Chapter 038
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Mao Badou managed to hold himself back for an entire morning.
That was because Teacher Meng was giving a lecture on the classics at the podium, giving Mao Badou no opportunity to talk. However, even as he remained in his seat, Mao Badou kept staring at Xue Tingxiang. As soon as the bell rang and the teacher left, he hurried over.
“Quick, tell me now-”
Li Datian managed to pull him aside, glanced around and hissed, “Whatever it is, let’s go back to the dormitory first.”
In response, Mao Badou dragged Xue Tingxiang from his chair and practically pushed him towards their dormitory. Li Datian sighed helplessly before helping Xue Tingxiang tidy up his desk, collecting his things and calling Chen Jian over to return to the dormitory together.
As the two entered the door, they heard Mao Badou’s impatient voice cry, “Quickly now, tell me quick. Was that person who came that day your little fiancée?”
Xue Tingxiang knew this was coming and looked at him helplessly.
“So, you dragged me out in such a hurry just to ask about this!”
“You have no idea how much time I spent thinking about it after going back home. Why was your fiancée dressed in men’s clothes? Who was the man who came with her to pick you up? By the way, your expression was pretty bad that day, could it be-”
Mao Badou’s expression had already gone through several changes, finally settling on ‘horrified’ as various plotlines from the countless novels sped through his corrupted brain.
How could Xue Tingxiang have known about Mao Badou’s special ability? He was still trying to think of the best way to explain their relationship when Mao Badou gasped and said, “Could it be that she’s not actually your fiancée, but your sister-in-law, and that man was your brother? Did you actually…”
Xue Tingxiang’s face immediately darkened, but Mao Badou didn’t notice. Or rather, he must have thought he had stumbled upon the sad truth as he patted Xue Tingxiang on the shoulder with a heavy sigh, saying, “That is against proper etiquette and moral values, ah. My dear brother, you must endure this pain and bury your feelings forever, never allow your desire to overcome your good sense.”
“Pei, pei pei! What rubbish are you thinking of?! That man is from our village. His father happened to be good friends with my father. Zhao’er did not have anyone to help her with her business and asked him to help…”
Desperate to steer them away from Mao Badou’s nonsensical thoughts, Xue Tingxiang ended up revealing his background as well as some details about Zhao’er’s business. In fact, he had no plans to keep secrets from Mao Badou and the rest. Only, he imagined that it would be revealed over time, not overnight.
As Mao Badou listened to his story, the young man gasped in all the right places and heartily cursed at Xue Qingshan and his wife’s attitude while lamenting over Xue Tingxiang’s misfortune.
“In other words, that Jiang Wu fellow likes Zhao’er Sis, but Zhao’er Sis doesn’t know. You also like Zhao’er Sis, but Zhao’er Sis only sees you as a little bro?”
This was probably the most awkward moment in Xue Tingxiang’s life. He stiffened his face and didn’t say anything. Mao Badou smacked his lips again and again, as though he had eaten something tasty. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Xue Tingxiang felt an overwhelming urge to punch someone in the face.
“Aiya, and here I was wondering what the big deal was. Leave this to me, I guarantee that from now on, Zhao’er Sis will only have eyes for you and won’t ever notice that pesky Jiang Wu character.”
Xue Tingxiang looked at him doubtfully.
Mao Badou beamed excitedly, “Do not look down on me, you could say that I have read all the novels out in the market. I may not be good at studying, but when it comes to romantic matters between men and women…” he let out a strange laugh as he patted his chest and continued, “I am definitely more skilled than you.”
“Alright, alright, enough of that. Don’t listen to his nonsense, Tingxiang,” Li Datian said. “He is that legendary figure who calls himself peerless under the heavens but is weak when it comes to actions. Who was it, I wonder, that hid themselves under the covers and cried all night when next-door neighbour Little Sister Xiao Cao moved away?”
Honest Man Li Datian was merciless as he revealed the truth.
Mao Badou was so incensed that he leapt three feet in the air, his face red with embarrassment and anger. In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of severing ties with Li Datian as he shouted, “Very good, ah, Li Datian! You dare look down on me? You wait, just you all wait!”
With that, he ran off like a whirlwind.
They all waited. While waiting, the three of them went off for lunch. Next, they had a 15-minute nap and were about half an hour into their studies before Mao Badou finally reappeared.
No one knew where he had gone, but he had a sneaky look on his face as he rushed into their room, looking rounder and fatter than before. This much was obvious to his dormmates, who shared a room with him, but others probably would not have noticed his extra weight.
After standing in place and panting heavily for a bit, he grabbed the teapot off the table and gulped down its contents in a couple of mouthfuls. Then, as if that wasn’t indecent enough, he began to undress.
The honest and upright Li Datian scolded, “You useless scholar! No matter how useless you are, to think you’d actually take off your clothes in broad daylight under the clear heavens!”
“Pei! Li Datian, you truly are trying to get on my nerves today, aren’t you? Humph, if I want to take off my clothes, I will take them off…”
After that mysterious counter, the others watched as this clown stripped off his outer robe, and then another set of clothing in a few quick moves… revealing several books tied haphazardly to his chest and waist with strips of cloth.
