Chapter 54 Thank you, cousin, for your guidance
Du Heng's serious gaze fell on Su Ying's face, and he waited quietly and patiently for Su Ying to tell him the rules she had set personally.
Her face flushed slightly, as if she had not expected Du Heng to be so humble in asking for advice. She was a little overwhelmed for a moment until the servant respectfully presented her with the annotated book.
Su Ying gestured to Taoxi, who immediately stepped forward and took the book.
"Come with me, I'll tell you the rules."
She didn't look at him, nor did she respond to him. Instead, she called Taoxi to her side and taught her the rules.
Du Heng, however, was not annoyed at all; instead, he felt quite happy. Somehow, he felt that even though those words were addressed to Tao Xi, they were meant specifically for him.
When he saw Su Ying and Taoxi walking towards the desk, he followed them a few steps behind.
"In the past, there were no records of borrowing and returning books, so it was inevitable that there would be omissions. There aren't really any strict rules, just remember to make a few notes in this borrowing and returning log after you pick up a book."
As Su Ying spoke, she walked to the desk and took the borrowed and returned book.
"The same goes for returning a book. Just look for the page where you borrowed it, add the date of return, and then sign your name. This way, it's clear that you've borrowed and returned it."
Taoxi nodded in agreement and was about to take the borrowing and returning record handed to her by the young lady, but when she saw the young man approaching, she took a step back.
"Cousin, could you lend me this recording?"
He looked at her and spoke even more gently.
Su Ying still didn't look at him, but just nodded slightly and handed the loan return record to him.
Apart from the time at the Bodhi Temple, this was the second time the two of them were so close, but the last time was an emergency, while this time, they did it happily.
Although Su Ying didn't look up or say anything, her actions clearly showed her tacit approval.
Du Heng's heart was filled with ripples. Su Ying's plain sleeve without any embroidery decoration brushed lightly against his hand, so soft and tender that it made him feel a little yearning.
He suddenly had a clear answer in his mind, the answer to the question his second aunt asked him this morning.
On the white silk booklet were three large characters in Slender Gold calligraphy: "Borrowing and Returning Records." The characters were clear, upright, free and unrestrained yet respectful. Somehow, he felt that this was her true character.
He gently turned a page. The first line was the copy of the "Analects of Confucius with Zheng's Annotations" that he had borrowed. It read: "On the fourth day of the twelfth month of the Renyin year, Qingquan took it on behalf of Du Heng."
His eyes wandered along the horizontal and vertical strokes, the left and right strokes, and his hands couldn't help but leave warmth on the ink characters. After carefully tracing them, his eyes and fingers fell on the vertical hook of the last stroke, and he was reluctant to leave for a long time.
Seeing Du Heng's serious reading, Su Ying didn't rush him. Instead, she ground the paper herself, rolled up her sleeves, took out a brush, and after lightly dipping it in ink, she said, "Cousin, if everything is correct, write today's date and then sign it."
Her voice flowed through his heart like the gurgling of a brook. Du Heng looked up and saw her, her slender hands, sleeves rolled up, pen in hand, standing quietly and gently before him.
Unconsciously, the four words "red sleeves adding fragrance" came to Du Heng's mind.
"Cousin."
Su Ying called out again.
Du Heng finally came back to his senses from his thoughts. He took the pen she handed him apologetically and said, "Thank you."
He still stood before her, holding the book in his left hand and the pen in his right. Beneath the lines of detail she had written, he also wrote in the same thin gold script:
"On the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the Renyin year, Du Heng returned a letter to Su Ying."
He wrote very slowly and carefully, especially the last two words.
Unexpectedly, the hand of Jie Yuanlang, who had held the pen for over ten years, trembled slightly at this moment. He took a deep breath, as if carefully watering a delicate flower, holding his breath and concentrating, writing each stroke with all his heart and soul.
One horizontal and two vertical lines, with a grass head at the head.
A fish and a wheat, standing on the left and right.
Two small fires are on top, a bald treasure cover is in the middle, and the word "insect" is at the bottom.
He didn't seem to be writing, but rather painting, creating a pleasant and interesting picture of the dancing fireflies in the mountains in midsummer.
After finishing writing, he handed the pen and book back to her. If Su Ying had looked up instead of putting the book back on the desk, she would have noticed the heavy emotions in his eyes, like the mountains and rivers.
"In the future, if I come to borrow books, will I bother my cousin while she sorts out the book list?"
Su Ying turned around, still looking down, and shook her head gently. "The library was originally set up for reading. My aunt also mentioned that my cousin has given me many good books over the years. Besides, this is the Du Mansion's library. If my cousin can't come, then no one else is qualified."
Du Heng chuckled and said, "That's right."
"Thank you for your guidance, cousin. I hope you will forgive me if I disturb you in the future. It's getting late, so I won't bother you any more."
The word "guidance" did not sound sarcastic at all, but instead revealed a rare lightness.
Su Ying couldn't help but smile when she heard his unjoking words. She bowed to him, then looked up at Du Heng, her eyes flickering slightly as she said, "Goodbye, cousin."
Du Heng bowed and said goodbye. When he turned around, his eyebrows raised slightly, as if he had just realized something. He didn't know when or who started it first, but there was a slight change in the way the two of them addressed each other.
Leaving the library, he was about to return to the West Courtyard. Over the past two days, dealing with Xue Yuan and the others, and persuading his mother to let go of the household affairs, had already consumed a great deal of his energy. Now that Second Aunt was in charge of the household affairs, the matter was over. He should quickly adjust his state of mind and return to preparing for the exam.
In the past, well-off candidates from various provinces preparing for the imperial examinations would often arrive in Beijing after the Lunar New Year. This was to allow them to acclimate to the city's climate and, more importantly, to connect with officials. Getting on the list was only the beginning; the road ahead had to be paved in advance.
The last time he met with his classmates, he heard that the top scholars from Zhejiang and Shandong would come to Beijing after the New Year, and there would definitely be some exchanges and discussions, so he should prepare carefully.
His mind was composed. As he was about to step onto the corridor, he suddenly saw a person coming towards him quickly. It was Qingquan.
"Sir, the concierge came to report that the eldest mistress had an urgent letter delivered from Fujian."
Qingquan, panting, presented the letter to Du Heng, on which there was indeed a word "urgent" written in red ink.
Fujian?
Du Heng thought for a moment and then remembered that he did have a cousin aunt living in Fujian.
"First, inform the Second Madam. She is now in charge of the household affairs. Please inform her first and then give the letter to Madam."
Qingquan replied yes, walked a few steps, and then turned back.
Du Heng asked, "What else?"
Qingquan said softly, "I took the initiative to let Qingyun stay with the Second Madam. This time, it was he who noticed something was wrong and sent the news in time, so that we could deal with it in time."
Du Heng nodded without saying anything, then turned and walked towards the west courtyard.
Qingquan had followed the young master for many years and knew that this nod was a sign of approval, so he bowed and watched him walk away before turning and heading towards the main courtyard.
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