Four Seasons Brocade – CH 003

Chapter 3 ☆、 A Naive and Inexperienced Girl

At noon, Ah Wu, bored and alone, went to the main room early. She found Lady Cui’s courtyard eerily quiet; this was the busiest time and also the easiest time to slack off.

Some had gone off to play in twos and threes under the pretense of carrying food boxes, while others had wandered off to chat in some courtyard and forgotten to return. The cunning old women were nowhere to be seen; they had long since gone home to take care of their husbands and sons.

Ah Wu frowned, finding the scene unbearable. She went to the porch and heard voices coming from inside.

“Madam, it’s not that I am criticizing you, but why do you let Sixth Young Lady act so recklessly? We just had spring clothes made the other day, and now you are asking me to use my own savings for new clothes? The young lady is still young and growing rapidly. The clothes we made will be too small to wear next year. Is that not a waste?” The speaker sounded like Li Lishan’s wife, a maidservant of Lady Cui.

Ah Wu was not intentionally eavesdropping, but since the conversation involved her and she was unfamiliar with the situation in the household, she felt it was necessary to find out more. Therefore, she held her breath and listened carefully.

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“But are we short of money again?” Lady Cui sighed softly.

“Madam knows that the Third Master and the two young masters’ monthly allowances are barely enough to cover their social obligations. The Third Master’s studies and apprenticeships are always funded by Madam using her dowry, and now there’s hardly anything left. The other day, the young lady was ill and needed ginseng to replenish her energy. I went to ask Second Madam for some, and that little hussy Cuiping only gave me a few coins’ worth of ginseng scraps. In the end, it was Madam herself who bought a few slices of ginseng from her own savings and saved the young lady. Every meal the young lady needs while she’s sick requires money before the kitchen will prepare it. Tomorrow, the young lady wants to eat yam cake, and we gave another three hundred coins before the Lin family in the kitchen finally agreed.”

“Alright, alright,” Lady Cui interrupted Li Lishan’s wife, her head throbbing. “I know it’s difficult, but things will be easier once the monthly allowance comes in. I am such a useless mother; I’ve let Ah Wu down. If I do not grant her that little request, how can I face her in the future? Go pawn my pearl headdress and make some clothes for Ah Wu.”

“Madam, you only have that pearl headdress and that gold magnolia headdress. If you pawn those, you will only have one headdress to wear when you go out. Will those people who look down on others not laugh at you again?” Li Lishan’s wife said anxiously.

“Do they not laugh at me now?” Lady Cui said sadly. “Now I only wish my Ah Wu would not be laughed at.”

But ironically, she was the real joke, Li Lishan’s wife thought to herself, but dared not speak to Lady Cui, fearing she would hurt her feelings.

“Yesterday, I discussed this with Madam. Has she made a decision? There’s a shop on Changyang Street that’s changing hands. Let’s manage to take it over, so we will have a livelihood from now on.”

Ah Wu stood under the eaves, imagining Lady Cui frowning again. “Third Master is such a refined and elegant man. If I were to scheme behind his back, reeking of money, he would surely be angry with me when he returns. Besides, if word gets out, it would ruin Third Master’s reputation. Now, we only hope that Third Master will pass this imperial examination with flying colors.”

Ah Wu nodded inwardly. Of the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants were the lowest of the low. Ah Wu, who had always been inclined to poetry and refined pursuits, could hardly look down on merchants, let alone the fact that her own family was going to engage in commerce. Even if Lady Cui agreed, she would find a way to stop it. While those luxuries were indispensable, they were not something a refined family should covet. How could they presume to scheme for them? It would be beneath their dignity.

Ah Wu was quite naive when it came to these household trifles. Given the Princess’s wealth, Ah Wu’s food and daily necessities were always the best; she never worried about money and considered it dirt, finding even the mention of it vulgar. She usually ignored some wealthy women who reeked of money, finding them utterly vulgar and repulsive.

Li Lishan’s wife wanted to persuade her further, but Lady Cui stopped her, saying, “Alright, Jie’er and Yin’er should finish their studies now.”

Li Lishan’s wife sighed and gave up. She thought that although the Third Master was talented, he had failed three exams in a row, and now that he was older, she wondered if he would pass this one. Life for the Third Branch in the Duke’s mansion was becoming increasingly difficult.

Hearing that Li Lishan’s wife was about to come out, Ah Wu quickly stepped back, pretending to have just entered the courtyard. Seeing her emerge, she called out, “Nanny Li.”

“Young lady, you are looking better and better. Are you feeling any better?”

Ah Wu exchanged a few perfunctory words with Nanny Li, then went about her own business.

Upon entering the house, Ah Wu said, “Madam, why is there no one to serve you? Where are Si-Shu and Si-Hua? When I came in, I did not even see a gatekeeper.”

“Si-Shu’s parents are ill, so I gave her half a day off. Si-Hua and the little maid went to fetch the food box,” Cui explained.

Ah Wu, preoccupied with her own thoughts, did not talk much with Lady Cui. Lady Cui picked up her needlework again, while Ah Wu rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, lost in thought. She carefully recalled the years from the twenty-third year of the Longqing reign to the thirty-third year, when she had died, and had never heard of a son from the Duke of Anguo’s family passing the imperial examinations. She thought her father’s future was uncertain.

