Chapter 10: Stitched Books
Du Shisan Niang shook her head vigorously, remaining silent, and sent Zhu Ying back to the house to attend to matters. However, she knelt down in the dust, clasped her hands together, and murmured a prayer: "Heaven and Earth, all deities and Buddhas, my father, my mother, my brother has finally recovered from his serious illness, more intelligent and perceptive than before. I am already content. If there are any more hardships and trials in the future, please let them fall upon me alone, and do not torment my brother again..." If there are any more hardships and trials in the future, please let them fall upon me alone, and do not torment my brother again..."
There is nothing that cannot be done
At this point, Du Shiyi instructed Zhu Ying, saying: "Go to the bookcase and take out the oiled paper package that I placed inside earlier"
Certainly, this is merely Du Shiyi's own opinion. Whether it is Sima Heiyun, who is assigned to accompany him during the day, or Du Shisan Niang and Zhu Ying, all are quite astonished by some of his actions. On that day, in front of all of them, he drew a rough outline in the mud with a wooden stick and explained it to Tian Mo for quite a while. When this Kunlun servant selected materials from the bamboo forest and subsequently made a bamboo chair and four sturdy bamboo stakes, he then asked Sima Heiyun to go to the market at the foot of the mountain to buy a smooth, lacquered cedar plank. After returning, he nailed it to the four bamboo stakes, creating a simple square table.
Most importantly, in his previous life, he had been forced by his father to copy numerous ancient texts and inscriptions during his childhood. It was at that time that he discovered that every word and sentence he had copied was etched in his mind as if carved in stone. Now, he is pleasantly surprised to find that this ability still remains. This means that once he finishes copying the "Compendium of Materia Medica with Annotations," he will be able to recite it fluently from memory.
It is merely a convenient and time-saving measure. Seeing that the incense in the burner on the table had burned out and it was time for a break, Du Shiyi rubbed his wrist and stood up. Noticing that Sima Heiyun also stood up, he smiled and said, "Brother Sima, we are not strangers. Today, I sincerely ask you, do you find it inconvenient to read books on ordinary days?"
Realizing the true question that Du Shiyi wanted to convey, Si M. Hetushu .com .com Ma Heiyun was immediately astonished: "So what Du Xiaolangjun means is ... ... "
In memory, the scrolls passed down through the Du family are almost all handwritten, with only a few, such as the Four Books and historical texts like the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han, being produced through woodblock printing. The scrolls he brought out this time are indeed the handwritten works of his ancestors. Moreover, the so-called clay movable type involves professional skills in every aspect, from engraving to typesetting. More importantly, demand determines supply; nowadays, there are not many literate individuals, and he is not a person of high status or power
The successive leaders of the Shangqing School have mostly come from the ranks of scholars and high officials, possessing broad perspectives and lofty aspirations. Since Sima Chengzhen has come this time for the legacy of Tao Hongjing, it is likely that he may achieve something through his recommendations. After all, the medical texts, pharmacopoeias, and even the precious classics of chemical philosophy authored by the sages of the Daoist tradition throughout the ages are certainly not inferior in value to those Buddhist scriptures
At this moment, Du Shiyi was seated on a peculiar chair with a backrest and armrests, spreading out the sheets of yellow hemp paper used for transcribing the "Compendium of Materia Medica" on the small table before him, concentrating intently as he originally bent over to write swiftly. For over ten consecutive days, he transcribed for four hours each day, his efficiency surpassing that of the first day by more than double compared to the bamboo shadow's paper transcription. Aside from these four hours, he would rise early each morning to hike up the mountain, and in the evening after dinner, he would take a stroll in the bamboo forest. This routine of going to bed early and rising early continued, and although transcribing was indeed a laborious task both physically and mentally, the combination of such exercise and taking short breaks every half hour while transcribing led to significant improvements in both his mental and physical well-being.
She could hardly contain the cheer that was on the tip of her tongue, and with great effort, she managed to suppress her joy and quietly stepped back, only to hurriedly wave at Zhu Ying by the bamboo shadows. Once she had exited the thatched cottage with her maid, she could not care less that Tian Mo was tending to the vegetables in the field, and with a beaming smile, she said: "Zhu Ying, I just saw my brother compose a new poem!"
