Chapter 86 Thank you for the name
"Besides," she paused, her voice lowering, "we are merchants, the lowest class of people. That Mr. Su looks like a noble man from a scholarly family. I... I'm not worthy of him."
It turns out that this is the knot in my daughter's heart.
Feng Lan felt as if her heart was blocked by something, and it was sore and painful. She had been busy making money and improving her family's life, but she ignored her daughters' deepest desires and self-esteem.
Yes, Daya, Erya, Sanya, these were just simple code names, not the proper names that would accompany them throughout their lives. It must have been so embarrassing and awkward to not be able to say even a name when someone asked.
"Daya, listen to what your mother says."
Feng Lan held her daughter's hand and said word by word with great solemnity, "First, you have not embarrassed me. You are my pride."
"Secondly, what's wrong with merchants? We earn our money with our own hands, without stealing or robbing. We are much more noble than those who do nothing but fan themselves and make sarcastic remarks! Thirdly, and most importantly, my daughter deserves the best in the world. No one deserves her!"
She looked at her daughter and made a decision: "Don't you want a name? I'll give it to you! And not just you, but Erya, Sanya, and all three of you sisters, I'll give you the most beautiful and meaningful names!"
After returning home, Feng Lan immediately called the whole family together and announced the matter.
Upon hearing this, Chen Kangbo slapped his thigh and said, "Right! We should! I've long felt that it's time to give our daughters proper names! Lanzi, you decide on this matter. We'll pay whatever it costs!"
"Not only do we have to choose one, but we'll also invite the best gentleman in the county to choose one!" Feng Lan immediately did what she said. "I want everyone to know that the daughters of my Chen family are not random cats or dogs. They have their own names and surnames. They are dignified and upright, and no one can look down on them!"
The next day, Feng Lan asked someone to pay a large sum of money to invite the most famous teacher in the county, Mr. Zhou.
Mr. Zhou, a man over fifty years old with a goatee and a high opinion of himself, had been reluctant to come when he heard a merchant had asked him to name a few of their daughters. But the generous fee he was offered made him reluctantly, so he pinched his nose and went.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw people coming and going in the embroidery workshop and the vulgar atmosphere of trading with copper coins everywhere, and the disgust on Master Zhou's face became even stronger.
Feng Lan politely invited him to the back hall and served him good tea.
"Master Zhou, thank you for coming here. I would like you to give my three daughters some nice names."
Master Zhou picked up the teacup, skimming off the foam with the lid without taking a sip. He raised his eyelids and said slowly, "Manager Feng, since ancient times, a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. This name is just a nickname, a title, so why go to so much trouble? If you have this spare money, you'd better teach them more about women's etiquette and needlework; that's the more serious thing."
The contempt and arrogance in his words made Feng Lan's face turn cold.
But she still said patiently, "Master, you are wrong. My daughter will support the family in the future. A respectable name is very important to her. Please take care of it."
As she spoke, she pushed a heavy purse in front of Master Zhou.
Master Zhou glanced at the purse, his expression of disdain growing even thicker. He slammed the table, stood up, and said bitterly, "This is a complete disgrace to your manners! You businessmen, stinking of money, think you can do whatever you want with a few stinky coins? Naming is such an elegant thing, how can it be measured by money? You are simply insulting scholars like me! Farewell!"
After saying that, he threw his sleeves and walked out angrily.
Just then, footsteps were heard at the gate of the courtyard. The county magistrate actually came in person, accompanied by the second concubine and Su Wenbin.
"Manager Feng, I heard that your embroidery shop is doing a booming business, so I came here today to take a look and see what a wonderful girl my nephew has chosen."
The county magistrate was in a good mood and laughed out loud.
Master Zhou, who was about to leave in anger, froze at the sound of the voice. He turned around and saw that it was indeed the county magistrate himself. He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and his noble demeanor instantly disappeared without a trace.
"I... your humble servant Zhou Decai, pays homage to His Excellency the County Master!"
He bowed quickly, his attitude extremely humble.
The county magistrate glanced at him, somewhat puzzled. "Master Zhou? Why are you here too?"
Master Zhou's mind raced, and he quickly replied, "Your Excellency, I've been invited by Shopkeeper Feng to come and name the daughters of your family! This is a truly elegant undertaking, and I'm deeply honored!"
His expression changes faster than turning the pages of a book.
Feng Lan looked at his expression and sneered inwardly. She stepped forward, bowed to the county magistrate, and then said indifferently, "Your Excellency has misunderstood."
"Master Zhou is very aloof. He thinks we merchants are full of money and disdains to name our daughter. He just said that we are insulting his scholarly character by offering him money. He was just about to leave."
As soon as these words came out, Master Zhou's face instantly turned the color of liver. He wanted to explain, but Feng Lan didn't give him a chance.
Feng Lan turned to the county magistrate, saluted again, and said sincerely:
"Sir, since it is a coincidence that you and Auntie are here today, I have a humble request. A master like Master Zhou is truly beyond the reach of a humble family like ours. I wonder if I would be honored to ask the County Master to give names to my daughters? This would be a lifelong honor for them."
At this moment, everyone was stunned.
She rejected Master Zhou, who was famous throughout the county, and instead asked the county magistrate to grant her a name? Feng Lan was so bold!
But if you think about it carefully, this trick is really smart!
What was the magistrate's status? The name he bestowed, that weight, was far beyond the reach of a mere teacher. This not only gave the girls immense honor, but also severely slapped Master Zhou in the face!
Master Zhou stood there, his face turning pale and blue, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
He knew that he was completely screwed today.
The county magistrate was stunned at first, then burst into laughter and pointed at Feng Lan, saying, "You, you are such a wonderful person! Very well! I will make an exception today!"
He pondered for a moment and said, "Your daughters are all distinguished by their character, unlike ordinary women. The eldest is calm, the second is careful, and the third is lively. So, how about naming them Ya, Hui, and Ling? Chen Ya, Chen Hui, Chen Ling. I hope they will grow up to be noble gentlemen, intelligent, clever, and lively."
"Chen Ya, Chen Hui, Chen Ling..." Feng Lan muttered to herself, her eyes lighting up. "Thank you for the names, sir!"
The eldest, second and third girls also hurried forward and knelt down to express their gratitude.
At this moment, Su Wenbin, who was standing by, suddenly stepped forward and bowed to the county magistrate, saying, "Your Excellency, I also have a gift that I would like to give to Miss Chen Ya."
The county magistrate looked at him with interest: "Oh? Tell me about it."
Su Wenbin's gaze fell gently on Daya, who lowered her head and blushed. He said slowly, "The Book of Songs says, 'The orioles sing on the river bank, a graceful lady is the ideal match for the gentleman.' I would like to give Miss Chen Ya the courtesy name Yao. Chen Ya, courtesy name Yao, I wonder...would you accept it?"
Chen Ya, Chen Yao.
This name is not only pleasant to the ear, but the affection it contains is also clearly understood by everyone present.
Daya's heart felt like a stone was thrown into it, causing ripples.
She raised her head and met Su Wenbin's eyes full of expectation and tenderness. She felt her face burning and her heart pounding. Finally, she nodded gently.
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