Chapter Thirty: A Mind Enriched with Poetry Naturally Radiates Elegance

The room was filled with the savory aroma of roe deer meat as Li Xiangyang’s family sat around the kang table, tucking into their meal with gusto.

"It’s so delicious," Li Xiaohua said, her mouth glistening with grease as she ate.

Li Xiangyang smiled and patted his younger sister’s head. "Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you."

Although Wang Ying was quiet and reserved, she too was lured by the fragrance. She ate in small, delicate bites, a look of pure contentment on her face. The black panther cat squatted on the nearby windowsill, focused on gnawing at a piece of roe deer heart. Occasionally, it would lift its head, its amber eyes scanning the cozy scene within the room.

"The black cat is eating so happily," Mother Li remarked, nodding with satisfaction as she watched the animal.

After dinner, the wind and snow outside grew fiercer. The howling north wind lashed against the windows, creating a constant creaking sound.

"With weather like this, there’s no chance of going up the mountain tomorrow," Li Xiangyang said, looking out the window.

He lay on the warm kang, listlessly flipping through an old book. It was the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* his father had left behind. He had always found it dull in the past, but in this era, there were few other forms of entertainment.

At the other end of the kang, Wang Ying was teaching Li Xiaohua to read. The two girls sat with their heads together—one teaching, one learning—occasionally letting out laughter as clear as silver bells.

"The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold..." Wang Ying’s voice was crisp and melodious.

Li Xiangyang set his book down, unable to help but prick up his ears. He heard Wang Ying not only reciting the poem but also explaining it to Li Xiaohua. "If we look at this poem from a scientific perspective, it is actually inaccurate. The fragrance of the plum blossom is an intrinsic property; it does not arise because of the cold. This reminds me of Mr. Bertrand Russell. When he gave lectures at Peking University, he said that we must distinguish between the essence of things and their contingency."

This statement startled Li Xiangyang, and he sat up straight. "What did you say?"

Taken aback by his reaction, Wang Ying lowered her voice slightly. "My father told me. Mr. Russell came to China in the twenties and said that we should use scientific methods to think about problems. But my father also said that this doesn't diminish the beauty of poetry, because poetry expresses a spirit."

"Your father taught you even this?"

"Yes," Wang Ying nodded. "My father has a large collection of books. He said Mr. Kant expressed similar principles—we must learn to think independently and not blindly follow the crowd."

Li Xiangyang was dumbfounded. A thirteen-year-old girl was capable of such insights. Such a way of thinking was truly far ahead of its time.

"So, according to you, the line 'The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold'..."

"It is a good poem," Wang Ying said earnestly, "expressing a character of resilience. But if analyzed with logic, the bitter cold is not the cause of the fragrance. Frege said that we must distinguish between sense and reference..."

Li Xiangyang was completely captivated. The young girl’s train of thought was clear, and she dropped names of figures he had never even heard of. Yet, that didn't stop him from realizing that these must be great minds.

At this moment, where had the timid little girl gone? Li Xiangyang suddenly realized that when she spoke of these scholarly matters, a unique aura radiated from her entire being. It was a composure and elegance born from within, a natural temperament nurtured by books.

Li Xiangyang suddenly recalled the saying: "Poetry and books in the belly bring a natural grace." Indeed, this was true learning—not for showing off, not for utilitarian gain, but something truly integrated into one's very bones.

"Tell me more about other things then." Li Xiangyang set the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* aside, listening, utterly entranced.

The kerosene lamp on the kang made a soft sound as its flame flickered gently, casting light on this harmonious scene. Mother Li watched her son listening so intently, a gratified smile on her face. She cleared the dishes with light steps, afraid to disturb the children's conversation.

As the night deepened, Li Xiaohua fell asleep leaning against Wang Ying’s shoulder. Wang Ying, too, began to show signs of fatigue, her voice growing softer.

"Alright, let's get some rest," Li Xiangyang said upon seeing this.

The black panther cat leapt down from the windowsill, walked gracefully to the edge of the kang, and curled up in a warm corner.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Li Xiangyang was awakened by the commotion outside. Pushing open the window, he saw the entire village covered in heavy snow, a vast, white expanse.

