The warmth of home did not make Qin Mu slack off. He got up early to practice his skills. According to his habit, he practiced fist and sword techniques in the morning, and only read after eating.
"Big brother!"
"Big brother!"
Just as they finished warming up, two sweet voices rang out at the courtyard gate.
"Big brother!" Qin Yuling ran up to Qin Mu, looking at him with her big eyes, looking both eager to get close and a little scared.
"Fourth Sister! Why are you up so early? Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Qin Mu squatted down, patted her head, and asked with a smile.
"I'm going to pay my respects to Aunt Zheng this morning. My second sister said she's coming to thank my eldest brother today, so I got up a little earlier." The little girl replied with a bright smile as Qin Mu patted her head.
"Hehe!" Qin Mu smiled faintly, looked up and saw that the two sisters did indeed have one or two more ornaments on their heads.
Qin Yuxin lowered her head somewhat embarrassed when Qin Mu looked at her.
"Second sister, don't be shy. Your eldest brother gave them to you so you can wear them. What's the point of leaving them there!"
"Understood, Big Brother." Qin Yuxin relaxed, raised her head, and replied with a smile.
“That’s right, be bolder. My sister, Qin Mu’s sister, should live a beautiful and confident life.” Qin Mu nodded encouragingly.
"Big brother, are you practicing your martial arts? Are we disturbing you?" Qin Yuxin asked apologetically.
"It's alright, practicing martial arts isn't as important as spending time with my sister," Qin Mu waved his hand and then simply put away his sword.
"What do you usually study?" He pulled Qin Yuling and sat her down in a pavilion.
"In the morning I go to my aunt's place to learn needlework, etiquette, singing and dancing; in the afternoon I learn to read and write with my teacher, as well as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy and painting," Qin Yuxin replied.
For some reason, Qin Mu felt a little uncomfortable hearing about learning these things. Although it was said that girls learning these things meant they were well-mannered, the fact that the two sisters were born to concubines made it feel like they were being forced to learn to be more virtuous, to raise their social standing, and to avoid disgracing their family when they married.
"Do you like learning these things?" Qin Mu asked.
"You like it?" Qin Yuxin blinked blankly, then said, "Isn't this what we all learn?"
"Never mind, as long as you like it." Qin Mu waved his hand and said.
"Xiaoling doesn't like it. The teacher makes her write every day and even hits her palms." The little girl seemed to have found someone to back her up, and she held out her palm as she spoke.
"Alright, alright, elder brother, go and tell Auntie to ask the master not to hit Ling'er," Qin Mu said with some heartache.
Hearing about spanking, Qin Mu felt even more disgusted. How much could such a young child understand? In his own world, who would have the heart to hit him? It's true that teachers educate and nurture, but resorting to corporal punishment at the drop of a hat probably isn't much better.
"Big brother, you're so great!" The little girl cheered excitedly.
"Brother, this isn't right. She was disobedient, that's why the master hit her," Qin Yuxin said hesitantly.
"It's alright, it's just the beginning, I can teach him too, brother," Qin Mu waved his hand. He was confident in himself and knew he could teach a child without any problem.
"You guys are chatting so early?" Qin Qiong walked in as the three were chatting.
"father!"
"Father! Father!" Qin Mu and the other two stood up to greet him. It was clear that the two little girls had become much more reserved and were somewhat afraid of Qin Qiong.
"Yes! Mu'er, bring out the monster meat. I'll have someone prepare it and send it to the palace," Qin Qiong nodded.
"So urgent?" Qin Mu asked, taken aback.
"Ahem! As a subject, I cannot keep His Majesty waiting." Qin Qiong reminded him.
"Alright." Qin Mu nodded, then said to the two girls, "Weren't you going to pay your respects to your aunt? Go on."
He sent the two away because he didn't want them to see the monster being dismembered, a bloody scene.
