Nanny Qin was cautious and steady in her actions, never one to stir up trouble casually. Everyone in the room knew this. Nanny Qin’s suggestion was merely to smoothly redirect everyone’s attention and spare the Old Madam embarrassment over Sun Shi’s earlier words.
Seeing Nanny Qin directing Ji Xiang and Ruyi to count, Sun Shi smiled smugly, as if she had won a great battle, sitting down with immense satisfaction.
But Qin Huining felt differently.
Though she had always been most favored by the Old Madam, this old servant Nanny Qin had always been respectful yet distant toward her. Her actions were always impeccable with no room for criticism, yet she refused to be intimate with her in the slightest.
Having studied poetry and literature since childhood, how could she be someone who cheated or was lazy? It was impossible she would secretly write one less copy to shirk responsibility. Such behavior would be scorned even by children. It was one thing for Nanny Qin to suspect Qin Yining this way, but to include her was truly insulting to the extreme.
“Old Madam, we have finished counting.” Ji Xiang rearranged the papers, her eyes unclear as she secretly glanced at Qin Yining.
“Old Madam, this servant counted together with Ruyi and Nanny Qin. Miss Huining copied ten times, while Fourth Miss… copied thirty times.”
Hearing this, everyone’s gaze fell on the two obviously different-sized stacks of paper on the low table.
Actually, everyone could see the different heights of the two stacks, but the Old Madam hadn’t paid attention earlier. Others couldn’t clearly see what size Qin Yining’s characters were, assuming her poor handwriting was uneven in size, wasting some paper.
Who could have imagined that for a punishment of copying, when the Old Madam required ten copies, she would actually copy thirty times?!
The Old Madam was surprised and flipped through Qin Yining’s submitted Classic of Filial Piety. Though the handwriting was consistently ugly as chicken scratch from beginning to end, it was clear that every page bore no ink stains. Ugly as the characters were, the attitude was extremely earnest.
The Old Madam smiled and asked: “Yi Jie’er, I only punished you to copy ten times. Why did you copy thirty times?”
“Yes, I’m also puzzled about this.” Qin Huining also said: “I know that these days you study etiquette with Nanny Zhan alongside your sisters in the mornings and attend lessons in the afternoons. Our time is equally tight – how could you copy twenty more times than me?”
After speaking, Qin Huining covered her mouth and laughed.
The Old Madam’s question was simply curious, but Qin Huining was implying that Qin Yining’s copying might involve cheating – something everyone could hear.
Sixth Miss cooperatively laughed along.
Seventh Miss and Eighth Miss were secretly angry, glaring at Qin Huining several times.
Even Sun Shi began looking at Qin Huining differently.
Sun Shi felt displeased.
After several days of cooling down, it wasn’t hard to see Qin Huining targeting Qin Yining. But this was in the Old Madam’s room, in front of the second and third branches. Currently, the main branch only had Qin Yining and Qin Huining. For Qin Huining to act this way truly showed no regard for the main branch’s dignity!
Qin Yining shyly blushed, slightly lowering her head and twisting her fingers. Today she wore her hair in a Suiyun Chang style; when she lowered her head, it naturally revealed her slender, fair neck. Combined with her delicate posture while standing, she looked as beautiful and graceful as a swan, making people’s hearts fill with irrepressible pity.
Even her voice was somewhat timid, clearly embarrassed: “Old Madam, granddaughter initially didn’t know I had written so many copies. Because of that day’s incident that angered you, it was truly unfilial. With every character I copied, granddaughter reflected on herself. Later, I unconsciously became absorbed in it, and in the end didn’t pay attention to how many times I had copied. It was only last night when granddaughter’s maid was organizing that we discovered I had copied over forty times. Before coming, I removed those that were truly too ugly, leaving only these.”
Speaking to this point, Qin Yining quickly glanced at the Old Madam, her face growing redder: “Old Madam, granddaughter has never studied since childhood. Ask me to chop firewood on the mountain, hunt, or gather medicinal herbs – I’m skilled at those. But ask me to write – that’s truly difficult. Even tying a corn cake to a dog would produce better writing than mine. These past two days I’ve wasted quite a bit of brush and ink. I myself feel sorry for all that white paper.”
“Puff–!”
Just as Qin Yining finished speaking, a burst of laughter was heard.
Following the sound, they saw the Old Madam had already begun slapping her thigh and laughing heartily.
Though the Old Madam sometimes showed favoritism and liked to create situations, she was well-bred from a distinguished family. Those around her hadn’t seen the Old Madam laugh like this in many years. Recalling Qin Yining’s words, they couldn’t help but laugh as well.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was as harmonious as New Year’s.
“You child! Come here, come to grandmother.” The Old Madam wiped away tears of laughter while pulling Qin Yining’s hand and patting it: “How could it be as terrible as you say? You simply didn’t have the opportunity to study, otherwise you wouldn’t write worse than your sisters! It’s admirable that you earnestly reflected on yourself and actually wrote over forty times? No wonder I noticed you’ve had dark circles under your eyes these past two days.”
“Lu Juan.” The Old Madam turned to look at Nanny Qin.
