Chapter 14: Becoming a Disciple (Part 1)
Old Zhou glanced at his daughter and asked, “What would you go to the county town for?”
Man Bao couldn’t admit she intended to sell candies, since the family assumed her sweets came from either Master Zhuang or the other students. She worried they might bring it up during tomorrow’s ceremony to officially become his disciple.
So she had to find another excuse. “I want to go gain some worldly experience.”
Zhou Erlang remarked, “You’re just a little kid, what experience could you possibly gain? Wait until you’re older before going.”
But by the time she grew up, the family would likely no longer struggle financially. Moreover, after today’s eventful day, Man Bao had reaped quite a meaningful harvest. She felt she needed to validate her conclusions further.
Thus, she insisted, “No, I want to go the day after tomorrow. Let Fifth and Sixth Brothers take me, you two don’t need to worry about it.”
Old Zhou shot her a stern glare.
Would Man Bao be intimidated?
Of course not. She immediately slid off Zhou Dalang’s lap, rushing to latch onto Old Zhou’s arm like a twisted vine, pleading, “Father, Father, please just agree.”
Seeing him remain unmoved, Man Bao started pummeling his shoulders with her tiny fists. “Father, I’ll go buy you candies, so please agree!”
Did she think Old Zhou could be bribed with candies?
He wasn’t a child himself.
Yet he still asked, “Where would you get money from?”
“I’ll earn it, Father. If you let me go to the county town, I can earn money,” Man Bao insisted as her flurry of fists traveled from his left to right shoulder.
Unable to resist chuckling at the sight, Zhou Dalang spoke up in her defense, “Father, why not just let her go then? The day after tomorrow, besides transporting the grains, we’ll also need to bring the eggs Second Brother bartered. Those can’t just be piled onto the cart, they’ll need to be carried.”
Zhou Erlang considered this and agreed, “Come to think of it, our little sister hasn’t been to the county town before, has she? Since Fifth and Sixth Brothers are going too, I was also planning to bring some winnowing trays and baskets to sell, as the county prices are a bit higher than the village market. Maybe we can earn a tidy sum too.”
Only then did Old Zhou fall silent.
Seizing the opportunity, Man Bao redoubled her pummeling efforts as she chanted, “Please agree Father, please agree!”
From his left ear to his right, Old Zhou was nearly deafened before finally waving capitulation. “Fine, fine! You can go. But your brothers have to set out before daybreak – can you wake up that early?”
“I can! I wake up super early!” she boasted confidently.
As if he’d believe that. “If you can’t get up in time, we won’t wait for you. And you can’t cry about missing out then.”
Brimming with certainty, Man Bao declared, “I’ll definitely be up on time!”
Inwardly, she immediately instructed the system, “Ke Ke, you absolutely must wake me up the day after tomorrow, understood?”
Not expecting to moonlight as an alarm function, the system still agreed, as it hoped the host could experience more of the world too.
Mrs. Qian had already assigned the tailoring and shoemaking tasks. Farming households didn’t produce overly intricate garments – once the fabric was cut, it just needed to be sewn neatly without loose stitching.
The third sister-in-law, He, was their most skilled seamstress. Taking on the duty, she retrieved the fabric to begin cutting pieces, noting Master Zhuang’s measurements matched Zhou Erlang’s build closely enough to simply use him as a reference.
In order to complete everything by the next day, He was exempted from all other chores that afternoon to focus solely on sewing, a rare indulgence aided by Mrs. Qian providing an oil lamp to work by once night fell.
It didn’t take much longer before the outfit was finished.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Qian was responsible for making the shoes, using a spare pair of Zhou Erlang’s thick rubber soles since he frequently travelled long distances, finding the sturdy tread extremely comfortable.
The uppers were crafted from the newly purchased cotton canvas, far superior to their homespun peasant cloth.
