Chapter 4

After Ma Teng left, Ma Chao finally got up and flipped through the two books on the desk. Although he didn't recognize many of the characters, he knew they were definitely top-notch books.

He carefully put the books away, planning to study them after learning to read and write from his teacher. If there were any characters he still didn't recognize, he would copy them down and ask his teacher.

At this moment, Ma Teng returned to the study, but this time he was accompanied by someone else.

"Chao'er, come and meet Mr. Cui."

"Sure." Ma Chao quickly walked to the person beside Ma Teng, bowed, and said, "Student Ma Chao, greetings to Mr. Cui!"

"There's no need for such formalities." The person beside Ma Teng nodded slightly at Ma Chao, indicating that this was indeed Mr. Cui.

"Mr. Cui, this is my son, Ma Chao," Ma Teng said, pointing at Ma Chao.

Ma Chao felt annoyed inside. If I am your son, what are you then, an ancient person? Sigh.

"How old are you this year?" Mr. Cui asked.

"Student is three years old this year."

"Oh, three years old, that's good. Now, let me ask you, why do you want to read books?"

"Student wants to serve the country and ensure the well-being of the people. I know that without knowledge, it's impossible to achieve this!"

"You're quite young, but your words are quite ambitious! However, that's good, very good. You are truly a promising student!" Mr. Cui stroked his beard and smiled.

"From today on, I will be your teacher. Every day during the hour of Si, I will teach you to read and write. Remember, don't be late!"

"Sure, student will follow Mr. Cui's teachings!"

"Alright, let's start now."

Ma Teng then left the study, leaving only Ma Chao and Mr. Cui. This gave Ma Chao the chance to sneak a look at Mr. Cui. Mr. Cui was about forty years old, seven feet tall, and had the appearance of a weak scholar.

Ma Chao was a bit worried. If there was a strong wind, this teacher might be blown away. He was too thin, with a small goatee, and looked very scholarly.

Mr. Cui's name was Cui Hong, with the courtesy name of Ru Hong. Both his name and courtesy name were given by his grandfather. His family had been in business for generations, and although they were well-off, they had no status and were often looked down upon. Therefore, each generation hoped to enter government service, but unfortunately, none of them had the talent to do so.

By the time Cui Hong came along, he was the only male in the family, and all hopes were placed on him. His grandfather named him Hong, and his courtesy name was the reverse of his name, showing the family's high expectations for him.

From a young age, his grandfather took Cui Hong on travels around the country. Why not his father? Because his father was busy with the business and rarely had time for him. His grandfather had already handed over the business to his father and focused on cultivating his grandson to bring glory to the family.

Whenever they arrived at a place, his grandfather would tell him about the local noble families, famous scholars from history and the present, and their stories. His grandfather's knowledge wasn't deep, but his extensive travels gave him more experience and insight than most people.

Sometimes they would stay in a place for half a year, or even a year. During this time, his grandfather would hire local scholars to teach him.

His grandfather also wanted Cui Hong to study under famous scholars, but that was impossible. His grandfather had brought him to visit several famous scholars with heavy gifts, but they didn't know each other and had no connections. More importantly, they were from a merchant family, and none of the scholars were willing to accept him, politely refusing or even sending them away without even seeing them.

At such times, his grandfather would say to Cui Hong, "Hong'er, you see this. This is why your father and I want you to study, not to do business."

Seeing his grandfather's dejected back, Cui Hong made a silent vow to study hard and not let his family down.

Thus, if they stayed in a place, his grandfather would hire a teacher for him. Later, after his grandfather passed away, Cui Hong returned to his hometown in Fufeng Maoling.

Three years after returning, he was recommended as a filial and honest person and went to Bingzhou to serve as a minor official. However, Cui Hong's straightforward personality offended his superiors, and he was dismissed within a few years.

Cui Hong felt that the bureaucracy was too dark and decided not to serve again. He started teaching in his hometown, which he enjoyed and continued for nearly twenty years.

Ma Chao didn't know all this at first, but he learned it later and sighed, "What a story."

Now, while secretly observing Cui Hong, he was caught. "Ma Chao, don't daydream, pay attention!"

"Sure, Mr. Cui." Ma Chao thus began his studies.

Although Cui Hong wasn't as famous as the great scholars, his knowledge was still quite good, much better than most teachers. He found that Ma Chao was a promising student, learning new characters and writing them with just one teaching. Ma Chao also often asked about characters, which Cui Hong thought was due to his eagerness to learn, but he didn't realize that a three-year-old could have seen so many characters.

Ma Chao learned from Cui Hong while also studying the books left by Nan Hua. The books on astrology and medicine were so detailed that Ma Chao felt overwhelmed. Just one book would take decades to write, and Nan Hua wrote three. Truly a remarkable old man.

Although astrology was intriguing, Ma Chao wasn't very interested. He was more interested in medicine, especially in treating injuries and poisoning. He thought that if he were to be injured in battle, it would be useful to know how to treat himself. As for poisoning, if he were hit by a poisoned arrow, it would be very useful. So, even if he didn't understand it, he planned to copy it and carry it with him.

However, the thought of copying the books made him feel overwhelmed. There was so much to copy, and it would take a long time. He realized he had overlooked this issue and thought that the invention of movable type printing should be accelerated, but given the current situation, it would have to wait. For now, he had a plan, and he could work on printing later.

