Chapter 598: Public Execution
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu Jianjia felt uncomfortable and suddenly said, “This zither is made of wood. Its material is strange and ancient. Its sound is loose and transparent, and its sound is quiet, moist, round, clear, and even. The song played by this zither should also be heavenly. It’s rare to hear it in the world, and it’s almost comparable to peerless music.”
Yu Youyao’s eyes lit up and she couldn’t help but look at her cousin.
Zhou Linghuai’s expression darkened. “That’s not right. The zither has nine virtues, but the ones who can play them are humans. A person can easily find and select talents, but what is more rare are the talents themselves.”
He turned to look at Yu Youyao. After being praised by Yu Jianjia, his lips curled up in a silly smile, and his eyes were filled with smug joy. It was as if Yu Jianjia was happier than anything else when she praised him.
He did not even think about whether Yu Jianjia meant what she said.
It was as if the reason why Yu Youyao could play “Guan Shanyue” well was not because she was good at the zither, but because the zither was good.
At the thought of this, Zhou Linghuai glanced at Yu Jianjia indifferently. “A good zither and a beautiful woman complement each other.” He asked meaningfully, “Third Cousin, don’t you agree?”
Yu Youyao’s goal in playing the song was to appraise the zither. It was not wrong for her to praise it for being good. No one would think that there was anything wrong with her words.
However, Zhou Linghuai’s words had indirectly exposed her unbearable thoughts.
She had nowhere to hide.
Under Zhou Linghuai’s indifferent gaze, Yu Jianjia did not dare to breathe too loudly. She subconsciously bit her lip and said, “It’s my short-sightedness. Cousin Zhou is right. No matter how good the zither is, if the person playing it isn’t good, she won’t be able to play it well. Eldest Sister has been learning the zither for three years, but her zither skills are actually so impressive.”
She saved the situation so beautifully.
Unfortunately, some people did not buy it.
Yu Shuangbai pursed her lips. “Of course. Big Sister learns everything quickly. In three years, she’s already caught up to our six to seven years of cultivation. It’s not comparable, nor can we be envious.”
These words were straightforward and heart-wrenching, making Yu Jianjia feel stifled.
Yu Lianyu had a gentle personality and said gently, “Although we can’t compare to Eldest Sister when we learn the zither from Ms. Ye, what we’ve learned has already surpassed many of our peers. Besides, Third Sister’s zither skills have always been the best among us sisters.”
These words were already very sincere.
However, in Yu Jianjia’s ears, it was extremely ear-piercing. First, she said that she couldn’t compare to Yu Youyao, then she praised her for having the best zither skills among her sisters. It was obvious that she had praised Yu Youyao and stepped on her.
Yu Fangfei also said, “Although I’ve never heard the song Cousin Zhou plays, I’ve heard that the person who’s proficient in the zither might not be a zither master, but a zither master must be proficient in the zither. This zither has nine virtues. Cousin Zhou’s zither skills are naturally top-notch. Eldest Sister is
Cousin Zhou’s disciple, so of course her zither skills are good!”
Yu Youyao glanced at Yu Jianjia and smiled. ‘”Guan Shanyue’ is just a short piece. It’s not difficult to play. In terms of foundation, it’s not as solid as yours.” At this point, this was the end.
Yu Shansi sat beside Zhou Linghuai and looked at the colorful zither box with sparkling eyes. He asked softly, “Cousin Zhou, can you teach me how to make lacquer carvings?”
Zhou Linghuai did not like Yu Shansi, nor did he hate him. “Why do you want to learn lacquer carving?”
Yu Shansi couldn’t help but glance at Yu Youyao. “I like lacquer carvings. Eldest Sister also likes it very much.”
Engravers were all very respected. Yu Shansi’s studies were not outstanding, but he had displayed some talent in carving. This also added a lot plus points to his mediocrity.
Although he lowered his voice, he did not hide it from outsiders.
Yu Youyao and Yu Shuangbai gathered together to discuss clothes and beauty.
Yu Jianjia did not go over. Coincidentally, she heard Yu Shansi’s words just now. She felt as if she had been punched in the chest and felt a dull pain. As Yu Youyao liked carvings, Yu Shansi abandoned his studies and learned how to carve from a teacher. He had been pampered since he was young and had never suffered or been doted on. In order to learn how to carve, his ten fingers were injured, but he did not say a word. It was all because he wanted to personally carve something for Yu Youyao on her birthday!
Just because Yu Youyao liked lacquer carvings, he wanted to learn lacquer carving to please her?!
Yu Shansi was her biological brother, but in his heart, his biological sister was not as important as Yu Youyao?!
Seven years of sibling relationship was actually no match for his three years of interaction with Yu Youyao?
A sense of betrayal, neglect, and anger lingered in Yu Jianjia’s heart.
She wished she could rush forward and slap Yu Shansi’s face to wake him up completely so that he would know who his biological sister was.
But!
Yu Jianjia clenched her fists.
Zhou Linghuai nodded. “I have books related to lacquer carving in my house.
I’ll get someone to send them to you later.”
However, he did not say that she wanted to teach him.
However, Yu Shansi was very happy. “Thank you, Cousin Zhou!”
Lacquer carving was a very precious skill. He was already very happy that Cousin Zhou was willing to give him a book. He could learn some basic skills from a craftsman.
When his foundation was solid, he could go to school.
When it was Eldest Sister’s birthday next year, he could also make a lacquer carving for her.
Yu Jianjia couldn’t help but remind him, “Fourth Brother, it’s also good that you want to learn the craftsmanship of lacquer carving. Don’t be distracted by external things and neglect your studies, lest you anger Father.”
The meaning between the lines could not hide her worry and comfort for him.
However, the last sentence made Yu Shansi feel uncomfortable. Even his excited expression faded a little. “I understand, Third Sister.”
His mother was sick in the Tranquil Heart Residence, and his biological sister was also recuperating in the manor and rarely returned to the residence. His father did not dote on him as much as before, and because his studies were mediocre, his father’s high hopes for him had faded.
He often heard the servants say behind his back, “Eldest Madam Yang made a huge mistake. Matriarch and Eldest Master hate Eldest Madam Yang to the core. If it weren’t for the fact that Eldest Madam Yang gave birth to Eldest Master’s legitimate son, Eldest Master would have divorced her long ago.” This made Yu Shansi realize that he was no longer the only son of the first branch of the Yu Residence.
While he was feeling dejected, uneasy, and terrified, Third Sister was recuperating in the manor. It was Eldest Sister who had sent him the books he studied in the past.
It was also because of this that he had improved a lot in his studies. Although he was not outstanding, he was not too far behind.
Eldest Sister was not like Third Sister who would whisper to him and ask about his well-being.
However, Eldest Sister had asked him to trust her after losing his mother’s protection, his father’s love, and his studies. He did not have to worry about being treated unfairly and receiving strange gazes in the residence.
In the afternoon, Yu Zongzheng and Yu Zongshen left the government office one after another.
Concubine Jiang had also prepared a family banquet.
The elders had all prepared a birthday gift for Yu Youyao. Before Yu Youyao could show off, Yu Shuangbai had already shouted, “With Cousin Zhou in front of you, the other gifts pale in comparison..”
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