Chapter 66 Sun Bomin Returns
After learning these, when you are seven or eight years old and enter the formal stage of studying for the imperial examinations, you will start to learn the Four Books and Five Classics.
When studying these nine books, you cannot do it randomly; you must read them in a certain order.
Learn the Four Books first, then the Five Classics.
However, the Four Books need to be studied in order and cannot be disrupted.
First learn "The Great Learning" to establish its scope, which means to lay the foundation first. "The Great Learning" teaches people how to be an adult, teaches you how to be a human being, and has a basic understanding of the world.
Read "The Analects" second to establish the foundation. This is the main work of Confucianism and encompasses the essence of Confucianism.
Next, I read Mencius to inspire him. Confucianism originated from Confucius, and Mencius explained its source. "Heaven moves vigorously, and the gentleman should constantly strive to improve himself" inspired his lofty ambition.
Finally, read "The Doctrine of the Mean" to fully understand its subtleties. This book is the most difficult to read. You need to read the above three books thoroughly and understand their meaning before you can study "The Doctrine of the Mean".
After finishing the Four Books, you will move on to the Five Classics: The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals.
These five books need to be read thoroughly, but it is difficult to master them. You need to choose one or two to specialize in and make them your main occupation.
Master Zheng emphasized that the Four Books and the Five Classics are the fundamental classics that must be studied by scholars, and those who want to pass the imperial examinations must read them carefully and memorize them well.
Master Zheng also said that it is not enough to just read the Four Books and Five Classics thoroughly, but one also needs to read the annotations of great scholars that contain several times more content.
This means that for today's college entrance examination, you should not only learn the content in the textbooks, but also refer to "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation", "45 Sets of Simulation Questions from All Over the Country", etc.
Similarly, for the Four Books and Five Classics, you should also read more annotations by the great masters of past years.
After reading these, most people are already fifteen or sixteen years old and are ready to take the boy's examination. Those who are extremely smart and lucky can also take the academy examination. Once they pass, they become scholars.
When Sun Shan heard Master Zheng say that one had to read so many books in order to pass the exam to become a scholar, he felt dizzy and at a loss.
But this is not all, Master Zheng went on to add that if one wants to take the imperial examination, it is not enough to read the Four Books and Five Classics, but one also has to learn some "extracurricular books".
For example, there is the "Daqian Code" for laws, the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" for mathematics, the "Twenty-Four Histories" for history, and so on.
After saying this, Master Zheng sighed and said, "We peasants can't even afford to buy these books, let alone read them thoroughly."
Changing the subject, he continued, "Your eldest cousin comes from a family of farmers and scholars. He has a good chance of passing the examination to become a scholar or a juren. If he's lucky, he may even become a jinshi."
He looked at Sun Shan meaningfully and said, "Sun Shan, you may have a chance. You are still young now, so try to learn to read first. If you really have a chance in the future, you must seize it."
After saying this, he ignored Sun Shan and went to teach the middle class alone.
Ever since he knew that he had to read so many books for the imperial examination, Sun Shan studied even harder. No matter what, he had to memorize the enlightenment books, the Four Books and the Five Classics by heart and be familiar with their meanings.
Now I have to speed up and try to finish my enlightenment in one or two years, and then transfer to the county town to study the Four Books and Five Classics under the tutelage of a scholar.
Sun Shan made a plan, aiming to finish reading the four enlightenment books he bought this year and start reading the Four Books and Five Classics at the age of eight at the latest.
Spend another seven or eight years reading and memorizing the Four Books and Five Classics, and then prepare for the Tongsheng exam. If you can pass, that's the best. If not, give yourself three or four more chances. If you really can't pass the Tongsheng exam, you can just give up and go work.
If you pass the examination to become a tongsheng, but have not passed the examination to become a xiucai before the age of 23, you should give up completely, find a job and strive to live a contented life.
After reading for a while, it was dark outside and Sun Boming and others came back.
After putting down the farm tools, Su hurried to the chicken coop next door and caught a big fat chicken. The chickens at home were specially raised for eating during the Chinese New Year, and they were not eaten up yet, so they have become thinner now.
Huang said: "If we don't butcher this chicken, it will become skinny. Bomin has come back from military service and has worked hard. Let's stew a chicken and eat it to replenish his body."
Su nodded and said, "Mother, I understand. I will cut it up now and add some wolfberries and red dates to stew it. We will all eat it tonight."
Then he said to Guyu, "Big girl, boil some water and butcher the chicken."
Sun Bomin did not stop him. Firstly, he was very tired after working for ten days and wanted to eat some meat. Secondly, this big fat chicken had been raised for a long time and it would become smaller if he didn't cut it up, which would be a waste of food.
Soon the water was boiled, and Sun Bomin asked Xiaoman to catch the chicken's feet, while he cut its throat with a knife to bleed it. When the chicken stopped struggling and died, he put it in boiling water. After a while, he took it out and the feathers were easily plucked.
The big fat chicken had only a little fluff and was cleaned up quickly.
Sun Bomin picked out the chicken heads and feet, added half of the meat and put them into a large stew pot, and added some red dates, wolfberries, and dried longans.
Put the rest on a large plate and stir-fry it later.
As for chicken butt, it is Sun Bomin's favorite. He braises it separately and cannot cook it with other chicken. People who don't like it can't stand the fishy smell.
Huang said quickly, "Bomin, save one bowl and fry it for Shanzi to eat at school tomorrow."
Sun Bomin responded, "Mother, I have already picked out some good meat and saved it for Shanzi to eat tomorrow."
In this kind of weather, the food won’t go bad even if it’s left until tomorrow.
Everyone in the family is busy feeding the pigs, chickens and cows.
Sun Shan went into the kitchen and helped his elder sister light the fire.
There are four stoves in Sun Shan's kitchen: a large pot for boiling water and cooking pig food, a small stove for cooking rice, and a medium-sized stove for frying vegetables.
There is another stove at the innermost part, on which is placed a small round pot with water in it. No matter which stove is turned on, the round pot inside will be heated and there will be warm water for use.
Guyu smiled and drove Sun Shan out of the kitchen: "You are not needed here, Fourth Sister is here."
Boys should not enter the kitchen. If they are seen, people will gossip. Men in Sunjia Village will not work in the kitchen.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "Sister, the kitchen is warm, I won't leave."
This is the best reason to stay and work.
After hearing this, Guyu really stopped chasing people away. His younger brother had always been weak, with cold hands and feet, and he did feel warm by roasting a fire in the kitchen.
Sun Shan took out a few candies from his pocket and gave them to his fourth sister Hanlu, and then to his eldest sister.
Hanlu took it with a smile and was glared at by Guyu, but he didn't say anything.
As for Guyu, he would not eat it at all. He pushed the candy over and said, "Keep it for yourself and eat it slowly. Don't give it to anyone else."
Sun Shan had no choice but to stuff the candy into his mouth and exchange a glance with his fourth sister Hanlu. The two siblings laughed out loud. As for what they were laughing at, Sun Shan had no idea.
It was already dark, and Su and Guyu had prepared the meal.
A big pot of stewed chicken, a plate of fried chicken, and a dish of fried Chinese cabbage.
Everyone ate to their heart's content. This was the first time everyone had eaten so much since the Chinese New Year.
After dinner, it was time for Sun Shan to teach again.
The four sisters and Su were learning nearby, but Sun Boming refused to learn no matter what was said.
Sun Shan gave up. Sun Boming was a very stubborn person, sometimes so stubborn that it made people grit their teeth and even ten oxen couldn't pull him back.
It was extremely difficult to persuade him, so Sun Shan decided not to force it.