Chapter 70 Su Ying has always been cautious in the Du Mansion, and I don’t know what happened today
Du Heng said "yes" respectfully and led the three sisters to kowtow to their mother.
Cheng felt relieved. Ever since the Xue Yuan incident, her son, while respectful in words, had lost his former filial piety. As a mother, she could sense the slight difference.
Jinniang advised her that no matter how dissatisfied she was, she should not show it on her face. In the past, she was the mistress in charge of the household, but now she had to be calm and not reveal her temper easily.
Jinniang said, "According to what you said, hasn't Second Aunt been keeping a low profile these past few years, without any desires or ambitions? I know you don't like her, but if she truly has any strengths, we should learn from them. It's like knowing that a medicinal soup can cure an illness, but not refusing to drink it just because it's bitter."
Sure enough, Jinniang was right.
She did the opposite, not only did she not say a word of dissatisfaction, but she also gave them money, allowing them to have fun. Not only was Wanyi in high spirits, but even Heng'er's stern face relaxed a little.
That day, Jinniang also said to her, "Aunt, if you believe me, after the Lantern Festival, no matter what happens, please speak up for me."
She asked Jinniang, "What do you want?"
Jinniang smiled and shook her head, saying, "I don't know either. I just want to wait and see. Anyway, Aunt, just let us go without worry."
Therefore, she did exactly what Jinniang said and let go openly.
Du Heng took Wanyi and the others to say goodbye to the elders in order, intending to return to the side hall of the main courtyard after leaving the East Courtyard to bid farewell to Second Aunt. Unexpectedly, just as they were leaving the East Courtyard, Li Mao, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, relayed Rong's message: "Second Madam said that the old lady and Madam must have given instructions. She has nothing else to say, except that the young masters and young ladies should leave on time and not delay."
Su Ying's lips curled up slightly when she heard this. Her aunt had always been like this. Although she was now in charge of the household affairs and held a much higher position, she never used her status as an elder to disrupt the younger generation's fun. Instead of nagging them in the house, she should have arranged for the carriages and horses so they could leave early and have a good time.
Du Heng saw Su Ying's brows relax, and unconsciously his lips curled up as well. He said to them, "If nothing is left out, let's set off now."
The three sisters responded, and Wanyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. "These past few days, I haven't dared to show the slightest desire to enjoy the lanterns in front of Mother, for fear of upsetting her. Unexpectedly, Mother gave each of us a purse, so I don't have to carry my own small change. Brother, wait a moment, I'll be back soon."
Du Heng shook his head helplessly: "How come this is all you can do?"
Jinniang also laughed and said, "Cousin, please let Sister Wanyi go. Otherwise, she will take her own private room with her and won't be able to have fun peacefully."
After hearing this, Su Ying also laughed.
Seeing this, Jinniang hurriedly pulled Su Ying's hand and got closer to her.
That day, her aunt had told her a lot. Whether her cousin had begun to have feelings for Su Ying wasn't a given, but it was definitely there. The Lantern Festival was a good opportunity; she wanted to see what it was that had caught her cousin's attention. If it was just because of her beautiful handwriting, she wasn't afraid.
Seeing Jinniang smiling, Su Ying naturally did not refuse. The two of them walked hand in hand, a few steps behind Du Heng, waiting for Wanyi as they walked.
Jinniang called Su Ying "sister" and asked with concern, "I heard from Wanyi that you came to Beijing more than a month before me. Are you used to the climate here?"
Jinniang explained with a look of apology, "Sister, please don't blame me for being nosy. I've been staying with Wanyi for the past two days. We haven't seen each other for many years, and it's hard for us to be together again, so it's inevitable that we have a lot to talk about. I heard that you are from the south like me, so I wanted to ask if you are used to living here."
Su Ying didn't think Jinniang was being rude. When she was with Wanyi, they always chatted and talked about everything. So she shook her head at Jinniang and said, "Sister, you care about me. I'm so grateful. How could I think you were meddling?"
Su Ying paused and replied, "Although the climate in the capital is quite cold, I've gotten used to it. I wonder if you've been doing well these past few days, sister?"
Jinniang said, "To be honest, I'm not used to it. I wake up thirsty at night and wake up quite a few times."
Jinniang sighed and said worriedly, "I'm afraid of waking Wanyi, so sometimes I hold back and don't get up. When I wake up in the morning, there are sometimes traces of blood in my nose."
Su Ying understood the reason as soon as she heard it. She said, "The weather in the capital is dry, and the heating is too hot. No wonder you're feeling unwell. I have a solution. You can place a basin of water in each corner of the room and add some dried tangerine peel to each. That way it will feel more refreshing."
"Sister, your idea is very good, but now that I live with Wanyi, I don't want to cause any more trouble. In a few days, when I move to the east wing, I will definitely try your idea."
Jinniang continued, "No wonder Wanyi always mentions my sister in front of me. It seems that my sister knows a lot. I wonder what books my sister reads and what classes she takes?"
Su Ying said modestly, "I don't read much these days, but I'm grateful to my grandmother for letting me and Wanyi listen to Mr. Bai's lectures on 'The Instructions for Women' and 'The Instructions for the Inner Court'."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Ying regretted it. She was able to take classes with Wanyi because of the old lady's favor. It was really not appropriate to say this in front of Jinniang.
We are both cousins of the Du family. You have what I don't have. Anyone with a small mind would be dissatisfied. Just go to the old lady or Cheng and say, "Su Ying said that she and Wanyi were taught by Mr. Bai together!"
This not only embarrasses the elders, but also makes people think she is talkative.
Su Ying has always been cautious in the Du Mansion, but for some reason today, she just blurted out the words without thinking.
Just as I was thinking about how to make amends, Jinniang seemed not to care at all and just said, "I have already finished learning these two books when I was young."
Su Ying heaved a sigh of relief, but it made her feel a little overly suspicious. She felt a little apologetic towards Jin Niang. So she took the initiative to talk to her, "What book are you reading now, sister?"
Jinniang's heart stirred, and she glanced at Du Heng walking ahead. Unconsciously, her voice rose a bit as she said, "When I have nothing to do, I tend to flip through the classic book 'Zuo Zhuan'."
Du Heng paused for a moment before continuing towards the Chuihua Gate.
Jinniang's words not only implied a competition of talent with Su Ying, but were also specifically spoken for Du Heng to hear.
Her earlier statement that she had read the complete "Nujie" and "Nei Xun" at a young age was not false. Her mother was once one of the most distinguished ladies in the capital, and the scriptures she had copied were once offered to the Bodhi Temple. Naturally, her calligraphy was inherited from her mother.
However, her mother's teachings were all aimed at educating a legitimate wife for a prominent family. She wasn't a student preparing for the imperial examinations, so she had never studied the Zuo Zhuan. She had only often heard about it from her father, knowing it was a classic among the Four Books and Five Classics, highly regarded by scholars, but that was all.
Unexpectedly, these words really attracted the attention of cousin Heng. Jinniang was slightly happy in her heart. It seemed that her cousin really appreciated talented women.
However, Jinniang only saw that Du Heng was stunned when she mentioned "Zuo Zhuan", but she did not notice that Su Ying beside her was also stunned after hearing her words.
This is because "Spring and Autumn Annals" and "Zuo Zhuan" are not one book, but two books.
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