CH 83

After class ended, Cui Xie reviewed class material with Teaching Assistant Xie for a while. By the time he returned home, it was almost time for dinner. 

Teacher Lu and the carpenter were waiting for Cui Xie’s return home.

Cui Xie dealt with the important matters first and asked servants to arrange food and drink to entertain Teacher Lu. He first met the carpenter in the small courtyard and asked if it was possible to craft the Old Laoye a chair that was as wide and spacious as a rocking chair and fitted with wheels on both sides, the equivalent of a wooden wheelchair.

Additionally, there was no need to use stiff and expensive timber, it was better to use light and flexible wood instead. It was preferable that the left and right armrests were adjustable. Either, it could be flattened out or dismantled, which would make it easier to carry and set a person down.

If it was possible to craft a wheelchair, then he would also commission for a nursing bed: Mechanical bearing equipment was to be installed in the middle of the bed board, and by twisting the rotating machinery, half of the bed board could be lifted and the elder’s upper body could be propped up.

According to the image of a typical hospital nursing bed in his memory, Cui Xie drew a diagram for the carpenter using charcoal and asked if the carpenter could make it.

The carpenter was an experienced craftsman specially found by Cui Liangdong. One part of his beard was already graying and his hands were littered with scars. His fingertips were also coarse and blunt, but his fingers were extremely nimble. He took the charcoal pencil from Cui Xie’s hands and drew in wooden frames on both sides of the bed with thin wires attached to the bed as well as wires hanging off of the frames on top. He then laterally added a capstan, pointed to the diagram and said, “To install such machinery from the bottom like the Young Master suggested is a bit difficult. But, if you install a few slings here, when you want to hoist the bed up, one can call someone to turn the capstan. This will make it easier to use borrowed, multiplied force.”

Yes yes, one could save effort by using a block and tackle pulley system.

What Cui Xie had in mind was the one person bed used in hospitals while the carpenter was thinking of the large beds used by ordinary people. The result of the drawing was naturally different. Seeing that the carpenter’s design was more practical than his own and the fact that he wasn’t some transmigrated engineer, Cui Xie simply entrusted the matter to the expert: “Then let’s first make these two designs. I’ll have to trouble the master to handle this matter with care. My Grandfather has been chronically ill and reclining in bed for a long time, his bones are weak and debilitated. I am afraid that it would be uncomfortable to sit up so suddenly. We as the younger generation cannot stand in for his illness and can only put in some effort on some sitting equipment.”

The old craftsman wheezed out a sigh and said, “Where can one find such a filial descendant like Young Master? For ordinary families with a sick patient, it is considered filial enough to help freshen one’s body and help to prevent the patient from developing bedsores. Who would think of making a bed that could help them sit up? Young Master can be at ease, I have made a wheelchair before and will be sure to make it spacious and comfortable for the old da-ren to use. As for the bed, this matter will need some more deliberation.”

Cui Xie instructed Cui Liangdong to set down a deposit of five taels of silver first and asked the carpenter to polish the timber carefully later on. Seeing those clumps of money entwined with snow-white filamentous threads of silver, the old craftsman laughed so hard that his wrinkles blossomed and he declined, “Actually, there is no need for so much. It is enough to make a deposit of one or two silver taels. Young Master has such a large residence to take care of, how can this old man not believe that you will not pay on time?”

These five taels were not only money for commissioning the wheelchair and bed. Cui Xie smiled and said, “This is nothing much and Uncle can just accept it. There is no principle of having to fill in gaps with one’s own money while working. At this time, the bed does not seem easy to craft. It’s fine to just build the wheelchair first. In addition, I would like to request your help in building a paper pavilion and paper veranda commonly used in the South——”

The South did not have fire kangs and most relied on adding more charcoal to the fire to pass one’s winter. When the weather turned cold, scholars would paste turtle-patterned rice paper on their bed frames and enclose the bed from all four sides, all the way to the floor. In addition, paper would be pasted on the roof of the bed frames, making a “paper pavilion”. On the inside, one could burn charcoal, which was both warm and economized charcoal usage.

