Hazy learning

Author: Ouyang Xiulin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The couplet about the blacksmith shop and the bullfighting painting also say that there was a blacksmith shop next door to Zheng Banqiao's house. After children learned to recognize characters, they would start practicing couplets. Mr. Zheng Li'an, looking at the neighboring shop, gave his students the upper line "Two rooms leaning east and west," and Banqiao instantly responded with the lower line "One person tempered a thousand times." This again amazed everyone, thinking the boy was extraordinary. All these stories were by others, but Banqiao himself felt he "had no outstanding qualities in his childhood." However, the couplet from the blacksmith shop was indeed a masterpiece, very fitting, and has been passed down to this day. Many people think it resembles Banqiao's style.
In Xinghua, there is another folk tale. It tells of a scholar who one day took out a treasured painting of a bullfighting scene and showed it to the crowd. Some well-educated people began to discuss it, some claiming it was a work by Dai Song from the Tang Dynasty, truly divine in its brushwork; others said the bull's was extraordinary, and no one after the Tang Dynasty could match him in painting bulls; still others said such fine Tang Dynasty works were worth silver equivalent to hundreds of acres of good farmland. Amidst the praise, only one person sneered from the side—this was the young Banqiao. When asked why, he said, "When two bulls fight, they must use their hind legs to hold their tails. The bulls in this painting all have raised tails—how can it be considered a good painting?" Someone wanted to say, "You dare to criticize Dai Song's painting?" But upon looking at the tails again, they couldn't think of a suitable reason to scold the young lad. Thus, the cold splash of water from the little boy silenced everyone.
The Donkey Kicks with Its Hoof
Although Zheng Banqiao did well in his studies, his poverty often subjected him to the scorn of his teacher. This teacher was a petty and snobbish person. Poor children had to bow and kowtow to him respectfully. Otherwise, he would either find fault and beat them with a stick or punish them for no reason by making them stand in the corner. Zheng Banqiao detested him and devised a way to get revenge.
To show off his wealth, the school official rode a donkey to school every day, parading it through the streets, and tied it to a tree at the school gate. Zheng Banqiao would first bow in front of the donkey, then walk to its rear and kick its buttocks hard. The donkey, enraged, would rear up with its hind leg. Zheng Banqiao, having prepared for this, would dodge to the side. Repeating this many times, the donkey developed a conditioned reflex: whenever Zheng Banqiao bowed in front of it, the donkey would kick its rear leg without waiting for a second kick.
One morning, the teacher, as usual, rode the donkey to school. Seeing him from a distance, Zheng Banqiao hurried toward him. When the donkey came to him, he bowed deeply, bending down to the ground. The donkey, seeing this, kicked its rear leg, sending the teacher tumbling head over heels. The next day, Zheng Banqiao bowed in front of the donkey again, and once more, the teacher was knocked down. The teacher was superstitious and thought, "This man must be the Wenqu Star descending to earth. He is blessed with great fortune, but I am unlucky and cannot bear his bow." So he got up, straightened his clothes, and said to Zheng Banqiao seriously, "Zheng Xie, from now on, you don't need to bow to me!"
Zheng Banqiao was overjoyed and composed a poem that he circulated among his classmates:
"Zheng Xie bows in front, the donkey kicks behind,
The teacher tumbles head over heels,
Repeating, 'No need to bow, no need to bow.'"
From these little stories, we can see that Zheng Banqiao was extraordinary from a young age.