Chapter 135: Chapter 57: The Matter Concludes
Yueyao had stayed a night at Ma’s Mansion, which went smoothly this time. Lady Cheng was detained, and Ma Linlin was also confined; nobody came out to trouble her.
The next day, after having breakfast, Yueyao returned to her own residence. The first person she visited was Old Madam. Yueyao briefly mentioned the events at Ma’s Mansion but did not bring up the matter of the family register.
It was Old Madam who brought up the matter of Tingzheng’s education, “You have been teaching him for two months, has he finished learning the Hundred Family Surnames?
Yueyao’s heart grew tense; why bring this up now? “He has finished, and I am now teaching him the Thousand Character Classic. It’s quite extraordinary that Brother Zheng completed the Hundred Family Surnames in just a month and a half.”
Seeing Yueyao’s expression, Old Madam felt very satisfied. Being able to keep her composure was a good thing, “Every day you must learn the rules and follow the Embroideress to learn embroidery. You also need to practice in the evenings, but you always teach Tingzheng. I worry you are getting tired. Therefore, I am thinking of sending Tingzheng to the Clan School. What do you think?”
Yueyao, relieved to hear her grandmother consulting her opinion, was glad no decision had been made yet. “Grandmother, Brother Zheng’s abilities are below average. If he studies at the Clan School with the other brothers, he will definitely not be able to keep up. Grandmother, I am thinking of hiring a private tutor to teach Brother Zheng exclusively; what do you think about this?”
Old Madam Lian was somewhat surprised; she hadn’t expected the girl to already be considering solutions. “But where can we find such a tutor?” With Tingzheng’s abilities, finding a tutor who would teach him exclusively really was a daunting task. With these thoughts, Old Madam’s eyes filled with complexity, “Third Girl, have you already started looking? If so, this girl would rather trust the people from the Ma family than her own. This really is not good; she needs a good talking to.”
Yueyao shook her head, “No, I haven’t started looking. Last night my uncle asked me about Brother Zheng and me. He said it’s not suitable for me to always teach him and it would be best to hire a tutor for him. I think the tutor will surely be more knowledgeable and have broader insights than me. Right now, the trouble is that good tutors are hard to find.” Indeed, finding a tutor willing to teach Tingzheng was not easy.
Old Madam Lian nodded slightly, “I’ll speak to your granduncle tonight. Let him see if there is a suitable tutor; we don’t need someone highly learned, a Scholar would suffice.” For someone with such abilities, even a Scholar might be reluctant to teach.
Yueyao eagerly nodded, “I would appreciate Granduncle’s help.”
Old Madam pretended to be angry, “Since your father isn’t here, your granduncle is just like your own father. If your granduncle hears you speaking so inappropriately, he will certainly be angry. Third Girl, I am also becoming unhappy.” This child, how could she be so distant towards her elder uncle.
Yueyao was a bit embarrassed, “It’s my fault. Yueyao will not make the same mistake again.” Trusting her granduncle was unreliable. If it were so, she wouldn’t have had such a tragic past life.
Old Madam then asked about the day Ma Peng would get married.
Yueyao said with a smile, “Grandmother, my cousin is participating in the spring imperial examination next year, so the wedding is set for after the examination.” It was a good date; if he passed the exams, it would be a double celebration, and if not, the wedding would still bring joy to the Ma family.
From beginning to end, Yueyao did not mention joining the family register. Bringing it up now would be too premature; waiting until just before the New Year would not be too late.
Old Madam was very pleased and hopeful about Yueyao’s growing vitality. The child had finally stepped out of the shadow cast by the deaths of the second son and his wife. Seeing the child now, she felt reassured.
When Yueyao returned to Lanxi Courtyard, she saw Young Master Zheng looking eagerly at her. She walked over and patted Young Master Zheng’s head, “Were you well-behaved yesterday, Tingzheng? Did you slack off?” Yesterday, Yueyao had intentionally not taken Tingzheng out. They could not always be together; eventually they would have to separate, so she wanted Tingzheng to gradually get used to it.
Tingzheng had not slept well last night, his eyes were like those of a panda. Upon hearing Yueyao’s words, he quickly said, “Sister, I practiced my writing and recitation as usual.”
Mu Qiu and Dong Qing couldn’t help but twitch their mouths when they heard Tingzheng talk about recitation. Young Master Tingzheng recited the Hundred Family Surnames over and over every day, and having heard it for so long, even they could recite it. The girl’s patience was indeed extraordinary.
Yueyao said with a smile, “I knew it. Tingzheng, you’re always the best behaved. Come, let’s go back to the room.” That afternoon and evening, Yueyao continued to teach Tingzheng how to recognize characters.
The next day, Yueyao resumed her usual routine. After practicing her writing in the morning, she went to Jingsi Garden to learn etiquette and decorum with Nanny Wang. Nanny Wang hadn’t slowed down the lessons because Yueyao had been away for two days; the missed lessons were caught up at noon.
Nanny Wang was very pleased with Yueyao’s humble and proactive attitude towards learning. Nanny Wang felt a pity internally; if Third Young Lady were the Legitimate Daughter of the main branch, her prospects would indeed be boundless. Unfortunately, with both parents deceased, Third Young Lady remained a lonely girl, and her brilliant prospects were thus limited.