Chapter 6, he is no longer restless
The Liu clan of Zhuo County has its own modest ancestral school, which lacks significant classics to impart; however, teaching the clan's children to recognize characters and read and write is not too much of a problem
Since that time, Liu Bei and his mother have been struggling on the brink of subsistence, neither able to eat enough nor starve to death, and despite their utmost efforts, there has been no change in their situation
At least these three powerful strikes have prompted him to focus on reality, genuinely seeking to understand the grassroots society of the Eastern Han Dynasty, rather than pursuing the elusive goal of fame and recognition. As a result, he gradually shed the initial restlessness of desperately wanting to escape a life of poverty
In such a state, Liu Bei had neither the time nor the energy to contemplate other plans for defying fate, commonly referred to as having already exhausted all efforts just to survive
He began to live a life where he hoped to sell more straw sandals and straw mats in order to buy more food and eat a few more bites of grain, mingling at the bottom of society and along the streets, becoming a vendor.
There are indeed affluent families within the clan, and some families that excel in business or agricultural management tend to be more prosperous
The Liu Bei family was once the most distinguished branch of the Liu clan in Zhuo County, producing numerous officials. However, after the successive deaths of Liu Xiong and Liu Hong, many relatives who had previously maintained a good relationship with the Liu Bei family began to distance themselves from it.
Premature aging has reached this point
Thus, the Liu family could not even guarantee a false sense of middle-class status, leading to a direct hard landing, resulting in a mouthful of yellow mud and a complete loss of dignity
Because his mother, who loved him deeply, had exhausted all her efforts; she ate less and did more. In her twenties, she appeared to be a middle-aged woman of forty, resembling a book.
His grandfather, Liu Xiong, was once recognized for his filial piety and integrity, served as a county magistrate, and held the position of a major county magistrate with a rank of one thousand stones. Unfortunately, he passed away early and was unable to ascend further, or perhaps he lacked the opportunity to become a governor with a rank of two thousand stones, which would have elevated the Liu family's status to a higher level.
However, his current home truly has no surplus food available to eat
He is already a member of the top 8% of the population in this society, yet he still struggles to make ends meet, living on little more than scraps, barely surviving. What then is the condition of the remaining more than 90% of the population?
Neither can they rely on their grandfather, nor on their father; Liu Bei and his mother can only depend on their own hands to weave mats and sell shoes to support themselves
In the face of Liu Bei, who wielded the three axes of the time traveler, the Eastern Han society did not hesitate to strike back with a heavy blow, taking the place of a loving mother to teach Liu Bei how to be a person
Can this seemingly endless hardship and despair truly lead him to a successful breakthrough
However, this may not necessarily be a bad thing
In this era, for a poor person to transition from poverty to a state of not only being free from poverty but also being able to have enough to eat is as difficult as a modern person winning the lottery; it requires a stroke of luck
During that period, he was truly very restless
Due to the lack of oil and water in the meals, and the numerous and exhausting tasks, Liu Bei always felt hungry too soon. After consuming a bowl of extra grain, it did not take long before he felt hungry again.
It is truly very unpalatable, very unpalatable
At this time, the benefits of clan settlement and mutual support truly become apparent. If it were not for the Liu clan of Zhuo County having some foundation, the Liu Bei family would likely have directly fallen from the middle class to the status of a lowly servant.
He is qualified to receive basic education
When awake, he spends more than half of his time acutely feeling hunger, sorrowfully reminiscing about the fried chicken, hamburgers, cola, and fries from his past life. At the thought of these sad memories, tears mix with saliva as he swallows.
This is his first serious contemplation since his rebirth in the late Eastern Han Dynasty
Unfortunately, Liu Hong did not wait for this opportunity and passed away in his twenties, leaving behind a widow and orphaned children
The millet, which serves as the staple food at home, has an unpleasant texture. Liu Bei, who remembers the texture of Northeast rice, finds it very difficult to swallow with each bite.
He thought he was already very realistic, but he still underestimated reality
The primary reason is the inability to endure such sheer poverty
Are those so-called "working masses" he encountered in the Liu clan's settlement truly representative of the real working masses during the late Eastern Han period?
However, if he does not eat these things, he will starve to death. The intense feeling of hunger serves as the best admonition; he has no choice but to endure and to force himself to accept it
The vision is severely restricted by the feeling of hunger
Ambition cannot withstand a bowl of rice; when one is hungry, all one can think about is food, and then what one will eat for the next meal, leaving no room for any other thoughts
Liu Bei has succeeded
What kind of astonishing poverty and suffering are they truly experiencing
Yes, he succeeded
He can only think briefly when he has just eaten and is not too hungry, pondering how the real Liu Bei managed to successfully break the deadlock in this situation with - illustrations - and books.
