[Translation] Don't Let The Country Go (不讓江山): Chapter Six: Because You’re Poor

As they walked, Li Diu Diu excitedly said, “Master, you didn’t see it — that big guy threw a whole combo-face attack at me. It was really hard to dodge, hehe… He cried.”

Longbrow Daoist stopped walking and turned to look seriously at Li Diu Diu.

“You should understand why your master did all this for you. Yet because of your own stubbornness, you nearly cut off the road your master paved for you.”

Li Diu Diu instinctively took a step back, suddenly nervous.
He really had intentionally provoked Gao Shaowei. He didn’t want to enter any Four Pages Academy. He only wanted to continue depending on his master and living together with him.

“Master…”

Although Longbrow Daoist wasn’t angry, Li Diu Diu became afraid anyway.
Because in his master’s eyes, he saw disappointment.

He would rather be scolded or beaten.
That disappointed look hurt him far more.

“Forget it.”

Longbrow Daoist sighed, fumbled around in his robe, and pulled out a handful of copper coins.

“Let’s go eat something good. There’s still enough for one bowl of stew each. After we eat, we’ll have to think of a way to earn money again… Silly child, there was a bright open road before you, but you insisted on following me down a narrow goat trail.”

“What’s stew?” Li Diu Diu asked.

Longbrow Daoist laughed and rubbed his head.

“A delicacy of the mortal world.”





Early the next morning, the penniless master and disciple crawled out from a pile of firewood beside someone’s wall. They both stood there simultaneously shaking the straw off themselves.

“Diu’er, later come with me to Mister Zhou’s house. Even though you didn’t get into the academy, we still have to thank him properly. That’s basic courtesy. We may be poor, but we can’t let people say we have no manners.”

“Got it, Master.”

The two of them turned at the same time and, in an impressively ungrateful act after having slept there peacefully all night, each relieved themselves against the wall. Then they both gave a little shake.

“Hungry?” Master asked.

Li Diu Diu shook his head and smacked his lips.

“That stew was freaking delicious. A true delicacy of the mortal world. And filling too.”

“Nonsense. It was all meat. Of course it was filling.”

After finishing, master and disciple faced each other and carefully tidied their appearances — picking straw off their clothes and combing their hair with their fingers. Their clothes were filthy, but both of them still took the effort seriously.

“What a pity we’re out of money. If we had some, we should’ve brought Mister Zhou a gift. Even a box of pastries.”

Longbrow Daoist knocked Li Diu Diu lightly on the head.

“You little spendthrift.”

Li Diu Diu grinned, then suddenly hugged his master’s leg tightly.

Longbrow Daoist had been about to lecture him a bit more, but with the child clinging to him like that, warmth filled his heart and he couldn’t say another word.





Not long after, the two arrived outside Zhou Huaili’s residence.

Seeing it was still early, they sat across the street from the house — one old, one young, both sitting in exactly the same posture.

Just then, the old steward opened the side gate and looked outside. The moment he saw them, he laughed.

“What a coincidence.”

Longbrow Daoist pulled Li Diu Diu to his feet.

“Not a coincidence, not a coincidence. We came specifically to thank Lord Zhou… and also to say farewell.”

“Farewell?” the steward asked. “Where are you going?”

Longbrow Daoist replied, “Nowhere in particular. The four seas will be our home.”

“You absolutely can’t leave. My master just ordered me to find you two. I was worrying about where to search, and the moment I stepped outside, there you were. That’s my luck — and yours too.”

He hurried forward, tugging Longbrow Daoist inside.

“Quick, quick! Master is waiting for you.”

The two followed the steward into the Zhou residence.
When Zhou Huaili heard they had been found, he came hurrying out with an excited expression.

“What luck! Not long after I returned home yesterday, someone from Four Pages Academy arrived saying Li Chi should report to the academy today. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to find you. You didn’t leave any address when you left.”

“Huh?”

Li Diu Diu and his master exchanged stunned looks. Both thought they had heard wrong.

Zhou Huaili said, “Master Gao decided to accept Li Chi into the academy. Why are you two making those faces? This is wonderful news. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“Happy!”

Longbrow Daoist instantly broke into a grin so wide the wrinkles on his face doubled.
But little Li Diu Diu couldn’t smile at all. His expression only darkened further.

Seeing that look, Longbrow Daoist immediately understood the child was afraid of losing him. So he crouched down, holding Li Diu Diu by the shoulders.

“Don’t worry. Master won’t leave. I already asked around — every ten days the academy gives two days off. When that happens, come find me at the Daoist temple. I’ll be waiting there for you.”

“You really won’t leave Jizhou?”

“Really. If Master lies to you, may lightning strike me dead.”

“…Alright.”

Li Diu Diu took a deep breath.

“Master… you’ll really stay at that Daoist temple the whole time?”

“Of course. The temple master is an old acquaintance of mine. One sentence from me and he’ll gladly keep me as an honored guest.”

Longbrow Daoist suddenly picked Li Diu Diu up.
Standing with the boy in his arms was clearly difficult for him, but he still rubbed his beard against the child’s face.

“You’ve grown up now. Soon Master won’t be able to carry you anymore. Study hard and make something of yourself. Don’t embarrass your master.”

Li Diu Diu suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around Longbrow Daoist’s neck.
Very tightly.





Four Pages Academy.

Gao Shaowei looked helplessly at his granddaughter. He truly had no way to deal with her — but who could he blame? He had spoiled her himself.

He looked at Gao Xining seriously.

“Let’s make this clear. Although I agreed to let that boy enter the academy, you absolutely cannot go looking for him too openly to learn martial arts. You are my granddaughter. If people see that, it won’t do.”

