Pillar of the Humble Family

The eighth year of the Hongzhi reign in the Ming Dynasty, September.

On this day, the sky was gloomy, a thin layer of bluish mist drifting over the countryside and fields. Outside Baiyue Village, the wide and even farmland was bustling; diligent farmers tirelessly plowed the earth and sowed wheat seeds.

Zhou Zhi had arrived at his family’s eight acres of fields just after dawn, laboriously turning the soil with a shovel. His family was poor and owned no oxen, so all the work had to be done by hand.

In the past, his father was the main force behind such tasks, with Zhou Zhi only assisting. But a few days ago, his father strained his back while transporting rice and was now bedridden. Thus, the heavy burden of preparing and sowing the fields fell entirely on Zhou Zhi, who had just turned fifteen.

By midday, Zhou Zhi was drenched in sweat, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Unable to continue, he wiped his face with his dark arm and surveyed the tilled land—it was barely half an acre. He shook his head, frustrated.

He dropped the shovel, trudged to the edge of the field, and sat heavily by the dirt road. Reaching for a shabby cloth bundle, he opened it gently to reveal two palm-sized cakes, a water pouch, and a book.

With his left hand, he grabbed a cake; with his right, he cradled the book, eating as he read.

“Well, well! Isn’t this something! Since when did a dull-witted farm boy start reading? Zhou family brat, what’s written in that book? How many characters can you recognize? Read it aloud for me! Ha! This is hilarious, absolute