Chapter 5

Yu Shensi felt that being a child had its advantages—he could speak freely without fear of censure, saying things his elder siblings would hesitate to voice. Who would suspect a child not yet four years old? At most, they would think he was only interested in food.

Adults, however, thought differently.

Aunt Gui was silent for a moment before coaxing him with a smile, “I’ve bought some rice cakes too, though I can’t grill them. Later in the afternoon, I’ll send your brother Hutou over with some for your elder brother to grill, so you can all eat together and learn to read. Would you like that?”

Yu Shensi knew when to accept a good offer and replied cheerfully, “Alright.”

The other families understood Aunt Gui’s intention: she wanted Gao Zhao to teach her son to read and write. It was a clever plan. Tuition with Scholar Chen cost a tael or two of silver, with additional fees for study and holiday gifts throughout the year, and even sending the child to Scholar Fan would be scarcely cheaper. Gao Zhao had studied from a young age and was a student himself; he was certainly capable of teaching children to read. Moreover, while teaching his own brother, he could hardly hold back anything, and other children nearby would learn as well. Bringing snacks each time was enough; the only extra expense was a little pocket money for treats, which was a bargain.

Aunt Wang also chimed in, “It’s more fun for the children to play together. I’ll send my Sanbao over in the afternoon to play with you; he has plenty of candy, and you can share it!”

Yu Shensi nodded with a smile.

The nearby families either had children too young to speak properly or too old to join, so they could only watch enviously.

Gao Nuan and Gao Zhao were well aware of their neighbors’ calculations. Gao Zhao thought that with more children, it might get noisy, but the neighbors had shown them kindness before. Now, since the children weren’t coming just to learn for free, having companions for his little brother would stave off boredom, so he didn’t object.

Gao Nuan thought even further. As the saying goes, distant relatives are not as useful as close neighbors. If they were to live in Gao Village permanently, there would come times when they needed help. With no one backing them, they had to cultivate good relations to avoid being bullied by the clan. Aunt Gui and Aunt Wang used their sons playing with Yang’er as a pretext, avoiding stating their intentions outright, and Gao Nuan played along, not exposing the matter. Gao Zhao’s studies and exams were paramount; if he stopped teaching them in the future, no one could complain.

As they parted at the village entrance, Aunt Gui lifted Yu Shensi down from the cart, and Gao Nuan took her brother’s hand, calling up to Hutou, “Come with Sanbao in the afternoon to play with Yang’er.” She didn’t mention learning to read.

“Alright!”

Aunt Gui heard Gao Nuan’s invitation and felt reassured—it was tacit approval for Gao Zhao to teach her child. She smiled even more warmly, “After lunch, we’ll come over. I’ll bring some silk cloth and thread for you as well, so you won’t have to make another trip.”

“Thank you, Aunt.”

“It’s only a few steps, no trouble at all.”

After they parted, Aunt Gui instructed her son from the cart, “After lunch, take a rice cake over and play with Yang’er…”

She said much more, but Hutou paid no mind. His thoughts were all about lunch—he could eat rice cake, and grilled rice cake at that. Yang’er said it tasted wonderful, and he had never had it grilled before, so he was determined to bring his rice cake to Yang’er’s house.

Back home, Gao Nuan spoke to her brothers about the matter. She was pleased that her youngest brother had playmates, but worried for her elder brother, fearing he would tire from teaching several children.

Yu Shensi, however, thought her concerns unnecessary. Four- and five-year-olds could never sit still and study for half a day; half an hour was a miracle, and after another quarter hour, they would surely lose focus. Not every child was as well-behaved and attentive as he was. Besides, with him there, he would never let Gao Zhao be overburdened.

With things settled, the siblings tallied their recent purchases, and then Gao Zhao took a slab of cured meat to the old clan leader’s house.

The three Gao Mingchun brothers were all away at the coffin shop, but the clan leader and his wife, along with several daughters-in-law, were home. Seeing Gao Zhao enter with a slab of cured meat, they exchanged surprised glances.

Gao Zhao explained his purpose, and the clan leader quickly stopped him, “We’re all part of the same clan, it’s right to help each other, no need for thanks. You work hard for what little you earn; take the cured meat home for New Year’s!” As the clan leader and a respected elder, he could not accept a child’s gift for such a small favor—it would invite gossip in the village.

Gao Mingchun’s wife agreed, feeling a twinge of guilt after her husband had told her about the child’s troubles at the He family.

Gao Zhao said, “We can’t eat these things now; we bought them to give to Grandpa and Uncle.”

The clan leader then realized—the child was in mourning, and by custom, should abstain from alcohol and meat. Farmers rarely followed this rule, but scholars respected it more. The gift was not a mere gesture but a sincere expression of gratitude.

