The boat took several days to reach Hangzhou

Humans are truly tenacious creatures. Even if 2012 comes, the world will still have only a few cockroaches left, and only a few humans. In just two months, the humanoids on the three ships have adapted to life on board, and those who used to be vomiting bitter bile have now stood up straight.

Shujia has been on the boat for two months now, and her hair has grown back, which she is quite proud of. Her mood has also improved, and she is studying hard and making considerable progress.

Journeying down the Grand Canal, Shi Wenbing led a group to Jingkou to commemorate his grandfather. Returning that evening, Mr. Jiang taught two elementary school students a poem, "Jingkou and Guazhou, One Water Between," before discussing local scenery. As he touched on Zhongshan, he also discussed Nanjing. Shujia was quite familiar with both Nanjing and Hangzhou. Three hundred years later, these cities still exist, renowned for their history and culture, their histories longer than those of some countries.

Shujia's first thought about Nanjing was duck blood vermicelli soup (hey!), along with Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, and Chairman Mao's poem. Mr. Jiang obviously didn't know these things. He was talking about the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, the former Ming Dynasty palace, and the Jiangning Weaving Factory. He wouldn't mention Nanjing's famous Qinhuai River to the female students, which made her feel a little disappointed. Shujia knew everything Mr. Jiang mentioned, but she probably knew more than Mr. Jiang would ever know.

For example, Mr. Jiang greatly admired Cao Yin. Shujia knew his family would be in dire straits, and that a fat, dark-skinned man would write "Dream of the Red Chamber." Of course, even now, Mr. Cao is still the object of Mr. Jiang's envy, as he associates with scholars, enjoys the emperor's trust, and holds a lucrative position. They're both bondservants, but the difference is enormous!

Shujia had only one idea about the fat dark Cao Gong - if the heaven gave her a chance and it had to be the Qing Dynasty, she would apply to travel back to the Qianlong Dynasty, lock this fellow who ruined her writing career in a small dark room, not give him food unless he wrote, and not let him out until he finished writing!

Jingkou, because I had Wang Anshi's poems in my textbook and had memorized the notes, knew it was roughly in Zhenjiang. My first reaction was, uh, the monk Fahai in Jinshan Temple... and then thinking about the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, I felt a little strange.

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The next day, after setting off from Jingkou, Shujia woke up when Shuxian had already risen. The two of them left the house at about the same time to pay their respects to Xiluotai. The two of them were both talkative, but they nodded to each other, forced a standard Beijing accent and said, "Good morning," and then paid their respects together.

It's a tough situation for both of us! Shuxian is older and started teething earlier. Now her baby front teeth have all fallen out, but the new ones haven't come in yet. She's already gotten through the hardest times—and it still doesn't look very pretty. Shujia's tragedy is just beginning.

Xiluo Te and Shi Wenbing were already dressed, looking at their two daughters, who were wearing pink cheongsams, moon-white trousers, and red shoes. Gold necklaces dangled from their necks, their pigtails tied with red strings, and their loose hair neatly combed. The two girls stood in a row, their eyes fixed on each other, their noses contemplating their hearts, their postures respectful.

Shi Wenbing said to the two of them, "We are almost in Hangzhou. Your mother has been telling you about Hangzhou these days. Please listen carefully." Shuxian and Shujia said in unison, "Yes." Shi Wenbing said to Xiluote, "Thank you for your help. I'm going ahead now." Xiluote nodded, stood up to check that Shi Wenbing was dressed properly, and then let him go.

Xiluo Te said to her daughter, "After you have had your snack, you can continue studying as usual. Just come over for breakfast." The two looked at each other, saw questions in each other's eyes, and retreated together.

It was hot in the summer, and she didn't feel like eating much. Shujia just wanted some fruit and some light pastries. After breakfast, she memorized "Mencius: Teng Wengong Part 2" for a while, wrote ten pages of calligraphy, wrote some Manchu script for a while, drew a few strokes of stone, and then it was time for breakfast.

The Shi family's dining table, during any normal meal, not a banquet, was always silent. After finishing her meal, clearing the bowls and dishes, and washing and wiping her mouth, Xiluo began to discuss the matter. It turned out that they were about to arrive in Hangzhou, where there were many officials' families who needed socializing. The two girls were getting older, and unlike before, they now had to be taken out to meet the wives and daughters of other officials.

Xiluo Te said, "I usually see that your behavior at home is quite decent, and I didn't say anything. But now it's different from the past, and you must learn these rules again."

Is this a systematic learning process? Shujia thought idly, "We've never been taught this way before." Or perhaps, there's no etiquette textbook; it's all learned through osmosis in daily life. For example, when eating, if she accidentally knocks her chopsticks against a plate or bowl (her little paws aren't very nimble), Aunt Wuya will remind her, "Young lady, when you're eating, it's best not to touch the bottom of the bowl with your chopsticks. Even if you do, do it gently, without making any noise." And so on.

For example, don't take big steps when walking (even though you encouraged me to take big steps when I was learning to walk!), and keep your legs together when sitting (the chair is so high, my legs can't touch the ground, and my short legs are so fat... it's hard to keep them together, right?!)

Now it’s time to study formally, or rather, to cram.

