Chapter 7. I was all alone when suddenly so many things appeared...
Shanlai was shaken awake, and by then it was already broad daylight.
The one who woke her up was none other than Ru Hui.
Ru Hui had a responsibility to guide Shan Lai. The old lady had repeatedly instructed her, and Ru Hui dared not slack off. Therefore, she got up before dawn, washed and dressed, and sat under the eaves, waiting for Shan Lai to get up. She waited until she could not wait any longer before pushing open the door and personally getting Shan Lai up.
Ru Hui was angry. Over the years, apart from her master, no one had ever made her wait. What made her even angrier was that no matter how angry she was, she couldn't show it at all. She still had to smile in front of others, and she had to smile gently and obediently. How could that not make people hate her?
Who told her she was a slave?
A word from one's master is more important than the heavens.
"Good sister, why are you sleeping so late? It's getting late, you need to get up."
She spoke with a smile, and even raised her hand to gently tidy up her disheveled hair.
Shanlai didn't want to stay up late either.
She didn't sleep at all that night.
Actually, I wanted to sleep.
Having supported Yulong to the death for his lord, she was convinced that Old Madam Qin was a good person and was determined to repay her kindness. Old Madam Qin instructed her to learn etiquette, and she diligently learned the rules of serving others. Chunyan's words also offered her some comfort; she wasn't the only one suffering in the world. Although everyone's suffering was different, the thought that all people suffer made her feel less resentful. Being a servant was fine; tomorrow hadn't come yet. Whether tomorrow was good or bad, she would know when it came. Why torment herself today? Even if things weren't good, it didn't necessarily mean she couldn't survive. For thousands of years, it has been said that there is always a way out. She had thought her father was finished, but now he was alright. Thinking this way, she truly felt enlightened and relieved.
But I still can't fall asleep.
I had a soft pillow and a fragrant blanket, and there was no sound of chickens crowing or dogs barking, nor the scurrying of mice. It was unbelievably quiet, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
The moment I closed my eyes, a variety of faces and voices involuntarily appeared in my mind: my father's face as white as gold paper, his loud, rapid cough, the crackling of firewood, the many people who came to visit, each talking to the other; Widow Huang, disheveled, sitting on the ground crying and cursing; Chunyan, that Ru Hui, not a good person; Ru Hui, smiling and cheerful; the old lady, talking and laughing; and Lian Si, who had just turned ten and was even more delicate than a girl, lively and carefree, but when I looked at her, she had a frown on her face, as if she had something on her mind…
She couldn't fall asleep no matter what she tried. All her efforts to persuade herself before closing her eyes were in vain. Perhaps she did fall asleep at times, but she didn't know it because she couldn't believe that she was actually thinking about these things, staying awake until dawn, when the windowpanes were already turning white...
She had no intention of sleeping anymore, and she couldn't sleep for much longer anyway. She had sold herself into servitude, and her sleeping and waking were entirely at the discretion of others; she had no say in her own life. However, when dawn broke, she fell asleep again.
She herself didn't know, not even in her dreams.
In a vast swamp, shrouded in mist and haze, one hesitates, wavering back and forth, left and right. Just as one is wavering, many water demons and yakshas suddenly emerge from beneath one's feet, their pale faces contorted in a savage grimace, dragging one towards the water. Despite struggling with all one's might, one is ultimately swallowed by the black water, one's mouth and nose engulfed...
I knew it was a dream when I woke up, but I was still terrified. The biting cold seemed to linger, making me shiver and sweat pour down my face...
Ru Hui was also frightened.
He had been awake for a long time, but his eyes were still lifeless, and he kept trembling.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
There was no response.
The situation seems bad.
Ru Hui thought, I can't take this responsibility.
So he stood up and started to walk out, saying, "I'm going to inform the old lady that we need to call a doctor."
"don't want!"
Shan shouted, grabbing Ru Hui's sleeve at the same time.
"I'm fine, sister, there's no need to tell anyone else."
Ru Hui still held the same thought in her heart. Now that the person was in her hands, she couldn't be careless, but she also couldn't offend him. After thinking for a moment, she sat back down, her voice even more gentle and considerate.
"But your face is as white as paper, are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?"
“No need.” With a pale face, Shan Lai refused again. To make her words believable, she was willing to say more to the person in front of her. “…I was just frightened, and besides, it’s not the first time…It’s nothing, I’ll be fine after a while…”
Ru Hui asked, "Isn't this the first time?"
Shanlai nodded and said, "It's happened so many times. It's always the same in my dreams: an endless expanse of water, me all alone, and suddenly a bunch of ghosts appear..."
Ru Hui said, "It must have been because she was frightened the first time she had this dream. She was afraid and would often think about it. I know someone whose house burned down when she was a child. She was so frightened that she often dreamed about fire afterward. In her own words, the fire chased after her and she couldn't put it out no matter what she did. She would cry in distress, and then she would wake up crying..."
“That’s right!” Shanlai quickly agreed, “I was just really scared…”
Her eyes were really big, and now they were wide open and empty, making them look even bigger, so big that it seemed like only the whites of her eyes were visible.
However, it is still very beautiful.
Ru Hui sighed.
"Are you sure you don't need a doctor?" she asked.
"Really, it's not necessary," Shanlai replied again.
“Okay.” Ru Hui nodded, stood up and said, “Since you have nothing to do, then get up quickly. We’re going to Yang Sheng Xuan today, and the young master is going too. You can’t be later than him.”
Shanlai was wearing new clothes, had washed her face with hot water, and had her hair neatly combed and tied into two buns. She looked very radiant. However, there were two dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was as white as jade, so white and translucent that the two marks were even more noticeable.