Nanny Qin, smiling broadly, bowed to the Old Madam: “This servant is here.”
“Go instruct the kitchen to send bird’s nest porridge to Fourth Miss daily. I see Yi Jie’er’s constitution is too weak – she looks ready to topple in the wind. She’s suffered much hardship these years and should be properly nourished.”
“Yes. This servant will certainly pass on the instructions.”
Qin Yining’s face was no longer so red, but when she heard the Old Madam mention sending bird’s nest porridge to her, she looked up at the Old Madam with pleasant surprise.
Her almond-shaped eyes held a misty layer of moisture, her gaze pure and transparent like gemstones, inexplicably reminding people of a newborn kitten – soft and making one want to hold her close and stroke her fur.
And the Old Madam indeed did just that.
She embraced Qin Yining, gently patting her back: “Good child, don’t worry. From now on, study well with your teacher. Your handwriting will gradually improve. Don’t feel you lack anything compared to others, and never compare yourself to dogs again. Understand?” Though she said this, thinking of that earlier phrase about “tying a corn cake to a dog,” she still couldn’t help finding it amusing.
Qin Yining nestled in the Old Madam’s embrace, her nose filled with the distinctive scent of elderly people mixed with cosmetic fragrances and tobacco – somehow making her heart feel warm. She couldn’t help but smile with curved eyes, obediently nodding, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Who would have thought the strategy of “making up in quantity what’s lacking in quality” would actually work? All her copying until her hand nearly fell off wasn’t in vain.
Heaven knows how much effort it took her to blush from “shyness” just now…
Watching the scene of the Old Madam embracing Qin Yining, those with shallow tear ducts like Third Miss and Eighth Miss already had reddened eyes.
Qin Yining’s earlier words inevitably brought back everyone’s memories of her background.
Even Sun Shi, Second Madam, and Third Madam couldn’t help dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs.
For a child who had been orphaned and suffered since childhood, just surviving was already difficult – who could blame her for not writing well the moment she picked up a brush? Moreover, this child was so honest and sincere.
Sun Shi’s earlier displeasure with Qin Yining for making her lose face was now completely replaced by pity.
Qin Huining, witnessing all this, nearly ground her teeth to powder!
Who would have thought Nanny Qin’s casual remark would lead to such consequences?
The Old Madam would laugh so loudly at this person?
The Old Madam was even embracing Qin Yining, saying she was weak and needed to eat bird’s nest daily!
She herself didn’t even eat bird’s nest every day before. When this savage beat people, her fists were hard as stones and her strength like a bull’s – where exactly did they see her as weak?
It seemed her beating was completely wasted, because everyone had already forgotten!
Qin Huining maintained a stiff smile on her face while her eyes stabbed at Qin Yining like knives. She was truly a scheming, cunning person – playing pitiful, acting the fool, using every possible means to win the Old Madam’s favor! Simply shameless!
Qin Huining cursed Qin Yining inwardly, her facial smile barely holding.
When Sun Shi turned around, she caught sight of Qin Huining’s stiffness. She sighed helplessly in her heart. She could see Qin Huining’s rejection of Qin Yining, her anxiety, and understood the source of that anxiety.
As a mother, besides comforting her, she didn’t know what else to do. After all, she had to accept Qin Yining too. These past days, carefully digesting Duke Dingguo’s wife’s words, Sun Shi simply treated it as having given birth to another daughter.
Would Qin Huining react this way if she were to raise another daughter?
The more Sun Shi thought, the more complicated her thoughts became, and her expression grew increasingly somber.
Qin Huining, still angry, didn’t notice Sun Shi’s and others’ expressions, thinking she was still smiling as usual.
But who in this room wasn’t sharp? The mother and daughter’s expressions were completely visible to everyone, each with their own thoughts.
But in summary, they now recognized how formidable Qin Yining was in her methods. When she first entered, everyone could see the Old Madam’s rejection of her. But what about now? In just a few days, she had the ability to make the Old Madam laugh as never before, to have the Old Madam embrace her and give her daily bird’s nest to nourish her body.
Had the Old Madam forgotten that day when she violently beat Qin Huining and two or three maids and matrons couldn’t subdue her?
But since the Old Madam was currently pleased, no one would pointlessly invite bad luck.
Seeing the Old Madam’s fair handling and closeness with Qin Yining, Nanny Qin’s smile deepened even further.
“Old Madam.” Just as the room was filled with laughter and pleasant conversation, a charming maid entered from outside, bowing and reporting: “Old Madam, Duke Dingguo’s heir grandson has arrived. He’s currently speaking with the Prime Minister in the outer courtyard, saying he wishes to come in and pay respects to you. Would it be convenient for you now?”
Hearing this, the Old Madam was delighted: “Convenient, convenient! Please invite him in.”
“Yes.” The maid withdrew.
The Old Madam asked the beaming Sun Shi: “Why has your nephew come? Is Meng Ge’er resting today?”
“Old Madam, master is resting today. Yuanming probably knew his uncle was resting and came specifically. The day before yesterday, my mother mentioned that Yuanming most admires his uncle’s scholarly achievements and has many questions about court affairs he wants to consult with master about.”