Chapter Fourteen: Wen Wu

  A night without words, Cao Guang got up early the next day. Although he was lazy in his previous life, he decided to work hard now and train his body well, otherwise how could he change his fate of dying young? Yu Mei and Cha Jing took turns keeping watch in the bedroom, and last night it was Cha Jing's turn. Cao Guang didn't like her personality, but after all, she was just a teenager, so he didn't bother to argue with her and had someone prepare soft shoes for her.

  When Cao Gong woke up, the sky was slightly bright, and Cha Jing was sleeping soundly. He quietly put on a piece of clothing and found a handkerchief in the outer room to wash his face, but couldn't find the basin anywhere. The jade awake on the kang in the outer room saw Cao Gong standing on the ground, wearing clothes: "Master, I'll help you get dressed!"

  "Just help me find the basin, I'll just wipe my face, it's still early, don't disturb others!" Cao Yun was reluctant to order this 12 or 13-year-old little maid around, but without her help, he really didn't know where the basin was.

  Jade nodded and carefully put on her clothes to go out. Before long, she brought in a basin of warm water and a small dish of green salt.

  This green salt has the same effect as toothpaste and is used for rinsing. Cao Yu took it, looked at the tortoiseshell comb for a moment, and thought that such careful consideration was not like a 12 or 13-year-old girl.

  After washing his face and rinsing his mouth, Cao Guang stretched his arms and walked out. Jade wanted to follow him to serve, but was stopped by Cao Guang.

  In the inner courtyard, Cao Yun vaguely remembered that except for the backyard, all were courtyards within courtyards, without any open spaces. As for how to strengthen his body, he had no idea in his heart. In the past, the main men he admired were either "Tai Chi" or "Five Animals Play", which could mix up a strong physique. However, his understanding of the two was limited to knowing that Tai Chi was practiced with a ball in hand, and Five Animals Play simulated five animals, but what specific animals they were, he couldn't remember at all.

  Standing by the lotus pond, Cao Kun turned his neck and thought that he couldn't just get up early for nothing. He decided to run around the lotus pond three times and do a few push-ups first. With this in mind, he started jogging slowly along the stone path surrounding the lotus pond.

  As he ran, Cao Guang's body gradually heated up, and his footsteps became heavier.

  By the time he finished running a lap, Cao Kun was already drenched in sweat and panting heavily. He lamented in his heart that this was only two or three hundred meters, what kind of trash body had he inherited? No matter how he thought about it in his mind, his feet moved again. Since he had set a goal, no matter what, he had to complete it, this was Cao Kun's code of conduct.

  The second lap, Cao Kun only felt his feet were heavy as lead, one step at a time. The third lap, he was already numb to the ground beneath him, just staring ahead and forcefully adjusting his breathing.

  After completing three laps, Cao Kun plopped down on the ground with a thud, panting heavily, his face deathly pale before slowly turning red.

  When his breathing became steady, Cao Kun flipped over, put his hands on the ground and started doing push-ups. Although the first two were extremely difficult, he gritted his teeth and persisted until he finished ten of them.

  When he got up again, Cao Guang felt a bit sore all over his body, but also felt comfortable.

  Far away, smoke was rising everywhere, and the sky had already brightened. At the entrance of the garden, Mei didn't know when she arrived, saw Cao Yun and didn't ask any questions, just helped him tidy up his clothes, making him look less disheveled.

  The people in the old lady's courtyard gradually got up, and the maidservants were busy running back and forth in the pavilion. When they saw Cao Guangyuan, they all bowed their heads to greet him.

  Back in the room, a hot bath was already prepared. No need to think, it must be Yixi this little maid. Cao Yun turned his head and looked at her, saying: "Thank you!"

  Jade hesitated for a moment and replied in a low voice: "This is what we slaves should do, Master, please don't say that!"

  "The words 'slave' and 'servant' were very unpleasant to Cao Yu's ears, but they did not change her way of thinking about jade, nor would she instill in her the concept of 'equality for all'. In a society where men are superior, such idealized women are only tragic."

  When Tea Jing woke up, Cao Kun had already finished washing and dressing. At first, she had a few points of guilt, but then for some reason, she became angry, coldly staring at the jade, muttering: "You just know how to pretend to be clever, it's obvious that you're diligent!"

  Daiyu was at a loss for words, her face showing a hint of awkwardness. Cao Guangyong was not "Baoyu", he pitied the maids, but only because they were young and wouldn't be spoiled. Daiyu and Cha Jing were like two extremes, one as gentle as Xiren, the other as fierce as Qingwen. The gentle one was still young and didn't have any schemes; the fierce one was like a spoiled child, bullying the younger maids, scolding the lower-ranking servants, and taking advantage of Daiyu, but only behaving well in front of Cao Guangyong and the old lady, a typical example of being two-faced.

  Cao Guang pulled a long face: "Who's pretending to be clever? Who looks diligent?"

  "Big brother!" Tea Jing didn't expect Cao Yun to speak up for Dai Gui, a hint of grievance flashed across her face, and tears welled up in her eyes.

  Jade saw that the two were unhappy and hastily spoke up: "Tea Crystal was just joking, Master should go pay his respects quickly, Old Lady West Chamber has already gotten up!"

  Cao Gong did not want to argue with the child, just about to turn around and leave, saw Cha Jing still glaring at Dai Mai with discontent, speechless in his heart. He didn't have the mood to coax the little maid all day, wanting a peaceful life, Cha Jing couldn't be kept anymore.

  Xuan Rui Tang, west wing room.

