2 Go to school
◎ Sometimes liking someone is a sin.◎
The Madam took medicine every day, and there were four maids in the small kitchen just responsible for cooking the medicine. The imperial physician came in two shifts, morning and evening, so sometimes Ciying would see him, sometimes not.
Piles of prescriptions finally bought back some of Madam's life. After the spring, Madam's time of wakefulness began to lengthen, from two hours a day to one afternoon. Occasionally, when Ciying went to take care of the patient, Madam would lie at the head of the bed and stare at Ciying's face in a daze.
Ru Zhen was terrified watching from the side, and was much more worried than Ci Ying, the person involved.
"Madam, have you remembered?" Ru Zhen lowered her voice to Ci Ying on the way back. It was a good thing that Madam's hysteria could be cured, but... Ru Zhen glanced at Ci Ying, whose face was expressionless, and expressed her concern: "What are you going to do then..."
Ci Ying held Ru Zhen's warm hand and whispered, "Madam is kind and tolerant. Not to mention that I have the approval of the head of the family for me to play the role of a young lady, even if it was just Madam, she wouldn't blame me."
Ru Zhen shook her head. "That's not all I'm saying. The young lady has passed away, and the master of the family has had your slave status removed from the government. Legally, you're no longer a member of the Xie Mansion. If Madam remembers now, the mansion no longer needs you playing the role of young lady, and there's no guarantee you'll have a place there. You were sold into the mansion as a child, and you don't know how difficult life is out there."
At this point, the worry in Ru Zhen's eyes was already tangible, and she began to tighten her grip on Ci Ying's hand. Ci Ying felt a pain from Ru Zhen's pinch, but she chuckled softly, "Don't worry about that. I asked Sister Chun Tao, who works for the head of the family, to intercede for me. We agreed that if the Madam ever remembered, I'd be allowed to stand vigil at the young lady's grave for three years."
The early summer breeze brought with it a hint of heat, and the evening light was clear and bright, casting a layer of warm yellow over the sky and the earth. The two people holding hands under the corridor were sweating. Ru Zhen first released their hands and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the sweat off their faces: "That's only three years..." Although she was still worried, Ru Zhen's voice gradually became lower.
Ci Ying smiled softly. Since leaving the study last time, she had only understood one thing: life was precarious. It only takes a moment for a person to open or close their eyes, and three years was already countless moments. Rather than living in fear every day, worrying about which step might go wrong, it would be better to go and accompany the young lady.
Moreover, the smile in Ciying's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a silence that Ruzhen could not describe, like something deeper than sadness.
The thing they worried about didn't happen. By the beginning of summer, the lady was able to get out of bed and walk. Ci Ying still went to see her every day. When she was paying her respects, the lady suddenly frowned and asked, "A Su, tell me, how many days have you not been to the academy?" There was a hint of sternness in her words.
Ci Ying thought back to the past and said softly, "Mother is ill. I am concerned about her health and have already asked for leave from the academy and Master Li."
Chuntao, who was sent by the head of the family to supervise all matters concerning the lady, stood aside. Her first reaction after hearing Ciying's appropriate reply was to frown. Chuntao looked at the lady's relaxed brows not far away and Ciying taking the opportunity to feed her medicine. After the study, she once again re-examined Ciying, the maid.
In the Xie Mansion, servants were also divided into different classes. Ever since the previous mistress passed away, the old lady had been in charge. Chuntao and Chunhua, who had held Ciying down to open the window, had been raised by the old lady since childhood, and their status was even higher than that of the daughters of the Xie family's side branches.
Although it was not stated explicitly, Chuntao and Chunhua were the concubines prepared by the old lady for the next head of the family, the eldest son. They were both beautiful and talented. Both of them had learned about the affairs of the rear house since childhood and would assist the young lady in managing the Xie family in the future.
And Ci Ying......
A very ordinary maid, apart from her good looks, Chuntao saw nothing special about her. Her face had caused the mistress to mistake her for someone else, and she had even been summoned by the head of the household. But that day in the study, Ciying's gestures were so perfect that they caught Chuntao's attention.
Then today, Chuntao looked at Ciying, who was lying on the lady's knees and acting cute, making the lady laugh. She reached out her hand to call a little maid at the door, and leaned over to whisper a few words in the little maid's ear.
The news that she would go to the academy starting tomorrow reached Ciying's yard in the evening.
Unlike a month ago, as the lady's condition improved, the rumors began to fall on Ciying's head like a pie. Unlike when she and Ruzhen first lived in the secluded servants' quarters, Ciying now lived in Tingshuang Courtyard, the mistress's former courtyard.
In addition to Ru Zhen, the courtyard was equipped with two personal maids, four room maids, six maids for rough service and two managing maids according to the specifications of a young lady in the mansion.
When she heard the news, Ru Zhen poked her head out of the doorway. After the maid who delivered the message left, Ru Zhen stepped forward and hugged Ci Ying's arm, whispering, "Is it because of what happened to Madam today?"
"Let's go in and talk." Ci Ying nodded.
In fact, there is nothing much to say. It’s just because what the lady said in the afternoon reached the ears of the head of the family.
At night, Ru Zhen climbed onto Ci Ying's bed, and the two slept together as they had done before. Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, and Ru Zhen whispered, "Ci Ying, it seems you've really become a young lady."
It was a very disrespectful statement, but Ci Ying did not blame her. She just shook her head: "Ruzhen, I am not..."