No wonder he looked a bit rounder out of nowhere. It turned out he was smuggling.
Mao Badou started pulling books off his body and stacking them on the bed. The few people sitting cross-legged on their beds watched as the books began to pile up… first one, two, three… a total of 12 books were set on the bed.
Mao Badou actually managed to smuggle a total of 12 novels into the school.
After tossing the strips of cloth he had used as a makeshift rope for the books to the floor, he redressed himself and patted the stack of books. He said, “These are my special collector’s items. I never lend them out. Tingxiang, I am only willing to lend them to you for a bit because of our close brotherly bond.”
Xue Tingxiang was still baffled by the whole situation when Li Datian turned on Mao Badou, “Badou, do you want to die?! You actually smuggled so many novels in? Have you forgotten how the headmaster scolded you?!”
Mao Badou nonchalantly waved his hand, “It’s fine. There are only four of us in this dormitory. As long as you say nothing, I say nothing, and we all say nothing. Who would ever know?”
Just then, a bell rang outside.
Mao Badou hastily collected his novels and stuffed them into his cabinet. However, because his cabinet was so full of messily piled-up socks and clothes, the novels ended up hidden in his friends’ cabinets instead.
Teacher Meng spent 10 days lecturing on the <<Great Learning>>. On the 11th day, he started on the first chapter of <<The Analects of Confucius>>, Studying and Practising. [1] His teaching style was very methodical, following the Zhu Xi method of reading that most scholars of the time adhered to.
[2] Zhu Xi once said: The method of reading lies in proceeding step by step and with consistency, with persistence and without slackening. One must be deliberate in understanding the sentences and the meaning of the text, and then experience what one has practised in reality. Only then can the mind be calm, the principles become clear, and the true meaning gradually emerges.Zhu Xi also said: <<Great Learning>> is the gateway to virtue, and scholars should study it first. Only after understanding its order and structure can they proceed to read the <<Analects>>, <<Mencius>>, and <<Doctrine of the Mean>>. One should first grasp the general principles, origins and applications, then slowly and carefully examine the classics and their most interesting points. Maybe then one will learn something. Since the classics differ in their organisation and are vast and deep in their expertise, if one does not first study the <<Great Learning>>, <<Analects>>, <<Mencius>>, and the <<Doctrine of the Mean>>, gaining enlightenment and self-mastery, it would be difficult to gain a true understanding.
There were generally no lectures in the afternoon, leaving time for students to absorb the information from the morning lessons and to self-study. Of course, students who were already familiar with the Analects were allowed to study other texts, but they had to do so in the lecture hall.
Teacher Meng was sometimes present, sometimes not, but one mustn’t think that just because he wasn’t there, they could do as they pleased. That was because he might appear suddenly, and the rules at Qingyuan Academy were strict. If the teacher’s assigned homework was not completed or if there was noise and disruption in the lecture hall, at best, one would be reprimanded and punished, and at worst, expelled.
So, the lecture hall was very quiet all afternoon. Every half hour, there was a break for the time it took to burn a stick of incense, during which students could use the lavatory or quench their thirst with water. After the break, they would return to the lecture hall on their own, usually very conscientiously. Finally, when the bell rang, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The students all went their own ways, some returning to their dormitories to organise their things, while others went straight to the dining hall.
After dinner, the students went to the washroom to freshen up. Candles were lit in each dormitory as the students continued with their studies into the night. It was at this time that Mao Badou finally revealed his treasures as he piled up the novels in front of Xue Tingxiang.
“Once you have read these novels, you will know what to do.”
Xue Tingxiang looked at him helplessly and said, “Badou, there is really no need. I am not…” He paused before settling on, “Not really interested in these things.”
Whether it was the over 70-year-old dream Xue Tingxiang or his current self, Xue Tingxiang had never read any of these so-called ‘creative novels’. However, he was aware of their existence and had mentally dismissed them as frivolous trash. To his mind, these things were crude entertainment at best, erotic time wasters at worst.
These books were written in the common vernacular, telling stories about the supernatural involving ghostly beings, gods, legends and other small dramas. He also knew that these stories were usually written by failed scholars who used their skills to spin a yarn to make a living, and therefore, the details within should never be mistaken for facts.
Therefore, when Mao Badou triumphantly informed him about how he would ‘understand’ after reading these little common stories, he did not take it seriously at all.
“Just have a read,” Mao Badou coaxed with shining eyes.
Xue Tingxiang was exasperated, “But I am really not interested in these.”
The two of them battled on, going back and forth until Li Datian came over, picked up a book, and said, “Alright, if Tingxiang won’t read it, let me have one.”
“Datian, you read these too?”
Li Datian gave Xue Tingxiang a little smile, “It is a good way to pass the time. Sometimes, when studying gets too overwhelming, it is a nice way to clear my head.” He turned to Mao Badou and said, “Hey, are these new? I have never seen them before. Just how much silver did you waste on these?”
“They are not new. I picked them out from my special collection just to enlighten Tingxiang. Seeing how clueless he is drives me mad!”
