Learning to read is cute
Jiang Yan had said that she needed Xiao Le's permission to go see her, and that she could no longer leave her post and sneak over.
So, after getting permission, Ah Chou carried the food box and walked briskly straight to the library, feeling exceptionally happy. He didn't like sneaking around.
In most cases, Jiang Yan Hui wouldn't refuse, but she would always ask for some benefits in return...
Ah Chou touched his stinging lower lip, stomped his feet to dispel the heat, and buried his head to concentrate on walking.
The library only needs a thorough cleaning once a year; it's usually locked, and only Jiang Yanhui and Uncle Ban have the keys.
I've never heard of anyone being assigned to work in the library, but since Jiang Yan said it was true, then it must be.
When Ah Chou arrived at the library full of anticipation, he couldn't find Xiao Le anywhere. The library door was open, and even if Xiao Le was careless, he wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Just as Ah Chou was hesitating at the door, unsure whether to stay or leave, his ears twitched slightly, catching a faint sound coming from behind the bookshelf.
Following the sound, Ah Chou peeked out and saw Xiao Le hurriedly stuffing things under the bookshelf.
He realized it was Ah Chou who had come, and visibly breathed a sigh of relief, plopping down on the ground. "I was so scared! I thought it was Uncle Ban."
The things that had just been stuffed in were pulled out by Xiao Le again. They were two books without covers, but Xiao Le treated them like treasures and patted off non-existent dust.
Xiao Le held it up proudly and shook it, saying, "Look what this is!"
Noticing Ah Chou's confused look, he simply pulled her to sit down beside him and explained, "Although the library is quiet and there's not much to do, I always think that one can't stand still. I reckon I won't have the chance to serve the master anymore, so I might as well use my shift time to secretly learn to read."
Xiao Le lowered his voice, "Not many of the servants in the manor can read. As long as I can learn the basics, I can be transferred to management. Maybe I can even learn something from Uncle Ban!"
Xiao Le's ever-positive attitude is something that A Chou admires. No matter what difficulties he encounters, as long as he has a life left, he will stubbornly break through the wall like a weed, even if he is in a crack in the rock.
He nodded repeatedly to express his support for Xiao Le, but couldn't help but think about what Xiao Le had said.
People always strive for higher goals; being content with the status quo leads to the loss of self without realizing it.
If one day Jiang Yan Hui gets tired of him, or if Jiang Yan Hui no longer likes his appearance, then he will become someone that everyone in the Prince's mansion can laugh at.
Xiao Le complained with a pained expression, "I always hear people say that there are houses of gold in books, and I think reading books is gold for me! These two books are so tattered, yet they still cost me three months' wages, and I had to ask the purchasing agent to go to three different places to buy them."
"However..." Xiao Le changed her mind faster than turning the pages of a book. She opened the book with great interest and moved it in front of A Chou. "This book is still very suitable for us who have no one to teach us and are learning on our own. Isn't it simple and easy to understand?"
Learning to read is not easy; if you don't know it, you just don't know it. Even if you stare through a hole in the paper, you still won't be able to recognize what it is.
But there are always people in the world who cannot afford to go to school or have no way to go to school, so some clever people use pictures to teach people to recognize words.
On the page that Xiao Le turned to, there was a big white goose drawn next to an unfamiliar character. Even if the reader couldn't read the character, they would recognize the goose.
"Isn't it easy to understand? It's just that there are only so many characters that can be drawn. There's no way to draw anything more complicated." Xiao Le thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "But knowing these is enough for now. Maybe if I work under Uncle Ban, I'll have better learning opportunities."
Ah Chou was so engrossed in his book that he didn't even hear Xiao Le calling him. He only started to shrink back in surprise when he put his hand right in front of his eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Le asked with her big eyes. "After I finish watching, do you want to learn something too?"
Ah Chou readily agreed, then remembered the food box he had brought. Upon opening it, the aroma filled the air, making one's stomach rumble with hunger.
"I knew you were the best to me!" Xiao Le hugged Achou and rubbed against him affectionately. She picked up the food box and pulled Achou up with her. "Let's eat at the door. I dare not eat in the library."
The two sat side by side on the steps in front of the library, just like when they used to clean the library together.
Xiao Le's cheeks were bulging, and she squinted her eyes happily. She nudged A Chou's shoulder and asked indistinctly, "How are you doing serving in Wang Zun's courtyard these days? The people serving there shouldn't dare to play any tricks on you, right?"
Ah Chou, who had been lost in thought, was brought back to his senses and shook his head with a slight smile.
