After Zhang Heng left, Zhang Yue looked at this thick pile of thoughts and finally had something to do.
Guo Lin said: "After you have written this, no one else can make mistakes no matter what. Let me take a look. If you can't finish it, I will write some for you."
"Then how can you save money? Senior brother, you write a page for three and a half dollars, while I only pay one dollar for a page."
Guo Lin said: "It's good that you know, but it doesn't matter if you write slower. The most important thing is that there are no typos or omissions, otherwise it will be in vain in one day."
Zhang Yue said: "Senior brother is indeed the best to me, but if there is a mistake or omission of a word on a page and a deduction is made, then I will have copied the page in vain. If there is a mistake of two words, I will have to give them the change."
Hearing this, Guo Lin slapped his legs and smiled and said: "Junior brother, you are still joking at this time. You really don't know what to say about you."
Zhang Yue smiled slightly, immediately poured water into the polished ink, mixed the ink color evenly, and immediately picked up the pen to copy the book.
Guo Lin stood behind Zhang Yue and watched for a while. He was a little worried that Zhang Yue's handwriting was still not satisfactory, or that Zhang Yue's handwriting was sloppy due to his studies. Guo Lin saw that Zhang Yue's outlines were clear stroke by stroke, and the writing was in regular regular script, with a hint of quaintness.
Guo Lin couldn't help but ask: "Junior brother, is this the "Declaration Form" coming recently?"
Zhang Yue was very happy when he heard it, and Guo Lin could see it, which meant that after practicing hard last night, his calligraphy was somewhat in shape, although he was not proud of it.
"Senior brother, you really have a good eye. Can you take a look?"
Guo Lin said: "You must have made some progress. It seems that I have finally achieved results by asking you to copy the scriptures on weekdays. If you write like this, after working hard for a long time, your writing power will be perfected, and your muscles and bones will be self-developed."
"OK."
So Zhang Yue continued to copy books. As Guo Lin said, copying books is also practicing calligraphy.
The Song Dynasty was an era when culture reached its peak. The scholar-bureaucrats were obsessed with literature and calligraphy, but neglected martial arts. The same was true for the emperors of the Song Dynasty. Several generations of emperors were masters of calligraphy. Therefore, the first-class pursuit of calligraphy is formed from top to bottom. Writing a good calligraphy is another face of a person.
I took advantage of the opportunity of copying books to practice calligraphy, and I also got free pen and ink. Even though I only had one dollar, why not do it.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel calm and continued to practice copying books as a skill.
What Zhang Yue and Guo Lin copied was different. Guo Lin copied Fu Ce, which should have been written by students in the school. It is still the custom of writing scrolls in the Tang Dynasty. Students' most successful works must be copied down, and they or their relatives, friends, and teachers will ask senior officials to review them and honor them on their behalf.
For example, Ouyang Xiu, the big boss in the political arena, supported Wang Anshi, Su Shi, and the three sons of the Su family.
Wang Anshi was recommended to Ouyang Xiu by Zeng Gong. Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong were from the same hometown. Zeng Gong's sister married Wang Anshi's elder brother Wang Anguo. Zeng Gong was Ouyang Xiu's most proud disciple.
When Zeng Gong recommended Wang Anshi to Ouyang Xiu, he said, "One of Gong's friends is Wang Anshi, whose writing is very ancient and he is famous for his writing." Although he has obtained the name of the family, he is still one of the few people who knows Wang Anshi today. He respects himself sincerely and does not want to let others know. '
Given Wang Anshi's temperament, Zeng Gong's recommendation would have been much more difficult without Ouyang Xiu's support.
Guo Lin's calligraphy is good, so he is used by students in ethnic studies to invite names.
Zhang Yue's handwriting was poor, so he copied articles written by people who had already passed the exam, and then copied a copy for each student. Because the characters are ugly, they cannot be used externally and can only be digested internally.
What Zhang Yue copied was Fu.
There are poetry, fu, policy, theory and other genres in the Jinshi examination, but the most important ones are poetry and fu, and fu is above poetry.
