Dusk, like a soft veil, slowly drifted across the ancient horse-head wall of the Prime Minister's residence, shrouding the entire mansion in a hazy twilight. Meanwhile, in the "Zhixia Hall" in the west wing, warm yellow lamps had been lit. The light filtered through the paper windows, casting mottled shadows on the ground, as if telling the story about to unfold.
Su Jinli was standing on a bench, concentrating on pasting her calligraphy on the wall. The paste in her hand accidentally rubbed against the tip of her nose, leaving a striking white streak that added a touch of playfulness. "Lingge, move the character '女' to the left! It's crooked!" she commanded anxiously, staring at the rice paper on the wall.
Lingge stood on tiptoe, carefully adjusting the position of the rice paper, muttering, "Miss, your handwriting is even uglier than the one in the account book." As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and suddenly lowered her voice. She leaned closer to Su Jinli and said, "Madam Liu sent over some lotus seed soup from the kitchen. She said it's for the students' throats."
Su Jinli lightly jumped off the bench, took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, and slowly wiped her hands with a calm expression but with a hint of disdain: "She is very attentive." Recalling last week, when she had just proposed to set up a girls' night school, Liu was the first one to applaud. But in the blink of an eye, she was spreading sarcastic remarks among the ladies of the various mansions, such as "The daughter of the prime minister's mansion wants to teach servants to read, how shameless!"
As she pondered this, she heard the sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside. Then, like a gust of wind, Young Marquis Su rushed in, carrying a wooden sword. A tender green willow leaf dangled from the tassel, swaying gently with his movements. "Sister! I chased that dirty-mouthed servant away!" He beamed with pride, though the mud on his sleeves betrayed the battle he had just endured.
"Fighting again?" Su Jinli raised her hand and gently tapped his head, saying earnestly, "I've told you so many times, use your brain when you encounter problems." She pointed to the neatly arranged account books on the table and continued, "Look, the lotus seed soup Liu sent has mint added to it. This is just the right amount to make Madam Zhang, who is pregnant and needs to avoid mint, feel uneasy. This is much more effective than just fighting."
The young man scratched his head and said with a simple smile, "But I still feel more comfortable swinging a sword..."
"Alright, alright," Su Jinli smiled helplessly and pushed him out the door. "Go guard the door and don't let any unrelated people in to cause trouble."
After sending Young Marquis Su away, Su Jinli turned around and saw her elder sister Su Qingyao leaning lazily against the door frame, holding an exquisite brocade box in her hand.
"Here," Su Qingyao gently raised her hand and tossed the brocade box to Su Jinli. "This newly blended 'Moyun' rouge is perfect for your teaching tonight." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes sweeping over the six large characters that had just been posted on the wall: "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent." She deliberately raised her voice and said with a half-smile, "But some people insist on going against this old saying. They're truly... courageous."
Su Qingyao's words might seem like a complaint, but Su Jinli knew it was her elder sister's support. She gently opened the brocade box, revealing a purple-black rouge cream nestling quietly within. Leaning in for a closer sniff, a delicate, elegant scent of ink filled her nostrils. This reminded her of her past life, when her elder sister always secretly hid her best rouge. Now, she had become her staunch "beauty supporter," and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
At three quarters past midnight, as darkness deepened, the first group of students arrived. Among them were the shrewd and capable proprietress of a silk shop, the experienced manager of an embroidery workshop, and several daughters of officials, known for their boldness and cautiousness. An embroiderer, dressed in a light blue bodice, rubbed her hands awkwardly, her eyes tinged with apprehension and anticipation. She asked, "Miss Su, can we really learn to read here?"
"Of course I can." Su Jinli smiled, her eyes filled with encouragement. She calmly picked up a bamboo stick and slowly wrote the word "money" on the sand table. Then she patiently explained, "Let's learn this word first. Once we learn it, we'll be able to understand the account book, and we won't have to worry about the accountant fooling us anymore."
When the classroom atmosphere was at its most lively, Liu came quietly with two maids. Liu was wearing a moon-white soft satin dress, the well-cut skirt set off her graceful figure. With a gentle smile on her face, she looked virtuous and kind. "Jinli, I'm here to see if there's anything missing." She spoke with concern, but her eyes inadvertently swept over the students' slightly rough hands, and a hint of subtle disdain flashed in her eyes. Then, she changed the subject and said, "It's just that this place looks too stuffy. Why not move to the front yard? It's spacious and bright there."
"No need." Su Jinli looked calm, gently wiping the sand table, and responded slowly, "The back wall is well ventilated. Having classes here will prevent some people from accusing us of 'showing off' and violating the rules."
Liu's expression changed slightly, clearly hurt by Su Jinli's words. At this moment, Nanny Zhou beside her immediately understood and continued, "Miss, what you said is true. Madam also cares about you. However, it's not proper for a woman to study. If it gets out..."
"Madam Zhou has ever been educated?" Su Jinli suddenly interrupted her and looked straight at Madam Zhou.
"This old slave...can't read." Nanny Zhou felt a little guilty under Su Jinli's gaze. She lowered her head and answered in a whisper.
"Then please shut up, Madam." Su Jinli unceremoniously thrust the bamboo stick into the sand table and said with a firm look in her eyes, "What I'm teaching here is 'self-reliance'. It's better than some people who rely on calculations all day to make a living."
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