Su Shi's mother, Shi Cheng, married Su Jia at the age of 18. At that time, Su Xun was only 19, and she was still an ignorant teenager. Sima Guang praised Mrs. Su Zhuben in her Epitaph for the Cheng family. "Everyone likes reading and knows her righteousness. And said: "My wife's surname is Cheng, a native of Meishan, and the daughter of Cheng of Dali Temple. Born in eighteen years, he belongs to Su family. Cheng is rich and Sue is poor. "
After they got married, their married life was once very difficult. Therefore, it was suggested that Cheng seek help from her family, but it was rejected by the ambitious Cheng. She doesn't want to hear the gossip that her husband depends on family support.
It is said that Su Xun didn't like reading since he was a child, and he didn't know how to improve himself and make continuous progress. There is still no improvement after marriage. Wandering around as usual, I don't know how to make money to support my family, which once made Cheng, who was born in a rich family, very depressed.
Su Xun later admitted to himself, "I used to be a teenager, wandering around and not studying. Although I didn't say anything, I was unhappy. I know my heart and worry about me. " Perhaps under the persuasion of his married wife Shi Cheng, or under the objective pressure of difficult times, Su Xun suddenly woke up at the age of 25 and decided to "study hard" and stand on his own feet.
Let's talk about Su Shi's date of birth. In Mr. Lin Yutang's Biography of Su Dongpo, Su Dongpo's date of birth is set as 1036, while other materials are recorded as 1037 or 1036, which is actually very understandable.
Su Dongpo was born in China Gregorian calendar1Feb19th. According to the Gregorian calendar, it should be 1037 1 8th of the month, so it should be 1037 exactly.
There are many legends about Su Shi's birth, the most famous of which is Su Shi's birth. The vegetation on Penglao Mountain in Meishan has dried up. It is said that Su Shi can grasp the aura of mountains and rivers and absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and the vegetation flourished again after Su Shi's death in11/. Of course, this is just a legend. The birth of Su Shi means that ordinary people have a boy. Nothing special.
Su Shi didn't see any stories from birth to school until he was sent to a private school run by Taoist priests at the age of six, and gradually became different.
It is said that among more than 100 schoolchildren, this Taoist teacher surnamed Zhang only likes Su Shi and a student who is later said to be immortal. The student's name is Chen Taichu. Later, he refused to be an official in China Imperial Examination. He resolutely became a monk and devoted himself to realizing his immortal dream. Later, I finally realized my dream in front of my friend's house, as if I had endured several days without eating before I died. Why does everyone admit that he soared during the day? When carrying Chen Taichu's body, he suddenly said, don't carry it, I'll go by myself. From then on, no one can live and no one can die. Isn't that a fairy or something? No one can say for sure.
This is not a good thing for Su Dongpo, who has just received enlightenment education. Of course, the beloved disciple of the Taoist teacher became so interested in the profession of teacher that Dongpo, a teenager, became obsessed with learning Taoism. Even in his youth, he was not interested in women and refused to find a wife.
Fortunately, Su Xun is very patient. After countless times of work, he realized that women are not tigers, and being immortal is more important than being an official. So Dongpo stayed in the secular world. It is said that when the elders decided to marry Wang Fu, she also fled to the mountains.
Dongpo had a wide range of hobbies when he was a teenager, especially poetry. At the age of ten, he often recited many amazing poems. Calligraphy talent is almost like a gift. According to the records of scenic spots and historical sites, Su Dongpo studied in Qiyun Temple in primary school, and wrote three characters "Lian 'ao Mountain" for his residence. Probably there were no ready-made schools in Meishan in the Song Dynasty, and those famous academies were far away, so Su Dongpo's childhood was either a Taoist temple or a temple. Even young Dongpo was not only devoted to Taoism and Laozi, but also interested in Buddhism, and Zen was even more complete.
Dongpo's parents probably experienced Chen Taichu's incident and found something was wrong. They quickly left the Taoist temple and simply asked Su Shi to drop out of school and go home to be the child's teacher. This decision should be correct. Su Xun's imperial examination for the college entrance examination was not obvious at first sight, but it was very successful in educating children. It is rare to teach two Jinshi in a pack. In fact, it has won the top prize in the college entrance examination.