The quality of one essay determines whether the candidate will stay or not, and the rest will be determined. This fu was not written by famous writers, and thirty-six copies of each piece were copied, which means that there were a total of thirty-six students in the clan school.
Zhang Yue calculated that it was about a page and a half. I don't know if it was calculated as two pages or one and a half pages. If it was two pages, it would be seventy-two dollars. This income is not bad.
Zhang Yue wrote carefully and only copied two articles.
At this time, the minister had arrived with a case: "You cannot eat in the study room. You must eat outside."
"Is there a table?" Guo Lin asked.
"No." The little old man Shishi said this and left.
This requires them to squat down to eat.
Zhang Yue is not that particular. There was no TV in the dining room when he was a child, so he would often run to the living room to eat with his rice in hand.
But he was a little angry when he saw Guo Lin. Although he comes from a poor family, he has been taught poetry and calligraphy since he was a child. A table must be used when eating, and the food must be on the left side of the person, and the soup must be on the right side of the person.
Seeing the food on the ground, Guo Lin couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Zhang Yue thought for a while and said: "Senior brother, we are new here, so it's not like the academy treats you and me poorly. Isn't it said in the Kun hexagram that 'it's a straight square, there will be no disadvantage if you don't get used to it'. When you and I first arrived at the clan academy, they would ignore us at most. , there is no conflict of interest with each other, and there is no intention to drive us away."
Guo Lin nodded and said, "That's right. Let's discuss it with the ministers."
Immediately Guo Lin went to the minister and raised his hands and said: "It is not polite to eat without a table. Although we are here to serve as servants, we are also scholars. Please treat us with the courtesy of scholars."
The minister was dissatisfied and said: "Are you causing trouble again? Just eat. There are so many tricks. Where can I find a food table for you in such a hurry?"
Guo Lin wanted to say more, but Zhang Yue came forward and said, "I just passed by the Shey Garden. There is a pavilion next to it. I also asked the minister to allow us to have lunch here."
"As you wish."
"Thank you for the ministry."
Guo Lin and Zhang Yue immediately walked to the pavilion carrying the food table. The rice is made from rice, which is pressed very solidly, and the soup is salted black bean soup. There were double portions of rice and soup, as well as a plate of pickles shared by Zhang Yue and Guo Lin.
I only eat sparse meals at a scholar's house, but here I can at least have a dry meal.
Zhang Yue had picked up the rice and quickly took two big mouthfuls, then closed his eyes and felt the feeling of the rice filling his mouth. This rice is cooked in the oven and has the aroma of wooden barrels. It is also extra soft and sweet when chewed in the mouth.
This is real wooden bucket rice, not a wooden bucket shell wrapped around an iron basin in a fast food restaurant.
"Slow down!" Guo Lin reminded.
Zhang Yue smiled and picked up a crisp and delicious pickle. After swallowing it with the rice, he took a sip of the salt and black bean soup. It had a rich soy sauce aroma.
This meal of rice made Zhang Yue extremely happy.
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin were eating while watching the students in the clan school go to eat one after another. They were accompanied by book boys carrying book boxes and quivers for them.
After lunch and lodging, the students did not continue to go back to Zhoujin Hall to continue studying. At this time, scholars still have a saying that you should not sit for a long time after eating well, as it will damage your qi and blood.
At this time, the disciples will practice archery, throw pots, and play games.
Sitting there studying hard from morning to night is something only people with no money do. Even taking a nap when you are tired from reading will be scolded as a nap.
Only poor families don't study at night. As for the yamen, they can't afford candles?
Zhang Yue once again saw Zhang Heng, the head of the village, coming to the arrow stack surrounded by a group of students.
While all the students were watching, Zhang Heng smiled slightly and took the bow from the boy's hand. But seeing Zhang Heng's figure as straight as a pine, and his arrows in one hand like a volley of arrows, all of which hit the red heart of the stack, the students around him cheered.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but cheer in his heart.
Guo Lin said: "The chief of the village in the clan school is the most respected one, so don't provoke him."
After the meal, the two continued to copy articles.