The next morning, Old Zhou and his two sons retrieved their best sets of clothing, washing up before allowing Mrs. Xiao Qian to rouse their daughter from bed, readying her to formally become Master Zhuang’s disciple.
After painstakingly removing candy wrappers late into the previous night, Man Bao turned over stubbornly, refusing to wake as she buried herself under the covers.
Seeing her continually burrowing deeper, Mrs. Xiao Qian fetched her outer robe, pulling back the blanket to lightly swat Man Bao’s little bottom as she chided, “Little Niece, if you don’t get up soon, you’ll be late. Today is when you become Master Zhuang’s student disciple – you need to behave properly.”
Helping bundle Man Bao into her clothes, she then carried the bleary-eyed girl to a chair, wringing out a warm towel to wipe her face.
Though the water was only lukewarm, Man Bao still jolted slightly, finally rousing with reluctance.
It was Feng’s turn to cook that day. From the kitchen, she brought over a bowl of egg porridge, setting it on the table as she instructed, “Little Niece, remember to drink your egg tonic before leaving.”
Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Old Zhou led his two sons with Man Bao in tow towards the study hall.
Aware today was when Man Bao would formally become his disciple, Master Zhuang had risen early too, currently practicing martial forms in the courtyard.
Catching sight of him, Old Zhou’s back instinctively bent in a subconscious display of deference towards the learned scholar.
With a slight smile, Master Zhuang gestured, “Old Zhou has arrived? Please, come inside.”
“Yes, yes, after you Master Zhuang.” Old Zhou bowed humbly, gesturing for the teacher to enter first.
But Man Bao was already well-acquainted with Master Zhuang, brazenly taking the lead to guide him into the study before going back for her father. Glancing around familiarly, she noticed the charcoal brazier burning as usual, so she diligently bustled over to fetch the tea kettle for them.
Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang hurried to stop her – at home, Man Bao never did such chores. What if she burned herself?
However, Master Zhuang watched approvingly, stroking his beard as he smiled at Old Zhou, “Old Zhou, you’ve raised an excellent daughter. In all the villages for ten li around, I’ve never encountered a more precocious child.”
“That’s all thanks to the master’s superb tutelage,” Old Zhou replied, having long known about Man Bao eavesdropping on lessons from the window. Initially distressed, he could only swallow his concerns and allow his daughter to surreptitiously study however possible.
For he understood that the more skilled one became, the better life they could live.
As long as Master Zhuang didn’t chase Man Bao away, Old Zhou wouldn’t stop her either.
So towards the teacher, Old Zhou felt equal parts reverence and gratitude, his back bending even further.
Yet Master Zhuang just laughed indulgently. “It’s this child who is so gifted. Not only bright, but also filial, knowing to clean my courtyard while still keeping her family in mind. It’s clear your household upholds excellent family values. I’ve decided to accept her as my disciple, though for now I can only teach her personally. As for attending classes, I’ll need to consult the Landowner first.”
After all, it was the Landowner who had established this study hall and hired Master Zhuang to teach there.
Old Zhou’s spirits lifted as he immediately replied, “Being able to study directly under your guidance would already be more than enough. Whether she attends classes doesn’t matter.”
Reddening, Old Zhou hesitated before admitting, “The master is aware, my family is impoverished…”
Unable to finish, Master Zhuang seemed to understand, laughing heartily to reassure him, “No need to worry, Old Zhou. Since I’ve decided to accept Man Bao as my disciple, I’ll treat her like my own child. Naturally, I won’t require any tuition fees.”
He paused before continuing, “I’m also aware of your family’s difficult circumstances. And Man Bao is still very young, so there’s no need to purchase any study materials for her. Once she advances in her reading and writing abilities, she can copy texts from my own books here.”
In truth, Master Zhuang hadn’t been fully certain whether the Zhou family would consent to Man Bao formally becoming his disciple prior to their visit today. Now witnessing their arrival, he couldn’t help remarking with admiration, “The Zhou family truly dotes upon Man Bao.”
