Chapter Seventy-One: Living This Life Well

On the three of them, their clothes hung in tatters, and their arms and legs were covered in dark red scabs—a result of wounds exposed to moisture. The old man, who had spent half his life fighting in the deep mountains and forests, was all too familiar with such injuries. At a glance, he knew exactly what they had been through. But since Su Youcai clearly didn’t wish to speak of it, he refrained from asking. Still, the hidden dangers in their wounds needed immediate attention. Back in the army, he’d seen too many brothers who seemed only lightly injured, only to develop fevers and collapse from exhaustion.

He told the eldest aunt to boil two pots of water—one to set aside to cool, and the other to heat with ashes and herbs until it steamed. He himself spent some time in his room, then emerged into the courtyard with an assortment of jars and bottles.

He had Su Youcai sit on a reclining chair and prop up his leg. Using boiled and cooled water and a strip of sterilized white cloth, the old man carefully cleaned away the blood crusts. Noting the redness and swelling around the wound, he picked up a porcelain bottle, took a mouthful of strong liquor, and sprayed it over the injury.

Su Youcai let out a wretched scream, nearly leaping off the chair.

"Bear it! Don’t shame me!" the old man barked.

Su Youcai could only bite down on his hand, stiff as a dead fish, letting his father tend the wound.

Once the liquor had been applied, the old man opened another small bottle and sprinkled a fine medicinal powder over the wound. "This is the golden wound salve we used in the army, mixed with coptis and borneol. It’ll draw the heat out."

Su Youcai dared not ask just which army days he meant—was it ten years ago?

The old man then tore a strip of clean linen and bound Su Youcai’s left leg tightly. "Don’t take this off tonight, or by morning you’ll be too swollen to stand."

After tending to all three in turn, he gave them each a pill to promote circulation and a powder to dispel the toxic miasma they might have absorbed. The first was to open the meridians and reduce swelling; the second, to drive out the lingering damp and poison.

Meanwhile, the kitchen water boiled. The eldest aunt, following the old man’s instructions, added angelica root, ligusticum, and dried ginger slices to the pot. He sprinkled in a packet of brown sugar as well, then told her to serve each of them a large bowl.

"Drink it while it’s hot! This is a remedy for fatigue from our marching days. Angelica invigorates the blood, ligusticum drives out the chill from your bones—sweat it out, and the exhaustion won’t take root."

Once the three had finished, the old man ordered them to lie down. He then began a vigorous massage to stimulate their blood flow.

The first to enjoy his treatment was Su Lu. The old man used acupressure, pressing with waves of force that penetrated deep. Su Lu writhed in agony, tossing and turning, howling like a hog on the chopping block.

"Hold still! Don’t make a spectacle!" Su Youcai chided his son, then asked curiously, "Father, how do you still have all these supplies after so many years out of the army?"

"It’s just like the saying—raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a single moment. One must always be prepared. What if fighting breaks out again? Where would you find these remedies then?" the old man replied coolly. Turning to Su Lu, he warned, "Brace yourself. The hard part is coming!"

With that, he pressed the acupoint behind Su Lu’s knees. Su Lu let out another wail, nearly springing upright.

"Sigh, the boy is hopeless," Su Youcai shook his head, disappointed by his son’s lack of fortitude.

Soon it was his own turn, and his cries outdid Su Lu’s—enough to drown out two slaughtered pigs together.

"If you ever land in the imperial prison, you’ll tell them anything they want," the old man mocked his second son.

Under his relentless hands, cries rang out in turns through the night, setting the dogs at Erlang Ford barking in chorus. It was past midnight before the three, utterly spent, collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Even the dogs of Erlang Ford, exhausted, finally slept.

Dragging his weary body out to close the doors, the old man felt completely wrung out. Months of carefully conserved energy had been utterly spent in one night.

"Blasted luck, who knows how long it’ll take to recover..." he grumbled, fumbling for a quid of betel leaf, but his hands shook so badly he couldn’t manage it.

It was the old lady who helped him, tucking the leaf in his mouth, taking off his shoes, and helping him into bed.

"Being an old man is endless toil and worry," he sighed, lying flat on his back and chewing the betel, a long breath escaping. "But at least I do it willingly..."

"What? Did you wet the bed?" The old woman, already lying down, jumped up in alarm.

"Lie down, would you! I’m not that far gone yet," he snapped. "Just talking to you to pass the time."

"You can’t go in the courtyard either!" she fussed. "Wait, I’ll get you the chamber pot."

"No need, I’m done." He turned over, ignoring her...

~~

Thanks to the old man’s careful tending, Su Lu neither developed a fever nor was bedridden the next morning; in fact, he was able to go to school. His gait, however, was anything but elegant—he waddled along like a duck out of water, and moved so slowly that Su Dan had to carry his book box for him, and they nearly arrived late.

At the academy, not a single classmate laughed at him; instead, they were amazed at how quickly Su Lu had made the round trip.

"You left on the fifth, and today’s the tenth," Master Ma marked his return in the attendance book, visibly shocked. "That’s only five days there and back—how did you manage it?"

"I just did," Su Lu replied, letting Li Qiyu help him to his seat. Even sitting down was a struggle; both his thighs ached unbearably.

