Chapter 4: Becoming an Apprentice—the Exclusive Kind

The Next Day.

“What’s the point of seeking a teacher now? We're about to move—why waste money on this? If word gets out, won’t everyone laugh at your foolishness? And besides…”

Early in the morning, Aunt Zhang was busy airing out clothes, her mouth never resting as she complained. When she glanced into the courtyard, seeing Tao and Fu Rui bustling about, her eyes lingered with reluctance on the prepared gifts for the teacher.

“What kind of times are these? He’s nothing but a penniless scholar—hardly worth such ceremony. Why spend money on this? Couldn’t we just find one of the old men in the village? I hear this new one is in his early thirties—not much older, what could he have seen of the world, what skills could he possibly have, and still you prepare such lavish gifts…”

Zhang’s grumbling betrayed her thoughts; to her, those gifts could have bought plenty of food for the whole family.

These days, famine and disaster were everywhere. Grain grew ever more expensive, and who could say when the Fu family might run out of food altogether?

“That’s enough, sister-in-law! I’d like to find someone truly capable for Hou’er, but even if we had one in the family, all these years, he hasn’t taught a thing!”

Tao could not help but turn at her sister-in-law’s endless chatter, just in time to see her elder brother, Fu Hong, step out. She spoke earnestly.

Zhang, of course, understood the implication. She didn’t care about losing face, though she knew she was in the wrong.

“His uncle works hard for the family’s future too, and yet his cousin hasn’t learned anything.”

Zhang replied.

At this, Tao glanced at Fu Zi Hou’s uncle, Fu Hong, who pretended not to hear a word. She sighed, letting the matter drop. Instead, it was Zhang, still uneasy as she saw Old Liu preparing to set out with Fu Zi Hou, who hurried after them.

“Old Liu, when you meet him, look carefully. Don’t let yourselves be deceived. If anything seems wrong, bring Zi Hou straight home!”

She gave her instructions to Old Liu.

Old Liu nodded, then turned to look at Fu Zi Hou. He knew well enough, from what the boy’s uncle had said, that the Fu family would be moving away—at the latest in two months, perhaps as soon as one. This brief month or two—what could Fu Zi Hou possibly learn?

Moreover, Fu Zi Hou’s current status was that of a merchant’s son!

But like the others in the Fu family, Old Liu suspected that this was all because of the marriage alliance with the Li family. Fu Zi Hou probably feared being looked down upon by them, and so wanted the title of a scholar for some dignity in their eyes.

What a sensible child, one who inspired pity!

“Come home early. It’s dangerous outside these days.”

Tao, having tidied her son’s clothes, reminded him.

“I know, Mother!”

Fu Zi Hou nodded with a smile. He turned away, and under his mother’s gaze, left the little courtyard with Old Liu.

Tao watched her son and Old Liu depart, her eyes full of a mother’s hopeful longing. But as she turned to see her son’s uncle, her expression instantly cooled, and she picked up her things to go inside.

“Womenfolk—what do they know of insight?”

Fu Hong, seeing the look from his sister-in-law, furrowed his brow and spoke.

But before he finished, Zhang shot him a glare.

“You’re so wise, and yet you haven’t taught your own son a thing!”

With that, Zhang too turned and entered the house, leaving Fu Hong standing there, raising his hand as if to retort, only to see his wife disappear inside.

Left alone in the courtyard, Fu Hong dropped his hand in frustration, unwilling to argue with these two women.

How could women understand the years he’d spent, talents unrecognized, roaming the world in vain, brimming with ambition to aid a worthy ruler and set the world to rights?

To him, these women cared only for trivial, petty concerns.

In the Village.

All along the way, they encountered villagers—hollow-eyed and starving—sitting listlessly on the ground. Some, so famished, their eyes had sunken deep into their faces, their complexions tinged with a sickly bluish hue.

Nowadays, no villager dared let children under ten wander alone. Even at home, they had to be watched closely.

Cannibalism—three simple syllables, yet only the youngest children could truly grasp the terror behind those words.

Fortunately, though chaos reigned, the Sui Dynasty had not yet entirely collapsed. Even in the towns, even in the villages, cannibalism was strictly forbidden, unless, in secret, some exchanged children to eat. If any child went missing, both the local officials and clan elders would raise the alarm and organize searches.

Fu Zi Hou and Old Liu walked the narrow road and soon noticed, in a distant fallow field, a dense crowd of men encircled some activity. Several wielded long sticks, seemingly in the midst of drills.

Clearly, the Zhao family, the clan elders of the village, were using food to recruit wandering male refugees, secretly training them here.

It didn’t seem a large group—perhaps a hundred or two at most.

Soon after.

Arriving at the wooden house they’d passed yesterday, they found no curious villagers lingering this time. The air was chill, the wooden house standing solitary, marked by a lonely sign. Passersby glanced at it and hurried on.

Fu Zi Hou and Old Liu, carrying their bundles, arrived at the door.

Seeing the quiet house, even before entering, both guessed that the new scholar had likely attracted no students.

At this, Old Liu’s aged brow creased with unease, but in Fu Zi Hou’s eyes there flickered a barely concealed, furtive delight.

