Chapter 598: I Will Reluctantly Help You Choose a Character

Chapter 598: I Will Reluctantly Help You Choose a Character

After Hong Xiucai finished his class, he pulled Sun Shan aside to discuss academic matters. He said "discuss", but in fact he was asking for advice.

Hong Xiucai was a good teacher who was willing to learn and strive for progress. He did not mind that Sun Shan was a student and kept asking questions to him.

I would also like to ask how the teachers at Yuelu Academy or Chongzheng Academy teach.

Sun Shan told him everything.

Hong Xiucai sighed and said: "It seems that the teaching method of the famous academy is not suitable for the students of Hong's Academy. I will still give lectures to students based on the situation in Huangyang County."

Sun Shan was amused. "Master, the students in Yuelu Academy or Chongzheng Academy are either scholars or juren, so they are certainly not suitable for students in our Hong's Academy. Haha, the most important thing for students in our academy is to lay a good foundation and learn the most basic things thoroughly. Especially the Four Books and Five Classics, which are the top priority. First, let the students pass the prefectural examination and the academy examination. Their future studies will depend on their luck. We have limited teachers and cannot think that far ahead."

Do things according to the conditions you have.

The conditions at Hong's School are so ordinary that it is impossible to provide elite education.

There aren’t even a few books, so it’s impossible to give in-depth lectures.

Let the students pass the exam step by step. As for whether they can go further, it all depends on their luck.

Hong Xiucai nodded and said, "Yes, you are right. Chu Yu and I have limited knowledge and cannot teach further. Thanks to the materials you copied over the years, our school's teaching has become more enriched."

Hong Chuyu is Master Hong. After taking exams for so many years, he is still a student.

Judging from his appearance, it would be difficult for him to make further progress, so he had no choice but to teach at Hong’s School.

Sun Shan consoled him, "Master, don't worry. Each generation is better than the previous one. If you make some progress, your students will make some progress. If your students make some progress, the next generation of students will make some progress as well. It takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to cultivate a person. If you want to become a talent, it will take at least three generations of hard work."

Scholar Hong glanced at Sun Shan, shook his head and said, "You are not right. Our Hong's School only produced students at the beginning. When you came, we had scholars, and later we had juren. This is not just a little progress, this kind of progress is rapid. So, what you said is not right. As long as there are good seedlings, the speed of progress may be faster than yours."

Sun Shan was speechless. How could he be the same?

He, Sun Shan, is the chosen one.

It's a once-in-a-century opportunity, and it's impossible for him to appear again after this.

Hong Xiucai unconsciously used him as a reference and artificially raised the standard. This idea is not advisable.

Sun Shan had no choice but to insist, "Master, I am different. Geniuses like me are rare in the world. It is wrong for you to compare me. Most of the seedlings we see are ordinary. We want a good seedling like me. Tsk tsk, Master, you should not think too much."

Mr. Hong was so angry that he really wanted to slap Sun Shan on the head.

But what Sun Shan said was indeed correct. Sun Shan was not a genius, he could only be said to have talent, but the most important thing was that he had patience and perseverance and could study year after year and day after day.

This kind of perseverance is better than 99% of the students.

The reason for his success is entirely due to his tenacity and endurance.

Sun Shan chatted with Hong Xiucai for a while, and then his master's wife called them to eat.

Mr. Hong's grandson and granddaughter used to stay with their two elderly parents in Huangyang County. When they grew up, they moved to the provincial capital.

After all, the conditions there were better than those in Huangyang County, so Hong Erlang naturally took them to Zhangzhou Prefecture.

So only Mr. Hong and his wife were left in Huangyang County, which was one of the reasons why his wife complained.

The two old people always seemed lonely in Huangyang County. Fortunately, the teacher's wife was a quiet person and Hong Xiucai was passionate about teaching, so they didn't feel so bored.

After dinner, Sun Shan and Mr. Hong went into the study to help him correct students' homework.

Looking at the childish and cute homework, Sun Shan couldn't help but smile.

As he was revising, he raised his head and asked, "Master, I am 21 years old this year."

Hong Xiucai was reading a book leisurely, took a sip of tea, and asked in confusion: "What's wrong? You are only 21 years old, still young."

The student mentioned age for no reason, which left Mr. Hong confused.

Sun Shan drew a big cross on his homework and continued, "Master, I am 21 years old and still don't have a name. Why don't you help me choose one?"

Mr. Hong paused and took another sip of tea. His stern face looked very calm, but the slightly upturned corners of his mouth betrayed his mood.

Pretending to be calm, he said, "What? You are 21 years old and still don't have a name? Didn't the teacher at Jinling Academy give you one?"

Sun Shan did not slow down in marking homework, lowering his head and raising it again.

She continued, "Alas, Jinling is a big place, and the teachers in the academy despise the poor and love the rich. No teacher would be interested in a peasant boy like me. Alas, poor me, I don't even have an elder to give me a name. Teacher, please have pity on me and give me a name. Otherwise, it will be difficult to answer when others ask me."

Hong Xiucai couldn't hide the smile on his face, and laughed and said, "You mischievous boy, if the teacher in Jinling heard you say that, he would definitely give you a few beatings. But, it's unacceptable for you to not have a name at the age of 21. I will help you choose a name with reluctance."

Sun Shan immediately put down his childhood homework, ran to Mr. Hong like a servile boy, poured him tea and water, and gave him a shoulder massage.

She said very flatteringly: "Master, you must help me choose a very nice name, one that people will never forget once they hear it. It should be full of the flavor of books and exude a sense of dominance, and it should be both vulgar and elegant. People may think it is vulgar the first time they hear it, but they will think it is extremely beautiful the second time they hear it. Master, I want my name to be..."

Sun Shan kept on giving his opinions and Mr. Hong rolled his eyes.

He shouted rudely, "Stop, stop right there. With so many requests, even gods can't give you a name. Humph, it's just a name, not a wife, why do you have so many requirements?"

Mr. Hong was also convinced. He was the only one who dared to make such a request as Sun Shan.

What is quietness in movement, what is hardness in softness, it must be extraordinary in mediocrity, luxurious yet low-key, giving him a word full of contradictions.

How could he have such ability?

Sun Shan said confidently: "Master, I advise you to choose a good name for me. You must know that my name will accompany me throughout my life.

If I become a famous person in the future and my name goes down in history, I will naturally have to write a biography. When I talk about the origin of my name, I will definitely mention your name.

If you choose a name that sounds nice and has profound meaning, future generations will praise Sun Shan for his great achievements and attribute the great contribution to his enlightenment teacher.

If the character you choose is ordinary, future generations will definitely shake their heads when they see it, saying that the reason why Sun Shan achieved such great success was entirely due to his personal efforts and had nothing to do with Confucius.

Even later generations would say that Sun Shan was truly a genius as he was able to find a promising future by studying under such a mediocre teacher.

Future generations will only praise me, but not you, Master."