One morning in October, the sky was already bright, the warm sun was shining in front of the window, and the sound of reading echoed in the small building.
After handling the matters at the winery, Wei Chen returned to Youyang's home, settled down, and studied hard every day.
Every ten days, Wei Chen would go to Jiangning's lakeside courtyard carrying gifts and ask Zhuang Jun to answer his questions.
Zhuang Jun had known for a long time that the academic style in the government school was very poor, and he also agreed with Wei Chen to study at home. However, he was worried that Wei Chen would not be able to study the right way, so he taught Wei Chen his own reading method.
To sum up, it is the four points of "being cautious in independence, being diligent, being respectful, and being irresponsible".
The so-called caution of independence means that you must first meditate when studying, be able to endure loneliness, and not be disturbed by the outside world.
Diligence, of course, means diligence. Others read one volume a day, but I read ten volumes a day. After a few years, my knowledge will naturally be far better than that of him.
Zhuang Jun simply mentioned these two points to Wei Chen, because Wei Chen had always done a good job in this regard.
The next two points, "respect" and "not responsible for failure", are the top priorities that Zhuang Jun taught or reminded Wei Chen.
The so-called respect means that we should always be humble and self-reflective, and have respect for books. If you are disrespectful, you will not be able to read even the most exquisite book; if you are respectful, you will be able to discern the truth from even the poorest book.
Reading cannot be effective, which means that when reading, you should not pursue immediate results too much, that is, be less utilitarian.
Hearing Zhuang Jun mention these two points, Wei Chen couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.
Indeed, Wei Chen, relying on his ability to remember photographs, has no respect for books. Even after graduating from elementary and middle school to Sanyuan, Wei Chen couldn't help but feel a little arrogant. Moreover, Wei Chen used to be too utilitarian in his studies and did not have a down-to-earth attitude towards learning.
These problems may not be obvious now, but in the long run, they will inevitably have a great negative impact on Wei Chen's imperial examination.
After returning to Youyang, Wei Chen learned from the pain and made reference to Zhu Xi's Six Methods of Reading to determine his own daily reading method.
Get up early one day. The lights are on at three o'clock and the chicken is on at five o'clock, no matter it's cold or hot, they get up at dawn every day.
The second is to stay calm. Speak sparingly, guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and wash away any flashy air from your body.
The third day is to read diligently. Read at least thirty volumes of classics and history every day.
The fourth is to think carefully. On the basis of being familiar with the contents of the book, repeatedly search for and interpret the meaning of the text, so that the meaning in the book seems to come from your own mind.
The fifth day is Ju Jing. When reading, you must be attentive and focused.
Sixth: Be modest. When reading, if you encounter opinions that are different from your own, you should maintain a fair attitude, analyze and compare carefully, and humbly accept the correct part.
The seventh day is to use it. Specifically, it is to practice essay writing and transform the knowledge in the book into your own skills. Every day, you write one ancient essay, one contemporary essay, and half an hour of postscript.
The eighth is to take care of yourself. Keep practicing the Daoyin technique taught by Zhuang Jun, exercise reasonably, eat a balanced diet, and ensure adequate sleep time.
Wei Chen did not just talk about these eight methods for daily study, but prepared them as methods of self-cultivation and study that should be adhered to for a long time.
This is not only taking responsibility for oneself, but also repaying Zhuang Jun's guidance and cultivation.
After setting the daily classes, Wei Chen began to practice every day without compromising at all.
In the morning, I got up at 5:15 on the first day of the lunar month. After freshening up, I went out to the river to practice a set of guidance techniques.
Go home at Chenshi (seven o'clock), have breakfast, first write an ancient or contemporary essay, and then get a scripture to read. You must understand one scripture thoroughly before you can start reading the next one.
At the end of the day (eleven o'clock), we had lunch. The food was delivered by a restaurant owned by the Sheng family. It was a combination of meat and vegetables and balanced nutrition according to Wei Chen's requirements. It was different every day.
After lunch, Wei Chen used to take a nap.
Scholars of this era regarded "daytime sleep" as a scourge, and were afraid of being evaluated like Jaeyu, who said "a wall of dung and dirt cannot be conquered".
But Wei Chen thinks this view is too pedantic and is not very interested in it. He still insists on taking a nap every day to ensure that he is energetic in the afternoon.
In the afternoon, Wei Chen finished reading the remaining three books in the History Collection and wrote another article, which was considered as completing the task.
After the end of the day (three o'clock), Wei Chen would often go out and wander around the streets, or visit Sheng Changbai and Chen Jun to chat with them about his reading experience.
No matter how long he goes out in the afternoon, Wei Chen will rush home before Xu Shi (seven o'clock), and usually never goes out again in the evening.
After dinner, Wei Chen copied the copybook for another half an hour, then did some exercise, read some miscellaneous books he wanted to read, and relaxed his mind.
After completing his daily homework, Wei Chen would go to bed before Hai Shi (nine o'clock), for no other reason than that regularly going to bed early and getting up early is good for the body.
After studying behind closed doors for a month, Wei Chen's academic progress could not be clearly seen for a while, but his frail body was obviously getting stronger day by day, and his mood became calmer.
Confucianism says that tranquility can produce wisdom, and Taoism also says that tranquility can lead to the right path. This tranquility comes from daily self-cultivation and cultivation, and Wei Chen has first gained the three flavors.
That evening, Sheng Changbai came to visit.
Wei Chen was very happy and invited him to the main hall and made tea for him personally.
After Sheng Changbai sat down, he took a sip of tea. Looking at Wei Chen, who was becoming more and more restrained and calm in front of him, he couldn't help but admired: "Brother Xingyun, your reading method is really amazing. You are becoming more and more like a person in your movements now." He is a true Confucian."
Sheng Changbai lived in Uncle Youyang's house during this period and often interacted with Wei Chen. Naturally, he also heard about Wei Chen's methods of reading and daily use.
I just didn't expect that the effect would be so significant, which made Sheng Changbai feel a little itchy and wanted to imitate it.
"Haha, brother is so complimentary."
Wei Chen didn't hide his secrets, and immediately talked to Sheng Changbai about his experience in practicing the eight daily methods of reading during this period.
Sheng Changbai listened with great interest, and when he heard the wonderful points, he often praised them.
At the end, Sheng Changbai slapped his thigh and said excitedly: "Brother Xian, this method is really wonderful. When Brother Fool returns to Yangzhou, everything will be settled. I will definitely follow this method to cultivate my moral character and live a good life."
"Yangzhou?" Wei Chen was slightly startled when he heard this: "Brother is going back?"
"Yes, it's time to go back." Sheng Changbai looked sadly and said slowly: "Now that the boy's examination is over, Brother Yu was lucky enough to get the title of scholar, and he finally lived up to his parents' expectations. In total, Brother Yu has left home to take the examination. It’s been half a year, and it’s time to go home and report back to my parents.”
"Ah, so that's it."
Wei Chen's tone was full of regret.
"Actually, Brother Yu can't bear to leave you, Brother Xian. It would be okay to stay for a while, but..."
Sheng Changbai paused and then said: "It's just that my eldest sister's wedding is coming, and my mother has sent me several letters to urge her. As the eldest son in the family, I can no longer stay in Youyang."
