Chapter 147: Chapter 61: Yuehuan Borrows a Book_2
Hua Lei felt a strange sensation as she looked at her young lady; although the young lady stood right before her, Hua Lei felt as if she was eternally out of reach. Ever since Madam had appeared to the young lady in a dream, Hua Lei found her increasingly difficult to understand.
After having lunch, Yueyao looked at the overcast sky, “It looks like the weather is changing.” It was October, and the air was starting to chill.
Yueyao rested for a while, then practiced plum blossom calligraphy style for half an hour before resuming work on the unfinished forehead cloth, which she intended to give to the Old Madam for the New Year. The design featured intertwined dark fortune characters and presented quite a challenge.
A maid came in from outside to report, “Miss, Fourth Miss is here.” Because Lanxi Courtyard was far from the main residence, it was usually very quiet, with guests being few and far between, usually just the Eldest Miss and Second Young Lady visiting together. It was unprecedented for Fourth Miss to come alone.
Yueyao was somewhat surprised as she rose to welcome her guest, “Fourth Sister, please come in.” Yueyao also wondered what Yuehuan wanted. ‘No one visits without a reason,’ she thought, unsure what the matter could be.
Yuehuan observed Yueyao with an indescribable feeling. She had been watching Yueyao for some time, originally hoping to find evidence that would prove Yueyao had been reborn, but Yueyao’s serenity now made her doubt her own suspicions.
Hua Lei prepared Yuehuan’s favorite flower tea, while Yueyao also held a cup of tea for herself. Yuehuan, smelling the tea’s scent, couldn’t help but ask, “Third Sister, what kind of tea is this?”
Yueyao showed the tea to Yuehuan, “I’m drinking Kuding tea with some other things mixed in to balance it out.” Yueyao had added some mild medicinal ingredients like goji berries to her Kuding tea.
Yuehuan was astonished, “Kuding tea, isn’t it very bitter?” She wondered why anyone would choose such tea, as it was usually preferred by the elderly.
Yueyao was open about it, “I’ve been drinking this throughout the summer. In the hot weather, Kuding tea has cooling and detoxifying effects. This time I noticed there was only a little left, so I decided to finish it.” Yueyao had grown accustomed to plain boiled water at the Nunnery, finding it odd to drink tea now. She drank Kuding tea only because it was beneficial during the summer, and now that only a little remained, she decided to finish it.
Yuehuan’s eyes widened, “Third Sister, you also know about pharmacology?” Even though Nanny Wang hadn’t mentioned it, out of the four girls, Yueyao’s skills were seen as superior; even Yuebing, who received additional instruction from Nanny Wang, couldn’t compare. According to Nanny Wang, the Third Young Lady was subtly changing herself.
In calligraphy, both Yueying and Yuebing knew that Yueyao had started with “Quick Snow Time Invite” from the first lesson. Now, Yueyao’s handwriting had surpassed both Yueying and Yuebing, a rate of progress that talent alone couldn’t explain.
In embroidery, the Embroideress Mah favored Yueyao the most. She would give Yueyao extra lessons without compensation, unlike Nanny Wang, who received an extra allowance for such efforts; yet Embroidery Lady Mah taught with great dedication. As a result, Yueyao’s embroidery work was now a cut above Yueying’s and the others.
All these skills combined not only put great pressure on Yuehuan, but also Yueying and Yuebing felt tremendous stress. Therefore, all three young ladies were exerting themselves in their studies.
The only relief Yuehuan felt was that Yueyao hadn’t learned the other arts with them; given Yueyao’s talents and gifts, everything they learned would have relegated them to mere background figures. They would have been utterly devastated, lacking confidence.
Cough, Yuehuan felt a resentful sigh within. She truly didn’t know that Yueyao understood medical theories, and wondered what else this Third Young Lady might be capable of.
Seeing Yuehuan’s expression, Yueyao couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m not training to become a doctor, there’s no need for me to study pharmacology. I only drank this tea in the summer because I knew of its benefits, having heard it from a doctor.” Although Yueyao didn’t fully understand the reason for Yuehuan’s visit, she could infer from recent observations that Yuehuan wasn’t of a malicious nature. Of course, one can never fully know a person’s heart, and good or bad shouldn’t be judged so easily. Nevertheless, Yueyao didn’t want to become enemies with Yuehuan, who she clearly understood was very clever.
One could imagine, after her memory loss, it took only a few days for Yuehuan to recognize everyone. From her initial complete lack of proper behavior and manners to her present decent impression; from her dog’s scribbles in calligraphy to her now quite respectable writing; her progress in embroidery had been incredibly swift.