chapter 76

Early morning the next day, Yurong went to Tingyun Pavilion in high spirits.

When Yuxi heard the news, she smiled very unkindly. To learn qin, chess, calligraphy and painting from Yuchen was like seeking for disaster. Yuxi had lived an extra lifetime and she had saw a lot of things, so she was not affected by Yuchen. As for Yurong, she had only two words. Ha-ha.

Yuchen had too much things to learn. She would wake up at maoshi (5-7a.m) every day and only had time to rest for half an hour at noon. Although she did promised to teach Yurong, it was impossible to teach her from morning till night. She could only set aside half an hour a day for her. She started by teaching her qin.

Ding dong… – A burst of disorderly music sounded from Tingyun Pavilion.

Yurong said that she used to play the magical notes of the qin. Now, all maids and old woman servants in the courtyard wished they could close their ears. Yurong made up the statement herself. Since she didn’t practice much at all, she stopped playing after a while. She could indeed played the magical notes on the qin. Though, the maids and old women servants of Tingyun Pavilion were already accustomed to hear beautiful qin music played by Yuchen every day, thus, when they heard the qin played by Yurong, they all felt particularly bitter.

Yuchen patiently pointed the mistakes, “You pluck it wrongly, and that’s a wrong fingering. It should be like this…” She gave Yurong a demonstration.

Yurong played it again according to Yuchen’s teachings, but still to no avail. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Then, she said, “Just forget about it, Third Sister. Even when I was in Hebei, my teacher said I didn’t have talent in qin art. Third Sister, how about you teach me chess and painting skills!” She had learned a bit chess and painting, so she was not worried that she would be bad in learning them.

Yuchen did not insist on the matter, since, even Yuxi did not learn any musical instruments, but she still did well in chess and painting. However, Yuchen was a serious and responsible kind of person. She asked, “Did you finish copying 100 characters according to the copybook yesterday?” Her zanhua xiaokai (blossom hairpin regular script) was truly a legacy from Teacher Song.

Yurong shook her head and said, “I was distressed with my handwriting that I stop writing.”

Yuchen slightly frowned, “Writing one hundred characters a day is something you must be adhered to. If you didn’t finish writing them yesterday, then you have to make it up today. Fifth Sister, calligraphy is developed by practice. We must persevere and not slacken off. Otherwise, we won’t learn it well. Remember?“

Yurong hesitated for a moment but then said, “I’ll remember.”

When it was her turn to learn chess, Yurong thought that since she already had a solid foundation in painting and qin skills, it would also be easy for her to learn chess. However, when she caught sight of the chess, her whole body looked unwell, “Third Sister, I can’t.”

Yuchen frowned and asked, “Didn’t you already learn chess? So, why can’t you play?“ She could say it easily since chess was uncomplicated to read and understand, so of course, to those who already have the foundation, it should be effortless.

Yurong replied, “I did not learn this kind of chess, but another kind.” She studied wuziqi (gomoku/gobang/5 in a row), while Yuchen was going to teach her weiqi (go). Weiqi and wuziqi were not on the same level.

Wuziqi winning condition. Wuziqi is like othello plus bingo. As long as you can put a straight five pieces horizontally, vertically or across, you win the game.

Source | Shao, Kun & Zhao, Dongbin & Tang, Zhentao & Zhu, Yuanheng. (2016). 292-297. 10.1109/YAC.2016.7804906.

While weiqi winning condition is based on territories or/andccapture points each player earns. The one with the highest total points win.

Source | Scsc via wiki

Yuchen was speechless, “Wuziqi? When you say you are good at chess, you actually mean wuziqi?” In her eyes, only weiqi and xiangqi (Chinese chess) could be considered as chess skills. Wuziqi, which she disdained to learn, was a child’s game.

Yurong looked at Yuchen’s manner. She didn’t know why but there was a sudden feeling of ashamed emerged in her mind. “Third Sister, it’s not too late for me to learn weiqi, is it?”

It was not too late, but Yuchen didn’t have the time to start teaching her from the scratch, “If you really want to learn weiqi, you can start by reading book on weiqi for beginners.”