After hearing that, Xue Tingxiang felt like he had no choice but to take one of the books and say, “I will try and read one.”
This was enough to make Mao Badou smile with satisfaction. The boy then proceeded to ask Chen Jian if he wanted to read one. Although Chen Jian appeared stern and cold, he was actually quite straightforward. After that, anyone looking into the room would see four students sitting upright at their table, reading their books diligently by candlelight. However, these boys were actually reading crude entertainment novels that contributed nothing to their intellectual growth.
In fact, a night patrol servant did pass by and glanced through the slightly ajar door. At the sight of the students, he nodded approvingly to himself before moving to the next dormitory.
It wasn’t until the curfew bell rang, sounding the lights-out signal at 2 am, that the young men in the room shook themselves awake, as though awakening from a dream. After a while, they all blew out their lamps, undressed and lay down on their beds.
Xue Tingxiang lay on his bed, his mind still occupied by the novel he had just read.
Mao Badou was right. The novel really was about romantic relationships between men and women. The one he was reading, <<Dreams of Longing>>, was a story about a scholar who resided in a temple. While studying there, he encountered a nun from a nearby nunnery called Wang Chen, and was instantly captivated by her beauty. Despite societal norms, he relentlessly pursued her and eventually won her heart.
The beautiful nun Wang Chen had been the daughter of a wealthy family. However, after her family had fallen due to a great disaster, she was forced to seek refuge at a nunnery. She intended to spend the rest of her days in solitude, but fate had other plans when the scholar stirred her emotions.
To win Wang Chen’s favour, the scholar climbed walls, recited poetry on rainy nights, and even played the qin. Not only did he showcase his scholarly and musical talents, but he also took every opportunity to tease and pursue the young nun so that when the time was finally right, the two consummated their relationship.
Xue Tingxiang had only read up to the part where Wang Chen twisted her ankle while fetching water down the mountain. The scholar happened upon her and offered to carry her back to the nunnery. Unfortunately, heavy rain began to fall, but they were fortunate to find a cave halfway up the mountain where they could take shelter. The young nun’s clothes were soaked through, so the scholar lit a fire to warm her while he shivered with cold, turning his back to her out of propriety, not daring to cast his eyes about carelessly.
Unexpectedly, he heard the little nun scream and, believing that something had happened to her, he turned around to find her half-clothed… It turned out that Wang Chen had been startled by a piece of straw rope, which she had mistakenly imagined to be a snake.
What happens next?
Curiosity burned at Xue Tingxiang, but he had no choice but to extinguish the lamp.
Even as he lay in bed, he tossed about, the desire to know what happened next nibbling at his consciousness.
That was when he noticed a glimmer of light beside him. Startled, he looked up and found that the faint light came from Mao Badou’s bed.
“Badou, what are you doing?”
Mao Badou was curled up like a shrimp, a blanket covering his entire body, letting out only the faintest glow of the oil lamp underneath.
Xue Tingxiang was slightly horrified, “Aren’t you afraid of setting the bedding on fire?”
A low chuckle came from beside him; it was Li Datian, “Don’t worry about that fellow, Tingxiang. He’s quite skilled at reading under the covers. Thus far, he has never set the bedding on fire or been caught by the night patrol servant yet.”
Xue Tingxiang looked over at Li Datian’s bed and saw a faint glow there, too. Even the usually straightforward Li Datian was up to no good!
“You lot are really something!”
“Hey, I’m at the most exciting part; I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t finish it.”
Xue Tingxiang lay down again, but the scenes of the scholar’s relentless pursuit of the nun replayed in his mind.
Pursuit?
Every scholar must have encountered the idea of ‘A gentleman seeks a fair maiden’, but this was the first time Xue Tingxiang had encountered this kind of active ‘seeking’.
In the darkness, a faint rustling sound was heard.
Xue Tingxiang knew exactly where his things were and soon found his oil lamp.
However, he did not imitate Mao Badou or Li Datian’s technique.
Instead, since his bed was right next to the wall, he sat facing the wall with the blanket draped around his shoulders. Then, he lit the lamp carefully, set it at the lowest glow and held it cautiously with one hand, illuminating the small characters on the page as he read in the dark. [3]
[Gumihou: Okay, this is… certainly familiar…]
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] Chapter 1 of Analects here: https://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/analects01.php#:~:text=Chapter%20I.&text=%E5%AD%90%E6%9B%B0%E3%80%81%E5%AD%A6%E8%80%8C%E6%97%B6,a%20constant%20perseverance%20and%20application%3F%22 [2] There’s a translated version of Zhu Xi’s basic teachings out there by Columbia University Press. Just the “Basic Teachings” alone is 182 pages long. https://dokumen.pub/zhu-xi-basic-teachings-9780231556422.html
Tl;dr of these two Zhu Xi portions for modern readers: “Before challenging the Classics, RTFM, go through the tutorials, or else GG due to skill issue
[3] Yeah… don’t do this. Insufficient light while reading will cause shortsightedness in growing children. Did Ancient China have glasses? No? Then he is in for a bad time…
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