Chapter 4: The Silly Girl Knows Nothing of the World

By dinnertime, A-wu was bored being alone, so she simply went to the main house early. However, she found Cui-shi's courtyard deathly silent; this hour, when things should be at their busiest, was precisely when it was easiest to slack off.

Either they had formed small groups to go play under the pretext of delivering food boxes, or they had wandered off to some other courtyard to gossip and forgotten to return. As for the cunning, old, greasy experienced maids, they were even harder to find, having long since returned to their own homes to look after their husbands and sons.

A-wu frowned, truly unable to stomach such a sight, but as she walked under the corridor, she heard voices drifting out.

"Madam, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but how can you just let the Sixth Young Lady run wild? We only just cut the spring clothes the other day, and now you're asking to use your private savings to add new ones. The young lady is still small and in a growing phase; the clothes cut now won't fit by next year. Isn't that a waste?" The speaker sounded like Li Li-shan's wife, who was part of Cui-shi's retinue.

A-wu was not intentionally eavesdropping, but since the conversation involved her, and she was still ignorant of the household's circumstances, she felt she ought to understand. Thus, she held her breath and listened intently.

"But are we running short again?" Cui-shi sighed softly.

"You know the situation, Madam. The monthly allowance for the Third Master and the two Young Masters is barely enough to cover their monthly social obligations. The Third Master studies under a master, and every time he needs to provide gifts or grease palms, it is Madam who uses her dowry to subsidize him; there is hardly anything left now. The other day when the young lady was ill and needed ginseng to replenish her qi, I went to ask the Second Madam, but that little brat Cui-ping only gave me a few grams of ginseng dregs. In the end, wasn't it Madam herself who used her private savings to buy a few slices of ginseng to save the young lady? Even the food for the young lady during her illness—every single thing required money before the kitchen would agree to make it. Tomorrow, if the young lady wants to eat that yam cake, it will cost another three hundred coins; only then did that Lin woman from the kitchen agree."

"Alright, alright." Cui-shi interrupted Li Li-shan's wife, sounding headache-stricken. "I know things are difficult. Once the monthly wages are issued at the start of the month, things will ease up. As a mother, I am useless and have failed A-wu. If I don't even grant her small requests like these, how can I face her in the future? Go and pawn that set of pearl hair ornaments of mine to cut a few sets of clothes for A-wu."

"Madam, you only have that set of pearl ornaments and one set of gold and jade orchid ornaments left. If you pawn this set, you'll only have one set of ornaments to wear when going out. Won't those people who look down on others mock you again?" Li Li-shan's wife grew anxious.

"Do they not mock me now?" Cui-shi said with a hint of sorrow. "All I wish for now is that my A-wu is not mocked by others."

*But it is actually she who is the great joke,* Li Li-shan's wife thought privately, yet she did not dare say it to Cui-shi, fearing she would break her heart.

"About the matter I told you yesterday, Madam, have you reached a decision? There is a shop on Changyang Street that is changing hands. We could scrape something together to take it over; that way, we'll have a business to support us in the future."

Standing under the corridor, A-wu thought that Cui-shi must have frowned again. "The Third Master is a man of refined character, like the clear wind and elegant moon. If I were to engage in calculations filled with the stench of copper behind his back, he would surely be angry with me when he returns. Besides, if word got out, it would ruin the Third Master's reputation. For now, we can only hope that the Third Master passes the imperial examination this session."

Hearing this, A-wu nodded inwardly. Among the four classes—scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant—the merchant was the lowest. A-wu, who had always been devoted to poetry, music, and high art, how could she look up to a merchant? Not to mention her own family wanting to go into business; even if Cui-shi agreed, she would find a way to stop it. Although one could not live without wealth, it was not something a noble and pure family should obsess over. How could they focus their hearts on calculating profit, lest they disgrace the family name?

A-wu was quite naive regarding these household trivialities. Given the wealth of a Grand Princess, everything A-wu ate and used was of the highest quality. She had never worried about money; in her heart, she viewed money as filth, and even mentioning it felt vulgar. When she encountered noble ladies who carried the stench of money, she usually ignored them entirely, feeling they were unbearably and overwhelmingly vulgar, which she loathed.

Li Li-shan's wife wanted to persuade her further, but was stopped by Cui-shi. "Enough. Jie-ge'er and Yin-ge'er should be finishing their lessons soon."

Li Li-shan's wife let out a long sigh and could only give up. She thought that although the Third Master was highly talented, he had failed three consecutive examinations, and now that he was older, she didn't know if he would pass this time. It was just that life in the Duke's manor was becoming increasingly difficult for the Third Branch.

Hearing Li Li-shan's wife about to come out, A-wu quickly retreated, making it look as if she had just entered the courtyard. Seeing her, she called out, "Mama Li."

"The Young Lady is growing more beautiful by the day. Is your health better?"

A-wu exchanged a few perfunctory words with the Li woman, and they went their separate ways.

Entering the room, A-wu said, "Why are there no servants attending to you, Madam? Where are the bookkeeper and the painter? When I came in, I didn't even see a gatekeeper."

"The bookkeeper's mother is ill, so I gave her half a day off. The painter went with a little maid to fetch the food box," Cui-shi explained.

