Chapter 21: Another Year Passes from Winter to Spring

When Liu Ying's stones could break the ice, the streets of Pei County became busier.

After the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, the calendar was also unified, but for the common people, they knew nothing about the calendar, and all customs continued as before.

The common people only began to understand the concept of years after the widespread use of printing.

When block printing appeared, the most commonly printed items among the common people were astronomical calendars.

In the Qin Dynasty, those who could tell the current year were considered very learned. Ordinary people were considered knowledgeable if they knew the era name.

When the era name changed, the common people would scratch their heads, unable to distinguish the current year.

Qin Shi Huang had unified the world for many years, and many common people living in villages had been taxed multiple times, yet they didn't even know they had become Qin people. Asking them to calculate the years was truly a difficult task.

Liu Ying finally understood why it was so hard for the common people to state their age.

He also understood why the Qin Dynasty determined adulthood based on height.

At this time, they didn't know about the New Year's Lantern Festival, but they would still burn wood and bamboo to celebrate when the winter snow melted.

In Liu Ying's eyes, this was how they celebrated the New Year.

Pei County had been quiet all winter, but the market was thriving again.

Liu Ying held Liu Bang's hand with one hand and a small wooden stick rolled with malt sugar in the other.

He sucked on the malt sugar and mumbled his sudden realization to Liu Bang.

Liu Bang was speechless. Can you really gain life insights from eating sugar? Have you been reading too much with the Great Confucian Scholar?

Han Xin and Liu Fei were not with them.

The New Year was the biggest market, and merchants from other places also came to set up stalls.

Lu E'xu and Lady Cao were as prepared as if going to battle, ready to buy a year's worth of daily necessities.

Han Xin and Liu Fei naturally became the laborers for their mothers and aunts, with no time to wander around.

Meanwhile, the shameless father and son duo, Liu Bang and Liu Ying, left Han Xin and Liu Fei to Lu E'xu and Lady Cao and ran off hand in hand.

Liu Bang teased Liu Ying: "You should have stayed with your mother, so you wouldn't be so bored now, spouting nonsense."

Liu Ying stuck out his tongue to lick the malt sugar: "It's just a spontaneous thought, not some grand philosophy. Father, you're the one who loves to preach. You must have been brainwashed by the Confucian scholars."

Liu Bang pondered the word "brainwashed' and found it quite fitting.

The father and son chatted while strolling, meeting many acquaintances along the way.

Zhou Bo was carrying his young son to buy cloth. The unnamed young son had just learned to speak and called Liu Ying "boss' upon seeing him.

Zhou Bo was shocked, wondering when Liu Ying had managed to charm his son.

Xi Juan was shopping with his elderly mother.

The old mother scolded Xi Juan for not yet marrying and having children as soon as she saw Liu Ying. Xi Juan whistled at the sky.

Ren Ao and Ren Jing were each carrying a large basket for shopping.

Upon seeing Liu Bang and Liu Ying, Ren Ao's eyes lit up as he quickened his pace to approach, while Ren Jing slowed down and hid behind Ren Ao.

There were also Xiao He, Cao Shen, Fan Kuai, and others, who seemed to have arranged to meet Liu Bang at the market.

Liu Bang quickly gathered a group of friends and went to Old Lady Wang's tavern to play the zhu, sing, and drink.

Old Lady Wang had set up a small stage for Liu Bang to sit in the center and sing while drinking.

The tavern became more crowded, with people cheering for Liu Bang.

Liu Ying held a broken bowl, tilting his head.

Who am I? Where am I? Why did I follow Father here to perform?

Our family can afford to drink now, Father, you don't need to perform for drinks!

Liu Bang indeed had money now, and Xiao He, Cao Shen, and others could afford the drinks, but they insisted on Liu Bang performing to buy them drinks, which was quite baffling.

Liu Ying scratched his head, not wanting to waste the day helping Father perform.

Just then, Lu Ze passed by the tavern, and Liu Ying clung to his uncle's leg, refusing to let go, asking him to take him away.

Lu Ze laughed and let Liu Ying ride on his neck, carrying him away: "You can keep drinking, I'm taking Yinger with me."

Liu Bang, who was playing the zhu with his legs crossed, casually raised his hand and continued singing.

Liu Ying pondered whether to make a pipa or guitar for Father.

Father holding a zhu and playing it had the vibe of a street performer.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to make a pipa or guitar.