The servants who could serve in Jiang Yan's courtyard were all carefully selected and rigorously trained top-notch servants. Even though they had many grievances about Ah Chou's deep favor with the king, they dared not do anything to harm him.
"Why do you look so troubled?" Xiao Le leaned closer to A Chou to observe his expression, then waved his fist and warned, "If you're unhappy about anything or if someone bullies you, you have to tell me, and I'll beat him up for you!"
Ah Chou smiled, much more cheerful this time.
His distraction wasn't because he'd been bullied, but rather because of a surge of familiarity that came over him when Xiao Le took out the book and pointed it out to him.
Ah Chou is unaware of his own origins. As far back as he can remember, he has been traveling with caravans that transport and sell slaves. He would occasionally hear them talking about him while they were drinking at night. They would say that he was an orphan abandoned on the grasslands, half-dead and costing them a lot of money to treat him. They thought they could sell him for a good price because of his good looks, but they ended up saving a mute who was a loss.
With his mind preoccupied with nothing but basic survival, Ah Chou had no time to think about the past or where his family was. Living in the present was the most important thing.
Now that he has all the material comforts he needs, Ah Chou greedily wants to find his lost memories, to know who he really is, where he was born, and why his parents abandoned him on the desolate grassland...
There were so many things that puzzled Ah Chou, like an invisible stone pressing on his chest, making him feel suffocated whenever he thought about them.
——
After a half-day of sunshine, the rain started falling again, pattering against the eaves.
Inside, dehumidifying incense was burned to block out the moisture from outside, and it had a light, refreshing fragrance with a calming effect.
Jiang Yanhui uses spices very frequently, mostly medicinal fragrances prepared by doctors to help her recover, and they also contain extra calming ingredients.
Outside the half-open window, the crabapple trees are already lush and green. The buds, about to bloom, are slightly unfurling after being washed by the rain, and a delicate fragrance can be discerned upon close inspection.
Rainwater seeped in with the wind, leaving glistening droplets on the windowsill. The mist dampened half of Jiang Yanhui's body, but she showed no intention of closing the window. The bamboo scroll on her lap remained untouched as she gazed absently out the window, seemingly waiting for something.
The sound of splashing water grew louder as it approached, and ripples finally appeared in Jiang Yanhui's calm and unwavering eyes.
She gazed at Ah Chou, who stood by the window, her hair sticking to her fair face, her bright eyes reminding Jiang Yan of the diamonds she had seen in her father's storeroom, dazzling in the sunlight.
"you……"
Snap—
The window was slammed shut from the outside, startling Jiang Yanhui.
After waiting for a while, Jiang Yan returned but he still hadn't come in. Her desire to find fault and make fun of him had been exhausted, so she had no choice but to get off the bed and go to the outer room herself. There she saw Ah Chou standing under the eaves, wringing out the water from his clothes. He looked silly.
Although it's spring, the rain is still chilly. If you stand soaked to the bone at the door for even a short while, you'll surely collapse the next day.
Jiang Yanhui's impression of Ah Chou's foolishness deepened.
Meanwhile, Ah Chou, who was focused on wringing out the water, was inwardly complaining about Jiang Yan Hui's strangeness. It was raining and she hadn't even closed the window. Not only was the rain blowing in and damaging the furniture, but Doctor Zhang had repeatedly told her that her body couldn't be exposed to moisture. This person was completely careless.
Heaven knows how complicated his feelings were when he rushed back from the library in the rain and saw Jiang Yanhui sitting by the window, exposed to the wind and rain.
A towel flew over and covered Ah Chou's head. He shoved it aside a couple of times to reveal his eyes, which met Jiang Yan Hui's slightly worried gaze.
"Wipe yourself off, go back and change your clothes."
Ah Chou didn't want to get sick, so she obediently listened to him, wrapped herself in a towel, and went back to her room along the corridor to change her clothes.
Jiang Yan leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed, only turning her gaze away when the increasingly heavy rain obscured Ah Chou's slender figure. A smile, unnoticed by herself, appeared on her lips.
The boredom caused by the absence of others vanished instantly. He went back to his room, added incense to the incense burner, and lazily sprawled out on the soft couch.
A short while later, Ah Chou returned with a towel, having changed his clothes. All his clothes were given to him only after Jiang Yan had given them to him. While the material and style of each piece might not be the latest fashion, they were perfectly suited to Ah Chou.
The pale yellow cuffs adorned with small pink flowers give off a fresh and natural vibe while retaining the liveliness appropriate for this age, making the wearer look beautiful, youthful, and adorable.
