Since Danyang’s representative has lost people here were willing to give both of the current contestants a chance. On a stall near the school there were signs for both Han Shanyuan and Jian He, his opponent. But not everyone was let into the school. Han Shanyuan’s family was not let inside since the magistrate said that he already knew where those votes were going to go. In Danyang the crowds were not going to decide who was the winner, rather a jury of other children who had participated in the choosing of the semifinal’s winner just two days ago.

Han Shanyuan gave each of his family members a hug and rushed inside. On the way he saw a boy, maybe a year younger than him, do the same. This must be Jain He. They both fell into step with each other and shook each other’s hands. Someone from the crowd pointed at them with approval and both boys grinned. It didn’t matter who won, they would show their skills today.

Inside was the magistrate and on benches sat about twenty children. They had bags of candy in their laps, provided by the magistrate. The children weren’t eating from their candy, though. Deciding to leave it for after the competition.

“Now, to keep things fair, I will flip a coin and decide who gets to speak first. But first, tell us something about yourselves, boys.”

Jian He moved forward without prompting and he bowed.

“Fellow contesters, I am honored and humbled to be judged by a jury of my peers.” He said with a bright smile that put many of the children at ease. “I will strive today to show you a new outlook on the smallest and yet most important building block in our society, the family. Thank you all for listening to my opening words.”

The children clapped excitedly. Han Shanyuan stepped forward when Jian He moved back and bowed too.

“Honored peers, our empire is perhaps now more glorious than all those which came before it. And all those who will come after it.” Han Shanyuan made a pause to get his point across. The magistrate looked at him with approval and even though he wouldn’t be able to vote this was a good sign for the boy.

“But it is not without it’s problems. Poverty has dug it’s teeth in it’s flesh. It’s teeth had exposed the bones of the empire and it is the duty of all of us to manage our resources so that we can combat this horrible beast. Whatever you are from a well off family or not my essay can help you save money. Thank you all for listening to my opening words.”

Han Shanyuan stepped back to the magistrate’s side and looked around. The children were reading from the paper in their hands. Swapping between sheets and taking notes. This was better than an applause for him.

The magistrate flipped a coin and he placed a hand on Jain He’s head.

“Make your case. You have until the last grain of the clock.” He then turned an hourglass clock and sat behind the teacher’s desk.

“The family.” Began Jain He as his eyes searched over the children. They stopped what they were doing to listen to him. “Who can live without one? And if there are such poor unfortunate souls then can they say they are truly happy?” He inhaled deeply and let the children nod or shake their heads.

“But not all is well within even the best of families.” He pointed at a girl in the front row. Han Shanyuan felt like Jian He had an unfair advantage over him to have had a couple of days to get to know the other children. “Miss, did you not say you have three brothers and a sister?”

The girl blushed as everyone looked at her and nodded.

“And were you always included in all of their activities?” Asked Jain He and she looked down while shaking her head.

“Well, this story is very familiar to all those who have siblings, is it not? And not just them. A family can have a divide between parents and child too. In my essay I have written about all the different types of divides between family members. You can read all about them between the fourth and seventh sheet of paper. But I will summarize:

Divide caused by misunderstanding.

Divide caused by neglect.

Divide caused by jealousy.

How do we brush off these divides? Is it at all possible? My closing words explain the grim reality of a modern day family. But I will repeat them, my colleagues.

While the divides are problematic on their own when combined they are disastrous. Yet their very nature leaves one with more questions than answers. And in my humble opinion the most important one is this one:

Should one strive to eradicate the divides?

And the answer is a simple one:

No!

A family is not supposed to be perfect. Work through the divides but don’t ignore them and your family will have much fortune in the future!

Thank you all for the attention.”

Jain He moved back to the rigorous applause of the other children. Han Shanyuan sweated at the spot. He had not prepared anything close to this speech. Guess he had to improvise and scrap his former idea.

