Tips for sneaking into the study

It was late autumn, and the weather was already quite cold. Shujia, wearing her newly made bright red jacket, arrived at Xiluotai's main room. Shuxian was also there, sitting on a chair to Xiluotai's left. Shujia arrived, greeted Xiluotai and Shuxian, and then sat to Xiluotai's right.

Xiluo Te smiled and said, "It's just right. Today is a good day." With a wink, Fu Hai came forward, box in hand. Today was a good day, a good day for making holes in people.

The little girl has grown up and wants to have her ears pierced.

First, they were given to Shuxian. She already had one pair of pierced ears, and now she wanted two more. Shujia shuddered, "Don't you already have one pair? Why three?" Around her, Xiluo Te had three pairs of pierced ears. She remembered the maids and servants all having one pair. When she went to Shilin's house to listen to opera, most of the ladies also had one pair of pierced ears.

Xiluo Te laughed and scolded, "Of course you have to wear three pairs." The ladies under her command wore three earrings in each ear, and on any grand occasion, they had to wear three pairs of earrings. If she could wear court robes and have oriental pearl earrings in all three holes, her life would probably be complete.

As they were talking, Shuxian's ears had been pierced, and a small plug was inserted to block the new hole to prevent it from getting stuck.

It was Shujia's turn. Apparently, they were worried that three pairs of piercings at once might be too much for the child, so they decided to start with one pair and complete the piercings once the child was a little older. It's said that some unskilled piercers pierced three holes in one child's ear, and some even developed pus in their ears.

As soon as she looked around, she saw all the female creatures wearing sparkling ornaments on their ears. Shujia knew she couldn't avoid it. Still unhappy, she rubbed and procrastinated. Shuxian smiled and said, "It's okay. It won't hurt much. It'll just hurt for a moment. Aunt Fu is a good craftsman." Xiluo Te also coaxed her, "It'll be fine once it's done. Mother will give you a beautiful pendant to wear." After saying this, she pointed to her own earrings to tempt her.

Shujia's heart was filled with rage. She closed her eyes and, with a sacrificial heart, allowed Fu Haijia to torture her ears. She didn't know how it happened, but she felt something hot rubbing against her earlobe. Gradually, the sensation faded, but she still didn't dare open her eyes. After a while, it felt like a mosquito bite, and she heard Fu Haijia say, "Alright. Turn your head, girl."

I changed the ear and did the same thing.

After both ears were pierced, Xiluo Te said to her with a smile, "How are they? Doesn't it hurt?" Shujia looked at the tip of her shoe without saying a word. Then Xiluo Te said, "Come here, let me show you something."

While Shujia was getting her ears pierced, Xiluo had already hinted to Lamei to fetch two small, palm-sized boxes. Opening them, she found two pairs of earrings, both made of gold, delicate and exquisitely crafted. One pair was inlaid with pearls, the other with rubies. Xiluo said, "You're still young. Heavy ones will hurt your ears. I'll give you other ones when you grow up."

Shujia nodded. Xiluotai then said to Shuxian, "You had your ears pierced before, so just listen to your nanny." She then went on to tell Shujia about the precautions, like keeping them out of water and not touching them. Shujia thought about having three holes poked in one ear, and the possibility of two more soon. She just hoped that the skilled Fu Da Niang would do it again next time.

After returning to the room, after a while, I felt a faint burning sensation in my ear. I reached for a scope to look at it, and found that my ear was not as swollen as I remembered. I felt relieved and couldn't help but reach out to touch it, but Wu Ya Ma stopped me: "Miss, you can't touch it yet."

Shujia: ...

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With winter approaching, preparations for the Lunar New Year must begin. Their family, still without farmland in Hangzhou, still needed to send New Year gifts to various locations. In previous years, they had lived with Hua Shan and the others, but this year they were separated, and they also had to add gifts to send back to Beijing. Many of these gifts had to be purchased, rather than produced from their own farms as before. Xiluotai was also concerned about her sons' well-being in Beijing, so she prepared a wealth of Hangzhou specialties, including silk, for them. She also measured her two sons' stature and wanted to prepare new clothes for them. Thus, Xiluotai began planning for things that would normally begin in November.