"When it comes to accessing and browsing, naturally it is more convenient than scrolls, but those who first encounter this book may find it somewhat unfamiliar..." Sima Heiyun suddenly halted his speech, looked up at Du Shiyi, and asked, "How did you come up with this method, Young Master Du? Moreover, this seems to be the pre-recorded preface and annotations of the Compendium of Materia Medica and the first six volumes?"
The bamboo shadow heard the call and immediately responded, leaving to return shortly with the oiled paper package. This time, even Du Shisiang, who had been listening to the commotion from the inner room, could not help but feel intrigued. She recalled how her elder brother would always mysteriously send her and the bamboo shadow away after finishing his copying each day, busying himself with something in the room, which he later solemnly packed into the oiled paper. She decided to sneak out of the room. When she saw Du Shiyi open the oiled paper package and take out the stack of items inside, Sima Heiyun stepped forward to take a look, and naturally, she was curious enough to lean in as well.
The days spent copying books in the thatched cottage were exceedingly tranquil
The gentle whisper went unheard by others, but the one who was looking down at the vegetable seedlings, Tian Mo, raised his head. Gazing at this young lady with features as beautiful as a painting, and recalling her heartfelt prayer just moments ago, he couldn't help but smile, his eyes sparkling.
This is ... ...
Upon hearing this, Sima Heiyun, who was still hesitating, immediately had a glimmer in his eyes and then spoke, "May I borrow these books from you, Young Master Du, for one day?"
At this moment, he sat cross-legged on the seat with great interest, gazing up at the focused Du Shiyi. Suddenly, he spoke to the bamboo shadows beside him: "Young Master Du truly has an endless stream of ingenious ideas. When I returned those few scrolls to Songyang Temple, my master saw that the characters were neatly written, both swift and excellent. Upon hearing of such a method of transcription, he was momentarily astounded."
Du Shiyi was unexpectedly surprised when Sima Heiyun began to recount his personal experiences. This led him to draw connections, and he felt that Sima's method of copying books could save time and effort for scholars from humble backgrounds. He couldn't help but let out a sigh. The term "movable type printing" only briefly crossed his mind before he pressed it down along with the books.
Although Sima Heiyun is a follower, he is literate, a fact that Du Shiyi discovered while writing. Indeed, after saying this, he noticed Sima Heiyun was momentarily taken aback, then he smiled wryly and said: "In my childhood, my family was destitute. If it were not for your compassion in taking me in back then, I would never have learned to read, let alone study books. Therefore, I am already content to have books to read and have never thought about any inconveniences. Even now, I have seen many impoverished scholars who cannot afford books and can only rely on hand copies. However, hand copying is inefficient. For instance, this 'Compendium of Herbal Classics' has a total of seven volumes, plus the preface, and to copy it all requires extraordinary effort. If they could be like Young Master Du, it would surely save them a great deal of time."
Thus, after a moment of silence, he sighed lightly and said: "Books are as precious as gold, indeed worthy of admiration. Moreover, such volumes today present quite a few inconveniences. Firstly, in terms of reading, and secondly, in terms of storage. Moths and dampness are the greatest threats to books, and even with the intention to preserve them, it is not easy. Does Brother Sima still remember the other day when it was sunny? My sister and Zhu Ying took all the books out of the box to air them out and infuse them with fragrance, and they toiled for an entire day, resulting in both of them suffering from sore backs and aching waists?"
Du Shiyin paused for a moment before continuing: "Moreover, I have heard that the Buddhist activities in the two capitals are flourishing, and the demand for Buddhist scriptures is exceeding supply. Even though common people offer many prayers to obtain scriptures for their homes, the scrolls are inconvenient to store and difficult to unfold and read. Therefore, a Buddhist master once suggested whether the scriptures could be reformatted into a more accessible form, which would not only reduce the cost but also facilitate daily recitation for the faithful. I recall having seen a type of scripture bound in a folding style at a certain temple, resembling a scroll that is folded at intervals. While this is convenient, it is indeed prone to breakage. Furthermore, we scholars cannot allow the disciples of the Buddhist community to monopolize everything. Especially for medical texts like the Compendium of Materia Medica, if they could be disseminated as widely as Buddhist scriptures, they would surely save people from peril."
