Traveling Through Ancient Times to Be a Teacher - Chapter 50

“Brother Chu, I really just wanted to surprise you! I swear I wasn’t trying to hide anything—please forgive me this once, all right?” Zhang Wenhai trailed behind Chu Ci, bowing and scraping with exaggerated humility until Chu Ci finally stopped being angry.

Ever since Zhang Wenhai had passed the county exam and become a Xiucai, he had relaxed far too much. He’d gone back to spending time with his old group of friends, meeting up almost every day. Though he dared not drink or make merry during the mourning period, he still went out boating or flower viewing.

At first, his father had tolerated it for the sake of his new scholarly title. But the more he watched his son waste time, the more he began to doubt whether Zhang Wenhai could even survive next year’s annual exam—let alone the provincial exam three years later.

Old Master Zhang had never intended for his son to sit for this year’s grace examination; he knew full well the boy’s temperament. Passing the county exam had been sheer luck. 

But seeing him squander time like this, he decided someone needed to rein him in—so he went straight to the county academy and registered his son for the exam himself.

Zhang Wenhai didn’t mind. He knew perfectly well those so-called friends were nothing but fair-weather companions, tagging along because he was generous enough to pay the bill. But that was fine. He hadn’t given them his heart either—money for entertainment, that was all.

Fang Jinyang and Chu Ci, however, were different. Fang Jinyang was his true friend; Chu Ci was both teacher and companion—someone he respected from the heart. He believed Jinyang felt the same way.

To now share the same classroom with Chu Ci felt like a blessing earned from a past life. He only hoped time would pass slowly, so that come April, he wouldn’t be left behind in the lowest class alone.

After the opening ceremony, it was already midday. Chu Ci picked up Xiaoyuan and Zhongli Yu from the Children’s Hall and headed to the dining hall.

“Brother Chu! Over here!” Zhang Wenhai called.

When they reached him, Chu Ci was stunned. The table was laden with dishes—bright colors, rich aromas, fine presentation—nothing like the standard meals of the school.

“Brother Kuo, don’t tell me you sneaked out of the academy?” Chu Ci frowned.

Once the term officially began, students could only leave with permission slips signed by their teachers—and even then, only twice per month unless in special circumstances.

“How could I?” Zhang Wenhai blinked. “Brother Chu, don’t tell me you’ve been here this long and still don’t know the dining hall accepts paid orders?”

“What?” Chu Ci froze. Searching through the original body’s memories, he realized that indeed—he hadn’t known. The former Chu Ci had always packed his own food, taken a Class-C meal, and eaten alone in some pavilion or grove while reading.

“Do you think everyone’s as greedy as you?” said Fang Jinyang with a wry smile. “Come, eat before a teacher walks in and thinks you’ve grown extravagant.” Chu Ci’s family was poor; how could they possibly afford to spend on food and wine?

Zhang Wenhai didn’t quite understand how eating could be labeled “extravagant,” but since Fang Jinyang said so, he obeyed. He invited everyone to sit, dished food for them, and dug in happily.

After the meal, Chu Ci escorted the two children back to the Children’s Hall, then returned to his dormitory to gather his study materials. As he stepped outside, he happened to meet Fang Jinyang and Zhang Wenhai again.

…

After the meal, Chu Ci sent the two young pupils back to the Children’s Hall, then returned to his dormitory to prepare the items he needed to bring later.

As he stepped out of the dormitory, he happened to see Zhang Wenhai and Fang Jinyang walking out from the room across the corridor.

“You two?”

“Brother Chu, I’ve already persuaded the classmate living here to switch rooms with me. It’s a bit closer to where you live, so it’ll be easier for us to study and discuss together in the future.”

“Yes, Brother Chu, so I shamelessly moved in as well.” As he spoke, Chen Zifang also came out from that room.

Alright then, Chu Ci thought—nothing wrong with sticking together for warmth. Only, from now on, it would probably be difficult to sleep until the sky turned white at dawn. This group definitely wouldn’t let him off easily.

While they were talking, they arrived at the Provincial Exam Class. It could be said that this class received the greatest financial investment from the county academy.

There were three courtyards in total. Class A occupied the first courtyard; aside from having spacious rooms, every student there received eight qian of lamp-oil allowance each month to cover the cost of candles and lamps—a disguised form of scholarship, really. Their other benefits were also the best.

Class B was in the second courtyard. Students there received four qian of allowance per month, with slightly lower benefits than Class A.

Class C was in the third courtyard. They received no allowance at all, and even their charcoal allotment in winter was less than the other two courtyards.

This tiered class and scholarship system was criticized when first introduced, but its motivational effect on students’ determination to learn proved extremely strong. So even with opposition, the policy was implemented everywhere—by now, all formal academies followed the same system.

Fang Jinyang and Chen Zifang entered Class A, while Chu Ci and Zhang Wenhai went to the last courtyard. When they arrived, the room was already nearly full, with only a few empty seats left in the last row.

Since they were late, they couldn’t blame anyone else. Chu Ci and Zhang Wenhai found two adjacent desks and sat down.

“Ha, some people really are shameless,” Zhu Jie said loudly to the person beside him, clearly intending Chu Ci to hear. “Used to be so high and mighty in Class A, and now he’s fallen all the way to Class C. All that glib talk—what’s it worth, eh?”

Last time, Zhu Jie had tried to humiliate Chu Ci but was instead punched in the face. Later, Chu Ci cleverly defended himself before the Head Instructor, citing something about the Character Treasury Pagoda, which led to Zhu Jie being punished instead. Not only had he lost face, he’d even been scolded by Qi Xu afterward.

Now that Chu Ci had fallen to Class C, this was his opportunity. If he didn’t drive Chu Ci out of the county academy, he might as well change his surname from Zhu!

Chu Ci, sitting in the back, heard him and smiled faintly, unwilling to stoop to his level. Zhang Wenhai wasn’t aware of the past conflict, so he didn’t connect Zhu Jie’s words to Chu Ci, but instinctively felt dislike toward such a spiteful fellow.

“Hey, Brother Chu,” Zhu Jie called, standing up, “why so quiet? Did I hit the mark, leaving you speechless?”

Chu Ci hadn’t intended to respond, but since the man had called him out by name, staying silent would be meaningless.

“So it turns out Brother Zhu was addressing me,” Chu Ci said calmly. “I saw you looking toward another student and thought you were speaking to him—my mistake. As for what you just said, I can’t agree. But as the saying goes, ‘Do not speak without propriety.’ I’ve no wish to stir up needless conflict, hence my silence—not because I had nothing to say.”

He looked at Zhu Jie with a composed, almost indulgent expression, as though an elder humoring a petulant child.

“I knew it,” Zhu Jie sneered. “A sharp-tongued fellow like you wouldn’t miss a chance to argue. But tell me, am I wrong? Isn’t falling from Class A to Class C disgraceful?”

“Heh,” Chu Ci replied evenly. “You regard falling to Class C as shameful—I regard feeling shame over it as the greater disgrace. How can life always go one’s way? Even the best horse stumbles. If one must despair at every setback, won’t that waste even more time? Better to turn that shame into strength—to drive oneself to study harder and persevere. That, I believe, is the right path.”

Chu Ci’s words were righteous and firm, earning him the quiet approval of many students present.

Some had fallen from Class B, some had been in Class C since the start. Usually, when they met students from the higher classes, they felt inferior, their motivation dulled. They thought it enough just to hold their seat in Class C and avoid being expelled.

But today, Chu Ci’s words struck like a bell in their hearts—awakening once more their will to improve.