Chapter 14 : Copybook

Since Yuxi knew that Teacher Song was coming, she spent half an hour every morning and afternoon doing embroidery works. At other times, she would be reading with Mama Shen.

It was a fine day today. So, Yuxi went to the yard to embroider on a handkerchief.

Moju came in happily from outside and cried to Yuxi, “Miss, Second Young Master is here!”

When the Second Young Master, Han Jianye, remembered fondly of Ning Shi’s kindness in saving him, he became very concerned about Yuxi. But since he studied martial arts with his master last year, he seldom returned home.

When Yuxi saw Han Jianye, her mind filled with inexplicable thoughts. The other person who treated her very nicely in her past life beside Qiu Shi was her second brother. However, he suffered a serious setback in his marriage, which was hindered by Wu Shi’s niece, Qiu Yanfu. Without marriage prospects, he finally had to marry Qiu Yanfu. Later on, in order to avoid Qiu Yanfu, her second brother went to Liaodong and never came back.

Han Jianye looked at Yuxi standing foolishly at the door. He came over and touched her little buns and said with a smile, “Why? Are you so glad to see this second brother that you suddenly turned foolish?”

Han Jianye’s appearance looked a lot like a person from the Qiu family, with his square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. As a result of him training martial arts since childhood, he was a head taller than his peers.

Yuxi held Han Jianye in her arms and wiped her tears. “Second brother.” She vowed that she would never allow Qiu Yanfu to mess up her second brother’s marriage in this life. Then, he would not go to Liaodong and die young.

Han Jianye was dumbfounded. What with this situation?

Moju also didn’t know what was going on with her Miss and asked with a smile, “Miss, what is wrong with you? Second Young Master is finally back. Why are you crying? ”

When Yuxi came back to her senses, she blushed and quickly took her handkerchief to wipe her tears. She had just seen her second brother, who had died in her last life and to saw him alive in front of her, made her overwhelmed with excitement.

Han Jianye was a rough man. Seeing Yuxi’s reaction, he smiled happily and said, “To really cry when seeing second brother, come on, second brother bought this for you to see. See if you like it. ” He flattered that his sister missed him so much till she shed her tears.

Yuxi speechlessly looked at a small box filled with rouge. She was only four years old. Why did she let him buy her rouge? “Second brother, don’t buy me anything anymore. It’s a waste of your money.” Who could let a four-year-old child used rogue? Well, she could just use this to reward someone in the future.

Han Jianye mumbled sadly, “It’s all right. It didn’t cost much.”

Yuxi was speechless and quickly changed the subject. She said, “Second brother, if you could buy me a copybook, I would be more happy.”

Han Jianye picked Yuxi up and went into the house. After putting her down, he smiled and asked, “Has Xi’er(used as endearment) started to read? What copybook do you want?”

Yuxi thought for a moment and said, “Yan Zhenqing’s copybook.” She heard that it was the best.

Credit : City University of Hong Kong

Yan Zhenqing（709-789) was a well known Chinese calligrapher during Tang Dynasty. His early book Duobao Pagoda had been used as a copybook by beginner calligrapher from back then till today.

Han Jianye promised, “It is rare for Xi’er to make such great efforts. Second brother will buy it for you in the next two days.” Yuxi was very close to him before, but not as natural as now. However, Yuxi’s changes still satisfied him.

As they was talking about a painting, Moju brought in Yuxi’s embroidered basket. “Miss, I’ll put this in the room.”

Hearing this, Han Jianye was surprised and asked, “Xi’er, have you started learning embroidery?” Seeing Yuxi nodded her head, he smiled and asked, “When will you embroider a purse for your second brother?”

Yuxi estimated her timing and said, “Second brother, this purse is for Cousin Yashi. Once I’m done with this, I’ll make one for you. ”

Han Jianye cheerfully said, “OK, I’ll wait.”

Yuxi deliberately said, “Second brother, you are not afraid people will laugh at you if my purse looks ugly?” With Han Jianye, Yuxi felt particularly comfortable to say anything.

Han Jianye said without hesitation, “Don’t worry, they will only envy me.” He had other several brothers learning martial arts with him, but they had not received any purse from their families. So when the time came for him to receive a purse from his sister, those few people would definitely envy him.

Yuxi cracked a smile at him and said, “Second brother, please rest assure. I will surely embroider you a beautiful purse.” Han Jianye’s words always warm her heart.

The two chatted for a while before Han Jianye left.

The next morning, Han Jianye went out early to buy a copybook for Yuxi, but he couldn’t find the one that she wanted. He finally remembered that his eldest brother, Han Jianming, had copies.

