Chapter 97: Chapter 96 Respecting the Teacher
Tang Shunyan had just gotten up the second day, assisted by Mrs. Li, dressing and washing his face, and then, remembering what his grandmother had said about making pastries, he asked the wet nurse to take him to his grandmother’s courtyard for breakfast.
Upon seeing the dining room in his grandmother’s courtyard, there indeed were pastries made with honey.
“Hehe, grandson has arrived, Grandmother.”
Madam, seeing her lively grandson running over, said with a kindly and smiling expression:
“Slow down, these are special pastries made by the kitchen, all using the honey you brought back.”
“Hehe, grandson mentioned yesterday about bringing some honey back to the courtyard, but forgot to bring it before leaving. Grandmother hasn’t used up all that honey, has she?”
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“How could that be? Since our grandson is so good, Grandmother instructed the housekeeper to go to the Li Family home today to buy honey. Eventually, all our pastries will be made with honey, and you can even eat them as your meals.”
“Alright, alright, that’s wonderful!” Tang Shunyan jumped joyfully.
Mrs. Li could only smell the sweet scent; she couldn’t have a piece of the pastry made with honey.
Her meals, like those of the other servants, were leftovers given by the daughters to the master’s family. She also couldn’t indulge in even a bite, wondering why the master’s family said their provided honey was different, though it all came from bees. This luxurious treatment, valued even more than the cherished bird’s nest, felt strange to her.
Such were Mrs. Li’s thoughts, but she dared not voice them. Mrs. Pan had already told her when bringing her here to speak little, work more, speak less, make fewer mistakes, and work quietly and obediently.
After breakfast at his grandmother’s place, Tang Shunyan had just returned to his own courtyard and entered the study where the teacher was about to give him a lesson, when a maid at the door told him:
“Young Master, the young madam is asking for you in her courtyard.”
Tang Shunyan glanced at the hourglass in the study; it was prepared by the teacher to tell time, and he had learned how to read it.
He hadn’t visited his mother’s courtyard this morning, partially out of spite—last night, his mother had scolded him at his grandmother’s courtyard, telling him not to associate with the wet nurse’s sisters, which made him spiteful enough not to greet his mother.
“The teacher is about to come and give me a lesson. Go tell mother I’ll go after my class.”
“Young Master, Jufeng is asking you to come to the young madam’s courtyard because there are guests visiting there.”
Xiu Zhi, also a confidante of the young madam, heard about the visiting cards sent to the young madam’s courtyard yesterday, and today there were guests visiting there; she was able to hear about it.
“Mind less of your business. I haven’t yet reported yesterday’s incident to grandmother and mother. I need to study.”
Tang Shunyan particularly disliked Xiu Zhi, more so than other maids, perhaps because Xiu Zhi often mocked him in front of Mrs. Li, which hurt his feelings.
Knowing these were maids sent by his mother, he didn’t stoop to their level.
Even more, knowing these maids listened to his mother, acting as her spies, made him feel like he had no freedom in life.
In the courtyard, only the wet nurse wasn’t spying for someone else; only Mrs. Li gave him a sense of security.
Xiu Zhi, scolded by Tang Shunyan, dared not say the retort she had in mind.
Jufeng felt that the young Master was becoming more assertive, and now that he wouldn’t listen to her, it made her less effective in her duties in front of the young madam.
“Young Master, please just go once to the young madam’s courtyard to meet the guests. If you don’t take leave, just say a word to the young madam; it will help me explain to her,” Xiu Zhi said.
Tang Shunyan, however, shook his head, responding to Jufeng:
“Mother often has female guests, and although they frequently visit, I can’t entertain them every day. If I entertained them daily, how could I find time to study my skills?”
“But sir, it doesn’t take much time to meet them briefly; the young ladies have requested to see the young Master,” Jufeng said with her head lowered, not giving up on persuading him.
“Has Meng Zhaojun arrived? Tell her to wait; I’ll go over to mother’s courtyard after my class.”
Jufeng was about to say something else when the teacher arrived at the door of the study. He looked at her sternly, having overheard the student’s words and was quite appreciative of the student’s diligent and eager-to-learn attitude.
As a teacher, he naturally wanted to educate a brilliant disciple, whose fame would spread far and wide; that was what gave a teacher the greatest sense of achievement.
It wasn’t about taking someone’s money and not teaching properly. Proper teaching was essential, and if the students didn’t study hard, it would also ruin his reputation.
The teacher, like a father, hoped his descendants would fulfill some dreams that they themselves could not.
When Tang Shunyan saw the teacher arrive, he paid his respects and then paid no more attention to the maid outside the door.
Mrs. Li stood to the side in silence, supporting the young Master but afraid of offending the young madam.
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Firstly, the teacher assessed the homework he had assigned to Tang Shunyan the day before yesterday, as Tang Shunyan had taken a day off yesterday. Though it was a day off, the teacher had still assigned him homework.
Tang Shunyan first recited for the teacher, then practiced his writing.
The teacher then taught him additional characters and explained them, as time gradually passed. Near the end of the class, the teacher asked Tang Shunyan where he had been the previous day and what he had experienced.
Tang Shunyan told Mr. He about the joyful events of the previous day, mentioning that the daughters of the Li Family were skilled in carving, with the youngest sister giving him honey and some carved toys. That little sister also knew how to carve toys, and his family was already collaborating with her family.
The teacher, an old-school scholar who didn’t engage in business and earned a modest living by educating others, had never heard of such a young child being able to carve and assumed Tang Shunyan, not yet three years old, was joking.
Tang Shunyan then took out a small box of pastries and said to the teacher:
“Teacher, yesterday, the little sister gave me a large jar of honey, and my family made it into pastries. I ate some this morning at my grandmother’s and thought of you, so I had the wet nurse bring some pastries for you to taste the deliciousness of the honey.”
The teacher stared intently at the young student before him – so young, yet while enjoying something tasty, he thought of him.
If he had been from an ordinary family, the first thing on his mind would have been to fill his own stomach. It was already commendable that Tang Shunyan, the young Master of the Tang family, thought of feeding himself well, and it was not easy for someone so young to think of bringing something for the teacher to eat – indeed, he was teachable.
The teacher’s nose had already caught the sweet scent; the pastries in the wrapped box indeed smelled better than the usual snacks students brought him.
Upon seeing the box, the teacher thought of sharing it with his family and did not open the box to eat the pastries right away.
He didn’t immediately take the box and leave but assigned some homework to the student and reminded him not to miss the afternoon Martial Arts class.
Tang Shunyan nodded to the teacher, watching as he left with the box.
Jufeng went back to report to the young madam, then sent another maid to wait for the young Master to finish class and invite him to the young madam’s courtyard.
After seeing the teacher leave, the maid, who was still in the study with the young Master working, spoke:
“Young Master, the young madam instructed that once you finish class, please go to the young madam’s courtyard; there are guests waiting to see you there.”
Tang Shunyan put down his pen, fell silent for a moment, and knowing his mother’s character, he understood that if she couldn’t get him to come to the courtyard, she would definitely send someone again to invite him.