Chapter 553: Reviewing the Past to Learn the New
After finishing work in the flower garden, Sun Shan and others returned home.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw Wan Songjin admiring several pots of Songmei planted by Sun Shan.
Speaking of Songmei, two pots of the plants were sent to Wan Yuyi before. However, after a few days, the Songmei plants began to wither. Wan Songjin was so scared that he quickly sent them back, fearing that he would kill them.
Rather than letting it die, it is better to return it to its original owner.
Moreover, the Wan's residence and the Sun's residence are located at the end of the street and at the end of the street, just a few steps away, making it convenient for Wan Songjin to come and visit.
There is another thing. The reason why Wan Songjin is called Song Jin is not because his father and mother like Song Mei.
It just so happened that on the day she was born, my father saw a pot of Songmei in the teahouse on his way home.
So Wan Songjin was named Song Jin from the moment he was born.
His father and mother, like Doctor Wan, were not fond of orchids. They thought orchids were not as pretty as honeysuckle, inula, and Panax notoginseng flowers.
Wan Songjin likes Song Mei, which is completely putting the cart before the horse.
Because her name is Song Jin, she paid special attention to Song Mei, and gradually fell in love with her. Now she is obsessed with her.
When Wan Songjin saw Sun Shan, he immediately stepped forward and asked, "Brother Sun, you're back? Why are you so late today? Is there something wrong with the academy?"
Wan Songjin went from visiting Sun Shan's residence every few days to every day.
First, to see Song Mei, with whom he had a very close relationship, and second, to ask Sun Shan for advice.
Wan Songjin studied in the Tongsheng class of Yingtianfu School, and always strived to become a scholar.
Ever since Sun Shan taught him his homework, this kid has made great progress. After all, one-to-many learning is not as effective as one-to-one learning.
Sun Shan nodded and said, "I went to the flower garden today to check it out, so I came back late."
Gui Ge'er poured water for Sun Shan to wash his face and hands, while Wan Songjin poured tea and water for Sun Shan. This boy is quite respectful to his teachers.
Sun Shan said with a serious face: "Song Jin, come on, let's continue our conversation."
Wan Songjin immediately brought a chair over, let Sun Shan sit down first, and sat obediently on the other side himself.
He sat there seriously like a primary school student, waiting for Sun Shan to tutor him.
Sun Shan really likes students who love learning.
Wan Songjin's attitude towards learning is much better than that of his other nephews at home. This is one of the reasons why Sun Shan is willing to teach him wholeheartedly.
Teachers always like students who have a positive attitude and are diligent and hardworking.
After several study and discussions, Sun Shan discovered that Wan Songjin was in the same state as before he went to Yuelu Academy, and he had not done the most basic skills well.
It's just that Sun Shan is luckier than Wan Songjin.
Firstly, the literary style in Zhangzhou Prefecture is poor and everyone is a poor student. A hardworking and studious student like Sun Shan would have a much higher chance of passing the exam.
Secondly, Wan Songjin was in Jinling, a place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. There were too many scholars, and it was difficult for excellent students to stand out compared with each other. Even diligent and hardworking students found it difficult to stand out, so the probability of passing the exam was naturally much lower.
Therefore, to become a scholar, juren or jinshi, the right time, right place and right people are all essential.
Fortunately, Sun Shan had the opportunity to study at Yuelu Academy, which helped him complete his childhood foundation and allow him to move forward.
Although Wan Songjin worked hard, he took some detours in his studies.
A towering building starts from the ground, which means that no matter how tall the building is, it must be built from the ground, emphasizing the need to lay a solid foundation.
This proverb also refers to the process of building things up step by step from nothing. We cannot force things to grow, and we cannot run before we learn to crawl.
When entering the imperial examination, the most basic knowledge is the "Four Books and Five Classics", and you must read and memorize these books thoroughly.
What Wan Songjin lacks is the most basic foundation.
Sun Shan didn't know how his teacher taught him, but his foundation was very poor.
Especially in Yingtian Prefecture where there are many talented people, Wan Songjincai has been hesitating on the road of taking the examination for a scholar.
But he is still young and has a chance. It is not too late for him to start learning again.
As for Sun Shan's teachings to him, they were also about reviewing the old and learning the new.
There are benefits for everyone.
Sun asked Wan Songjin to open "The Analects of Confucius" and explain it to him one by one.
He smiled and said, "Song Jin, write down the key points and go back to read them. A good memory is not as good as a bad pen. You must memorize and recite more. The Four Books and Five Classics are the entry books for us scholars. Whether you are taking the exam for a scholar or a juren, you must read these books thoroughly."
As for why he didn't talk about taking the imperial examination, Sun Shan hadn't entered the venue yet, so he couldn't experience the content of the examination firsthand.
Practice is the only criterion for testing truth.
Sun Shan didn't dare to teach casually.
Wan Songjin took the charcoal pencil developed by Sun Shan and marked the textbook stroke by stroke.
In the past he would not have dared to write so sloppily, because as a scholar how could he not cherish books, scribbles were not acceptable.
But Brother Sun said, just write, write as much as you can, if you don’t write, the memory won’t be deep.
Especially for the places where you get stuck, you should write them down, and write them down over and over again without getting tired of it.
Wan Songjin was not used to it at first, but he got used to it as he wrote more.
Now that I go back to review my lessons, I have a clearer understanding of the parts that I was confused about before.
Wan Songjin looked at Sun Shan with admiration. He was only two years older than him, but he was already a juren.
At first he thought that the literary culture was not strong in Guangnan, and even if he passed the examination to become a scholar, the talent of the juren would not be that great.
But after studying with Sun Shan for a period of time, he found that Sun Shan's extracurricular knowledge was indeed not as extensive as that of the teacher in their provincial school.
But Sun Shan had a solid foundation of knowledge, and he would immediately know which page of the Four Books and Five Classics the question was on.
Wan Songjin was deeply impressed by his mastery of the subject beyond imagination.
Sun Shan also told him that entering the examination hall mainly depends on the Four Books and Five Classics, especially for the examination for the scholar, which is the foundation of the foundation.
There is no need for unique writing style and grammar; what is most needed is an assessment of the basics.
If you are not familiar with the books you are taking the test on and cannot understand them deeply, then you will not know where the questions come from.
These students, who are aiming to take the imperial examinations, can only adapt to the examination rules instead of making the rules adapt to themselves.
After studying for so many years, making the list is my only pursuit.
As for other pursuits, wait until you pass the exam.
Wan Songjin felt that Sun Shan had a particularly clear understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics, and when he lectured to him, he had a particularly deep understanding.
The extension of the content was also very appropriate, with rich examples, which benefited him a lot.
Sun Shan also told me his learning methods without reservation.
In fact, there is no real method except “the early bird catches the worm”, which emphasizes the importance of diligence and hard work.
Of course, the importance of "copying" is also emphasized.
So Wan Songjin decided to imitate Sun Shan. As for whether he could surpass him, of course he would like to surpass him if there was a chance.
Every day after class, Sun Shan would give Wan Songjin a lesson for half an hour to an hour.
If you are excited about speaking, talk more; if you are not interested, talk less.
But the courses are fixed and the daily tasks are fixed, so Wan Songjin said there is no problem with this.
As for the Wan family's opinion about Wan Songjin coming to give tutoring, of course they agreed with all their might. After all, it's free and they shouldn't miss it.
Moreover, it was very difficult to invite a scholar, especially one who graduated from Yuelu Academy, to give lectures.
Most of the scholars would never be content to be teachers, they all want to become officials.