Annual Ceremony

Chapter 27 Grain in Ear (Part )

After Zhenyi asked, there was no answer from her grandfather for a long time, and there was silence all around.

Zhenyi then stood up from the swing, walked to the rattan chair, stretched out her hand and gently shook her grandfather's arm: "Grandfather?"

Wang Zhefu opened his sleepy eyes drowsily.

Zhenyi breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that her grandfather was just asleep. She had actually felt a little inexplicably nervous and scared.

"The wind today is really comfortable..." Wang Zhefu stretched out his legs, leaned back in the rattan rocking chair, and said in a hoarse and relaxed voice: "It's a good sleep."

Orange, who was lying on a bamboo stool nearby and fell asleep, also stretched out lazily, with his mangosteen-like claws spread wide.

Wang Zhefu took the wet towel from Qisheng, wiped his face, and then asked Zhenyi with a smile: "Where have you read to? Are there any words you don't understand? Tell me about it."

Zhenyi shook her head. She had already finished studying the Book of Astronomy under the guidance of her grandfather last year. Now, she read this book of astronomy again, reading it carefully bit by bit, and she didn't find it obscure at all.

"My granddaughter suddenly thought that this year's Grain in Ear is coming..." Zhenyi repeated the question just now: "After the Lesser Heat comes the Greater Heat, after the Lesser Snow comes the Greater Snow, after the Lesser Cold comes the Greater Cold... Why is it that after the Lesser Full comes the Grain in Ear instead of the Greater Full?"

The word "Mangzhong" certainly accurately summarizes the farming phenomena of this season, but looking at the 24 solar terms, its naming is indeed not so orderly.

"This is related to reminding farmers to do their work." Wang Zhefu said slowly, "Heat, snow, and cold are all manifestations of the climate. There is no objection to calling them big and small. The Grain Full means that wheat and rice are about to mature. If we only call it the corresponding Grain Full when they are ripe, it seems to be just reminding farmers to harvest. At this time of year, there are not only things that mature in summer, but also things that are sown in summer. As the saying goes, Grain in Ear, harvest wheat and sow beans, and both harvest and harvest, everything is busy. There is also a proverb that says if you don't plant during Grain in Ear, it's useless to plant again."

"It is called Mangzhong instead of Daman, in order to remind farmers everywhere not to delay sowing because of the harvest..." Wang Zhefu: "The names of solar terms are important references for farming. After many years of inheritance, many farmers regard solar terms as the order of the weather. If a name can be more easily understood and used by farmers and benefit farming, it is a million times more important than following its original order of names."

Zhenyi suddenly realized that the "unsociable" meaning of the word "Mangzhong" actually reflects the principle of putting practicality first.

Reading these two words silently again, Zhenyi no longer felt that they were abrupt. They were still special, and their specialness reflected the wise considerations of the ancient sages.

"In addition to concerns about farming, there may be a truth hidden in this..." Wang Zhefu continued, "The doctrine advocated by our ancestors is that the moon waxes and wanes, and water overflows when it is full; humility brings benefits, while arrogance brings harm; and it is also said that if a small fullness can lead to a big fullness, it will overflow. If a big fullness can lead to overflowing, it will be destroyed."

“In a nutshell, our ancestors have always been warning future generations that over-pursuing perfection is not a good thing…” A faint sigh escaped from Wang Zhefu at the end of his words.

The faint sigh left no trace, and Wang Zhefu said with a smile: "If your father interprets it, it may also be regarded as a way to nourish the mind and body, reminding us to take care of our body and mind, and not to be too full, too damaged, or too wasteful in everything."

Orange yawned loudly. It turned out that there were so many truths hidden in the small word "solar term"... Flower-growing families are indeed steeped in family traditions, and there is no end to learning for flower-growing children.

But the fourteen-year-old Zhenyi didn't seem to agree with this idea.

After a while, Zhenyi thought about it and said, "But, father, isn't this just letting people get by? There is nothing wrong with being contented, but we should also look at the situation in context. For example, in studying, if everyone is easily contented and gives up when they encounter difficulties, then won't it be impossible to make real progress forever?"

The gentle breeze seemed to pause for a moment as the girl spoke clearly.

Children aged thirteen or fourteen are at the rebellious age.

Juzi has been secretly watching Zhenyi since last year, on guard against the possibility that Zhenyi will wake up one morning with a drastic change in temperament and become rebellious. But as the days go by, Zhenyi seems to be just growing up quietly.

But her words at this moment seemed to finally reveal her "rebellion".

If this can be called rebellion, then Zhenyi's rebellion began to clearly question many principles of this world, and her original temperament was gradually revealed.

Obviously, she did not agree with the view that Xiaoman means perfection, at least when it comes to academic matters.

Wang Zhefu looked at his granddaughter with a smile in his eyes. His old eyes seemed to be filled with relief, but also with worry and hope.

Zhenyi couldn't understand what was in her grandfather's eyes, but she knew his persistence in learning, so she asked, "Father, you don't completely agree with this, do you?"

"If he had agreed, how could he have ended up like this?" Old Lady Dong sat in the back corridor, holding a cane in her hand, and answered on behalf of Wang Zhefu: "He is a man who not only wants to be perfect in his studies, but also in his conduct and as an official... The mirror of the moon waxing and waning is reflected clearly in him."

