Chapter 513: Beauty is a Graceful Heart
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The two of them went into the house together. They each drank a bowl of ginger tea and sat in front of the charcoal cage to warm themselves up.
Chun Xiao brought over the Frankincense cream cake.
The pieces of pastry were light red in color and looked crystal clear. They were very beautiful.
Yu Youyao took a piece and handed it to her cousin. “Try it.”
Zhou Linghuai happily took it and tasted it. “This Frankincense cream cake is even more exquisite than the Eight Treasures Cake. It has a slight bitterness and also a clear fragrance of wood. It’s indeed very delicious. It tastes much better than it sounds.”
Seeing that her cousin liked it, Yu Youyao was very happy. “Which one do you like more than the Eight Treasures Cake?”
Her cousin did not have a strong appetite. Every time, she had to rummage through her brains and prepare a meal that suited her cousin’s taste. She hoped that her cousin would like it, so he would eat more and his body would recover.
The Eight Treasures Cake was the only one that her cousin liked.
Zhou Linghuai smiled. “I like both. If we were to say which is better, I would naturally like the Frankincense cream cake that Cousin painstakingly developed.”
Yu Youyao smiled. “Since Cousin likes both, I can adjust the taste in the future.”
The Eight Treasures Cake strengthens the body and nourishes it. The
Frankincense cream cake relaxes the fascia, revitalizes Qi and circulates blood. The effect of nourishing the body was comparable, but each had their own functions.
After a few more days, the market finally quietened down.
After the beheading of the prisoners, their corpses were left at the entrance of the market for three days. When the three days were over, Soldiers took tattered mats, hastily collected the corpses, and threw them into the mass grave.
At the same time, the prisoners who had been sentenced to exile had also put on shackles. They were only wearing thin prison clothes. They were driven out of the city by the soldiers and set off for Shangyang Castle.
Hundreds of people passed by Changan Street, crying and shouting.
Everyone knew that this was a path of no return.
Just as everyone was lamenting about how the road ahead was vast for these people, and their lives were not on the line, a charity hall called “Graceful
Heart Hall” quietly opened in the east of the city.
They took in orphaned children under the age of twelve, as well as women and children who had no one to rely on.
Children who were 12 years old or older and were orphans under the age of 16 could go to the Graceful Heart Hall every day to get two Momo dumplings. If they were diligent, the hall could step in and vouch for them. They could recommend them to restaurants and shops to do odd jobs in exchange for money.
Yu Youyao had originally named the Graceful Heart Hall “Kindness Hall”.
She hoped that these children who could be saved would have kindness. No matter what situation they encountered, they would still have a kind heart
freed of any jealousy.
Even if they were an orphan, they could still live a virtuous life in the future.
So that they would not be defined by their circumstance.
For this, Yu Youyao even specially discussed it with her cousin. “Kindness and compassion are my original intentions for starting a charity.”
However, Zhou Linghuai felt that this name was not good. “You have to know that overdoing it is as bad as not doing it. If you’re not careful, the name kindness might be criticised by others. I think the Graceful Heart Hall is not bad. It represents being kind and virtuous, and your decision to open a charity hall is an act of beauty.”
Yu Youyao suddenly understood.
The meaning of the name could not be underestimated.
The charity hall was actually not easy to run. There were still many problems that they had to face in the future. No one could guarantee that the charity hall would continue to be smooth sailing.
There were many people in the charity hall, so it was inevitable that there would be mistakes. She was the daughter of an official, and her every move was watched by others. Her reputation was too great, and in the future, there would be many people who would stand at the height of “good karma” and criticize her.
This was like a person naming himself “The Rich”. In the end, this person would be poor all his life. Others would have to use his name to make fun of him.
It was fine if it was an ordinary person, but she was an official’s daughter. Her reputation was too important to her.
Since the name had been established, she had to be responsible for it.
Although her cousin had a good intention in name it Graceful Heart Hall, Yu Youyao felt awkward. “Cousin is right. Kindness Hall might not be the best, but I keep feeling that something is wrong with the Graceful Heart Hall. Why don’t we change it?”
She also knew that starting a charity was not a small matter. As long as she passed through the Yu Residence, it was inevitable that others would discover her. She had never thought of hiding it from others, but it seemed a little…
Attention-seeking!
Zhou Linghuai smiled. “I know you don’t like to be ostentatious, but when you open a charity hall, you have to go through the government office to buy land, settle down, and take in people. Others will use various methods to find out about you. It won’t be good to hide it. Beauty is a graceful heart. This is the Empress Dowager’s praise. With this name, you can avoid a lot of trouble.” Although her cousin made sense, Yu Youyao was a little hesitant.
Zhou Linghuai brushed it gently. The jade bead tassel by her ear swayed gently.
Ever since her cousin returned from Shandong, he would often do intimate things like brushing her hair, tidying her clothes, and pulling out the jewelry in her hair.
At first, Yu Youyao would feel a little awkward, but after a few more times, she did not think much of it. Instead, she liked this kind of intimacy with her cousin in private.
Zhou Linghuai said slowly, “I know that your ambition does not stop with one charity hall. This charity hall is only the beginning for you. You want to open many charity halls throughout the country with whatever power you have. In that case, you have to be prepared to face everything from the beginning.”
Yu Youyao also knew that she could not hide her thoughts from her cousin, so she did not try. She only said, “I vaguely have this thought in my heart. As for what to do, I still have to see the situation of this charity hall in the capital.” At this point, she took a deep breath and smiled. “Since Cousin thinks the name Graceful Heart Hall is good, let’s call it Graceful Heart Hall!”
In that case, the name was settled.
Zhou Linghuai chuckled.
Yu Youyao tugged at her cousin’s sleeve and smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. Her eyes were clear and happy. “Can I leave the plaque of Graceful Heart Hall to you?
Zhou Linghuai also smiled. “When did I ever say no to you?
He had never rejected her requests. Even if it was something difficult, he would think of a compromise to avoid disappointing her.
Yu Youyao was very happy. “Thank you, Cousin!”
That day, Zhou Linghuai went to work.
The words “Graceful Heart Hall” were written in large characters. It was as graceful as a swimming dragon, like a tiger lying on a phoenix.
Her cousin was good at calligraphy, so the words he wrote were majestic like endless mountains, and also beautiful and deep. The strokes were strong like the mountains and flowed smoothly like rivers.
He already had his own style
Yu Youyao held the calligraphy and naturally loved it.
She wheedled and asked her cousin to give her a painting of “Graceful Heart is Kindness”. She planned to hang it in her study after it was framed.
That day, Yu Youyao sent this calligraphy piece to be framed. Framing was not easy, and it usually took at least two to three days.
Yu Youyao was in a hurry to use it, so she added more money and asked them to hurry up.
The people who made the plaque were all experienced businessmen. Their craftmanship were unparalleled. She said that it was needed urgently, and the next day, they finished it and sent it to the Yu Residence..
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