Chapter 54 - 54 43 Seeing the Essence Through the Phenomenon

Words : 1506 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

54: Chapter 43: Seeing the Essence Through the Phenomenon 54: Chapter 43: Seeing the Essence Through the Phenomenon It was still a clear, sunny sky at noon, but by the afternoon, as class was about to end, the sky had begun to fill with dark clouds. Manbao and Bai Shanbao leaned over the desk to take a look outside and both were a bit excited—the ants were moving their home, which really did predict rain. Mr. Zhuang saw this too, and after class, he asked the students to stay in the classroom to wait for someone from home to come get them, then he took Manbao and Shanbao to the courtyard next to the one where he lived. Bringing the two children to his study, he asked, “What did you see this morning? And what do you see now?” Manbao said, “It’s raining. Ants moving their home means it’s going to rain.” Mr. Zhuang laughed and said, “Silly children, you’ve got the sequence reversed. It’s not that ants moving their home causes rain, but rather the ants move their homes because they sense the rain coming. They move to a safe place, and when people see this, they know it’s about to rain.” Mr. Zhuang spoke slowly, and the two children counted on their fingers, found this to be true, and nodded in agreement. Mr. Zhuang pointed to the curtain of rain outside and continued to ask, “And what do you see now?” The two children said in unison, “It’s raining.” “These are all appearances,” Mr. Zhuang said. “Manbao, your parents told you that ants moving predicts rain, so you believed that ants moving causes rain. Shanbao, you’ve never heard such a thing, so all you saw was ants moving their home. But do you know what your teacher thinks of when he sees ants?” The two children shook their heads. “The teacher not only thinks that it’s about to rain, he also thinks, ‘There are so many ants under my house. Ants gnaw at the building and furniture, so we need to start controlling pests in the house.’ And I also think, ‘A dyke thousands of miles long may be destroyed by an ant hole...'” Mr. Zhuang explained to them in detail about ants. Manbao and Shanbao listened in a daze, not knowing that not only could tiny ants kill a large tree, but they could also hollow out a house and destroy a thousand-mile dyke in an instant. After talking about ants, Mr. Zhuang spoke of the autumn rain outside, telling them that what they saw was just a rain shower, but to different people, this autumn rain had different meanings. To these children, the autumn rain simply meant they were temporarily confined to school, but to the farmers, the rain meant they could start plowing and preparing the field for the next year’s crops. For those who needed to travel, however, this autumn rain was more harmful than beneficial, as it caused unknown delays. Mr. Zhuang spoke with the two children about all this in detail. It seemed unrelated and haphazard, but then he skillfully brought the conversation back to the issue of the county magistrate. “This morning, when I asked you what a county magistrate does, you told me what you had directly observed with your eyes and what you had heard with your ears. But in truth, what you said was incomplete,” Mr. Zhuang said. “Sometimes what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears is not what you should be thinking in your heart. You need to observe more, listen more, and think more. If your heart is overwhelmed with emotions, then hold off on forming an opinion. Let some time pass, and when you are calm enough, think about these matters again. You might gain a different insight.” The two children understood a little, but not completely. However, Mr. Zhuang did not insist on them understanding at the moment, but told them to remember his words. When the time came for them to understand, they would. As they spoke, the families of both the Bai and Zhou arrived to pick up the children. Manbao and Shanbao bid farewell to the teacher and, holding hands, they ran out into the rain. Drenched, they were overjoyed. As the two children ran out, they specifically sought out puddles to splash in, flinging water every which way and becoming even more thrilled. Soon, the reproach and scolding of the adults from both families echoed from outside the courtyard, as the two children continued to splash the water with a patter, running towards their respective families. Mr. Zhuang stood at the door, stroking his beard again and again, but his mind pondered the words Manbao had spoken. Why is the county magistrate raising the entry fee to the city this time? Mr. Zhuang was naturally more informed than the Zhou family folks. In fact, three years earlier, when County Magistrate Fu had first come to Luojiang County, he had already increased the entry fee. Not only that, but the levies and labor taxes were also heavier. Subsequently, within two years, County Magistrate Fu repaired a section of the official road, reinforced the Luojiang dike, and dug a new water canal for the county. County magistrates had a three-year tenure. This year, since Fu was not transferred, it indicated he would serve another term. However, it was unclear whether he intended to enact any public works or do nothing at all. Mr. Zhuang was somewhat anxious about this. But, of course, these issues were not for discussion with two children. Manbao was carried home by Ms. Feng. Upon arriving, she went straight to the kitchen to get hot water for her bath—there was no choice. The child had been playing in the water, and not only were her shoes wet, her trousers were quite damp as well. Ms. Qian touched her little hands and scolded her, “You’re becoming more and more of a handful. Why does it seem like you’re getting naughtier since attending school?” Manbao replied, “Bai Shanbao played in the water too.” “He is him, and you are you. Maybe he even learned it from you. You were sent to school to learn good behavior, not to pick up bad habits, and definitely not to teach them to other children.” Manbao sighed, “Alright, then I won’t play in the water anymore.” A child’s promise is as unreliable as the weather in July. Ms. Qian had Ms. Feng wash her and gave her a bowl of hot water to drink before letting her go play, only warning her, “Don’t go outside and splash in the water or you won’t be allowed to go to school tomorrow.” Manbao was in love with studying. How could she bear to miss it? So, she could only sit in the main room, waiting for her brothers to return. Zhou SiLang and his younger brothers took shelter from the rain under a tree, waiting until the rain was lighter before running back, though they too were wet. Today, Zhou Wulang and others had helped with land clearing and had cut quite a few bamboo canes. As soon as they returned, they exchanged glances with their little sister. Manbao understood, so when Zhou Erlang came back, she started pestering him to help her make flower baskets. Zhou Erlang was about to speak. Previously, Manbao’s flower baskets had earned a good sum of money. Zhou Erlang hadn’t voiced it, but he was quite tempted; however, he was too busy with other affairs to spare the time. Hearing Manbao’s request, he immediately knew this was Fifth and Sixth’s idea and did not decline, saying, “Let Fifth and Sixth prepare the bamboo strips, and I will help them weave when I am back.” Even Old Zhou rarely said, “I’ll help you weave when I’m back from the field.” After a moment of thought, feeling Zhou SiLang’s efforts in clearing were unreliable, he hesitated, “Maybe Zhou SiLang should stop clearing the land. That plot at the foot of the mountain, even if we cultivate it, it might not become fertile for a couple of years. Why bother? It’s better to stay home and help with some chores.” Zhou SiLang’s spirits lifted, ready to agree. However, Manbao would not consent. She said, “Dad, SiLang is being punished for not obeying. The teacher said that changing one’s orders overnight is a big taboo. If SiLang thinks it’s fine to make mistakes in the future, then what?” “If he dares, I’ll see if I don’t beat him to death!” Manbao scorned her father, “You surely won’t beat him to death, SiLang. Otherwise, how sad would you be?” Caught off guard, Old Zhou waved his hand and said, “Fine, let SiLang continue to clear the land. Fifth and Sixth, see if you can make a long-lasting business out of the flower baskets.”

Chapter 54 - 54 43 Seeing the Essence Through the Phenomenon

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