Chapter 13 It turns out that she knows a lot
After hearing this, Du Heng had guessed about 80% of the whole story.
How come this old slave doesn't repent?
Du Heng frowned and walked towards the flower hall.
Meanwhile, Su Ying noticed something was amiss as soon as she entered the hall. Nanny Li, who had previously been indifferent to her, had become surprisingly enthusiastic. She simply made her way to one of the desks, but Nanny Li calmly stopped her.
"Cousin, this way please."
Su Ying didn't think this had anything to do with the fact that the eldest lady had personally acknowledged her as her cousin. After all, she was still a guest from another family in the Du residence. How could a maid who was so popular with the master possibly call her "cousin" in front of the mistress? So, Su Ying quietly became defensive.
She was seen standing in front of the desk, carefully observing the four treasures of the study on the desk, and she really saw the clue.
There was a brush on the table. The tip of the brush was sharp, not round. Su Ying knew at a glance that it was a new brush that had not been sharpened.
"Sister Ying'er, is there anything you don't understand?"
In previous years, Wanyi's mind was consumed by the thought of copying sutras. She toiled for days, only to be picked over by her grandmother and brother, leaving only one or two usable pages. She knew copying sutras was a way to accumulate merit, so she dared not complain. But for a girl like her, who was usually prone to playfulness, it was disheartening to not receive praise for the hard work she put in.
But today was a little different. With Su Ying by her side, she felt more interested. She remembered her cousin Ying'er saying she wasn't good at poetry and prose, so writing must be a headache for her. Du Wanyi suddenly felt more at ease with the company she had.
Sure enough, cousin Su Ying didn't seem to be very good at writing. She was standing in front of the desk, looking at the four treasures of the study in front of her, and seemed to be at a loss.
So Wanyi kindly asked her.
Su Ying was just thinking about how to bring up this matter. Seeing Wanyi taking the initiative to ask, she humbly replied, "Sister, I do have some questions. I wonder if you can explain them to me?"
Du Heng had just walked to a place not far from the flower hall when he heard the conversation between his sister and Su Ying. He paused, thought for a moment, and then simply went around to the side of the flower hall and hid behind the window.
Wanyi walked up to Su Ying with the look of a senior and said, "Sister, please speak."
Su Ying nodded and smiled, not refusing. Instead, she picked up the brush on her desk, turned the tip of the brush in front of Wanyi, and asked, "I've always heard that copying scriptures requires respect. Is that why even using a new brush shows respect?"
"this?"
Du Wanyi had little knowledge and was naturally not very familiar with things like pens and ink. Usually, others prepared pens, ink, paper and inkstone for her. How could she know the difference between a new pen and an old one?
Du Heng heard something subtle outside the window, so he turned slightly and moved closer to the window.
I saw Su Ying holding the pen tip upwards and showing it to Wanyi.
Du Heng spotted the pointed, tapered tip immediately, but Wanyi, still a young student, couldn't quite discern it. A new, unsharpened brush like this would reveal its flaws the moment it was dipped in ink. The tip was difficult to control, and it forked at the bends.
This Madam Li has been serving her master for so long that even her attempts to trip him up are so insidious. Fortunately, she met someone who knows what she is doing. If it were Wanyi, she would probably only notice the strangeness after she put pen to paper, but by then, the words had already been written, and the disrespect to the gods and Buddhas had already been caused.
Du Heng's gaze was still fixed on the moon-white dress, and he couldn't help but think to himself, it turns out that she knows a lot.
Seeing Wanyi was bewildered, Su Ying smiled and said, "This pen looks like it's newly made, top-quality. Madam is quite considerate and prepared new pens, but she used them without sharpening them, which seems a bit hasty."
As he said this, he glanced at Nanny Li who was serving on the side.
When Madam Li heard this, her expression changed immediately, and she quickly argued, "My dear cousin, I am just a servant, how could I know such things? The pens, inkstones, and brushes are all already prepared in the hall. If you don't like them, I can change them for you."
"Mammy, please don't interrupt so quickly. This is Su Ying's first time copying scriptures, and there are many things she doesn't understand. Please let me consult with the young lady first before you speak, okay?"
