Chapter 189: Chapter 77: Diethyl (Part 2)_4
Ma Chengteng was doing somewhat better, whereas Ma Peng, upon hearing that he had ranked forty-eighth, couldn’t believe it and asked, “Is it true? There hasn’t been a mistake?” He had thought that ranking within the top hundred would already be quite good.
Ma Yuan said with a smile, “Eldest Young Master, it’s absolutely true.”
At first, Ma Chengteng thought his son was pretending, but when the doctor arrived and said Ma Peng had fainted from being overly surprised, he realized that his son had indeed fainted from happiness.
Ma Chengteng didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.
The doctor who had been called when Ma Peng fainted from excitement the last time he achieved success was the same doctor. As he administered acupuncture to Ma Peng, he said with a laugh, “Eldest Young Master is really lucky.”
Ma Yuan was grinning like a Maitreya Buddha, “Indeed, our Eldest Young Master is extremely lucky, all thanks to the blessings of the Ma Family’s ancestors.”
Upon hearing that Ma Peng had passed, that Ma Peng had become a Palace Graduate and had secured such a match, Lady Cheng thought about how, no matter how unsettled her husband’s heart was, where could there be a place for her and her daughters in this household anymore. The more Lady Cheng thought, the angrier she got, and in her fury, she smashed a few porcelain vases in the room, “How could that blockhead possibly pass? Are all those examiners blind?”
While Lady Cheng was seething with anger, the Second Young Master’s arrival was announced outside. The moment Second Young Master Ma Yue entered, Lady Cheng quickly restrained her raging demeanor.
Lady Cheng, seeing her son coming to her for money again, couldn’t help but say, “Son, look, even that blockhead passed as a Palace Graduate, you need to try harder…”
Ma Yue was very impatient, “Mother, the entire estate is talking about my older brother’s success, can you not nag anymore? It was not easy for me to steal some leisure, I just want some peace.” He too wanted to pass, but it seemed the examiners were blind and wouldn’t let him through, what could he do about it?
Ma Yue had also participated in this year’s youth examination but still hadn’t passed, and Ma Chengteng had completely lost hope in him.
Seeing the impatience on her beloved son’s face, Lady Cheng naturally stopped talking, pondering in her heart that it was time to arrange a suitable match for her son, to rein him in.
Old Lady Chen by her side lowered her head in resignation, now that the Eldest Young Master had become a Palace Graduate, and the Eldest Young Madam was soon to enter the home, it was said that the future Eldest Young Madam was both shrewd and capable. Madam was still unaware of the worry, indulging her son without realizing that there would be no standing for her in the household in the future. She had to consider her own way forward.
After finishing her lessons, Yueyao heard that her older cousin had passed, ranking forty-eighth. Yueyao was quite concerned; the ranking was too high, it would have been better to rank around a hundred or more.
Nanny Deng disagreed with Yueyao’s thoughts, “Miss, it’s already an unexpected joy.” In the face of such a great temptation, Uncle Master had managed quite well to let Young Master (cousin) rank only forty-eighth. If it were someone else, who knows, they might aim even higher.
Yueyao stepped out of the courtyard and walked through the small garden. When she heard the sound of a bird, she looked at it intently and observed, “Is this a magpie?” Ever since she last saw a sparrow, Yueyao had someone buy her a book that detailed various kinds of birds.
The bird before her resembled the magpies described in the book: a magpie’s head, neck, back, and upper tail coverts are glossy black, with a tinge of purple on the back of the head and neck, and a hint of blue-green on its back; its shoulder feathers are pure white; its rump is mottled grey and white; its wings are black, with primary flight feathers having large white spots on the inner web, and with the outer web and feather tips black touched with a blue-green sheen; its secondary flight feathers are black with a deep blue luster…
Nanny Deng nodded, “Miss, this is a magpie.”
Yueyao laughed lightly, “I know it’s a magpie, as it totally matches the description of a male magpie in the book.”
Nanny Deng stood with her mouth open, ultimately saying nothing. She couldn’t understand the young lady, who one moment was observing birds and the next, flowers, each time staring unblinkingly and then even recording her observations. She didn’t know what the young lady wanted to accomplish, so she just assumed she had a peculiar hobby.
After walking around the garden, Yueyao returned to the courtyard, and once back in her room said to Nanny Deng, “Let this matter rest here. You also must forget about this incident.” Although Yueyao felt ranking forty-eighth was too forward, with Yu Zida above her, even the Second Place Scholar and Tanhua were mere foils; a forty-eighth place wouldn’t be too conspicuous.
Nanny Deng nodded vigorously, “Don’t worry, miss, I understand.”
When Yueyao arrived at her studio, if her bedroom could be considered simple, then the studio could only be described as austere. Apart from a table holding various types of brushes and inkstones, and a chair for resting, there was nothing else.
In her mind, Yueyao recalled the male magpie she had seen on a tree branch, formulated an idea, and then began to paint. Once finished, she couldn’t help but laugh at the feeling captured in her painting.
Nanny Deng exclaimed, “Miss, this painting is as lifelike as the real thing!” The bird in the painting was exactly like the one she had seen when they returned earlier. “Miss, your artistic skill is improving with every passing day. If Old Master knew how much progress you have made, he would be so comforted.”
Yueyao, upon receiving Nanny Deng’s praise, smiled gently and then set the painting on fire.
Nanny Deng wished to stop her but, seeing Yueyao’s expression, didn’t dare to intervene. However, she said, “Miss, this painting is so well done. Don’t burn your future paintings, keep them all!”
Yueyao, looking at Nanny Deng, said, “Nanny, I don’t want people to know about my good painting skills for the time being. Thus, my paintings won’t be preserved for now.”
Nanny Deng was dumbfounded, “Miss, why is that?” Finally understanding why the young lady burnt her paintings after completing them, Nanny Deng was perplexed by the reason.
Gazing at the painting paper now ablaze, Yueyao’s face was lit by the fire, an unnatural flush upon her features, “I don’t care for the reputation of a talented lady. Nanny, the larger the fame, the worse it is for me. No one wants to be friends with a talented lady; I don’t want to be isolated.” Such is the pettiness of people. Every girl’s family hopes she will be seen as a talented woman, the envy of all. Yet, most are unwilling to befriend such a lady for a simple reason: in the company of such a person, one becomes a mere foil, and nobody wants to play second fiddle to another.
Yueyao didn’t want her reputation to spread because, firstly, she truly didn’t want to become an empty figurehead with only talent to her name like in her previous life; and secondly, there was a notion in Yueyao’s mind, not yet fully formed, just a draft in her thoughts, waiting for the right moment to act upon. If successful, it would be far more beneficial than simply being known as a talented lady.