As for the financial difficulties of the third branch’s family, this was completely unexpected. In her previous life, Ah Wu, born into wealth and privilege, was showered with the best of everything. Even with her keen intellect, she could not comprehend the reality of financial hardship. So, she asked for new clothes, never imagining that the third branch of the Duke’s mansion would be so destitute.

Thinking that only if her father in this life passed the imperial examination could things improve, Ah Wu carefully considered whether it was feasible.

A little while later, thirteen-year-old Rong Jie and ten-year-old Rong Yin came to pay their respects to Lady Cui after school, creating another lively scene.

Although the third branch’s family was poor, their three children were truly beautiful. Rong Jie was a refined and upright man, while Rong Yin, still somewhat childish, was endearingly naive and lovable.

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“My dear sister, are you feeling better? Fifth Brother and I were just saying we’d come see you after paying our respects to Madam.” It was Rong Yin, Ah Wu’s second brother and seventh young master of the Rong family, who spoke. He pulled a bamboo pen holder carved with a Shoushan-shaped figure from behind his back. “I saw this after school. Do you like it, sister?”

The carving was crude, the bamboo rough and calloused. Only the Shoushan-shaped figure was endearingly simple and charming, somewhat pleasing to the eye. Such a thing would not normally appeal to Ah Wu, but seeing Rong Yin’s expectant expression, she was slightly moved and took it. “This Shoushan-shaped figure is quite charming.”

Rong Jie chuckled, knowing Ah Wu was not pleased.

Rong Yin scratched the back of his head and smiled. “It’s nothing special. I will pick out a better one for you tomorrow.”

A moment later, Si-Hua returned with the food box. Lady Cui watched the three siblings eat with a smile, carefully preparing the meal for them, before going to the main room to serve the Old Madam.

“Madam, please eat with us before you go. Otherwise, if you wait to serve the Old Madam, who knows when you will get to eat?” Ah Wu said kindly.

Upon hearing this, Lady Cui, Jie’er, and Yin’er all looked at Ah Wu in surprise. Ah Wu then realized she had spoken out of turn again. After Lady Cui left, Ah Wu, taking advantage of her youth, subtly inquired with Rong Jie and Rong Yin and learned that the Old Duchess of Anguo was not as kind and approachable as she appeared during their visits; in private, she was quite strict with her daughters-in-law. Which daughter-in-law dared to eat before her?

After the meal, Brother Jie and Brother Yin went back to their courtyard to do their homework. Ah Wu, bored, followed them. Without disturbing them, she asked for her own brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and began practicing calligraphy.

Speaking of calligraphy, this was another great regret for Ah Wu. In her past life, Ah Wu was physically weak and had feeble wrists. Her calligraphy always lacked power and vigor, a major flaw in her life, in the eyes of someone who strived for perfection. It was a pity that she, a renowned talent in the capital, had such poor handwriting.

After a while, Rong Jie saw Ah Wu engrossed in practicing calligraphy, completely focused. He was curious; he knew his younger sister had no talent for reading or calligraphy, and her daily practice was merely perfunctory. But today, she seemed to have entered a state of deep concentration.

Rong Jie secretly observed Ah Wu’s tracing work. She had already traced a page of Yu Shinan’s calligraphy, a page of Ouyang Xun’s, and a page of Yan Zhenqing’s; currently, she was tracing Liu Gongquan’s.

Rong Jie shook his head inwardly. “Do not bite off more than you can chew. Why not focus on just one person and learn their essence, Sister?”

Ah Wu finished the last stroke, then put down her brush, washed the ink, and wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief, showing her dedication. She then turned to Rong Jie with a smile and said, “Since ancient times, famous calligraphers like Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan each have their own unique style. Every stroke and dot is distinct, and their essence is completely different. Outstanding calligraphers must transform their style to create their own unique approach before they can truly be considered masters. Du Fu said, ‘Learning from many teachers is learning from everyone.’ I want to combine the strengths of various schools to create my own style,” Ah Wu said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

“Oh, what a boastful tone! It seems our family is about to produce a second Lady Wei,” Rong Jie said, clearly unconvinced.

Learning calligraphy was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Wuyou did not argue with him. She just knew that when she looked at her calligraphy again in a few years, he would be astonished.

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“Why focus solely on the works of Ouyang Xiu, Yu Shinan, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan?” Rong Yin, having finished his homework, chimed in.

“In my opinion, these four are like Li Bai, Du Fu, Han Yu, and Su Shi among poets, and plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums among the four plants—they are the most wondrous.”

“Fifth Brother, look at her tone! So young, yet she dares to presume to instruct everyone!” Rong Yin protested. “But I particularly admire Huang Tingjian.” Rong Yin, though childish and mischievous, loved to act like a little adult.

“To each their own,” Rong Jie, as the older brother, naturally tried to smooth things over. “It’s just that Sixth Sister’s studies seem to be improving.”

Ah Wu knew immediately that things were going wrong; she had not been able to resist showing off.

But Rong Jie and Rong Yin did not think much of it, assuming Ah Wu had suddenly become enlightened—young men were always a bit rough around the edges.