"Okay, elder brother. Father, we'll be going now." Qin Yuxin pulled her younger sister, who wanted to stay and watch, aside. Then she said goodbye to Qin Qiong and left.
Qin Qiong summoned his guards, who brought over ten large vats. Qin Mu didn't seem to care and let them cut them up; he was only interested in the bones now. Of course! He didn't intend to keep them as specimens. Bones actually contained more essence than flesh; one set of medicinal formulas was for making soup.
Thinking about how he would be entertaining Qin Qiong's old buddies that evening, Qin Mu decided to just do it today and ignore them. He went back to his room and wrote down the names of the medicinal herbs on two sheets of paper.
"Mu'er, I'm leaving now," Qin Qiong said, and hurriedly led his men away.
"Young master, let me fetch you water to wash your face," the maid said hurriedly as Qin Qiong left.
"Okay, Dongmei, go and call the guards over here."
"Yes, young master."
"Greetings, Young Master." Two guards arrived quickly and bowed with clasped hands as they entered.
"Brother Guard..."
"Your subordinates dare not!" Qin Mu had barely opened his mouth when the two men hurriedly clasped their hands and bowed.
“Young Master, we are Qin family retainers. We are truly unworthy of such a title. Your subordinate is Qin Yong.”
"Your subordinate Qin Zhong! Young Master, please feel free to give any orders."
“Alright. You should be familiar with Chang’an. Here are two prescriptions; go to different pharmacies to buy them.” Qin Mu didn’t dwell on the issue of address, took out the written prescriptions, and handed over a handful of gold beans along with them.
"Here you go!" The two of them didn't waste any words and reached out to take it.
"Let me know if you don't have enough money." Qin Mu added, not knowing the price of the medicinal herbs.
"Yes." The two bowed again, and seeing that Qin Mu had no further instructions, they turned and left.
Qin Mu thought for a moment, then returned to his desk, picked up his brush and wrote about ten pages. He then bound them into a book as was his habit, before taking his maid and going to find Aunt Zheng.
"Mu'er, you've arrived." Seeing Qin Mu, Aunt Zheng greeted him with a smile. Last night, she had examined the cloak again and discovered its extraordinary nature. It was pure white without a single blemish, the fur long and smooth, incredibly soft to the touch, like silk. Qin Qiong had also told her it was the pelt of a Silver Wolf General, so she was quite pleased.
"Um."
"Please sit down, we'll eat soon."
"OK."
"Where's my third brother? Did he go to the martial arts academy again?"
"Yes, I went to the martial arts academy first thing this morning."
After chatting for a while, Aunt Zheng had someone bring over food—simple porridge and pastries, but the taste was quite good.
"Auntie, would you please leave the education of my second and fourth sisters to me?" Qin Mu asked after finishing his meal.
"This..." Aunt Zheng hesitated for a moment. Qin Mu could certainly teach her to read, but in her opinion, the whole enlightenment education was a bit childish.
"It's just about learning to read, I have absolutely no problem with that. This is some material I plan to teach them, please take a look, Aunt." With that, Qin Mu took out the document he had written that morning and handed it over.
Born into the Zheng family, Aunt Zheng was naturally well-educated. She took the item from Qin Mu with some skepticism.
“Clouds against rain, snow against wind, sunset against clear sky…” After glancing at it twice, Aunt Zheng couldn’t help but read it aloud.
"A three-foot sword, a six-pound bow, north of the mountains facing east of the river. The Summer Palace on earth, the Moon Palace in heaven..."
Unlike when he taught Luo Tong, where he only selected one-character and two-character couplets, Qin Mu recited the first two sections of "The Primer of Prosody" from memory in its entirety.
Aunt Zheng was increasingly delighted as she read on. Although it was only a few short paragraphs, it was easy to read aloud and contained a variety of topics, including astronomy, geography, birds, beasts, people, and objects, making it simple to learn and very interesting. Even she wanted to read the rest.
