One morning in October, the sky was already bright, the warm sun was shining in front of the window, and the sound of reading echoed in the small building.
After handling the matters at the winery, Wei Chen returned to Youyang's home, settled down, and studied hard every day.
Every ten days, Wei Chen would go to Jiangning's lakeside courtyard with gifts and ask Zhuang Jun to answer his questions.
Zhuang Jun had long known that the academic style in the government school was very poor, and he also agreed with Wei Chen to study at home. However, he was worried that Wei Chen would not study the right way, so he taught Wei Chen his own reading method.
To sum up, it can be summarized as "Be cautious in independence, be diligent, be respectful, and be irresponsible".
The so-called caution of independence means that you must first meditate when studying, be able to endure loneliness, and not be disturbed by the outside world.
Diligence, of course, means diligence. Others read one volume a day, but I read ten volumes a day. After a few years, my knowledge will naturally be far better than that of him.
Zhuang Jun simply mentioned these two points to Wei Chen, because Wei Chen had always done a good job in this regard.
The next two points, "respect" and "not responsible for failure", are the top priorities that Zhuang Jun taught or reminded Wei Chen.
The so-called respect means that we should always be humble and self-reflective, and have respect for books. If we are disrespectful, we will not be able to read even the most exquisite books; if we are respectful, we can still see the truth from no matter how bad the book is.
Reading cannot be effective, which means that when reading, you should not pursue immediate results too much, that is, be less utilitarian.
Hearing Zhuang Jun mention these two points, Wei Chen couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.
Indeed, Wei Chen relied on his ability to remember things and had no respect for books. Even after graduating from elementary and middle school, he felt a little arrogant. Moreover, Wei Chen used to be too utilitarian in reading and was not a down-to-earth scholar.
mentality.
These problems may not be obvious now, but in the long run, they will inevitably have a great negative impact on Wei Chen's imperial examination path.
After returning to Youyang, Wei Chen learned from the pain and made reference to Zhu Xi's six methods of reading, and determined his own daily reading method.
One day is to get up early. The lights are on at three and the chicken is on at five. Regardless of whether it is cold or hot, we get up at dawn every day.
The second is to stay calm. Speak sparingly, guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and wash away the flashy air from your body.
The third day is to read diligently. Read at least thirty volumes of Classics and History every day.
The fourth is to think carefully. On the basis of familiarity with the content of the book, repeatedly search for and interpret the meaning of the text, so that the meaning in the book comes from your own mind.
The fifth day is to be respectful. When reading, you must be single-minded and highly concentrated.
Sixth: Be open-minded. When reading, if you encounter opinions that are different from your own, you should maintain a fair attitude, analyze and compare carefully, and humbly accept the correct part.
The seventh day is to practice. Specifically, it means practicing writing and transforming the knowledge in the book into your own skills. Write one ancient essay and one contemporary essay every day. Write posts for an hour every day.
Eighth: Keep in good health. Keep practicing the Daoyin technique taught by Zhuang Jun, exercise reasonably, eat a balanced diet, and ensure adequate sleep time.
Wei Chen is not just talking about these eight daily tips for studying, but they are intended to be used as a method of self-cultivation, and reading must be persisted for a long time.
This is not only a serious responsibility for oneself, but also the kindness of Zhuang Jun’s guidance and cultivation.
After setting the daily classes, Wei Chen began to practice every day without compromising at all.
In the morning, I got up at 5:15 a.m., washed up, and then went out to the river to practice a set of Guidance Techniques.
Go home at Chenshi (seven o'clock), have breakfast, first write an ancient or contemporary essay, and then get a scripture to read. You must understand one scripture thoroughly before you can start reading the next one.
At the end of the day (11 o'clock), we had lunch. The food was delivered by a restaurant under the name of Shengjia. It was a combination of meat and vegetables according to Wei Chen's requirements. It was nutritionally balanced and was different every day.
After lunch, Wei Chen is used to taking a nap.
Scholars of this era regarded "daytime sleeping" as a scourge, fearing that they would be evaluated like Jaeyu, "a wall of dung and earth cannot be conquered".
But Wei Chen thinks this view is too pedantic, but he is not very cold about it. He still insists on taking a nap every day to ensure that he is energetic in the afternoon.
In the afternoon, Wei Chen finished reading the remaining three types of books in the History Collection and wrote another article, which was considered as completing the task.
After the end of the day (three o'clock), Wei Chen would often go out and wander around the streets, or visit Sheng Changbai and Chen Jun to chat with them about his reading experience.
No matter how long he goes out in the afternoon, Wei Chen will rush home before Xu Shi (seven o'clock), and usually never goes out again in the evening.
After dinner, Wei Chen copied the copybooks for half an hour, then did some exercise and read some miscellaneous books he wanted to read to relax his mind.
After completing his daily homework, Wei Chen will go to bed before Hai Shi (9 o'clock), for no other reason than simply because going to bed early and getting up early regularly is good for the body.
After studying behind closed doors for a month, Wei Chen's progress in knowledge was not obvious for a while, but his body and bones were obviously getting stronger day by day, and his mood became calmer.
Confucianism says that tranquility can produce wisdom, and Taoism also says that tranquility can lead to the right path. This tranquility comes from daily self-cultivation and cultivation, and Wei Chen can be considered the first to understand the three flavors.
That evening, Sheng Changbai came to visit.
Wei Chen was very happy and invited him to the main hall and made tea for him personally.
Sheng Changbai sat down and took a sip of tea. Looking at Wei Chen who was becoming more restrained and calm in front of him, he couldn't help but admire: "Brother Xingyun, your reading method is really amazing. You are now acting more and more like a real
A Confucian."
Sheng Changbai lived in Uncle Youyang's house during this period and often interacted with Wei Chen. Naturally, he also heard about Wei Chen's methods of reading and daily use.
I just didn't expect that the effect would be so significant, which made Sheng Changbai feel a little itchy and wanted to imitate it.
"Haha, brother is so complimentary."
Wei Chen did not hide his secrets, and immediately talked to Sheng Changbai about his experience in practicing the eight methods of reading during this period.
Sheng Changbai listened attentively, listening with gusto, and occasionally praised the wonderful things when he heard them.
At the end, Sheng Changbai slapped his thigh and said excitedly: "Brother Xian, this method is really wonderful. When Brother Fool returns to Yangzhou and everything is settled, he must follow this method to cultivate his moral character and live a good life."
"Yangzhou?" Wei Chen was slightly startled when he heard this: "Brother is going back?"
"Yes." Sheng Changbai looked sadly and said slowly: "Now that the boy's examination has been completed, Brother Yu was lucky enough to get the title of scholar, and he finally lived up to his parents' expectations. In total, it has been half a year since Brother Yu left home to take the examination.
It’s time to go home and report back to your parents.”
"Ah, so that's it."
Wei Chen's tone was full of regret.
"Actually, Brother Yu can't bear to leave you, Brother Xian. Originally, it would be okay to stay for a while, but..."
Sheng Changbai paused and then said: "It's just that my eldest sister's wedding is approaching, and my mother has sent me several letters to urge me. As the eldest son in the family, I can't stay in Youyang anymore."