Apology 21

  No matter how bitter the study is, Li Qianxue has set a good example for everyone. She made great efforts to strictly require herself and repeatedly asked about the parts she didn't understand until she understood them. It's really great that she is so eager to learn and diligent.

  However, she slowed down everyone's progress. Zhang Yaoyao not only had to teach everyone etiquette and rules, but also makeup, dressing, and hosting banquets, which they all had to learn one by one. She would also take the opportunity to talk about some rumors from the inner house as examples, letting everyone discuss what was wrong and where they went wrong, learning from practice.

  Li Qianxue was too serious, repeatedly asking one question to get an accurate answer, which slowed down everyone's progress and made the other girls a bit dissatisfied with her.

  Yang Lan had already learned many things, but it was not good to say clearly, so she carefully reviewed them again, and it was considered a complete etiquette. However, in the learning process, there were indeed unavoidable disputes and arguments, and the momentum became more and more intense.

  Li Qianxue was very interested in the inner affairs of the Wang family that Nainai had mentioned early this morning, and she kept interrupting Nainai's words, repeatedly asking questions. "Nainai, how can the aunt of the Wang family be so capable? She even made the mistress yield to her twice, why didn't she severely punish her?"

  Actually, Li Qianxue wanted to ask more in-depth questions, such as what methods to use to deal with her aunt, so that she could learn from them too. She thought this was the core content, the most essential part that she needed to master herself.

  She didn't want to provoke San Gu Niang's dislike, so she scowled and impatiently rebuked: "I'm telling you, cousin, are you stupid or something?! Didn't I tell you this family is a poor scholar's household?! They don't have the rules of favoring concubines over wives, there are plenty of such families in the capital, it's just that on the surface they give face to the main wife. It depends on whether the main wife can stand up for herself or not. Why do you keep asking silly questions?!"

  The second daughter also let out a deep breath, almost rolling her eyes, she couldn't take it anymore.

  The fourth daughter remained as still as a mountain, not participating in or commenting on the external commotion. On the other hand, the fifth daughter covered her mouth and secretly smiled, but didn't dare to say anything strange again.

  Yang Lan didn't plan to interrupt either, silently lowering her head and taking note of the several key points that Nanny had just mentioned, intending to review them later and make use of them in the future.

  Li Qianxue was very unhappy, turned her head and angrily said: "I just asked a few more questions, what's the hurry? It's rare to have a palace maid come out, I cherish the opportunity to learn a bit more, is that wrong? Why are you always so unreasonable, are you bullying me because I don't have a father or mother?" After finishing, she was quite aggrieved, crying with tears like a pear blossom, pitiful and weak.

  "What are you crying about! I just said a couple of words to you, when did I ever bully you without your parents around!" The third daughter's face was flushed red with anger, her chest heaving up and down.

  Yang Lan looked at Li Xiangxue with a bit of horror, feeling that she was possessed by the White Lotus, and if one didn't know the situation, they would think that Third Sister had done something to her. This was really... In the past, she thought her cousin was a capable girl, so why did she cry at the slightest thing?

  The nun's face wore a smile, her expression warm and gentle. "I've been teaching you all for several days now, and I have a certain understanding of your temperaments. Today, what I want to say is that none of you are up to par. You will all go back and copy out the Women's Precepts twenty times, and finish it within five days as punishment."

  The three girls were obviously dissatisfied, stiffening their necks and bumping into each other, "Why shouldn't I be dissatisfied!"

  The auntie smiled and turned her head to glance at Yang Lan, asking: "Tell the young miss, why are all of you being punished?" She intentionally emphasized the words "all of you".

  Yang Lan sighed and stood up, saying: "Sisters should unite and love each other. In the past few days, sisters have been quarreling with each other, I didn't persuade or stop them, this is one mistake; Fourth sister coldly observes and doesn't care about sisterly affection, laughing at others, going out like this will only make Yang's family lose face; Table sister is too nagging, only thinking of herself, rushing to take the lead without considering other people's feelings; Third sister has a bad temper and speaks too harshly, lacking courtesy. These are all mistakes. Therefore, each of us has made mistakes, so we should be punished by copying the 'Female Precepts'."

  Zhang Yiyi nodded in satisfaction, smiling at the girls standing in a row, "Do you understand? Are you convinced?"

  Everyone fell silent, and after a moment of contemplation, the second daughter was the first to react. She bowed respectfully and nodded, "Thank you, Auntie, for your teachings. I understand now, so I'll go back and write!"

  The three girls also snorted, but fortunately still had their wits about them. One of them glared at Li Qianshu and then turned to Zhang Mama and said, "I'll go copy it out." This was an admission that she was in the wrong.

  The fourth daughter looked up at the sky and sighed, "Thanks for the advice, Auntie!"

  The fifth girl's face turned red with shame and she lowered her head, mumbling, "I'll go back and copy too!"

  Yang Lan also smiled slightly at the corner of her mouth and silently turned back into the courtyard.

  After finishing, everyone dispersed and went back to copy the female precepts. In the end, only Li Qianxue was left behind, with tears in her eyes, as if she had been bullied by everyone, making people inevitably feel a bit indignant.

  The aunt smiled and glanced at Li Qianshuang, "Miss, it's a good thing to make progress, but you must grasp the measure and not be too radical. Moreover, Miss should not cry easily, this is not the demeanor that a young lady from a big family should have, only concubines and small wives will use crying to gain sympathy. A virtuous woman values dignity, courage and perseverance; I hope Miss will think carefully about how to get along with her sisters when she returns home!" She deliberately emphasized the word "guest" with a hint of reminder.

  Li Qianxue's face turned pale in an instant, her expression stiffened, and her eyes were on the verge of tears, as if she had suffered a great blow, losing her soul.

  Yang Lan still felt a bit sulky when she returned to her own courtyard. It wasn't that she had any objections to the punishment of Zhang Jie, but rather that Jie had done nothing wrong. As a daughter of the Yang family, she should always remember that she was a Yang and that going out represented the Yang family. No matter which branch of the family you were from, outsiders would only say that you were a daughter of the Yang family, so it was beneficial for them to learn to unite and share honor and shame together.

  But what's going on with Li Qianxue, these past few days she's been looking more and more unlike how she was when she first arrived, refreshing and carefree, speaking warmly and elegantly, it seems like she's completely changed into a different person, becoming especially positive and progressive, what's going on?

  Thought about it, this is someone else's business, and has nothing to do with me, why bother so much! Forget it, put this thought aside, go copy the woman's script, just treat it as a writing exercise.

  Just as she was copying the book, Biyun shouted from outside: "Young Mistress, Li'niang has arrived!"

  Yang Lan was taken aback for a moment, but still put down her pen and came to the outer room with a smile: "Sister Yan, how did you come? Is there any trouble?"

  Li Qianxue stood there with red eyes, "Sixth sister, I didn't mean to today. It's just that my parents passed away early, and I'm not very well-behaved, so I thought about learning more, so that in the future people won't gossip about me. I really didn't think Third sister would get angry, I won't ask so many questions from now on!"

  "Eldest sister, no need to be in a hurry, come sit down first, Biyun will go get you a cup of tea!" Yang Lan quickly pulled Li Qianshuo to sit on the large kang by the window, across from the small kang table with intricate carvings, softly comforting her, but was puzzled in her heart, "You didn't even quarrel with me, why are you apologizing?"

  I'm late! I got the document ready and went out for a trip, thinking I had uploaded it. But I forgot about this matter, and only found out after checking that I hadn't uploaded it. Dizzy!