“Third Sister wrote this?” Li Hui entered the study, his eyes nearly glued to the calligraphy.

Li Guangwen quickly pulled his son away: “Stand farther back—what if you damage it by looking?”

Looking could damage it? This was his real father!

Li Hui thought indignantly.

“Third Sister’s handwriting is completely different from before.”

Li Guangwen’s eyes were full of admiration as he reluctantly left his daughter’s calligraphy and looked at his son: “Your Third Sister improves so quickly. Hui’er, you should work harder.”

“Your son feels that such calligraphy wasn’t achieved overnight.”

“Exactly, which is why you should work hard at all times.”

Li Hui swallowed his frustration and spoke directly: “Don’t you think Third Sister is improving too quickly?”

Li Guangwen looked at the calligraphy again, pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously: “Yes, this father forgot—there are also differences in natural talent.”

Li Hui: “…” He was certain now—this wasn’t his real father. Could anyone be this insulting?

Seeing his son’s dejected expression, Li Guangwen sighed deeply and shook his head: “Hui’er must work to improve yourself and not be jealous of your Third Sister. This father thought carefully—your Third Sister has kept a low profile and hidden her talents all these years. It hasn’t been easy for her.”

Li Hui’s mouth twitched. If the person standing before him weren’t his real father, his fists would have moved long ago.

Why was it that when Father said roughly the same thing, it made one want to hit someone?

“Your son takes his leave.”

“Eh? Won’t you properly appreciate your Third Sister’s calligraphy?”

“Your son should go to school.”

Li Hui strode out quickly and exhaled heavily.

For Father to have remained at the Hanlin Academy compiling books all these years, it must have been difficult for his superiors.

Hidden talents?

Li Hui pondered this phrase and thought of Second Miss Li Jiāo from the East Residence, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

That cousin’s behavior was truly unseemly—even he could hear about her glorious deeds while attending classes at the Imperial Academy!

If that were the case, perhaps Third Sister had been hiding her talents all these years. Otherwise, wouldn’t that one have caused an uproar?

Li Hui couldn’t help but glance toward the West Side Courtyard.

He wondered if Third Sister would go to the East Residence women’s school today—

Thinking this, Li Hui suddenly shook his head.

He must be cursed—whether Third Sister went or not was none of his business. He didn’t care at all!

The youth walked away without looking back.

After finishing her lily congee, Qiao Zhao took Binglu to Qingsong Hall to pay respects to Old Madam Deng, just as she encountered Lady Liu and her three daughters.

“Second Aunt.” Qiao Zhao performed the proper courtesy and nodded lightly to Fourth Miss Li Yan and Sixth Miss Li Chan.

Remembering her mother’s instructions, Li Yan forced a smile: “Third Sister.”

Li Chan pursed her lips and said nothing until Lady Liu secretly pinched her from behind, then reluctantly greeted her.

“Zhaozhao, are you preparing to go to school?” Lady Liu seemed to be making conversation for lack of anything else to say.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Yes, having delayed these past days, I should pick it up again.”

Lady Liu nodded repeatedly: “Exactly right. Your two younger sisters have limited learning—in the future, they’ll need you as their elder sister to guide them more.”

Qiao Zhao was quite surprised. Meeting Lady Liu’s smiling gaze, she suddenly understood.

Lady Liu was showing goodwill.

Miss Qiao was rather unexpected by this.

Had she disciplined the East Residence grandmother and granddaughter, incidentally intimidating this Second Aunt, who usually didn’t respect Mother?

Qiao Zhao glanced at Lady Liu.

This Second Aunt was shrewd and clever—she didn’t seem like someone easily frightened.

This was a smart person. Her rudeness before Mother was, at bottom, simply not taking Mother seriously.

For people to care about you, you have to rely on yourself.

“Second Aunt is too kind. I’m the elder sister—if my two younger sisters are willing, I’ll naturally try my best to look after them.” Qiao Zhao spoke generously.

“Yan’er, Chan’er, why don’t you thank your Third Sister?”

“Thank you, Third Sister.” Li Yan was less enthusiastic than Lady Liu, while Li Chan simply lowered her head without speaking.

The group arrived at Qingsong Hall.

Seeing Qiao Zhao enter, He Shi was quite surprised: “Zhaozhao, Mother thought you wouldn’t come.”

Lady Liu lifted the corner of her lips slightly.

If this sister-in-law had even one-tenth of her daughter’s capability, she would regard her properly. Look at what foolish words she was saying!

That Old Lady from the East Residence was indeed becoming senile. She didn’t believe that the Third Miss, who could mysteriously escape every time and cause misfortune to those who offended her, relied merely on luck.