Because she had things on her mind, A-wu did not chat much with Cui-shi. Cui-shi picked up her needlework, while A-wu rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window in thought. Recalling her memories from the twenty-third year of Longqing to her death in the thirty-third year, she had not heard of any son from the An-guo Duke's manor passing the Jinshi exam. It seemed her father's future was worrisome.

As for the financial distress of the Third Branch, it was even more unexpected to Wu-you. In her past life, A-wu was born into such wealth that everyone wanted to give her the very best. Even with her brilliant mind, she had never experienced the state of financial hardship. Thus, her first thought was to ask for new clothes, never imagining that the Third Madam of the prestigious Duke's manor would be so strapped for cash.

She figured that only if her father in this life passed the Jinshi exam would everything improve. A-wu began to carefully weigh whether this was feasible.

A short while later, the thirteen-year-old Rong-jie and the ten-year-old Rong-yin finished their lessons and came to Cui-shi's place to pay their respects, bringing a burst of lively energy.

To say that the Third Branch was shabby, their three children were truly beautiful. This Rong-jie was a man of pure and lofty character, while Rong-yin had not yet lost his childishness and was quite adorable, instantly winning people's favor.

"Is sister feeling better? Fifth Brother and I were just saying we would go see you right after paying respects to Madam." The speaker was A-wu's seventh brother, Rong-yin. He pulled out a bamboo-carved Shoushan old man brush pot from behind his back. "I saw it during my lessons. Does sister like it?"

The carving was crude and the bamboo felt rough, but the Shoushan old man was quite stout and cute, making it somewhat worth admiring. Such a thing could never catch A-wu's eye, but seeing the anticipation on Rong-yin's face, her heart softened, and she took it. "This Shoushan old man is indeed quite adorable."

Upon hearing this, Rong-jie burst into laughter, knowing A-wu didn't actually like it.

Rong-yin rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "It's nothing special. I'll pick a better one for sister tomorrow."

Just then, the painter returned with the food box. Cui-shi watched her three children eat with a smile, carefully arranging things for them, before heading to the main room to serve the Old Lady.

"Madam, please eat with us before you go. Otherwise, after serving the Old Lady, we won't know when we can eat," A-wu said out of kindness.

As soon as these words were spoken, Cui-shi, Jie, and Yin all looked at A-wu in surprise. Only then did A-wu realize she had once again spoken too much and said the wrong thing. After Cui-shi left, A-wu used her youth to probe Jie and Yin, only to learn that the Old Lady of the An-guo Duke's manor was not as kind and approachable as she was with guests; in private, she was very strict with her daughters-in-law. Since the Old Lady had not eaten, which daughter-in-law would dare to eat first?

After the meal, Jie and Yin returned to their own courtyard to do their homework. Being bored, A-wu followed them. She did not disturb them, instead requesting brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to practice her calligraphy.

Speaking of calligraphy, it was another great regret for A-wu. In her past life, A-wu's body was weak and her wrists lacked strength; she always had the will but lacked the power to write, resulting in a lack of momentum. To the perfectionist A-wu, this was truly a great failure in her life. To think she was a renowned talented woman in the capital, yet her handwriting was nothing to show for it—it was truly a pity.

After a while, Rong-jie saw A-wu buried in her practice, completely focused. He was curious; he knew his sister had no talent for reading or writing and that her daily practice was merely a forced formality. He did not expect her to seem as if she had entered a state of flow today, able to settle her mind.

Rong-jie secretly observed A-wu's tracing. He saw that she had already traced a page of Yu Shi-nan, a page of Ou-yang Xun, and another of Yan Zhen-qing; currently, she was tracing Liu Gong-quan.

Rong-jie shook his head inwardly. "To grasp too much is to digest nothing. Why doesn't sister focus on tracing just one person to learn their essence?"

A-wu finished her final stroke before setting down the brush to wash the ink. She used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow, showing her dedication. Only then did she turn back and smile at Rong-jie. "Since ancient times, the great masters—Xi, Xian, Ou, Yu, Yan, and Liu—each have their own unique style. Every stroke and dot has a different appearance, and their spirits share no resemblance. One can imagine that those who excel in calligraphy must transform their spirit and appearance to create a unique style before they can truly master it. Old Du said, 'To learn from many teachers is to have a teacher.' I am trying to gather the strengths of each house to create my own style," A-wu said, half-joking and half-serious.

"Oh, such big words! It seems our family is about to produce a second Wei Fu-ren," Rong-jie said, clearly not believing her.

Practicing calligraphy was not something that could be achieved overnight. Wu-you did not argue with him; she simply thought that when he saw her writing again in a few years, it would surely give him a shock.

"Why trace only the four masters—Ou, Yu, Yan, and Liu?" Rong-yin joined in after finishing his homework.

"In my view, these four are like the Li, Du, Han, and Su of poetry, or the Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum of the four noble things. They are the most divine."

"Fifth Brother, look at her attitude! At such a young age, she dares to lecture everyone about their styles," Rong-yin said, unyielding, and added, "I, however, only love Huang Shan-gu." Rong-yin was childish and blunt, yet he insisted on acting like a little adult.

"Every method suits different eyes," Rong-jie, as the older brother, naturally tried to smooth things over. "It's just that Sixth Sister's studies seem to have made some progress."

As soon as A-wu heard this, she knew she was in trouble; she had once again failed to resist showing off.

But Jie and Yin did not think otherwise; they simply assumed A-wu had suddenly had an epiphany. Boys, after all, were often prone to being somewhat coarse in their thinking.