Chapter 5: Four Days of Family Harmony and Warm Hearts

Over the past few days, Lady Cui truly felt as if her daughter had become a different person. Although she remained as taciturn as before, her mind was much clearer, and her actions and movements had become far more poised; at the very least, she no longer walked with her head bowed as if she were carrying three hundred taels of silver.

On this day, A-Wu was practicing her calligraphy in Lady Cui's eastern side room as usual. Because the light in this room was better than in her own courtyard, she always liked to occupy a corner. Lady Cui, out of affection, accompanied her while doing needlework by her side.

Lady Cui set down her needlework, rubbed her neck, and looked up at A-Wu practicing calligraphy under the window opposite her. A-Wu's back was straight and her wrists were suspended with great seriousness; she had likely maintained this posture for half an hour. The soft light shining through the window onto A-Wu's small cheeks made the fine peach fuzz unique to a young girl visible, strand by strand, making her exceptionally cute; and upon A-Wu's complexion, there was also an added touch of breathtaking beauty.

Lady Cui's heart sank; such beauty was not necessarily a good thing.

A-Wu's enthusiasm for calligraphy was not a bad thing in itself, but Lady Cui feared she would overwork herself and harm her body. Just as she was about to offer a few words of persuasion, she leaned over to take a look and was startled. "Your calligraphy has made great strides."

How could the progress not be great? The rhythmic charm of the characters had long been full in her heart since she was still "A-Wu." When she was acting as A-Wu, her physical limitations meant she could only practice a few strokes a day, and her sinews and bones could not exert enough pressure to penetrate the paper. However, A-Wu was naturally strong-willed; she had perused all the calligraphy and paintings stored in the manor and had even been granted special permission by her Imperial Uncle the Emperor to view the imperial collections. Such opportunities were not something others could possess. Thus, A-Wu's calligraphy had already been practiced countless times in her heart; it was only now, in A-Wu's body, that it could be practiced on paper. The charm was already present, and given time, the strength and structure of her characters would surely be achieved.

A-Wu was no longer very young, and the strength in her wrists was gradually taking shape. Her practice had seemed a bit unpracticed in the first few days, but she practiced diligently without pause. Once her brushwork became fluid these past few days, her inner strength and essence began to manifest. This initial progress could indeed be described as a sudden leap, so it was no wonder Lady Cui was surprised. But A-Wu knew herself that as she progressed, the gains would become smaller and more difficult. To truly master a single beautiful stroke, it would be impossible without decades of hard work.

The light and weak calligraphy of her past life was truly inconsistent with A-Wu's reputation as a talented woman. Now that her inner demon had suddenly been resolved in this life, it was no wonder A-Wu was so demanding of herself.

"Does Madam also practice calligraphy?" As soon as the words left A-Wu's mouth, she knew she had asked incorrectly. In her bones, she still viewed Lady Cui as an outsider and did not regard her as her own mother; in her heart, she only missed the mother in the Eldest Princess's manor. Thus, A-Wu was still looking at Lady Cui's status as a concubine's daughter through old eyes, assuming they would not have received any good cultivation.

Lady Cui was stunned, her self-esteem slightly stung, but because it was A-Wu asking, she did not take it to heart. "I studied in a school for a few years when I was young, but I have grown rusty over these years."

A-Wu turned to take Lady Cui's hand and lowered her head. "Madam, I said something wrong."

Lady Cui stroked A-Wu's forehead hair and sighed. "It is I who has burdened you. If you had not been conceived in my womb, I suppose..."

"To be conceived in Madam's womb is a blessing A-Wu has cultivated through many lifetimes. Madam must not say such things again." A-Wu got off the couch, walked around to Lady Cui's front, buried her head in her embrace, and clung to her like a piece of sticky candy.

Although A-Wu's words were not entirely literal, they contained a measure of sincerity. From what she had seen these days, Lady Cui truly doted on her, holding her in her palms for fear of dropping her and keeping her in her mouth for fear of her melting. Even a heart of iron has moments of softness, let alone A-Wu's heart, which was made of flesh.

