Chapter 10 Library
Aunt Su Ying returned with her. Halfway to the main courtyard, they turned east and found themselves in a quiet little courtyard. Above the door plaque, the words "Book Collection Pavilion" caught Su Ying's eye. She looked closely at the signature in the lower right corner and saw it was indeed written by her aunt.
The door was not locked and my aunt opened it with a gentle push.
This small side courtyard contained only a main house and an annex. My aunt said it was converted from my uncle's study. Su Ying, however, felt that few people would dedicate a separate courtyard to a study or library. She felt a surge of curiosity about her uncle, whom she had never met. He seemed quite different from the average scholar, possessing a certain unconventional and unruly quality.
In fact, my aunt was not like those girls in ordinary families who could read and write. Well, my grandmother was not like that either. Yes, none of the girls in the Rong family were like that.
Of course, my aunt didn't know that Su Ying's mind was already wandering before she even reached the main room of the study.
The door to the main room was also unlocked, just ajar. When my aunt pushed it open, the hinges creaked, only accentuating the stillness of the place.
Su Ying followed her aunt into the house. As soon as she stepped in, she smelled a familiar fragrance.
Half of this fragrance was the scent of ink from the aged books, and the other half was the scent of aged wood from the bookshelves over the years. This was the unique aroma of the library. She had loved playing in her grandfather's library since she was a child, and now smelling this fragrance again, her heart warmed, and her love for this library deepened.
The room was neatly decorated. On the north and east sides, two bookshelves lined the walls, each overflowing with books. Su Ying silently assessed the collection and felt it rivaled her maternal grandfather's. A faint sense of joy filled her heart. She was gradually forming a clear plan for how she would spend the year leading up to the Spring Examination.
Her gaze then shifted from the bookshelf to the west side, where there was no bookshelf. There was a large window there, through which the daylight streamed directly, illuminating the entire room and making it ideal for reading and writing.
As expected, there was a desk by the window, furnished with all the essentials for the study. Su Ying nodded and said, "This room looks brighter and more airy than my grandfather's, which was only used for storing books. My aunt's room is much more useful. Not only can I read at any time, but I can also sit by the window. Even if I come across something fascinating and feel inspired, I can immediately pick up my pen to make annotations or copy it down. It's wonderful, it's really wonderful!"
Seeing her eyes full of joy, her aunt also smiled and said, "This library is modeled after your grandfather's. I've filled in everything your grandfather's library didn't have. Look, the bookshelves on both sides are the designs your uncle and I drew together!"
My aunt walked over to the bookshelf, stroked the edge, and recalled, "Your grandfather's bookshelf was too high, and some books were out of my reach. After listening to my story, your uncle spent a few days working on it and came up with this clever idea."
As my aunt spoke, she pulled the side of the bookshelf, and a small wooden ladder connected to the bookshelf turned out.
"This is a small ladder your uncle made for me. Standing on it, you can just reach the top shelf of books. You're taller than me, so you can still use this shelf. When you're not using it, just fold it sideways and it's tucked away."
Su Ying felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Her aunt seemed to be explaining every wonderful use of the library, but in reality, she was showing her uncle's deep care for her. Every detail of the library, every word her aunt said, made this young girl, who still didn't understand the taste of love, unconsciously have some longing.
"When the library was built, your uncle catalogued the collection. Here, this is it."
The aunt walked to the bookshelf on the east side, and after a glance, she took out a booklet from the far right and handed it to Su Ying.
"Over the years, Heng'er has sent a lot of good books here from time to time. Auntie is old and lacks energy. Heng'er needs to concentrate on his studies, and Wanyi is still a little lacking in maturity. Now that you are here, I can entrust this important matter that I have been holding in my heart for many years to you. I just don't know if you are willing to do so?"
Su Ying raised her eyebrows and said in a peculiar tone, "Aunt, what are you talking about? Ying'er is so happy that she can't wait to see whether she agrees or not. I was the one who organized my grandfather's library a few years ago!"
Rong Shi watched Su Ying feign anger, but in reality, she was relieved by her understanding. She couldn't help but touch Su Ying's head and said with heartache, "Ying'er has really grown up."
Organizing the library was indeed what she had wanted to do most in many years, but asking Su Ying to do it for her was also so that she would have something to do this year and not waste her time in the side courtyard.
If her husband were still alive, if Heng hadn't observed mourning and had passed the imperial examination three years ago, she could have taken Su Ying to meet the ladies of the capital more often, and perhaps even taught her some of the household chores. It wouldn't have been like this, requiring the Cheng family's help to promote Su Ying. She would have had to keep Su Ying in the side courtyard on weekdays to avoid attracting attention and upsetting the Cheng family.
My aunt couldn't help but sigh, blaming fate for not always being able to go as she wished.
But then again, whether life is good or bad isn't determined from the start; it's built step by step, steadily and steadily. Just as Su Ying had said before, if she stayed in Yueqing, she'd truly be left with nowhere to turn. Rong Shi simply said that being here, recalling the love she had shared with her husband in the past, had made her feel so fragile and melancholy.
Rong then regained her spirits and gave Su Ying her final instructions, saying, "Alright, I'll leave the catalogue to you. Didn't you just say that you were the one who took care of your grandfather's library? I'd like to see if you can compare your skills to mine back then, or if you can compare to me?"
"Aunt, you underestimate me."
Su Ying said in dissatisfaction, "Although I don't know how you took care of my grandfather's library back then, but over the years, it has been kept in perfect order under my management."
"I'll first use my uncle's old catalog to count the books, check for missing items, and add any new titles added over the years. Then, I'll reorganize the catalog by category and put the books back in their proper places. While doing so, I'll carefully check each book for damage or missing pages, noting any issues. That way, once all the books are in order, I can repair any missing ones with a targeted approach."
Su Ying recounted in one breath the steps of how she managed the library. Shortly after she finished speaking, she seemed to have thought of something, and her expression was bright and beautiful. She said, "Aunt, I heard from my grandfather that you didn't know how to repair books back then! But I am already an old hand at it! He didn't dare to touch those broken pages of ancient books, and in the end, he asked me to repair them. So in terms of skill, I have long surpassed you!"
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