The festive sedan chair is lifted by many.
Song Jiyun decided to give Eleventh Grand Master Song ample respect.
She sighed, "Today’s oversight was my fault; I didn’t anticipate Grandmother’s opposition to sponsoring a private school for our clan. To avoid future complications, I think it’s best to take advantage of the current situation and hand over the keys to my third uncle’s residence to the clan. Then, I’ll contribute some silver to renovate it properly into a formal academy."
In doing so, not only would the door of their house and Song Sanliang’s residence no longer be sealed, but it would be permanently bricked up.
After all, it would then be a property of the clan.
The clan elders naturally all praised the idea as "good".
Eleventh Grand Master Song couldn’t help but look deeply at Song Jiyun, feeling fortunate that he had allied with her once more.
For a young lady to have such vision, she is certainly destined for great things.
He discussed with everyone, "In a few days, it will be Youliang’s forty-ninth day of mourning. Given the great kindness our family has shown to the clan, shouldn’t we have the clan’s young lads all come to offer incense to Youliang?"
The forty-ninth day of mourning will be led by a nephew.
If all the male members of the clan were to worship Song Youliang, outsiders would perceive him as a respected elder, undoubtedly a generous and kind one.
Such recognition would certainly cause Song Youliang’s household to be held in higher esteem by others.
"Indeed, indeed!" several clan elders exclaimed in agreement, with someone suggesting, "When the clan school is established, a monument should also be erected in honor of Youliang."
Song Jiyun was a believer in the saying "Tall trees catch much wind".
She quickly added, "A monument should indeed be erected. However, since the elders have also contributed their strength, they too should have their names inscribed on it."
Some may not love wealth, but few can resist the allure of fame, especially a chance to have their names recorded in the clan genealogy.
The clan elders each modestly demurred, yet each one of them was pondering how the monument should be set up.
Seeing the timing was appropriate and it was also getting late, Song Jiyun invited a few of the clan’s learned elders to stay for dinner.
The clan elders, mindful of their family’s recent loss and the period of mourning, tried to politely decline the invitation. Nevertheless, Madam Qian, eager to showcase Yuan Yunzhong, insisted, "It’s fine! I’ll have Young Master Yuan accompany you, so please don’t be shy, elders."
Eleventh Grand Master Song, thinking of Yuan Yunzhong’s refined demeanor as someone from a distinguished family, readily agreed, "Young Master Yuan has traveled from Suzhou and Hangzhou and has seen the world. He would be the ideal person to consult about a suitable headmaster for the academy."
He was scheming to slowly sideline Ninth Master Song!
Song Jiyun pondered for a moment, but in the end, did not intervene. She arranged for Steward Wu to serve on the side while she escorted Madam Qian back to her courtyard.
Her two sisters, Song Jiyu and Song Jixue, were being accompanied by their respective nannies, busily engaged in needlework.
Song Jiyun discussed with Madam Qian, "We should take this opportunity to hire a scholarly tutor for them. While needlework is important, reading and writing should not be neglected."
"Previously we had an old child student teaching them, but he went back to his hometown due to old age, and we haven’t found a suitable replacement in time, so their studies have lapsed."
She also asked her sisters, "Would you both be interested in learning porcelain-making with me?"
Even if they choose not to learn that skill, being exposed to more things might help them become braver.
Song Jiyu immediately shook her head, timidly saying, "Big sister, I’ll just aid Mother around the house."
At fourteen, with a tall and slender figure, an oval face, and gentle eyes, she spoke softly and meekly, her personality most like that of Madam Qian, quite yielding.
Song Jixue, livelier, immediately replied, "Big sister, I’ll learn."
Song Jiyun felt that such matters could not be forced.
She stroked her younger sister’s soft hair and said, "Then I’ll arrange for a junior master to enlighten you first. Once you have some basics down, you can join me at the kiln factory."
Madam Qian looked at her three daughters with a smile, saying nothing, but feeling reassured in her heart.
