Chapter 007: The First Bucket of Gold

Sima Yan also felt that his two paws were sore and soft, and he nodded in agreement. It was getting late, so the two of them covered the roof, washed their hands, and returned to the room to listen to Wang Anshi and the others talking

Wang Lang warmly waved goodbye to Sima Guang as he went to teach the students of the Imperial Academy, and then he entered to greet the Zhang family. Sima Yan had also gotten up early and had breakfast; there were no signs of snow that day, and the two of them went to lift the roof of the warm shed.

If this were my own son, I would surely find ways to trick him just like Wang Anshi did. This kid is clever, but he is not using his intelligence in the right way

Wang Wang resolutely ran to the desk and sat down, mumbling to himself: "I'll just memorize it."

Wang Fang eagerly stood on tiptoe with her short legs to massage Wang Anshi's shoulders, having already prepared her words: "I planted the seeds with my sister Ayan today, and I need to check every day to see if they have sprouted"

Wang Wang earnestly retorted: "We are not playing with mud!" They are seriously cultivating leeks! Leeks are wonderful; after one harvest, they grow back again. They are easy to grow and delicious, truly beautiful!

At the age of fifteen, Confucius resolved to pursue learning. After reciting this, Wang Tang enthusiastically posed a math problem to Sima Guang, saying, "Uncle Sima, since Confucius only set his mind to learning at fifteen, can I still play for another twelve years?"

Sima Guang said with a warm smile, "This idea is quite good. There are warm rooms in the palace specifically for growing fruits and vegetables in winter, and during the New Year, the emperor will reward some to the meritorious officials."

Sigh, I can't hide anything from my father at all; being too close is not good! Wang Pang could only quickly pull out a piece of paper from his pocket and said to Wang Anshi: "Father, look, a bookseller wants to buy the sign that my sister Ah Yan and I made for hetushu.com. He wants to print and sell it. I asked him to write a contract; please check if there are any issues with what is written on it. If there are no problems, my sister and I will sign it, and you and Uncle Sima will be the witnesses"

This time, Wang Tang boldly entered the Imperial Academy, striding confidently towards the front of Sima Guang's house. Just as he was about to knock on the door, coincidentally, Sima Guang was about to leave for a lecture and opened the door from inside.

"Alright," Wang Anshi glanced at him sideways, "Every day, recite a passage from the Analects. Once you have memorized it, I will conveniently take you to the entrance of the Guozijian in the morning as I leave."

Unfortunately, they are still too young. After a flurry of activity, both Sima Yan and Wang Tang had fine beads of sweat on their foreheads

The reunion went smoothly, and Wang Tang was in an excellent mood. On the way home, he seriously counted the distance from the Guozijian to the public rental housing, saying to Wang Anshi: "The distance from home to the Guozijian is less than two hundred steps, Father. I want to go to the Guozijian tomorrow to play with Sister Ayan. You don't need to take me; I will go by myself."

Wang Anshi no longer pressed him, led him to the entrance of the Imperial Academy, greeted the gatekeeper, and promptly turned around and left

Upon hearing this, Wang Lang realized he had been deceived. His father had anticipated that he would come to play with Sister Ayan and had already informed Sima Guang! The notion that he would only be allowed to leave after reciting a passage from the Analects was merely a ruse to trick him

The discussion regarding "Have we let the cat out of the bag?" came to an abrupt halt, as both individuals tacitly agreed not to bring up the matter again. What good would it do to mention it? If the secret is meant to be revealed, it will be. Being slightly ahead of others is not necessarily a bad thing.

Wang Tang, fuming, complained to Sima Guang: "It turns out that my father had already planned for me to come here. He even told me last night that I had to memorize the Analects before I could come, which made me spend the whole night memorizing!"

The next day, Wang Lang suddenly remembered that he had not asked how long a "passage from the Analects" actually was. He estimated it and somewhat casually recited to Wang Anshi the passage from the chapter on governance that follows the chapter on learning: "At fifteen, I set my heart on learning; at thirty, I took my stand; at forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I knew the will of Heaven; at sixty, I was at ease with what I heard; at seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without overstepping the bounds."

Wang Anshi's expression did not change at all, making it impossible to tell whether he was satisfied or dissatisfied. He glared at Wang Fang and asked, "Is this all you can recite?"

Wang Fang's eyes darted around. The first principle of being cunning and sly is that whenever a leader assigns a task, it is best not to appear too relaxed, and even more so, do not complete it ahead of time. Otherwise, the next task will surely be doubled.

Sima Yan pondered for a moment, then pointed towards the kitchen and said, "We should set up a warm shed outside; otherwise, it might be difficult to grow anything in the dead of winter." She picked up a packet of leek seeds and conservatively estimated, "It would be better if you bought some more leek seeds tomorrow; they are likely to survive more easily."

What other brands can still be sold for money?

Seeing that his son did not seem to be lying, Wang Anshi nodded and said, "Alright, I will take you there." In fact, having seen the two children playing so well together yesterday, Wang Anshi had already mentioned this to Sima Guang. A father knows his child best; how could Wang Lang's little thoughts escape his notice? Children always love to play, and it is not good for them to be cooped up at home. Wang Anshi said, "Uncle Sima's family has quite a collection of books, and your sister Ayan can read. If you two do not want to play in the mud anymore, you can read more books."

