Special Attention

Mǎn Bǎo and Bái Shànbǎo listened to the teacher's reprimand with their heads down, and then the teacher began to give them special attention.

Mr. Zhuāng led them into the study.

The study was divided into two rooms. The outer room had two rows of bookshelves, a large desk, and a chair.

The inner room was a tea room because Mr. Zhuāng was afraid of the cold, and his wife shared the same fear. When they moved here, they requested to have a heated brick bed in the bedroom and study.

The brick bed was low, covered with mats, and in the center was a tea set. Mr. Zhuāng knew that the children should not drink tea, so he did not let them. He sat at the head of the bed and allowed the two children to sit across from him.

Bái Shànbǎo took off his shoes and climbed up. He sat with his legs crossed, displaying great skill.

Mǎn Bǎo, on the other hand, had never sat in this manner before. Curiously, she climbed up next to him. When she crossed her legs, her body tilted, causing her to fall to the side.

Bái Shànbǎo was just putting on a show. After all, he was younger. Although his grandmother had taught him to sit like this, he rarely did so at home. When bumped by Mǎn Bǎo, he fell to the side without any hesitation, and the two children rolled into a ball.

A smile flashed in Mr. Zhuāng's eyes, and he almost couldn't help but burst into laughter, but he restrained himself due to his dignity.

He reached out and, holding back his laughter, helped the two children sit properly. He said, "People are used to sitting on stools and sleeping on brick beds, but in the scholarly community, there are still many people who prefer sitting on mats." If you aspire to be scholars in the future, you must learn this aspect of etiquette.

Mr. Zhuāng continued, "But you are still young, so you don't have to sit so upright."

Mr. Zhuāng was about to continue, but Mǎn Bǎo curiously asked, "The scholarly community refers to a group of academics, researchers, and experts who engage in intellectual discussions, research activities, and knowledge sharing within a specific field of study." Is a brick stool a chair? Why is it called a brick stool?

Mr. Zhuāng was momentarily speechless, but after some thought, he began to explain from the beginning.

The scholarly community refers to a group of academics, researchers, and experts who engage in intellectual discussions, research activities, and knowledge sharing within a specific field of study. The simple meaning is a community of scholars.

After explaining to the scholars, he proceeded to discuss the various social classes. During this time, the two children asked many questions, and before he knew it, time had passed.

He had planned to discuss the topic he had prepared, but he didn't have the chance. However, he didn't regret it. Seeing the two children listening with great interest, he smiled contentedly.

He looked outside and said, "There is still more than an hour before class." "You can lie down and rest with your eyes closed."

The two children felt particularly energetic and not tired at all.

Mr. Zhuāng said, "Although you don't feel tired, using your brain will deplete your energy." If you don't feel it now, you won't grow tall in the future and may become dull. It will be too late to change at that point.

Upon hearing that they might not grow tall and could become dull, the two children immediately dared not argue further. With a snap, they lay down on the mats and closed their eyes.

But their brains were still very active, and they couldn't fall asleep at all.

They felt that closing their eyes was useless.

After a while, their breathing gradually became steady, and their active brains slowed down. Their breathing became slower and slower, and they fell asleep in a daze.

Mr. Zhuāng sat across from them, poured himself a cup of tea from the stove, and slowly drank it while watching the children on the other side gradually relax and fall asleep, revealing a faint smile.

Mr. Zhuāng had been in a very good mood these past few days. Although there had been some unpleasant incidents after the students entered the school, the atmosphere in the school had become lively, and he had discovered two promising students.

Studying the Analects for a lifetime would never be boring. Each recitation would bring different insights, and there were many other books of sages besides the Analects.

Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and the Art of War—there were so many books to read, so he had a lot to teach the children.

Mr. Zhuāng had a wealth of knowledge to impart to his students, but not every student was suitable for learning these things.

Mr. Zhuāng had been a student for thirty years, a teacher for fifteen years, and had also served as a counselor and mentor. He was well aware of the difficulty in finding the right path for individuals and the challenges students faced in acquiring knowledge that suited them.

When he decided to come to Qīlǐ Village, he had already abandoned his final hope, as finding a suitable child had proven too challenging. He didn't think that there would be a clever and suitable child in these mountain valleys.

But he had found one.

First, Mǎn Bǎo was a clever, filial, and respectful child, with the only shortcoming being that she was a girl.

And now, another one had come.

The entire school had twenty-eight students, some dull and some clever, but Mr. Zhuāng knew that they were not clever enough. They grasped the superficial knowledge, but some needed multiple reminders before they could retain it.

The few who understood would forget as soon as they turned around.

So he couldn't teach them anything deeper.

Why was Mr. Zhuāng willing to give special attention to Mǎn Bǎo and Shànbǎo?

Because they not only understood the material but could also apply their knowledge and ask further questions.

Some of the questions were superficial, while others were profound. When he spoke with them, he was not only imparting knowledge but also thinking and gaining insights during the process.

Mr. Zhuāng leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes, and rested.

He was very satisfied with the current situation.

Having one successful student was satisfying, but having two meant he could have no regrets in his lifetime.

Mr. Zhuāng decided that he would return to the prefecture for a break next time. He needed to bring something back for Mǎn Bǎo and Shànbǎo.

Mr. Zhuāng closed his eyes and thought to himself. When he realized that it was almost time, he opened his eyes, looked at the sundial, and then woke the two children up to go to class together.

The afternoon classes consisted mostly of arithmetic and poetry. The two children loved these subjects, especially arithmetic. Mǎn Bǎo found that she was particularly fast at it, and the teacher praised her in almost every class, so she became even more enthusiastic about learning.

After school in the afternoon, Mr. Zhuāng had intended to give the two children special attention again, but before he could say anything, the two little ones excitedly stood up and bowed with their classmates. When he waved his hand to signal that they didn't need to bow, the two children grabbed their books and ran off.

Mr. Zhuāng, who hadn't had a chance to speak, said, "..."

After a while, he shook his head and smiled. He decided to let it go. The children were still young, so why rush things?

Mǎn Bǎo and Shànbǎo ran out, and Dàtóu was already waiting outside.

Seeing the little boy next to his younger sister, he was no longer surprised. So, he took the two of them back home, put away their things, and then ran out the door.