In modern times, thirteen years old is just the age of the first year of junior high school, and it is the time to be stubborn, but in ancient times, it was already a great age, and it was time to be sensible.

When Zhao Yu was thirteen years old, the nurse ran between various dyeing workshops for his studies, and he himself studied hard; Ah Yao is also learning, but he is learning to dig out the bird's nest and bake the bird's eggs, and he tries hard to make the bird's eggs more delicious.

…… This kid may be able to open a restaurant when he grows up.

But Ah Yao's father still has high hopes for the child, and still hasn't given up, hoping that he can become a talent.

... Ah Yao sat upright in front of the desk, looking at the exam papers on the table with a sad face.

This paper was written by Zhao Yu in order to test his basic knowledge, and most of it was written silently, and only the last question was an exposition.

The first question, fill in the blanks of the three-character scripture, Ah Yao passed the test smoothly. The second question, silently writing an excerpt of the surname of the hundred families, Ah Yao stumbled and painted a few black bumps, and barely passed, the third question...

"Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang... Cosmic desolation... The sun and the moon are shining... Cold and summer... Autumn harvest... Winter storage. ”

Zhao Yu watched Ah Yao bite his pen and think for a long time, but he still acquiesced... seems to understand the reason why Brother Fu said that he would not come again.

......

After writing the whole volume, starting from the fourth question, Ah Yao wrote at most two words - "No." ”... It's an honest child, Zhao Yu thought bitterly. The last discussion Ah Yao sprinkled most of the pen and ink, Zhao Yu did not report his hope at the time, but when he calmed down to study, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The topic he came up with is actually not difficult, and the translation into the vernacular is to discuss the reasons why the ancient sages can be called virtuous

The standard answer is nothing more than a list of sentences from the Analects or other Four Books and Five Classics and a personal understanding. Ah Yao didn't know what the Four Books and Five Classics were because he was playful, but he found another way, starting from ordinary things such as bird's nests and birds' eggs, from Confucius to Mencius, and back to Confucius. Although the language is still a little naïve and simple, the connotation of his thoughts can already be reflected between the lines.

Ah Yao looked at Zhao Yu looking at his exam papers with a serious face, lowered his head and pursed his mouth, without even saying a word, and was a little scared in his heart: he got carried away for a while, and wrote his whimsical thoughts on it... This master won't turn away angrily, right? Ah Yao's eyebrows and mouth wrinkled together, if this master leaves again, Daddy will nag me again...

This Ah Yao's nervousness was not transmitted to Zhao Yu at all, he turned it over and looked at it several times, and the more he opened it, the more he liked it: "This essay question... Did you think of it yourself? ”

Ah Yao let out a strange 'um', and then hurriedly swore: "Master, you spare me this time!" Next time... Oh no, just this time, from today, from the next moment, I promise to listen to you and write the way you taught. ”

Zhao Yu shook his head gently, Ah Yao looked at him with even more strange eyes, Zhao Yu said: "You don't need to learn from anyone, you write very well." He laughed, "I never thought that looking at this question in a different way would be such an interesting answer." ”

"Really... It's true? Ah Yao was so dizzy that he was praised, but he still remembered the pain from before: "But the masters all say that what I write is not bullshit... And then something happened... Then they stopped teaching me. ”

When he said this, Ah Yao flattened his mouth, and his black and bright grape-like eyes looked at Zhao Yu with some grievances, like a puppy begging to feed meat and bones.

Zhao Yu learned from the pretty branch and touched Ah Yao's head: "We have learned so much, the ultimate goal is not to be an official, but to make ourselves more full, in order to integrate this knowledge in our minds... You're amazing, Haruka. ”

"You are a piece of jade," Zhao Yu affirmed, "Those previous masters were just a carving knife that could carve you, it doesn't matter, I'll try to make your carving knife." Zhao Yu finally touched the child's face and put away the test papers, "The investigation is up to now, you go to sleep, our teaching will start tomorrow." ”

"I'll go back and figure out how I can help you." Before leaving, Zhao Yu blinked mysteriously, "Maybe there will be a surprise tomorrow~"

"Hmm..."Ah Yao responded happily, although he was ignorant and didn't understand what Zhao Yu said just now, he could hear that Zhao Yu was praising him, praising him for being a piece of jade, and those masters who didn't like him before were all discerning and illiterate. He was stunned by this first compliment in his life, and recited those sentences he didn't understand over and over again in his heart, thinking that he would repeat it to his father and mother tomorrow, just thinking about it, he actually fell asleep, for the first time in so many years, he did not dream of a free and easy meadow, but the happy faces of Zhao Yu and his father.

Day 2. After breakfast, Zhao Yu took A Yao to the open space where he often played after getting the approval of Ah Yao's father.