Yurong nodded, “Okay.”

Since the art of qin and chess couldn’t be taught right now, there was only the art of painting left. Yuchen would not teach it to Yurong this time. She just said, “Fifth Sister, please draw a picture for me to see first. You can draw anything you like.”

Yurong painted a cluster of chrysanthemums, which she was best known for.

When Yuchen looked at the picture, she slightly sighed. At this level, it couldn’t even hold a candle to drawings painted by Yuxi, who had not drawn much, “Your chrysanthemum painting is too rigid and don’t even have any soul.”

Yurong’s face turned stiff.

At that moment, Momo (wet nurse) Gui walked in to remind Yuchen, “Miss, it’s time to practice your qin.” Each of her Miss’ time was very precious.

“Wait here for me,” Yuchen said to Yurong. She went to the study, found a book on weiqi for beginners and gave it to Yurong.

Yurong was unhappy as she held the book in her hand. Whoever had been criticized would surely be depressed, but she still needed to express her gratitude to Yuchen.

For the next few days, Yurong went to Tingyun Pavilion every morning and made Yuchen taught her weiqi and painting skills. Yurong was not stupid, but she was not particularly clever either. Yuchen taught her very fast, so she had to be extra strenuous in her study.

Yurong was different from Yuxi. She was pampered, so she couldn’t even face a bit of hardship. She began to complain bitterly after two days of learning, which made Yuchen treated her with cold-shoulder even more.

Kufu reported to Yuxi, “Miss, Third Miss treats Fifth Miss very kindly. She personally teaches her chess and painting. Now all the people in the residence say that Third Miss is really a good sister.“ In contrast, Yuxi, Yurong’s other elder sister, was considered incompetent.

“That’s a good thing,” said Yuxi indifferently. Yuchen had always behaved perfectly. While her, instead of learning from Yuchen, she lived her life in her own way.

Zisu instead questioned, “Will it not affect Third Miss if Fifth Miss goes to learn from her every day? ” A talented person also needed to take time to learn anything! Just like her, Momo Quan once said that she had a talent for accounting, but it was only after several years of study that she could do so well now.

Yuxi chuckled, “This is not your concern.” After that, she went to her study, took out a thick medical book and went to the backyard to read it.

Maidong came in with a bad expression and said, “Miss, your cousin, Miss Fu is here again.”

Yuxi said casually, “Tell her I’m drawing in my study, so I don’t have time to see her. We will meet another time. If she doesn’t leave, please serve her tea in the living room.” On the first day they met, she was being too nervous, so she went a little bit too far, which was also an after-effect of her previous life. Later, when she considered it carefully, she felt that she had been thinking too much. As long as she be on guard against Qiu Yanfu scheming of her second brother, Qiu Yanfu would only be a visitor in the residence so she couldn’t jump up. It was a total waste of time to pay so much attention on her.

When Qiu Yanfu heard Yuxi was drawing in her study, she did not know why she suddenly felt powerless. Not to mention Yuchen’s proficiency in the four arts, poetry and in brewing tea, even Fourth Miss who looked dumb outwardly was also gifted. She used to think that she was excellent in all aspects. Now, compared with Yuchen and Yuxi, she was just a slag.

Yurong had studied with Yuchen for less than half a month, and both her chess and painting skills had made a lot of progress. However, correspondingly, Yuchen’s learning progress slowed down a lot, which made Momo Gui very dissatisfied. However, Yuchen did this for fraternal love between sisters, so, she could not directly tell Yuchen to give up teaching her sister.

Yuchen saw Yurong’s words on the picture and asked, “Fifth Sister, did you write 100 characters every day?” Judging from the written words on the picture, she could not see any progress at all. She clearly remembered that Yuxi had only practiced for half a month, but her writings had advanced by leaps and bounds. Yuchen didn’t ask Yurong to be as good as Yuxi, but she should not stay stagnant at the level she was now!