"That’s incredible. You’re almost like the legendary fleet-footed hero," Li Qiyu said admiringly. "It took my father and me four full days just to reach Luzhou."

"That’s because you weren’t in a rush. I had to get back for classes," Su Lu explained with a wry smile. "I’m already behind, and if I miss more, I won’t stand a chance on the exam."

"Su, may I ask you something?" the effeminate Cheng Wanzhou inquired politely. "Is Luzhou on the south or north bank of the Yangtze?"

Su Lu burst out laughing, which made his sore belly hurt even more. "Why not just ask if I’ve ever been to Luzhou? Why be so roundabout?"

"He’s just afraid of being refuted again," Su Dan sneered. "He can’t help stirring up trouble."

"Nonsense, I’m just curious," Cheng Wanzhou insisted.

"People around here tend to assume Luzhou is on the same side of the river as us—the south bank," Su Lu told him. "But your question shows you know it’s actually on the north. Even if I hadn’t been, I’d still know the answer."

"Hmph, that wasn’t my intention," Cheng Wanzhou scoffed, turning away.

At that moment, Su Dan placed a neatly written set of notes on Su Lu’s desk. "Here, brother. I copied the lessons for you these past few days."

"Thank you, my good friend." Su Lu grinned, folding his hands in thanks. "I’ll treat you to something nice later..." He’d meant to say Dan Ying Sweet Dew, but that was surely out of season by now.

Lin Zhihong turned around and said, "Ask me if you have any questions."

"I was about to offer the same," Qiao Feng added with a smile.

"I’ll be asking all of you," Su Lu laughed. "There’s too much I don’t know. After the exams, I’ll treat everyone to a good drink."

"Deal!" the classmates cheered—except for Sanwan.

He thought to himself that he’d have to discuss this with his godmother to see if they could consider it a promotional event. Otherwise, he truly couldn’t afford it... But then Master Ma declared grandly, "No need. Since you’re strapped for cash, I’ll host!"

He gave Su Lu a meaningful smile. "And I haven’t even thanked you for all your help."

He wasn’t referring to the book box...

"Then I won’t stand on ceremony," Su Lu replied honestly, smiling. "Though I did regret it a little afterward."

Everyone burst into laughter. Unconsciously, Su Lu had already become part of Shengshen Hall, and seemed to be well-liked besides.

Just then, the drum signaling the start of class sounded. Master Ma immediately put on a stern face and commanded, "Stand up!"

The study hall fell silent as the students rose, watching as Master Zhang entered, walking slowly.

Master Zhang took his place behind the lectern, his gaze sweeping to the window-side corner. Seeing his beloved disciple finally returned, he allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief. After the students offered their greetings, he intoned, "Take your seats for the lesson."

"Yes, sir," the students responded, settling down as class began. Su Lu, seated by the window in the last row, listened with rapt attention.

The warm April breeze caressed his face. Master Zhang’s measured, sonorous lecturing, along with the spirited recitation of his classmates, made Su Lu feel as if he had returned from another world—yet filled him with a profound sense of peace.

Three months into the term, Master Zhang had reached the final chapter of the Analects: "Yao Said." After explaining Zhu Xi’s commentary and the key exam points, he repeated the last passage for all his disciples:

"Confucius said: ‘He who does not know fate cannot be a gentleman; he who does not know propriety cannot stand; he who does not know words cannot know men.’"

"To know destiny, to know propriety, to know words—these are the essentials for a gentleman’s conduct. The final chapter addresses the character of the gentleman, showing that the sage’s goal is to cultivate men of ideal character, to raise those who will govern and bring peace to the world." He added earnestly,

"But in truth, how many can truly reach such heights and govern the land? Most of us spend our lives struggling in the examination halls, never achieving fame or success. Should we then feel our lives have been wasted, that our study of the sages was in vain?"

"I pass these six words on to you: Even if you cannot govern the country, use them to guide your community and to better yourself. You will still make your contribution and live a life worthy of respect."

He finished with a gentle smile. "In that case, these ten years of study will not have been in vain."

"Yes, teacher. We shall heed your teaching," the disciples replied in unison.

~~

During the midday break, Zhang Yanqu led Su Lu into the preparation room and asked, "Are you sure you’re up to returning so soon?"

"I’m fine. The journey was hard on the body, but it gave my mind a rest. Now, back at school, my hunger for knowledge feels insatiable. Please, sir, give me extra assignments!" Su Lu replied eagerly.

"The exams are in a few days," Master Zhang sighed, worried. "If you don’t score this time, you’ll be in real trouble."

"Indeed," Su Lu agreed with a bitter smile. "If I fail now, I’ll have to get perfect scores every time after, and how could that be possible?"

Everyone knew that, in theory, hope for promotion meant no hope at all...

"Don’t be anxious; a restless mind can’t produce good essays," Master Zhang consoled him, handing over a stack of paper. "Don’t try to write full essays these few days—focus on practicing your opening paragraphs and parallel prose."

"Yes, sir," Su Lu accepted the papers with both hands, then asked, "Isn’t the opening paragraph for the prose section?"

"Can’t prose have parallel structure?" Master Zhang shook his head in exasperation. Why were his student’s strengths and weaknesses both so extreme? Couldn’t they be a little more balanced?