“Well done, Jian He! I read your essay and I find you summarize it perfectly. Han Shanyuan, it’s your turn.” Then as if to soften his tone the man added. “My boy.” Han Shanyuan stepped forward. The children were still talking about Jian He’s speech so he bowed and waited for the children to quiet down to start.

“Honored peers, I come today to speak to you all from personal experience. I am fortunate to be taken in as a blacksmith apprentice and so I no longer feel the bitterness of it but I will never forget. And I want you to remember my words too, so that the world can become a better place.”

Han Shanyuan took a leaf out of Jian He’s book and made a pause to look at the other children. They were looking at him with a rapt interest. He smiled bitterly and continued.

“Not long ago I had to fend for both myself and my baby sister. I had to put food on a table that didn’t even existed. I dreamed of a roof over my head and did chores around the village in the hopes I might one day have one. Do you know what the standard pay for a whole day of washing clothes is?” He paused and a child raised his hand. Han Shanyuan pointed at him, he had good sturdy cotton robes and round cheeks.

“A silver coin?” Asked the boy and Han Shanyuan’s smile turned even more bitter.

“No, a copper coin.” He said and children begun to murmur among themselves. Han Shanyuan looked at the hourglass, he still had time. He cleared his throat and began listing all the chores he used to do and say the very same payment. A copper. The children looked unnerved by that.

“If one is quick then three copper coins could be earned per day. That is three steamed buns. That means a meal during the day after a hard day of work and a breakfast the morning after. Or it means three days of half a bun, in my case as I had to provide for my sister as well. In my essay I have written why the latter option is to be preferred. You can find it from the third page to the fifth.”

Rustling of paper followed as children made note of that and they quieted down. Han Shanyuan continued.

“Poverty is the enemy of all, but if one ignores his empty belly for most of the day then one can survive. I am fortunate that I was taken in by Master Nikola and I no longer need to do so. But many, perhaps even some of you, don’t have the same luxury. From pages fifth to eight you will find ways to cook even weeds to make your single copper coin per day stretch. And how to muster the will to save any additional coppers you earn for even grimmer days. And believe me, they will always come.”

“So, what?” Asked Jian He. He seemed to be upset by what Han Shanyuan had said. “The poor are doomed to live like rodents unless they catch the eye of a wealthy benefactor like you did?”

Han Shanyuan was prepared for this. He knew just how to counter it.

“My ending words for the essay took up a whole sheet of paper. My teacher, Master Wei, told me that it was wrong of me to be so verbose. So, I will summarize that sheet for you all:

Being poor is not a choice, it is a reality. But being helpless is a choice. We have to learn from our hardships and while saving money is almost impossible when one has to feed themselves it is still doable. One has a duty to themselves to not lose their hope. And saving money, copper for copper, preserves this valuable luxury that even the poorest of us have a claim to.

I hope with this I answered your question, Jian He. Thank you all for listening to me and I hope I brought useful insight into your lives.”

Han Shanyuan saw that the children were taking note of his words. He felt honored that they were doing so. He stole a glance towards Jain He who looked conflicted. He hadn’t heard the last of his fellow competitor yet.

“Wonderful and yet touching, Han Shanyuan. As a magistrate I can promise you I will look into child labor in Danyang and make sure every child who works here earns more than what you told us you did. Now, I will give you all an hourglass time to ask your questions to the two competitors. Any questions for Jain He?”

A child at the front coughed and some shifted in their seats but no one raised their hands. Jain He bowed his head and was just about to tell the magistrate to just move over to Han Shanyuan when the boy in question raised his hand.

“Yes, Han Shanyuan? What is your question?” Asked the magistrate happy that he didn’t have to pass over the other child entirely.

“Jian He, you said imperfections make a family better. Yet one of the divides you mentioned was neglect. How does neglect make a family better?”

Jian He searched for anything malicious in Han Shanyuan’s gaze but when he couldn’t see anything he smiled brightly at the other boy.