This was also historical material cited in the 《Papermaking》Chapter in his ancient chemistry book. He had stumbled across such a design when researching the current state of knowledge in papermaking and printing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. When he had first arrived in Qian’an that winter, he had wanted to build a paper pavilion for the rear courtyard’s workshop. Later on, because the artisans thought it was inconvenient to get in and out, in the end, it was an incomplete project.

For ordinary people, that paper pavilion was only useful in a couple of instances. But it in regards to Old Patriarch Cui, this kind of chronically ill patient, it could be considered truly useful: If the screens were made densely and airtight, with translucent window screen paper pasted around it, wouldn’t he be able to enjoy the view outside the pavilion while sitting within its warm confines? If he connected the doorways with an airtight veranda extending outside, if someone pushed the Old Laoye along for a walk, perhaps, it could improve his spirits by a good deal.

Besides, it was only made of wood and paper so the cost was not very high. The panels could be stored in the warehouse when not in use and it would not prevent others from entering or leaving.

Cui Xie instructed Cui Liandong to escort the craftsman/carpenter back. Tomorrow during the day, the craftsman would come back to measure the verandas and gates so as to build custom paper window panels. Cui Xie then changed into a set of cyan straight-bodied robes, donned a fangjin and headed towards the front courtyard to greet Teacher Lu.

Teacher Lu had been waiting for him in the Flower Hall and was currently pouring his own drink. Seeing Cui Xie enter, he raised his eyelids to face the gates and regarded the scene. This motion revealed a small, bony square-shaped face that seemed to be about forty-years-old. It was accompanied by deep-set of creased lines between the brows. The man indifferently stated, “It turns out Cui anshou has arrived, you must excuse me for not going out to meet you.”

He looked very different from how Cui Xie had envisioned him to be. The person was a bit dark and his brows were wrinkled, which made one’s complexion seem somewhat gloomy. There was a sense of loneliness hovering about his body, making him seem unsociable. 

Upon entering, Cui Xie raised a cupped fist salute as an apology, “Should have come to see Teacher earlier, it is just that after returning home, there were many different matters to attend to. Hence why I was only able to take out some time now.”

Teacher Lu lowly snorted and downed his drink, “Cui anshou has exhausted one’s effort in his studies, knowledgeable and competent in business. Whatever learning acquired was comprehended by one’s own endeavors. Why would you need to come and look after this incompetent, undeserving teacher who only hampers his students’ progress?”

Cui Xie’s salute was treated with a cold shoulder and was left hanging in the air. He awkwardly replied, “In my early years of learning, Teacher Lu has taught….”

Teacher Lu continued, “Just what have I taught you? Even if I did teach you some points of filial piety, fraternal duty, sincerity, respect, poetry, etiquette and rites, or give a brief outline and elucidated some doctrines and principles, I could not make you comprehend the merits of self-restraint and cultivate your performance. It is I, as a Teacher, that lacks the ability.”

After stringing these comments together, seeing that Cui Xie did not seem to understand, his face unconsciously darkened a bit and he directly asked: “When I was teaching you 《The Great Learning》, just how did I lecture you on the philosophy of studying the underlying principle to acquire knowledge? How Zhu Xi replied to Uncle Wu, have you forgotten all these words? Prior to studying the underlying principles to acquire knowledge, one must first possess self-restraint and cultivate, after that, one can quell the disturbed and confused heart so as to concentrate on learning!”

He simply gnashed his teeth and said, “People have said that I am incapable of teaching, having delayed such a child prodigy. I also speculated that since I had taught you some sprinkles of miscellaneous teachings to clear your mind, that they would have been of some use in your studies and essay compositions. Only now did I realize what people had said was the truth. What I had taught you had never completely entered your heart at all…”

It was not that Cui Xie could not remember. It was just that the person who learned it was not him. Cui Xie took a few steps back, unable to bear to look at Teacher Lu.

But, Teacher Lu interpreted this as Cui Xie possessing a guilty conscience and stood up in front of him, holding back his anger, “Up until now, I have shamelessly stayed behind in the Cui Residence, but this was all for the purpose of meeting the Eldest Young Master to ask about your side of things.” There was a faint layer of impatience rising up from his brows and he impolitely asked, “When I was your Teacher, have you ever once felt I was not attentive enough? You spent three days fishing and two days to dry the net[1], but when did I not persuade and teach you otherwise? Or was it because I had not arranged enough homework and supervised your recitations enough?”

