After Shu Yan finished reading the Analects, his grandfather taught him to read the Book of Songs. Han Ning also began to teach his daughter Zhixin to read the Book of Songs. The two children often read together "Guan Guan Ju Dove, in the River Island." My Fair Lady, Gentleman ......"

Slowly, Shu Yan and Zhixin grew up a little, until they reached the year of their total horns, their hair was tied into two small horns, and the little red belly pocket was long gone. They have been able to help with the family. In addition to work, a copy of the Book of Songs has been read. But Han Ning never taught Zhixin other books, and Shu Yan not only read the Analects, the Book of Songs, and the Book of Rites, but also practiced calligraphy and writing.

Zhixin asked her father: "Ah Weng, the "Book of Songs" that I read with Brother Yan has already been read now, and Brother Yan has already begun to learn the "Book of Rites", plus the previous "Analects", it is already the third book, why do I always learn this one?" ”

Han Ning smiled: "You're a girl, why do you read a lot of books?" ”

"We have so many books at home, why don't you teach me other books, but only let me read the Book of Songs?"

"The Book of Songs is good, you can recognize a lot of words, and the "Book of Songs" is pure in thought, Confucius commented in one sentence that it is 'thinking innocent', and there is no deception. I want my daughter to grow up to be a kind, innocent and good girl. ”

Zhixin was puzzled: "There are six books of the Five Classics and the Analects, except for the Book of Songs, are the other books bad?" ”

"It's not bad, it's just that most of those books are about learning, self-cultivation, and governing the country, and they are of little use to girls, why are you learning it!"

"But when I heard Brother Yan reading the Analects, it was obviously very good, can you ......" Zhixin turned her head and found that her father had long since disappeared. Hmph, if you don't teach me, I'll go to Brother Yan! ”

Shu Yan is picking mulberry leaves with his father in the garden, and has picked two large baskets, and this year's mulberry leaves are big and fat, very fresh. Zhixin approached, this situation, she remembered a poem, this is a cheerful mulberry poem, the poems and songs in the "Book of Songs" are often connected together, poems are songs, songs are poems, all poems must be sung:

Between ten acres, the mulberry is idle, and the line and the son are still young.

Ten acres away, the mulberry is venting, and the line and the son are gone.

Shu Yan heard Zhixin's voice and said happily: "Zhixin, are you here?" Didn't you help the family? ”

"Just helped my grandmother wash some clothes."

"I learned the Book of Songs well, and I can learn and use it now, and I use it so decently."

"I've read the style of the fifteen countries a hundred times, and I, Ah Weng, never teach me anything else. Brother Yan, can you teach me to read the Analects? ”

"Of course, our mulberry leaves have also been harvested, so let's go home."

The two children followed Shu An back home carrying two baskets of mulberry leaves. Shu Yan took out the "Analects", pointed to the first article and read: "Zi said: "'Isn't it fun to learn and learn from time to time?'" Have friends come from afar, are you happy? People don't know and are not ashamed, aren't they also gentlemen? ’”

After Zhixin heard this, she pursed her lips and smiled: "You read this article every day, I have listened to it, and I still use you to teach it, is the next one okay?" ”

Shu Yan said solemnly: "Learn and learn, learn and learn, do you understand?" Even if you have studied, you should review it often. ”

Zhixin nodded seriously, and Shu Yan continued to read: "Aren't you happy to have friends from afar? Zhixin also read it.

"Brother Yan, if you have friends, will you be happy?"

"Of course, of course, like-minded friends are happy to come."

"Then do you remember that Shi family boy a few years ago?"

"Just? Well, yes. ”

"Why is it that he comes from afar, and I am not happy?"

"Why not be happy? Just because he broke our clay figurines? ”

"I don't know, at least he broke our clay figurines."

"Don't be so stingy." Shu Yan was like a big brother teaching a little sister, "Do you remember, the last sentence we just read?" ”

"Remember, people don't know and don't be ashamed, aren't they gentlemen? - Brother Yan, do you mean we should forgive him? ”

"Yes, tolerate the ignorant little mistakes of others, so that you can show a gentleman's demeanor." Shu Yan said with a smile.

Zhixin blinked her innocent eyes and looked at Shu Yan, although she was the same age, she had admired Shu Yan since she was a child.

"You see, although the Analects is small, the first article teaches you two truths."

"Well, Brother Yan, will you teach me to read the Analects in the future?"

"Don't worry, I'll teach you when I'm free in the future."

"But—but, the grown-ups say, boys and girls can't play together when they grow up, don't they?" Zhixin was a little worried.

"It's grown up—it's still early, my aunt said, if you haven't grown your teeth yet, you're not an adult." The two children looked at each other and grinned, revealing two rows of jagged teeth.

Time has passed, and Dr. Shu has lost his fortune since returning to his hometown. Relying on the meager income from farming, although food and clothing are not a problem, the cost of pen, ink, paper, inkstone and other things is gradually reduced, and those are not something that ordinary people can afford. Especially paper, during the Wei and Jin dynasties, due to the imperfection of papermaking technology and the lack of raw materials, paper was quite expensive. Most of the common people are purely illiterate, not many can recognize a few words, and those who can write their own names are already good, as for paper - it is simply not found in the homes of ordinary people.

