Film and Television World Life Record

In the evening, Xiao Chan started gossiping about the Su family again.

“Young master, you don’t know, now the whole Su family knows you are a great talent, and they all praise Miss for her good taste in finding such a good husband.”

"Also, I heard that you, son-in-law, will soon be going to a private school to become a teacher."

Xiao Chan chattered on and on, and Li Mu finally understood. The talent he displayed left the Su family with no room for further debate about his future.

People used to talk about becoming an accountant in a shop or a manager in a small store, but now nobody dares to mention it.

To appoint a talented scholar, who is quite famous throughout Jiangning, as an accountant or manager is an insult to scholars. The Su family cannot bear such a thing.

Moreover, if you actually did that, you would definitely become the laughingstock of other families. So many families have spent countless resources trying to cultivate a famous talent but to no avail. Your wasteful approach is simply short-sighted and unwise.

Even if he were to teach at a private school, given Li Mu's reputation and the talent he has displayed, it would be a waste of his abilities, and in the future, people would inevitably say that the Su family was being harsh on this talented man.

However, apart from this private school, the Su family really had nowhere else to place him.

……

In just a few days, the matter was settled, and Old Master Su even called him over for a chat.

The Su family's private school was called Yushan Academy. Of course, there was no Yushan nearby. It was said to be a mountain in the Su family's ancestral land, so they used it to name the private school.

Besides recruiting members of the Su family, this place also accepts outsiders with connections, including the sons of the managers under the Su family.

The academy was not far from the Su family home, located on a quiet street, with gray tiles and white walls, and a small bamboo grove inside.

The sign for "Yushan Academy" is said to have been written by a great Confucian scholar at great expense, and once inside, there is indeed a scholarly atmosphere.

The academy has seven teachers, a fairly strong faculty. The headmaster, Su Chonghua, is a member of the Su family. He passed the imperial examination in his early years and served as an official for a few years, but it is said that he did not achieve much and could only return to teach and cultivate the next generation of the Su family.

Besides teachers and students, there were also servants such as cooks and handymen.

Su Chonghua was quite polite to Li Mu, perhaps because of his reputation, or perhaps because he was the future husband of Su Tan'er, who would take over the family business.

After all, he's a seasoned veteran of the underworld; he wouldn't do something as pointless as making things difficult for someone without reason. Especially someone like him who looks like someone you don't want to mess with.

Originally, Li Mu was neither talented nor famous, and his academic knowledge was unknown. According to Old Master Su's plan, he was to take care of the young children who had just begun their education.

Now that Li Mu's talent and reputation have spread far and wide, this arrangement is clearly inappropriate.

Grandpa Su had also spoken with Li Mu about this matter, saying that it was indeed a bit of a waste for him to teach children with his talent and learning. Sending him to the academy was just to give him something to do, not to confine him to the academy, and he wouldn't have to take on much teaching responsibility.

Su Chonghua also understood what Old Master Su meant. After communicating with Li Mu, he decided that Li Mu would be in charge of a small course with flexible hours, only needing to come to the academy once every one or two days.

Li Mu readily agreed; that was a good idea, as he wouldn't create unnecessary work for himself.

……

After consulting with two teachers at the academy, Li Mu discovered that in ancient times, it was actually quite simple to become an ordinary schoolteacher rather than a famous teacher.

In particular, unlike in modern times, there were not many disciplines or textbooks in ancient times. Starting with elementary education such as the Three Character Classic, and then moving on to the Four Books and Five Classics, there were only so many books.

Many books are read over and over again, studied year after year, not only memorized fluently, but also thoroughly familiar with the meaning and spelling of every word and phrase.

In the imperial examinations, one had to be able to write a substantial essay based on any sentence taken from the Four Books and Five Classics.

Therefore, his role as a teacher was extremely simple.

Yushan Academy itself was essentially a primary school. Once the children of the Su family reached their teens, if they showed some talent in studying, they would be sent to official schools or some well-known academies.

Those who study here are either very young or have average academic talent, so they don't need to learn many things.

Li Mu would usually lead them to read the book several times, then have them continue reading while swaying their heads. Once they were familiar with it, he would give a preliminary explanation of the book's meaning and then have them continue reading.