Unknowingly, it was already dark, and Guo Lin had finished copying, but Zhang Yue still had more than a dozen articles to copy.
Guo Lin first picked up Zhang Yue's article and proofread it, picking out a typo or omission. Then he saw that Zhang Yue was writing slowly and said, "Let me copy it for you!"
Zhang Yue said: "It's dark, senior brother, go down the mountain first, otherwise the road will be difficult?"
"Then I leave you to go down the mountain alone?"
Guo Lin immediately took half of it and started copying it for Zhang Yue. Zhang Yue said as he wrote: "The Kun hexagram says, 'A chapter can be chaste, or it may be a job for the king, but there will be no success.' I finally understand."
What this means is that it doesn’t matter how good you are at doing things, but you must explain everything. It doesn't matter if you can copy the book slowly or with poor handwriting, but finishing it all is not about ability, but about attitude.
"Principles can be learned from books, but they are not your own. In the end, you have to practice them on the job. Senior brother, do you think I am right?"
Guo Lin nodded: "Junior brother is right, this is kindness, and only kindness can carry things. Going through this can also be considered as sharpening your character."
The conversation between Zhang Yue and Guo Lin was heard outside the house.
The minister smiled without stroking his beard after hearing this: "It's really interesting."
By the time it got dark, Zhang Yue had finished transcribing the thirty-six articles and handed them over to the minister.
The minister said: "How much are these worth? You can ask the chief, I am too lazy to care about your business."
"Thank you for your service!" Zhang Yue and Guo Lin saluted together, and then prepared to say goodbye and go down the mountain.
"Wait a minute!" the minister said, "It's so dark, how do you get down the mountain?"
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin looked at each other.
The minister said: "I have some pine oil here. You go and break some branches and bark, and I will make a torch for you!"
Zhang Yue Guo Lin was overjoyed when he heard this and said, there are still good people.
At that time, the ministry was given to Zhang Yue, and Guo Lin made a torch. The two brothers carried this down the mountain together.
Zhang Yue was in a good mood and talking about interesting things, but Guo Lin warned him with a solemn face: "Let's go back to walking. If you hear strange rustling noises behind you, don't look back. Just keep walking forward."
"Why?"
"Just listen to it. Look, that part of the mountain looks like a tomb. Let's just walk over there quietly."
Seeing Guo Lin like this, Zhang Yue couldn't say anything anymore, and the atmosphere was a bit depressing. The moonlight in the sky was dim and the stars were sparse, and the surrounding area was pitch black. The two brothers held torches side by side. The torch illuminated the small area in front of them, but it gave the two of them a lot of courage.
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin walked like this for several miles at night before returning home.
At this moment, the torch was almost burned out, but Xingxi saw a lantern lighting up in the distance, dimly in the night. When they got closer, they saw Guo Xuexuu supporting her sick body and her wife, holding lanterns, waiting for them and Guo Lin outside the door.
Guo Lin almost burst into tears when he saw this scene. He threw away his book bag and ran forward and knelt in front of Guo Xuejun and said, "Dad, you are unfilial. You came back so late. You have to wait outside the house."
Zhang Yue then arrived and said quickly: "Sir, it's my fault. I copied the book late. Senior Brother Ti has been copying with me until now."
Guo Xuexu helped Guo Lin and said: "It's good to come back. I'm just worried. How did you come back?"
Zhang Yue said: "Sir, it was the minister who made a torch for me. My senior brother and I lit it up all the way back. Although the minister's words were not pleasant, he was a good person."
Guo Xuexue said: "Then I need to thank you. Okay, you can go in and wash up. You haven't eaten at home yet?"
The scholar Hunjia said: "There is also a piece of cake."
"Give each one half. After you have eaten the bread, go and have a rest! You are tired after a long day of work!"
"Dad, there is no shortage of children. The children need to study for a while!" Guo Lin said.
"I will accompany senior brother." Zhang Yue said from the side.
"Okay." Guo Xuexiu nodded, and then told his wife, "Quickly put out the lantern, waste gas!"