The experiences of these past days made her realize that even if a girl is raised in seclusion, she needs to be astute and strong to avoid being bullied.
If it weren’t for Song Jiyun, their room would have been picked clean by those people long ago, not a bone or speck left, much less receiving compliments from the clan elders like today.
After chatting for a while about personal matters, Song Jiyun finally went back to her room to wash up and change clothes.
But she didn’t idle about, instead plunging straight into the stone slab house at the back of her courtyard garden and dismantling her compass into bits and pieces.
When Nanny Zheng came to call her to dinner at Madam Qian’s, she responded over and over, reluctantly delaying for quite a while before heading absentmindedly to Madam Qian’s to eat, only to immediately return to the stone slab house and play with her clay models.
Yuan Yunzhong arrived just in time to see her throwing a pot.
The wheel spun lazily yet rapidly, and one by one, small Arhat cups took shape in her hands.
She glanced up at Yuan Yunzhong.
He was wearing an uncharacteristic true purple Hangzhou silk robe.
True purple, intensely vibrant like the color of flowers on the verge of wilting, is seldom worn well—either it looks like being doused in soy paste or it comes across as disheveled and dull, without luster. Only Yuan Yunzhong, he wore it like the blooming Wei purple, making his fair complexion stand out, his elegance so striking as if adorned with pearls and jade beside him.
Her hand paused, and the cup began to collapse, looking as if it would be ruined.
Song Jiyun quickly collected her thoughts and said, "What brings you here at this hour? Have all the guests left?"
"They’ve left!" Yuan Yunzhong said as he came over and sat down on the spring stool next to the wheel, inquiring, "What are you making?"
He lifted the hem of his robe, and the ornaments that hung from the gold thread belt around his waist with true purple silk gently swayed.
Pure white jade pendant, a cherry pink pouch, a small golden-yellow seal, and among them hung a black compass the size of a walnut.
The light from the Five-Link Beads palace lantern illuminated the stone slab house bright as day, highlighting his figure, the slight lift at the corner of his eyes, and in his dark, shining eyes, a depth that seemed capable of absorbing one’s very soul.
A flutter stirred in Song Jiyun’s heart.
"Making cups," she hurriedly replied, her gaze lowered to focus on the clay in her hands, "Is there a reason for your visit?"
"No particular reason!" Yuan Yunzhong replied, breaking a small piece of Kaolin Clay, asking, "What do you need the cups for?"
Song Jiyun did not want to tell him, carefully placing the finished cup’s clay body onto a wooden board beside her, then looking up.
That’s when she noticed Yuan Yunzhong’s hair looked wet.
Had he sent off the guests from his house and washed up before coming over?
"Nothing much," she said, "I just wanted to make some cups for drinking tea."
Yuan Yunzhong uttered an "Oh," and suddenly stood up, looking around, even grabbing the ornaments on his waist and shaking them, creating a sound of jingling gold and jade.
"What are you planning to draw?" he asked casually, "Landscapes, flowers and birds, or figures? Besides making cups, can you make pots too? Like those made from purple clay? I find those kinds of pots quite interesting?"
When he looked at Song Jiyun again, he found her head bowed once more, her attention returned to the clay body she was shaping.
"I’m planning to fire a batch of plain green celadon," she responded without looking up, "I brought back some green glaze from the Kiln Factory. When I’ve fired them I’ll show you. If you like any, you can take a few home."
Yuan Yunzhong tilted his head, gazing at her intently for a moment, then abruptly got up and left.
Song Jiyun, hearing movement, looked up to see his receding figure, and it took her a long moment to come back to herself.
What on earth was he doing here?
She was utterly bewildered, yet she had more pressing matters and decided to finish her current task before pondering over it.
But as she resumed spinning the wheel, she couldn’t help but retrace everything that had just transpired, curious about Yuan Yunzhong’s actual purpose for visiting.
The clay in her hands grew too soft to take shape, mushy and unworkable.
She blinked in surprise.
He, he had a compass the size of a walnut hanging at his waist just now!
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