Chapter Ninety-Five: That Monkey Has No Interest in Studying

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After school, Su Lu returned home to find Chun Geer standing at the stairway waiting for him.

“Big brother,” Su Lu quickly saluted with proper decorum, wary of inviting criticism.

“Open your mouth,” his elder brother instructed.

“Huh?” Su Lu instinctively opened his mouth.

Chun Geer deftly placed a piece of sorghum candy into his mouth.

“Oh?” Su Lu murmured unclearly while sucking on the candy, “You really treat me like a treasure.”

“It’s a reward,” Chun Geer finally broke into a grateful smile. “Thanks for what you’ve done for me.”

Su Lu suddenly realized, “Oh, ‘The Monkey King’? Big brother told them the story?”

“Mm, it worked very well!” Su Man clenched his fist tightly. “The students now regard me as Master Bodhi. I told them to learn from Sun Wukong, respect their teachers, and devote themselves to study.”

“Pfft...” Su Lu almost spat out the candy. “Big brother, that monkey wasn’t exactly studious.”

“What do you mean?” Su Man was momentarily puzzled.

“Blame me for not telling you the whole story,” Su Lu said with a wry smile. “That guy was arrogant and restless. He learned some skills, then thought he was amazing. He recklessly showed off the secret techniques his master taught him privately, got Master Bodhi trapped in wax, and was expelled from the sect.”

“That’s certainly improper,” Su Man said. “The fellow disciples would think the master was biased.”

“That’s not all. After he left, he used his skills to storm the Dragon Palace and the Underworld, causing chaos wherever he went. Eventually, he wreaked havoc in Heaven itself, driving the Jade Emperor to hide under a table.” Su Lu had to give his brother a brief summary of the plot.

“That won’t do. I can’t teach a bunch of monkeys like that,” Su Man exclaimed. “Qiu Geer, you should change the story. Make that monkey a gentle, humble, frugal, and respectful gentleman monkey who serves Heaven loyally and faithfully all his life.”

“How can that be?” Su Lu shook his head resolutely. “That monkey is so captivating precisely because of his flaws. Without them, what meaning would he have?”

“True...” Su Man thought it over and sighed. “But then it’s hard to combine entertainment with teaching.”

“Big brother, when we tell stories, we should just tell stories. Why insist on moral lessons that annoy people? Isn’t that boring?” Su Lu sighed. “Kids get educated every day at school. You can teach all you want but can’t get through to them. Can one story suddenly make them learn? That’s impossible.”

“Indeed.” Su Man shook his head.

“So just let them enjoy a story, have some fun, isn’t that better?” Su Lu suggested.

“...” Su Man pondered for a long time, then nodded. “You’re right. I was being greedy.”

“You’ve been taught since childhood to ‘extinguish human desires and preserve heavenly principles,’ so it’s normal to think like that,” Su Lu said softly. “Unlike me, I entered the monastery midway and trust nothing.”

“Then what do you believe in?” Su Man also spoke quietly.

“How should I know?” Su Lu smiled bitterly. “I think Zhu Xi is wrong, but I still rely on him for the imperial exams. I can’t eat someone’s food and then break their pots, right? So for now, I’ll just go along.”

“You have wisdom, little brother. Guide me more in the future,” Su Man suddenly whispered in a faint voice.

“What? I didn’t hear you clearly, big brother, say it again?” Su Lu hurriedly leaned in, mischievous to the point of inviting a slap.

“Good words are not repeated. If you didn’t hear, forget it.” Su Man turned and walked away.

Su Lu followed behind, smiling as he asked, “If you won’t say it, then tell me where you left off. Do you still have material for tomorrow? You haven’t finished it all, right?”

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“Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid,” Chun Geer raised his sword-like brows. “The content you told me last night—I plan to tell them over ten days.”

“Big brother, that’s brutal. I was only planning for you to tell them for three days. Can’t keep the kids hanging that long; that’s inhumane. They might rebel...” Su Lu shared his seasoned experience. “At least one complete episode a day, then leave a hook to keep them interested.”

“Got it,” Su Man accepted humbly, then cleared his throat embarrassedly. “I was just worried that if I finished too soon, I’d have nothing left to tell.”

“So that’s it!” Su Lu laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, after the havoc in Heaven, that monkey gets included... no, he’ll follow Tang Xuanzang on the pilgrimage to the West. There are eighty-one hardships on the way—enough material to tell until winter.”

He chuckled. “By then, those kids will be well-versed in the story.”

“That’s good.” Su Man relaxed but then asked curiously, “Where did you get this story? I’ve read the ‘Great Tang Records on the Western Regions’ by Master Xuanzang at Heshan Academy—it’s just a straightforward travelogue.”

“Is that so? I forgot which classmate lent me a set of vernacular stories. I read this story there,” Su Lu answered vaguely. “I originally wanted to tell Jin Bao’er, but she’s too young to understand.”

“You’re thoughtful.” Su Man accepted the explanation and didn’t press about the origin of Journey to the West. After a moment, he said, “If ten days is too long, then seven days...”

“Up to you.” Su Lu sympathized with the children, stuck with a storyteller who updates like squeezing toothpaste.

~~

After dinner, Su Lu finished his homework and, as usual, attended his father’s lesson on tonal patterns.