She hadn't slept well, but she needed to be energetic.
Because they were servants, they had to serve others. Now they don't serve others, but they have to learn to serve others.
Yangshengxuan is quite far from Biwutang; it takes about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea for two people to walk there slowly. When they arrive, they see three large houses towering among the pines and cypresses.
Yang Sheng Xuan houses thousands of books, a treasured collection passed down through generations of the Liu family. Originally, it wasn't a study, but a library. The current master converted it into his study when he was studying at home, for the sake of convenience. Of course, the name Yang Sheng Xuan was also given by him at that time. Since the Liu family had only one son, he naturally had the final say. Now, the Liu family's only son also studies here. Initially, he was unwilling because it was far, hot in summer and cold in the east, requiring a long and arduous journey. It was the old lady who repeatedly coaxed him, saying that his father had studied there for over ten years, achieving success and earning his mother an official title. His grandmother also hoped he would be successful and bring honor to her. After several repetitions, she finally agreed. Therefore, this generation's only son of the Liu family also studies at Yang Sheng Xuan.
These are all things that Ru Hui told Tong Shan on the road.
When Ru Hui speaks, her voice is always soft, and she always has a smile on her face. She is also very beautiful, with relaxed eyebrows and eyes. Her eyebrows are long and delicately shaped, and her lips are also thin and elegant. She wears lip rouge and a thin layer of blush, which runs from her cheekbone to her cheek, giving her a charming look. Her beauty is a standard, exquisite beauty, but there is no distance between her and others because she is always smiling. She is very humble and approachable. At first glance, you can tell that she is a good person and a gentle and caring older sister.
Shanlai couldn't imagine what she would do when she committed evil.
But I always kept my guard up against her.
Shanlai remembered every word she said, but he didn't believe it because he didn't know if it was true or false, or if there was a trap.
But she really has a knack for making people believe that what she says is the truth and that she is thinking of you.
Shanlai was truly in a daze.
She thought that either the person in front of her was too clever, or she had been deceived.
The two entered Yangshengxuan one after the other.
There was no one else in Yangshengxuan, and the things were arranged in a mess.
Ru Hui picked up a book from the long couch. It was a thread-bound book with a dark blue cover. She turned around, handed the book to Shan Lai, and asked, "What are those words on it?"
Shan looked and replied, "It's Zhuangge Collection."
Ru Hui nodded and said, "Very good, you are indeed literate." Then she asked, "How many characters do you know?"
Shanlai thought for a moment, then shook his head and replied, "I don't know."
Ru Hui was a little curious. "You don't know?"
"Yes, I haven't counted them."
Ru Hui picked up a few more books and asked Shan to identify them.
Shanlai answered them one by one.
Ru Hui was silent for a while, then smiled and said, "I believe you." She added, "I really envy you, knowing so many words."
Shanlai didn't know how to respond to this, so he remained silent.
Ru Hui said, “There aren’t many literate people in the manor. There’s the young master, the old lady, the accountants, and Han Cui… You probably don’t know who Han Cui is. She’s the maid who used to serve the young master with his writing materials. She’s the one I mentioned earlier, the one who kept dreaming about fire… Her father was a schoolteacher who died in that fire. Her family had no choice but to sell her. She was lucky enough to come to our manor, and the young master was willing to treat her well. Everyone envied her because she was the only one who could read. Everyone wanted to ask her for help, but she was always busy and never had the time. Even so, everyone still said that when she had some free time, she would teach us a few words. We were all waiting. But she was unlucky and left us too soon… It’s such a pity.” As she spoke, she let out a long sigh.
Shanlai listened, but dared not speak, not even breathe, because his mind was filled with terrifying images.
I wonder what she's going to say next. Is she going to ask her to replace Han Cui and teach them to read? Should I agree? Why doesn't Han Cui teach them? What will happen if I don't agree?
Shanlai swallowed hard and waited motionless for Ru Hui to continue.
Ru Hui didn't keep her waiting too long, but then suddenly changed the subject: "Your job is to find out where every book is in this study. If the master wants it, you give it to him. If you haven't finished reading it, you put it aside. If you've finished reading it, you put it back in its place. If the master is thirsty or hungry, you just go outside and say so, and someone will bring you something. If he's sleepy and wants to sleep, you just do what he's told. If he's not told, you just keep watch. Also, do you know how to grind ink?"
Shan Lai paused for a moment, then thought about it carefully, and dared not say yes.
She had never ground ink before, and there was no ink at home, so she wrote on the ground. When writing peach charms, the ink was already ground, so she only needed to write quickly, which shouldn't be difficult. It seemed to be just water and ink, but she knew nothing about the rules of wealthy families, so it was best not to be presumptuous.
Ru Hui was also a decisive person. Seeing her hesitation, she didn't wait for her answer anymore. She turned around, walked to a bookshelf, opened it, and beckoned to her, "Come here."
Shan walked over and saw all sorts of things.
"They're all here. Make sure you know what you want, then take it." As he spoke, he took out an ink stick from inside and put it on the desk.
"Inkstone, paperweight, brush rest, brush washer..." He pointed to each item in turn, then to the window. "The water is over there. First, take the inkstone there to wash it clean. Then add some water, not too much. Hold the ink stick vertically, like this, with just the right amount of pressure. Then, draw circles. The longer you grind, the darker the ink will be. If it's too light, don't grind it for too long. You can add water if you want. After using the ink, let it dry before storing it. The inkstone also needs to be washed. Take the water used for washing out and pour it away..."
Ru Hui taught very carefully, and Shan Lai listened very attentively. Both of them were completely absorbed and did not care about anything else, so when someone spoke, they were both startled.
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