Such a large slab of cured meat would cost a hundred or more coins. For a favor that required little effort, the gift was heavy.

Gao Zhao continued, “We haven’t been here long and don’t know the neighboring villages well. We hope Grandpa can do us another favor. If you hear of any families nearby needing someone to write memorial texts or mourning couplets, please let me know.”

It was mutually beneficial, and the clan leader readily agreed, “Alright, tomorrow I’ll ask around for you.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.” He handed the meat to Gao Mingchun’s wife.

She hesitated, looking to her elders. Though they had agreed to help, it was hardly a difficult task, and the gift was valuable, especially coming from a child.

The clan leader’s wife, seeing her husband’s hesitation, spoke up first. She had the eldest daughter-in-law accept the meat, and then had the youngest prepare some eggs and a few pieces of aged, preserved tofu.

She handed the basket to Gao Zhao, “Grandpa will accept the cured meat, but you take these home. You’re all growing, and your youngest brother has just recovered from illness—he needs good food.”

Gao Zhao tried to decline but, unable to persuade them, eventually accepted the gifts and thanked them before heading home.

The clan leader’s wife saw him out and then told her husband, “See what a sensible child he is—so young, yet he knows to repay kindness. Tomorrow, ask around for him, and tell our sons to help too. His uncles have been too hard-hearted; when they return on New Year’s Day to honor their ancestors, you must speak to them properly.”

The clan leader was silent for a while, nodding thoughtfully.

In the afternoon, Aunt Gui brought Hutou and Sanbao over, both clutching snacks. The children rushed excitedly into the courtyard, while Aunt Gui stayed outside. Children were fearless, but adults still avoided entering a mourner’s house before the New Year, seeing it as unlucky.

Gao Nuan greeted her outside, and Aunt Gui handed over her gifts, warmly saying, “If you need anything else, come find me.”

“Alright, thank you, Aunt.”

Aunt Gui glanced into the courtyard, where Yang’er led the children to the side room and had them each pick a small branch.

Hutou asked, “Is this for grilling rice cakes?”

Yang’er nodded, “First, you use it to write, then you use it to grill the rice cake. That way, it tastes better.”

Hutou was puzzled. “Why?”

Yang’er puffed out his little chest and spoke with great seriousness, “A branch that’s written with is a clever branch; rice cakes grilled with it are clever rice cakes, and they taste better. If we eat clever rice cakes, we’ll become clever too. Then our parents will give us more treats.”

The two little boys found Yang’er’s logic convincing. Whenever their parents praised them for being clever, they were given snacks and their requests fulfilled. So they obediently picked their branches.

The adults listening at the door laughed quietly. Such a small child, yet his words were so persuasive, and he had outwitted two older boys.

Aunt Gui felt that children from scholarly families were indeed different. She decided then to have Hutou study more and aim to become a student himself. With this thought, she went home to set her daughters to work on embroidery, and arranged for her husband to find work in the county after the New Year, no matter how hard it might be.

Hutou and Sanbao found their branches, and the neighbor’s child, Miaowa, joined them. The three little ones were managed efficiently by Yu Shensi, all obediently following his directions.

Gao Zhao used charred branches to write on stones, guiding the four children in reading and writing. Thanks to Yu Shensi’s earlier instructions, only those who could read and recognize the characters would get sweet rice cakes. None of the children were distracted; each listened attentively.

After half an hour, all four had learned eight characters and written them once. They handed in their branches, eager for sweet rice cakes.

Miaowa also brought rice cakes. Two pieces were divided into six, each with a bamboo skewer, and grilled over the fire. Meanwhile, Sanbao’s candies melted slowly in a clay pot. The aroma made the children’s mouths water, and they chattered excitedly. Finally, the melted syrup was drizzled over the grilled rice cakes, and Hutou and the others couldn’t wait to eat.

“Don’t rush—it’s hot, eat slowly!” Gao Zhao reminded them.

Yu Shensi took a skewer to Gao Nuan, who was embroidering by the doorway. Gao Nuan smiled, “Does big sister get one too?”

“Yes! Six pieces, one for each.”

Gao Nuan paused, “Has your brother taught you numbers already?”

Yu Shensi realized the slip and hurriedly covered, “I learned when big sister counted eggs.” He pointed to the six people in the courtyard and counted them for her.

Though surprised at her young brother’s quick learning, Gao Nuan didn’t suspect further.

In the days before New Year, the children came every afternoon. Gao Zhao would first review with them, then teach new characters. With Yu Shensi’s various coaxing and tricks, the children became accustomed to listening to him and diligently practiced reading and writing. Eight characters a day added up to dozens over several days. On New Year’s Eve, when Hutou recognized several characters on their door couplet, Aunt Gui was overjoyed, praising her son’s cleverness and Gao Zhao’s teaching. The neighbors all knew Hutou could read now.

