Jing Xingzhi’s Daily Life in Ancient Times

Wang Xiang cried so hard that he nearly toppled over from the intensity of his sobs. However, the neighbors couldn’t tolerate his continued wailing in the middle of the night.

The family next door, growing impatient, awakened and yelled, “Why are you crying at this hour? If you die, I’ll let you cry all you want!”

Tan Xingwang, considering the disturbance, stepped forward, patting Wang Xiang on the shoulder. “Hey, stop crying; you’re disturbing someone else.”

Wang Xiang, with tearful eyes, recognized him and grasped Tan Xingwang’s trouser leg, crying like a child.

“Ugh! My money is gone…”

Tan Xingwang checked his remaining purse and said, “There’s an unclosed tavern nearby. I’ll treat you to a drink. I know the owner; maybe we can borrow some medicine or ointment.”

“Hiccup -” Wang Xiang burped. “You want to invite me for a drink? I don’t want to drink; I want to eat a pig’s head, a huge and fat one!”

Feeling unjustly treated, Wang Xiang fixated on the dream of a big pig’s head. Unaware that Tan Xingwang might find him troublesome, he didn’t consider the possibility of not getting even a glass of wine, let alone the coveted pig’s head.

“Pig’s head? I will treat you a half, okay?” Tan Xingwang, feeling the need to appease, considered his financial constraints. Inviting Wang Xiang to share half a pig’s head and a drink, he thought they could endure together.

Tan Xingwang, not in the best mood due to financial stress, wanted a couple of drinks himself.

“Half is fine!” Excited about the prospect of a pig’s head, Wang Xiang tossed the jar of money to the ground and climbed up, holding onto the wall. However, as he stood up, he winced, remembering his sore butt, and cried out in pain.

Tan Xingwang assisted him, and the two headed to the familiar restaurant. A drunkard was all alone in the restaurant. Upon seeing the newcomers, one drunkard observed them, while the shopkeeper greeted them. Recognizing Tan Xingwang, the shopkeeper even provided a sample of his commonly used medicine for both.

Unfortunately, they arrived too late to buy the pig’s head. Tan Xingwang ordered six taels of strongly-flavored braised pork and a pile of peanuts, fooling Wang Xiang.

Though not picky about pork, Wang Xiang, accustomed to poverty, enjoyed the wine and meat, momentarily forgetting about the pig’s head. As they ate and drank, when Wang Xiang started to get drunk, Tan Xingwang settled the bill and instructed the boss not to bring more wine.

The nearby drunkards persistently requested more drinks. When attempts to dissuade them failed, they insisted they had money.

But Tan Xingwang’s behavior puzzled the shopkeeper.

“Why don’t you drink? If you get drunk, it will make you forget the trouble for now!” The pub was well-informed, and the shopkeeper understood Tan Xingwang’s struggles. From his perspective, wanting to get drunk seemed normal as there were unresolved thoughts in Tan Xingwang’s mind.

However, Tan Xingwang believed that Ah Lin disliked drunkards. He shook his head and replied, “It’s pointless to be drunk. It’s still the same when you wake up later. Thank you for the medicine. I’ll send him back first!”

“Okay, that’s it. Here the silver change, you count it.” The shopkeeper weighed the gold nails, took them away, and provided Tan Xingwang with nine taels along with a hanging copper coin.

Tan Xingwang accepted the money and carried Wang Xiang back to his house. Contrary to his initial plan, Tan Xingwang did not stay at Wang Xiang’s place. After applying the medicine and wrapping himself in a tattered quilt from Wang Xiang’s house, he involuntarily went to Chen Fulang’s door.

Due to the pain in his butt, Tan Xingwang lay on his side in front of the door, using the old quilt from Wang Xiang’s house to stay warm and sleep fairly well.

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Early the next morning, Chen Fulang opened the door and was startled to find someone sleeping in front of it. Tan Xingwang, awakening sleepily, smiled at Chen Fulang and said, “You’re scared.”

Chen Fulang, irritated, retorted, “It’s so early in the morning! Do you think it’s scary or not?”

Tan Xingwang, undeterred, attempted a pitiful look.

Chen Fulang, not easily moved, almost lost his life before and was now extremely cautious. Wanting to avoid trouble with the Tan family, he ordered, “Go away, don’t block the way,” and slammed the door shut.

Reluctant to leave but considering his little money, Tan Xingwang took a walk to the dock, clarified the situation, and returned with a ten-day later. Chen Fulang’s stern attitude would be softened, getting stuck on the candy.

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In Huanshui Academy.

Jing Xingzhi prepared to go to school, stood in front of Liu Fang’s room and said, “Xiao Fangfang, I’m going to the academy.”

“Okay, remember to buy something for breakfast.”

The two chatted about modern things the previous night. Liu Fang, still half-asleep, he went to bed a little late so he wasn’t very awake. He listened to Jing Xingzhi’s hurried footsteps.

After completing his works, Jing Xingzhi headed to class, following the routine of going to the east room of the cottage on the back mountain.