This sentence really hit Li Ma's face.
Before her master asked her anything, she interrupted him immediately. Her master only said one sentence, but she retorted with hidden ulterior motives. She really didn't know the seriousness of the matter.
Even Wanyi felt that this was impolite, so she frowned and scolded, "Madam Li, didn't you see that my cousin and I are still talking? I will call you when it's time to serve."
Nanny Li felt humiliated and had to retreat to a corner in embarrassment, waiting for instructions.
Du Heng, standing outside the window, smiled inwardly. He had expected to see Su Ying, as before, allowing the old servant to bully him, powerless to fight back. Instead, he witnessed a wonderful performance. His thoughts, which had been stagnant in the study, seemed to be rekindled. His mood suddenly brightened, and he unconsciously took another step closer to the window.
Qingquan didn't follow the young master closely, but kept a distance from him. Firstly, the windows in the hall were large, and if he stood behind them with the young master, he would easily be spotted by those in the hall. Secondly, the young master didn't want to make a sound, and Qingquan's position was perfect for seeing if anyone came in or out, so he could silence them in time.
Therefore, he could not hear the conversation in the flower hall clearly, and of course he did not know what was happening inside the flower hall. The only thing he could see was the young master's relaxed brows and slightly raised corners of his mouth.
Qingquan felt a little emotional for a moment. It had been three years since the master passed away. He hadn't seen the young master so relaxed.
Su Ying put down her pen and, seemingly carelessly, scratched the stack of rice paper on her desk with her fingernail. The paper looked quite shiny, and she'd thought it was raw rice paper. But when her fingernail touched it, it felt both rough and slippery, revealing it was semi-cooked.
Su Ying sighed silently. Nanny Li seemed to understand some things about brush and ink, but she didn't know everything. Raw rice paper absorbs ink well, easily smearing it once the brush is touched. Scholars often use it for painting. Cooked rice paper absorbs ink lightly, leaving clear handwriting when the brush is touched. It's perfect for copying scriptures. However, this semi-cooked rice paper is somewhere in between. For experienced poets, the semi-cooked paper is actually easier to control. In other words, if it were anyone else, Nanny Li might have been in trouble, but in Su Ying's hands, this paper wouldn't do her any harm.
Since there are problems with paper and pen, the ink stick and inkstone will also be in trouble.
Du Heng watched Su Ying pick up the inkstone and put it down again, then watched her pick up the ink stick and examine it for a while, and then she gently pressed the desk, and a corner of the desk began to shake up and down.
Du Heng snorted in his heart, this old villain had done everything right.
"Sister Wanyi, I see that these four treasures of the study are all new. They don't look used, but rather displayed for public viewing. Although I'm not very good at copying scriptures, I do know that copying scriptures still depends on whether the handwriting is neat and clear. I wonder if I am right?"
Although Wanyi didn't understand why Su Ying was scratching on the rice paper, nor did she know what was so special about the ink and inkstone, she could see that the desk was unstable. She lowered her head and took a closer look, and found that a pad was missing from one of the corners of the table.
She was a spoiled daughter, overly loved and protected by her family, but that didn't mean she didn't understand the ways of the world. She immediately understood that someone was deliberately trying to embarrass Su Ying!
She turned and instructed Madam Li, "Madam, quickly order someone to replace the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for me and Sister Ying'er, as well as the desk. Copying the sutras is a serious matter, and nothing can be done carelessly. Have them work quickly. Sister and I will wait here. Don't miss the auspicious time. Otherwise, Mother will blame you, and I won't be able to help you."
At this moment, Nanny Li no longer had the mind to hold a grudge. She was trembling with fear in her heart and quickly responded to retreat. She was afraid that if she delayed the time, the mistress would deduct the regular salary on the grounds of poor service, which would lose face.
Du Heng, watching from outside the window, knew the show was almost over, so he turned around and quietly returned along the same route. He himself might not have noticed, but Qingquan saw the smile on his face clearly and thought that the young master was in a very good mood.
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