Chapter 3 Yunti Academy

Hu Taiming started by reading the Three Character Classic.Follow the teacher's reading aloud and then recite it orally.After repeating it twice, I will study it alone, and I will recite it to my teacher face to face three or four times a week. From the difficult philosophy of life to the three-character classic composed of aphorisms in human history, it is too esoteric for young people.They just read to read.Because Taiming had learned a few characters when he was at home, he didn't find it difficult to read the Three Character Classic.The study of the coursework went well.But the urchins of Yunti Academy, in their spare time of diligent study, would have some pleasant incidents, such as playing chess and hide-and-seek, they were fine, but even semi-amusingly stealing vegetables or fruits from their neighbors.The fruits picked by stealing include peaches and plums in spring, longan in summer, and guava, pomelo, persimmon in autumn.The urchins steal vegetables and fruits rampantly, as if they must do something every day, and they often take advantage of Peng Xiucai's nap time (he likes naps very much, and he must sleep for two hours every day from noon).And their naughtiness often arouses objections from neighbors.What's interesting is that the behavior of urchins is naturally principled. For example, the garden of the good old man next to the academy, etc., can be stolen if you want to steal it, but you can't be stolen, and the famous miserly person hides the found things The old lady's garden was the object of their plunder.The tighter she guarded, the more the urchins felt the joy of exploiting loopholes.It's not so much that they like to steal fruits, it's better to say that they have racked their brains to come up with cunning strategies and cleverly achieved this behavior, which makes them feel really indescribable charm.

However, these urchins are afraid of Mr. Peng. His education methods are extremely strict, and those who do not perform well are punished without mercy.Although Mr. Peng smoked opium, he got up very early in the morning.Before dawn, he heard the gurgling sound of his hookah (the pipe through which the smoke is sucked through water). The sound of smoking stopped, and the door opened with a bang. The sound of the door opening became the wake-up call, and the boarders got up and went outside to water the flowers.Peng Xiucai was wearing a robe that looked like a mosquito net, with his hands on his waist and his hem slightly raised, he stepped down the steps.Except for teaching time, even in the daytime he lived in a dimly lit room smoking opium, so his face, which was almost skinny, was pale, blue and bloodless, and even in the morning sun, his face could not be seen red. .His lips were blue and black, and his teeth were also black.The nails on his left hand holding the hookah were left uncut and were more than an inch long.

Except for opium, he is indifferent to everything in the world, does not associate with people, and is a weirdo who hardly speaks to students except in class.But it has become a daily routine to look at flowers in the yard every morning. He especially likes orchids and chrysanthemums.He has lived like this for thirty years. One day, Taiming encountered an unexpected thing.He was playing games with four or five classmates in the field near the academy. A buffalo in front of him was slowly approaching Taiming while grazing.The lovely ornamental scenery in the surrounding idyllic scenery came into Taiming's eyes.Taiming stood up and unsuspectingly reached out to touch the horns of the buffalo, which was a simple gesture of friendliness.But the moment his two hands touched the buffalo's horns, Taiming felt a black wind in front of his eyes, and at the same time his whole body lost balance, he was beaten hard and fell to the ground, and passed out.When the buffalo shook its head in surprise, the horn pierced into Taiming's side, he vaguely remembered someone picking him up, and fell into a coma again.When he woke up, he was already lying on the bed. His parents looked at him worriedly, and felt a dull pain in his side like numbness.

Seeing his mother crying, Taiming reflexively understood the accident that he was attacked.I recalled the moment of trembling when I was stabbed by the bull's horn.However, it is like a memory from a long time ago. Seeing that Taiming was awake, his father said: 'It's all right, don't worry, the wound has been covered with bear bile and carrot juice...' He said, looking at the people around him.He is a Chinese medicine doctor.Peng Xiucai was also by Taiming's pillow, and couldn't help blurting out: 'Congratulations!Congratulations! ' Ah, this is Yunti Academy, seeing Peng Xiucai, Taiming felt enlightened.When his parents heard about the accident, they came across the dragon's neck to see him.

