"Maybe Mrs. Zhang feels that she is not as good as you, the newcomer, so she is so angry." After hearing her daughter's doubts, Mrs. Ding could only think so.
Mi Niang nodded: "You have a point. But why not send the Buddha to the west? Studying in a girls' school like ours is expensive in itself. Not to mention the cost of paper and pens, even the daily tea costs money. Zhou Furou is still young and still living in her aunt's house. She must not have much money, and even if she had some, she would leave it to her son. Sometimes I feel pity for her, and sometimes I think it would be better if she didn't come."
Every time Zhou Furou attended lectures in the private school, it was like listening to a foreign language. She had limited paper and pens. She heard that the lights were turned off very early at her aunt's house, and there was no one to teach her on weekdays. Of course, this might be an external reason. If it were Mi Niang, she would have chiseled the wall to steal light and practiced calligraphy with sand on the ground. If she had no money at school, she would not attend other classes and would have been good at studying and writing. She would never look for external reasons.
But Zhou Furou was still young, she didn't understand the importance of studying, and no one told her. Mrs. Zhang rashly pushed her to this level, but then left her alone, which was a bit irresponsible.
Mrs. Ding sighed, "Mi Niang, you have a kind heart, but you must know that people should do things within their means. If you just rely on the kindness of others to make a living, that is unreliable." She didn't say the rest, which is that if you rely on a man's conscience to make a living, that is also unreliable.
"Mother, what you said is all good advice. I will remember it."
When Mi Niang went to her room to read, Ruan Jiading came to see her. Mrs. Ding's cheeks were rosy because she had just breastfed. Her clothes were half open, and she couldn't help feeling shy when she saw him come in.
Ruan Jiading smiled and said, "You will be out of confinement in a few days, are you feeling better now?"
Mrs. Ding said shyly, "Much better."
When the couple was young, they spent less time together than together. Now that they are together, they have a very good relationship. Ruan Jiading coughed lightly and said casually, "There is incense burning in this room. What kind of incense is it? It smells so good."
"It's Kashiwagi Xiang. Your daughter learned it at the private school. After she learned it, she insisted on teaching me in the future."
"Miss Mi is very skillful."
"That's right. If I hadn't been in confinement, I could have taken care of her. Erniu, who takes care of her, is not careful enough. She caused Mi Niang to get prickly heat before, and then she didn't even bother to fumigate the insects when she was bitten by mosquitoes." Second Madam Ding was afraid that her daughter would have a scar somewhere, and she also complained about the servants' poor care.
Ruan Jiading smiled and said, "No problem. I will buy someone to serve me when I pass the provincial examination. Forget about Wang Wu. His two girls can be married off when the time comes. This will also save the fourth wife Shang's face."
Mrs. Ding couldn't help but sigh: "Second Master, I'm very happy that you always think of me, but it would be even better if you could win. From now on, the three of us, mother and daughter, will never have to be bullied again."
"How can you say such a thing? Who dares to bully you?"
"I don't mind. Our Mi Niang is so beautiful, like a pearl. She can shine even in a humble room. As she grows older, she will probably become more outstanding. If we adults can protect her, she will live a happy life. Otherwise..."
Ruan Jiading was stunned when he heard this. It was indeed true. Being too beautiful and outstanding in an ordinary family was not necessarily a good thing!
"Well, don't worry, I will definitely do well in the exam and be able to protect my daughter."
The couple whispered a few words to each other, and then a shadow flashed by outside.
If it wasn't the eldest girl, then who else could it be? She wasn't eavesdropping on purpose. She just took advantage of the good mother-in-law being busy in the kitchen to sweep the yard. On weekdays, Ruan Shiyi's servants only served Ruan Shiyi, and she and her mother were still doing the rough work. Of course, Second Mistress Ding also paid them wages.
But what she heard shocked her greatly. She never expected that Second Grandma would chase her and her sister out.