Because A-Wu had taken over Rong Wuyou's body, she felt much guilt. Having learned the story of Rong Wuyou and Lady Cui, she also felt that Lady Cui, as a mother, had it not easy. Therefore, she had long decided to fulfill her filial duties well on behalf of Rong Wuyou.

As they were speaking, they heard a maid reporting that the Third Master had arrived home.

Lady Cui and A-Wu hurriedly rose, straightened their clothes, and went to the door to welcome him. Third Master Rong, Rong Jichang, walked into the courtyard.

From a distance, Third Master Rong saw A-Wu and his face broke into a smile, his pace quickening. "Is our A-Wu much better?" Third Master Rong patted A-Wu's head, which was styled in a flower bud shape. "There is some color in your face."

Third Master Rong had seen her during her illness. Because Third Master Rong was to sit for the metropolitan examinations next spring, this was a time for studying. To focus on his studies, he had specifically requested permission from the Old Madam and Old Master to go to the East Mountain Villa to study in peace. However, for the sake of A-Wu's illness, he had rushed back two or three times, and this time was once again to visit A-Wu.

Third Master Rong handed an oil-paper package to A-Wu. "Liu Changchun's pear blossom cakes, our A-Wu's favorite."

Liu Changchun's seasonal pastries were among the best in the capital, but they were not particularly rare. The fact that Third Master Rong insisted on carrying them himself rather than letting a servant do it made the sentiment especially precious.

A-Wu took the pastries from Third Master Rong's hands and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Father."

Turning around, Third Master Rong handed another oil-paper package to Lady Cui, giving her a long, lingering look, as if he wanted to gaze back all his longing. "Old Wang's braised duck wings that you love to eat."

Lady Cui accepted them with a blushing face and a sweet smile. It was no wonder Third Master Rong could not let her go; although she was in her thirties, her skin was as white as snow and her face was as lovely as a flower—she was truly a great beauty.

The mother and daughter welcomed Third Master Rong into the house. Lady Cui busied herself with tea and the towels for him to wipe his face, her entire heart focused on her husband.

Third Master Rong naturally enjoyed the service of his beautiful wife and precious child. Afterward, he checked A-Wu's pulse. "The pulse shows you are better, but your constitution is still weak; you should nourish yourself." Speaking of this, Third Master Rong let out a low sigh, a look of guilt on his face.

Ancient scholars were expected to be learned, usually having some knowledge of the principles of change and traditional Chinese medicine; it was just that some were perfunctory while others specialized. Third Master Rong's concubine had passed away early, leaving him orphaned and weak from childhood. Whenever he felt unwell, as long as it wasn't a major illness, he would endure it himself. After he began studying, he put extra effort into medical theory; if he had a headache or fever, he would simply write a prescription himself and have a servant fetch the medicine, without going through the housekeeper or Madam. In this way, he had gained much insight into the way of medicinal use.

Regarding the illnesses and health of Lady Cui and his three children, he personally attended to them whenever he had time, which was why he was able to check A-Wu's pulse.

Seeing this, Lady Cui quickly changed the subject. "Third Master, has something brought you back this time?"

"I just came back to see A-Wu. Also, my companions from this examination session invited me to gather at the Haixian Pavilion." Lady Cui nodded. Before they retired for the night, she wrapped the remaining silver from the last time she pawned the pearl headpiece and gave it to Third Master Rong for his social engagements. The husband and wife naturally had their own night talks, intimate and unspoken.

A-Wu tossed and turned in her own bed. Early the next morning, she got up and went to the main house. The family of five had a harmonious meal, and Third Master Rong left to attend to his social engagements.

A-Wu had thought Third Master Rong would surely return heavily intoxicated, but to her surprise, he returned quite sober. It wasn't even very late. After changing his clothes, he called all three children to his study to examine their schoolwork.

A-Wu did not expect she would have a turn; this was perhaps the special importance scholars placed on their children's studies.

