Liu Jin felt somewhat afraid to meet Wufu’s gaze, and Wufu did not hurry him, simply waiting.
"This servant forgot his place," Liu Jin deflated.
Indeed, he had forgotten himself a bit. After spending a few days with Xiao Li, learning how he dealt with matters with such ease and contentment, Liu Jin felt both excited and impressed.
Back in the small house in Wozi Village, he had no way to show his capabilities. Now that he had moved, though it was just a small residence, it was complete in every sense, like a tiny sparrow that nonetheless possesses all the vital organs. Being an elder, Wufu doted on him, and the servants in the house, including Tongzi, who was older than him, would sometimes privately call him Steward Sixth, emboldening him.
Just now, when Wufu had given recognition to Tongzi, he felt a bit uncomfortable inside, feeling that Tongzi should not have been honored so quickly.
Or perhaps, to put it another way, he was jealous.
Coming to realize this, Liu Jin felt somewhat uneasy and stole glances at Wufu from the corner of his eye, only to be caught squarely by her gaze. His knees went weak, and he subconsciously wanted to kneel but dared not move due to Wufu’s forbidding look.
Seeing his anxious demeanor, Wufu said, "You have indeed forgotten yourself."
Liu Jin pursed his lips.
"Liu Jin, you’re only seven years old this year, or at most eight or nine in nominal age. You’re just a child," Wufu said. "When it’s time to be a child, you ought to do what children do. Yet, you insist on pretending to be an adult!"
Liu Jin opened his mouth to speak, but Wufu raised her hand to stop him and continued, "I know what you are thinking. You simply want to achieve something to show me that employing you was right, that there was no mistake. I know you want to show off to me, but don’t forget, your age shows!"
"Indeed, prodigious talents are not absent, and I know you are clever. But what is most important for you now is not to secure your position, not to assert your authority among everyone, but to study well."
Liu Jin’s body trembled and he lowered his head.
"You’re still young, and the road ahead of you is very long. If you’re so hasty now, how will you walk the path ahead?" Wufu looked at him and said, "At a young age, all things are possible. Even if you have no achievements now, you have capital — youth. If you make your foundation richer and yourself more confident, why would others fail to notice you?"
"Not to mention that I’m your mistress. Even if you followed someone else, with substance, they would also think highly of you. And these things, once learned, stay with you forever and can even benefit your descendants."
Liu Jin was profoundly moved: "Miss, this servant..." He bent deeply: "This servant has learned his lesson."
"When it’s time to study, just study. What’s the rush? Besides, do you really want to be just a steward in the residence?" Wufu looked at him steadily. "If that’s the case, then you’ve truly disappointed me."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin appeared somewhat bewildered as he looked at her.
"I cannot possibly remain content inside the inner courtyards as a demure young lady. Since I can’t, neither can those around me. In the future, as I journey far and wide, they will naturally have to follow me," Wufu told him. "Liu Jin, even as a servant, you’re not confined to managing affairs in the inner courtyards. Even as a servant, you can see the outside world, handle external affairs. Haven’t you seen Xiao Li and the others?"
Liu Jin’s eyes immediately sparkled, bright as the morning stars: "Miss, this servant understands now."
"Hmm. Remember this from now on. You have plenty of time; there’s no need to rush," Wufu said with a smile.
Liu Jin nodded vigorously; indeed, he was not in a hurry, and he could not afford to be.