Except that one day a man found me and asked me for no apparent reason whether I was Zhu Ping'an, and after getting my affirmative answer, he forced a silver note worth twenty taels of silver on me.
Life in Huaining County was so ordinary: practicing calligraphy and reading in the early morning, finding a snack when returning from the street, trying to write eight-part essays on the Four Books and Five Classics every morning, and in the afternoon randomly picking out a few eight-part essays from the Qing Dynasty that I had read and remembered in my previous life to study.
Time passed uneventfully, and there were less than five days left before the boy's test.
Early in the morning of that day, Zhu Ping'an was preparing to go out to the riverside to practice calligraphy as usual. Just as he was about to leave the inn, he was stopped from behind.
This familiar voice, without asking, I knew it was my uncle Zhu Shouren.
"Uncle, good morning." Zhu Ping'an turned around and greeted.
"Why did Zhu'er get up so early this year?" Uncle Zhu Shouren asked in surprise when he saw Zhu Ping'an at the gate while walking among a group of students.
Why did I get up early today? Uncle Zhu Shouren's words made Zhu Ping'an speechless. I didn't get up early today, I get up early every day. Today you saw me, usually you are still asleep.
"The exam is approaching and I feel uneasy, so I get up early and find a quiet place to read." Zhu Ping'an patted his schoolbag and replied.
The other students who were walking with the uncle laughed at the answer given by Zhu Ping'an, the talented man in the firewood room who could hear the chirping of birds after being bitten by a snake. This silly boy would have an exam in five days. What's the point of starting to read now
"Angel, go away. Today is February 3rd, the day when Wenquxing is born. All the well-read people in the world should go to the Confucius Temple to worship Wenquxing and burn incense."
Some students in the same class felt sympathy for Zhu Ping'an, a foolish boy who was late and was trying to cram for the exam. They saw that this poor boy who lived in the firewood room did not go to worship Wenquxing on his birthday, but was thinking of cramming for the exam. They thought it was a joke. If you don't kneel down and worship Wenquxing on his birthday, but want to cram for the exam, you'll get kicked. They couldn't bear it, so they asked Zhu Ping'an to go to Wenchang Temple to burn incense and worship.
Uncle Zhu Shouren also wanted to show his generosity in supporting the younger generation among the students, so he continued, "Instead of studying hard to get a good education, why don't you go to the Confucius Temple and burn some incense to get the blessing of Confucius and Wenquxing? Don't worry about the money, I'll pay for it for you."
Then Zhu Ping'an saw his uncle put five copper coins into his hand as if cutting meat.
What about sending away beggars
Zhu Pingan looked at the five cents in his hand with a smile on his face. Ten thousand grass mud horses were galloping. It was only five cents. Why did he say it so righteously? When did reading become a way to cram for Buddha? Going to the temple to burn incense and worship is the real way to cram for Buddha, okay
Then, Zhu Ping'an was dragged into the Confucius Temple by this group of students and had to solve the problems as he walked.
In addition to Confucius, the Confucius Temple also has a temple dedicated to Wenquxing. As the sun rises, the temple is already filled with incense and buzzing with people. Ninety percent of the people are students. Just like before the annual college entrance examination in modern times, these students regard worshipping Confucius and Wenquxing as a major event before the exam, praying that they can pass the exam and bring honor to their family.
When there is incense in the Confucius Temple, there must be temple priests, and when there are temple priests, there must be activities such as drawing lots and interpreting the divination. After worshiping and burning incense, these students gathered around a few temple priests who drew lots and interpreted the divination to ask about their future.
The temple keeper was dressed like an accomplished Taoist, wearing a robe and a mustache, and he was muttering something while pinching his fingertips.
Uncle Zhu Shouren drew a lot and spent a full one hundred coins to ask the temple priest to interpret it. The temple priest took the money, counted on his fingers for a moment and said that the lot was a very good one, and that all his wishes would come true and he would pass every exam. Hearing this, uncle Zhu Shouren's face flushed and he paid another fifty coins to the temple priest.
Damn, he gave ten times more reward to any person who interpreted the fortune than to my nephew. When he gave it to me, it was like cutting meat, and when he gave it to the temple keeper, he didn't even blink an eye.
Uncle, you are worthy of being uncle.
Everyone who was accompanying him also congratulated Uncle Zhu Shouren, as if he had already passed the imperial examination.
Others then drew lots one by one and paid a hundred coins to interpret the lot. Most of them were good or very good lots, and they were all overjoyed.
Zhu Ping'an was with them. He only burned a stick of incense to Confucius and Wenquxing. He stood at the back and had no intention of going to the temple to draw lots.
The temple keeper was collecting money with great enthusiasm when he saw Zhu Ping'an standing there motionless. He could not help but walk up to Zhu Ping'an with the donation box and shook it.
The students stood aside with smiles on their faces, waiting to see how Zhu Ping'an, a poor boy who lived in the woodshed, would respond.
"Master, being rich is not a big deal." Zhu Ping'an said with a naive smile. He had no intention of spending a hundred coins to interpret the fortune. A hundred coins would cost Zhu's father a hard day driving an ox cart. How could he be willing to spend a hundred coins to listen to the temple keeper's nonsense
When the temple keeper heard this, a black line appeared on his face.
“A rotten tree cannot be carved”
"Stupid beyond measure"
The students watching the scene showed deep contempt and ridicule for Zhu Ping'an's behavior. Wenquxing asked him to interpret a lot to get a good omen for his son, but this fool was so stingy.
The temple keeper was also a well-informed man, so he naturally did not want to be humiliated by Zhu Ping'an, otherwise how would he do business in the future? So he twirled his beard and began to lecture like a wise man:
"Lottery and money are like a fishing rod and a basket of fish. Which one would you choose?"
"I want a basket of fish." Zhu Ping'an answered without thinking.
"Donor, that's too superficial. Do you understand the truth that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish? The fish is gone once you eat it, but you can catch many fish with a fishing rod, and you can use it for a lifetime! The Wenqu Lottery also..." The temple keeper explained the truth that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish, and he was about to draw the lot. I believe that this business will be secured again.
At this moment, the temple keeper was looking at the admiring eyes of the people around him, feeling very proud, and was about to explain the reasoning behind the lot and money. But before he could finish his words, he heard the young man in front of him speak.
"I want a basket of fish and then I can sell it to buy a few fishing rods. I can keep one for myself and sell the rest to others..."
The temple priest in Taoist robes and with a profound look on his face looked as if he had swallowed a fly... ... At this moment, his inner thought must be: Wuliang Tianzun... ... Please stop talking, I don't want to talk to you.
"You are so uncivilized..."
"A rotten tree cannot be carved..."
The students around him began to criticize Zhu Ping'an's behavior and words, and were dissatisfied with his interpretation of the classic sentences.
"What I said just now was all a joke. Ping'an has no other intention than to say this because I am short of money." Zhu Ping'an was single at this time, and he explained to everyone without any embarrassment.
At this time, the students are like swallowing a fly. How can you so frankly admit that you are short of money