Chapter 306 No Boundaries, So Add a Course

"Adult matters shouldn't affect children's friendships. If you feel regretful about losing Liu Qianrou as a friend, why not confront her family and clarify the matter?"

Yuan Hongqu sensed the reluctance in Daiyu's words and analyzed the situation for her.

"If the Liu family knows about this and even allows people to use your relationship with Liu Qianrou to ask your father for favors, then no matter how much you regret being friends with Liu Qianrou, you shouldn't be too close to her. If the Liu family doesn't know about this, and Liu Qianrou doesn't know either, then isn't it a bit arbitrary of you to distance yourself from Liu Qianrou like this?"

Daiyu deeply agreed, but she still couldn't accept that the Liu family had done such a thing.

"Sister Liu is usually very easygoing, and we're like sisters. Actually, sometimes I feel that this isn't quite right. I don't really like this kind of close relationship. I think it's fine to be friends or classmates with her, but I can't accept being sisters who aren't actually sisters."

Daiyu was also somewhat troubled. Liu Qianrou's personality was somewhat similar to Shi Xiangyun's, but Shi Xiangyun knew how to keep her distance and was now older, so she had a better sense of boundaries.

Liu Qianrou is known in the capital for being a bit dim-witted, acting entirely on a whim and not caring much about other people's feelings.

Daiyu was somewhat overwhelmed by this enthusiasm.

Yuan Hongqu naturally understood Daiyu's feelings.

Daiyu has a cold and aloof personality, preferring solitude to gatherings. Although she has changed a lot over the years, she still retains her proud and aloof nature at heart. She may not feel anything about Liu Qianrou's fiery and passionate nature in the short term, but in the long run, she will become afraid of such enthusiasm.

"Don't worry, there's a course starting at the academy when you get back, called 'Social Etiquette and Boundaries.' During this course, we'll analyze various personality types. One typical personality type is similar to yours, so we can focus on that. Once you finish the course, your worries should probably disappear."

Yuan Hongqu didn't think she was doing Daiyu a favor; this class was the graduation class for the advanced course, and it was just brought forward.

Since Daiyu wants a friendship with boundaries, then let Liu Qianrou learn what boundaries are!

Daiyu nodded. Apart from Yuan Mama, she could not completely let her guard down with anyone. The only person she could rely on wholeheartedly was Yuan Mama.

“Granny, my father asked me if I was really that close to the Liu family’s daughter, and whether he wanted to lend a hand with the Liu family’s affairs in Jiangnan. I don’t know how to reply to my father.”

"If you haven't replied by now, then that's already a reply," Yuan Hongqu said slowly, then comforted Daiyu.

"Don't worry, Lord Lin has been an official for so many years, he already knows how to handle these matters. The purpose of his letter to you is not to ask for your opinion. He just wants you to know that the Liu family has done such a thing, and you need to decide how to handle it yourself. It's normal that you don't have experience in this area and don't know how to handle it. If you can't handle it well, then naturally your father or I will handle it ourselves."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu suddenly realized, "Father is teaching me this!"

“Your father is often away from you, and he was afraid that I would spoil you too much and make you ignorant of the ways of the world. This is his way of personally teaching you how to do things,” Yuan Hongqu exclaimed. “Your father has put a lot of thought into this!”

In fact, Lin Ruhai's worries were completely unnecessary.

Now that Daiyu is older, she handles all the letters and gifts Lin Ruhai sends from Jiangnan herself, and Yuan Hongqu no longer interferes.

Two years ago, Daiyu always had Yuan Hongqu read letters with her, but after Lin Ruhai became the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Yuan Hongqu gradually began to let go and give Daiyu enough space.

If Daiyu is willing to share with her, she is happy to listen; if she says nothing, she will not ask any questions.

Two years later, Yuan Hongqu planned to completely relinquish control and let Daiyu manage all the affairs of the Lin family herself.

In fact, Daiyu is now in charge of most of the affairs in the Lin family's inner courtyard. With her Zijuan and Xueyan, plus the four maids, as well as Granny Jin and Granny Shi, the Lin family's inner courtyard is managed very well. Yuan Hongqu has long since retired to the second line and only observes from the side.

The Lin family was small, with only one proper mistress, Daiyu, making them easy to manage.

However, if Daiyu were to get married in the future, the situation she would face would not be as clear-cut as that of the Lin family. Every household's inner quarters are a mess.

Therefore, Yuan Hongqu also instilled a lot of knowledge in Daiyu about matters concerning the inner quarters of the household.

She herself hadn't experienced any power struggles within a family or palace, but she had read quite a few novels on that subject for a while.

Daiyu doesn't have to do these things, but she needs to know them.

Yuan Hongqu is currently planning to add a new course to the academy. After all, most of the girls in the academy will marry into high-ranking families in the future. They may have been exposed to these things since childhood, but what if it happens to them?

The girls' academy has added a new course called "Comprehensive Family Management," and the teachers they've invited are all experts in domestic power struggles. Even the emperor's favorite concubine from the palace participated in the compilation of the teaching materials...

Yuan Hongqu opened the carriage window. The poplar trees on both sides of the road rustled in the wind, and the horse hooves clattered as the carriage swayed along the road. Occasionally, students on horseback would whiz past the window, their laughter free and unrestrained.

This morning, there were even more students riding horses to get there than yesterday afternoon.

They initially walked at the back of the group, but soon caught up with the front.

Hearing their cheerful laughter, Yuan Hongqu also felt happy.

Daiyu was also moved by this, and she was no longer troubled by the Liu family's affairs.

"Granny, it's only a four-day trip, and today is already the second day. The journey is too short. Next time we should go to a place that's much farther away."

"We haven't even reached our destination yet, and we've already planned out our next trip."

Yuan Hongqu smiled and said, "You should at least finish this study tour before planning the next one."

“It took us almost a month to get here from Yangzhou. Granny, how about we go to the south next time?” Daiyu said tentatively.

She was born in Yangzhou and hasn't been back to Beijing all these years. How could she not miss her hometown!

However, she also knew that going back to the south now would not be an easy thing.

Her father became the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and as his only relative, she was essentially a hostage left in the capital.

This has been the case in every dynasty.

"The rice in the two rivers ripens three times a year: twice a year for paddy rice and once for second-crop rice." Yuan Hongqu showed the official gazette to Daiyu.

Daiyu read it once, but didn't understand what Yuan Hongqu meant.

"With your father's great contributions, it shouldn't be difficult to ask the Emperor to include you in his southern tour entourage."

"Granny..." Daiyu's tears rolled down her cheeks one by one.

"You've been planning this all along, haven't you? If there isn't enough rice for the Emperor to take me with him, are there other options?"