From the first volume, "East," and the second volume, we can see that this is a series of volumes, and there must be more to come.
"One hundred nursery rhymes, one, two, three, four, five, go up the mountain to fight the tiger..." Turning to the next page, I saw something different. After reading a couple of lines, I stopped. Although it still flowed smoothly, as an adult, it was indeed a bit funny. This was clearly a rhyme meant to amuse children.
"This... is indeed quite good. A hundred children's songs, which are only for children to sing, right?" Aunt Zheng asked with a smile.
"Yes," Qin Mu nodded in reply. Of course, there were more nursery rhymes than just these, but he only remembered a few dozen. After all, children in the neighborhood used to sing them every day, so it was hard not to remember them.
"Did these primers on prosody and a hundred children's songs come from your school?" Aunt Zheng asked again.
"Yes," Qin Mu nodded again in reply. Blaming it on his sect was naturally an excellent excuse.
"Truly impressive! I never imagined your sect was so thoughtful, even producing works on introductory texts. And they're not as cumbersome as the 'Rapid Primer' or similar books," Aunt Zheng exclaimed.
"It's all the wisdom of our ancestors."
“No wonder your lineage produces so many talented people; it turns out that what you learn is quite unique. I agree to this matter. However, there is one condition,” Aunt Zheng said after thinking for a moment.
Qin Qiong selectively told her some things about Qin Mu, thus knowing that Qin Mu was a descendant of Guiguzi.
"Please speak, Auntie."
“Since you’re going to teach him, let’s teach Huaiyu too. This child is mischievous by nature, preferring martial arts to literature, and I’m having a real headache with him.”
"No problem," Qin Mu readily agreed. After all, herding one sheep or a flock is the same thing. The *Primer of Prosody* is a well-tested primer that has stood the test of time, demonstrating its exceptional qualities.
"That's good. From now on, let them study and learn to read with you every morning," Aunt Zheng said with a smile. She didn't think Qin Mu taught better than other teachers, mainly because she believed in the lineage of Guigu and because Qin Mu had composed two poems that inspired the heavens.
Hearing that Aunt Zheng had truly agreed that Qin Mu would teach her from now on and that she wouldn't have to be beaten anymore, Qin Yuling immediately beamed with joy, and Qin Yuxin couldn't help but smile as well.
"There must be a sequel to 'Primer of Prosody,' right? Could you please copy it for me?" Aunt Zheng asked hesitantly. As a member of the Zheng family, she was quite educated and, after reading it, she was quite interested in what followed, which is why she asked.
"Of course, no problem."
"Alright, alright, we'll have quite a few guests coming today. You can all go and rest now, and come out to greet them later."
"OK."
Qin Mu agreed and called the two maids to leave with him.
"Big brother, will I be able to study with you every day from now on? Can you teach me the 'one, two, three, four, five' that Auntie just recited?" Qin Yuling asked chatteringly as soon as she stepped out of the room.
"sure."
"Then is it possible to avoid writing?"
"No, you still have to write. But if Xiaoyu writes well, your big brother will reward you."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true."
"Then, big brother, can you teach me first?"
"Okay! How about I teach you a nursery rhyme first?"
"OK!"
Picking up Qin Yuling, Qin Mu talked to her as they walked. He had to admit, he used to find children particularly annoying, especially crybabies. But now that he had two adorable little sisters, things felt different.
"Come sing with your big brother, under the bridge in front of the door, a flock of ducks swam by, come quickly and count them, two, four, six, seven, eight..." Holding one and leading another, Qin Mu began teaching nursery rhymes, putting aside what he used to think was childish behavior.
When they arrived at the courtyard, Qin Yuling had already memorized a children's song perfectly.
"Young Master, the medicinal herbs have been purchased," Qin Yong reported as he stepped forward.
"Okay, go find two large vats and some firewood."
"Here you go!"
"Autumn Chrysanthemum, Winter Plum, go and fetch some water."
"It's young master."