Of course, the Shu family is different. However, Dr. Shu doesn't practice calligraphy every day, and paper is too expensive. He left these luxuries for Shu Yan to use. Dr. Shu is good at calligraphy and calligraphy, and in addition to teaching Shu Yan to read, he explained to him calligraphy, how to put down the pen, how to close the pen, how to close the exhibition, and how to gallop and soothe. Shu Yan is extremely perceptive, and he only has the opportunity to write on two or three pieces of paper every month, but a year later, although his official writing is not as perfect as Dr. Shu, at least he can collect and release it freely. By the time of the Jin Dynasty, Lishu had replaced the seal script and became the official font at that time. Except for important seals, formal ceremonies, etc., which still use seal scripts, the rest are replaced by official scripts. Because there are many advantages of official script over seal script: first, seal script writing is too complicated, while official script writing is relatively simple; Second, there are too many curved pens in the seal script, which is not convenient for writing, and the curved pen of the official script is changed to a straight pen to make the glyph closer to the square word.

In the past year, every time Shu Yan finished helping his family do farm work, whenever he had free time, he would run to the back of the house alone, not knowing what he was doing. When it was time to eat, his mother had to call out three or five times: "Yan'er, it's time to eat." He came back for dinner belatedly. When eating, he was also absent-minded, and sometimes he used his hands to make gestures in the air, hurriedly picked up two mouthfuls of small rice, drank two mouthfuls of gluten soup, and hurried to the back of the house. Dr. Shu was strange and quietly walked to the back of the house to see what he was doing. Behind his house is a small open space, which is flat and the soil is fine. Shu Yan had two horns on top of his head, and he was squatting on the ground, holding a small wooden stick the size of chopsticks in his right hand, and he was practicing calligraphy on the ground. The ground that used to be smooth is now full of scratches. Apparently the result of writing over and over again - erasing - writing again - erasing again. Now he is writing a chapter in the Analects: "A gentleman is filial piety when he enters, and he is filial piety when he goes out, and he is cautious and faithful, and he loves all people, and if he is kind and benevolent, he has the ability to do it, and he learns literature." ”

"The word 'in' is good, and the word 'sincere' is better, but the last stroke of the word 'pan' is too fast." Dr. Shu stroked his gray beard and smiled.

Shu Yan was startled, turned around and saw that it was his grandfather standing behind him.

"Well, the pen is strong, but the pen is still poor." Shu An said with a smile in the back.

Dr. Shu was also shocked, it turned out that Shu An, Zhou, and Xie Yi were standing behind him.

Shu Yan was so engrossed in practicing calligraphy that his grandfather stood behind him for a long time, and he didn't even notice it. As for Dr. Shu, watching his grandson practicing calligraphy on the ground, he was also engrossed, but when Shu An and the others stood behind him, they didn't know at all. He was very pleased to see that his grandson wrote so seriously, and although he had not bought much paper, he wrote so well.

"Grandson, Lishu is not as smooth as Xiao Seal, the most important is to suppress the frustration, there is a frustration to have a sense of beauty, and it will be perfect to practice again."

"Grandma, please, for more advice."

"Calligraphy is to practice a lot, but also to constantly figure out and comprehend the good handwriting, so that you can write well. It's very rare for you to be able to write at this level at such a young age. ”

"Yes, I have to write the Analects and the Book of Songs every day, and I will write the Book of Rites in the future."

"Yes, that's good. In this way, you can not only practice calligraphy, but also review the classics. "Shu An is also talented, but he is a talented man hidden in the people, and if he joins the ranks, the statement must be no less than his father. He said to his son, "You can read and write the scriptures, but do you understand what they mean?" ”

"Of course you can, for example, the meaning of this sentence is: a gentleman should be filial to his elders at home, respect his teachers when he goes out, be cautious in his words and deeds, be trustworthy, be friendly to others, be close to people with benevolence, and if he still has the energy to spare, he should go and learn."

"Mm-hmm, yes, yes."

"But Awon, there's something I want to tell you." Shu Yan looked at his father with wide eyes, but there was some expectation in his eyes, and some unconfidence.

"Oh, what's the matter, you say."

"I think, I think...... Give me the paper I used to practice calligraphy every month to the Han sisters - Zhixin and Ruoxin. ”

Shu An exclaimed: "You only have the opportunity to practice calligraphy on paper two or three times a month, why should you let it be given to others?" Don't you cherish it? ”

"Cherish, of course cherish, but Zhixin and Ruoxin have never written on paper, I think they need to ...... 'gentleman's adult beauty'!"

Shu An just looked at his son with a smile, and didn't say yes or no. His mother Zhou stabbed Shu'an: "Like you, have you forgotten the gift of firewood and rice clothes to the Han family back then?" ”

Shu An smiled: "Aren't you the same?" ”

Xie Yi laughed: "If there is a father, there must be a son, and your Shu family has been a gentleman for generations." ”

Shu Yan was happy to see that both Zhixin and Ruoxin had tasted the joy of writing on paper. However, although the Shu family is stronger than the Han family, it is only "some". Ruoxin also started reading two years ago, and her three children still write on the flat ground with small wooden sticks most of the time. Shu Yan learned earlier and more than Zhixin and Ruoxin, and he often gave their sisters and brothers advice on mistakes. Although they don't have the money to buy paper, they always talk and laugh when they write, and they are quite happy, showing their carefree innocence and joy to the fullest.