Liu Ying expressed his regret to his uncle. Lu Ze smiled: "There are many instruments you can hold and play. Lu Tai, go home and bring the se to your uncle."

Lu Tai: "Huh?"

Lu Ze said: "Just go when I tell you to."

"Oh." Lu Tai dragged Lu Chan along to run the errand. Brothers should share the burden.

Lu Chan, expressionless, was pulled around by his elder brother, and Liu Ying felt that Lu Chan had been bullied to the point of breaking.

Lu Ze, having sent off his two sons, continued to wander around with Liu Ying.

Although Liu Ying was heavier than children his age, to Lu Ze, he was still a small kid that could be carried with one hand.

Lu Ze was skilled in archery, with arms thicker than some people's thighs, which Liu Ying greatly admired.

"I want to be like Uncle when I grow up," Liu Ying said.

Lu Ze remembered Liu Ying learning archery from Cao Shen: "How's your progress? Tai'er said he made a bet with you?"

Liu Ying grinned: "I'm doing great. Uncle, tell Lu Tai to wash his neck, he's going to lose."

Lu Ze laughed: "That's the spirit!"

While the uncle and nephew were strolling, they ran into Lu Shizhi.

Lu Shizhi still hadn't forgiven Liu Ying and turned away.

But as he turned to leave, his sons all looked at Liu Ying.

Liu Ying made faces at his cousins.

The cousins not only didn't get angry but seemed a bit happy.

Lu Shizhi's expression darkened even more.

Lu Ze sighed: "Shizhi's temper... Ah, Liu Ji has become mature and steady after having you, but he has so many sons and still acts like a teenager."

Liu Ying frowned in dissatisfaction: "Uncle, how can you compare Lu Shizhi to my Father? That's an insult to my Father!"

"Sorry, sorry," Lu Ze thought, my brother probably isn't that bad.

But remembering that Liu Bang was even studying with the Great Confucian Scholar, even with his bias towards Lu Shizhi, Lu Ze couldn't bring himself to say it.

It's the New Year, let's not talk about unpleasant things. An uncle who gets angry with children isn't worth Liu Ying's attention.

Liu Ying had originally planned to forgive Lu Shizhi if he came to apologize to Mother.

But now... Hmph, Lu Shizhi can wait until he's sick, and Liu Ying will bring the civil and military officials to mourn him!

After wandering around a bit more, Liu Ying noticed Lu Ze was tired and voluntarily got down to walk.

He held his uncle's hand with one hand and kept waving to people he knew on both sides of the street.

Walking up and down the street, Liu Ying's mouth didn't stop.

Lu Ze was curious if Liu Ying ever got thirsty.

"Yinger, aren't you thirsty? Do you want some dates?"

Someone on the street had the same question. A sister with a red ribbon in her hair stuffed a handful of dates into Liu Ying's arms.

Liu Ying recognized this date sister, who had given him many dates a few months ago when he was running alone on the street and caught the attention of human traffickers, and even threatened the traffickers with her eyes.

The sister's date tree was truly amazing, still producing dates now.

The winter dates weren't as fresh, mostly dried. But eating something sweet could also quench thirst.

The date sister also gave Liu Ying water from her bamboo tube, which was warm and had the aroma of red dates.

Liu Ying unceremoniously drank half the bamboo tube in one gulp.

He wiped his mouth and generously said: "Sister, are you still setting up a stall even though you're pregnant? I'll buy all the dates, you should go back and rest."

After saying that, Liu Ying tugged at Lu Ze's sleeve.

Obviously, he was being the good guy, and Lu Ze was paying.

Lu Ze took out the money while asking: "How did you know she was pregnant?"

Liu Ying gestured with his eyes at the sister's belly: "Isn't it obvious? Could it be that she's just fat?"

The date sister's sallow and rough complexion turned rosy as she laughed: "Yinger has sharp eyes, it's not fat, I'm pregnant."

She touched her belly with a kind smile: "While I'm still healthy, I want to save up more for the baby. When he's born, Yinger, you can take him as your little brother and teach him to read and write."

Liu Ying raised his hands above his head, forming an "O': "Sure. Then I won't pay for the dates."

The date sister laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up: "When the time comes, even if you want to pay, I won't let you."

Lu Ze bought all the dates.

Liu Ying insisted on helping the date sister to her husband's fish stall not far from the market and bought all his fish too.