Speaking of Dongpo's mother Shi Cheng, she deserves to be an excellent primary school teacher. When Dongpo was eight or nine years old, Su Xun went to Beijing to take the Jinshi exam. As a result, God failed him. Few candidates who failed in the exam are happy, and Su Xun is no exception. If you are bored, travel to Jianghuai area. During this period, the educational burden of the two children was all on the mother's shoulders, so the primary education of Su Shi and Su Zhe brothers actually depended on the mother to complete the task. .
Cheng's teaching method is very flexible. In addition to the "cramming" teaching based on recitation, he often conducts heuristic "teaching". Su Dongpo's Biography of Song Dynasty and Su Zhe's Song of Eternal Sorrow both recorded such a successful event:
According to the biography of Cheng Jiaozi in the Later Han Dynasty, he was wanted for opposing the abuse of government by eunuchs in the Later Han Dynasty, and surrendered himself voluntarily so as not to bring trouble to the county magistrate and his mother. When Fan said goodbye, he was righteous and upright: "Today, I can be as famous as Li and Du, so why bother to hate! You are famous and have a long life. Can you have both? " Fan Pang bowed and left his mother.
The mother sighed and said to her son, "If I want you to do evil, I can't do evil." If you are good, then I am not evil. " .
At this time, ten-year-old Dongpo actually asked, "Mom, do you want to be like Fan Pang when you grow up?"
Cheng generously replied, "If you can do it, can't I be a good mother?" It can be seen that Cheng gave Dongpo a correct moral education from an early age.
In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Su Xun felt that personal education was lacking, so when Su Dongpo was thirteen years old, they sent the two brothers to Shou Chang Academy to study together. The teacher's surname is Liu Mingju, and his handwriting is subtle. It is said that this teacher Liu was humiliated by Dongpo and resigned and ran away. The reason is that Liu Ju wrote an egret poem and wanted to show it to the students. The original poem is: egrets peep at the distant waves, and the cold wind sweeps the shore sand. The fisherman suddenly started up and the snow fell obliquely against the wind.
At this time, Dongpo, who is not sensible, said, Teacher, I'll change the last three words of your poem, that is, the wind drives the slope instead of falling, and the whole poem becomes: herons peep at the distant waves, and the cold wind sweeps the shore sand. The fisherman suddenly started up and the snow fell.
Liu Ju was shocked and overjoyed, and praised the gifted student on the spot: "I am not a teacher." I resigned at once. After the Song Dynasty, many poetry critics thought that Dongpo's "falling" was more vivid and artistic than "drifting".
After Mr. Liu left, the Su brothers returned home, or their parents continued to educate themselves at home. At that time, the pavilion for reading at home was called "Nanxuan", but it was later changed to "Laifengxuan" by Su Xun, which became Dongpo's "three pools and a moon". Su Dongpo has deep feelings for this place. Later, Dongpo's "Dream of Nanxuan" was recorded as follows: "Going to court too early, taking a nap, dreaming back to Saya. I feel like I'm thinking, Nanxuan, the first gentleman's name is also Feng. "
Let's talk about Su Shi's mother. Today, from the poems and memories of Su Shi and Su Zhe, we can also see that Cheng's early education had a far-reaching impact on Su Shi and Su Zhe. For example, Su Shi's outspoken nature has something to do with Cheng's example and influence.
Although the theme of Su Dongpo's essay "Remembering the First Lady Can't Spare Birds" is "words and politics have been stabbed", from another perspective, it is also related to the influence of Mrs. Cheng. When Su Shi was a teenager, his study was full of flowers, flowers and birds. A few years later, "all build nests on low branches, and their D can be seen from above." "People and birds coexist and the environment is beautiful and pleasant. This flowery atmosphere is due to Su Shi's mother Cheng's "vicious killing", so "children and servants are not allowed to catch birds", which is why Su Shi's study has such a view.
When describing his mother, Su Zhe also said: "He was born with lofty aspirations, and he was good at reading, knowing the past and the present, and managing chaos by knowing his reasons." Under the education of their mothers, Su Shi and Su Zhe have studied Confucian classics and history since childhood. "Now, both sons have been admitted to Jinshi. However, when the two brothers entered high school, their mother Cheng died alone at home on the eighth day of April of the same year. At that time, the Su Shi brothers were not around because they had just entered China, and Su Xun was also in Beijing. Although the Su Shi brothers returned to Meishan to worry about their mother, they also left the biggest regret in life.
Mrs. Su Dongpo's mother