Following Qin Mu's instructions, everyone sprang into action.
"Big brother, what are you doing?" Qin Yuling asked curiously.
"Big brother will make you something delicious." Qin Mu said with a smile, gently pinching her nose.
He then led them to the back of the house, where he remembered it was relatively empty and perfect for making soup. As for why they didn't go to the kitchen, it was mainly because he didn't want to inconvenience others, especially since they were expecting guests and the kitchen would likely be busy.
"Splash!" A splash of water rang out, and a huge figure crawled out of the pond.
"Ah!" Qin Yuling screamed in fright and grabbed Qin Mu's leg. Qin Yuxin didn't scream, but her face was pale and her whole body was trembling.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, that's Big Brother's mount." Qin Mu quickly put his arms around the two of them and gently patted them to comfort them.
With Qin Mu's comfort, the two calmed down, but seeing the large creature getting closer, they still hugged Qin Mu's neck tightly.
"You stinking brat! Who told you to run out and scare people?" Qin Mu scolded.
However, the rhinoceros ignored his reprimand and continued to stretch its large head forward, wanting to be affectionate with Qin Mu. To it, its current master was much better than the one who used to wield a whip; he not only played with it but also gave it delicious food.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, this big guy is quite cute." Qin Mu continued to comfort the two little girls.
The two little girls then secretly observed the one-horned rhinoceros. And you know what! From a distance, the one-horned rhinoceros did look enormous and somewhat frightening, but up close it seemed quite gentle, especially its pair of bull-like eyes, which were both lively and peaceful.
"Big brother, does it really not bite?" Qin Yuling asked in a low voice.
"It doesn't bite, just like a horse. My older brother usually rides it."
"Oh, really?"
"Of course it's true, come on, big brother will take you riding." Qin Mu said, intending to put the two little girls on it, but looking at the wet rhinoceros, he was speechless.
"You sure know how to pick a spot. Looks like this pond will be your swimming pool from now on." Qin Mu put down his sister, took out a towel, and started wiping the rhinoceros. Then he took out two handfuls of beans and fed them to the rhinoceros.
He dried the cow's back before picking up his two younger sisters and placing them on its back, then he jumped on as well.
"Let's go, let's just stroll around the yard," he said, gently patting the rhinoceros.
"Tap tap!" The sound rang out as the rhinoceros began to stroll around the yard.
With a "smack!", Qin Mu slapped the cow's head and then scolded, "You're not allowed to eat these things."
The rhinoceros had just tried to eat the plants in the flower bed, which is why he gave it a nudge. However, it was met with an innocent look from the rhinoceros; with its thick skin and tough flesh, it didn't understand why Qin Mu had interrupted its meal. But the rhinoceros was very clever; if its master wouldn't let it eat, then it simply wouldn't.
After sitting for a while, the two little girls were no longer afraid. The ox's back was broad and sturdy, and Qin Mu wasn't worried about them falling off. So he simply jumped down and let them ride on their own while he watched from the side.
"Remember, they are your masters too. You are not allowed to bully them in the future." Qin Mu fed them while gently coaxing them.
The roasted beans smelled delicious, and the cow's mouth kept moving. The rhinoceros also got used to this snack and changed its previous habit of swallowing them and then chewing them slowly in its mouth.
After riding for a while, Qin Mu carried his two younger sisters down, not because he didn't want them to continue riding, but because the large vat had been brought over.
The rhinoceros ran back into the pond; it seemed to have fallen in love with the place. The weather was hot, so Qin Mu didn't bother with it. He had his guards bring stones and set up two stoves on the spot.
All the meat has been given to Qin Qiong, but he has all the bones.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" Originally, Qin Yong and Qin Zhong were supposed to chop the bones, but when they drew their swords and chopped, they only managed to crack the bones a little.
"Let me do it." The monster's bones were harder than Qin Mu had expected, so he stopped the two of them and took out his sword.
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