Cui Xie was simply speechless

He really could not have imagined beforehand that coming to see an ex-Teacher would just be like meeting a girlfriend after having been broken up for many years, and he had to listen to this kind of aggrieved complaints.

But, Teacher Lu seemed so bold and confident of his convictions. Perhaps, he hadn’t necessarily truly delayed Cui Xie’s studies in the beginning? After all, this Teacher had only taught the original Cui Xie for two years.

Cui Xie could clearly feel that this body did not originally have a highly retentive memory or an exceptional aptitude for thinking fast. He was now at this level thanks to his education of more than ten years in his previous life and the various studying methods and dialectical thinking he had mastered. Thanks to his golden cheat, the hard disk, he could also study until midnight every day without worrying about becoming nearsighted.

Cui Xie secretly shook his head and first tried to appease the other party, “Teacher, quell one’s anger, I was too young and did not understand…..”

Teacher Lu’s complexion darkened another degree and the muscles on his face were faintly quivering. Forcefully restraining himself, he emotionally replied, “Under Cui da-ren’s invitation, I stayed behind in this residence to teach the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master and even taught all the early learning books. Except for taking time off to prepare for the examinations, I do not dare to hamper my students’ progress and lead them astray! When all is said and done, I just do not understand in what area my teaching was lacking to the point that a once-in-a-generation pearl was covered in dust under my teaching, that even a countryside xiucai could teach better than me….”

“Teacher Lu.” Cui Xie’s voice was not loud, but he interrupted the other firmly: “At the beginning, this student was not open-minded and did not have the capacity for clear thinking and hence, could not learn anything. It is no wonder that Teacher blames me. But, when I was studying with Teacher Lin in the countryside, he also devoted all his knowledge in teaching me. Without Teacher Lin, I would not be where I am today. This student was uneducated at that time and can only blame myself. Hoping that Teacher Lu will not involve Teacher Lin.”

Teacher Lu was gasping for breath and could not seem to calm down. He was so choked up that his complexion became increasingly dark. He turned his body and sullenly faced the wall, seething as he breathed.

An uncle who was not very good looking was as tsundere as a ten-year-old lolita. Cui Xie may not find it awkward but those who looked at it would find it awkward ah!…..

Cui Xie wished he could just cover his eyes.

Teacher Lu seethed at the wall for a while before turning around and raised his hands in a cupped fist salute, “Now that Eldest Young Master is in the Imperial College, the Second Young Master is not present and the Third Young Master is still young, I’m afraid it’s better to find a xiucai to begin schooling. Lu-mo is of humble talent and shallow learning, I don’t dare to tarry these great talents in the Cui Residence. Today, since I am in the Eldest Young Master’s presence, I am resigning from this post!”

Cui Xie hurriedly stopped him, “Sir cannot leave. Now that my Father is far away in Yunnan and the two elders are advanced in age, if Teacher Lu is not here, who can I entrust my three brothers and sisters to?”

Teacher Lu coldly retorted, “How can Lu-mo, a man in their prime, teach a Young Miss?”

Wait, but Teacher Lu looked to be in his forties? Even in the modern era, such an age could barely be considered as one’s illustrious years. In an era such as the Ming Dynasty, how could it be considered to be one’s prime ah!

Cui Xie’s mind was almost drowned by this barrage, but on the account that this gentleman was a juren and had taught the original Cui Xie the mogu-style lotus painting, he was still reluctant to let him leave.

Cui Xie grabbed the Teacher’s thin wrist and easily dragged the other over to the table. He poured a cup of wine and toasted, offering up the cup with both hands, gently persuading, “Teacher must forgive my discourtesy. Just now, when Sir lectured me on the theory of studying the underlying principles to acquire knowledge, the way of knowing and doing, I was unable to recall it for a moment, this is my fault. In the past, I was unable to comply with Sir’s teachings, it is because we did not have such fate and due to an unexpected turn of events. If the Sir is unwilling to stay in the Cui Residence because of the rumors, then I will put up a poster outside the gates tomorrow to let the people know that Teacher Lu is talented and virtuous. It was because of my filial piety towards my Grandparents’ health that I failed to concentrate on studying, nothing more.”