Of course, Lu Ze paid again.

The couple's dates were very sweet, with no bad ones; the fish were also plump, as they said the smaller fish were kept for the date sister to nourish herself and wouldn't be sold.

Both the husband and wife patted Liu Ying's head before heading home.

They wanted to absorb Liu Ying's healthy aura to have a lively and healthy child.

After the couple left, Lu Ze asked Liu Ying why he had been so kind to them.

Liu Ying shook his head: "It wasn't kindness."

He told Lu Ze about how the sister had been the first to block the human traffickers' view and added: "Not just that time, the sister always gives me good food. She's pregnant and needs money now, and my family happens to need dates and fish. Brother and Liu Fei can eat a lot. It's not kindness, it's a win-win."

Win-win... meaning mutual benefit? Lu Ze pondered, but felt that "mutual benefit' didn't fully explain the term "win-win."

Yinger is still as interesting as ever.

Lu Ze smiled: "Isn't the biggest eater in your family you?"

Liu Ying puffed out his chest proudly: "Yes! I'll be taller than Brother and Liu Fei in the future!"

Lu Ze looked at Liu Ying, who was already larger than his peers, and nodded: "Of course."

A few months ago, Liu Ying was of normal child size, but in these few months, he had grown significantly.

Lu Ze remembered his wife mentioning in casual conversation that her sister complained Liu Ying's clothes became too small in just a few days, so she just altered Liu Ji's old clothes for Liu Ying to make do.

He decided to send Lu Tai and Lu Chan's old clothes to his sister, as the fabric was better than Liu Ji's old clothes.

This little episode was noticed by everyone on the street.

They smiled even more kindly at Liu Ying. When Liu Ying returned to the tavern, he carried a small basket filled with things the neighbors had given him.

The small basket was also given to him, without spending any money.

Liu Bang, who had finished performing, was drinking and chatting with his brothers, with a small basket beside him containing the money left after paying for the drinks.

The father and son exchanged baskets, rummaged through each other's baskets, and then poured the contents of Liu Ying's small basket into Liu Bang's larger one.

Liu Ying held the large basket, looking very proud.

These are all mine! My private money! No one can touch it!

Wang Ling had also come from Feng City to Pei County for the market.

Seeing Liu Ying's proud expression, he fed Liu Ying a piece of dried meat: "You're truly your father's son."

Liu Ying held the dried meat with both hands: "It's Father who is worthy of being my Father. Uncle Wang, don't get it backwards."

Everyone laughed, with Yong Chi laughing the loudest, his gums showing, repeatedly saying Liu Ying was right.

Liu Bang rolled his eyes at Yong Chi: "Indeed, Yinger is right, both Yinger and I are amazing. Yong Chi, what about you? Your son seems to have driven away another teacher? Why not just let Yinger teach your son to read?"

Yong Chi was so angry he wanted to grab a wine jar and fight Liu Bang to the death, drinking him to death here.

Liu Bang said he would accept the challenge as long as Yong Chi paid.

So Old Lady Wang returned the money Liu Bang had paid for the drinks, further enriching Liu Ying's little treasury.

Liu Ying repeatedly thanked Yong Chi.

Yong Chi somewhat realized he had been tricked by Liu Bang again, but seeing Liu Ying's happy expression, he could only swallow his anger.

Wang Ling shook his head with a bitter smile.

Why hasn't Yong Chi given up yet? How could he ever outwit Liu Ji?

Happy times are fleeting.

When winter passed and spring planting arrived, even Liu Ying had to work in the fields.

Liu Bang took leave to come back and help with plowing.

He was now a proper Qin Dynasty official and could borrow Pei County's plowing oxen first.

Liu Bang and Han Xin held the plow, Lu E'xu and Lady Cao sowed the seeds, and Liu Fei watered.

As for Liu Ying, he was responsible for sitting on the ox and playing the flute to encourage them.

But Liu Ying wasn't always idle.

When the ox rested, Liu Ying had to be the ox herder.

He wore a straw hat specially woven for him by Zhou Bo, humming a tune, feeding the ox until it was as strong as the name Xiao Zhuang Zhuang.

Xiao Zhuang Zhuang came to play with Liu Ying, patting the ox's head.

Yes, the ox is as strong as my name.

Xiao Zhuang Zhuang asked: "Can I be as strong as the ox in the future?"

