Their chief work was to learn by heart long strings of words, of the meaning of which they knew nothing. They began with the three-character classic, and went on to the works of Confucius and Mencius. But what they learnt was of little good; for they repeated the sentences like so many parrots, and with just as much understanding of the meaning. Then there was writing—following a copy set by the teacher, with a brush pen and ink rubbed on a stone slab. That was all. No geography, or arithmetic, or history; it was dull indeed. Then, too, there was no discipline to speak of; for the teacher was often under the influence of opium, so the boys did as they liked. The biggest boy in the school was called “Seven Pounds,” because he weighed that when he was born. He was a bad boy and a regular bully, lording it over the small ones and helping himself to their pens and paper. No one dared to reprove him, least of all the teacher, for he was the son of the village pawnbroker, the most wealthy and powerful man in the neighborhood. Large numbers of Chinese regularly pawn their summer clothes in the winter, and their winter clothes when the warmer weather returns; so the pawnbrokers make a good harvest, and are usually very wealthy and powerful. So, you see, it didn’t pay to quarrel with Seven Pounds, and he knew this well enough. Now, although my father-in-law was reckoned a scholar, he was, like all in the house, very superstitious. In the large room, which was dirty and dusty in the extreme, the place of honour was given to the God of Riches. There he sat in fat dignity, presiding over the house, though we never saw any of his riches. In fact, since the coming of wealthy foreigners into the country, it is often said that the god has moved to foreign parts, and is now bestowing his riches on the Western nations. Certainly I never saw the use of him, for our circumstances got worse and worse. Then on the outside door we had pasted a pair of door gods. These pictures represent famous warriors who now are regarded as gods, and they have to protect the house from calamities. Certainly they are ugly enough for anything; but I have never known them ward off robbers. But perhaps it is only the spirits that are afraid of them; men aren’t, I am sure. To frighten off the spirits we had a looking-glass hung over the front door, so that when the spirits came round and were about to enter, they should see their ugly faces and retire in a fright.