After the guests left, several servants were sweeping the main hall and the yard. His younger brother, the cowherd, was in the room with Second Madam Ding, while Ruan Jiading was watching Mi Niang writing.
"This character is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The pen tip should be sharp. Yes, that's right."
Mi Niang rewrote it as her father had said. She couldn't really stay at home to escape the heat, so she got up early every day to read as she did in school, asked Ruan Jiading to teach her Fourth Uncle for half an hour, and then started practicing calligraphy, playing the pipa, etc.
Among them, Grandma Gui's son also came to live in her house because he was going to take the provincial examination. After his arrival, he moved a lot of new furniture and servants in, and Grandma Gui also sent a lot of chickens, ducks, fish and meat.
Although Ruan Shiyi is about to become a father, he is still undecided. When he saw Mi Niang, he wanted to pick her up and spin around. Ruan Jiading said, "Brother Shiyi, I am seven years old. I am a big girl."
Ruan Shiyi then put down his hands awkwardly. After his cousin became pregnant, the young couple had thought about what kind of child they would have in the future. If it was a daughter, it would be great if she was as cute as Mi Niang.
However, when Ruan Shiyi saw how hard Mi Niang studied, and knew that she had only studied for half a year, he was really impressed.
"Little Mi Niang, maybe you will be a talented girl in our family in the future."
Ruan Jiading said proudly: "Mi Niang entered school the latest, but she always took first place in every quarterly exam. I was worried that I would hold her back, so I had to spend half an hour every day to teach her. She is also very perceptive."
In fact, Ruan Jiading has been studying hard in the academy for the past six months. Now that he has returned, he has almost been in the study room except for instructing Ruan Shiyi and Mi Niang in his spare time.
During the month at home, Mi Niang did not relax for a moment. Second Mistress Ding hugged her daughter and said, "Relax a little, don't be so tired. I am in confinement and can't take care of you too much. You should eat well and tell me what you want to eat. Do you hear me?"
My husband, as a student on government stipend, earned about 20 to 30 taels of silver by acting as guarantor for others. This was after excluding those with bad conduct and those he was not familiar with. Otherwise, he would have earned much more. I heard that a student on government stipend in Ruan Jiading Prefecture accepted all offers and earned 70 to 80 taels of silver.
Only then did Mrs. Ding realize that there were differences between scholars and that if one studied well, one could really make money.
Now that she has money, of course she has more money on hand. Under the advice of her mother-in-law, Aunt Ding also stayed in confinement for another month to recuperate.
She was not bad to her daughter and even had someone boil some large bones for her to eat yesterday.
"Mom, my daughter is going to be a big fat girl." Mother Mi kissed her brother, the cowherd's, on the little face and acted coquettishly to her mother.
Second Madam Ding shook her head and said, "Nonsense, my daughter is so pretty. Besides, it's been so hard this year, I'm just worried that you're too tired."
Mi Niang said, "My daughter is not tired. She wishes she could learn more good things. Now that I have given birth to my younger brother, I should take good care of myself."
"You're going to school tomorrow, don't work too hard."
"I understand, mother."
After not seeing each other for a month, everyone was very happy to see each other again. Ji Chunfang went to the farm for vacation and her face was tanned, but she was in good spirits.
"When we were tired, we rested on the stone benches, enjoying the cool breeze and the lush shade of the trees. We didn't need to use ice every day and slept very well."
Mi Niang said enviously: "I had prickly heat on my neck, but fortunately I put out a cool bed to rest at night and it got much better." She used to be an ice user, but she thought ice was too cold. Now she realizes the benefits of ice, but unfortunately, ice is too expensive and ordinary people can't afford it.
Guo Yaoyu immediately took out some anti-prickly heat powder from her purse and handed it to her: "I am afraid of heat too, so I always have anti-prickly heat powder with me. You can use it!"
She no longer looked as gloomy as before, and looked as natural as before.
"Thank you, Chief." Although Mi Niang's prickly heat had disappeared long ago, she still accepted Guo Yaoyu's kindness.
It was a new day, and Mi Niang was still studying hard. Mr. Xue looked at her calligraphy and the poems she composed and couldn't help asking, "Have you been studying at home as well?"
Mi Niang shook her head: "I haven't been learning it all the time, but my dad gives me some pointers at home." She couldn't attract too much hatred, as that wouldn't be a good thing.
A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.
Mr. Xue said, "It's already very good."
In the second half of the year they also have to learn a course on making incense, which costs three cents in total. Mi Niang is very interested in making incense. She has been using incense in the palace for many years, but she is more interested in identifying whether there is anything harmful in it.
As for the three taels of silver, Mi Niang didn't need to tell her parents, because she had it herself.
Guo Yaoyu had a smooth process in collecting the first six people, but got stuck with Zhou Furou.
Zhou Furou said embarrassedly: "Section Chief, I, I have no money..."