In this way, when the weather is sunny, the roof can be lifted early to allow ample sunlight for the books, while during inclement weather or after nightfall, the roof can be closed to provide warmth and protection from the cold. Although Wang Bang has never designed such a small project, it is naturally a trivial matter for him once he understands the requirements

Having come up with an idea, the two individuals began searching for materials. Sima Yan chose a location near the kitchen, where it was warm and cozy when cooking and lighting the fire, ensuring a stable temperature. Since there was no translucent film available, using cloth would certainly lead to it being struck; it seemed that achieving both lighting and warmth would require human intervention. The two children huffed and puffed as they built a frame with firewood, then used sturdy, long, thin grass ropes to bundle together clumps of rice straw, bamboo leaves, and dry fern, creating a "roof" that could be easily lifted.

The ancient people also practiced greenhouse cultivation, and both Wang Fang and Sima Yan found it unremarkable. The National Academy also had major exams, minor exams, monthly tests, and final exams, just like in later generations

Wang Anshi said thoughtfully: "Didn’t you remember quite clearly this morning? You were quite adamant about not seeing or speaking of what is inappropriate, very self-assured indeed"

Sima Guang recalled some of the "illustrious deeds" mentioned by Wang Anshi and smiled, saying, "Let's take another look."

Wang Lang expressed his grievance: "Am I really that kind of person?"

Sima Guang was amused by Wang Huang's angry appearance and couldn't help but ask, "Where have you reached in your recitation?"

Sima Yan took out the seeds brought by Wang Lang

The sown muddy ground remained quiet, without a hint of movement. The two of them glanced at it for a while, both well aware that it was impossible to see the leek seeds sprout anytime soon. Since they did not intend to wait indefinitely, Wang Fang and Sima Yan informed Zhang and then slipped into Sima Guang's study to look for books.

On this day, Wang Anshi officially declined to participate in the official examination. Upon returning home, he saw Wang Lang rushing in with a grin, eager to massage his shoulders and back. Wang Anshi, puzzled, asked, "What mischief have you been up to this time?"

Wang Anshi glanced at him sideways, meaning "Aren't you that kind of person?"

The two children are only three years old. Zhang prepared tea and sat by with needlework. Wang Bang also enjoyed the privilege of having his mother at home to look after him, so he felt no discomfort. He and Sima Yan were whispering together in front of the bookshelf, discussing which book to read. Compared to Wang Anshi, who often had to borrow books due to his impoverished circumstances, Sima Guang's family was evidently much wealthier, with an entire half shelf dedicated to historical texts.

Two individuals, being selective, found some books with fewer words and more illustrations, and ran to the desk to continue their chatter while reading together. Occasionally, when Zhang would bring them some candied fruits, he would take a glance and see various simple and easy-to-understand illustrations.

Wang Fang and Sima Yan said: "No wonder your father was able to write that large chronicle; just seeing this shelf of books makes me dizzy."

Every day after finishing reading, Wang Lang would take Sima Yan outside to meet new friends. The Sima family lived in the "teacher's dormitory area" of the Imperial Academy, where the professors of the academy resided. The residents varied in age, but those without grandsons had sons, and those without sons had daughters

He suddenly looked troubled, his small face scrunched up in distress, and he said awkwardly: "Do I still have to memorize it? I'm afraid I won't be able to remember."

These seeds encompass medicinal, edible, and ornamental uses. When Wang Fang went to buy them for the first time, he directly requested just a little of each type, asking for one portion of everything. The quantity was too small for the vendor to agree to package it, so he simply noted down the varieties and went home to make many small paper packets, each two fingers wide, labeling them individually. The next day, he returned to make his purchases. The stall owners found this child quite remarkable; most of them only charged him a nominal fee, and some even gave him a handful for free.

Wang An and the Bookstone remain noncommittal

Sima Guang chuckled and said, "Oh, you have arrived. Your father mentioned yesterday that you would definitely come today. I just reminded your aunt to remember to open the door for you."

Sima Guang personally escorted Wang Anshi and his family to the door after they had finished their meal

In the evening, Sima Guang returned, and Zhang mentioned the matter of the two children to him, saying that they had first gone to check whether the seeds had sprouted in the morning, and then went to the study to read together. Zhang praised, "I have never seen a boy as well-behaved as this child, not causing any trouble at all"

Wang Lang responsibly stood up to answer, "The weather is too cold. Sister Ayan said that the seeds feel cold underground and definitely won't come out, so we covered them with a warm shelter. Once they realize that it is warm outside, they will surely come out obediently"

Sima Yan deeply agrees.

Sima Guang: "... ..."

Wang Lang looked at his father with a pitiful, helpless, and innocent expression: "I've studied all night! I even reviewed it several times early this morning"

Wang Fang sighed, "The working people have a hard life."

Just now, two children were making a commotion, and several parents even gathered by the window to sneak a peek. Now that their son and daughter have played enough, Wang Anshi smiled and asked, "What are you two doing? Building a house?"

Wang Wang happily agreed. Stir-fried eggs with chives, fragrant and also enhances vitality

After Wang Lang's persistent encouragement, these mischievous children began to run outside on time, following Wang Lang every day to climb roofs and tear off tiles. Sima Yan, who originally had a quiet personality, became much livelier after a few days of frolicking with Wang Lang. After all, they were only three or four years old; no one would scold them no matter how much trouble they caused

It has been proven that Sima Guang was indeed very prescient. Just a few days after Wang Fang started visiting Sima Guang's home, he was already dissatisfied with merely observing the seedlings and reading books