After the Lantern Festival, on the sixteenth day of the first month, Xiao Heng was going to the studying hall.
There were brushes, inks, papers, and inkstones there. Therefore, Yin Hui only prepared a smock and a change of clothes for her son, neatly folded them into the bag, handed them to Cao Bao to carry, and prepared a purse for snacks separately. It was also hung on Cao Bao’s waist, so that the little guy would not go hungry.
“When you go to the studying hall, you have to listen to the master. If you have any questions, you can ask the master. If the brothers fight, you stand far away…” On the way to send Xiao Heng out of Chengxin Hall, Yin Hui wished that she could give all the instructions that came to mind in one go.
No matter what mother said, Xiao Heng nodded obediently, but she didn’t know if he really would remember it.
“Okay, let’s go,” Wei Luo took Xiao Heng and interrupted her rambling.
He had heard these words countless times when he was a child, and now he really didn’t want to hear them anymore. Even if Xiao Heng memorized it, it was useless. After getting together, the children would start fighting after playing around.
Yin Hui glared at him lightly.
Wei Luo still had that cold and indifferent expression.
Yin Hui patted Xiao Heng’s head, stood at the gate of Chengxin Hall, and watched the father and son gradually walk away. Xiao Heng would occasionally look back, and Yin Hui stood there until the father and son turned a corner.
“Dad, can I go back to accompany my mother for lunch at noon?”
Xiao Heng suddenly became uneasy when he couldn’t see his mother anymore, and there was no wet nurse by his side. He raised his head and discussed with his father, “Mother will miss me.”
Wei Luo said, “When you come back from studying in the evening, Mother will see you.”
“But it’s so long, Mother won’t see me, what should I do if she cries?” Xiao Heng expressed his concern.
Wei Luo reassured him, “Mother is an adult; she won’t cry.”
Xiao Heng pursed his lips. He didn’t want his father to send him to the studying hall; he liked his mother more.
Wei Luo suddenly stopped, squatted down on one knee, faced Xiao Heng’s sullen little face, and asked in a low voice: “Will you cry?”
Xiao Heng looked at his father and said, “I miss my mother.”
Wei Luo: “Mother will always be waiting for you at home.”
Xiao Heng: “I will still miss her.”
Wei Luo said, “You can go see her after studying is over.”
Xiao Heng responded, “I miss her now.”
Wei Luo paused and said, “You can think about it, but you still have to study hard. If you study well, your mother will like you more.”
Seeing Xiao Heng pouting, Wei Luo continued, “Today, Si Lang will also go to school; whoever doesn’t cry will be more powerful.”
Xiao Heng immediately declared, “I am the best!”
He claimed to be able to memorize more, run faster, and eat more than Si Lang.
Wei Luo patted his son’s head, looked at Cao Bao, and said, “It’s useless to just say it; you have to do it. I will ask Cao Bao when you come back in the evening. If you really didn’t cry, I’ll give you a reward.”
Xiao Heng asked eagerly, “What reward?”
Wei Luo stood up, led her son, and continued to walk forward, saying, “We’ll talk about it when you do it.”
Xiao Heng finally stopped asking questions.
The studying hall was located on the southwest side of Qinzheng Hall. It was an independent courtyard with two masters, Mei and Gao, great scholars hired by King Yan for his descendants.
Wei Luo and his son arrived early, before Da Lang and others arrived.
Wei Luo took Xiao Heng to greet the two masters.
“Xiao Heng will trouble the two masters from now on,” Wei Luo said respectfully.
Mr. Gao formally returned the salute, saying that it was their job, and Mr. Mei became more accommodating. He looked at Wei Luo and then at Xiao Heng, saying with a smile, “Wu Lang looks like you when you were young; he must be a smart child.”
Wei Luo modestly responded, ��It’s all because of your teaching.”
Mr. Mei asked Xiao Heng, “It’s the first time for Wu Lang to come to the studying hall; are you afraid?”
Xiao Heng puffed up his small chest, stating, “Not afraid. My grandfather told me to come, and my eldest brother and the others are here too!”
He adopted a posture that indicated that he was backed by his grandfather and brothers, and no one should dare to bully him.
Mr. Mei smiled, saying, “Okay, okay, just don’t be afraid. You don’t have to be afraid; you were sent by King Yan to study, and we were sent by King Yan to teach. Let’s cooperate with each other, and there is no need to be afraid of anyone.”
Mr. Mei asked the book boy with him to take Xiao Heng to the West Lecture Hall first so that he could get familiar with the new environment.
Wei Luo still had to go to the guardhouse. He exchanged polite greetings with the two masters, took his leave, and departed.
Xiao Heng had already entered the West Lecture Hall.
In the lecture hall with bright and clean windows, there were two short desks—one for him and the other for Si Lang—each equipped with the same brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and a book.
Xiao Heng chose a desk by the window, sat down, and looked out of the window. Across the way, there was another lecture hall with four desks inside.
He played alone for a while, and not long after, Da Lang, San Lang, and Sister Mei came and entered the east lecture hall opposite.
Xiao Heng shouted happily, “Big Brother, Third Brother, Big Sister!”
San Lang had seen him a long time ago, looked at Da Lang, and after getting his brother’s permission, he ran over, followed by Da Lang and Sister Mei.
“Wu Lang, are you here to study too? Who brought you here?” San Lang teased, fiddling with the things on Xiao Heng’s table.
Xiao Heng replied, “Dad sent me here.”
San Lang continued, “Is Third Aunt not here? Does she only like Qi Lang and not you?”
Xiao Heng was stunned.
Da Lang frowned, comforted Xiao Heng, and said, “The third brother is lying to you, Wu Lang, don’t believe him.”
Xiao Heng looked at San Lang again.
San Lang made a fuss, ran back, and took the time to memorize a book. The masters would check his homework later, and he hadn’t memorized it yet.