The girls couldn't bear to see their classmate in trouble, so Guo Yaoyu called on everyone to pool some money together and give it to Zhou Furou, and everyone agreed.
The literati like fresh fragrance the most. Mr. Xue first taught them how to make cypress fragrance, then osmanthus fragrance and hundred flowers fragrance. Everyone was very relaxed when making incense, occasionally chatting a little, and the girls also had their own worries.
The older girls gathered together to gossip about their parents, while the younger girls played with poems. As for Tao Chun'er and Wang Sumin, the two engaged girls, they talked in private.
Only Zhou Furou was left alone, as if she couldn't fit into any group.
Ji Chunfang and Guo Yaoyu were talking in private, which involved the thoughts of girls and was not convenient for others to hear. She was not familiar with Mi Niang and Luo Qiujun, but she was a little familiar with Guo Yaoxian, but Guo Yaoxian and Mi Niang were inseparable in their poetry duet, and she could not get involved.
Zhou Furou really wanted to leave here. She didn't understand what Mr. Xue said. It seemed that everyone had changed in just half a year.
However, we really didn't know what to say to her. If Mi Niang came later, but insisted on keeping up, she was almost always reciting books when Zhou Furou was fighting with others in the past few months. However, Zhou Furou couldn't keep up. We could help her for a day or two, but it would be difficult for us to help her over time.
Especially Mr. Xue's girls' school. Their parents sent them here not for entertainment, but to learn something. Except for the Ji and Tao families, the rest of the families were not particularly wealthy, and they were unwilling to waste money and cherished the time their girls spent in school.
Mi Niang took the prepared incense back and gave it to Ding Ernai. Her mother was also very curious when she saw it. Her little brother was sleeping soundly beside her, so she went forward and kissed his soft little face.
"Mi Niang, next time you can't help Zhou Furou with money. People have always helped in times of emergency, not in times of poverty. I can't always rely on you guys for help."
"The section chief was afraid that she would be embarrassed, so he asked everyone to pay together." Mi Niang certainly knew this.
Mrs. Ding said, "If our family doesn't have spare money, then at worst we can just not study. Reading and writing are also fine."
Mi Niang nodded: "My daughter understands."
But Second Mistress Ding has predicted that next time, Mr. Xue will teach everyone how to make silk velvet flowers, and you have to prepare the ingredients yourself.
Mi Niang told Ding Er Niang first, and after school she and Er Niu bought it before going home. The next day, Zhou Furou didn't bring it again, and Mr. Xue couldn't help getting angry.
"Zhou Furou, didn't I say we were going to learn flower tying today? This is considered a woman's grooming, why didn't you bring it with you?"
Zhou Furou pinched the corner of her clothes, her eyes filled with tears, and said anxiously, "Sir, my aunt won't let me buy it."
She actually went back and told him this, but her aunt looked at her uncle and shook her head. After that, she wanted to ask Madam Zhang for help. After all, Madam Zhang was very kind to her, and her aunt was happy to take her to pay her respects to Madam Zhang.
Little did she know that Mrs. Zhang said that she had heard from Mr. Xue that she was the worst in academic performance and was very unhappy. She told her to study hard, otherwise it would be a waste of her efforts.
Zhou Furou felt even more aggrieved.
Seeing her like this, Mr. Xue didn't know what to say. He just asked the female students if they had any extra ones. Tao Chun'er hesitated for a moment, and was pulled by Wang Sumin, so she stopped talking.
Even though Ji Chunfang knew that Zhou Furou was quite favored by the inspector's wife, she did not speak up. She saw that Zhou Furou was ignorant and the inspector's wife would be leaving next year. This young girl was not fit for any important task. Even Ji Chunfang did not know why the inspector's wife would like her.
It was understandable that he fell in love with Ruan Mi Niang. After all, Mi Niang had already shown signs of being attracted to the country at a young age. She was talented, and she was also smart and intelligent.
I really can't understand it.
Mr. Xue was certainly unwilling to break the rules for Zhou Furou. Today she didn't bring her with her, so next time he would have to pay for it. This couldn't be allowed.
Zhou Furou leaned against Tao Chun'er with a wronged look on her face. Tao Chun'er asked in a low voice, "Last year when we were painting, didn't Madam Zhang also give you brushes and paints? She knows Mr. Xue. She should have prepared the things we needed these days for you. She knows your situation."
"Maybe I did poorly on the exam." Zhou Furou said sadly.
Tao Chun'er shook her head: "But weren't you ranked last last year? Wasn't she still very nice to you then?"
Mi Niang also agreed with what she heard. Zhou Furou had a weak foundation. Since the last-ranked person treated her so well last year, why did she change this year?
Thinking of this, Mi Niang looked at Zhou Furou's clothes again. It seemed that Zhou Furou had not worn soft satin since she got first place in the quarterly exam.
How strange!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
