I Want to Become a Disciple

Today, his mother had gone along with him and brought him out to play. How could he not understand her intentions?

“… Actually, it’s nothing.”

Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his face against hers and continued in embarrassment, “If I become a disciple, I won’t be able to stay by your side all the time.”

Xiaoguo’s hand paused. Her pupils were trembling with surprise. She slowly turned to look at the little head beside her. So that was why.

Now she knows. Recalling the times when she talked about sending him to school, he always always avoided the topic. Recently, he has become even more clingy. So this was the reason.

“Are you worried about me being alone?”

“Yes.” Zhuang Zhuang nodded and continued aggrievedly, “If I go to school in the county, you’ll be left alone at home. You’ll be sad if you have no one to talk to.”

Zhuang Zhuang thought about many things. If he goes to school, his mother would be left alone at home. Just thinking about it made him feel sad. What if she got injured accidentally? What if she got sick…?

“You’re just going to school. It’s not like you’re never coming back. You will be out during the day. In the mornings and evenings, you can still enjoy your mother’s cooking.”

After saying that, she felt a little uneasy. In fact, she wasn’t sure about the schooling hours here. Everything she said was based on her speculations. No matter what, the students should be allowed to go home to sleep at night.

She had thought it through. If they were successful in getting a teacher for Zhuang Zhuang, she would send him to and from school every day. She was already prepared to overcome all difficulties.

“Really?”

Zhuang Zhuang didn’t know the details, but the thought of leaving Xiaoguo was unbearable. He wished that he could be by her side at all times and never be separated from her.

“Yes…” I guess?

Xiaoguo said without batting an eyelid. For now, she must assure Zhuang Zhuang. The other things could wait.

Zhuang Zhuang seemed a little convinced.

Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo continued. “Think about it. After you have a teacher, that knowledge is no longer just one-sided. Don’t you have many things that you could not figure out? The teacher can explain everything to you.”

Zhuang Zhuang felt satisfied knowing that he could continue to stay by Xiaoguo’s side. After hearing what she had just said, he felt even more satisfied.

To Zhuang Zhuang, the most important things in his life were none other than his mother and father. The second most important thing to him was knowledge—endless knowledge!

The person who could enlighten him had to be a god in his eyes. Therefore, Xiaoguo’s last sentence hit him squarely in the heart.

“Mother! I want to learn from a teacher!!”

Zhuang Zhuang’s eyes lit up. He sat up and grabbed Xiaoguo’s hands, shaking them vigorously. He kept repeating that he wished to be a disciple.

Xiaoguo was confused by his shaking and quickly stopped him. “Alright, alright. If you keep shaking me, my brain will scatter…”

When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he quickly hugged Xiaoguo. “No, no. Mother still has to bring me to my teacher.”

“Hey!” Xiaoguo’s eyes widened as she looked speechlessly at the fickle child in front of her. Just a moment ago, he was refusing to be a disciple. Now, he was shouting the opposite. Who said that women were the most fickle creatures? Zhuang Zhuang was clearly the most fickle-minded person ever.

“Hehe…” Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo and smiled ingratiatingly. “Mother, when are we going to see my teacher?”

Xiaoguo snorted at him. “There’s no hurry. We’ll go in two days.”

Seeing Zhuang Zhuang’s excitement, Xiaoguo couldn’t bear to rain on his parade, but she told him truthfully, “It’s still unknown if the teacher will accept you.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

Zhuang Zhuang didn’t understand why.

“The teacher’s surname is Kong. The book ‘Wordless’ you’re reading is written by him…”

Xiaoguo did not answer his question first. Instead, she explained Mr. Kong’s background to Zhuang Zhuang. The teacher was someone with such an impressive background, so it would make sense that he wouldn’t take in anyone to be his student.

Unexpectedly, just as she was about to start, Zhuang Zhuang intercepted her.

When Zhuang Zhuang heard the name, he got extremely excited. Who was that?! Did he hear wrongly? Was it really Teacher Kong?!

When he realized that the teacher was his idol, he subconsciously finished the introduction for Xiaoguo. “Teacher Kong, surnamed Kong. His last name is Bang. He is the great thinker and educator of the Shao Nation. Other than ‘Wordless’, his representative works are ‘Laws’ and the ‘Book of Rites’.”

Xiaoguo was also very excited. In fact, she had been feeling excited ever since finding out that Mr. Kong would be returning to Yonghai County.

She often saw Mr. Kong’s name in the bookstore here. In every five books that she saw, his name would definitely appear in one of them. At the thought that Zhuang Zhuang could be taught by the famed author of those books, her heart felt like it was going to pop out of her chest.

If Zhuang Zhuang was really lucky enough to be accepted and taught by such an awesome teacher, he would definitely grow to be extraordinary in the future.

Even if he could just stay by the side of the great thinker and educator for a few years, the process should be very rewarding.

Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were so excited that they did not close their eyes the entire night.

As expected, when the sun was up and shining into their room the next morning, the two of them were still sound asleep in bed.

There was nothing much to do. Jiang Danhe had also said in his letter that the two elders were old and they would take some time to arrive. After all, the long journey would be hard on them physically. During their travels, their comfort and rest should be of utmost importance. So, the estimated time of arrival should be double that of the normal traveling time.

Xiaoguo did some calculations. Based on a normal trip of seven days, it should take them fourteen days to reach the county. After all, they had to stop every now and then. It shouldn’t take longer than that.

After deriving their estimated arrival date, Xiaoguo was no longer in a hurry. She got up and had her breakfast. Then she gave Teacher Kong’s letter to Zhuang Zhuang.

Zhuang Zhuang took it solemnly. This was written by Mr. Kong, whom he admired. When he had time, he would get his mother to frame it up and put it away.

He unfolded the letter and read out the following words. “In the beginning, one must seek to enter. In the end, one must seek to get out.”

Xiaoguo did not disturb him. She looked at Zhuang Zhuang quietly from the side. The more she looked at him, the happier she became. How could a four-year-old be so smart?

Zhuang Zhuang understood what the words meant on the surface, but he didn’t understand why Mr. Kong would write such a sentence to him.

Xiaoguo did not disturb Zhuang Zhuang. She got up and left him alone to think. After all, this could be Zhuang Zhuang’s entrance test.

Mr. Kong never took in any students. It was only thanks to Jiang Danhe that he was willing to meet Zhuang Zhuang. The rope had been thrown down. It was now up to Zhuang Zhuang to grab it.

No one could help him with that.

As time passed, Xiaoguo got increasingly anxious. On the other hand, Zhuang Zhuang’s heart gradually calmed down.

He should have understood what Teacher Kong meant by those words. In fact, what he meant by those words was not important. What was more important was the ideology that Teacher Kong wished to convey to him.

–

Based on the estimated arrival date, Xiaoguo had a sleepless night the night before. On the contrary, Zhuang Zhuang was full of energy.

Xiaoguo picked herself up and made a sumptuous breakfast. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang had eaten a lot, she felt slightly relieved.

It was really strange. This was supposed to be Zhuang Zhuang’s entrance examination, but she was the one who had trouble sleeping the whole night.

Looking at her haggard face in the mirror, Xiaoguo rubbed her hair in frustration. She suddenly thought of the pile of cosmetics Jiang Danhe had given her.

She opened the cabinet and rummaged through everything before finding something. The bottle had Jade Skin Revitalizing Cream written on it.

“That’s a pretty name.”

Xiaoguo smiled and opened the container. The jar was filled with a white creamy paste. She leaned closer and smelled it. The smell of grass filled her nostrils. She picked at it with her fingers and dabbed it on her face. The cream was instantly absorbed into her skin.