The book on spear and sword techniques was something Ma Chao enjoyed. Some parts he could understand, but others were beyond him. He secretly blamed Nan Hua for not including illustrations.

In TV shows, martial arts manuals usually had illustrations, but this one didn't. He decided to practice what he understood and leave the rest for later.

While reading, Ma Chao felt his memory was exceptionally strong. Was it because of his穿越 (time travel)? In his previous life, Ma Chao had a good memory, but not this strong. Now, he could remember a page after reading it three or four times, which was almost superhuman.

Ma Chao picked up a spear and began practicing the moves from the book. The wooden spear was specially made by Ma Teng. It was just a stick with one end sharpened, but Ma Chao felt it was too light. He had an idea.

The wooden spear being too light wasn't a problem. Ma Teng practiced martial arts and had weapons, including spears. Ma Chao decided to act on his idea and sneaked to Ma Teng's weapon rack. Most of the weapons were for display, and Ma Teng rarely used them.

Ma Chao grabbed a long spear and pulled it out with one hand. He was surprised that he could do this at just under four years old. The spear weighed nearly twenty pounds. Was this another advantage of being a穿越者 (time traveler)? Born with strength? He decided to test it.

After pulling out the spear, he waved it a few times. It wasn't heavy, but it was too long for his height. He put it back and left the house.

He went to the mountain and found a large stone, weighing at least a hundred pounds. He used all his strength and managed to lift it. He felt his current limit was around a hundred pounds, but as he grew, his strength would increase. Satisfied, he returned home happily.

Ma Chao found his mother, Lady Liu, and asked for money. Lady Liu asked what he needed it for, and he told her he wanted to have a short spear made to practice his spear techniques.

Lady Liu was against martial arts, thinking it was too dangerous. She couldn't control Ma Teng, who was already skilled and not in battle, but she was worried about Ma Chao getting hurt. She repeatedly warned him to be careful but still gave him the money. Although she didn't want Ma Chao to practice martial arts, she supported her son's decisions.

Ma Chao nodded and promised to be careful, then left with the money.

He found a blacksmith and, based on his height, had a short spear made. The blacksmith understood, and Ma Chao paid a deposit and left, planning to pick it up the next day.

The next day, Ma Chao picked up the short spear. It was fifteen pounds, which was much better than the wooden spear. He began practicing his spear techniques with it.

Ma Chao spent two years learning, practicing spear techniques, and studying medicine. The time had passed from the fourth year of Jianning to the second year of Xiping.

During these two years, Cui Hong not only taught Ma Chao to read and write but also taught him the "Analects" and the "Mencius." Cui Hong said, "I only have these two books that I can teach well; the others are not as good."

Indeed, Ma Chao found that Cui Hong's interpretations of the "Analects" were similar to those of experts in his previous life, showing that Cui Hong was indeed knowledgeable.

Today, Ma Chao went to the study as usual, waiting for his teacher.

But when he entered, he found Cui Hong was already there. "Good morning, Mr. Cui."

"Chao'er, you're here. Sit down."

"Sure." Ma Chao sat down.

Cui Hong said, "Chao'er, you have done very well over the past two years. You have never been late, and you have studied hard. I am very satisfied with you. Usually, you wait for me, but today I will wait for you."

Ma Chao quickly said, "Student dares not."

Cui Hong waved his hand, "Today, I am here to say goodbye." He stood up, hands behind his back, looking out the window.

"Is it because you are dissatisfied with me, or has my family been disrespectful to you?"

"No, I have already said that I am very satisfied with you, and your family has been very respectful."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Chao'er, I have taught you everything I can. The Han Empire is vast, and there are many more learned scholars and great scholars. You can learn more from them. Besides, your father has his own plans. I have an unfinished wish that I must complete."

"But, I don't want you to leave, Mr. Cui."

"Chao'er, I don't want to leave you either!"

"Then why don't you...?"

"Chao'er, I am leaving. The only thing I am worried about is you and my son. After I leave, please take care of him. If I... please take care of him." He bowed deeply to Ma Chao, who quickly moved to avoid it.

"Mr. Cui, you mustn't do this! I am not worthy! Please rest assured!"

It turned out that Cui Hong had a son named Cui An, who was sixteen years old. Cui Hong married late, and his wife died in childbirth. He named his son An, hoping he would have a peaceful life.

Cui An was not good at business and lacked his father's knowledge, but he was skilled in martial arts, especially with a spear. The spear was called a "painted golden spear" and was left to him by his teacher, a famous spear master in Bingzhou who was very low-key.

At six years old, Cui Hong took Cui An to learn martial arts. Cui An's teacher accepted him as a disciple, and he studied for ten years. His teacher passed away this year, and he returned home. Cui An was a good person but sometimes lacked judgment, so Cui Hong asked the five-year-old Ma Chao to take care of him.

Cui Hong saw that although Ma Chao was young, he spoke and acted like an adult, sometimes even better. More importantly, he trusted Ma Chao's character and believed he would achieve great things. His son would be in good hands.

Cui Hong's departure made Ma Chao's eyes moist.

"Be a man, stand tall, and don't act like a little girl!" Cui Hong said, giving Ma Chao a light punch.

"Mr. Cui, take care!" Ma Chao watched Cui Hong leave.