Overgrown with weeds, all kinds of wild grasses and wild flowers are in full bloom, there are no big trees in the sky and no low bushes, all of them are weeds and wild flowers when you look at them, and it is also a different kind of harmony and different scenery after a long time.

When Ah Yao was still wondering why Zhao Yu brought him here, he heard Zhao Yu's faint voice: "Ah Yao, the yard at your house is also very large, and there are many maids and maids who can accompany you, but why do you like to be here alone?" ”

Why...? He hadn't really thought about it yet.

"Probably because... There's no one here, so it doesn't matter how I run or jump. "No one will say anything about me even if I'm covered in mud, and the next second I'll be rolling in the mud." ”

"Ahh Now I don't wallow in the mud anymore, Master, don't laugh at me. ”

Zhao Yu gave a thoughtful 'um' and nodded solemnly: "Yes, I heard that you still like peeing and mud when you were ten years old." ”

...... "Master, you better forget this!" Ah Yao covered his eyes helplessly.

"Ah Yao. Open your eyes. Zhao Yu's voice suddenly became vast and profound, "Use your eyes to feel everything here." ”

He followed Zhao Yu's example and stretched out his arms, lying on his back on the tufts of weeds, wrapped through the grass, the gentle wind blowing in his ears, Ah Yao took a deep breath, and suddenly felt extremely happy and comfortable in his heart, this feeling even exceeded the happiness of his crazy running around.

"You're not like me, you like the wind of freedom." Zhao Yu turned his head and looked at Ah Yao beside him, "You yearn for freedom, but Ah Yao, all the freedom in this world is not for nothing, you always need to fight for it yourself to get it." You can be carefree with your parents now, but what about five years from now, ten years from now? Your father and mother will grow old one day, and when that time comes, who will protect you? ”

Ah Yao lay in the grass, blinked his eyes very slowly, and let out an inaudible 'ah'. He thought for a long time before he turned over and sat up, "So, Master, do you mean that only if I study hard can I protect my parents?" ”

Zhao Yu shook his head and said, "It's too early for you to think about this, you just need to know that everything you are doing now is for yourself and for your freedom in the future." In life, no one can be free forever, whether it is the common people, officials, or even the emperor. But as long as you stand higher and pay more, you will be able to enjoy more freedom. ”

"In this world, the bigger you grow, the less shelter you get, the more things you want, and the more you have to give."

Ah Yao was still ignorant, Zhao Yu smiled helplessly, and did not continue.

Also, Ah Yao is only thirteen years old, and he is still a child who likes to play. These truths that he only came up with with a broken head and a scabbed scar... How could Ah Yao understand? He's just a naïve child.

"Sage Confucius has a saying, which is called teaching students according to their aptitude." Zhao Yu also got up, smiled and blinked, "You like to be free and unrestrained, then I will accompany you to try this feeling." He took out a copy of the Analects and turned the first page, "Let's read through the first five pages today, and as long as you can memorize and understand it before the sun sets, we will give you two days off." Zhao Yu deliberately said very slowly, until Ah Yao's interest was hooked, and when he shook his arm and continued, he stretched out his voice and said, "As long as you can do this today, I will accompany you to play here in the next two days, you can run if you want, roll if you want, I will never say a word to you." ”

Ah Yao's black grape-like eyes lit up, and at the moment he wanted to agree, he was stopped by Zhao Yu's voice: "It's not too late to wait and agree, Ah Yao." If you're not doing well today... In the next ten days, you can't go to play, you have to follow me honestly. Noticing the young man's slightly dark eyes, Zhao Yu added, "Of course, we are still studying here." Make a good choice. ”

As time passed, Ah Yao's originally confused face gradually became full of firmness, and his small fists clenched: "Master, I'll bet with you." Here we go! ”

The plan succeeded, Zhao Yu exhaled softly, and the temperature at the root of his ears dropped little by little, he didn't sleep for half a night yesterday, so he came up with this method, but fortunately, the effect was not bad.

On the first day, Ah Yao successfully memorized five pages of thousand-character text, Zhao Yu did not break his promise, and took Ah Yao to play crazy for two whole days. Ah Yao's father and mother felt that they had hired an unusual master, who looked at the soft and weak bookish and angry, but the way to teach the child was so unusual... The weird thing is that it seems to be really effective for Ah Yao.

Day after day passed, Ah Yao would have more and more things, more and more able to sit still, as if he had changed a person, Ah Yao, who used to like to dig birds' nests, no longer existed, and became diligent and studious, but the only difference is that Ah Yao still maintains that childlike innocence for things, and after studying, he will still look out the window and yearn for freedom.

Just like Zhao Yu in the past.

At the same time, the pretty branches of Yuelai Restaurant in Yanling are also working hard to make the restaurant bigger and stronger, and are slowly carrying out a special plan.