Chapter 18 Literacy
Although Xiao Yuxuan's facial features and figure were inherited from the Xiao family, her skin was rough and sallow, her temperament was timid and self-conscious, but she was stubborn and loved to show off.
The face of Xiao Yuxuan before her was still the same, but her demeanor was composed and graceful. The petty, unsophisticated air about her had vanished. Xiao Yuyao thought vaguely, if Xiao Yuxuan were standing next to Master Xiao and Madam Xiao now, everyone would know she was their biological daughter…
"Fourth Sister, you've condescended to come to the Buddhist hall, surely you haven't just come here to stare at me blankly?"
Judging from Xiao Yuyao's expression, Xiao Yuxuan knew what she was surprised about.
A few days ago, Pei Xing'er took some time to come over and express her gratitude for the gift. Xiao Yuxuan took the opportunity to ask for a few prescriptions for strengthening her body. She is young and recovers quickly. In addition, she is in a peaceful mood and is undisturbed at the temple. She eats and sleeps well. In just a few days, she naturally looks radiant, which is very different from her previous hesitant and single-minded attempt to please those few people.
Xiao Yuyao snapped out of her daze, looked at that hateful face, and said coldly:
"My sister doesn't know yet, but Father has already said that when you come of age, he will marry you off to a poor scholar. He will come to the manor tomorrow to meet you."
Xie Tingzhou is still a Juren this year. He will only become the seemingly glamorous Tanhualang after participating in the spring imperial examination next year.
Xiao Yuxuan knew perfectly well who the other person was referring to, but she pretended to be hearing the news for the first time, widening her eyes:
"What? I've only been back at the manor for a little over a month, and Father already wants to discuss my marriage?"
Xiao Yuyao was very pleased with herself. She wanted to let Xiao Yuxuan know that even though she was a daughter, in the eyes of the Xiao family, she was nothing more than someone who could be married off at will when she reached a certain age, no different from a capable servant or maid.
However, thinking about how the Xiao family seemed to have changed a bit in the past few days, she became somewhat annoyed.
"Didn't your second brother give you a set of writing materials a few days ago?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you'll be getting married soon and won't need to study anymore. Why don't you just give me that set of writing materials? It'll be a good use of them."
Xiao Yuxuan seemed to still be immersed in the disappointment of being abandoned by her parents, and her eyes reddened when she heard this.
"That was a gift from my second brother. My fourth sister has been studying at the girls' school for so long, she must have her own things she's used to, why would she need mine?"
Xiao Yuyao leaned closer to her, her tone chilling:
"Whether it's the love and attention from my parents and brothers, or this set of writing materials of yours, I've never failed to get what I want. Xiao Yuxuan, you'd better recognize your own position and not try to compete with me."
Xiao Yuyao said something similar in her previous life, but that was after she became the Fourth Prince's wife.
Xiao Yuyao is now feeling a sense of crisis because of several things that have recently gone beyond her control, and her words and actions are becoming increasingly radical and impulsive, which is a good thing.
In the end, Xiao Yuyao still took the set of writing implements with her. Bi Sui stood beside her and said:
"Miss, that was given to you by the Second Young Master, why are you giving it to the Fourth Young Master?"
**
In the garden of the Xiao residence, Qinghong, a servant boy beside Xiao Min, saw Xiao Yuyao and stepped forward to bow.
"Greetings, Fourth Sister."
Qinghong looked up and saw that the two maids behind her were holding something that looked familiar, like the writing implements he had given to the Fifth Miss a few days ago.
Xiao Yuyao, unaware of his gaze, asked, "Have Father and Second Brother finished discussing things? I was just about to go find him."
Qinghong answered a few questions. After seeing the Fourth Miss off, he recalled that a few days ago when he handed it to the Fifth Miss, she was writing Buddhist scriptures with great joy on her face. It didn't seem like she disliked it. Could it be that he was mistaken?
Qinghong was summoned by Madam Xiao. Every ten days, he was to report what had happened to Xiao Min at the academy. When he returned to Xiao Min's room from Madam Xiao's place, he saw Xiao Min with an angry expression.
"Young master, what's wrong? What blind fool has angered you?"
"Hmph, the things I kindly gave her, she just gave them away to someone else like that. She's really hopeless. As a young lady from the Xiao family, she can't even read a single word. It's laughable."
Qinghong had served Xiao Min since childhood, and recalling his encounter with Xiao Yuxuan earlier, he knew what Xiao Min was talking about in just one sentence. However, was the Second Young Master really referring to the Fifth Young Lady? He was no longer sure.
"Young master, you said someone who can't read, could it be Fifth Miss?"
"Who else could it be but her? It's one thing that she's not as learned as Yuyao, but now she even has a maid write the birthday gift for Mother, and she's given the writing materials I sent to Yuyao. She's truly shameless."
The more Xiao Min thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
He admitted that he had looked down on Xiao Yuxuan at first, but he also hoped that Xiao Yuxuan could be diligent and ambitious, and that diligence could make up for her shortcomings, so that she would not embarrass the Xiao family in the future.
Thinking about how Yu Yao had come to him earlier and apologized, saying that she had only encouraged Xiao Yu Xuan to study hard, she hadn't expected Xiao Yu Xuan to be so angry and immediately throw the calligraphy set he had given her at Yu Yao, he was furious.
Qinghong scratched his head, even more confused.
"Young master, are you mistaken? I went to deliver something a few days ago and saw Fifth Miss reciting Buddhist scriptures from memory. How could Fifth Miss be illiterate?"
This time, it was Xiao Min's turn to be completely confused.
"What did you say? She's reciting Buddhist scriptures from memory?"
Xiao Min then asked in detail about the scene Qinghong saw at the family temple that day.
Qinghong has been by his side for over ten years, loyal to the end, so there's no reason for him to speak up for Xiao Yuxuan.
"Young master, if you want to verify this, why not go and ask Fifth Miss yourself? Perhaps there's some misunderstanding?"
Qinghong was straightforward and didn't quite understand why these masters always preferred to learn about events from other people's accounts. They could have simply gone to the family temple and watched the Fifth Sister write...
"Forget it, no matter what, she was the one who threw away the things I gave her first, so why should I keep going to see her?"
Xiao Min gave a light snort, flicked his sleeve, walked to the desk, picked up a book, and began to read.
Qinghong remained silent, quietly standing aside, ready to serve the brush and ink at any time.
But as Xiao Min read, he didn't turn a single page of the book in his hands for a long time.
"Smack—"
The book was slammed down on Xiao Min, who jumped to his feet.
"I'm going to see if this Xiao Yuxuan can actually read!"
Xiao Yuxuan had been staying at the family temple for almost ten days. Xiao Su finally remembered his daughter. Considering that the palace banquet was in half a month and the Imperial Concubine had personally said she wanted to see her, he decided not to keep her confined for too long and sent her back to Lanting Pavilion.
Xiao Min's trip was fruitless, but the thick stack of Buddhist scriptures enshrined in front of the family temple caught his attention.
"These were all written by Xiao Yuxuan over the past ten days?"
He asked the young maid who was sweeping and cleaning the temple.
“It was written by Fifth Miss.” The maid looked at him strangely. In the past ten days, only Fifth Miss had been here, and only she had copied Buddhist scriptures. Who else could it be but her?
These Buddhist scriptures were about to be burned, but since the second young master wanted to see them, she stopped making any further moves and left them all here.
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