Chapter 4: The Struggle for Dignity

“Sir, she clearly has ulterior motives. Have you forgotten what happened before?”
“The past is gone—just an accident. Besides, the old lady has already spoken. Do you really want me to contradict her?”
“But Yue is your only son. He’s just getting healthy and already has to go to school and practice martial arts. Does he not value his life?”
“That’s just a woman’s view! My first sister-in-law is a third-rank noblewoman, and the second is a sixth-rank one. Don’t you want your son to succeed and earn a respectable title? Do you want him to live his whole life at someone else’s mercy like I did?”

Earing the loud argument next door, Zhang Yue grew increasingly curious. After much thought, he decided to go outside. He lifted the corner of the curtain just slightly when suddenly there was a loud crash. Looking closely, he saw a teacup shattered on the ground. Instantly, he pulled his foot back, but instead of lowering the curtain, he hid behind it and continued to watch and listen quietly.

“Eldest brother can become an official, and second brother is skilled in martial arts. But I’m over thirty and still have achieved nothing. It’s all because I was ignorant and foolish when I was young. My life is wasted, but fate has been kind—Yue has finally come to his senses! I heard everything he said in front of the old lady. She even gave him her Buddha beads, which even Chao and Qi have never received such honor.”
“But…”
“No buts… Yue, come out. Stop eavesdropping!”

Zhang Yue wasn’t expecting Zhang Zhuo to suddenly say that after halfway through his sentence. He awkwardly stepped forward. He knew that large families had strict discipline, so he braced himself for reprimand. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhuo walked slowly toward him, knelt down, and looked at him at eye level.

“Yue, you spoke very well in front of the old lady today. You must continue to please her in the future, understand?”

Hearing his father’s advice, Zhang Yue immediately understood and nodded firmly. “Father, don’t worry. I will study hard and practice martial arts, and be filial to my parents and grandmother.”

At such a mature response, Zhang Zhuo showed a satisfied expression. He stood up, walked back and forth a few times, then suddenly burst into laughter. At the end, he murmured to himself, “Heaven, you’ve finally opened your eyes!”

Suddenly remembering something, he stopped abruptly, turned around, placed his hands firmly on Zhang Yue’s shoulders, and said slowly, word by word, “Yue, in our Zhang family’s school, there are not only members of the Zhang family but also many children from other families studying there. Some of them are dedicated to their studies, while others are playful and mischievous. Since you want to study hard and practice martial arts, ignore things that aren’t relevant. When faced with problems, think of me and your mother often.”

Sun, who was standing by, saw Zhang Yue nod repeatedly and felt relieved. Her initial displeasure about her son going to school disappeared. But when she heard Zhang Zhuo talking on and on without stopping, she grew annoyed.

“Alright, alright. There’s still half a month left, right? You can talk to Yue about things one by one later. Why rush? I know you hope Yue will prove himself, but it has to be done gradually.”

“If I let you have your way, you’ll spoil this good son again!”

“I only have one son. The old lady is just curious and wants to see him more for now. Who knows if she’ll forget about him later! If I don’t take care of him and spoil him, no one else will care!”

“Enough, I can’t argue with you. After all, an overprotective mother often spoils her child. If he endures some hardships now, he’ll succeed in the future. It’s always right for a mother to put more effort into her son.”

“I’m not as heartless as you…”

Seeing a strange, affectionate atmosphere between his parents, Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment before quietly slipping away. In the courtyard, he thought with emotion—no matter what era it was, parents seemed to place their unfulfilled wishes on their children, regardless of whether they could bear them. Of course, even for himself, he would surely carry any heavy burden.

The third branch of the family usually had dinner in their own room. But that night, when it was time to eat, Zhang Zhuo went out at the invitation of a friend, while the old lady, Gu, sent Lingxi with four small dishes, saying she was thinking of Zhang Yue and had the kitchen prepare them specially. Though they were just buckwheat noodles, stir-fried lettuce, shredded chicken with tofu, and a bowl of plum juice, it was the first time the old lady had remembered the grandson of the third branch. As a result, the maids and wives in that branch walked with more energy.

After the mother and son finished eating, Lady Sun took Zhang Yue to visit the main hall again. Upon arriving at the door, they saw several maids carrying out a small table, most of the dishes on it barely touched. Only after they left did a maid lift the curtain to invite them in. Seeing this, Zhang Yue understood that the family in the second wing must have eaten here with Lady Gu—whose relationships with them were self-evident.

By now, it was dark outside, but the room was brightly lit by candles. At a glance, Zhang Yue noticed it was livelier than during the day. Besides the familiar maids, there were two young men he seemed to recognize. They were about his age but unusually strong—clearly Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi, his brothers.

Dong Fang, standing beside Lady Gu, was gently massaging her shoulders. When she saw Lady Sun and Zhang Yue enter, she smiled and said, “Old Lady, I told you Brother Yue is filial. You sent over four plates of light dishes, and here he is at once to please you! Brother Yue, just now Chao and Qi told the Old Lady two jokes from school. Since you’re here, why not tell one to amuse her?”

Hearing this, Lady Gu pointed to a small stool beside her and asked Zhang Yue to sit down. Then she scolded Dong Fang, “Brother Yue is weak and sickly. He rarely goes out all year round, and his time at school adds up to very little. He only knows a few characters from his parents—how could he know any jokes?”

Dong Fang immediately looked embarrassed and quickly apologized, “My memory! I completely forgot that Brother Yue isn’t in good health.”

Zhang Yue, however, smiled and sat down, then looked up and said, “Since my elder brothers have mentioned it, I do recall a joke I heard before. It goes that a teacher loved taking naps. A student asked him how to interpret the phrase ‘Zai Yu zou zhen’ from the book. The teacher replied, ‘Others may not understand this phrase, but as a learned man, I’ll tell you: Zai means to kill; Yu means me; Zou means noon; Zhen means to sleep. Put them together, and it means, “Even if they kill me, I still want to take a nap!””

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a thud—Zhang Qi fell to the ground laughing. Zhang Chao, though less affected, was rubbing his stomach hard. Lady Gu, who was drinking tea, almost spat it out. She then pointed at Zhang Yue and said, “Brother Yue, then do you know what ‘Zai Yu zou zhen’ really means?”

Zhang Yue was overjoyed. He quickly stood up, bowed, and said, “When I was in school, our teacher once taught this passage from The Analects. I remember it was about Confucius having a disciple named Zai Yu who didn’t study properly during the day but instead slept secretly, which angered the master greatly. Confucius once said, ‘Time flows like this—day and night without pause.’ Naturally, he despised such laziness the most.”

Thinking that Zhang Yue had been sickly since childhood and only attended school intermittently, Lady Gu couldn’t help but feel emotional, and her gaze at her grandson grew even more approving.

“It’s truly remarkable that you still remember The Analects. You must take good care of your health and strive to pass the exams so you can bring honor to your parents!”