Only after the text can be recited and written from memory should a more in-depth explanation be given.

If they can't read well or memorize, the ruler isn't just for show; a few slaps on the hand can give them a complete childhood.

The parents here quite like the strict teachers. If a student doesn't study well, a slap on the hand is the least of their worries. Even if the student's bottom is swollen from a beating, the parents will only thank the teacher and think that the teacher is responsible.

A teaching style that involves getting along well with students and even becoming their friend is naturally good for them. However, parents may perceive such teachers as frivolous, undignified, or even disrespectful.

Correspondingly, in the ancient environment of respecting teachers, the students' reverence for their teachers was incomparable to that of today. After all, in ancient times, teachers were supreme, and among the four cardinal virtues—heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teachers—teachers were ranked only after parents.

……

After spending half a day at the academy, I returned to the small building and heard Xing'er teasing Xiao Chan and Juan'er again with the phrase "sharing the same moon across a thousand miles".

Xiao Chan was initially a little shy, wondering why her husband would write about her. But after being teased so much, she stopped caring. After all, she was now her husband's personal maid, the closest to him among all the maids. Seeing the poem about sharing the same moon across a thousand miles, and thinking about being written about in a poem, she even felt a little happy.

Juan'er's feelings were complicated. She hadn't had much contact with her son-in-law, but he had included her in his writings. Whenever she thought about it, she couldn't help but have some wild thoughts.

Sometimes, when Xing'er teases her too much, she gets so embarrassed that her face turns bright red, and she thinks to herself, "Why did the son-in-law write this sentence? Why did he include me and Xiao Chan?"

As a result, every time she saw Li Mu these past few days, she kept her head down and her face was flushed.

The one with the most complicated feelings was Su Tan'er.

I originally thought I was marrying a bookworm, but after getting to know him, I discovered that he seems to have some talent, and recently I've found out that he might actually be a great scholar.

Su Tan'er was naturally happy that her husband was becoming more and more outstanding, but she found herself increasingly unable to understand him. In the context of ancient times, even the most intelligent and independent girl, once married, could not help but care about her husband!

In the midst of her busy days, Su Tan'er also sent Xing'er to the alley where her husband used to live.

Such things had been done before the marriage. At that time, the information I found out was that my husband stayed at home reading all day and rarely went out. He was a rather honest and dull person!

As it turned out, after spending these days together, my husband was nothing like what I had heard.

This time, Xing'er went to inquire again, and the results were equally unexpected, even polarized.

Some people were clearly puzzled for a long time when they heard Ning Yi's name. It was only after Xing'er reminded them several times that he was a man living in a certain house and courtyard that they gradually remembered.

You mean that bookworm?

Or: "Are you asking about that Ning family boy? I heard he married into some family somewhere."

"You ask about his academic achievements? Who knows? I imagine they're not good. If he were so academically accomplished, why would he marry into a wealthy family? He probably took this path because he felt hopeless about achieving fame and fortune."

I found out that there were completely opposite versions of the story.

"Liheng! How could I not know? I watched him grow up. This child has been extraordinary since he was little, incredibly intelligent. I heard even Master Zou praised him as a child prodigy with a bright future. Haven't you heard of the poem 'Prelude to Water Melody' he wrote? You think only a child prodigy could write that!"

Some people said, "Liheng, his scholarship has always been amazing, but he is relatively low-key and steady, and doesn't like to compare himself with others. Unlike those so-called Jiangning talents, who don't have much knowledge but have a loud reputation, Liheng is so down-to-earth and low-key. I told you long ago that he would definitely show his talent one day. Look, after playing Shui Diao Ge Tou, you know how amazing Liheng is! I heard that our most famous talents in Jiangning, Young Master Li and Young Master Cao, are both inferior to him."

"As for why Liheng married into the family, it's all because of him. He's too good-natured, too honest, and too committed to his promises. The elders arranged the marriage, and he has to keep his word. He knows that a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Fame and fortune are nothing compared to a word of trust to him."

"Of course, I've also heard that Miss Su Tan'er of the Su family is a stunning beauty, a woman of unparalleled beauty. She and Li Heng fell in love at first sight and made vows of eternal love. Li Heng was willing to marry into the family to live with her so as not to let her down. It's just a pity that my brother Li Heng is so deeply in love. To keep his promise and to not let Miss Su Tan'er down, he was willing to give up fame and fortune and become a live-in son-in-law."