Shi Wenbing had an annual salary of 460 taels of silver as a hereditary noble. He was a military officer stationed abroad, so his salary and wages totaled a little over 500 taels, totaling less than 1,000 taels. It wasn't just a little, it was really little!

Xiluotai was a bit worried. She had brought a considerable amount of belongings with her when she traveled south, and since arriving in Hangzhou, she had received many valuable gifts. But even with all that, she was considering acquiring some property. Shi Wenbing had other ideas. Officials serving in foreign posts knew that gifts were mandatory for celebrations like the boss's birthday, his wife's birthday, and Chinese New Year, and they had to be generous. Therefore, many of those sent abroad brought their families along. The Eight Banners garrisons were also influenced by this custom. Shi Wenbing only had to give gifts to a few people, who would invariably return them. Then, he would wait for his subordinates to return the gifts, most of which he didn't have to reciprocate. This was a source of income.

Furthermore, given his status, he was the type of person who only curried favor with him. Many bribed him, and some even tried to drag him down. At that time, his status as a bannerman was a valuable talisman, and some businesses offered him gifts for this convenience. He also received a share of the local official network, and the resulting benefits were considerable.

Shi Wenbing, believing he had just arrived in Hangzhou, thought it best not to act rashly. He followed his uncle Shi Lin's advice and refrained from acquiring property or accepting gifts. However, if he decided to, he would soon have a substantial property. Hearing Xiluo Te's concerns, she smiled and said, "That's not a problem. We've already collected quite a bit of stuff recently. We'll send the best ones to Beijing first. After the New Year, we can buy some farmland and shops."

Xiluo Te was still worried about whether the land was easy to acquire and whether the shop could be profitable. Shi Wenbing said, "This isn't the capital where the nobles gather." That was true. In Hangzhou, he could even buy shares, but in Beijing, the chances of such good things happening to him were much smaller.

Xiluo Te asked about her daughters' progress. Shujia could already make simple purses, not quite as elaborate, but with some impressive results. Shuxian's needlework was quite advanced. After checking that both of them were doing well in their academic studies, Xiluo Te finally felt relieved and began preparing for the New Year. Many things needed to be bought early. The later you wait, the more people will buy, making it more expensive. High-quality, valuable, and rare items might already be sold out.

There were also new clothes for the whole family, bonuses for the New Year, jewelry for the daughters after the spring, etc. I also had to calculate the travel time and leave enough money so that the gifts could be delivered before the New Year - it was a hectic schedule.

Finally, in early November, just as the gifts from various places were packed and awaiting the selection of personnel for their delivery, another shock occurred in the Zhejiang officialdom. On November 1st, the former Governor-General Li Zhifang was promoted to Minister of War. On November 5th, Shi Weihan was transferred to Governor-General of Zhejiang.

Xiluo Te sighed inwardly. Li Zhifang had left, and had gone to Beijing to become the Minister of War. She couldn't skimp on the annual gift for him. The newcomer, Shi Weihan, was a Jinshi (Jinshi) during the Shunzhi reign. He was senior and had a good reputation. He had previously served as an Imperial Censor in Beijing and later as the Governor of Shandong, and was well-known for his ability to settle cases. Shi Wenbing already had a nodding acquaintance with him, so he couldn't play dumb at this moment. Even more troubling was that both of them were high-ranking officials, so the gifts they gave couldn't be inferior. The problem was, now that they were right in front of her, where could she find something of the same quality?

I don’t know how many officials in Zhejiang are troubled by this extra gift.

After Mrs. Xiluo distributed all the gifts and inspected the storeroom to make room for receiving the gifts, she discovered that her little girl had other plans.