The third Miss was indeed different from before.

Or rather, Third Miss had disguised herself too well in the past—none of them had seen clearly!

“It’s been some days since I paid respects to Grandmother. I’m truly ashamed. I thought to come early, but didn’t expect Mother to arrive even earlier.” Qiao Zhao said with a smile.

One sentence highlighted He Shi’s particular deference to Old Madam Deng.

He Shi remained unaware, but Lady Liu secretly sighed.

Having a capable daughter made such a difference.

“Is Third Sister going to the women’s school?” Li Jiǎo suddenly spoke, her tone concerned. “Third Sister, I think you should rest for a few more days. Second Sister’s mood hasn’t been good these past few days—”

Qiao Zhao’s tone was indifferent: “If Second Sister’s mood isn’t good, she should rest more. My mood is fine.”

Others were in bad moods, so she should accommodate them? What kind of logic was that?

Li Jiǎo pressed her lips together.

Was she confused or pretending to be stupid?

“Zhaozhao, have you thought this through?” After remaining silent for a while, Old Madam Deng asked.

Qiao Zhao nodded.

“Then that’s good. Go early, all of you. Sisters should get along harmoniously and avoid creating trouble.”

With Old Madam Deng’s words, the four misses from the West Residence went together to the East Residence.

The girls at the East Residence women’s school were all accustomed to coming, and only Qiao Zhao was, in a sense, attending for the first time, so she paid particular attention to the surrounding scenery.

She glimpsed a flash of red by the artificial mountain as Li Jiāo came striding forward aggressively.

“Li Zhao, you dare to come!”

Seeing Qiao Zhao remain unmoved, Li Jiāo stepped forward, her lips trembling with anger: “Do you think this is Dafu Temple? This is the East Residence—what right do you have to come here acting like nothing happened?”

Qiao Zhao secretly shook her head.

They say people become well-behaved from reading books. Second Miss Li’s stupidity must be due to reading too little. Sigh, theoretically, she shouldn’t discriminate.

“I haven’t had anything happen to me. Uh, Big Sister said Second Sister’s mood wasn’t good—I thought Second Sister wouldn’t come.”

Li Jiāo suddenly looked at Li Jiǎo: “You, you said that?”

Even a motherless girl dared to mock her behind her back now—how outrageous!

Li Jiǎo looked at Qiao Zhao with disbelief.

How could she so openly redirect the conflict toward her side?

“Second Miss.” A seventeen or eighteen-year-old maid called out softly.

Li Jiāo took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

Mother had assigned her senior maid to her—she couldn’t make Mother worry anymore.

“Very well, then you’d better study hard!” Li Jiāo led the way into the school.

It happened that the calligraphy class was first that day. The calligraphy teacher was an elderly man with white hair and beard who walked in with a slight stoop, his gaze immediately falling on Qiao Zhao.

“This old man heard that yesterday, Third Miss shone brilliantly at Dafu Temple?”

Qiao Zhao performed proper courtesy: “Teacher praises too highly.”

The calligraphy teacher’s face was stern, his tone harsh: “One knows a person by observing their calligraphy. To practice good calligraphy requires a proper mindset, natural talent, and diligence—none can be lacking. Third Miss, write a short poem for this old man to see.”

The person before her held the title of teacher, so Qiao Zhao respectfully agreed, paying no attention to the several gazes focused on her as she picked up the brush and wrote a short poem.

Flowing like clouds and water, graceful without vulgarity, it had a few more touches of elegance than the characters in that hand-copied Buddhist scripture.

Li Jiāo had been staring intently at Qiao Zhao’s brushwork. Upon seeing the characters on the paper, she forgot about evaluating their quality and blurted out: “You’re lying! This handwriting is different from that in the hand-copied Buddhist scripture—so that scripture wasn’t written by you either!”

Qiao Zhao glanced at her without speaking, picked up the brush to dip in ink, then immediately wrote the same short poem again on the paper, but the handwriting was now completely different from what she had just written.

Li Jiāo’s eyes widened suddenly.

This, this was the handwriting from that hand-copied Buddhist scripture!

Could Li San have divine assistance? When had she learned to write in two completely different styles?

Qiao Zhao set down the brush and asked calmly: “Second Sister, yesterday at Dafu Temple, Great-Grandmother said you hadn’t paid attention to the calligraphy in the Buddhist scripture, which is why you confusedly followed the guest monk to see Master Wumei. But if Second Sister hadn’t paid attention, how would you know that the poem I wrote first was different from the handwriting in the Buddhist scripture?”