Chapter 37 The Women of Wenquxing's Family
Du Heng told Wanyi to go to the study to get the inkstone screen with the red plum blossoms against the snow. Although Wanyi said it was naughty, she didn't dare to disturb her brother from studying.
After dinner, she asked her personal maid Qiaoshu to go to the west courtyard to inquire. After getting approval, she excitedly left the room.
"Miss, be careful if the madam sees you, or she'll scold you again!"
Qiao Shu saw her jogging with her skirt lifted up and quickly reminded her.
Unexpectedly, Wanyi turned around and smiled, saying, "Even if Mother saw this, she wouldn't say anything to me, let alone you!"
When Qiao Shu heard this, her heart softened.
The young lady has been copying scriptures for several years. Every year when the list of successful candidates is announced is her most worried time. Now that she is finally on the list, Qiao Shu cannot bear to spoil her mood, so he just quickens his pace and follows closely.
As usual, Qingquan was waiting outside the study for instructions. When he saw the young lady coming, he was about to speak, but Wanyi glared at him and he immediately fell silent.
Wanyi stood quietly at the side of the door, without entering the room, but just peeked in quietly, and saw her brother holding a copy of "The Analects of Confucius: Zheng's Record", but his eyes were obviously not on the pages.
She caught him this time!
Wanyi immediately jumped out and said angrily, "So my brother can be absent-minded sometimes!"
Du Heng was startled and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw his sister with a smug look on her face as if she had finally caught him, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Just now I said that you were on the list of scriptures and became more sensible and obedient, but in just a few hours, you're back to your old ways!"
"Brother! You're back to your original form!"
Wanyi was born when the plum blossoms in the mansion were just beginning to bloom. She has called herself the plum blossom fairy since she was a child, and when she grew up, she often called herself a "plum guest".
Every time Du Heng heard her bragging, he would jokingly call her a plum demon. If she was too naughty, she would be beaten back to her original form one day.
The siblings were used to joking around and had a very close bond, but even joking was a good idea, and they still kept their distance. Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, Du Heng pointed at the desk and said, "I've been wanting this for a long time, but now that someone's here, you don't dare to take it?"
Wanyi smiled sweetly upon hearing this, and took the inkstone screen with a painting of red plum blossoms proudly painted on it, using a cloud shell as the base, and said respectfully, "Thank you, brother, for giving it to me."
Du Heng nodded, his tone gentle: "What are you thanking me for? You work so hard, this is what you deserve."
Wanyi's cheeks flushed when she heard this, and she murmured softly, "Brother, I, I'm not really that hardworking. If I tell you the truth, will you be angry?"
Although Sister Ying'er repeatedly told her that her scriptures were her own, and had nothing to do with anyone else's, she knew deep down that her handwriting hadn't improved much, and she had never been diligent. If Sister Ying'er hadn't personally held her wrist and helped her write, letting her experience the power of using her wrist to write, she would have missed out on the Scripture Offering Ceremony this year, just like every other year.
She was even more unwilling to lie to her brother who had always loved her.
Du Heng was suspicious and asked, "What's the truth?"
The final selection of scriptures for the Bodhi Temple was sent to him after his review. His sister's handwriting had indeed improved significantly, its strokes becoming more steady and composed, possessing a certain grace and grace. She added a gentle touch to the end of each character, a habit she had adopted since childhood. He knew the scriptures were her own, and could not possibly have been written by someone else.
So what does the truth told by my younger sister mean?
Wanyi was unaware that her brother had already made up his mind. Seeing his serious expression, she felt guilty. She pursed her lips tightly, gently placed the inkstone screen back on the desk, and said with her head lowered, "Sister Ying'er said that my penmanship was too stiff. For several days, she personally took me under her wing and taught me how to use wrist strength to write."
"Sister Ying'er also said that most women in the boudoir love small regular script. She advised me not to start writing immediately. I should read a passage of scripture and recite it silently several times before writing. I should start writing with a clear intention and end it decisively."
After Wanyi finished speaking, she paused for a long time. She still didn't hear her brother's reply, and she felt uneasy, so she looked up quietly.
But I saw that my brother's brows had already relaxed, and there was clearly relief in his eyes. His voice was gentle and firm: "Your handwriting has always been good. You just need to wait for the right time to transform Kun into Peng."
"Su Ying's guidance is certainly important, but without the accumulation of momentum over the past few years, no amount of guidance would have allowed you to comprehend. You should thank her for your selection this time, but you should also thank yourself even more."
"You always say you're not diligent, but every year, even though you don't make the list, you still write every word carefully. Even when you feel wronged, you never give up. How can you say you don't put your heart into it? Wanyi, you are my Du Heng's sister, how can you be so self-deprecating?"
Wanyi's eyes reddened as she heard this, and she whispered, "Brother, you are truly my good brother. Sister Ying'er said the same thing."
Wanyi was so excited that her words were a little incoherent, but Du Heng still understood something. He didn't know why his question was so urgent: "What did you say? What are you talking about?"
However, his younger sister was still immersed in his praise and didn't notice the change in his tone. She just sniffed and said, "Sister Ying'er also said that I used to be a Kun, but the time hadn't come yet. Now I have become a Peng, and I can soar straight up."
Du Heng was startled, an inexplicable emotion rising in his heart. He felt that he hadn't heard clearly, so he asked again: "Are you saying that Su Ying said your calligraphy has the spirit of Kunpeng, just like me?"
Wanyi nodded and said, "Sister Ying'er said she doesn't understand poetry, but I see that she knows much more than I do! Brother, others say that you are the incarnation of Wenquxing. You won the first place in the examination at such a young age, and later won the provincial examination. I think Sister Ying'er is similar. Even if she is not Wenquxing, she is at least a member of the Wenquxing family!"
"Okay, okay, I just praised you a few words, and now you're out of control again."
Du Heng scolded her, but his tone was clearly relaxed. He stood up, picked up the inkstone screen that his sister had just placed on the table, and personally put it back into her hands. He said, "It's getting late, go back quickly. Tomorrow is the scripture offering ceremony, you should rest early."
Wanyi looked down at the Aoxuehongmei inkstone in her hand, and confidence gradually appeared in her eyes. Her sister Ying'er and brother both affirmed her. What's more, this scripture was indeed copied by her own hands, so why should she be nervous?
She politely bowed to her brother and said goodbye, turning to leave, but suddenly turned back: "Brother, only women are allowed to attend the scripture offering ceremony tomorrow, but I still miss you very much."
Du Heng paused for a moment before answering, "I'll personally escort you to Bodhi Temple tomorrow. Although I'm a man and can't enter the temple, I didn't say I couldn't wait outside. Rest assured, I'll be with you all the way."
His tone was gentle, yet filled with unquestionable firmness, as if he were making a promise. But before he finished speaking, his gaze unconsciously fell back on the copy of "The Analects of Confucius: Zheng's Record" on the desk.
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