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Shujia had once set her sights on Shi Wenbing's study because she coveted the books inside. Later, Shi Wenbing sent someone to buy her a complete set of classics and history books, and she settled into the study to read. There was no punctuation, just extra punctuation at best, which made it difficult to read. She had read many of these books before her time travel, and even if she hadn't read the originals, she knew some of the content from the vernacular translations. Now, she was just brushing up on it, and it wasn't too difficult to read.

Two months passed like this, and she sensed something was off about Shi Wenbing. It was no wonder. During the Three Feudatories Rebellion, he didn't get to go to the front lines. His father went, but he came back with nothing—and there was no guarantee he'd be punished. He was transferred to Zhejiang, but Yao Qisheng and Shi Lang didn't use him to support them, so he became depressed.

I had originally thought that Hua Shan's incident wasn't a big deal; he was, after all, a Heshuo Prince Consort, and hadn't committed any major offenses. But over the past year, even before the army that pacified the Three Feudatories had fully withdrawn, people were constantly being held accountable for their actions over the past eight years. Some were executed, some exiled, and some received less severe punishments nonetheless. Shi Wenbing still felt a slight unease.

Shujia was confused and extremely anxious. One of the side effects of reading the Four Books for Women was that she had a deep understanding of the importance of father, husband, and son, and the importance of family in this patriarchal society. Everything she had here depended on this family. If Shi Wenbing was worried, then her family would definitely be in trouble. Asking directly would definitely not work, so she wanted to try to curry favor with him in a roundabout way, hoping to get Shi Wenbing to let down his guard and let him know a little because of her young age and the fact that he could be ignored.

She'd never seen a kitchen before, and she'd probably be kicked out before she even touched the stove. So, there was no way she could even imagine being the good daughter who stewed soup for her hard-working father. Her needlework was still at the beginner level, and she couldn't even master the more complex movements of making clothes or shoes. After much deliberation, her only remaining skills were lacemaking—a skill clearly useless here—and grinding ink.

Shujia observed Shi Wenbing's expression and, taking advantage of his cheerful moment, followed him to his study, claiming to be doing him a favor—grinding some ink. Shi Wenbing said, "If you have time for that, spend it reading or sewing. I have enough people to serve me here." Shujia tilted her head and said, "I've finished my homework and done quite a bit of sewing. I know my father doesn't need help, so I'm just being filial."

Shi Wenbing continued, "Girls, just stay in your own yard and don't run around. After all, your father's study is not as good as the inner house, and there might be boys coming in to serve you. You will be seven years old after the New Year, and you should start to know the difference between men and women. Didn't your father teach you?" Shujia: ...Is there so much to say just for helping you?

If she keeps on grinding, she will leave the impression of being ignorant and a rogue. Shujia made up her mind and came back with a pout. Aunt Wuya saw that she was unhappy and asked, "What's wrong with you? Who made you unhappy?" What a rebellion! How dare she show disrespect to the second young lady in this family. Shujia raised her little face and asked Aunt Wuya, "Do we have any material in our room?" Aunt Wuya said, "Yes, if you need it, you can use it." Shujia nodded and said, "Everyone in the room knows how to sew, right?" After getting the affirmative answer, Shujia was happy, "That's perfect. Make me a long gown, the kind a boy wears, and a hat."

Chunxi brought a basin to wipe her face, twisting the handkerchief as she asked, "What do you want this for, young lady?" Nanny Wang retorted, "That's strange! How can a girl wear boys' clothes?" Shujia raised an eyebrow and said, "That's right. It's almost New Year's, and my brothers aren't around, so I'm just teasing my father and mother." This excuse made sense; some families without sons would dress their daughters as boys for comfort. While that wasn't the case with the Shi family, the two young masters were certainly not around.

