheng Er couldn't hold back his words any longer. He quickly skipped over his comments about the clothing and continued: "Moreover, when the teacher arrived, he was carrying a wooden bow on his back. Later, I secretly tried it... Wow, what a great bow! The draw weight is strong, and the arrows can penetrate armor. Just the bowstring, even to this day, I still don't know what kind of beast sinew it is made from."

At this point, Cheng Lao Er, disregarding the order of the ancestral hall, interjected with an anxious expression.

In fact, the "bow" mentioned by Cheng Laoer is merely a rudimentary bow made by Zhao Xing using the simplest wood, tailored to the local conditions. The bowstring is a strap from a woman's skirt.

Cheng Tong squatted by the fire pit and had not spoken for a long time. After a while, he asked in a deep voice, "Is the teacher going to Huangzhou?"

In fact, Cheng Tong misunderstood. Zhao Xing's inquiry about "registration" was regarding his household registration issue. However, Zhao Xing did not realize that the Song Dynasty was a patriarchal society where common people did not have a modern concept of "household registration"; only scholars were required to have a place of origin—students preparing for examinations needed to register in the prefecture, which was referred to as "scholar registration".

Elder Cheng Qi, the most beautiful daughter of the Cheng clan is at your home. Tomorrow, please have your daughter groomed and dressed to serve the master

Since then, I realized that the Master was not raised in an ordinary household—he was unaccustomed to fine tea, and he did not partake in the renowned wines of the world; this was not the upbringing of a child from a common family

What is going on? We were originally supposed to discuss the "annual work plan," and now we are unexpectedly discussing the issue of "staff members." He slammed the poker down heavily and said in a deep voice: "What a mess—are you planning to leave, teacher?"

Crafting such a bow requires skill. Zhao Xing learned his techniques from books, which are naturally a hundred times more effective than the trial-and-error methods of the Song people. At the same time, through his training in wilderness survival, Zhao Xing's archery is certainly not lacking. If he fails to hit his target, he faces starvation and the risk of death. As a result, his survival skills are far superior to those of the mountain dwellers, as he possesses both theoretical knowledge and practical experience

Cheng Tong never imagined that his actions today would infringe upon Zhao Xing's rights. However, this cannot be blamed on him; even in modern times, clans can still manage the entrepreneurial endeavors of their children in such a manner. Of course, from the perspective of Chengjiacao, it cannot be considered entirely wrong, as the rules are such—Zhao Xing occupied someone else's land and developed these industries on their territory without investing a single cent. Therefore, loss was inevitable, which is also the reason why Zhao Xing ultimately chose to abandon the dispute. From the perspective of Chengjiacao, it cannot be considered entirely wrong, as the rules are such—Zhao Xing occupied someone else's land and developed these industries on their territory without investing a single cent. Therefore, loss was inevitable, which is also the reason why Zhao Xing ultimately chose to abandon the dispute.

Zhao is indeed a noble surname! In the astonishment of the crowd, he glanced at the expressions of those by the fire pit and continued: "Zhao is indeed a noble surname! ... This person is dressed in an extraordinary manner—however, this is not a matter for us locals to discuss; let us talk about my thoughts instead

At this point in the discussion, several "elders" enthusiastically deliberated: perhaps they should refer to themselves according to their rank, calling themselves "Cheng Er Yuanwai," "Cheng San Yuanwai," and so on. Alternatively, they could seek a teacher to give them a name, and thereafter be addressed by their given names, for example: "Cheng Tong Yuanwai," and so forth

After reading "Cautious Words" several times, Zhao Xing shook his head and began to speak about his own matters: "In the past, Li Taibai once said: 'Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.' Therefore, I plan to take the children out for study tours after spring—first exploring the nearby areas, and then going a bit further...

After Cheng Tong made his guess, Cheng Lao Er, this bewildered person, was still in doubt: "Elder brother, how can you be so sure that he is going to leave?"

This is not merely a matter of being thin or not—when the Master first arrived, I realized he was extraordinary... Here, Cheng specifically used the respectful title "Master." He paused for a moment and continued, "Back then, he cured the village's cattle, and I treated him to the finest Lanxi Xiaolongtuan. Lanxi Xiaolongtuan! That is a tribute, even the people in the imperial palace praised it highly after tasting it...

Zhao Xing's words were actually an indirect expression of his dissatisfaction, which sparked a buzz of murmurs. However, what the mountain dwellers noticed was not his grievances

Cheng Lao Er's child, Cheng Zhuo, is the most unruly among all the children. Upon hearing that Zhao Xing would only take ten children, Cheng Lao Er worried that his child might not be selected, so he quickly expressed his willingness to pay.

Cheng Tong, following his own thoughts, speculated that Zhao Xing devised strategies to transform the appearance of Chengjiacao. Now he is eager to assist the village in registering for "scholar status." If a remote and impoverished place like Chengjiacao were to produce ten individuals with "scholar status," this favor would be enough to repay the villagers. From this point onward, could Chengjiacao still retain such a broad-minded figure?

Cheng was anxious.

Old Cheng Er, this simpleton, is aware of the underlying secrets. The "elders" sitting around the fire pit are not foolish at all. After Cheng Er interjected, the other elders disregarded the order of the ancestral hall and all expressed their intentions in a flurry: they would ensure that their own sons brought sufficient travel expenses and provisions, following the teacher to serve tea and water.

"Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles"—whether this saying was uttered by Li Bai, Cheng Lao Er does not know; he is even unaware of the existence of a person named "Li Bai." However, Cheng Lao Er understands a simple principle: one must not lose track of the teacher. By staying close to Zhao Xing, the child not only learns to read and write but also acquires a skill.

The term "the incorporation of vagrants into the militia" refers to a specific policy of the Song Dynasty. Whenever disasters occurred in various regions, the Song government would select the strong and able-bodied individuals from among the vagrants, organizing them into militia units. They were provided with simple food, meager salaries, or no salary at all, and were made to serve or work, thereby allowing the government to control all potential sources of unrest among the vagrants

The words of the patriarch immediately resonated with Old Cheng Er, who exclaimed passionately: "Indeed, the teacher has just arrived in the village. Although his clothes are tattered and he looks like a beggar, the fabric... tsk tsk, it is neither silk nor linen, something we have never seen before. My wife said that the stitching is even, not something an ordinary person could achieve. I suspect it must be a tribute, perhaps from the palace..." My wife said that the stitching is even, not something an ordinary person could achieve. I suspect it must be a tribute, perhaps from the palace..."

In fact, Cheng Lao Er's initial decision to distribute the game was also born out of necessity. Due to the lack of preservation techniques among the Song people, the game could not be stored, which meant that even exceptional hunting skills could not lead to wealth; any surplus game had to be quickly given away. Therefore, despite Cheng Lao Er's great abilities, he had no excess wealth at home

Rabbit Hair Cup, just listen to this name, would our fellow villagers even use this term? Not to mention having seen it, they haven't even heard of it. Yet he can effortlessly recount its origins, claiming it is a preference from the palace in the capital. Just think about it—if drinking tea is so refined, how could this person's background be simple?

Cheng Tong continued to reminisce: "The second time I realized he was extraordinary was that winter, when heavy snow fell and the weather was cold. I invited the teacher over to drink the Pan Sheng wine that Cheng Xia had brought back from Fan County. However, the teacher only took a small sip and refused to taste it again. I urged him to drink several times, but he merely said: 'The flavor is weak, difficult to swallow'

Last year, I saved up a sum for travel expenses, so the elders need not worry about the children's food and lodging... Regardless of how the village arranges things, the children will not be able to accomplish anything this year, so it is better not to assign them any tasks... Well, my funds are sufficient for ten children to study abroad, so I will choose ten children to accompany me.

I heard that a year before the appearance of the gentleman (the title 'gentleman' during the Song Dynasty referred to Taoists, monks, and physicians), there was a severe drought in Qin Feng, leading to two hundred thousand displaced people entering the town, who were then relocated to Huainan... The gentleman is unwilling to discuss his origins; to put it simply: he may be a fleeing townsman, but I suspect he might be a 'town general'—a town general with a national surname... The gentleman is unwilling to discuss his origins; to put it simply: he may be a fleeing townsman, but I suspect he might be a 'town general'—a town general with a national surname...

What Cheng Tong mentioned is a conjecture, one that is most aligned with the times—if Zhao Xing was indeed forcibly taken into the compartment, then during his migration, he escaped into the mountains... When he eventually returned to society, he would naturally be unwilling to disclose his origins and identity

After Zhao Xing arrived, Cheng Lao Er's situation changed. Zhao Xing "invented" preservation techniques for smoked meat, roasted meat, and cured meat, and began to cut the finished products into various shapes, packaging them in exquisite bamboo containers for sale in large cities. These "deep-processed" mountain goods instantly became delicacies on the tables of the powerful and wealthy

The fleeing troops are essentially facing a dead end upon being captured, which leads most of them to escape into the mountains and wilderness, becoming bandits. If the subordinates have mostly fled, the officer in charge of the troop's relocation, known as the "Xiang Shou (Xiang General)," will also take the opportunity to escape, ultimately descending into the ranks of great thieves and rogues.

Cheng Tong could not comprehend the concept of private rights, and in this era, his actions were entirely in accordance with the patriarchal system and legal codes. He sensed Zhao Xing's dissatisfaction but did not understand the reason behind it, so he spoke while trying to organize his thoughts. However, in doing so, he ended up going down the wrong path.

However, he frowned as soon as he picked up the teacup, and it was only after tasting a few sips of the tea that he slightly nodded. I was puzzled at the time, wondering why he looked down on the Lanxi Xiaolong Tuan. I pondered over this for a long time, until last year when I accompanied him to the county town and saw him playing with the teacup at a stall. It was then that I suddenly realized: he was not frowning at the tea initially, but rather dissatisfied with the teacup.

The patriarch's words essentially echoed the sentiments of Elder Cheng Er, yet his final addition carried a certain flavor of "no shocking statement, no rest".

Cheng Laoer is a robust middle-aged man, and this hunter possesses the finest hunting skills in the entire village. Due to his frequent absences from home, his children lack paternal affection and have become quite unruly. Fortunately, his abundant game is sufficient to support his continuous acts of apology, allowing the neighbors to tolerate the children's misbehavior.

As the demand for prey increased, Cheng Lao Er simply organized a hunting team responsible for supplying materials to Zhao Xing, and soon became the "newly rich" of the village. In just one year, he transformed from someone who barely had enough to eat into the "second wealthy" of Chengjiacao, able to afford fine silks and satins.