Struggle in Ancient Times

Liao Ming drove the ox cart and looked at his youngest son. Xiao-erzi had slender arms and legs, his face was fair and clean. He looked like a real scholar who couldn’t do rough jobs. Before, he told his wife to let Liao Tingyu did some hard works to exercise his body. But mother Deng refused, she said studying for exam was tiring and a scholar must be a gentleman with soft and upright temperament.

Although, Liao Tingyu was very promising now but his body seemed very weak, “Xiao-erzi, when you are in the town. Remember to eat and learn those martial arts a little. Isn’t there a martial art teacher in your school? Go build a good relationship with them and send them wine. Go to the school and get along with your colleagues. You have to learn a lot from them.” Liao Ming reminded Liao Tingyu.

Liao Tingyu nodded his head, he also felt that his body was very weak with little arms and legs. He looked like a little boy.

Liao Ming felt the mood was right, so he kept chattering about other things. They slowly arrived in the town, under Liao Tingyu’s guide, Liao Ming drove the ox cart into the school’s backyard.

There were rows of dormitories neatly arranged in the backyard. Liao Tingyu found the room assigned to him and Liao Ming helped to bring his things inside the room. He looked inside to find if there was something to buy for Liao Tingyu.

Mother Deng’s preparation was very thorough and there was no need for them to buy other things.

“Xiao-erzi, this room is quite big. It’s also airtight, it must be warm in the winter. This place really the biggest school in the town.” Liao Ming was very satisfied with the school’s accommodation.

This dormitory was built in the recent years. Their school’s reputation was getting better and many students were attracted to learn here. They needed more teachers and another dormitory to accommodate them.

“It’s natural. Qingshan Academy is well-known in the county. When we went to exam back then, people would look at us differently when they heard we came from Qingshan Academy. There was a time, when we came to the inn, the waiter treated us respectfully. Even the boss asked his son to deliver our food personally just so he could saw the teacher.” Liao Tingyu put the clothes in his closet while replied to his father.

Liao Ming thought carefully and agreed with Liao Tingyu, he felt honoured to have a son as a teacher in Qingshan Academy. After Liao Tingyu done tidied up his room, he took his father to stroll around the school.

“Let’s go. Father, I will take you to see the place your son have studied for many years. You haven’t come and see the inside. When you go back, you can tell mother about this place.”

Liao Ming agreed, his son had read books here for almost ten years but he never saw the buildings. This was the first time; he came to a big school. Back then, he studied with a boy in another village. Unfortunately, his teacher already gone. He looked at this school, very grand and exquisite. There was a bridge with small pond.

There was a garden with beautiful flowers just like the one owned by a rich family. This school designed was elegant unlike the ordinary school from his generation.

Liao Ming walked around like country bumpkin; his eyes was moving around. He felt everything was amazing, the rockery was majestic and the fish was all plump. In short, he felt this place was spiritual and must be the reason his son could be admitted as a scholar.

“This is where you study. It is really well done. I don’t know how these trees and flowers planted. But it looked really beautiful.” Liao Ming looked at the garden, he saw these things in the mountain but why is it so beautiful here?

“These are arranged by the students and the teachers. Anyone could take care of it as long as they’re on break.” Liao Tingyu explained, the garden was carefully tended by people. Of course, it was different from the things on the mountain.