There was a lot of blame and complaints in the old lady's words. As the person who actually manages the household, she couldn't help but complain.

Wang Zhefu opposed all theology. While in office, he destroyed temples and built academies. He advocated truth-seeking and wanted to eliminate ignorance, so he was called "Strange Yin".

"What he wants to do is not something that can be done by one person. If he wants to make the world perfect by himself, he will only destroy his own future in the end..." Mrs. Dong was talking to her granddaughter, but her eyes were on her husband in the rattan chair: "All confusions arise from the human heart. In my opinion, this is another kind of confusion besides the theories of gods and ghosts."

"Yes, yes, yes..." Wang Zhefu smiled and waved his palm-leaf fan: "Isn't it the obstruction..." "But aren't all the benefits of this world caused by those who 'want to be great'?" Wang Zhefu said: "Being an official or studying, only when one person achieves great success can the world achieve small success... For the sake of sentient beings and future generations, why not let us, the obstructed people, have a chance to be great?"

Zhenyi was stunned when she heard this.

Mrs. Dong became even more angry: "Since you are sleepy and confused, go back to your room and sleep. Don't say misleading nonsense in front of the child..."

He also said to his granddaughter, "Don't learn everything from your grandfather. He himself hasn't figured out how to live."

"Yes, don't learn from me, a thief who has lived a glorious life at home. Now that half of my body is buried in the ground, I am being bullied like this. This is something you must never learn..." Wang Zhefu pretended to be wronged and sighed as he stood up: "Master, please don't be upset. I will obey your orders and go back to my room to sleep."

Old Mrs. Dong glared at her husband.

Zhenyi couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that her grandfather was moving slowly, she reached out to help him up. After helping him up, Zhenyi felt a little dazed and melancholy. Since when did her grandfather need someone to help him get up from the chair after sitting for a long time?
Wang Zhefu held a palm-leaf fan and said to his granddaughter with a smile, "Grandfather, please take a short rest. If you have any questions, please go and call Grandfather."

Zhenyi nodded to her grandfather and watched him slowly walk up the stone steps and into the house.

After a while, Mrs. Dong also returned to the house. Mother Zhuo, who was doing needlework in the outer room, faintly heard the old lady's voice coming from the house:
"You promised me before that you would teach me knowledge, but you insisted on teaching me these harmful principles. I think you are really sick and confused, and you are bewitched by ghosts..."

"The child is only a few years old, and you, as an elder, don't know how to set the right path for her... But she has to live in this world anyway, and you yourself have hit your head and are bleeding, so you shouldn't be unaware of what kind of world this is."

"Fortunately, I can't be an official, otherwise I would have to repeat your mistakes..."

"..."

Mother Zhuo didn't understand the deeper meaning of the old lady's words. She just felt that the old lady was blaming the old man for his poor performance as an official and for teaching poor principles. Then she heard the old man admit his mistakes and beg for forgiveness, and he started coughing again.

"Cough, cough, cough, you didn't even cough when you were talking nonsense just now!" The old lady said this, but when she heard the noise, she patted the old man on the back.

Mother Zhuo smiled and asked Qisheng to pour a bowl of hot tea and bring it in.

Zhenyi walked out of the courtyard unknowingly and did not hear her grandmother's accusations against her grandfather.

Zhenyi stood outside the courtyard gate, looking out at the vast world and mountains, her ears echoing with her grandfather's words: "Only when one person achieves great success can the world achieve small success."

Standing in such a vast world, one always feels insignificant, and Zhenyi is no exception.

Zhenyi recalled that two years ago she had asked her grandfather where the myriad orders of the four seasons between heaven and earth came from.

Grandfather replied: [Maybe it is God.]

At that time Zhenyi was stunned. She had asked her grandfather many questions, but her grandfather had never used God's words as an answer. Hadn't her grandfather always been against what God said?
[But it must not be those gods that are whitewashed and pushed to the front of people, just to make people content with the status quo and suffer.] At that time, Wang Zhefu said: [The 'God' that truly nurtures all things is invisible. In other words, it is a kind of 'truth', a kind of 'Tao'. As for where it is, what it looks like, why it exists, and why it creates people and things...]

When Wang Zhefu said this, he slowly shook his head and said to his granddaughter: [It is still unknown and needs to be explored.]

At this moment, Zhenyi felt vaguely that the process of people's search for truth and true God might be the process of the world's progress.

She is so insignificant, but her thirst for knowledge finally has concrete meaning and purpose.

The world is vast, but she can stand firmly.

The road ahead is endless and the mountains block her view, but this does not prevent her from wanting to lift the fog of theology and see the truth of the true God.

This thought made Zhenyi's heart surge, making her extremely excited and extremely calm.

Zhenyi stood quietly outside the door. Juzi squatted in the yard and looked at the young figure. He couldn't help but wonder what Zhenyi did afterwards? What kind of person did she become? Such a talented and hardworking person must be very powerful!

Orange thought of it as a matter of course and couldn't help but sit up straighter, feeling proud of it in advance.

But...can a cat live that long?

　Good morning~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)