Chapter 57 My brother also has a sour and pedantic air
Wanyi naturally believed Su Ying's words, so she pouted and presented her unresolved topic to her. Mr. Bai's topic was nothing more than those old-fashioned maxims about women obeying their husbands when married, their fathers when unmarried, and their sons when their husbands died. For Su Ying, who had attended classes with her maternal grandfather since childhood, such an essay was easier than the eight-legged essay.
So she shared some of her own secrets in writing eight-part essays and taught them to Wanyi: "The teacher asked you to do homework, not to make you the top scorer, but to make you understand the underlying principles. Even if you really don't understand, you should pretend to understand."
Wanyi was stunned when she heard this. Is this still the gentle, quiet and graceful Sister Ying'er she knew before?
Perhaps it was the rebuttal she had just given that had brought back the carefree, outspoken Su Ying of the past at the foot of Yandang Mountain. Seeing Wanyi's puzzled expression, she assumed she didn't understand what she was saying, so she demonstrated it herself.
She spread out a fresh sheet of rice paper and began explaining sentence by sentence: "Take my question, for example. Your intention is to know whether I understand the three virtues of a woman. Therefore, the first sentence will be a restatement of the main idea of the question in other words."
As she spoke, she wrote down the gist of the topic in her hairpin-flowered small regular script, and reminded Wanyi, "Last time you said you wanted to copy the sutra using the Weibei style. Remember, your homework must be written in the boudoir style hairpin-flowered small regular script. Don't ask why, it's just the way things are."
"After the introduction, the main body of the article should be divided into sections according to the main idea of the topic. For example, if the topic is about the three virtues, it will be divided into three sections. The first sentence of each section is still the main idea, followed by examples. It would be better if you can show your knowledge and quote from classics."
Su Ying wrote these verses about male superiority and female inferiority, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, with such ease that it was as if she were rambling on, praising chastity and denouncing Empress Wu Zetian, even to the point of seeming to believe them. In less than a cup of tea, she had the main text finished, and then she concluded: "In the last paragraph, just restate the main idea."
Wanyi watched Su Ying write the article that she had been thinking about for nearly an hour without writing a single word, as if it were flowing water. She looked at the full piece of rice paper in front of her in disbelief and was speechless.
Su Ying put the article aside, spread out a new piece of paper, handed the pen to Wanyi, and said, "Come on, try it."
"I, I," Wanyi shook her head. How could she possibly write it?
Su Ying encouraged: "Don't worry, I'm here. Just follow me and write this kind of pedantic and vulgar writing. Once you get it right, you'll be able to do it all."
As she spoke, she pressed the pen into Wanyi's hand and said, "Write down what the teacher gave you in a different way as the opening."
Wanyi truly believed that if Sister Ying'er became a female teacher, Mr. Bai would have few students. Even after she finished writing the essay, she was still in disbelief that she had completed the homework that had been giving her such a headache in just half an hour.
She kept calling out to Sister Ying'er on the left and Sister Ying'er on the right, "I can finally have a good New Year."
As if she had thought of something, she added, "Sister, why don't you write the review that was originally scheduled for after the New Year, so that you don't have to worry about it until after the New Year."
Su Ying said: "That's fine, but not today."
Seeing Wanyi's puzzled expression, Su Ying pointed to the bookshelf and said, "I still have books to check."
I have to fulfill my promise to my aunt with all my heart and not neglect one thing while focusing on another.
Wanyi nodded: "Okay, I can't rely on my sister every time, I can try to judge by myself first."
As she spoke, she picked up the article that Su Ying had put aside and said, "Sister, I won't bother Wanyi anymore."
Su Ying nodded, "Go ahead, just come find me if you need anything."
For fear of disturbing the conversation between the young lady and her cousin, Wanyi's maid Qiaoshu had been waiting in the side room on the side of the library. Seeing the young lady being escorted out of the room by her cousin, she hurriedly followed her out of the side room, greeted her cousin, took the thing in the young lady's hand, and followed silently.
Wanyi had solved a difficult problem and felt relieved. Even her steps became lighter.
Before I knew it, I had reached the junction of the East and West Courts, and heard someone cough behind me.
The voice was deep, who else could it be but my brother?
"Look at you, you're already a grown-up girl, but you still behave like a child."
Wanyi looked at her brother, who looked like an old scholar, and remembered what Sister Ying'er had said just now. She wrinkled her nose and said, "Brother also has a sour and pedantic air."
Du Heng chuckled when he heard it, and the fatigue of a day's study was immediately reduced.
Wanyi looked at her brother and suddenly felt that he should smile more.
Since my father passed away, my brother has taken on the role of father. Although it has not been stated explicitly, he has long been the head of the Du family. When my mother is unsure about many things, she will ask my grandmother, and my grandmother will mostly let my brother make the decisions.
Before Mr. Bai came to teach at the mansion, it was his grandmother who taught him his lessons. During those years, she spent every day at her grandmother's side, and she had seen her brother's serious and unsmiling expression many times. Although she was young, she could see that her brother had already shouldered many of the family's burdens that should not have been his alone.
My brother has handsome eyebrows and eyes. When he is solemn, he is as deep and quiet as a cold pond. There is a hint of coldness between his eyebrows and in his eyes, which makes people feel awe.
But once he smiled, his brows relaxed, the corners of his eyes curved slightly, as if hiding a lot of tenderness, as gentle as water, making people reluctant to look away.
"Where did you learn such nonsense?"
Wanyi knew her brother wasn't angry, so she boldly said, "That's what Sister Ying'er said. Do you dare to say that Sister Ying'er is out of tune?"
Although her brother had never mentioned Sister Ying'er to her face, she knew that a brother was best loved by his sister. She could see that her brother respected Sister Ying'er very much. Perhaps the word "respect" was a bit "big", but she really couldn't find a more appropriate word.
Sure enough, her guess was correct. Her brother did not find fault with her anymore. Instead, he looked behind her and asked, "Did you go to the library?"
Wanyi nodded and hummed, "My brother was busy studying and kicked me out of the study. Luckily, Sister Ying'er took me in."
It seems that her brother has made great progress in his review today. No matter how she acts like a spoiled child or acts like a spoiled brat, he doesn't seem to be annoyed.
"Did Ying'er teach you your lessons?"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Du Heng was shocked himself.
Fortunately, Wanyi did not notice the strangeness on his face, but proudly took the rice paper from Qiaoshu's hand.
But just as he was about to hand it to Du Heng, he withdrew his hand: "This is Sister Ying'er's article. I just wrote it and left it with her."
Du Heng's eyes flickered to the pieces of rice paper in Wanyi's hand. "Did you pick up the wrong one?"
Wanyi shook her head: "No, the teacher asked us to evaluate each other, this is also homework."
Du Heng understood, and took it from me. "I was busy just now, but now I have a little free time. Let's finish today's work today. I will help you complete the evaluation, so that you can have a happy new year with peace of mind."
Wanyi was naturally happy. She didn't know what a good day it was today. The homework that would have taken her several days to complete was finished in less than an hour.
Wanyi happily followed her brother to the study in the west courtyard.
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