Chapter 8, Explanation

By the sixth recitation, Bai Gui had recited from the beginning of the universe, from the chaos of heaven and earth, all the way to this point in one breath

He is now able to recite the Thousand Character Classic in its entirety, but it took him a full month to accomplish this

The Master said of Nan Rong: In a well-governed state, he would hold an official position; in a poorly governed state, he could avoid punishment through his benevolence. He arranged for his brother's son to marry him

However, with his back turned to Bai Gui, Bai Gui did not see anything clearly either

He then pulled open the long bench and walked slowly and quietly to the side of Scholar Xu, who was checking Zhou Yuan's learning progress. He said nothing, waiting for Scholar Xu to patiently explain the Analects to Zhou Yuan.

Outside the window, at a distance of more than twenty steps, lies the street where the ancestral hall is located, occasionally visited by birds.

Lu Zhaoqian's expression stiffened as he looked at the open Thousand Character Classic on the desk; no matter how he looked at it, it felt somewhat awkward.

When there was still time, he studied the one thousand characters of this Thousand Character Classic. Until now, he has not fully comprehended it, which is why Scholar Xu did not allow him to study the Four Books. Although he taught other elementary educational materials, such as the "Disciples' Regulations" and the "Three Character Classic," he has still not been able to set aside the Thousand Character Classic and remains in the stage of elementary learning

Scholar Xu sat on the other side of the long bench, holding a rattan ruler in his hand, squinting his eyes as he carefully savored the text, finding that not a single word was amiss. What surprised him even more was that Bai Gui spoke a rather standard form of Mandarin.

The explanation provided by Lu Zhaoqian is reasonable

It is unreasonable, it is impossible!

When he left, he walked slowly, with a smile in his eyes and brows. However, upon noticing the children along the way becoming somewhat lax, he tightened his expression and softly reprimanded them

Although his friendship with Bai Gui has diminished since he went to study at the private school, overall, they can still be considered family, and there is no reason to turn one's back on them.

How much time was used? Less than a quarter of an hour

"Heiwa, you are right," Lu Zhaopeng nodded. However, before Lu Zhaoqian could feel pleased, he changed the subject, "But even so, it is still impressive that Brother Gui can hear you and me reciting outside the classroom and take notes; that is truly remarkable"

This is merely a scholar

A child's intelligence may be limited, but it does not necessarily mean that they will not achieve greatness in the future

Lu Zhaopeng was about to comfort Bai Gui, but no matter how he thought about it, he felt that Lu Zhaoqian's words carried a hint of jealousy. To be honest, he was also somewhat envious of Bai Gui's good memory; there is no diligent student who does not envy those with a good memory.

Why did Confucius evaluate Nan Rong in this way? Zhu Xi said: "Because he was cautious in his words and actions, he was able to be recognized in governance and avoid calamities in chaotic times"

Scholar Xu, out of the corner of his eye, noticed Bai Gui beside him. He pretended not to know and continued to explain the scriptures to Zhou Yuan, "Zhu Xi has provided an explanation of Nan Rong in his 'Collected Commentaries on the Four Books': 'Nan Rong, a disciple of Confucius, resided in the South Palace. His given name was Tao, also known as Shi, courtesy name Zi Rong, posthumously titled Jing Shu. He was the elder brother of Meng Yizi.'"

Tranquil pen and exquisite paper, skillfully entrusted to fishing

In the sixth chapter of the eleventh book of the Analects, it is also mentioned that "Nan Rong repeatedly presented the white jade disc, and Confucius married him to his brother's daughter."

I simply hope not to become the tragic figure of Zhang Zhongying as depicted by Wang Jinggong, for that would signify a dereliction of duty on the part of the teacher

In a previous life, calligraphy was of little use, and what was written was merely in hard pen script

The cloth is shot, the lute and the flute are played

Scholar Xu explained slowly, citing classical texts, and elucidated this passage with clarity and coherence

The brush is dipped in water

Although the Thousand Character Classic consists of only one thousand characters, it is still extremely challenging for beginners. Memorizing it from the beginning is impossible without several days of effort

The Lu brothers, who were closely observing Bai Gui's actions, along with Lu Zhaoqian, all widened their eyes in surprise as they looked at him

However, writing with a brush is different. If one learns brush calligraphy on their own without understanding the proper grip and technique, the characters produced may seem acceptable at first glance to others. Yet, in the eyes of the public, they are filled with errors and omissions, merely inviting ridicule

In the "Book of Songs, Greater Odes, Section on Restraint," it is mentioned: 'If the white jade has blemishes, it can still be polished. However, if there are flaws in one's words, they cannot be rectified.' This means that if white jade has imperfections, it can be polished away, but if there are stains in one's speech, once something is said incorrectly, it cannot be undone

This is precisely the part that Scholar Xu has just recited to him; when he recited it, his pronunciation was clear and resonant, and his delivery was powerful

This thousand-character essay was also memorized over the course of nine days, and only then was it completely committed to memory

Scholar Xu, with a cold expression, lightly coughed and said, "After five days, I will test you on your dictation."

Bai Gui nodded slightly, without saying much

However, jealousy is one thing, while its outward expression is another.

The universe is vast and profound... Bai Gui was just about to pick up the brush to write, but he suddenly remembered that he "could not" use a brush. It would be more accurate to say he could not say he could not; in his previous life, he had practiced calligraphy for a period of time as an extracurricular interest assigned by his elementary school teacher, but he had only persisted for a week before giving up.

What is meant by 'a state with virtue'? Zhuzi said: 'It must not be neglected; its words must be put into practice'

Bai Gui listened in quiet admiration, for he clearly saw that although Xu Xiucai had a slight pause, it was merely a brief moment before he continued to speak eloquently, showing no signs of stage fright or forgetfulness.

As for the latter part, Scholar Xu has not yet explained it, nor has he taken the liberty to delve into it.

Yes, young master

Is it possible to be white and noble?

He took out the pre-prepared black wooden board from his backpack, along with a gourd of water

"Ha! You really believe he is a prodigy?" Lu Zhaoqian seemed to recall something, scoffing lightly as he pointed out the window and said, "This Thousand Character Classic is the first book we use in our school for enlightenment. Usually, the school recites it regularly. Bai Gui has been lingering outside the school for the past few days, listening to these recitations and memorizing them, which is how this incident came about"

Although he did not take this matter to heart, he also did not say anything in the way of understanding

Water was poured into the inkstone

Scholar Xu placed the ruler heavily on his left hand, raised his somewhat sore elbow, and lightly stood up to leave. When he was about five or six steps away from Bai Gui, he turned back and said solemnly: "Your memory is still acceptable. Today, I have explained the first half of the Thousand Character Classic to you. You must understand that a fine steed can leap, but it cannot cover ten steps... in other words, do not aim too high and look too far. You must take one step at a time and be grounded. Do not look at the second half for now; first, recognize and remember each character in this first half before moving on to the second half."

Indeed, many people have seen Bai Gui lingering at the entrance of the ancestral hall a few days ago; not often, but occasionally a few times.

"Brother Gui, don't take it to heart, Hei Wa is also well-meaning..."

At the entrance, a child has cleared a patch of ground, using a branch to set up a bamboo sieve, scattering some scattered corn kernels.

Zhao Qian, facing the window, saw it as quite normal

He did not think much about the accent in this regard

So it was left to its own devices

He has always used Mandarin for teaching, and just now when reciting for Bai Gui, he also used Mandarin

No matter how good your memory is, if you cannot be down-to-earth, it will all be in vain

Lu Zhaopeng murmured to himself

Bai Guideng paused for a moment and placed the brush on the inkstone