Liu Ying glanced sideways: "Impossible."

Xiao Zhuang Zhuang was disappointed: "If only I could be as strong as the ox, maybe even grow a pair of horns. Then I could ram anyone who doesn't listen to us."

Liu Ying said: "Leave such small matters to me, you just help me arrange for little brothers to cover our backs."

Xiao Zhuang Zhuang solemnly promised: "Yes, boss!"

The real ox herder, who also looked after the children, Xiao Yan, sighed repeatedly.

He still couldn't accept that his sister had become the second-in-command of Liu Ying's group. His sister was now loyal to Liu Ying, even disobeying their father's orders.

After the heavy labor, Liu Bang went back to guard the warehouse.

During spring planting, many farmers came to buy seeds and borrow tools, so Liu Bang was very busy.

He called Han Xin to help. Han Xin was very good at arithmetic and could manage the accounts without using counting rods.

Zhang Cang considered accounting a form of learning and sent Liu Ying along as well, calling it extracurricular teaching.

Although Liu Ying was also talented in arithmetic, he didn't like boring tasks.

While Han Xin did the accounts, Liu Ying ground ink beside him.

Later generations believed that Meng Tian improved the brush, but archaeological findings from the Yin Ruins showed that although Oracle Bone Script was carved with knives, written records from the Shang Dynasty indicated that writing was done with ink and brush, but the writing materials and ink traces couldn't be preserved, so no physical evidence remained.

The brush had many names, but when Qin Shi Huang unified the world, he not only unified writing, weights, and measures, but also small things like writing tools, and the entire world uniformly called it the brush.

Han Xin recorded the accounting results on bamboo slips, and if he made a mistake, he would shave off the characters with a knife and rewrite them.

"This is so troublesome," Liu Ying said. "If only we had paper."

Han Xin said: "Paper is precious, even if we had it, it wouldn't be used for accounting."

Liu Ying patted his chest: "Then let's make paper less precious! Leave it to me! When I grow up, I'll improve paper!"

For now, Liu Ying hadn't thought about improving paper because he knew nothing about papermaking.

When he became the Crown Prince, he would gather papermaking craftsmen and have them figure it out.

Han Xin smiled at Liu Ying, not thinking he was boasting, but reminded him: "Craftsmanship can be a hobby, but don't get too absorbed. Yinger, you're destined to be a general or a minister."

Liu Ying shook his head: "If generals and ministers don't think about this, who has the money and time to do so?"

Han Xin fell silent.

Although Yinger often spoke without thinking and said nonsensical things, occasionally he would say something profound.

His adoptive mother said he should get married and was looking for a matchmaker for him.

He wondered if his future children could be as clever as Yinger.

Han Xin didn't have the qualifications to be an official in Huaiyin, but with the recommendations of Liu Bang and others in Pei County, he could take the official exam.

Liu Bang said he wanted Han Xin to take the exam for Precinct Chief.

After finishing spring planting, Han Xin would shut himself in to study for the exam.

He was good at military strategy, but not proficient in Qin Law, so he needed to study hard.

Liu Ying knew Han Xin wouldn't live to see the day he became Precinct Chief, as the world was about to be thrown into chaos.

Without a benefactor directly appointing him, the Qin Dynasty's examination for grassroots officials was very strict. Han Xin was now studying for the exam, and by the time the exam and observation period ended, it would be the end of next year.

This winter, Qin Shi Huang would pass away.

Next autumn, Daze Township would shout the slogan "Are kings, nobles, and generals born to be so?"

But Liu Ying didn't spoil it for his family this time.

Besides Father telling him not to spoil it, Liu Ying also wanted to see if Brother's thoughts would change after studying Qin Law.

Whenever he had time, Han Xin would also attend Zhang Cang's lectures with Liu Ying.

During spring planting, Zhang Cang happened to be teaching about Mencius and Xun Zi's thoughts on unification, about how the seven states had suffered from long wars and were all seeking unification.

Liu Ying couldn't tell if Han Xin's thoughts had changed, but Han Xin's policy essays were more polished than his.

Who knew Brother was such a cultured person!

Han Xin didn't want to compare policy essays with a six-year-old.

Even if Liu Ying inflated his age by two years, claiming to be eight, he was still a child.

...

Zhang Cang sat in his room, with two letters on the table.

One letter was from Mao Heng.