The next day, in order for Taiming to go home to recuperate, he took a sedan chair back from Yunti Academy.Live the healing life at home.Because there are few Western doctors, green herbal medicine is applied to the wound.On the one hand, his mother made wishes to gods such as 'Uncle Gong' and 'Benefactor' every day, praying for a speedy recovery, and out of superstition, she brought incense ash home from the temple and dissolved it in boiling water for him to drink.Fortunately, the wound did not suppurate, and the healing process of the wound was good.However, it was already the twelfth lunar month when Taiming left the hospital bed.

Taiming's wounds healed, and as the twelfth lunar month approached, the family gradually became busy.At night, by the light of a small portable oil lamp, my mother sewed Taiming's shoes and my sister's hat without any distractions.The mother stacked layers of ragged and tattered clothes, and carefully sewed them tightly with needles and threads to form the soles.The upper is embroidered with camellias in black velvet.My sister's hat was embroidered with gorgeous peonies and red chickens, and there were two bells hanging from the tassel.Father goes out very early every day and rarely sees him.Brother and long-time worker went to the fields to harvest sweet potatoes and worked late. My sister-in-law steamed the sweet potatoes and put them in a round wooden barrel with a lid, and let them ferment to make wine.In this situation, only old man Hu was idle.And children like to celebrate the New Year, talking about sweet rice cakes (rice cakes), bragging about new shoes, counting the days when pigs are slaughtered, and eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the New Year.

The academy had holidays from the end of the year to the first lunar month, so Taiming stayed at home even though his wound had healed. Changing the water in the hookah for old man Hu is Taiming's routine work. The old man hadn't talked to Taiming like this for a long time, and he was obviously very happy. He talked about his specialty "the way of university is in Ming Mingde", and he experienced it himself. Tell Taiming about it.He said: "Taiming, it is the age of the Japanese. There are fewer thieves or bandits in the Japanese society, and the roads are wider. Although there are conveniences, the road to the examination of candidates or scholars is blocked."And the tax increase, can not cope. 'The new year is coming.From December 25th to January 5th in the old calendar, it is called "Nianjia". During this period, people should not speak without a barrier. People believe that if they say unlucky words, they will encounter some disasters.In Taiming's house, it has become a habit to slaughter a pig every New Year's Eve to sacrifice to Tiangong (Jade Emperor).On that day, an altar was set up in the center of the courtyard, on which cakes, fruits, spiced spices, wine, long money, gold and silver paper and other paper money were offered on the upper seat, chicken or meat were offered on the lower seat, and pig or sheep sacrifices were offered on both sides. At four o'clock before dawn, the whole family goes to the yard to worship Tiangong.The old man Hu and his son wore long dresses and performed the "three offerings", making wishes to the gods such as Tiangong, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Guandi, Mazu, and Bogong, praying for the prosperity of the family and thanking for the safety of the past year.Before dawn on New Year's Day, firecrackers are fired everywhere to worship ancestors and gods.Everyone does not work for leisure, men go out to pay New Year's greetings or play cards, women return to their natal homes or burn incense in temples, and enjoy the happy New Year leisurely, which lasts until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.The red paper door couplets and the sound of new firecrackers are no exception every year, permeating the atmosphere of the Spring Festival.

The third day of the first lunar month is commonly known as the "poor ghost day", and some door money is burned to the poor ghosts, and it is customary not to go out on this day.But in the afternoon, Peng Xiucai made an exception and came to pay New Year's greetings.He stood in the Hu family's courtyard, admiring the Spring Festival couplets pasted on the door, so he was invited into the main hall.After Peng Xiucai exchanged pleasantries with Old Man Hu, Taiming brought out a tray with four plates of pastries on it, and he held it in front of Peng Xiucai respectfully.Peng Xiucai said: "Eating red dates is good every year!" He said eating two red dates, and said: "Eating winter melon is better every year!" 'Take two wax gourd candies and eat them.Then drink sweet tea, and say: "A court of chickens and dogs circles the fairyland, full of haze and light vulgar fate."Very good, with a refined style.If you are not a philosophical person, you cannot write such a sentence. ’ He praised the sentence of the couplets of Hu’s family.The old man Hu was ashamed and asked: "What about the Spring Festival couplets you wrote this year?" ” Urged Peng Xiucai to speak out, and Peng Xiucai said: “Bad work. He said modestly: "The big tree does not touch the new rain and dew, and the ladder still keeps the old family tradition." ’ He chanted and wrote it on paper for Old Man Hu to read.The old man Hu said: "Very good, like Boyi Shuqi's spirit." ' Appreciate his sentence, but suddenly his voice fell.