When meeting guests (this word is so embarrassing), well, when meeting outsiders, you can't look at them presumptuously. When elders ask questions, your voice should not be too loud or hum like a mosquito, and you should pay attention to your speaking speed. How should you sit when elders are around...

In fact, some things that have been taken for granted as common sense are now being brought up again.

Then, Xiluo introduced the people that the Shi family might interact with in the future, such as the Hangzhou general, the Zhejiang governor, the provincial governor (this was their relative, Shujia's great-uncle Shi Lin), and the provincial education commissioner. Because Hangzhou is a provincial capital, it gathers almost all the most important dignitaries in the province, and there will be many social interactions.

The Shujia sisters should remember Shi Lin's wife, their great-aunt, and show them respect. Mrs. Xiluo specifically pointed out, "Your maternal grandmother passed away early, so you should respect her as your own grandmother." Of course, other wives should also be treated with respect, but there should be distinctions. She also emphasized that all wives should be treated equally.

The sisters might also gather with other girls, and at such times, they shouldn't be too pushy or too competitive, but rather be generous. Xiluo Te even asked Shuxian to put aside her academic studies and make a few purses: "It doesn't matter if they're good or bad, as long as they're neat. You're older than Xiao Niuniu, so when you meet your elders, giving them some of your own needlework is better than anything else." She also said to Shujia: "Even though you only know how to knit two kinds of brocade, make a few."

Shujia wanted to ask, since there was obviously someone in her family who could sew, why did the two sisters have to make the gifts? They were still young and their craftsmanship was not very good yet. She had doubts in her heart and could not help but ask. Xiluo Te smiled and said, "Which family is short of these things? First, it's a token of appreciation, and second, it lets people know about you sisters."

Huh?

Xiluo Te smiled and touched Shujia's furry head. She felt that it felt very good, so she rubbed it twice more: "Although I am not showing off, you should let people know that you have learned everything you should know." It would be so bad if the rumor spread that the girl from the Shi family didn't know how to use a needle or spin thread!

The two of them had become more focused on their needlework these past two days, striving to produce more pieces for gift giving. They'd already found some good samples from their earlier learning sessions, and now they were all in a box. The days had slipped by quietly, and here we were in Hangzhou.

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There is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. Beside the West Lake, there lives a scammer.

——Please believe that this is definitely not my complaint about the fact that "Thieves 8" has not been produced yet.

Where were we talking about? Oh, Hangzhou. Arriving in Hangzhou, we disembarked. As soon as we landed, our legs wobbled. So used to being on a boat, we were worried we'd fall. Shi Wenbing had adjusted well, steadied himself, and dispatched Zhang Lu with his men to bring down the host and hostess' carriages and ceremonial equipment. Shi Wenbing had come to be the deputy governor-general, so he opted to avoid displaying the earl's ceremonial equipment, appearing quite tactful.

Local officials had already arrived on the shore to greet them. Shujia watched from afar as several men in patched robes and official helmets peered out from the shore. Before she could get a closer look, they were told to stay put. Then, until she was bundled into a car and taken into the city, she wasn't allowed to show her face, leaving her with no idea of ​​what was happening outside. What a shame, Shujia thought.

Although he was newly appointed, his predecessor had already been impeached and then driven home by Kang Shifu. Therefore, the former vice-governor's office had long been vacant, awaiting Shi Wenbing's arrival, and his residence in Hangzhou had already been prepared. Shi Lin was the governor of Zhejiang Province, so his nephew had arrived, so he had to show some respect, right?

Shujia and Shuxian shared a carriage, which was spacious enough for two little girls. Each had a wet nurse accompanying them, so they didn't feel crowded. Through the gauze curtains, Shujia saw the carriage pass through the city gate. The wide, faded blue brick doorway stood open. Unfortunately, due to the limited viewing angle, she didn't see the Hangzhou city gate tower.

A crowd of people gathered around the carriages, almost all men, with the occasional woman, who would have been a grandmother in those days. The men's clothing was normal, the same as usual, but the women's clothes were slightly different, and their hairstyles were also different. They all pointed and talked at the Shi family's motorcade.

Shujia wanted to reach out and lift the curtain to get a closer look. What a rare opportunity! She'd been unlucky enough to be transported here, with all the haircuts and training, the only perk was perhaps a chance to feast her eyes on something so many archaeologists and historians couldn't even dream of. But she was stopped by Aunt Wuya. Aunt Wuya said nothing, simply tugged gently at the hem of Shujia's shirt. Shujia turned her head and saw her slightly shaking her head.

Shujia was a little discouraged. She had been very honest, very pretentious, and very polite when she entered the city gate just now. Now she was just lifting a small corner.

After a while, the crowd gradually thinned out, and they arrived at another gate, but this time the carriage stopped. Soon, it moved on again. As the carriage passed through yet another gate, Shujia remembered what Shi Wenbing and Xiluo had said: the Bannermen in Hangzhou lived in a separate area, separated from the Han people by a wall on all sides. It turned out that entering this gate also required verification procedures.

Shujia was feeling depressed and kept silent with her head down. Aunt Wuya thought she was tired and whispered, "We'll be there soon. Once we get there, we'll have cleaned up and made the bed. You can take a rest. You're dozing off now, and you won't be able to sleep well when you get there." Shujia cheered up and waited silently for the arrival at their new residence.