Before New Year, the clan leader introduced Gao Zhao to two villages needing memorial texts—one was Gao Mingchun’s father-in-law’s village, the other a distant relative’s. These were not urgent like He’s mother’s funeral, and each village gave four hundred coins. Since they were the clan leader’s relatives, Gao Zhao only charged three hundred per village.

When Gao Mingchun told his family, they all praised Gao Zhao’s sensibility.

Gao Mingchun said, “My son heard from his cousin that the neighboring village asked Scholar Chen to write, and it cost a whole tael of silver! The writing wasn’t any better than Gao Zhao’s.”

The clan leader’s wife immediately fumed, “That’s robbery!”

Gao Mingqiu sneered, “In my opinion, Scholar Chen hasn’t cared about studying for years; all his thoughts are on money.”

*

With money in hand, Gao Nuan and her brothers felt a sense of security.

On New Year’s Eve, as spring couplets adorned every door, the three siblings pasted mourning couplets outside their gate—black characters on white paper reading: ‘Never forget the favor of spring rain; always cherish a heart of filial piety.’ Then they went to pay respects at the Yu family graves.

They returned past noon and indulged themselves with three dishes: stir-fried dried greens with eggs, braised eggplant, and winter bamboo shoot tofu soup.

Ever since their uncle abandoned them on the journey home, they hadn’t eaten so well in nearly half a year. All three found themselves reluctant to eat, each taking only a little at a time, but serving each other generous portions, hoping the others would eat more. The largest heap was in Yu Shensi’s bowl—far more than he could manage.

“You’ll eat yourself sick!” He put a piece of tofu that Gao Nuan had served him back into her bowl.

Gao Nuan realized the little brother’s bowl was indeed overloaded and stopped serving him, reminding, “You must eat it all; if you do, you’ll grow as strong as Hutou.”

Hutou was less than a year older, yet nearly twice his size.

Yu Shensi nodded. He only wanted to grow taller, not fatter.

The siblings ate till they were full, and night fell.

In Shitou Township, New Year’s Eve meant staying up late, with fireworks at midnight in front of the ancestral hall. Every household, except for the elderly and children, remained awake, especially the men.

It was cold at night, so Gao Nuan rekindled the fire, and the three siblings huddled around it for warmth. Gao Nuan and Gao Zhao discussed plans for the coming year.

After New Year, funerals and memorial texts would no longer be needed. Despite years of study, all Gao Zhao had was knowledge—he was unfit for manual labor, and they had no land or farming skills. Their money wouldn’t last long.

“I can read and do calculations; after the New Year, I’ll ask around town and see if anyone needs a clerk.”

Gao Nuan reassured him, “I’ve embroidered a few pieces these days, and when the market opens, I can make more to sell for some extra money.”

“I’m a man; I can’t let big sister support me.”

“We’re all family—who cares who supports whom? When you succeed in the exams, won’t you support big sister? If you become a clerk, how will you study? How will you teach Yang’er? Your most important task is your studies. Once the mourning period ends, you’ll sit for the exam and become a scholar. Only then will life improve. It’s only hard for me these two years; later, I’ll enjoy your success.”

Her words moved Gao Zhao deeply, blurring his vision. He embraced Gao Nuan, voice hoarse, “Big sister…”

Yu Shensi, too, felt his heart ache and leaned against Gao Nuan’s arm.

Gao Nuan stroked their heads, speaking earnestly, “You must study. You must pass the exams. Mother is watching—she’s waiting for you to return as top scholars!”

On New Year’s Eve, both brothers nodded firmly.

*

As soon as the sun rose, the doors of the Gao clan’s ancestral hall opened, and the descendants began preparations, waiting for the auspicious hour to honor their ancestors.

The custom in the Gao clan was that women and children under six could not enter the ancestral hall; even if they paid respects, it would be outside.

Thus, Gao Nuan and Yu Shensi were among them.

When the time approached, the three siblings headed to the ancestral hall.

It stood at the foot of Ox Mountain, with a large pond in front. In winter, the lotus had withered, and the recent warmth had melted the thin ice.

Many people were already there. Gao Zhao whispered, “Uncle and Third Uncle haven’t returned yet. Are they not coming this year?”

Gao Nuan hadn’t seen any carriages arrive, nor their relatives at the hall.

“They will,” she replied.

Last year, their father achieved first place in the imperial exam but didn’t return to inform the ancestors, which had already annoyed the clan. If their uncles failed to return for the New Year ancestor ceremony, it would truly be abandoning their heritage. Someone who enjoyed ancestral favor yet forgot his roots would not keep his official position for long.

Their father had just entered officialdom, and their uncles benefited from it; they wouldn’t openly do anything to harm his reputation.