The Han’s apparent heir, Han Jianming, heard that his younger brother wanted Yan Zhenqing’s copybook, which was a trend in the current market. Obviously, he asked for it not for himself, but for Yuxi. “Even our Fourth Sister know how to practice calligraphy. What about you? When will you also start practicing your writing?” Han Jianming grew up with Old Madam Han, who was very demanding. He learned Chinese characters at the age of three and went to school at the age of five. However, his status did not require him to pass the imperial examinations. He diligently read to increase his knowledge and broaden his vision. While, Han Jianye hated studying since he was younger. He saw a book like he saw an enemy. Even his brother, Han Jiaming thought the words wrote by him were simply horrible.

Han Jianye blushed and said, “Let’s talk about that later. Elder brother, Fourth Sister said she wanted a copy of Yan Zhenqing’s copybook. I remember that you seem to have quite a lot here! ”

Han Jianming was really going to be subdued by this second brother. What did he meant by he had a lot? It seemed that Yan Zhenqing’s copybooks were important commodities. “I’ll send them to her tomorrow.”

How would Han Jianye be willing? He said, “Eldest brother, I’ll choose it myself. I’ll send it to her after I’ve done choosing it.” It’s not like he didn’t know his brother. His elder brother was really stingy. If you let him chose, he surely would not give you the best one.

Since Han Jianming was the heir of Duke of the State, he had many good things in his hand. There were more than ten copybooks collected alone. Although they were not authentic, they were not common goods either.

Han Jianye was not satisfied with the basic Yan Zhenqing copybook collected by his brother which he just found. While searching , he finally saw a copybook on the room desk. When he opened it, it turned out to be Yan Zhenqing’s ‘Controversy on Seating Protocol (Zhēng zuòwèi tiē’’) . “Eldest brother, this is it! This is good. ”

Controversy on Seating Protocol (Zhēng zuòwèi tiē)

Image Credit : World Digital Library

Zheng zuo wei tie (Letter on the controversy over seating protocol), also referred to as Lun zuo tie (Letter on the seating), and Yu Guo pu ye shu (Letter to Vice Director Guo), was composed and handwritten by Yan Zhenqing in the running script style. It is a manuscript of Yan Zhenqing’s letter to Guo Yingyi, Prince of Dingxiang. The letter addresses the issue of seating protocol for various civilian and military officials at court banquets. As it happens, Guo, in order to curry favor with the eunuch official Yu Chao’en, had twice placed him at the head table. This letter is representative of Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy in running script, but the original no longer exists. During the Song dynasty, An Shiwen created a stele reproducing the letter on stone in Xi’an, Shaanxi, which is now in the Forest of Stone Steles Museum in Xi’an. Presented here is a Song dynasty rubbing, originally in the collection of Liang Qichao (1873‒1929), the late-Qing scholar and reformer. After it was bound in accordion format, he wrote the title. – World Digital Library

Han Jianming was stunned silent when he saw it. “This is written in cursive script. Fourth Sister just began to read and you want her to read this?” What Han Jianming meant was for him to change the book to the one that was easy and simple.

However, Han Jianye did not care so much about that. He felt that this copybook was written with flying dragon and dancing phoenix (idiom. lively and vigorous flourish in calligraphy). Moreover, the copybook that his eldest brother could copy must have also be absolutely good. “Eldest brother, this is it.” Afraid that Han Jianming would not be willing to give the book up, he took it and ran away.

Han Jianming looked at his younger brother’s back view and shook his head helplessly. “Really…” He often felt helpless with his younger brother, who was almost ten years old but still acted like a child.

Yuxi saw that the copybook Han Jianming sent her was Yan Zhenqing’s ‘Seating Protocol’. She didn’t know if she should cry or laugh. Currently, she was only four years old and just started her education. It must be no problem for him to send her this copy of cursive copybook.

Han Jianye looked at Yuxi, tried to see if she liked it or no. He simply asked, “Xi’er, what do you think? If you don’t feel good about it, I’ll change it for you! ”

Yuxi smiled and said, “I like it very much. So, no need to change it.” Although it was not genuine, Yuxi knew that this copybook was also very precious.

Han Jianye’s teacher, Master Yang, was very skilled in martial arts, but he had a strange temperament. He had been living in the mountain and was reluctant to come down. Hence, Han Jianye could only live in the mountain when he practiced martial arts with him. After staying at home for three days, he went back to the mountain.

After writing twenty words, Yuxi put down her brush and saw that Hongshan was going to say something but then she hesitated. Yuxi curiously asked, “What’s the matter? Why are you hesitating if you have something to say?”

