Chapter 67: Chapter 66 Development Plan
“The teacher assigned me homework, so I better practice more! You go play first.”
Although Tang Shunyan complied with Meng Zhaojun, he did not give up on his practice. Since his skills were inferior, he knew he had to redouble his efforts.
“Ah, Tang Shunyan, can’t you play with me for a while before continuing your writing? You’re always writing, don’t you find it boring?”
Meng Zhaojun, hearing that Tang Shunyan, under her urging, admitted defeat in writing, yet continued to write, wasn’t here just to accompany Tang Shunyan in his writing. Although Tang Shunyan didn’t look dull, why was he so stubborn?
“Meng Zhaojun, the teacher has assigned homework, and I must finish it. Also, my time for writing is limited, I have to practice in the afternoon as well.”
“I came to play, and you don’t have a break in the afternoon? No, you have to take a leave, isn’t there still time to practice in the evening?” Meng Zhaojun twisted her body even more, pouting and stamping her foot.
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“Meng Zhaojun, you are a guest in my home, you can play here. You’re a girl, you should play with the girls in our family. Also, I’m a boy, and I don’t like playing with girls.”
Tang Shunyan continued writing without lifting his head, finding Meng Zhaojun overly willful and arrogant. Her talent was undeniable, but her pride was not to his liking.
“Tang Shunyan, I don’t like playing with your family’s sisters. I want to play with you; aren’t you going to the garden, right?”
Meng Zhaojun grew angry at Tang Shunyan’s disobedient expression, her tone carrying a hint of command, fitting a young lady used to having her way.
“Right, I don’t like those flowers, what would I do in the garden? It’s only the girls who like flowers. I want to write, you can play wherever you like?”
The more Tang Shunyan spoke, the more annoyed he felt, wondering why Meng Zhaojun kept bothering him.
“Tang Shunyan, fine, I won’t be defeated by you. We’ll see!”
Meng Zhaojun huffed and walked out, thinking Tang Shunyan would chase after her to apologize.
But to her surprise, after looking back repeatedly, she saw only that Tang Shunyan continued writing intently, not putting down his brush at all.
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She huffed out of the garden, her maid and the guiding maid followed her steps.
Tang Shunyan felt a sense of relief as Meng Zhaojun went out; the oppressive atmosphere lessened significantly, easing the pressure he felt from competing with a girl of similar age.
“Young Master, have some water!” Mrs. Li, seeing the young guest had left and how long the Young Master had been studying, went in to fetch water, feeling sympathy for him.
“Wet nurse, do you think I’m useless? I’m not even as good as a girl,” Tang Shunyan said to the wet nurse as he took the water from her, voicing the frustrations he had kept inside.
“Young Master, you have been very diligent, I believe your hard work will pay off. Don’t be discouraged, okay? Perhaps only the daughters of rich families can afford to write; my own girls can only work all day long, and hardly know a few big characters,” the wet nurse said.
His words caused Mrs. Li’s heart to ache; her daughters, born from her womb, had not lived a single good day, and it was her fault as a mother.
She couldn’t help wiping away a tear, wondering how her daughters were managing during this busy agricultural season, during the days she was not at home.
“Wet nurse, please don’t cry. Next time you go home to visit, will you take me with you? I’d like to meet these sisters,” Tang Shunyan spoke considerately, his earnest expression halting Mrs. Li’s tears, and she wiped her eyes and managed a weak smile as she spoke:
“Young Master, I don’t know if I can return on the next family visit, and even if I can, whether the Young Master can come along is not something the wet nurse can decide. All of this requires the approval of the Young Master’s elders.”
“Moreover, there’s nothing to see in our countryside, it’s not as beautiful as the Young Master’s garden or as wealthy as the Young Master’s family. There’s really nothing to see.”
Tang Shunyan shook his head after hearing the wet nurse’s words, but he did not continue the topic and picked up his brush to continue writing.
Mrs. Li, seeing that the Young Master had stopped talking, quietly walked outside to stand at the doorway.
The conversation Mrs. Li had with the Young Master had been clearly overheard by another maid standing at the doorway. She pouted and wondered what kind of spell Mrs. Li had given the Young Master to eat, for he was always so clingy to her.
She even wanted to follow him to that dilapidated and poor village. Secretly, she hummed in her heart, convinced that the young madam and the Madam would definitely not agree to let the Young Master go to such a dirty and rundown place.
She needed to tell the young madam; Mrs. Li was again encouraging the Young Master to visit her home. As Mrs. Li came out to stand by the doorway, the maid stealthily glared at her and then quietly left, heading towards the young madam’s courtyard.
When the maid arrived at the young madam’s courtyard, she met Jufeng and told her everything she knew, exaggerating some parts.
Jufeng went to the young madam’s room. These days the young madam’s body was getting heavier. Besides walking outside for a while, she spent the rest of her time either sitting in bed or lying down.
Jufeng relayed what Maid Xiu Zhi had said to the young madam.
The young madam listened and became angry. Her son did not go when invited by guests, yet he talked about going to Mrs. Li’s broken and poor home. She absolutely couldn’t let her son’s heart be swayed by Mrs. Li.
The young madam felt increasingly irritable, perhaps pregnancy was making her mood depressive, the physical heaviness adding to her discomfort.
She was quick to anger over small matters and huffed irritably. She said to Jufeng, “Take the Young Master to the garden. How can our family’s boy mix with such poor girls? He must associate with ladies like Miss.”
Jufeng nodded at the young madam’s words, asked another maid to watch over the young madam, and headed to the Princess’s courtyard.
Meng Zhaojun came to the garden pouting, but did not immediately complain to the Madam about her mother.
“My dear, what’s the matter? Who upset you?”
Mrs. Meng saw her daughter had wanted to invite the Tang family’s young grandson but couldn’t get him to come here, and judging by her daughter’s expression, she was definitely sulking.
“Mother, your daughter is not,” she answered.
The Madam also saw the interaction between the mother and daughter, noting that her grandson hadn’t neglected his study even with the visit of the young guest.
She had always believed that boys and girls were different. This was her eldest grandson, and training the next generation was very important.
“Come here, little girl. Let’s enjoy the flowers together. My stubborn grandson doesn’t like flowers and lacks such refined taste. We’ll ignore him.”
Meng Zhaojun, after hearing the Madam’s words, could only nod her head, slightly regretting not having stayed in the study. After all, she hadn’t come to Tang Mansion to look at flowers.
Her upbringing plans obviously required greater patience around these ancient bookish people.
Meng Zhaojun being so young yet writing so well and being so proud was not without reason—she was a transmigrator from another time and space, originating from a culture similar to this one, yet with a different history.