Chapter 669 A Dream of Youth 201
Xie Ning saw the injury on Zhao Huilan's face, pursed his lips, and in the end did not ask. He simply rolled over and used the tree branch to cushion his landing, then handed her some notes he had compiled through the window.
"These days I have learned a lot about the imperial examination from my father and elder brother and compiled it. I wonder if it will be useful to Sister Huilan?"
Of course, this is a copy.
The wet nurse closed the door and went out, then stood guard at the entrance, not allowing any other maids to approach.
She was different from the other maids. Except for one or two head maids, the other maids in Zhao Huilan's courtyard all did what Zhao's mother ordered.
As a wet nurse, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would accompany Zhao Huilan to her wedding to serve her, so she naturally knew who the master was.
Zhao Huilan tilted her head slightly, not wanting Xie Ning to see the injury on her face, but the two were so close that it would be a lie to say that Xie Ning couldn't see it.
However, Xie Ning's silence made her feel a little better.
"Thanks......"
The two had mentioned it briefly during a casual conversation, and Xie Ning had even asked her if she would participate in the imperial examinations if women had the opportunity.
Zhao Huilan's answer was naturally affirmative, but at the time she was also very clear in her heart that the opportunity was almost impossible to come by.
Now that it has become a reality, her ambition, like weeds, is growing wildly in the barren soil.
But when the opportunity came, those shackles still bound her. Every day when she knelt before the Buddha, Zhao Huilan would ask herself again and again, "Can't I really do it?"
She had to consider her parents' feelings, the family's reputation, and the fame of her siblings, and be a law-abiding person, a woman accepted by society.
But sometimes, these shackles may not only be imposed on us by the outside world; from a certain perspective, they are a form of self-imposed confinement.
She's peeling back the layers one by one; she can do it.
Xie Ning sat on the windowsill, listening to Zhao Huilan's emotional journey over the past few days. She had thought that she would have to give the young girl some advice after climbing over the wall, but she didn't expect that the girl's heart had already broken free from its constraints.
Whether it's Zhao Huilan or any other woman confined to her home, they are not mindless puppets. They also know how to think. No matter what situation they are in, people will struggle to find the best choice.
“Mother…is a bit extreme. I hope Ning’er won’t take offense.”
Xie Ning did not distance himself from Zhao Huilan because of her mother's rudeness, and Zhao Huilan's suffocating heart finally began to calm down.
Seeing through Zhao Huilan's thoughts, Xie Ning simply shook his head. "Madam Zhao is Madam Zhao, and you are you. I will not hold a grudge against you because of someone else."
Moreover, in some respects, Madam Zhao was not wrong.
Zhao Huilan was startled, wondering why Xie Ning had such thoughts.
“I am doing what I believe is right, and Mrs. Zhao is doing what she believes is right.”
Her upbringing and life experiences have taught her that a woman can live a peaceful life by marrying a good man and staying at home, without having to face the chaos and turmoil of the outside world.
She chose the path she believed was best for you, just like... people's praise and criticism of new laws; they don't know the good or bad of new things, they can only infer the short-term advantages and disadvantages based on their own experience.
Even the slightest mistake will be magnified, and people will say, "Look, this is wrong, this is the consequence."
Taking the imperial examinations and becoming a female official could indeed fulfill one's ambitions, but we would also face a lot of criticism, and might even be condemned by the world or future generations as a wicked and chaotic figure, leaving a bad name in history...
"I'm not afraid!"
Zhao Huilan took the thick notebook and said firmly, "Some people may think we are wrong, but there will always be people who recognize the path we have taken, and more and more people will follow our lead."
Xie Ning smiled brightly, "Yes, I'm not afraid either."
Although she has seen a more advanced world, it doesn't mean that all her choices are correct, because social development is complex, and people cannot stop moving forward because of fear of making mistakes.
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