“Is anyone there?”

Calling out in his youthful voice, Fu Zi Hou craned his neck to peer inside.

At the sound, the man inside turned. Beneath his unruly hair, a sallow, careworn face came into view. His eyes fixed on the peering boy, and he slowly rose.

“You’ve come to study?”

The hoarse voice made Old Liu, meeting him for the first time, frown slightly.

But Fu Zi Hou, unfazed, stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Yes, sir! I’ve come seeking instruction!”

Fu Zi Hou nodded earnestly.

The man glanced at Old Liu, noting the sword at his belt, and nodded.

“Come in.”

With that, he led the way inside.

His haughty manner left Old Liu, old and proud, with wide eyes and a look of disbelief.

He studied the man’s back—his clothes filthy, hair wild and tangled, mud everywhere.

“This…”

Old Liu was dumbfounded. So even a pauper of a scholar could put on airs.

Infuriated, Old Liu was about to pull Fu Zi Hou away, but the boy gave him a pleading, ingratiating smile.

“Old Liu! Soon we'll have to leave. Father is busy—he can’t be expected to spare time to search for a teacher elsewhere. That would be even more trouble, and costlier still!”

Fu Zi Hou whispered persuasive words.

Seeing Old Liu’s irritation, Fu Zi Hou coaxed him gently, and thus led him inside.

The wooden house was cluttered and decrepit, thick with the stench of mold and dust. Fu Zi Hou seemed unconcerned, but Old Liu looked around with disapproval, eyeing the frail beams as if they might collapse at any moment, noting every missing or broken piece.

Already dissatisfied with the scholar, Old Liu’s clouded eyes now fixed on him with a piercing gaze.

“May I ask, sir, from whom did you study? Now that you accept students, what do you intend to teach?”

Old Liu, thinking of how little time Fu Zi Hou had left, finally bit back his temper and asked after entering.

“What do you wish to learn?”

The man, Liu Zhiyuan by name, sensed Old Liu’s displeasure, but was unbothered, turning instead to the boy.

From the way they looked and acted, Liu Zhiyuan surmised that the boy came from a prosperous home, and the old man was likely a servant—otherwise, why would he carry the bundle?

He saw Fu Zi Hou take the bundle from Old Liu’s shoulder, gently setting it down and unwrapping it.

A small bag of millet, a string of wuzhu coins, a set of new clothes, a modest piece of dried meat!

Compared to the requirements posted outside, the bundle was clearly a formal gift for apprenticeship—surprising even Liu Zhiyuan, who grew more curious. In this famine, for a family with no reputation to their name to offer such a generous gift was remarkable.

Liu Zhiyuan could not fathom it, and his gaze grew cautious. Had it been two ordinary men before him, he might have fled at once.

“Esteemed teacher!”

Fu Zi Hou, hearing the question, lifted his hands and bowed in earnest. But what he said next took Liu Zhiyuan by surprise.

“As much as possible!”

Four simple words, spoken with utmost seriousness in the small room.

Looking at the youthful face, Liu Zhiyuan, though meeting him for the first time, couldn’t help but find the answer amusing, even endearing, his wariness easing. It was as if an adult saw a child, greedy for every new thing, not yet knowing how greed can be one’s undoing.

“Your name and surname! And such a generous gift—did your family approve?”

Liu Zhiyuan asked. Though hunger gnawed at him, pride and suspicion kept him from accepting a student so hastily.

“Esteemed teacher, my name is Fu Zi Hou. Both my father and mother have agreed to my apprenticeship. Soon—one month at the quickest, two at the latest—I must leave to join my betrothed’s family. But knowing my own lack of talent, I do not wish to be looked down upon. The world is in chaos, and I seek some skill to ensure my future livelihood. So I have come to seek your guidance, and humbly beg you to accept me as your pupil, to enlighten and instruct me in the time we have!”

With these words, Fu Zi Hou bowed gravely.

To take a teacher was not just a matter of gifts—there were customs to observe, though in these troubled times, less rigid than in later ages.

“One or two months…”

Liu Zhiyuan listened, gazing at the boy. Now he understood why such a gift had been offered.

Learning the boy’s purpose, Liu Zhiyuan—who had only agreed to teach for the sake of a full belly—felt no disappointment at this “face-saving” apprenticeship, nor any other strong feeling.

He considered a moment. In these days of seclusion, the fewer people he encountered, the better. Teaching one was far easier than teaching many.

At last, Liu Zhiyuan nodded.

“Very well.”

The boy’s demands were simple. Though he did not know where the family of the bride hailed from, in all his time in this village, he had never heard of any great or noble house here. Liu Zhiyuan reckoned that with only a fraction of his knowledge, he could easily prepare the boy to face the likes of a Taishan family.

Having agreed, Liu Zhiyuan turned to the old servant, who was practically fuming.

“Tell your master that I, Liu Zhiyuan, am willing to accept this pupil, and will teach him alone, as required, during this period. If they agree, return tomorrow. Then, the lessons will begin.”

With that, Liu Zhiyuan dismissed the old man and boy, letting them return home.