Gao Xining was thirteen, not yet of marriageable age. Wearing a light green dress, she resembled the fresh spring buds just sprouting on willow branches.

She had perfectly inherited her mother’s beauty.
Unlike her mother, however, her eyebrows carried too much heroic sharpness — that part resembled her father.

“Got it, got it.”

The girl grinned.

“That kid’s martial arts are really amazing. Even though he’s the one hitting people, every move somehow looks like the other person rammed their own face into him. And he’s so young! How did he train such good martial skills?”

“He’s eleven. Two years younger than you.”

Gao Shaowei said, “Remember carefully: men and women should not be overly close. You absolutely cannot get too close to him. If you want to learn his martial arts, I’ll arrange things so you can watch. And remember — he is not your master, and you absolutely cannot become his disciple.”

“Yeah yeah.”

The girl laughed.

“Actually it’s simple. You’re my grandfather. He’s your student. I’m his student. So you’re still my grandfather.”

Gao Shaowei: “……”

He let out a long sigh.

“You… when will you ever change this hyperactive personality? Back then your mother was nothing like you. She came from a scholarly family, gentle and obedient. But you inherited all your father’s bad habits instead. Not a bit like your mother.”

The girl tossed her hair and turned to leave.

“I’m going to see if that dumb kid has arrived yet. Oh, right…”

She suddenly remembered something and turned back.

“That dumb kid probably can’t afford academy uniforms, right?”

Gao Shaowei replied, “Is that something you should be worrying about?”

The girl frowned.

“He’s filthy. I don’t like it.”

Gao Shaowei shook his head.

“Then just give him a set.”

She nodded.

“But don’t make it obvious.”

Gao Shaowei: “And what exactly do you want?”

The girl said, “First, he can’t think it’s something he naturally deserves. Academy uniforms come in three sets — spring, winter, and summer — and together they cost two taels of silver. For ordinary families, two taels is a huge amount, right?

“Second, he can’t start thinking others will always take care of everything for him. He mustn’t develop the habit of holding out his hand for things.

“Third, don’t let him feel like it’s charity.”

Gao Shaowei felt a headache coming on.
His granddaughter was far too clever — her mind could spin through so many thoughts in an instant.

“He comes from a poor background. Let him take a part-time job cleaning classrooms.”

“But then people will still look down on him.”

“That depends on how he sees it himself.”

The girl tossed her hair and skipped away.


Li Diu Diu followed Zhou Huaili to the academy for the second time.

Besides him, the other three children had already arrived long ago. After all, the academy could notify their families directly, but they had no way to contact Li Diu Diu.

If he and his master hadn’t gone to the Zhou residence to express thanks, he would have completely lost the chance to enter the academy.

He desperately wished they hadn’t gone.
How wonderful that would have been.

As they walked, Zhou Huaili said:

“Although I don’t know how you managed to impress Master Gao, I hope you cherish this opportunity. Entering the academy doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily graduate. If you aren’t good enough, the academy can still expel you. Think about how difficult it was for your master to get you in.”

“I know.”

Li Diu Diu nodded.

Inside, he felt miserable — like he had been abandoned.

In this world, his master was his only family. They had depended on each other for years. Now just the thought that they could no longer see each other every single day made his chest ache unbearably.

Seeing the child’s listless expression, Zhou Huaili unexpectedly felt a little pain in his heart.

There was much suffering in this world.
But among all the students in this academy, only Li Diu Diu truly knew hardship.

Every student here came from wealthy or influential families.
Li Diu Diu alone was the exception.

Zhou Huaili could easily imagine the difficulties, cold stares, and contempt the child would face.

“This is what remained from the money your master gave me last time after paying the tuition.”

Zhou Huaili took out a money pouch and handed it over.

“There are three taels of silver inside. Two taels are for academy uniforms, one tael for books. The academy provides food and lodging.”

“Oh…”

Li Diu Diu accepted the pouch, then stopped walking.

After taking several steps without hearing him follow, Zhou Huaili turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Diu Diu took a deep breath, then bowed solemnly.

“Thank you very much, Mister Zhou. I’m borrowing this money from you. When I earn money in the future, I’ll repay it. There’s no way my master still had any silver left…”

Zhou Huaili walked back to him and instinctively lifted a hand as if to pat the child’s head, but stopped himself.

“Take care of yourself. I can tell you’re actually a sensible child. Since you understand things, then you should understand your master’s painstaking efforts.”

“I understand.”

Li Diu Diu bowed once more.

“Let’s go.”





When they arrived outside Gao Shaowei’s study, Gao Shaowei himself was absent.

Instead, there stood a young instructor around thirty years old — tall and thin, holding a file in his hand. Yet he lacked the refined air of a scholar. His expression was cold and stern, more like a wandering swordsman.

“My name is Yan Qingzhi. I am your remedial instructor.

“You entered the academy late, so I am responsible for helping you catch up with the main curriculum. If within one month you pass my assessment, you will return to the regular classes with the other students.

“If you fail my assessment, you leave the academy.”

He paused, lowering his gaze across the four children.

“I am a first-rank instructor of the academy. If I cannot help you catch up within a month, then naturally the problem is not me — it means you are trash. And the academy has no use for trash.”

He asked, “Which one of you is Li Chi?”

Li Diu Diu bowed.

“Sir, I am.”

Yan Qingzhi said, “You are responsible for cleaning the classroom.”

Li Diu Diu frowned.

“Just me? Every day? Forever?”

Yan Qingzhi nodded.

“You alone. Every day. Forever.”

Li Diu Diu asked, “Why?”

Yan Qingzhi looked at him with icy eyes.

“Because you’re poor.”