Aunt Xu returned home with her younger brother and bags of luggage as dusk was settling in. Without a moment's pause, Aunt Xu hurried over to Er Niu’s house to inform him that her brother had arrived, asking if Er Niu intended to stop by for a visit. Er Niu had not initially planned to go, but thinking that since the scholar had arrived, it was only proper for him to offer a greeting, he followed Aunt Xu over.

Aunt Xu’s brother was named Xu Tianzheng. At only eighteen years of age, he had been literate since childhood and had always been doted upon by his parents. This was his first time venturing out to earn money, and he couldn't help but feel a touch of excitement.

Xu Tianzheng sat quietly in the room for a while before hearing his sister’s voice. He quickly went out to greet the guest. Er Niu had met Xu Tianzheng before, and upon seeing him, he instinctively called out, "Mr. Xu."

Xu Tianzheng quickly waved his hands, saying, "Brother Er Niu, please just call me Tianzheng from now on. Let’s forgo such formalities."

Aunt Xu also laughed on the side, saying, "Yes, Brother Er Niu, why be so formal? It’s not like you haven't met him before. Just call him Tianzheng like we do."

Er Niu chuckled, feeling perhaps he had been a bit over the top; he had always called him Tianzheng before. Blushing slightly, he continued, "Tianzheng, here’s the situation: I have several children at home, some older, some very young. You know how difficult things have been for my family these past few years. Now that things are better, I plan to send a few of them to study. I don’t expect all of them to pursue officialdom, but they should at least recognize some characters. The eldest child is ten, the youngest is five. We have several children, including a couple of girls."

Er Niu took a sip of the tea on the table and went on, "The girls aren't very old either; the eldest is only seven. They can occasionally sit in and listen, but the main focus should be on the boys. As for our family’s situation, Aunt Xu has likely told you the general outline—it’s pretty much like that. Do you think this arrangement is feasible?"

Xu Tianzheng had already learned the details from his elder sister the day before. He told Er Niu, "Brother Er Niu, I am merely a scholar. I dare not speak of other matters, but after more than ten years of diligent study, teaching a few children should be more than enough. Since Er Niu does not deem this younger brother unworthy and is willing to entrust his children to me, I will naturally do my utmost to teach them well."

Er Niu was quite satisfied with Xu Tianzheng and they agreed that he would come over the day after tomorrow, after breakfast. Er Niu would keep the children waiting at home for him.

When Er Niu returned home, he spoke with all the children, telling them a teacher would be coming tomorrow to instruct them, and they must wake up early and wait for him obediently. He also sent Huang Shi and Lin He to Zhou Shi’s house to discuss having Xiao Shan study as well. Zhou Shi was so moved that she could barely speak upon hearing that Xiao Shan could study alongside Da Bao and the others. She only promised to send Xiao Shan over first thing tomorrow morning.

Returning home, the entire family retired early, preparing for the scholar’s arrival.

The very next morning, the entire Lin family stood by the door awaiting the scholar. After about a quarter of an hour, Aunt Xu arrived with Xu Tianzheng. Lin He sized up Xu Tianzheng; he wasn't tall, his skin was fair, and he carried himself with an air of refinement. He wore a slightly worn, ink-colored robe and a felt cap—the very image of a scholar.

Standing in the courtyard, his gaze steady, he only looked at the children beside him whom he would soon teach. Er Niu had each of them greet the teacher before sending them off to the study room.

Lin He had some understanding of ancient teaching methods, but she had no interest in things like the San Zi Jing. However, to maintain appearances, she knew she ought to occasionally sit in on lessons. Otherwise, if she later claimed to be literate and able to read, it would be difficult to explain to her family how she acquired such knowledge.

In truth, this was the main reason Lin He had insisted on bringing the scholar back urgently. Now, whenever she came up with an idea, she had to weave elaborate lies to satisfy her family. After studying for a few months, she could attribute any good idea or money-making scheme she devised to something she had learned from books. No matter what clever idea or venture she proposed, people would not regard her as an anomaly.

Xu Tianzheng, like all teachers, began their first day by having them memorize the San Zi Jing and explaining its meaning. Lin He noticed Xiao Jun and Xiao Shan were studying more diligently than their older siblings, perhaps understanding what a hard-won opportunity this was for them, making them afraid to let such a chance slip away.

Lin He saw that San Ya seemed utterly uninterested, pouting at the book before her with an air of impatience. Lin He watched her with amusement. San Ya noticed Lin He watching her and even made a face, but when Lin He ignored her, San Ya lowered her head onto the desk, lost in thought.

Da Bao was also trying hard to listen to the lesson. Lin He believed learning would be somewhat difficult for him; he might not be naturally inclined toward studying, but Lin He felt that even if Da Bao disliked reading, he absolutely had to be forced to do it.

After all, he was different from San Ya. Ancient society valued a woman’s virtue over her talent. Furthermore, San Ya was still young; as she grew older, a few years of instruction from her family to recognize some characters would suffice. But a man who couldn't read could accomplish nothing.

Suddenly, Lin He remembered a very important detail. While observing the class all morning, she felt something was slightly off, and now she realized what it was: their family names.

Calling them Da Bao and Er Ya was perhaps acceptable before, but now that the teacher was doing it, it felt strange. During a break, San Ya mentioned this matter to Xu Tianzheng, asking him to suggest formal names (Daming) for them, which they could discuss with their parents that evening so the whole family could adopt them going forward.

Lin He had already decided on her own name. Since she was originally surnamed Lin, she would keep that name here: Lin He. Moreover, she loved the character He (Lotus). Ancient people held the lotus in high regard, with verses like, "The lotus leaves spread boundlessly green under the boundless sky, the lotus flowers reflecting the sun take on a different hue of red"; or "A tip of the tender lotus just emerges, already a dragonfly alights upon it"; and even, "Emerging from the mud yet unstained, washed by clear ripples yet not seductive." Lin He greatly admired these praises.

Lin He also decided on a name for San Ya: Lin Chen, which was also a very beautiful name. A girl deserved a lovely name.

Lin He shared her proposed name and San Ya’s with the teacher. Xu Tianzheng found Lin He to be quite gifted and agreed that the two names were excellent. The teacher also suggested names for the boys: Rong Tao, Rong Xuan, and Rong Jun. Lin He felt that after more than a decade of rigorous study, the teacher certainly possessed considerable knowledge; even these casually chosen names sounded fresh and striking.

The teacher only offered these suggestions, saying they should discuss them with their parents that evening, noting that boys' names were not altered casually. Lin He was unfamiliar with this custom but decided it would depend on what her parents said that night before finalizing them.

On the first day of school, everyone's novelty had not yet worn off; they all found attending school an enjoyable activity and looked forward to future lessons. Only Lin He felt that the greatest reward of the day was that she would no longer have to be called Er Ya. That sound implied nothing more than a mere country girl, though she forgot that she herself was, at this moment, still a young country girl.

That evening, Lin He and San Ya presented their chosen names to Er Niu and Huang Shi. Er Niu nodded in agreement, scratching his head with a smile, saying, "The names the teacher picked sound much better. From now on, we won't use nicknames in this house. The two girls will be called He'er and Chen'er, but the boys' names—Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Xiao Shan—cannot be changed; their names are already recorded in the family registry."

Da Bao heard this and smiled, saying, "Then let’s not change them. Calling me Da Bao is quite fine; I’ve been used to it for so many years."

Seeing that Da Bao didn't object, Lin He felt that was fine too. As long as they liked their names, that was what mattered.