Ah..." The bamboo shadow could not help but exclaim softly, and then hurriedly covered her mouth. After a while, she said with a joyful expression, "Congratulations, my lady! Your husband has recovered from his serious illness and can once again pick up his pen to write poetry, all thanks to your sincere heart that has moved the heavens!"
Elder brother can compose poetry again
In the room, Du Shiyi observed Sima Heiyun thoughtfully flipping through a book resembling a folded document. He then took out several other books from the oiled paper package, which turned out to be the preface and the first six volumes of "Compendium of Materia Medica with Annotations." Noticing Sima Heiyun pondering over these books, he finally spoke up and asked, "What do you think of these methods, Brother Sima?"
As for Sima Heiyun, initially, he would come every morning to check on the progress because those books were precious originals borrowed from Songyang Temple. However, upon seeing that Du Shiyi was transcribing at an exceptionally high efficiency, completing over 8,000 neatly written characters of the preface in less than three days, he was greatly astonished and no longer came every morning. Instead, he would appear sporadically at any time, sometimes even staying in the thatched cottage for a meal. Almost every five to seven days, he would be able to return a volume of the manuscript. In less than a month, Du Shiyi was already working on the final volume of the "Compendium of Materia Medica with Annotations"!
Indeed, I have previously entrusted you with the first six volumes, but in reality, I have made an additional copy of each volume. I have attempted to bind them into a book using this method. Having read extensively since childhood, I have always found it inconvenient. This time, I was ill for several months, during which I was unable to move or speak, and I often thought about these matters. With this stitched binding, as long as the paper is cut in advance, once the transcription is completed, it can be quickly bound into a book. Moreover, it is square and easy to store, eliminating the need for precious materials like rosewood, jade, ivory, or wood for the spindles. Even for a poor scholar, it can be done with needle and thread, thus avoiding the hassle of mounting it into scrolls.
During the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, bamboo slips and silk books were used. However, in the present day, bamboo slips are no longer in use, and silk books are rarely utilized due to their high cost. Currently, most official documents of the court are made of hemp paper or rattan paper, yet they are still mounted into long scrolls, just like the bamboo slips and silk books of yore. This method, however, poses significant challenges for the storage, maintenance, and retrieval of the scrolls. The scrolls are not pressure-resistant; they can either be inserted or stacked. While this is manageable in a book box, it becomes difficult to locate them when placed on a shelf. Moreover, the private libraries of families are never as extensive as the court's archives. For instance, my family has inherited numerous precious scrolls, and despite our meticulous preservation efforts, they are no longer comparable to those of the past. Additionally, there is the issue of the time and effort required to roll up and unroll the scrolls.
After Sima Heiyun hurriedly packed several volumes of books back into the oiled paper bag and tucked it under his arm, Du Shiyi finally returned to the desk, dipped his brush in ink again, and, after steadying his mind, continued to copy the text.
Upon hearing others praise her master, Zhu Ying naturally smiled and said, "My husband is exceptionally talented; he has been self-taught in his studies since childhood, which is why he can come up with such excellent ideas"
As the stack of items unfolded, it revealed a collection of pages, each measuring six inches in length and four inches in width, all uniformly sized. The left side of the pages was neatly punched with holes, and they were subsequently bound together with needle and thread, covered with leather paper. Flipping through the pages from back to front was convenient and simple, and the thick stack in hand was markedly different from books bound in scrolls. Unlike Sima Heiyun, who was thoughtfully examining this peculiar binding style, the sharp-eyed Du Shiniang noticed a slip of paper fall out as Du Shiyi was flipping through. She quickly bent down to pick it up and found it to be a poem titled "On the Farmer's Sorrow." Flipping through the pages from back to front was convenient and simple, and the thick stack in hand was markedly different from books bound in scrolls. Unlike Sima Heiyun, who was thoughtfully examining this peculiar binding style, the sharp-eyed Du Shiniang noticed a slip of paper fall out as Du Shiyi was flipping through. She quickly bent down to pick it up and found it to be a poem titled "On the Farmer's Sorrow," which instantly brightened her eyes. It should be noted that currently, the most popular trend in the market is to recite excellent poems and works, and this particular poem was one she had never heard before. Moreover, given that her brother had been ill and had little interaction with outsiders over the past few months, if it were not someone else's masterpiece, then the answer was evidently singular.