Seeing his father’s lively demeanor, Su Lu asked, “Father, what’s got you so happy? Tell me so we can enjoy it together.”

“Next month’s fifteenth is your grandfather’s birthday, isn’t it?” Su Youcai tried to hold back but finally couldn’t.

“Yes.” Su Lu nodded. Their family was always a bit eccentric; birthdays coincided with the Ghost Festival, and instead of burning paper money, they celebrated with a feast—unusual to say the least. “Are we having a big celebration?”

“It’s not a milestone birthday, so no big fuss. Just a family meal.” Su Youcai chuckled. “Do you know what your grandfather said to me when you were away?”

“What did he say?”

“He said not to invite anyone but you and your godmother.” Su Youcai was so amused he felt lighter by two ounces.

“That’s good news!” Su Lu was pleased. “Grandpa finally came around. Your godmother is such a good person—how could he hide whenever she visits? It made her embarrassed to come.”

“Exactly,” Su Youcai laughed. “Too bad talking to us is useless. Only your grand-uncle and seventh uncle can sway him.”

“They talked to him?” Su Lu was surprised, thinking perhaps his godmother had called in reinforcements.

“Yes,” Su Youcai nodded. “They came by last night and persuaded your grandfather for a while. They said this is a critical time for survival, we must look at the big picture, maintain good relations with partners, and firmly bind your godmother to our Su family. Absolutely don’t let her original family take her back.”

“Wow.” Su Lu secretly admired his godmother’s strategy—like ‘holding the emperor hostage to command the lords.’

“At first your grandfather was unhappy, shouting he’d never forgive that ‘maid Cheng’! But your grand-uncle wisely said precisely because it’s difficult, you must treat his daughter even better, turn her into your own daughter. Who’d be the one suffering? Then your grandfather smiled.” Su Youcai laughed as he spoke:

“And today he told me this very thing.”

“Grandpa was pretending not to understand,” Su Lu chuckled softly. “If he truly opposed your godmother, he wouldn’t have agreed to this marriage in the first place. Before, it was only to silence gossip and create space for you all.”

“What space?” Su Youcai, like his father, feigned ignorance.

“Then why are you so happy?” Su Lu teased, ready to expose him.

“Ahem, time for class. Have you understood everything? You’re talking more and more nonsense.” Su Youcai gave him a sharp look, ending the awkward but joyful topic.

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~~

Once immersed in study, Su Lu became completely focused, almost intimidating.

After months of training, his tonal pattern exercises reached an advanced stage. Su Youcai called it “filling tones by following the tune,” meaning “using set tune patterns to practice tonal rules.”

“Poetry has strict metrics, but after a while, it’s just a few patterns repeated, offering limited help in writing,” Su Youcai explained. “That’s when lyrics shine. There are seven or eight hundred tune patterns preserved, with all kinds of lengths and rhythms—enough for you to write until the end of time.”

“Then why not start directly with lyrics?” Su Lu asked, puzzled.

“Nonsense! You want to run before you learn to walk?!” Su Youcai snapped.

“Poetry is the mother of lyrics, lyrics are the leftover of poetry, you understand? Lyrics evolved from poetic metrics but are more flexible in sentence structure, rhyme, and rhythm. Of course, you must learn poetry first before lyrics.”

“Got it.” Su Lu nodded.

“Lyrics have fixed patterns, like ‘Remembering Jiangnan.’ The opening line starts with a level tone, and the last line must rhyme with a level tone.” Su Youcai opened a lyric manual and explained, stopping at a tune called ‘Ballad of Cangwu,’ also known as ‘The Sixteen-Character Order.’ The whole lyric has sixteen characters, three level rhymes, making it the shortest lyric, perfect for practice.

He instructed Su Lu, “Follow this tune pattern and compose a lyric.”

Su Lu studied the pattern:

Level (rhyme),
Oblique oblique level level oblique oblique level (rhyme).
Level level oblique,
Level oblique oblique level level (rhyme).

Having endured rigorous training, a familiar short lyric came to mind and slipped out effortlessly:

“Mountain, the swift horse spurs on without dismounting.
Startled, I turn back, three feet three from the sky.”

“Wow, that’s an impressive fill,” Su Youcai said respectfully. “Bold and passionate, very much like your ancestor’s style!”

Su Lu thought the old man’s lyrics weren’t just romantic but revolutionary... No choice—most of the Tang and Song poetry he memorized came from him.

“That’s from somewhere I forgot, not my own,” he hurried to clarify.

“I knew it. If you could fill lyrics like that right away, I’d think you were a reincarnation of our ancestor.” Su Youcai relaxed and then instructed, “Now use ‘Summer’ as your theme and fill one yourself.”

Su Lu hesitated, “’Summer’ is an oblique tone, but aren’t we supposed to start with a level tone rhyme?”

“You only know half the story,” Su Youcai smiled. “Starting with a level tone rhyme is true, but there are variations where an oblique tone leads, followed by level rhymes. Here, ‘Summer’ is a lead word and doesn’t count as rhyme.”

“I see.” Su Lu nodded, noting how scholars often patched their rules.

After some thought, he wrote:

“Summer, the lotus breeze carries fragrance past the willow embankment.
Cicadas roar, the sunny day fills the front creek.”