Chapter 8, Teaching

You all wait here, I will be back shortly. Li Si walked into the kitchen and took some charcoal that had not yet been completely burned from under the stove, and began to write on the wooden pieces he had purchased from the carpenter's shop. What he wrote was precisely the poem "Sympathy for Farmers" by Li Shen from the Tang Dynasty.

Li Si was somewhat unwilling to accept this and went to several more carpentry shops, all of which said they did not have any. When he inquired about the possibility of ordering a peach wood item, he was informed that there was none available in the vicinity

"Sir," a group of children respectfully saluted.

"Sun Zhi, you answered very well." Li Si first praised Sun Zhi and comforted his emotions, then turned to the other children and said: "Every grain of food we eat is grown from the soil. It is because of hardworking people like Sun Zhi's father that we are able to eat. Finishing our food is a way to show respect for such diligent farmers. Do you understand?" Finishing our food is a way to show respect for such diligent farmers. Do you understand?

Although the social hierarchy is divided into scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, the term "farmers" does not refer to impoverished peasants and tenant farmers, but rather to landlords

Finally, give them the wooden tablet inscribed with "Sympathy for Farmers," so that they can return and observe it among themselves and study it thoroughly

Carrying these doubts, he walked home, only to see some children waiting outside the door

Subsequently, Li Si read the poem several times with the children and began to teach them to recognize the characters and meanings in the poem. The children were also very well-behaved and attentive.

"How could it be that there is none?" Li Si felt a bit puzzled, recalling that in her memory, the peach wood sword was known to ward off evil. Therefore, the peach wood sword must be a hot-selling item. However, in this world, the protective effect of peach wood against evil spirits was completely unknown to people

The slow and fast sound of the night watchman's bell rang three times, and Li Si's drunkenness suddenly dissipated. He looked at the street, which was somewhat dim, and the road appeared a bit hazy, with the number of pedestrians gradually decreasing.

Li Si nodded in satisfaction and then asked the child, "Sun Zhi, is that kind of work tiring?"

In this world, being able to recognize characters is an extraordinary achievement. A person can recognize at most a few dozen characters, and sometimes, when reading official documents, it is a group of people piecing together to read the documents aloud.

He cannot rush now, as he still has more than a year left. In more than a year, it is certainly possible to accumulate 200 soul points. He believes that as long as he does not give up and proceeds steadily, he will definitely be able to live better and better in this world.

Li Si looked at the sun and noticed that it was almost time for the Shen hour, so he walked over and greeted them, saying, "You all have arrived so early."

Inform them to come over tomorrow during the Shen hour, Li Si has seen them off

Moreover, he finds that teaching children the fundamentals is a source of great joy for him. At the very least, these children hold him in high regard and do not dare to show him any disrespect

"Do you know where food comes from?" Li Si asked with a smile, her expression relaxing.

Having looked at the sky, it was already the hour of You. Li Si then went to a nearby restaurant to order a dish, and afterwards felt that the food was somewhat unsatisfactory, so he ordered a drink.

The current wine is still low-alcohol rice wine, but Li Si is somewhat tipsy; however, fortunately, his mind remains relatively clear

After they left, Li Si pondered for a long time. This was something he had contemplated deeply regarding the education of these young students. The original owner had already initiated the enlightenment of these children, and if he did not take such actions, it would be detrimental.

Night has fallen. Li Si let out a soft sigh and quickened his pace towards home. He estimated that once the sun set, malevolent spirits would likely manifest. Although he wished to obtain soul points, he was not yet prepared; he needed to first understand the abilities of the Headless Ghost. After that, he planned to visit the house of the wealthy gentleman.

I am quite exhausted. My father leaves the house before dawn every day and works in the fields until noon, only returning home when it is almost dark. It has become very difficult for him to stand up straight now. At first, Sun Zhi spoke with excitement about being valued by the teacher, but as he continued, his mood became somewhat subdued.

Upon entering the house, Li Si took out a cloth bag hanging from his chest and retrieved a piece of dark jade from within. With a thought, a finely carved child appeared in the room.

Understood! The children responded in unison, some of whom had tears in their eyes. They had never heard anyone praise farmers before; in this world, the status of farmers is not considered high

Li Si felt somewhat strange when he saw them bowing to him, but he couldn't really say anything; after all, he couldn't tell them not to bow, could he? In today's world, etiquette is still highly valued. Even someone who excels in academics and examinations will be looked down upon by others if they are ignorant of propriety and righteousness

Hearing Li Si's praise for the farmers today was the first time I had encountered such sentiments, which deeply resonated with the children of these farming families

"I bought it from the vegetable market," Yu Hu immediately replied, and then seemed to feel quite clever, looking proudly at his companions.

"That is also correct. But what about before Caishikou? Where was it again?" Li Si smiled slightly, acknowledging that this was also a valid point, yet it was not the answer he was seeking

Understood

After having dinner, Li Si walked home, at which point the sound of the night watchman ringing the bell could be heard on the road

After the children had memorized this poem thoroughly, Li Si took out a sand table from the study and taught them to write their names in the sand. He then wrote their names on small wooden pieces and gave them to take home so they could practice writing properly.

As he reached the door, he unlocked it, and a group of children followed him inside

After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Li Si went to the carpenter's shop, as he wanted to buy a peach wood sword. However, after inquiring, he found that this carpenter's shop did not have any peach wood. The carpenter explained that peach wood is not suitable for large materials due to its relatively soft texture, making it unsuitable for furniture, which is why he did not have any peach wood.

Li Si walked into the hall under the watchful eyes of a group of children. He placed a wooden board on a chair, allowing the children to sit on the floor while he took a seat on a stool. Pointing at the wooden piece, he said: "This is a poem about compassion for farmers. The character '悯' in '悯农' means to pity and sympathize. Do you understand?"

The weather is dry, please be cautious with fire.

Now let us study this poem, first listen to me recite it. Li Si smiled and recited: "When the hoe is used at noon, sweat drips onto the soil beneath the grain. Who knows the food on the plate, every grain is the result of hard work"

I know, I know. A dark-skinned, thin child raised his hand and said: It is grown from the ground

Li Si's resonant voice echoed in the room, making the children feel that this poem was truly captivating and easy to recite. Coupled with the questions posed by Li Si earlier, they could not help but think that this poem was indeed excellent and easily comprehensible at first hearing

This child is the offspring of a nearby farmer, so he has some understanding of agricultural matters

The hoeing of the rice occurs at noon, with sweat dripping onto the soil beneath the rice plants

The reputation accumulated by the original owner may completely dissipate, and some may even harbor resentment towards him. Reputation is also something very important to him, as it will be of great use in the future, so he does not mind teaching these children

Who knows the meal on the plate, every grain is the result of hard work