Third Master Rong first checked the schoolwork of Rong Jie and Rong En. Currently, Rong Jie was learning to write formal essays under a teacher, and his ability to break and carry themes was already quite decent, which made Third Master Rong very happy. Rong En had finished studying *The Great Learning*, and his teacher was currently teaching the *Analects*. Third Master Rong asked a few questions, and he answered them with poise. Third Master Rong's laughter could be heard even by Lady Cui in the western wing.

When A-Wu entered the study in the inner courtyard of the eastern wing, she saw the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone neatly arranged on a rosewood desk by the window, along with a blue-and-white porcelain brush rest, a brush washer, a paperweight, and an armrest carved with the pattern of a scholar passing the imperial exams. On the wall hung a painting titled "Snow Clearing Over the Peaks" and two pieces of calligraphy, giving off an air of detachment and tranquility.

The seals on both pieces of calligraphy were "Nanshan." A-Wu did not know who the artist was, but observing the characters, they were elegant without losing their vigor, and beautiful without being vulgar, capturing the best of various styles; they were truly extraordinary.

After testing his two sons, Third Master Rong stroked the stubble on his chin and said to A-Wu with a kind expression, "A-Wu, have you learned anything new lately?"

Before A-Wu could answer, she heard Rong En jump in, "Sister is quite something now; she has started critiquing the great masters of calligraphy."

"Oh." Third Master Rong was not surprised. A-Wu was accustomed to following Rong Wu, but in Third Master Rong's eyes, Rong Wu's knowledge was merely superficial. At a young age, she often liked to critique masters to show off her ability. Although his niece in the capital had gained some small fame, Third Master Rong felt that was merely the talent of a lady in a boudoir, not worth praising.

"Then A-Wu, write a few characters for Father to see."

A-Wu was not polite. When Third Master Rong examined his daughter, how could she, as the "daughter," not want to test the depth of her "father"?

A-Wu dipped her brush in ink and wrote the line: "Is it not a delight to learn and practice what you have learned constantly?" Just these few words made Third Master Rong's eyes widen. It wasn't that A-Wu's calligraphy was incredibly good, but compared to her previous level, it was truly like the difference between clouds and mud.

"There is indeed great progress." Third Master Rong became even more gratified. He knew his daughter; she had a beautiful appearance but was hollow inside. To have such progress now was, in his view, unexpectedly good. "However, your brushwork lacks strength. The endings of the strokes are floating and weak, and the turns are not guided by your heart."

Third Master Rong had hit the nail on the head. A-Wu's control over strength was not yet sufficient; every time she applied the brush, she felt a sense of being unable to match her intent with her ability. Seeing that Third Master Rong could identify her flaws from just a few characters, a sense of admiration rose from the bottom of her heart.

"Daughter also worries about this. Does Father have any guidance for her?" A-Wu was formally asking for a teacher.

Third Master Rong did not hold back. "When I was practicing calligraphy, my teacher taught me the method of breathing. I have also guided your brothers. If you master this method, you will not only practice your calligraphy but also your body."

The more Third Master Rong said this, the more interested A-Wu became. She was interested in any method that was good for the body; she didn't know if it was because of her weakness in her past life, but in this life, she was perhaps overcorrecting.

It turned out that the method Third Master Rong taught was the opposite of normal breathing: when inhaling, one slowly expands the abdomen, and when exhaling, one forcefully contracts it. Coordinating each stroke and pressure with the breath was excellent for nourishing the body and directing strength.

A-Wu was not unfamiliar with this breathing method. When she was weak in her past life, her mother, the Eldest Princess, had sought out gods and Buddhas everywhere, even approaching a high monk from India. That high monk, at her invitation, had once taught A-Wu a set of exercises focusing on stretching and meditation to strengthen the body while maintaining the decorum of a lady. That set of exercises included such a breathing method; she had not expected that Third Master Rong's teacher had applied it to calligraphy.

Because A-Wu was still in the habit of practicing every morning upon waking, this breathing method came naturally to her. She quickly harmonized it with the rhythm of her calligraphy, leading Third Master Rong to repeatedly praise her for her comprehension and rapid progress.