Chapter 6

When Yun Zheng came over to borrow the hatchet again, the old tribal chief seemed to have read his mind. With a smile, he lent him the hatchet and patted his shoulder, saying, "Young man, you have plenty of strength. As long as you are willing to work, you won't starve. I happen to be going to the village head's place for a banquet today, and I will register your household for you. This way, you will have a small piece of land to farm. As long as you work hard, you can soon start a family and establish a career."

Yun Zheng thanked the old tribal chief and reported his name and his brother Yun Jianqiang's name to him. Seeing the old tribal chief repeatedly memorizing the names, Yun Zheng found a small piece of wood and some charcoal, wrote down the names of his two brothers, and handed it to the old tribal chief.

"Can you read?" The old tribal chief was surprised for the first time, his mouth wide open. He snatched the hatchet from Yun Zheng's hand, threw it into the bamboo basket, and dragged Yun Zheng up to his bamboo house.

"Confucius said: 'Is it not a pleasure to learn and practice what you have learned? Is it not delightful to have friends come from afar? Is it not a gentleman who, when others do not understand him, does not become angry?'"

"Zi said: 'A person who is filial and respectful to his elders, and yet likes to defy authority, is rare; one who does not like to defy authority and yet likes to cause trouble, has never been seen. A gentleman focuses on the fundamentals, and when the fundamentals are established, the way will arise. Filial piety and respect for elders are the roots of benevolence.'"

Yun Zheng knew "The Analects" quite well, but he was puzzled why the old tribal chief insisted that he read this tattered book while swaying his head.

Moreover, the old tribal chief clearly didn't understand what Yun Zheng was reading, but he acted as if he was savoring fine wine, swaying his head along with Yun Zheng.

After being entangled by the old tribal chief for a long time, Yun Zheng couldn't sit still as the sun was climbing up the mountain. He bowed to the old tribal chief and said, "It's getting late. I still need to go to the mountains to cut firewood. As you know, there's no food left at home. If I don't cut firewood, we'll go hungry. Eating is the most important thing. I'll take my leave now."

The old tribal chief, who was rummaging through his cabinets, laughed heartily upon hearing Yun Zheng's words. He hugged a large bundle and walked to Yun Zheng, carefully opening it. The contents were wrapped in several layers of blue printed cloth.

When the last layer of blue cloth was opened, Yun Zheng exclaimed in surprise. The bundle contained only a few tattered books, the most worn of which was a "Tongshu" (Almanac). The "Tongshu" is used to determine the best days for farming, hunting, traveling, and weddings. Yun Zheng flipped through a few pages and found the corresponding days for the near future. He smiled at the old tribal chief and said, "Today is a good day for banquets, weddings, and blessings. The only downside is the risk of financial loss. Be careful."

Yun Zheng said this as a joke, as he never believed in such things.

To his surprise, the old tribal chief jumped up, pointed to the mountain to the north, and spoke at length in the local dialect, his expression very agitated. As an expert at reading people, Yun Zheng sensed a strong aura of anger. The old man was scolding someone, but not him.

After scolding for a while, the old tribal chief calmed down, still panting. Yun Zheng poured a cup of water from a nearby clay jar and handed it to the old tribal chief to drink and calm down.

"The village head has a black heart. He is marrying his son today, so he naturally chose a good day for banquets, blessings, and weddings. For us, it means a significant financial loss. The book is right. From now on, we should follow the book for everything. If anyone in the village dares to act recklessly, I will break their legs. For so many years, the village has only raised girls because they live recklessly."

Yun Zheng's eyes started to swirl. He couldn't understand how not following the almanac could be related to having boys or girls.

"Child, you will stay in the village and read books to everyone. As for you and your brother's food, every household in the village can spare a little for you. You are a scholar, so take these books and read them well. If you can pass the exams, the whole village will be proud. A village in the south, Guangling, produced a scholar, and the old man surnamed Zhou even put on a three-day shadow play. It was glorious."

The old tribal chief patted Yun Zheng's back, making it thud. In just one day, Yun Zheng had gone from a young man to a boy, and now to a child. The old man had become a grandfather, and as a grandson, Yun Zheng couldn't say anything. Besides, he was still worried about what to eat tomorrow. In this state, the old man was definitely his grandfather.

"Grandfather, I have no problem reading books. I think passing the scholar exam shouldn't be too difficult. Give me a year or two, and I'll bring back a scholar title for you. If I have more books to read, getting a degree in three years shouldn't be a problem."

Yun Zheng didn't believe that, as a literature graduate, he would find it difficult to pass an exam equivalent to a middle school level. He had fought his way through the college entrance exam, which was no less challenging than the current exams.

Yun Zheng's words made the old man cry. He grabbed Yun Zheng's hand and said, "Good child, good child. I don't expect you to stay in the village for life. As long as you write your place of origin as Dousha County, Dousha Village on the exam, I will be content. When I die and meet the ancestors, I will have something to say. You are the seed of learning, and your brother is also a smart child. You two should study well. The village will do whatever it takes to support you. From now on, you are the children of the village, and you should tell everyone that."

The old man was crying, but his last words were stern, leaving no room for Yun Zheng to disobey. This was perhaps the authority of the patriarch.

Yun Zheng was afraid that others would ask about his background. Now, with the old tribal chief's order, no one would dare to question it. In the Song Dynasty, it was still a clan society, and the old tribal chief had absolute power within the clan. His word was more powerful than strict laws. If he said Yun Zheng and his brother were from the village, then they were from the village, body and soul. Anyone who dared to question it would be put in a pig cage and thrown into the pond, a cruel but effective method that lasted until the end of the feudal dynasty.

The old tribal chief was determined to erase Yun Zheng and his brother's past. In his view, they were just children. As long as everyone kept telling them they were from Dousha Village, they would eventually become part of the village.