  When Cao Guang entered, the old lady was sitting on the kang, with Shanhu holding a glass mirror in front of her. Zijing held a gold-inlaid jade "fu" character hairpin and handed it to Shanhu, who then pinned it onto the old lady's hair. The old lady looked at herself in the mirror, nodded her head in satisfaction.

  "Ancestor, grandson wishes you a good morning!" Cao Yu followed the usual etiquette and walked to the front of the old lady, swinging his two small sleeves.

  "Good! How come you're up so early? At your young age, it's better to sleep more!"

  "Grandson wants to have breakfast with his ancestors and then go to school." Cao Gong smiled and replied.

  The old lady listened to the previous sentence and was fine, but the next sentence showed a worried face. She stretched out her hand and pulled Cao Yun to sit down by the kang, coaxing him: "It's tiring to go back and forth to school, let your father invite a teacher home in two days, okay?"

  It seems that the kidnapping two months ago had scared the old lady out of her wits, and although Cao Yun was grateful for her concern, he did not want to be confined within the inner courtyard. At least in school, there was still a chance to go out of the mansion, so he pretended to say: "At home, studying without classmates is boring, but at school, studying with classmates makes learning more interesting!"

  The old lady had always been the most indulgent to Cao Gong, seeing him staring at herself with eager eyes, how could she bear to say "no", so she said: "Gong Er has worked hard like this, just wait for me to discuss with your father and then say!"

  Just then, Cao Yin and his wife brought Liu Ping over. The old lady had heard from Cao Yin the details of Cao Gong's mishap last night, and knew that her grandson was safe thanks to a little "benefactor", so she ordered Cao Yin to bring him over today.

  Liu Ping followed the rules taught by Li and knelt down respectfully, knocking her head three times: "Ping'er greets the ancestors!"

  The old lady saw that the little girl was clever and sensible, and she liked her very much. She ordered Zi Jing to take out a coral necklace as a gift for their meeting. Since she had agreed to Cao Yin's suggestion of adopting her last night, she asked Cao Yin: "Can we give her a name now?"

  Cao Yin replied: "I have chosen the character 'Yi', taking the meaning of 'chaste and auspicious', mother, do you think it's suitable?"

  The old lady smiled and said: "Sounds good, the meaning is auspicious, let's use this name! In the order of uncle, aunt, sister, she will be third, from now on she will be our Cao family's Third Miss. Let's choose a good day to set up a few tables of wine and celebrate!" She then asked Li: "Has the courtyard for San Niang been chosen? It should be close to Yan'er, so the two sisters can keep each other company!"

  Li said: "I've chosen Chun Nuan Ge, it's next to Yan Ya Tou's Yun Yong Zhai!"

  The old lady nodded: "Yes, it's a good choice. In addition to the little maid who serves, two suitable nannies should also be selected. San Yutou is still young!"

  Li should be, Cao Ning heard the side heart move, busy forward said: "Old ancestor good partial heart! San sister compared to Ning son still small two months, can have their own courtyard, how Ning son no!"

  Cao Yin only regarded it as his son's spoiled behavior, but he was unhappy in his heart. Before the old lady could speak, he scolded: "What nonsense is this! Is this how you talk to the old lady?"

  The old lady didn't take it kindly, glared at Cao Yin and asked Cao Gong: "Gong'er wants his own courtyard now?"

  Cao Gun nodded vigorously: "Sun Er has broadened his horizons this time at his uncle's house, and his older cousins have been practicing archery and horseback riding since they were young." He looked at Cao Yi and said: "I heard that Father was the same way. Sun Er is now seven years old and also wants to learn archery and martial arts. The ancestral temple doesn't have a place for horse riding!"

  The old lady and Cao Yin were both surprised. Cao Yun liked reading books, which they all knew about. When did he start thinking about learning martial arts again? With a suspicious heart, the old lady asked: "Yun'er isn't fond of reading books, how come you want to learn archery now? Don't be naughty, quickly tell your grandmother, which good-for-nothing kid instigated you!"

  Cao Gong rolled his eyes inwardly. Although the Cao family was a banner family, they believed in Confucian orthodoxy and thought that "all things are inferior, only reading is superior". Although he looked down on it in his heart, he put on a serious face and said: "Sunzi likes to read books, but doesn't want to become a weak scholar with 'no strength to bind a chicken'. Studying literature and cultivating one's nature, practicing martial arts and refining one's body, what's wrong with that?"

  When Cao Gong mentioned "hand no bound chicken power", the old lady and Cao Yin both thought of the previous kidnapping incident. Although Cao Yin concealed from the old lady that Cao Gong had broken his leg and lost his voice, the old lady also vaguely inquired about some things. Originally thought that her grandson was spoiled since childhood and didn't know how to tell her about his difficulties, but when he came back, he didn't mention it at all.

  At the moment, hearing Cao Kun say this, she knew that he had buried so much bitterness in his heart, which made the old lady even more heartbroken. Her eyes were already red, and she couldn't bear to go against his wishes at all. She nodded repeatedly and said: "Both literary and martial arts are good, both literary and martial arts are good!" After finishing speaking, she pointed to Cao Kun's wife and said: "You find a spacious courtyard for Ruo'er, there must be a place to run horses, and invite two skilled masters, whatever Ruo'er wants to learn, he can learn!"

  Cao Yin was stunned, the courtyards of the inner house were all small and delicate, where could they run horses? It seemed that they had to clean up in the front yard and open a courtyard by the school field. Thinking so, he said it in front of Old Lady.

  The old lady saw Cao Yu's bright and shining eyes, full of hope, looking at herself, and said: "Let the front yard be the front yard, it's more spacious, as long as Yu'er likes it!"