Chapter 12 Sending My Brother to School
There was no way Xu Shuyao knew about this matter.
She only knew that Liu Qingwan fell ill soon. She followed her second and third cousins to the Rose Courtyard to visit her. She saw the girl, who was as shaped as a tender willow, leaning in the brocade quilt. Although her face was pale, her eyes were not weak.
Even Xu Shuyao saw a bit of ruthlessness in her.
She felt that the look was somewhat familiar, and later she realized that the unwillingness in Miss Liu's eyes was very similar to that of the drowning cat in the Xu family's old house. Even when one foot stepped into the mud, it did not forget to turn around and give the aunt who caught it a fatal blow.
Xu Shuyao was a little curious about what had happened to Liu Qingwan.
A few people came out of the Rose Courtyard, and the cousins' visiting gifts also arrived.
Except for Xiao Jinrong, the rest of the cousins were sent over by their maids.
Seeing her second brother coming in person, the third young lady, Xiao Jinshan, couldn't help but feel unhappy: "Second brother! Can you also let the maid take it in?"
Xiao Jinrong turned around when he heard the voice and saw that besides his third sister, there was also his second sister Xiao Jinyi, and the cousin who came to live with her relatives. He suppressed his unhappiness and glanced at the maids guarding the door of the Rose Courtyard. In the end, he stopped and said, "Okay."
Xu Shuyao saw Xiao Jinshan leaning over to talk to her second brother, as if considering leaving together. Even her second cousin Jinyi was standing aside waiting for them, so she took the initiative to say, "Shuyao still has to go to my aunt's Jinhua Hall to deliver something, so she will leave first."
The third girl, Jinshan, didn't care, but her cousin Jinyi looked at her inquiringly before saying "okay" again.
In the following days, Xu Shuyao continued to stay quietly in Jiyunzhai, and except for paying her respects to Jinhuatang and Songhetang every day, she did not go anywhere else.
But even when paying her respects every day, she still had to cross most of the inner courtyard, and it was inevitable that she would meet the young masters in the mansion.
Xu Shuyao later ran into Xiao Jinrong several times outside Jinhua Hall or on the way back. Thinking about what he said when he first came to the mansion, she naturally did not have a good impression of her aunt's stepson, but she did not show it on her face.
Every time he would just call him "Second Cousin" politely and leave it at that, without deliberately going up to him to chat.
Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and she observed the most basic etiquette but was not warm. After a few times, Xiao Jinrong looked at her with a thoughtful look.
However, he did not think that this cousin of the Xu family was really obedient, and perhaps she was planning something bigger.
The more she acted cold towards him, the more Xiao Jinrong felt that this woman was cunning and the same type of person as his stepmother. She seemed to have no faults, but who knows what she was doing behind his back!
Xu Shuyao was unaware of his conjecture. A few days later, Master Xiao II sent someone to Jiyunzhai to convey a message that they had already agreed with the Shen family and Shu Heng could go to school the next day.
The brother and sister were very happy about this, and Jinhuatang sent them writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone a few days ago.
Xu Shuyao instructed Yuzhu to help Ah Di put everything away in his school bag, and repeatedly instructed the servant who followed him, "You must always stay close to Young Master Shu Heng. On the way back and forth, try to go with the Fourth and Fifth Young Masters. If you encounter any trouble with others, you can also go to them. If you encounter any problems that cannot be solved, you must return to the Duke's Mansion as soon as possible to find someone. Do you understand?"
The servant was a houseboy. His father was a steward in the courtyard of Master Xiao Er. His surname was Cheng. He had always wanted his son to learn to read and write. However, the number of servants who followed the young master to study in the mansion was always fixed.
Manager Cheng is in the second house, so the second house only has Xiao Jinrong as its only child, who is now old.
Manager Cheng had originally given up hope on this, but unexpectedly a cousin came to his house.
When Manager Cheng heard that Xu Shuheng was going to study at the Shen family, he immediately asked Master Xiao for help, and only then did Cheng An come to Xu Shuheng's side.
Cheng An listened attentively, fearing that there would be any omissions. He had followed Young Master Shu Heng for the past few days and had already learned a few words. He was excited and thought of the exhortations his old father had given him when he came. Now was the time to be fully motivated.
He immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, young lady, I understand everything."
His eyes sparkled when he spoke. He was a very clever and intelligent boy, Xu Shuyao thought.
The Shen family is also in the West City, only two alleys away from the Chengguo Mansion on Ping'an Street.
Xu Shuyao sent them to the second gate and waited for a while, then saw the two young masters of the third house coming out one after another.
The fourth young master, Xiao Jinwen, is now fifteen years old. It is said that he will no longer need to go to the clan school after he turns sixteen.
If a son of a noble family in the capital wants to take the imperial examination, it will be much easier than for ordinary students. The previous provincial examination may even be simplified and he can directly take the metropolitan examination.
The eldest son of the Xiao family inherited the title, and the third son followed the Duke to the border.
The second young master is still in the mansion. I heard that he plans to ask the emperor to grant him a sinecure just like his father did.
Following Xiao Jinwen out was the fifth young master Xiao Jinli, who was only thirteen years old now.
When Xu Shuyao saw the two men coming, she hurriedly took her brother to greet them.
Xiao Jinwen had received his father's instructions yesterday. When he saw them, he naturally called Xu Shuheng to his side and said, "You and I will ride in a carriage later."
Xu Shuyao's eyebrows moved, and she quickly looked up at the young man who was only one year older than her. She saw that he was wearing a moon-white round-necked robe with green bamboo patterns, and his half-buckled hair was fixed with a jade hairpin. At this moment, he was looking at her with a smile in his eyes.
"You are Xu's cousin, right?" The boy's voice had just begun to change, and his voice was clear but still a little hoarse.
Xu Shuyao nodded with some surprise. Although she was told by the maid from a distance that the person in front of her was the fourth young master of the Xiao family, this was the first time they had met formally.
"Hello, fourth cousin! Shu Heng would like to ask cousin to give her more advice..." She said halfway and felt a little rash. Why should she ask the young master of the Duke's Mansion to help her take care of her younger brother?
Just looking up, seeing the young man's smiling eyes filled with encouragement, the embarrassment in my heart finally eased a little: "Then I'll trouble you, fourth cousin."
Xu Shuyao believed that Xiao Jinwen asked his younger brother to ride in the same carriage with him because he had something to tell him and even wanted to take care of him.
She turned around and saw the food box in Molan's hand. She quickly handed Xiao Jinwen a box of pastries she had prepared last night. "This is what I prepared for my younger brother last night. If you don't mind its simplicity, you can take it to the car to fill your stomach."
Seeing him looking at her, she added, "This is the flavor of our Huzhou."
Xiao Jinwen took it with both hands and handed it to the servant beside him.
Xu Shuyao then took out another box of cakes and gave it to the Fifth Young Master.
Xiao Jinli was a rather sturdy man with a childish look. He took the cake and picked up a piece, mumbling, "It's delicious! Don't worry! I'll protect my cousin from now on, and no one will dare bully him."
He looked like a little bully, with biscuit crumbs on his lips, and immediately made everyone present laugh.
Xu Shuyao also smiled, with the corners of her lips slightly curved, and waved to her brother facing the rising sun.
He wanted to say something but hesitated. The concern in his eyes made his heart soften.
It was not until the carriage began to shake that Xiao Jinwen looked back and saw his cousin Xu still standing there, looking reluctant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
