Chapter 11 She seems to be avoiding me?
Since she had already made such a boast, Su Ying naturally did not dare to slack off. As soon as she finished her breakfast, she said goodbye to her aunt and went to the library alone.
As mentioned before, the library is on the path leading from the side courtyard to the main courtyard. As long as Su Ying does not step into the main courtyard, she will still "behave herself" as she and Cheng had promised.
It was past breakfast time, and servants were already coming and going on the path. Su Ying had only been at the Du residence for a short time, and yesterday was her first time meeting the masters of the mansion. Therefore, the servants only knew that a cousin from the second house had arrived, but they had no idea what her name was or what she looked like.
The servants who had some discerning eyes saw that Su Ying's dress, although not as rich and exquisite as the young lady of the family, was simple and elegant in every way. They felt it was a bit abrupt, so they would bow their heads and salute her to show respect.
However, such sensible servants were still a minority. Many people pretended not to see, did not pay attention, did not salute, and hurried past.
Su Ying didn't care too much about it. She had no intention of staying in the Du Mansion for a long time. As long as no one deliberately made things difficult for her, it would be fine as long as they kept to themselves. She could live in peace and contentment.
Although Du Heng was a successful candidate, he held no official position and was focused on preparing for the exam. Unless invited by old classmates or friends, he spent most of his time at home. However, this didn't mean his daily routine was leisurely. In fact, his schedule was even busier than it had been during his time at the academy before he passed the imperial examination.
He always rose at dawn, a habit he'd developed since childhood. During the three years of mourning, he dared not slack off. Cheng, feeling sorry for him, had advised him, "Now you don't have to go to the academy, and the whole day is yours to manage. You're burying yourself in study until midnight every night, and that's already tiring. Why not get up a few minutes later in the morning and get more rest to avoid exhausting yourself!"
He immediately refused, saying firmly, "My mother is considerate of me, and I am deeply grateful. However, now that I am at home, I no longer have the supervision I had at the academy. Therefore, I must be more strict with myself and not be lazy at all. As the saying goes, it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. If I get used to a carefree life and become an official in the future, and can't even get out of bed to attend the morning court, wouldn't that make me a laughing stock?"
Perhaps noticing the somewhat embarrassed look on Cheng's face, he thought his words were too harsh and he didn't know how to be tactful. So he bowed respectfully to Cheng and said, "Thank you very much, mother, for your love. Please rest assured, I understand."
At this time, Du Heng, who was very clear about the situation, got up in the morning, washed up, and recited classics such as "The Book of Songs" and "The Book of Rites" as usual to regulate his qi and nourish his heart.
Afterwards, he took his sword and went to the garden to relax his muscles and bones.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I left the west courtyard and stepped onto the corridor, I saw Su Ying from afar, holding a booklet in her arms, walking towards the main courtyard.
Her attire was just like the impression she gave off: simple, elegant, and unpretentious. She possessed a charming, bright face, but she was unwilling to use clothes or jewelry to accentuate her best features.
In this respect, her younger sister, Wanyi, was the complete opposite. She was lively and charming, and her preference for dresses was also brightly colored. When her father was alive, her mother often took her to gatherings with the ladies. Whenever she returned home, she would bring back a wealth of delicious treats, for her appearance and personality were as endearing as her attire.
Du Heng felt that Su Ying should learn more from Wan Yi in this regard. Just a moment after he saw her from afar, several servants had already passed by her, but not one of them stopped to greet this cousin.
Although he had no real blood relationship with her, she was his second aunt's niece after all, and their real cousin in the Du family. He had to discipline the servants, and he also had the responsibility to give Su Ying some advice.
With his mind made up, he strode towards the other side.
Su Ying walked slowly, holding the catalog. She had a whole day to spend in the library, so her pace was neither hurried nor slow, and there was a hint of comfort.
Suddenly, a flurry of greetings began to drift in from a distance. She looked up and followed the sound. Du Heng had completely changed from the gentle scholar he had been yesterday. He was now holding a sword and walking with a brisk pace, like the chivalrous warriors described in the operas and storybooks she had secretly hidden from her grandfather. His eyebrows were sharp, his eyes were bright, and he exuded a righteous spirit and an imposing air of heroism.
Unfortunately, this wasn't a stage, and she wasn't the weak woman in the play waiting for a knight to rescue her. Just as she was about to look away, she suddenly noticed that this "knight" seemed to be walking towards her, with a steady step and a firm gaze. Su Ying's heart tightened, and she secretly cried out, "This is not good."
She didn't want to face this person on her first day at the library, so she quickly lowered her head and feigned ignorance.
She paused, tilted her head, and seemed to remember something. Then she turned around and walked quickly towards the side yard.
Du Heng had already seen her every move. It seemed that she had missed something and turned back to the side courtyard?
Seeing her walking further and further away, seemingly at a jog, Du Heng paused, and a strange and unfounded thought flashed through his mind: She seemed to be avoiding me?
Du Heng just happened to see her and thought that as a cousin, he was giving her some good advice. At least after the greeting yesterday, he felt that she would be able to understand everything.
Since she had turned and left, he didn't insist on it anymore, thinking that they would meet again in the future. So he continued his original journey, leaving the main courtyard, and halfway to the side courtyard, he turned west and entered the garden.
That’s right, the garden and the library are located west and east, facing each other.
When Su Ying returned to the side courtyard, Rong was about to do some needlework. She wasn't really good at embroidery, but she felt one shouldn't shy away from one's weaknesses. Being bad didn't mean one didn't enjoy it. As long as she put in the time and effort, she could be happy. She didn't shy away from it, and it didn't matter if she wasn't good at it.
"You just went out in high spirits, how come you're back in a hurry in just a cup of tea?"
Rong found Su Ying's panting and panicked appearance funny and couldn't help but tease her.
"I forgot something."
Su Ying didn't dare to admit that she was in such a state of disarray just to avoid Du Heng. She made up a random lie and ran back into the house without looking back. She deliberately lingered inside for a while, figuring that no matter where Du Heng was going with his sword, he would have already walked the path they had just taken. So, she straightened her dress and smoothed her hair.
But just as I was about to leave the house, I heard someone paying respects to my aunt outside.
"Second Madam, the First Madam sent a message: Laba Festival is approaching, and the old lady wants to go to the Bodhi Temple to burn incense. Madam thought it would be better to let the cousin and the young lady copy the scriptures together, and then offer them to the temple to pray for blessings."
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