Teacher Lu coldly snorted with the wine glass in his hand and watched Cui Xie down three glasses of wine in a row before he drank.

Although he had drunk the wine, he still needed to put on his airs. Teacher Lu looked at Cui Xie’s bowed face and dispiritedly said, “I do not care about such gossip and I have no need for you to post such notices. In the past, I did not teach you well and I do not have the face to claim the title as your Teacher——But I have to teach you something, so as to let the world know that I, Lu Boshan, is not without learning or skills and isn’t a Teacher who tarries his student’s learning just for earning the salary of a private teacher!”

After Cui Xie became famous, it was not Official Cui who had suffered the most in the capital. It was actually Teacher Lu. Anyone who mentioned this Qian’an prodigy would say a few words behind his back and gossiped that Cui Xie’s former Teacher had delayed him.

Teacher Lu did not even go out to feast at banquets all year and was full of anger as he sat at home. Fortunately, Official Cui had not terminated his post, otherwise he would have gotten the reputation of ‘The Master thought he was incompetent and would delay the studies of the remaining two sons’. If that had happened, he would really be unable to stay in the capital any longer.

Before the meeting today, he had already been set on leaving the capital. He had simply wanted to see Cui Xie one last time, resign in person and leave with the moral high ground. But seeing this youth draped in the halo of being a Little Tertiary Winner and having cultivated a somewhat magnificent bearing, after such an earnest plea for him to stay, he could help but feel a bit tempted. As such, he was reluctant to leave.

Even if this student was not serious about studying under him, it would be good just to teach a few Confucian principles.

Due to this hesitation, he had been held down by Cui Xie who had even poured wine as a form of apology and strenuously persuaded him to stay. After making a show of resistance, Teacher Lu yielded and drank a few cups of wine, agreeing to stay in the Cui Residence. Using the lid of the wine jar to cover his face, he insisted that Cui Xie try to find the time to follow after him to learn some things.

Cui Xie’s studying was now completely examination-oriented, how could he have the time and mind to engage in philosophy? Hence, he bargained and said that he wanted to learn painting from Teacher Lu and also conveniently brought up Cui Qi and asked the Teacher to teach him as well.

Teacher Lu was angry but also found it laughable: “Painting is merely but a small skill that helps to spread feeling and cultivate free-flowing thought. You want to learn this from me? Later on, when I meet my peers, could it be that as a juren, that I am unworthy of even being a guest teacher and can only be a painter?”

Teacher Lu wanted to stand up from his chair but seeing Cui Xie’s hands resting on the table and recalling the youth’s strength that would cause him to be unable to get up, he simply sat there and stared at the other.

Cui Xie sighed, “This student is still young and my knowledge is shallow. I am afraid that I will not be able to understand philosophical truths and will infuriate the Teacher. Besides, the Imperial College has a heavy workload and this student also has to take care of the residence’s affairs, simultaneously attending to career, family and education. I’m afraid that it will be hard to handle everything and hope that the Teacher can empathize with my situation.”

Teacher Lu knew of the residence’s situation and remembered that Cui Xie was a youth who had just come of age who still had to study, take care of such a big family and was so busy that he did not return home until dinner time. If he gave him any more work, Teacher Lu  was afraid that he would break the other’s spine in half with such a burden.

So be it. He could take a step back as a Teacher.

Teacher Lu continued, “Since I am a guest teacher of your residence, it is only right that I listen to the arrangements of the Official, how can I wrench you under my wing? I will do my best to teach the students who should be taught. But, every three or five days, you must come over to listen to a lecture of mine. I won’t discuss any philosophical principles with you and it is not my turn to lecture on the classics…have you learned to compose poetry with Teacher Lin?”

He had initially wanted Cui Xie to recite a verse and see whether the way Teacher Lin corrected him was done properly and neatly or whether the meaning was deep or not. He had to pick out some faults so it was easier for him to amend and give pointers.

Cui Xie did not even bother to select a poem to recite out loud and directly got up, pouring wine, “This student is slow-witted and had never once learned how to compose poetry. In the future, I hope that Teacher Lu will provide guidance.”

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