Chapter 7, the dignity of the teacher, the inferiority of the student in learning

As soon as the words were spoken, before Zhang Yue could respond, several students behind him began to laugh. The boy whose name Zhang Yue could not remember then shouted: "Sir, you asked the wrong person; Zhang Xiaosan has only attended the school a total of how many times? He simply did not understand at all."

The speaking youth curled his lips and then glanced at the two empty seats beside him, revealing a smug smile on his face: "Zhang Xiaosan, those two big ones of yours don’t know where they’ve run off to right now. You’d better be careful on your way back; don’t bump into anything. It’s not easy for you to come to class this time, so don’t end up staying home sick tomorrow."

Hmph, after not seeing each other for a month, you actually have the audacity to speak so boldly

Zhang Yue initially thought that Mr. Du was merely asking casually. Upon hearing this remark, he was slightly taken aback and quickly stood up to follow him out. Behind him, the students erupted in laughter, but he paid them no mind and directly followed Mr. Du into a small room around the corner. As he watched the other party take a seat, he felt a sense of unease—if this were modern times, it would either be a private critique or individual guidance, but he was unsure what this approach meant in the context of the academic environment of that era.

Zhang Yue hurriedly took it with both hands and caught a glimpse of the cover, which prominently displayed "The Justification of the Analects." He quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude. Once he exited that small room, he let out a long sigh.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a twinge of regret. In this day and age, the authority of a teacher is not to be challenged by a disciple; would his words invite a reprimand? What quickly reassured him was that a hint of a smile appeared on Mr. Du's otherwise expressionless face

Is there a monthly exam in the study of genealogy? Zhang Yue immediately noticed these two words, and only then did he become curious about the identity of this defender of justice—needless to say, he had no recollection of who this was. However, after the young man said this, he sat down and picked up the book in his hands, not uttering another word. His demeanor was such that he was completely oblivious to the outside world, wholly focused on reading the classics.

If the father is useless, can the son still be successful

Seeing Mr. Du's straightforwardness, Zhang Yue had no choice but to respond honestly: "Sir, the student merely feels that if this sentence is interpreted in the same way as you began, it seems somewhat contradictory to what was discussed in an earlier class. You initially explained 'learning without getting tired' and 'teaching without becoming weary,' which suggests that the sage does not seem to wish for the people to remain ignorant; otherwise, why would there be a need to teach without becoming weary?"

Xing Bing once commented on this statement in "The Justification of the Analects," saying that the way of the sage is profound and difficult to comprehend, thus it should not be made known to the people. As a novice student, it is permissible for you to express such doubts in my presence, but you must not make reckless evaluations outside.

While walking halfway, he casually flipped through and discovered that the blank space beside him was filled with densely written small characters, resembling annotations of insights and reflections. Realizing that this was no ordinary book, he quickly tucked it into his bosom and then feigned a dejected appearance as he entered the classroom. Sure enough, as soon as he stepped in and had not yet taken his seat, a sound of unabashed laughter erupted from behind.

Just know how to wag your tail behind the two big ones

What pretentiousness, if it weren't for everyone spending money to cheat and buy your answers, your parents would have starved to death long ago

Even though Zhang Yue had developed an excellent temperament after his reincarnation, he could not help but feel a surge of anger at this moment. However, just as he stood up, a cold laugh came from behind him

He lowered his head to look at his seemingly fragile arms and legs, then glanced at the two book boys outside, who were peeking in with a look of utmost loyalty, yet would be utterly useless in a fight. Zhang Yue once again realized that might makes right. Although being threatened by a little brat was certainly not a pleasant experience, seeing Mr. Du, who had just left, walk back in to prepare for his lecture, he temporarily set aside these troubling thoughts.

As soon as these words were spoken, the classroom, which had just been bustling and noisy like a modern vegetable market, fell silent. Zhang Yue turned around and saw a boy sitting in the last row. He was wearing an extremely clean white garment, and there were no valuable accessories on him, as if he were a poor relative who had come from somewhere unknown to attend school. However, at that moment, with just one glare from him, all the laughing students immediately closed their mouths

Your previous notes are extremely detailed. The saying "A person can be made to act but not to know" should imply that you should not have difficulty understanding. If there is anything unclear, feel free to express it now and I will listen.

However, what exactly is Mr. Du's intention in giving him such a book?

You come out with me

Hey, just a useless person, what are you pretending for

A low murmuring sound emerged from the corner, yet Zhang Yue heard it distinctly, stirring something within his heart

Was he really that dull back then?

This section discusses the "Tay Bo" chapter of the Analects. Some of the phrases are quite familiar to him, but others he hears for the first time. Initially, he was more interested in historical studies and had not delved much into the Analects—besides, in his era, at least nine out of ten adults had never read the Analects in full.

As he watched the young man swagger back to the third row of seats with two classmates in tow, Zhang Yue felt that something was amiss. Soon, a series of chaotic fragments surfaced in his mind—mostly involving inexplicable falls and trips, or random stones flying out of nowhere, among other bizarre incidents. He had initially thought these were merely manifestations of his own bad luck, but to his surprise, he realized he had been schemed against all along

However, after this class was over, the stern Mr. Du stood before him once again: "The people can be led, but they cannot be made to understand. You frowned slightly when you heard this statement, but is there anything you do not understand?"

He stood up as he spoke, rummaging through the bookshelf for a moment. When he turned around, he was holding a somewhat worn book in his hand. Casually handing the book to Zhang Yue, he then said: "Take this book back and read it. Return it to me after you finish. Go on."

Regarding this article, Mr. Du from hetushucomcom read it thoroughly and then began to explain it point by point, using language that was both profound and easy to understand. However, he only explained each point once and did not elaborate further. As a result, Zhang Yue had no choice but to put down his brush and listen intently to comprehend. Yet, when Mr. Du reached a point that had previously sparked widespread controversy, Zhang Yue slightly furrowed his brow upon hearing the explanation—though it was merely a slight furrowing of his brow.

Although the Analects has been annotated by countless individuals over the millennia, and he himself has read a modern, well-known bestseller, he has never read it in its entirety. With this superficial understanding, he does not dare to show off in front of the true scholars of this era

If you really have the ability, what tricks will you use during the monthly exam at school

Faced with this suddenly appearing individual, Zhang Yue merely cast a sidelong glance at him, then desperately searched his memory, only to find nothing—he truly had no hope for this "memory". Since he could not recall who the other party was, he could only lightly clear his throat and confidently say to the laughing youth: "Indeed, I have made numerous mistakes in writing, but I have only attended school for a few dozen days over the past few years, so of course, my level is only this much"