Yurong guiltily said, “Yes!” She was afraid that she would be looked down upon by Yuchen for failing to complete her task every day, so she falsely claimed to have finished it the next day. A lie needed countless lies to make it right.

Yuchen frowned, but she didn’t think too much about it. But Momo Gui, who stood beside her like a fine woman, looked at Yurong and knew that Yurong was not telling the truth.

After sending off Yurong, Momo Gui told Yuchen, “Miss, Fifth Miss certainly didn’t write 100 characters every day.” According to her estimation, even half of them had not yet been written by Yurong.

Yuchen obviously didn’t believe it, “That can’t be. Fifth Sister said she finished writing them.” The main person, Teacher Song asked her and Yuxi to write 100 characters a day afterwards, but she never checked it, but they still did a good job. She believed that Yurong should be the same as them. In addition, she felt that Yurong was learning for herself, thus she didn’t think Yurong would cheat her.

Momo Gui smiled and said, “What she said may not be true. If Miss does not believe it, Miss should ask someone to go and tell Fifth Miss to bring you the written characters early tomorrow morning.”

Yuchen thought for a moment, then said, “Okay.”

The lie broke at the slightest touch. When Yurong faced Yuchen, her face turned red and said, “Third Sister, I’m sorry, I lied.”

Yuchen’s face was very ugly, “Why did you say you did wrote it when you actually hadn’t finished it?” Lying at a young age was a sign of bad character.

Yurong felt very aggrieved as she said, “Third Sister, I’ve written too much characters that my hand have been terribly painful. And if I have written much more, it will leave scar on my hand.“

As Yuchen heard these spoken words, her expression immediately became indifferent. Yurong didn’t even write 100 words a day, and yet she dared to say her hand hurt because of it. She didn’t dare to face even a little bit of hardship that she filled her mouth with lies instead.

Yurong still had the ability of doing as she saw fit when she hastily said, “Third Sister, I know I was wrong and I shouldn’t have lied to you. Third Sister, don’t worry, I won’t do it again.“

Yuchen said, “Let’s not talk about this right now. I won’t teach you for the time being, so go back first!“ She had no affection for Yurong, and she taught Yurong whole heartedly was nothing more than listening to Han Jingyan’s request and also to fulfill her eldest sister’s duty. Now, she would no longer wanting to bear this responsibility.

Yurong’s face changed when she saw Yuchen giving her a cold-shoulder, “Third Sister, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this once!”

Yuchen’s expression was indifferent when she said, “I am not in the mood today, so you go back first!”

Momo Gui looked at Yuchen in a bad mood and said, “Miss, you shouldn’t have promised Fifth Miss at the beginning. You see, Fourth Miss is still the one who is smart to back away.” In her view, Yuchen’s efforts had became arduous and thankless task (Chinese idiom : strenuous and unrewarding).

Yuchen said with a wry smile, “Father told me to be more merciful towards my Fifth Sister, and yet I’m not good in being merciful.” She just wanted to brush her presence in front of Han Jingyan.

How could Momo Gui not know Yuchen’s thought. She immediately shake her head, “Miss, Master just asked you to be merciful towards Fifth Miss, not to not let you teach her personally. Fourth Miss was right in saying that it was Wu Shi’s duty to bring up Fifth Miss, not yours nor Fourth Miss.”

At first, Momo Gui didn’t value Yuxi very much, but after a long time, she found Yuxi was very thorough in seeing things and was very good at seeking benefits while avoiding harms. Of course, it was also this advantages that had won the favor of Momo Quan who had taught Yuxi with all her heart. In fact, Momo Gui also had some regrets. If Momo Quan could stay beside Yuchen, she would have an extra arm.

In fact, Yuchen’s heart was very complicated. On one hand, she wanted to get the attention of her father. On the other hand, she envied Yuxi very much. Yuxi didn’t have to worry so much about what she wanted to do and what she didn’t want to.

Momo Gui had been with Yuchen for five years now, so she understood her better. She instantly advised, “Miss, if it’s hard for you say it, then, let just ask the Old Madam to act on your behalf.”

Yuchen shook her head and said, “No, I’ll tell them myself.”