“Well, not neglect, per say. Rather the resolving of it. Family members can get to know each other better once they understand they have been ignoring each other. And from that understanding love can blossom.”

A child from the audience raised his hand and the magistrate nodded.

“What if this understanding brings hate instead? What if the family members don’t like what they found out about each other?”

“I wish I can say that is impossible.” Said Jian He with a knowing look at the sad expression of the child. “But even hate can be overcome. For the one under scrutiny can change. Families are a closely knit units. Real hate, as you mean it, rarely festers into a family.”

“You think so?” Asked the boy hopefully and Jian He nodded.

“I know so.”

The magistrate looked at the hourglass. Half of the time has passed. Now it was Han Shanyuan’s turn.

“Ok, now for questions for Han Shanyuan?” All hands, Jian He’s included, shot up and Han Shanyuan blushed. He looked at the magistrate and let him know with a look that he should choose instead.

“You, little Miss Chang, ask your question!” Said the magistrate as he pointed at a girl who had her hair in a braid. She stood up, paper gripped in her hand and she raised it to her face.

“Han Shanyuan, you told us to save at any cost. But how does one work if they can’t move from starvation?”

Han Shanyuan nodded. He had been there, so he knew the unpleasant answer to that.

“Then you beg. Many will pass you by but some good souls will give you a copper. But if you ask for food instead, as I mostly did, then you have a better chance to receive charity.”

“Next! You, third boy up front. Ask your question.” Asked the magistrate as Miss Chang sat down.

“Han Shanyuan, how does one save from clothes?” He asked. He wore silks so this all must be quite the eye-opener for him.

“Wear hand me downs. Cotton, if you can find someone to give you their old robes. Old rice sacks you make into your own robes, if you can not. Those at least are thrown frequently and so you can also use them as blankets too.”

The boy was pale as he sat down. The magistrate looked at the hourglass and cleared his throat.

“The time is up. Now, children, begin the vote. And remember, you can only vote for one of the participants.”

A kindly old woman moved forward with two sheets of paper which she handed down the line. Children were supposed to be writing down their names and then the magistrate was going to count them. Jian He moved to Han Shanyuan and tugged his robe sleeve.

“How long were you on the streets?” Asked the younger boy and Han Shanyuan turned to look at him.

“A year. My mother died giving birth to my sister. It was really hard in the beginning since I had to pay the wet nurse. She took all of our savings, but Han Fengfan had a warm place to live while she couldn’t eat solid foods.”

“And you?” Asked Jian He horrified, already knowing the answer.

“I was out working. I managed to save some money while we lived with the wet nurse but when she weaned Han Fengfan she kicked us out. The money lasted us for a month. I didn’t know much about saving money back then, or it would have lasted us longer.”

“My essay sounds silly next to yours.” Said Jain He as he bowed his head. Han Shanyuan placed a hand over his shoulder and Jian He looked up at him.

“There is nothing silly about problems in the family.” Said Han Shanyuan. Then his face became grim. “They can lead to poverty too. And we all should protect ourselves from that. Your essay gives a way to do that for some of the causes of this problem. Mine is more of a damage control. But they both have meaning.”

The boys smiled at one another and soon the magistrate was given the lists.

“Nine votes for Jian He and eleven for Han Shanyuan. Pleasant trip to Chang’an, Han Shanyuan. And may life treat you better from now on. Stay a minute after everyone leaves.”

Children began to crowd the two contestants and to point things in their essays for which they had praise or critique. The magistrate made a couple of steps back. He had heard about the sham of a contest back in Samjin and he had sent a strongly worded letter to it’s magistrate, who was under his jurisdiction. The magistrate had thought much about Han Shanyuan winning despite the contest being rigged against him. Then he had heard about the unofficial children’s vote and had been amazed that the winner again had been Han Shanyuan.

That was his motivation behind making children vote for this winner. They deserved to be shown fair play, these two children that had suffered already. And if fellow children were the only ones who are able to do that then who was he, Kang Lei, to deprive them of the chance?