Xing'er listened in stunned silence, and walked out of the alley with a head full of question marks.

Afterwards, she went to Master Zou, who had taught Ning Yi, but unfortunately Master Zou had passed away a year earlier. When she inquired, Master Zou's widow barely remembered ever having such a student.

After Xing'er repeatedly reminded him, she even mentioned writing the poem "Shuidiao Getou," before Master Zou's widow seemed to realize what was happening and exclaimed, "You mean Liheng!" Then she showered him with praise, calling him a child prodigy and exceptionally talented.

He also said how much Master Zou valued him in the past and how diligently he taught him. Ning Yi's talent and fame today are largely due to his own innate ability, but also related to Master Zou's careful cultivation.

However, Xing'er always felt that her words seemed to be made up on the spot, and she even emphasized Master Zou's contribution at the end.

Seeing that the Zou family was indeed not doing well, after all, the pillar of the family had been lost, Xing'er went back and consulted with Su Tan'er, and then sent several strings of cash, some rice, flour and cooking oil in Ning Yi's name.

After making inquiries, Su Tan'er was momentarily stunned, as there were all sorts of conflicting accounts.

"She's confused about what kind of person her husband really is?"

Fortunately, she stopped dwelling on it. They were already married, and he was better than she had imagined in every way. With such a husband, what more could she ask for?

……

In the following days, when Su Tan'er went out to discuss business, she clearly felt a slight difference. People were more polite to her and paid more attention to her.

Some of the businesses that Su's family had dealings with were from scholarly families. Despite these business dealings, the inherent reserve of these people, their disdain or indifference towards merchants or suddenly wealthy households, would still inadvertently show.

This time, these people remained reserved, but their attitude was much better. Occasionally, they would ask, "Is Ning Yi and Ning Liheng your husband?" and then praise him with a poem.

It seems that because of her husband, she has shed the label of a simple merchant's daughter in people's eyes. To be able to make such a talented man fall at her feet, she must be extraordinary. Perhaps she is also a talented woman.

It's true that many people in the city are now saying that this Miss Su Tan'er of the Su family is not only a beauty of unparalleled grace, but also a talented woman proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which is why Ning Yi was willing to become her son-in-law.

True and false, false and true.

Su Tan'er's appearance is indeed stunning, and adding the title of a talented woman to the list seems perfectly reasonable. Otherwise, how could she attract a talented man like Ning Yi with just her beauty and no talent?

Because of Li Mu, Su Tan'er is now also shrouded in a small halo of talent.

As the daughter of a merchant, she understood the weight of this attention and prestige. At least when she took over the family business, there would be much less resistance from both the inside and outside.

She never expected that her husband's action would have such a significant impact on her; after all, scholars have a high social status!

It's often said that businessmen are driven by profit, and that's certainly true. Money can solve many problems, but in terms of social status, it's not particularly high.

Every year, the local area suffers from major and minor disasters, and despite their financial and logistical contributions, they rarely receive the necessary attention.

The Su family established schools and invested heavily in education, hoping to produce scholars who could achieve official rank, shed their merchant label, and join the ranks of the literati. She saw all of this clearly.

Not only the Su family, but the Pu family is the same. Every year they spend a lot of effort to hold the Pu Garden Poetry Gathering, which is also to get rid of the label of merchants and step into the circle of scholars. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the world today, the Pu family is still a wealthy merchant family, a nouveau riche, with only one foot in the circle of scholars.

The Wu Dynasty was, after all, a country ruled jointly by the government and the scholar-officials.

Unexpectedly, while the Su family's talent cultivation was still in its infancy and far from entering the circle of scholars, she had basked in her husband's glory, shedding the single label of a merchant's daughter, and even gaining a fabricated reputation for talent.

Chapter 590 Slippery Carts and Snacks

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather began to cool down, and even in late autumn, rain still fell from time to time. This completely dispelled the summer heat and brought a cool and refreshing world.

More than a month has passed since that poetry gathering. The first ten days or so were when this poem was at its most popular, receiving high praise and generating the most curiosity and discussion about it.