'However, can the old family style of Yunti Academy be kept like this sentence? The old man Hu murmured this way, and he couldn't help blurting out his usual concern. 'If Yunti Academy is closed, Sinology will perish. 'Peng Xiucai said sadly. At this time, Taiming, his elder brother, and his father all came out to greet each other, and the house suddenly became lively, brimming with the joy of the new year.However, after a while, Peng Xiucai yawned frequently, which was a sign of opium addiction.Old man Hu understood it, and cleverly took Peng Xiucai to his room to smoke opium.

Just at that time, there was a burst of excitement outside, it was the arrival of a new guest.That was the son of Old Man Hu's brother, Taiming's uncle named Opium Keg, who hadn't visited for a long time.He is an opium smoker deep in his bones. When he divided up the property of one thousand and hundreds of rice fields harvested every year at that time, all of them were turned into opium smoke. Those who are good at speaking are also artists.When the opium barrel arrived, one immediately chatted and laughed. Taiming made some mental comments on the two guests, Peng Xiucai and Opium Keg.Old man Hu respects Peng Xiucai, which can be seen from his special hospitality to Peng Xiucai.But Taiming was not like his grandfather, Old Man Hu, who dreamed of being a scholar or a scholar.He vaguely felt that those fates that would tend to disappear, and what attracted Taiming's attention was Zhida, the son of the opium barrel.Zhida is a 'patrol supplement' (supplementary police officer), known as 'adult', who can speak Japanese.He can eat everywhere. The cigarette he smokes is "Shikishima" cigarettes, and he uses a snow-white handkerchief, which smells like perfume.When the villagers saw him wiping his sweat with a white handkerchief, they thought it was extravagant.And when Zhida walked by, he smelled a refreshing smell of soap.It is a cultural breath that country people call 'Japanese taste'.Generally, when washing clothes, you use the fruit of the mulang tree or tea to decontaminate. Even washing your face is an era when you use the fruit of camellia. The smell of soap makes people feel expensive and precious.Although Taiming felt a little frivolous in his perception of Zhida, he also felt the atmosphere of a new era.