"I’m afraid this snow will fall all day," Mother Li sighed.

After breakfast, Li Xiangyang originally intended to head out, but the snow was too deep to walk through. Looking at the swirling snow outside the window, something occurred to him.

"Xiao Ying," Li Xiangyang asked, turning his gaze back to her, "what do you think the world will look like in the future?"

Wang Ying, who was teaching Li Xiaohua to write, paused for a moment and set down her pen, thinking seriously.

"I’ve heard that there are already television sets in foreign countries, where you can see things happening far, far away. Their trains can run incredibly fast, and there are many automobiles..." Wang Ying’s eyes sparkled. "I think the future world will surely be even more magical. Perhaps people will build houses that can fly in the sky, or ships that can travel under the water."

Li Xiangyang felt a jolt in his heart. The girl’s imagination astonished him. Although she didn't know that space stations and nuclear submarines would actually exist, she was able to deduce these possibilities based solely on her existing knowledge.

"And what about people’s lives?" Li Xiangyang continued to probe.

"I think," Wang Ying said after a moment of reflection, "in the future world, the gap between people will become smaller and smaller. Because as science and technology develop, everyone will be able to use high-quality things and receive an education. Just like in foreign countries now—their farmers have their own tractors, and workers are literate and read newspapers..."

There was a light in her eyes as she spoke, not as if she were reciting someone else's views, but as if she were truly thinking and looking forward to it. Li Xiangyang was mesmerized. He knew the future was indeed as Wang Ying described, but for a thirteen-year-old girl to conceive of this in the current era was truly rare.

"Then what do you think we should do now?"

"We must learn," Wang Ying said with a smile. "Not only must we learn to read and write, but we must also learn foreign scientific knowledge. Look, they can build so many powerful machines; there must be many things worth our study."

"By the way, science is actually very interesting. It allows us to see the essence of the world," Wang Ying said suddenly. "For example, do you know how to distinguish between vinegar and soda ash—which is acidic and which is alkaline?"

Li Xiangyang was stunned. He knew, but he had no way to verify it. He muttered, "What’s the point of distinguishing them? Just taste them and you'll know."

"No, no," Wang Ying shook her head. "Science requires methods. You must use observable phenomena to prove it."

She stood up and went into the kitchen to rummage around. "Auntie, does the house have vinegar and soda ash? And two small bowls."

Mother Li, who was adding firewood to the stove, smiled and said, "Yes, they’re in the cabinet."

Soon, Wang Ying found what she needed. She poured the vinegar and soda ash into two small bowls and added a little warm water.

"Now we need a purple vegetable leaf," Wang Ying said, looking around. "It’s hard to find in winter, but..." An idea struck her, and she ran to the vegetable cellar outside the door, finding a purple leaf from an old pumpkin. "This will do."

Returning to the room, Wang Ying crushed the leaf, squeezed out the juice, and dripped it into both bowls. A magical thing happened: one bowl turned light red, while the other turned light green.

"Wow!" Li Xiaohua watched, dumbstruck. Even the black panther cat pricked up its ears, its amber eyes fixed intently on the changes in the bowls.

"This is chemistry," Wang Ying said excitedly. "The red one is the acidic vinegar, and the green one is the alkaline soda ash. Using this method, we can determine the properties of many things."

"Of course, there is also mechanics. Look at the water boiling in the pot; it releases steam, which is also a kind of change." Wang Ying pointed to the steaming pot on the stove. "Heat cannot be created out of thin air, nor can it disappear. This is the First Law of Thermodynamics."

She pointed to the firewood in the stove. "The burning firewood generates heat, the heat is transferred to the water in the pot, and the water turns into steam. The heat just keeps on being transferred."

"Then where does the heat finally go?" Li Xiangyang asked curiously.

"Heat always travels from a hot place to a cold place; this is the Second Law of Thermodynamics," Wang Ying explained. "Just like in this room—no matter how hot the kang is, the heat will slowly disperse to the colder areas. This is a natural law; no one can change it."