Jiang Yan asked in return, "Have you gone to see the person?"
Ah Chou neatly tied her half-dried hair behind her head and nodded in response.
Just as he was worrying about how to dry his hair, two servants entered carrying braziers of charcoal.
Jiang Yanhui, who was arranging everything, acted as if she were detached from the matter. She tapped her finger and then lowered her head to continue reading the ancient text on the bamboo slips.
The only sounds in the quiet room were the patter of rain and the rustling of hair being rubbed. Ah Chou, who had unconsciously relaxed while smelling the fragrance, began to drift off again, her eyebrows and eyes drooping with worry over her many thoughts.
Jiang Yan glanced at Ah Chou out of the corner of her eye, taking in every move he made. She clicked her tongue lightly and said bluntly, "It's troublesome when you can't speak properly."
Ah Chou glanced at her, then lowered his head, ignoring Jiang Yan Hui's inexplicable remarks, and focused on braiding his already dried hair.
Do you want to learn to read?
Like a thunderclap out of nowhere, Ah Chou suddenly looked up and stared blankly at Jiang Yan Hui, seemingly unsure of what she had just heard.
“None of the servants who serve me are illiterate, not even able to hold a pen.”
It was clearly something that was good for Ah Chou, but when Jiang Yan Hui said it, it always had a strange sense of disdain, leaving Ah Chou with mixed feelings.
Not getting a reply, Jiang Yan sat up straight, rested her arms on her bent knees, and asked, half-pressuring and half-coercing, "While I'm in a good mood right now, do you want to learn?"
Jiang Yanhui was always decisive and efficient. The moment A Chou nodded, she got up and went to the table to spread out Xuan paper. She beckoned and said, "I'll teach you how to hold a brush first."
The rapid progress left Ah Chou bewildered. Even after standing in front of the table, he was still in a daze, gripping the pen in his own way. He stared blankly as Jiang Yanhui adjusted his hand, and his ears immediately turned red.
His warm palm enveloped his slightly cool hand, and Jiang Yanhui whispered instructions in his ear, instantly creating an incredibly ambiguous atmosphere.
Jiang Yanhui's lips were thin and pale in color, which, combined with her delicate features, gave her an air of coldness. But Ah Chou, who had tasted the flavor of love, knew all too well how hot and passionate a kiss from such lips could be, as if it could scald the soul.
Jiang Yan turned her head and asked, "Where are you looking?"
Ah Chou's palms were sweating nervously. He looked up at the sky, the ground, and the table guiltily, but dared not look at Jiang Yan again.
Jiang Yanhui stared intently at A Chou's tense profile, then slowly released her hand and said, "Draw a few strokes and let me see?"
Facing the blank Xuan paper, Ah Chou suddenly remembered the words on the page that Xiao Le had pointed out to her. Holding her breath and relying on her memory, she half-wrote and half-drawn them.
Jiang Yan raised one eyebrow. "A goose?"
Ah Chou's handwriting, like his personality, is round and blunt. It's not particularly beautiful, but it suits him quite well.
Perhaps it was the first time she had ever written anything in her memory. Ah Chou pursed her lips and looked at Jiang Yan Hui with a slightly nervous expression, her bright eyes filled with barely concealed anticipation.
Little did they know how delicious they were to be stared at like that, like a lamb waiting for a hunter's praise, completely unaware of the danger lurking before it.
Jiang Yanhui's eyes darkened, her tongue brushing against her canine teeth, and she pulled Ah Chou tightly into her arms from behind, saying in a hoarse voice, "Very cute."
Ah Chou felt a sweet warmth in his heart, unable to tell whether it was because he had gained recognition or because the person who recognized him was Jiang Yan Hui.
As I looked down to admire the words I had written, I was kissed on the back of my neck by hot lips.
Jiang Yan whispered hoarsely against his red and burning ear, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. Let's stop here for today."
Ah Chou didn't understand any of this, so whatever Jiang Yanhui said went. The next second after she nodded, she was grabbed by the wrist and led into the inner room.
The falling curtain blocked the light, and her slender waist was firmly held in his hands. Only then did Ah Chou realize the meaning behind Jiang Yan's words, but it was too late. She was helplessly dragged into the vortex of desire.
In the brief moment of clarity amidst the ups and downs and the pain, my thought was to collect the words on the table as a keepsake after it was all over.
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Author's Note: Ah Chou: Breathing...
Jiang Yanhui: Well done!
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