The sunlight filled the room, highlighting the books and ink. Jing Xingzhi picked up the book he had been reading and, realizing he had forgotten some parts, decided to reread it. As he delved into the complexities of the ancient imperial examinations, he marveled at the intellectual challenges it presented, requiring careful consideration of sentence meanings and pronunciation changes.

As Jing Xingzhi memorized, he pondered the topics for the provincial examination. In the Li Dynasty, the provincial examination comprised tests on the Four Books, the Five Classics, and practical strategies. Scholars often emphasized that a young scholar’s weakness laid in practical policy.

Jing Xingzhi believed that possessing a mind capable of answering questions from the Four Books and Five Classics at such a young age already demonstrated exceptional intelligence. However, formulating feasible views on major government events required a general understanding of the exam’s objectives. Issues discussed in court often involved matters beneficial to the country, a level of depth beyond many academy students.

After memorizing the book, he applied the various ideas taught by Liu Fang, turning the book over three times in his hands.

When Fang Qichen, who had just arrived, caught his attention, Jing Xingzhi inquired, “Teacher, when will we learn policy theory?”

Fang Qichen, observing the books on his desk, flipped through a pile familiar to Jing Xingzhi and replied, “You read very quickly. As for policy theory, there’s no rush. We’ll start in May.”

While May was several months away from the August exam, Fang Qichen considered the potential of his young disciple.

He suggested, “You can learn policy theory here in the academy, or you can delve deeper outside. What do you prefer?”

Jing Xingzhi raised his eyebrows, asking, “Outside, where?”

Fang Qichen stroked his beard, suggesting, “Go to the prefectural government office next door. It’s close enough, and I can vouch for you. Prefect Kong isn’t afraid of Governor Zhang, and Shen Fang, the local prefect, won’t mind a chat. Just be cautious before and after the exam. Don’t get too close to him.”

Jing Xingzhi, thinking of Shen Fang’s respect for Fang Qichen, noted the intricacies of social interactions. Even if he didn’t get along well with Shen Fang, the latter would still favor him due to the connection with Fang Qichen.

They shared a knowing look, and Jing Xingzhi nodded, “Well, I’ll be mindful of the taboos of Prefect Shen.”

Fang Qichen advised him to focus on the current lessons and seek help from various teachers in the academy if needed. Acknowledging his weaknesses, Fang Qichen mentioned, “I specialize in classics and policy theory, with a simple writing style. Some inspectors prefer elaborate writing and rhetoric, which I can’t teach. Consult other teachers for that.”

Jing Xingzhi agreed, recognizing his own strengths and weaknesses. He continued studying until noon, with Fang Qichen leaving for an early dinner, and Liu Fang bringing meals to Jing Xingzhi.

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Opening the food box, Jing Xingzhi unveiled three dishes and a soup, devouring most of the soup himself.

After finishing the soup, Jing Xingzhi remarked, “The bamboo water bottle I brought is too small. It makes my mouth dry when I write. One bottle isn’t enough for me.”

Liu Fang, observing him with concern, frowned at the small dining table.

Surveying the larger desk at the back, Liu Fang suggested, “I’ll get you a bigger bamboo tube later. Should I read these books too, so you have someone to discuss them with?”

Jing Xingzhi, declining the offer, quickly shook his head, “No, I can contemplate by myself. If you start reading these, you’ll need to begin with the basics, which is tougher than my own studies. Why bother learning this?”

Liu Fang sighed, saying, “It’s okay if I don’t learn…”

“No, I have the little scholar’s memory in my mind. He’s studied for over ten years. I just need to fill in what he hasn’t learned. Don’t worry about the Four Books and Five Classics; I’ve almost mastered them. Constant discussions might be a bit challenging, but I can certainly write as if I’m contemplating deeply.”

Jing Xingzhi smiled, offering Liu Fang a piece of meat and added, “Don’t worry about this; I occupied this body, the knowledge isn’t bad at all. And I’m not that stupid either.”

Liu Fang nodded disappointedly. He mentioned encountering Wang Zhuang on his way and shared news that Wu Qing, the chief clerk in the county, was also under investigation by Prefect Shen. He asked Jing Xingzhi if he wanted to protect him.

Jing Xingzhi shook his head, dismissing the idea of protecting Wu Qing, “Wu Qing? No guarantee. He has five lives in his hands. Even if he dies, it won’t be enough.”

“Five, five?!” Liu Fang’s eyes widened in disbelief as he repeated Jing Xingzhi’s words.

“At least that’s the count. I can’t say anything else.”

After finishing his response, Jing Xingzhi suddenly reached under Liu Fang’s hand to grab the chopsticks that slipped out.

He smiled, returned the chopsticks to Liu Fang, and said softly, “Eat, there are no ghosts. If there were ghosts, I’m here.”

Seeing Liu Fang’s expression of fear, Jing Xingzhi, recalling his own job history, cleared his throat and stated seriously, “I, Jing Xingzhi, have a primary job of pretending to be a ghost and catching ghosts, and a side job of studying hard. Occasionally, I work as a caring little cotton-padded jacket, earning two cents a day. Fang-ge, are you considering hiring me?”