However, Zhida's 'popularity' in the village is not good.Zhida's relatives are a little estranged from him, and the villagers "turn their backs" to him.Nodding and bowing in front of his face, as soon as his shadow disappeared, no, even his shadow was still visible, they talked about him behind his back.This is not just an aversion to power, but also a result of a certain emotion. But Zhida often went to Old Man Hu's house to talk.Old man Hu knew about Hong Kong and Guangdong when he was young, and he also dabbled in Western culture, so Zhida had something to talk to him about.Zhida followed the words and suggested, "Uncle!Let Taiming go to school to study!Because this is the time. ''Regardless of the current situation, because the Four Books and Five Classics are not taught in schools! ’ The old man’s answer always goes like this.The old man was surprised by Western culture, but he was not convinced.What's more, I think Japanese culture is nothing more than its sub-genre.The old man's head is full of longing for the history of the Spring and Autumn Period, the enlightenment of Confucius and Mencius, the articles of the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Neo Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties, etc., and the glorious ancient China.He thinks that at least these should be returned to the children and grandchildren. Peng Xiucai came to pay New Year's greetings in the third year of junior high school, and was detained to live in Hu's house for four days.In fact, he might want to stay for a few more days, but Ah San and Ah Si’s disciples came here to be diners when they heard that the Hu family was entertaining guests. Peng Xiucai felt very disappointed by interjecting indiscriminately in the discussion of a hundred schools of thought), so he said he was going back.Ah San and Ah Si are the same kind of partners of the opium barrel.If Peng Xiucai went back, it would be difficult for them to be diners, so they tried their best to keep Peng Xiucai, but Peng Xiucai insisted on leaving, and the old man Hu kept him, but he couldn't keep him. Old man Hu, who had dreamed of Mr. Mengchang who had three thousand diners, left everything else to his son after Peng Xiucai returned, leaving him alone, and didn't bother to socialize with people like Ah San and Ah Si.Old Man Hu's son, that is, Taiming's father, had a down-to-earth personality, and the diners couldn't stay, so he left quietly.In this way, after the new year, the Lantern Festival on the 15th.This night is called "Welcome Lantern". There are various programs on the street. The girls are accompanied by their relatives and go to the street in beautiful clothes.Many young men came into view, this is a rare opportunity for a lady in the boudoir to go out, and it is also a good opportunity to choose a husband. Taiming and Grandpa went out before the sun set in order to watch the Lantern Festival's "Welcoming Lanterns".When I got close to the street, I heard the sound of drums, gongs, suonas and flutes.This night, because of the special "Flower Lantern Festival", it was more lively than in previous years, and people from Taipei came to see it.The elderly and children are crowded with people, making it difficult to get in.However, the old man and Taiming were pushed and pushed into the lively crowd.The lanterns are in full swing.All kinds of lanterns and torches lined up colorfully are dazzling. Trumpet corps, small choir, masquerade procession of villains and grown-ups.Decorated with celestial beings and fairies swaying vividly, they are buried in flowers and antiques, as if acting in a play.Whenever the "Yige" scriptures come before him, the old man Hu will explain the origin and repertoire to Taiming: this is "Zhaojun and Fan", this is "Wu Han kills his wife", and it is also related to the public's killing of six generals. Standing on tiptoe, Taiming watched the vivid scene tirelessly.At the end of the line is the high stage with geisha singing. The crowd is very chaotic, and the police and young men with lanterns printed with the sun flag are hanging up to maintain traffic order.At this time, the fanatical crowd was even more crowded in order to see the geisha, and the crowd was shaken like a tsunami.So the dozen or so people who were squeezed out of the crowd stepped into the ranks of the lanterns at once, and chaos immediately broke out.The policeman and the strong men who maintained traffic order shouted loudly: 'Red deer (bastard) guy! 'The police yelled angrily and used sticks to drive away the crowd who were squeezed into the lantern procession.Unable to hold his body upright, old man Hu was pushed out of the crowd unknowingly. In an instant, he was involved in the whirlpool of chaos. Unfortunately, he was hit hard by the police stick and fell to the ground all at once. The old man stood up reluctantly, and retreated to a safe place, with a look of shock on his face: "What's going on?"What's the matter? 'I complained again and again. Taiming hugged his grandfather: "Grandpa, let's go back! Let's go back quickly!" Taiming cried and said. Old man Hu clenched his lower lip, and looked down at Taiming with tearful eyes. Taiming suddenly felt sad, Tears flowed down my cheeks, and the tears continued. The joyful atmosphere of the Lantern Festival was completely ruined by this sudden incident. The two of them had no intention of watching the lanterns anymore, feeling depressed, and went home in a state of embarrassment. What happened that night greatly shocked Taiming's heart.The next day, the neighbors and relatives who heard about the incident all came to condolences with noodles and eggs.But old man Hu remained silent as if his pride had been hurt.But time can dilute everything. The wounds in his heart healed naturally after the busy days of sweeping the graves of his ancestors and dealing with various things.Soon, the pure white daffodils on the table turned yellow and wilted, and the bright door couplets also faded. The annual holiday of the first month was over, and Taiming returned to Yunti Academy again.The number of students in the academy has decreased, and the atmosphere has completely changed. Public schools (national primary schools for Taiwanese children) frequently persuade students to enroll, so most of the students who live in Yunti Academy on the street have transferred to public schools.But Peng Xiucai didn't panic about letting everything take its course. The school in the town wanted to recruit him as a Chinese teacher, and he also dismissed it.the poverty of life.Borrowing Tao Yuanming's chants of "Going Back and Coming" to express, I still suck hookah and water the flowers every morning. However, some wind made him decide. When the watermelon was ripe, Peng Xiucai suddenly accepted an offer from a study near the border of Tibet, and went to the post.Old man Hu was disappointed and had no other choice, so he took Taiming home.From then on, he taught Taiming to read the Four Books and Five Classics.