Shujia winked at them and said, "You are not allowed to tell Father and Mother." The maids smiled and agreed. Of course, they would not tell it directly, but... Shujia went to class, and those who did not go to serve stayed to do needlework. There is still a difference between boys' clothes and girls' clothes. If there are incomplete materials in the girls' room, they naturally have to ask the mistress for them. When Xiluo Te heard this, she was relieved and promised to keep it secret. She also specifically instructed: "Mammy, this is a good thing to do, don't tell anyone. In the future, if she is missing something, don't tell others, come to me first to get it."

When Shi Wenbing saw the little boy wearing a dark blue horse fur coat over a crimson baturu vest, a red hat with a red knot on top, and a folding fan in his hand, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. Xiluo Te smiled and asked him, "What do you think, sir? The girl is really worried about us and is afraid that we will miss our son."

During the eight years he and his father were away at war, Shi Wenbing had diligently tended to the household, taking good care of it and ensuring he had no worries. Shi Wenbing therefore held her in high esteem. He had been separated from his wife and children for a long time before, and had grown accustomed to the sadness of separation. Now, he realized that this was his wife's first time away from their sons, and naturally she missed them. His daughter, however, was more attentive, so he smiled and said, "She seems to be doing quite well."

Shujia slapped her palm with the fan bone and said, "Father, you're so funny." Shi Wenbing was startled. Then Shujia said, "Father doesn't like to laugh, and he laughs even less lately. Does this count as entertaining my parents with colorful clothes?"

There are advantages to taking advantage of small things. One of the advantages is that adults sometimes agree to do things they would not agree to otherwise just to amuse you.

Shujia successfully infiltrated Shi Wenbing's study. Shi Wenbing discovered that having a daughter was indeed quite useful; she was quite perceptive. The study was originally attended to by a servant, but now, the daughter could do everything the servant could. Furthermore, the daughter had advantages that the servant couldn't match, such as being able to tease him. After copying the notes, Shi Wenbing picked up a piece of paper and wrote: Turtle, tortoise, stove...

Said: "Do you know what these are?"

Shujia: ...How could I recognize them all?! I finally understand why Qingde is so mean! It's genetics! It has to be genetics!

Once, there was a second time. Shamelessly, Shujia took up residence in Shi Wenbing's study. Shi Wenbing had initially been amused by her, but Shujia persisted, returning the next day. Surprised, seeing her poses were quite realistic, he didn't stop her, and since her leaky mouth was quite amusing, he acquiesced to her audacity. He simply dismissed the servants and kept his daughter aside. When he was tired of handling affairs, he would have his daughter read to him, or have her write calligraphy or draw a picture, with his commentary. When the mood struck him, he would hold his daughter on his lap and personally teach her. He would hold her hand as he taught her a few strokes, or point out any weaknesses in her brushwork, or even personally explain the text.

Shujia felt that she was so lucky. In this family, her two brothers probably didn't have such treatment - at that time, her father was still being driven to a place far away from Beijing by Master Kang.

Ever since the Three Feudatories were pacified and the war entered its final stages—rewards and punishments would be settled later—Shi Wenbing closely followed the court's developments. He would take the imperial reports home after dinner and study them meticulously, pondering every word and sentence until he felt he had thoroughly understood them. He would write letters to his family in Beijing whenever there was new news. Besides this, at the end of the year, he also had to prepare year-end summaries and, with the New Year approaching, write congratulatory messages to the emperor and the crown prince, among other things. He could have his staff write the drafts, but he still had to write the official copy himself as a sign of respect.

Shujia's ink-grinding skills came in handy, and she learned many family secrets. Thanks to her reincarnation, her several-hundred-degree myopia was gone, and her eyesight was good. The situation was indeed not optimistic. While some of the generals on the front lines were promoted, rewarded, or gained seniority, others were dismissed, exiled, or even had their property confiscated.

Shujia moved her lips, then held back. It didn't seem like a big deal to her. Her grandfather, Huashan, had been a Heshuo Efu (Heshuo Efu), and even after her grandmother's death, he still held that title. In her mind, Kangxi was an emperor who tolerated his own family. Perhaps a punishment would be in order, but it shouldn't be a big deal.