After the time traveler swung the three axes without any effect, and as the excitement and fervor faded, a sense of hunger took over the mainstream consciousness
Amidst the overwhelming despair, Liu Bei, who gradually calmed down and ceased to be restless, keenly discerned a crucial point
More than 90% of the population is illiterate, and among the remaining 8% of the literate population, the vast majority only possess basic reading and writing skills, and are not considered illiterate, nothing more than that
Thus, he could only choose to go to bed early like his mother, falling asleep as the sun set, for once asleep, he would not feel hungry.
When it came to Liu Bei's father, Liu Hong, he could only rely on the meager remnants of Liu Xiong's influence to secure a lowly position as a local official, barely qualifying as a humble member of the lower middle class in the Han Dynasty
Liu Xiong was unable to elevate his family, and upon his death, the Liu family naturally fell from their social class
Due to the early deaths of his grandfather and father, they were unable to further consolidate the family business. By the time it reached Liu Bei, he was too young to inherit any of his father's connections, leaving the family no different from an ordinary grassroots household.
Liu Bei could only helplessly set aside his plan to defy fate, choosing instead to bow his head and acknowledge reality. He actively followed his mother to learn how to weave straw mats and straw sandals, and then took them out to sell.
Being a minor official does not preclude one from advancing. If one wishes to progress further, the best opportunity lies in gaining the recognition of superiors, thereby being selected as a "Lian" during the process of recommending virtuous and capable individuals, which then opens the door to official positions.
The successful execution of three consecutive powerful strikes has provided Liu Bei with an education from the school of hard knocks, leading him to experience a decline in spirit and causing him to begin doubting his so-called prophetic advantage
He began to complain incessantly, but thereafter there were no more complaints
In this process of gradual acceptance, he also came to terms with the fact that he would inevitably be in a state of compounded poverty for a period of time, and he gradually became less restless
When Liu Bei first arrived at the end of the Han dynasty, he had grand ambitions to defy fate and change his destiny, but ultimately he was defeated by the hunger in his belly
Liu Bei's plan to defy fate and change his destiny inevitably ended in failure
To this day, only the merchant Liu Bo, due to his past friendship with Liu Hong, still often provides assistance to Liu Bei's family. At times when Liu Bei's household was so impoverished that they could not even afford to cook, they relied entirely on the rice and grain sent by him to barely get by, preventing the mother and son from suffering hunger and cold.
Who would have thought that within just three to five years, two men would pass away in succession
Moreover, those who are capable of receiving education through books beyond reading and writing constitute an absolute minority within this eight percent, representing the elite class of the late Han period, which ordinary people cannot reach
Later, he realized that his background was not considered low within the entire Liu clan of Zhuojun, Zhuoxian; at the very least, it could not be classified as grassroots.
After the two funerals were held, this small family fell into a state of despair
The house is gone, the land is gone, the servants are gone
According to my mother's recollections of the past, when she first married into the Liu family, which was during the time when Liu Bei's grandfather, Liu Xiong, was still alive, the Liu family was quite a respectable family of officials, possessing a residence, land, and servants.
Without the warm stews and stir-fries that complement the rice, the only thing that can be eaten with it is the pickled vegetable stems, which have long lost their original appearance. They are hard and bitter, and the astringent sensation makes him feel nauseous, adding to his discomfort
He realized that even Liu Huangshu would not become emperor until more than fifty years later. What he would experience during those fifty years might be the reason he could become emperor.
In the study of kinship, the elder members of the family, while imparting literacy skills, once reprimanded some inattentive children, stating that those who can read and write are a rare find among the Han people, and that if they do not apply themselves now, they will deeply regret it in the future
This statement is clearly somewhat exaggerated, but Liu Bei did consult some materials. The entire population of the Eastern Han Dynasty was over 50 million, and the most optimistic estimate suggests that the literacy rate would not exceed 8 percent
In his childhood, Liu Bei acquired reading and writing skills under the guidance of his father and the family school
The food that I initially found unpalatable is no longer so, and it has even become somewhat enjoyable. After finishing a meal, I find myself eagerly anticipating the next one at every moment.
In this era of exceedingly narrow upward channels, one must either advance or regress
Wealthy families often allocate a portion of their income to assist impoverished relatives and donate to clan schools, enabling these institutions to continue operating, which can also be considered a form of charity
However, such thinking cannot change his situation at that time
However, regardless of the circumstances, as a member of the 8% of the Han people who possess literacy skills, Liu Bei, even if he had nothing, was already standing above the minds of 92% of the population
This harsh reality left Liu Bei feeling alarmed and fearful
As for this task, it is still the clan that looks after Liu Bei and his mother, a widow with her orphaned child, which is why they are assigned to manage it, barely qualifying as a small micro-enterprise or an individual business