Li Si Guang

Author: Jiang Lai, Xiao Fen / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Hubei, located in the central part of China, has long been known as the "thoroughfare connecting nine provinces." The vast Yangtze River surges eastward after bursting through the steep Three Gorges mountains. The expansive Jianghan Plain and the vast Yunmeng Marsh extend northward to connect with the Central Plains and southward to lead to Hunan and Guangdong. Historically, Hubei has been renowned for its convenient transportation, prosperous commerce, and flourishing culture, as well as being a strategic military location since ancient times. On the land of Hubei, where waterways are dense and resources are abundant, many important historical figures have emerged, and numerous significant historical events have taken place that have influenced the entire nation. Li Siguang is one of the famous scientists that Hubei takes pride in.
In the mid-19th century, a young Mongolian man from the north named Kuli traveled to Hubei and settled in Huanggang County on the northern bank of the Yangtze River. He arrived in Zhangjiawan, fifty miles north of the county seat, and made a home in this mountainous and picturesque place.
Kuli was not only physically strong but also well-read in literature and history, capable of writing excellent essays. He opened a private school in Zhangjiawan to teach children to read and write. Zhangjiawan was a small village, and the children who attended the school were not from wealthy families. Most of them hoped to learn to read and write, write simple letters, and keep basic accounts. Kuli's life was decent, but far from wealthy. He married and had children, living there for many years. Kuli's wife, surnamed Lei, was a Han laborer from the village, known for her diligence and frugality. Due to poor rural sanitation, several of their children died young from illness, leaving only their son, Zhuohou, to grow up.
Zhuohou grew up learning from his father, becoming well-read and writing bold and impressive essays that earned praise from everyone he met. He gained a reputation in the surrounding countryside. He despised the rigid imperial exams and refused to pursue a career in government, which he believed would oppress the people. When he grew older, he took over his father's business, continuing to teach children in the village's private school. Like many Mongolians from the grasslands, Kuli was generous, righteous, and had a strong sense of justice. He also loved staying informed about world affairs and was keenly interested in historical anecdotes, cultural knowledge, and current society. In his later years, his health declined, and he handed over the school to his son. On sunny days, he would sit outside in the sun, chatting with the villagers about the past and present, enjoying a peaceful life.
Zhuohou was an educated scholar who inherited his father's qualities—upright, fair-minded, and warm-hearted—earning great respect in the surrounding villages. Many families were willing to send their children to study with him, even if it meant traveling a few extra miles to Zhangjiawan. Although Zhuohou's school was just a dilapidated temple, to accommodate children who lived far away, his private school offered not only education but also lodging and meals. The locals called this type of school a "canteen."
On October 26, 1889, Zhuohou's second son was born, named Li Zhongqi, who later became the world-famous geologist Li Siguang. Li Siguang had an older brother, Li Bohan, and later two younger brothers, Li Shuhe and Li Jishou, as well as two younger sisters, Li Xibai and Li Xixian. The names of the children reflected Zhuohou's deep cultural background. The four sons were named in the order of Bo, Zhong, Shu, and Ji among brothers, showing great care. It revealed his hopes for his children—to achieve something meaningful while also cultivating their character and principles. "Qi" means principle or reason. He had a method of educating his children that was neither too strict nor too lenient.
Zhuohou's family had only three acres of land, yielding only a few thousand pounds of rice per year, which was barely enough to feed the whole family. The students who attended his school were not from wealthy families. Some paid two or three dou of rice per year, while others could only afford a hundred or so copper coins. Zhuohou never cared about the small amounts. The family lived tightly on the edge, relying on Zhuohou's wife, Gong, to spin hemp, grow vegetables, raise pigs, and cook meals day and night just to barely sustain the nine-member household.
Li Siguang's grandfather, the elderly Kuli, was already in his twilight years, frail and often bedridden. He particularly favored his young grandson, Zhongqi, often having him sit by his bedside and enthusiastically telling him about the world, from ancient times to the present.
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