Only then did Hongshan said with lower voice, “Miss, the copybook that Second Young Master gave you was the Heir’s favorite book.”

Yuxi didn’t think so much about it. She only smiled and went to the copper basin. After washing both her hands, she smilingly asked, “How do you know that the copybook was eldest brother’s favorite? Who told you that? ”

Hongshan looked at Yuxi and saw no changed in her look. She responded, “Sister Ziyi told me.”

Yuxi stopped smiling. Zhiyi was one of Eldest Cousin’s hall maids. Clearly, she had purposely told Hongshan about the copybook. Yuxi deliberately pretended not to know anything. “What does she mean by saying this?”

Hongshan told Yuxi her guess, “Miss, I think Sister Ziyi want us to return the copybook.”

Yuxi’s look turned a bit ugly. What did that maid meant? Did she meant that Second Brother took the copybook and sent it to her without the consent of Eldest Brother? Otherwise, it meant that Second Brother had not been aware of how proper things work anymore. But, it was impossible for him to do such a thing. Ziyi was completely slandering Second Brother. Yuxi’s eyes gleamed with cold light, and she did not know who gave Ziyi the courage. “I know about this.”

Yuxi didn’t say anything to Zhiyi’s face, but immediately told Qiu Shi instead. Of course, she did not directly complain, but said in a teasing tone, “Second brother is really… Although Eldest Brother will not blame him, but still I feel quite embarrass because of this. I will ignore Second Brother next time he comes back.”

After hearing what Yuxi said, Qiu Shi said with a smile, “Your second brother is such a careless person. But you can rest assured that your eldest brother is not so stingy. The copybook, you can keep it. No need for you to return it. ”

Yuxi smilingly said, “Does Eldest Brother really not going to blame him?”

Qiushi stroke Yuxi’s head and smiled kindly: “It is just a copybook. Your eldest brother will not be stingy.”

Yuxi naturally won’t nag this matter furthermore. She just smiled and said, “Aunt, when I look at the calligraphy inside the copybook, they look beautiful like flying dragon and dancing phoenix (idiom. lively and vigorous flourish in calligraphy). I think, if I could embroider them on a embroidery, it would look very nice. That’s why I hope I don’t need to return it.” This meant that she would be able to copy them later.

Qiu Shi laughed, “You, ah, you, don’t always think about embroidery. Teacher Song will come early on the tenth month. So, you must prepare yourself. ” It was good for girls to embroider, but the girls in their family did not make a living by embroidering. So, they did not need to put all their energy on it.

Yuxi was not nervous, and said, “Aunt, I have finished learning both Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames books! Soon, I’m going to learn Thousand Characters Classic book.”

Qiushi was somewhat surprised, “How long have you been studying with Mama Shen, for you to finish those two books?”

Yuxi felt that she already did it very slow, “I have studied those two books for ten days. I’ve also heard that Third Sister learns things faster too. I will be able to do the same thing as soon as she (Teacher Song) starts teaching .”

EXTRA NOTES ON WHAT YUXI WAS READING

In the dynasties following the Song, the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic came to be known as San Bai Qian (Three, Hundred, Thousand), from the first character in their titles. They were the almost universal introductory literary texts for students, almost exclusively boys, from elite backgrounds and even for a number of ordinary villagers. Each was available in many versions, printed cheaply, and available to all since they did not become superseded. When a student had memorized all three, he had a knowledge of roughly 2,000 characters. Since Chinese did not use an alphabet, this was an effective, though time-consuming, way of giving a “crash course” in character recognition before going on to understanding texts and writing characters.- Wiki

Three Character Classic

Three Character Classic by Wang Lingyin

Image Credit : 仁義中國的博客

Until the latter part of the 1800s, it served as a child’s first formal education at home. The text is written in triplets of characters for easy memorization.

Thousand Character Classic

Thousand Character Classic

By UncertainNote: The National Palace Museum states that the Qing imperial catalog Shiqu Baoji (石渠寶笈) attributed this work to Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty, but they also stated that the work appears to actually have been done by a member of said emperor’s Calligraphy Academy. – Selections. The “Thousand Character Classic” in Chinese Calligraphy (exhibit). Taipei: National Palace Museum., Public Domain, Link

Hundred Family Surnames

The Hundred Family Surnames is a classic Chinese text composed of common Chinese surnames. The book was composed in the early Song Dynasty.[1] It originally contained 411 surnames, and was later expanded to 504. Of these, 444 are single-character surnames, and 60 are double-character surnames. About 800 names have been derived from the original ones.- Wiki