137 Cousin, I Can’t Provoke You
Yu Youyao pouted and argued, “I’m embroidering on the fan. It’s my first time embroidering two completely different patterns. It’s not easy, so it will naturally take longer. I didn’t say that I wouldn’t send it.”
Actually, it wasn’t the first time.
The last time she had given it to her grandmother, there had been a swastika on one side and the Chinese character of longevity on the other. However, the words were also simpler than the pattern.
Zhou Linghuai picked up his teacup and took a sip. “You can slowly embroider the fan. There’s no hurry for me to use it. Just treat it as a thank-you gift for the sea cucumber medicinal cuisine that Cousin has specially prepared for me.”
Yu Youyao puffed up her cheeks. She finally understood. Her cousin had drawn the Bamboo Orchid Painting on purpose.
She really couldn’t afford to offend him.
After taking a little “revenge” on this girl, Zhou Linghuai smiled and raised his pen to write in the upper left corner. “In the 24th year of the Jian Yuan era, I gave my cousin, Yu Youyao, a gift.”
After saying this, he took out the Longevity Mountain Stone seal from his sleeve and stamped it.
After the mud dried, Yu Youyao brought over a scroll.
Zhou Linghuai carefully stuck the scroll at both ends of the painting and fixed it in place. Then, he handed it to Yu Youyao. “Keep it!”
Yu Youyao took it happily. “Thank you, Cousin.”
With that, she eagerly unfolded the scroll and looked at it carefully. She praised the painting from head to toe and looked up with admiration. “Cousin, you’re really impressive.”
No matter how many times she said this, it made him feel happy.
Zhou Linghuai’s smile deepened. “Cousin, do you want to learn some zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting from me? It doesn’t matter how you learn it. It’s inevitable that the sisters of big families talk about style and elegance when they gather together. You have to learn some artistic skills at least.”
The little girl’s handwriting had already become well-practiced, and he did not need to come to the Jade Courtyard every day. She had gradually caught up with the homework she had left behind. With Ms. Ye’s careful guidance, he did not need to guide her every day.
When Yu Youyao first heard this, she rejected it in her heart. However, when her cousin said that it didn’t matter how she learned it, she was a little tempted. When her cousin finished speaking, she looked conflicted. “Then, I’ll learn a little.” She gestured with two fingers to show how much she was willing. Then, she emphasized, “Just a little, no more. I have to go to school in the morning and manage the household. I’ll be busy learning from Nanny Xu every day!”
Zhou Linghuai found it funny. “It won’t tire you out.”
As he had to come to the Jade Courtyard every day to teach the little girl her studies and calligraphy, it was inconvenient for him to go up and down the steps. Yu Youyao moved the small study to the side room on the south side of the first floor and changed it into a large study. It faced a tall green tree in the courtyard. The tree trunk was without joints and rose straight up, looking imposing. By March, the tree leaves had begun to grow. Although there was no green, it already looked elegant.
Listening to the little girl’s cheerful and pleasant voice, Zhou Linghuai thought of the records of the Classic of Poetry. “The phoenix cries, and it rises from the other side of the high mountain. The parasol tree is born, and it rises in the morning.
Hark! The phoenix sings.
Zhou Linghuai suddenly said, “The tree outside the window looks quite old.”
Yu Youyao also looked at the huge tree outside the window. “I don’t know how old this tree is. I heard from Grandmother that this was transplanted by my mother back then. It seems to be hundreds of years old.”
Zhou Linghuai looked at it carefully again. This old tree was definitely more than a few hundred years old. “I’ll use this tree to make a seven-stringed zither for you. What do you think?”
Yu Youyao’s eyes widened in shock, and her face was filled with excitement. “Cousin, you want to make a zither for me personally? That’s great. I heard from Chang An that you know how to play the zither. I didn’t expect that one day, I would be able to play a zither that you personally made. If you want to give it to me, I’ll definitely learn it well.”
Zhou Linghuai chuckled. “Just tell me what you want. Are you afraid that I won’t make it for you? But don’t be happy too early. It’s not easy to make a zither, and it takes a lot of time.” Especially a good zither. It will be even harder to make.
“It’s okay. Cousin, take your time.” Yu Youyao squatted in front of her cousin, her face filled with joy and anticipation. Did her cousin mean that no matter what she wanted, he would make it for her?
Her cousin was so kind.
“Okay!” Zhou Linghuai looked at the little girl. From the corner of his eye, he could see the delicate vines silently climbing up the window sill and into the room. Among the green leaves, there was a flower that was as red as fire. It was at its prime, shy and beautiful.
After her cousin went to school, Yu Youyao ran to the tree and circled it. Everyone in the courtyard could hear her cheerful and pleasant laughter.
At 2pm, all the stewards of the manor arrived.
The stewards went to An Shou Hall to visit Old Madam Yu to show their respect.
Yu Youyao accompanied her grandmother to meet them.
These stewards were all old people in the residence. They were all slightly older, and most of them were in their forties or fifties. One of them was a shopkeeper in his thirties who was wearing blue silk. He was especially eye-catching.
Yu Youyao took a few more glances.
This person was rich looking, smiling, and had a kind expression.
Old Madam Yu noticed her gaze and pointed at the shopkeeper. “This is Wang Dongquan from Baoxing Rice Shop. Shopkeeper Wang has some affinity with you and is a capable person.”
Yu Youyao’s eyebrows moved slightly. Food was the most important thing for the people. In all the major shops, rice shops had a more respectable status.
When Wang Dongquan heard this, he smiled and continued, “Back then, I was a shop assistant at Baoxing Rice Shop. When First Madam Xie was patrolling the shop, she saw that I was doing well, so she mentioned being the Second Manager and learned some skills from the First Manager. A few years ago, he was old and couldn’t take it anymore, so I took on his job.”
Yu Youyao’s smile deepened. “The rice shop is an important business in the residence. I’ll have to trouble you in the future.”
However, it was her mother who had an affinity with Wang Dongquan.
Her mother had been kind to Wang Dongquan, and her grandmother had mentioned this on the spot. Anyone who knew how to be kind should know to surrender to their young master.
If Wang Dongquan did not know what was good for him, he would not be placed in an important position in the residence.
He had no choice.
There was Zhou Yonghe in the manor and Wang Dongquan in the shop. They were all important managers of the manor. Compared to them, the other managers were inferior.
The gazes of the other stewards in the hall flickered. They had also guessed Old Madam Yu’s intentions and put away their little schemes.
Old Madam was scheming. Wang Dongquan’s move had been planned long ago. He was paving the way for his granddaughter.
They were all loyal servants of the residence. Even if they looked down on a half-grown child like Yu Youyao, they couldn’t get in the Old Madam’s way.
With Old Madam Yu’s help, Yu Youyao mentioned the new rules of the residence. Although the stewards were shocked, they did not refute Yu Youyao on the spot.
Yu Youyao did not care what they thought. Her voice was gentle as she said, “Go to Windfall Courtyard to rest and discuss it carefully.”
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