Ru Zhen lowered her voice, and her emotions were not high: "Then... will it really be like what people say outside, that the head of the family will adopt you as his daughter after a while? Then you will be the master then... Will we still be friends..." Ru Zhen's voice became smaller and smaller, her eyes drooped, and the loss all over her body was obvious.
Ci Ying grasped Ru Zhen's hand, her eyes gleaming with moonlight. Her voice was soft but resolute: "No matter what, we are friends."
"The best?" Ru Zhen asked.
"Yeah." Ci Ying replied.
"Is being the best in the world good?" Ru Zhen asked again.
"Yeah!" Ci Ying replied.
"Then lend me some more money." Ru Zhen hugged Ci Ying, nuzzling against her like a puppy. Ci Ying was amused by this sudden turn of events, and for a moment, she forgot the complex emotions that had been lingering in her heart since the afternoon. She reached out and touched Ru Zhen's head: "Which pearl do you fancy now?"
Ru Zhen didn't answer but just leaned forward in Ci Ying's arms again: "Lend it to me, lend it to me, sister, lend it to me, lend it to me, lend it to me..."
"I'll lend it to you." Along with the night, Ci Ying's doting laughter disappeared.
The next day.
Ru Zhen took the ten taels of silver she had taken from Ci Ying and handed it to the honest-looking driver at the back door of Xie's house with a blank expression. The driver saw the thick bag of silver and money and happily took it from Ru Zhen's hand, dragging his half-limp leg to leave.
Ru Zhen's eyes turned red behind him: "Dad!"
The man turned around and touched his daughter's head: "Dad will return it to you in two days. Didn't your friend become a lady? She doesn't need this little thing. Be good, Dad will bring you your favorite apricot blossom cake next time, and the hairpin you said you liked last time, Dad will buy them all for you..."
With that, the man hurried away. Ru Zhen wiped the tears from her eyes and counted how much money she owed Ci Ying. She counted on her fingers, her face drooping. She couldn't pay it back... she might as well give it to her sister.
Although she thought so, Ru Zhen's face was getting colder and colder. She rubbed her face. Today was Ci Ying's first day at the academy. She didn't know what was going on. Although Ci Ying had accompanied the young lady to the academy before, it was different after all.
Ciying is doing pretty well in the academy.
The academy was called Lishan Academy, and while it didn't bear the name of the Xie family, the students there were essentially all members of the Xie family. The Xie family of Chang'an was the main branch, while Lin'an, Li'nan, and Jichong were more prominent branches. Every year, many students were sent to the academy from lower levels, and only those who passed three rounds of assessment could remain there.
There are two examinations every year for those who stay in the academy. Those who fail two consecutive examinations will be sent back. Corresponding to the strictness of the examination is the fact that even in Chang'an, where powerful people are everywhere, the teachers are still considered to be peerless. There are two great Confucian scholars from the Xie family, Xie Changqing and Xie An, Qin Mu who is known as the greatest Confucian scholar of all time, and countless geniuses who can even occupy a few strokes in history books.
Ci Ying was filled with awe and admiration. When she came to the academy with the young lady in the past, she listened carefully to the teacher's lectures, quoting from classics and arguing about the right and wrong of ancient and modern times. After a passionate speech, Ci Ying couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. When she came to her senses, she saw the young lady looking at her with a smile in her eyes.
The young lady was a very good student. She had not been sick in the past seven years and had obtained first place in five of the six examinations she had taken. Only once did the young lady gently contradict the teacher in class, and the teacher was so angry that he threw his sleeves and walked away, saying, "It is difficult for me to teach such a naughty child." Later, she asked the young lady what happened, and the young lady just said that she had said something that the teacher did not like.
Ciying never saw that teacher again. The teacher Li who came to teach today looked somewhat similar to that teacher. He must have heard something about her, as he frequently asked her to answer questions in class.
Ciying had done a lot of homework for the young lady in the past, and she could answer questions fluently.
There were undercurrents all around, but no one would cause trouble in the academy. Even though Ciying's identity sitting here was a humiliation to the other members of the Xie family, no one dared to openly disobey the orders of the head of the family and make things difficult for Ciying.
The Master was the first to speak out out of his noble character as a scholar and his respect for knowledge. Ciying answered all the questions one by one. The Master did not have the same resentment as the others about Ciying's identity, and his expression gradually improved.
Everything was going well so far, until the teacher was about to leave when there was a sudden commotion outside. In the corridor, some people were seen scrambling to pass something around without regard for etiquette, including some members of the Xie family.
The teacher waved his hand, and the others in the school suddenly rushed forward, their words revealing surprise: "Is this the eldest son's new article?"
Ci Ying did not move, but looked back along the crowded crowd with a sudden inspiration. The moment she looked over, the man happened to walk over. The crowded crowd gradually quieted down and made way for a long path. Every young face along the way showed nascent respect and faith.
Beneath the towering walls of the academy, amidst the dense emerald green bamboo forest, there stood a young man, shrouded in mist, like pearls and jade, with a bright and clear moon and a face as beautiful as jade. The sunlight fell on his snow-white robe. He was tall and slender, with a calm expression, and came slowly, like the moon on a mountain covered in snow.
The eldest son of a century-old family, a dignified, noble and outstanding young man.
Ci Ying lowered her eyes. As she turned around in a panic, she could not hear her own heartbeat.
Sometimes it is a sin to like someone.
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