Lu Zilei is the eldest grandson of the Lu family, with a bright future ahead of him. He is not someone a county magistrate's daughter like her could possibly be worthy of.
Instead of wasting time on Lu Zilei, why not take a look at Lu Xiaoyang, Lu's cousin?
Although Lu Xiaoyang is not a direct descendant of the Lu family, he now lives in the Lu family and receives the same treatment as the Lu family's descendants. Although he has not studied, he does business in the prefectural city just like Lianhua. Although he cannot pursue an official career, with the Lu family as his backer, no one dares to look down on him even if he is doing business.
More importantly, although Lu Xiaoyang is a businessman, the Lu family also pays great attention to his upbringing. Although he cannot compare with Lu Zilei in terms of academics, he is not bad either, and he has not neglected martial arts either. It is no exaggeration to say that he is well-rounded in both academics and martial arts.
Lu Xiaoyang is good-looking, and her smile is also beautiful. The two small dimples on her face give people a very approachable feeling, but she is not the kind of person who is very casual.
In short, Li Rong is completely incomparable to him.
The two cousins came out and went in together, and no one paid any attention. Lianhua stopped talking about her and started showing off her musical skills, as Jia Yuanchun, the daughter of the county magistrate, took the initiative to perform.
The music was melodious and pleasant, and everyone listened attentively. The two sisters quietly went in and sat down, but their attention remained on Lotus.
At this moment, Lotus was listening to the music with her eyes closed, her fingers tapping absently on the table, seemingly in sync with the rhythm of the music.
The two cousins exchanged a glance. Could it be that Lotus knows music?
This realization surprised both of them. After all, Lianhua's background was really not good, and after the Lu family became rich, she had been helping the family with the business. It was already remarkable that she could learn to read and do accounting in such a short time. She could even understand music, which really put these young ladies to shame.
They soon discovered that not only Lianhua was like this, but Lu Youyou next to her was also like this. Could it be that the Lu family had secretly hired a female tutor to teach them privately?
After the piece ended, everyone applauded politely, and Jia Yuanchun shyly put away her zither and went back to sit down.
When noble ladies gather together, they often perform for each other, showcasing their strengths and learning from each other. This also provides them with topics to discuss. Such behavior is very common, and no one thinks much of it.
But today she's come to the Lu family. Those who know her know that the Lu family comes from a poor background and may not understand these refined things. Yet Jia Yuanchun brought a zither specifically to demonstrate it. Anyone with a brain knows what she meant.
On the surface, they flattered and fawned over him, but in reality, they still looked down on the Lu family.
Zhang Lanxiang and Liu Yuexiang didn't say much, but quietly watched how the Lu family would retaliate, their eyes filled with anticipation.
But the Lu family seemed oblivious to everything. They listened attentively when they were supposed to and applauded enthusiastically when it was time to applaud, making them arguably the most good-natured hosts.
Jia Yuanchun looked at Lianhua and Youyatou, who seemed to know nothing but clapping, and a hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.
As expected of a country bumpkin, she doesn't understand these refined things at all. All she knows how to do is clap when she hears the music. It's a shame that her elders praised her so highly and told her to get along well with the Lu family. It seems she's nothing special.
"I wonder if Miss Lotus has any skills she knows? Why don't you show them to us?"
Jia Yuanchun smiled slightly, her face kind and gentle, as if she were truly harmless.
The others rolled their eyes at the sight, but didn't say anything. While they wouldn't kick someone when they were down, they were happy to see the Lu family make a fool of themselves. If this got out, they would lose face.
Lotus stood up without flinching and said with a smile, "I don't know much about other things either, so why don't I play a piece for everyone?"
After saying this, before anyone could be surprised that she also knew about music, she had a maid bring in a zither.
Compared to the zither that Jia Yuanchun bought at great expense, the Lotus zither is much simpler. It's an entry-level zither with rough workmanship and a simple design. It can only ensure that every note is accurate, but it's impossible for it to have any other advantages.
Upon seeing the instrument, the crowd's gazes turned even more disdainful.
What good stuff can come out of this?
However, they were quickly proven wrong, especially Jia Yuanchun, who had just deliberately provoked Lianhua; her face had turned a deep purplish-red.
Because Lotus not only understands music and can play the piano, but she is also playing the same piece she just played.
Most importantly, Lotus played a more beautiful tune on this ordinary instrument than she could ever have played.
It's the same piece of music, but the mood it evokes is completely different. The rhythm is much lighter, and the most classic part is the self-composed twist at the end, which is melodious and affectionate, leaving a lasting impression.
It took a while for everyone to realize they should applaud after it ended, and this time the applause was much more enthusiastic than the last.
Many people who were previously unconvinced are now willingly applauding her, which clearly shows that Lianhua's strength far surpasses that of Jia Yuanchun.
"It's truly unbelievable that Miss Lotus is so talented. This piece is so difficult, yet Miss Lotus can play it so beautifully. In particular, she even composed her own version of the second part. She's really amazing!"
"Yes! And Miss Lotus's zither is so ordinary. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that this zither could play such a melodious tune!"
"It mainly depends on who plays! Look at Miss Lotus, she can play such a good ordinary zither. And look at some people, even if they buy a good zither with a lot of money, they can't play it any better."
...
This kind of behavior of praising one person while belittling another exists in every circle, especially when the contrast between the two sides is so strong. Some people are praised very highly, while others are belittled very badly.
Take Jia Yuanchun as an example.
She looked embarrassed, gripping her skirt tightly with both hands, venting her anger on the hem of her skirt to keep herself from losing control.
"Miss Lotus is indeed very talented. But since you have such skills, why did you choose to play the same piece as me? Could it be that I said something wrong and displeased you, which is why you made me feel so embarrassed?"
With tears in her eyes, she questioned Lianhua, looking extremely aggrieved. She even wondered if Lianhua only knew how to play this one piece, otherwise how could she do something so rude?
Before Lianhua could speak, Youya spoke up, "Sister Jia, you've misunderstood. Sister Lianhua absolutely didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that you played several notes wrong just now, and Sister Lianhua wanted to help you correct them. You should pay more attention next time you play. Those notes are quite simple. Although you can't usually hear the difference, if you listen carefully, there is a big difference."
When Youya said this, her face was full of innocence, and it was as if the words "We're doing this for your own good" were written all over her forehead.
If it weren't for the fact that this little girl was young, her skills were still shallow, and her tone was clearly cheerful, everyone would have believed her.
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