Chapter 35 The Teacher
After saying that, Yuan Hongqu turned to Teacher Zhong, speaking in an equally impolite tone:
"Teacher Zhong, right? Our daughter has other plans today, so she won't be able to attend your class."
Throughout the entire Rongguo Mansion, no one has ever dared to speak to Daiyu in such a condescending and cold tone. Who do you think you are!
Yuan Hongqu could not bear it, nor did she want to.
Haven't you heard the saying, "Take one step back and you'll get an ovarian cyst, take one step back and you'll get breast hyperplasia"?
Even if it's just sitting and daydreaming, she doesn't want Daiyu to attend Teacher Zhong's class. Look at that long face he makes as soon as we meet. Is he trying to imitate a horse's face?
Trying to intimidate them? Who gave them the nerve!
Yuan Hongqu took Daiyu's hand and was about to leave.
But then they heard Teacher Zhong's voice again.
“Miss Lin, now that you’ve come to the school, you shouldn’t bring so many servants with you.”
Teacher Zhong took two steps forward and stood in front of Lin Daiyu.
Daiyu looked up and saw that Teacher Zhong's eyes clearly showed displeasure. It was their first meeting and she had not offended her, but the disgust in her expression was not hidden at all!
Daiyu disliked this teacher.
But then Teacher Zhong's voice rang out from above:
"Today is the first day. You don't know the rules. Come in first. All the servants who are with you, go back."
Daiyu held Yuan Hongqu's hand tightly and took a small step back.
She thought this Teacher Zhong was too scary. If Granny Yuan left, would she be slapped on the hand by this teacher?
Yuan Hongqu patted Daiyu's small hand reassuringly, then bent down and picked her up in her arms.
Now Daiyu could see even higher, higher than Teacher Zhong, and she could look down at her teacher from above, which made her instantly less afraid.
"Teacher Zhong, didn't you hear what I just said? Daiyu isn't in class this afternoon." Yuan Hongqu's tone was firm. Did this teacher not understand what others were saying?
"Is this how the Rongguo Mansion teaches its servants? They have no respect for their teachers whatsoever!"
Teacher Zhong was a little embarrassed. She had never been so humiliated by being talked down by a servant girl from out of town!
“You can’t just criticize Granny Yuan like that. She’s my governess and my mentor,” Daiyu said loudly. Granny Yuan had always protected her, and she wouldn’t let anyone wrong Granny Yuan.
“Miss Lin is frail, and Teacher Zhong’s course is obviously very demanding and important. Our young lady is too young to handle it, so we won’t trouble you to teach her.” Yuan Hongqu picked up Daiyu and was about to leave.
"They really are out-of-towners who have never seen the world. They don't even pay attention to traditional female virtues. It's no wonder they're ridiculed when they go out!"
Behind them, Teacher Zhong was still babbling on, seemingly standing on a moral high ground, condemning the two women.
Yuan Hongqu stopped and handed Lin Daiyu to Mama Yu, who was standing nearby.
"Take the girl to the old lady's place, and then go and invite the second mistress over."
"Granny, you should come too."
Daiyu disagreed, fearing that Yuan Hongqu would suffer a loss here, so she asked Yuan Hongqu to go with her to her maternal grandmother's place.
"Even if you complain to the old lady and the second mistress, what can you do? It's your fault for not allowing the girl to learn traditional female virtues, and it will affect her reputation in the future!"
Teacher Zhong continued to use the lesson on women's virtues in her speech, intending to condemn the two women for not learning about women's virtues.
"I'm not taking this class anymore. I want to ask the old lady to find a different teacher!"
Tan Chun immediately sensed something was wrong upon hearing this.
Although Mr. Zhong was strict, female virtue was indeed important. Usually, out of respect for their sister-in-law, they would just swallow their pride and accept it.
If they start arguing, Teacher Zhong will go to her sister-in-law to complain, and her sister-in-law will then go to the matriarch to grumble, saying that the younger sisters are not disciplined. The matriarch will get angry and want to make a big fuss.
After making a scene twice, Tan Chun gave up on arguing.
This teacher, named Zhong Fang, was indeed from the family of the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, but not the daughter of the Director of Studies himself; rather, she was an older daughter from a branch of the Zhong family.
