Chapter 28 Suspicion breeds ghosts
Perhaps because of the snow, the sky was very dark. Even if the window of the library was large, the sun was blocked by the clouds and not much light could shine in.
After Qingquan left, Su Ying continued to check the bibliography. After about a cup of tea, she felt her eyes swell up and feel uncomfortable. She sat at the desk and rubbed her eyes for a long time before she felt a little relieved.
She slowly opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the borrowing details.
"The Analects of Confucius with Zheng's Commentary"
She murmured the title of the book, remembering what her grandfather once said: "If you only read Zhu Xi's Annotations without reading Zheng's Annotations, even if you are on the list, you will never be more than a clerk in the future."
My grandfather never liked students who were eager for quick success and would not accept them, no matter how good their writing was. In his view, those who were willing to read "The Analects of Confucius" by Zheng Shi were committed to the correct interpretation and were on the right path.
During her time at the Du residence, Su Ying had seen things clearly. Nothing in the Du family was more important than Du Heng's imperial examinations. Not only the old lady and the mistress, but even his aunt constantly discussed his preparations. She had assumed her cousin was solely focused on fame and fortune, but now it seemed she had been wrong.
Su Ying smiled helplessly. Whether he was eager for quick success or had real talent and knowledge, it would be good if he could pass the imperial examination. It would be better than failing and causing her to suffer unnecessary misfortune.
However, Su Ying was certain that Du Heng must be a smart man.
She'd seen Du Heng no less than three times in the past few days, and each time she'd pretended not to see him. Especially this morning, in the garden, when they were so close, she'd just given him a perfunctory bow and walked away. Even she felt incredibly rude, let alone Du Heng.
I guess he already understood that she didn't want to meet him.
He had seen her come to the library, and perhaps that was why he sent his servant to get the book.
Su Ying nodded and thought to herself, that's fine, we both understand each other tacitly and keep our distance. It won't be a big deal to get along with smart people.
She looked out the window. The clouds seemed to have darkened even further, suggesting a heavy snowfall was imminent. Su Ying thought for a moment before tucking the borrowed books into the catalog. Since she had to visit the library every day, she didn't have to carry them back and forth. After tidying up her desk, she left the library.
Xue Yuan left the west courtyard but did not go directly to the library.
A maidservant like her, aside from entering and leaving her master's courtyard, rarely ventured near the corner gate, lest she lose her status. After some hesitation and deliberation, she finally gave in to the urge to find out what was going on. She decided to go to the garden under the pretext of picking branches for her master. If she were caught, she wouldn't arouse suspicion.
After only a few steps down the corridor, she spotted a figure in crimson clothes emerging from the library. Startled, Xue Yuan quickly hid behind a pillar, only catching a glimpse out of the corner of her eye.
Xue Yuan had actually met this cousin face to face. Her appearance was self-evident, but she hadn't expected that she, usually accustomed to wearing plain clothes, would be wearing a red cloak today. The vibrant color accentuated her already remarkable features, adding a touch of charm.
Servants and maids walked along the path in groups of two or three. They not only bowed to the cousin, but after doing so, they couldn't help but steal glances at her. Some, after walking a few steps, would simply stand there, motionless, watching the cousin walk away.
Xue Yuan bit her lower lip in hatred, feeling unhappy. After seeing her cousin enter the side courtyard, she no longer cared about anything else and went straight to the library.
Perhaps because she felt guilty, she pushed open the door quietly even though there was no one in the library.
This library is deserted. Apart from the two rows of bookshelves that almost reach the ceiling on the north and east sides, there is only a desk by the window. There seems to be nothing special about it.
Walking past the bookshelf and coming to the desk, in addition to the four treasures of the study, there was also a booklet.
Xue Yuan flipped through the pages casually and found a piece of paper.
Because she worked for the lady, she knew a few words. Although she could not recognize all the words on the paper, as she read on, she was surprised to find that the young master's name was clearly written on the paper.
She was shocked and closed the book. Sure enough, she found the clue.
She may not know other characters, but she has repeated the young master's name in her mind many times every day and night.
Her hands trembled, and her heart pounded like it was about to burst out of her chest. She wasn't afraid, but happy. She had thought this cousin would be difficult to deal with, but she hadn't expected it would be so easy for her to stumble upon evidence of her coveting the young master.
What should she do? Take this paper and tell the lady about it?
She took a few deep breaths, forced herself to open the book again, and read the paper inside carefully again.
"What what Zheng what
The first day of the twelfth month of the Renyin year
Qing something something Du Heng something"
Most of the words she knew were learned from following her wife to check the accounts. Once something had nothing to do with the accounts, she had no idea what it was.
No, if she just rashly reported it with a piece of paper, her chances of success were slim. Besides, Qingquan had been here before, clearly sent by the young master. If the young master truly had feelings for her cousin, her report might only end up turning him off, which wouldn't be worth the loss.
After much thought, she decided to wait and see for a while. It would be best if she could find an opportunity and use someone else's hand to make the lady mistakenly believe that it was her cousin who had bad intentions and it had nothing to do with the young master.
With her mind made up, her excitement finally subsided. She took out the paper, folded it in half, and quietly put it into her sleeve.
At the same time, in the side courtyard.
After hearing Xiuyu report that Miss Bao had returned, Rong put down the embroidery in her hands.
"How is the library being organized today?"
Her aunt came to meet her and asked.
"I'm still checking the bibliography. It's a bit time-consuming."
Su Ying told the truth.
The original intention of letting Su Ying manage the library was to give her something to do, so she wouldn't have to spend her days confined to the side courtyard. Now that she had received the old lady's favor, Rong Shi thought it would be a good idea to stop there. So she asked, "You are currently copying scriptures every day. After you finish copying scriptures, you will have to attend the female teacher's class with Wanyi. Why not put the library matter on hold?"
Su Ying shook her head and said, "I've finally started something, how can I just give up? Even if I'm busy with schoolwork in the future, I won't stay in the library for long. Besides, I don't think this lesson will be too difficult for me."
Rong Shi quite agreed with Su Ying's attitude of seeing things through to the end, so she didn't force her. She just said, "Just make your own arrangements and don't overwork yourself. If you need anything else, just let me know."
Su Ying raised her eyebrows and smiled, saying, "I really share the same feelings as my aunt. I was just thinking of adding some things to the library."
Rong said dotingly, "Since you are managing the library for me, I naturally want you to do it smoothly. Give me a list tomorrow and I will fill it all for you."
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