Erniu would have given up, if she begged the young lady, maybe the young lady would let her stay. Besides, Erniu was still young, and even if she got married, it would take her several years. But she was different, she was not young anymore, and there was no way she could marry a good man.
She glanced at the main wife, gritted her teeth and made up her mind. She thought she had to wait for an opportunity and act in the future, but she was afraid that she could not wait any longer. Her master would go to Wuchang after the annual examination and would not come back, so she would have no chance.
"Mi Niang, I have a collection of Wang Bo's poems here. Here, you can take a look." Guo Yaoyu handed the collection of poems to Mi Niang.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "Then I thank you very much, Section Chief. Oh, by the way, Section Chief, you don't have to return my copy of Li Yi'an's lyrics to me so quickly."
Luo Qiujun's books were basically not loaned out, but Guo Yaoyu liked poetry and had many books at home, which they often exchanged.
"Why do you like Wang Bo? I thought with your personality, you should like Yi An." Guo Yaoyu was still a little puzzled.
Because Mi Niang showed extraordinary talent at such a young age, she could play the pipa well after only half a year of learning. She is very talented and she is likely to become a very spiritual poet in the future.
Mi Niang said, "My favorite line is from his "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng", 'The poorer you are, the more determined you will be, and your ambition will never be shaken.'"
What this means is that even when the situation is getting more difficult, you must remain firm in your beliefs and must not give up on your goals.
"This is a very good ambition." Guo Yaoyu nodded.
After saying that, she saw Ji Chunfang holding his chin in his hand in a daze, so she walked over and asked, "What are you thinking about? Why are you in a daze?"
Ji Chunfang shook her head, "It's because my aunt is coming. She is always like an eagle that won't let go of a rabbit. I'm worried about her. Every time she comes home, she asks for money and never pays it back. Her son likes gambling and playing cards and doesn't do business. My father went to Kaifeng to discuss business recently. My mother just recovered from her illness. She is staying here for a month. I don't know how she will cope with it."
"There are so many servants in your family, and your grandmother is also there. If your mother is tired, just relax." Guo Yaoyu comforted.
But Ji Chunfang said, "It's not just because of this. She always wants my cousin to marry me."
Everyone suddenly understood the situation. No wonder Ji Chunfang was worried. If it was a matter of money, giving her a little wouldn't be a big deal. After all, the Ji family was not short of money.
But it would be difficult to arrange a marriage, as it was common for cousins to marry each other. Moreover, the old lady of the Ji family loved her daughter, so marrying her granddaughter to the Ji family would benefit both the Ji family and Mrs. Ji.
"It would be fine if it was really for my own good, but my cousin is a good-for-nothing and illiterate man. If I marry him, he would be sucking my blood!"
Mi Niang comforted her, "Sister Ji, you worry too much. Marriage has always been a serious matter, and it is decided by parents and matchmakers. If your mother were here, she would definitely not agree."
Ji Chunfang smiled bitterly: "My mother didn't give birth to a son, so the second and third aunts usually take turns to manage the household. No matter what she says, I'm afraid my father and my grandmother won't listen."
Everyone knows that the person who has always been the housekeeper in Ji Chunfang's family is Second Niang, who was born as a maidservant of the old lady. She has a close relationship with Master Ji and is very capable. Third Niang is the daughter of a beggar leader and has a wide network of contacts, and is well connected in both the black and white worlds.
Both of them have sons.
This is probably why Ji Chunfang is close to the Guo family. She also wants to take advantage of the situation to make her and her daughter live better in the Ji family.
Mi Niang patted her shoulder and said, "I am just a little girl, and I can only help a limited amount. But if Sister Ji needs me, just come to me."
Ji Chunfang was immediately grateful.
Who knew that before the Ji family's troubles even started, a fire broke out in their own backyard. When the eldest girl brought in tea, Mi Niang was almost suffocated by the osmanthus hair oil. When she saw how she was dressed, Mi Niang couldn't help but squint her eyes and became alert.
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