Teacher Zhong's father was a pedantic and old-fashioned scholar who ran a private school. Zhong Fang was influenced by him from a young age and helped manage the school after she came of age.
As she grew older, she went on several dates but none of them worked out, so Zhongfang resolved to remain unmarried for life.
She devoted herself to educating students and enlightening female students, which earned her some reputation among the wealthy families in the capital.
Because of the Director of Studies, Miss Zhong could barely be considered to be from a powerful and wealthy family in the capital, and this title fooled quite a few people.
However, only wealthy families would hire a teacher like her; only merchants would hire her to educate their daughters.
Originally, she had no qualifications to teach at the Rongguo Mansion, but thanks to Li Wan's connections, she actually got the job of teaching at the Rongguo Mansion three times a month.
Because Li Wan was busy teaching Jia Lan, she had no time to teach her sisters-in-law. She asked her sister-in-law to recommend a female teacher, and for reasons unknown, her sister-in-law recommended Teacher Zhong Fang.
Seeing that Teacher Zhong was not glamorous and dressed simply, Li Wan felt a sense of sympathy for her. Since she was a widow and this Miss Zhong was older than her but also lived alone, Li Wan felt a sense of shared experience.
During the months that Teacher Zhong Fang had been teaching, everything went well except for the two times that the third daughter, Tan Chun, caused trouble. Li Wan felt that she had made the right choice.
Teacher Zhong knew that the Third Sister was not someone to be trifled with, so he wouldn't target her easily.
The fourth young lady was from the Ningguo Mansion. She knew that Xichun had an older brother, Jia Zhen, whom she couldn't afford to offend, so she didn't dare to be too disrespectful to Xichun.
Only the second daughter, Yingchun, known as "Second Wooden Head," lived up to her nickname, being no different from a block of wood. With no one protecting her, it was incredibly easy for Yingchun to target her.
Now another Lin Daiyu has arrived. She hasn't had time to ask about the girl's background yet, but she heard from the servants in Li Wan's courtyard that she is from Yangzhou and is a girl who has lost her mother.
Seeing that Daiyu was delicate and frail, and despite her young age, she could tell at a glance that she was a natural beauty, and wondered how stunningly beautiful she would be when she grew up.
She herself was of average appearance, and she often felt disgusted and resentful towards female students who were beautiful.
Daiyu was truly bewildered by this insult!
Yuan Hongqu didn't want Daiyu to see these things, but Daiyu insisted on staying, so she didn't stop her.
It was one thing for Lin Daiyu to skip class, but now even the Third Miss was doing the same. Zhong Fang had a vague feeling that something was wrong this time.
Before she could react, the old woman who was with Lin Daiyu turned around and stood in front of her.
Although she had just heard Lin Daiyu call Yuan Mama, she estimated that this mama was not as old as herself, with delicate features and a scholarly air.
She stood before Zhong Fang with a cold gaze and a serious expression, exuding an innate sense of authority. Although she wasn't particularly arrogant, Zhong Fang felt as apprehensive as when she was a child reciting her lessons, afraid that her father would hear her mistakes.
"A teacher is one who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and resolves doubts."
Yuan Hongqu's tone wasn't serious, but compared to her usual tone, her words were full of instruction.
As soon as she spoke, the people around her unconsciously perked up their ears, as if preparing for class.
Zhong Fang felt a chill run down her spine. She recalled a teacher she had once met who, whenever he began his lectures in that tone, would silence the entire room and make the students listen with exceptional focus.
How could a nanny have such abilities?
Before Zhong Fang could think further, she heard Yuan Hongqu's voice in her ear:
"Have you done a good job as a teacher?"
"You are using your professional expertise to slander a child who hasn't even learned about female virtues."
"Do you live up to the standards you set in your own teaching?"
"As a woman, and more importantly, as an educator of women's morality, what is your own moral character like? Are you qualified to be a teacher?"
One question after another came at Zhong Fang, who was completely overwhelmed. Her face turned pale, and Yuan Hongqu's questions were far from over!
“My child is only seven years old. We are learning Confucian etiquette and the way of the gentleman. As for female virtues, what does it matter if we wait a little longer!”
"That's absolutely right! Sister Yuan is truly a model teacher!"
Surrounded by servants, Wang Xifeng rushed over.
"I'm sorry to have made Sister Yuan laugh at me. Did I frighten Miss Lin?"
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