Mao Heng still refused to come. Zhang Cang wrote a long letter scolding him.

The other letter was from Master Fuqiu.

Master Fuqiu wrote a long letter scolding Zhang Cang, saying Zhang Cang had insulted him.

Zhang Cang sneered: "When you peeked at my butt while we were bathing together, didn't you think that was insulting?"

While studying under Xun Zi, the brothers often bathed together, so Zhang Cang was certain that the one who had spoken nonsense to Liu Ying was Master Fuqiu himself, for who else had seen his butt?

After writing replies to Mao Heng and Master Fuqiu, Zhang Cang leaned on the armrest and closed his eyes for a nap.

He recalled the argument between Liu Ying and Han Xin during the lecture.

("Those so-called wise men wandering the seven states are not wise at all. They are just fighting for their own power and profit, their vision is limited."

"The seven states are in constant war, and for them to become generals and ministers, they wish the world could split into a hundred states, so there would be hundreds of positions for them to sit on."

"With such thoughts, they neither strengthen the state nor comfort the people, they only incite wars, wishing the states and common people would turn to ashes in the flames of war."

"Disgusting!"

"Brother, you must not learn from them! If you do, I'll knock you out and lock you up! No meat for you!"

"If such people come looking for you, turn them into a pot of meat!")

Zhang Cang closed his eyes and laughed.

Yinger, so young yet talking about cooking people, truly brutal.

It seems Liu Bang, who appears benevolent on the surface, must have some cruelty in his bones.

"But, teacher, are such people the ones who can end the chaos again?" Zhang Cang muttered to himself. "My ability to govern the state is far inferior to yours, if only you were still alive."

"People like Liu Bang and Liu Ying, perhaps only you could teach them. I cannot be their teacher, only their subject."

"Not just me, Master Fuqiu and Mao Heng can't do it either."

"Teacher... I miss you."

Zhang Cang's closed eyes saw scenes from his past studies.

The ethereal teacher like a pine crane, the confrontational Han Fei and Li Si, the studious Fu Qiu and Mao Heng, and the lazy himself.

The teacher had many disciples, but few stood out.

Reading only requires diligence, but to truly master it, one must rely on talent.

"If the teacher were still here, Yinger would be his final disciple. The teacher would have adored him." Zhang Cang closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face. "I am not talented, I can only do my best."

Doing his best... to end the chaos of the world!

Even those lowly Confucian scholars shared one common belief: "benevolence."

What is "benevolence'? What is "great benevolence'?

This word does not rest on personal virtue, but on the well-being of all living beings in the world.

Zhang Cang never considered himself aligned with "benevolence." He merely wished to live a life of wealth and comfort.

But he had already encountered the future chosen one, Liu Ying, who called him "teacher."

"Ah, no, this still doesn’t suit me."

Zhang Cang wiped his tears, shifted from a formal sitting position to a cross-legged one, and pounded his knees in frustration.

He was not a proper man, so how could he properly teach Liu Bang and Liu Ying, this pair of equally improper father and son?

Liu Ying was too clever; he had already seen through Zhang Cang’s impropriety and used it to threaten him into collusion.

I, a disciple of the great Xun Zi, was actually threatened by a child disciple! Where is my dignity!

Zhang Cang shuddered at the thought of Liu Ying knowing every detail of his romantic escapades. Who on earth told Liu Ying these things? Why pollute a child’s ears with such filth!

Sigh, and who, who spread these rumors! I didn’t flee Xianyang because I slept with someone else’s wife!

This is slander, slander!

I truly offended Li Si, and that’s why I fled. It was a very proper reason for fleeing.

Zhang Cang beat his chest in regret, deeply regretting coming to Pei County and taking Liu Ying as his disciple.

This isn’t a disciple; this is an ancestor!

But Zhang Cang’s judgment wasn’t wrong. He saw the hope of ending the chaos of the world once again, and perhaps it truly rested on the extraordinary father and son, Liu Bang and Liu Ying.

Whether it was his remaining shred of conscience or his dream of wealth, he couldn’t leave Liu Bang and Liu Ying.

As a teacher, he was actually bullied by Liu Ying. He couldn’t even freely arrange the lessons; he had to teach whatever Liu Ying wanted to hear.

Where is the dignity of a teacher!

Mao Heng, Fu Qiu, stop hiding! Come here quickly!

For the glory of Xun Zi’s school, I need you!