“Today’s events were indeed your elder sister’s fault.”

“Grandmother!”

Facing her only precious grandson, Old Madam Deng rarely put on a stern face and asked him: “Hui’er, did you run to your third sister’s place to demand an explanation?”

Li Hui pursed his lips in dissatisfaction without speaking.

Old Madam Deng shook her head: “Hui’er, have you clearly understood the whole story of what happened?”

“What’s there not to understand? Elder Sister’s forehead is covered in purple bruises—”

“That’s only the result. What about the cause? Did you ask? Just based on experience, you went to settle accounts with your third sister, then came running to find Grandmother to make decisions for you?”

Li Hui clenched his fists.

“Hui’er, you’re not young anymore. Such inability to keep your composure won’t do in the future. You’re the only boy in our West Residence—we’re counting on you to support this family!”

Li Hui calmed down somewhat: “Grandmother, I understand. Then what exactly happened today?”

The events at Yahe Courtyard involved the character of two young ladies and were quite unseemly. As an elder, Old Madam Deng shouldn’t have said much about it, but seeing her grandson’s impulsive nature, she couldn’t care about that anymore. She dismissed the maids and servants in the room and recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.

After Old Madam Deng finished, she asked Li Hui: “When Grandmother said you couldn’t keep your composure, was I wrong?”

Li Hui’s face flushed red as he lowered his head: “Grandmother’s lesson was correct—today I was indeed rash. But please don’t blame Elder Sister. She tried to stop me, saying it was her fault, but I didn’t listen—”

“Your elder sister was in a bad mood, which Grandmother can understand. Let’s consider this matter closed.” Old Madam Deng reached out to stroke Li Hui’s head, full of loving kindness. “Go now and apologize to your third sister. She was young before and somewhat willful, but Grandmother has been observing coldly since her return—she’s become much more sensible. You’re the elder brother, so you should be magnanimous.”

He didn’t want to be that dead girl’s brother!

Though Li Hui thought this, he still replied: “Yes, the grandson will go apologize to Third Sister right away.”

One matter was one matter—when he did something wrong, he would acknowledge it.

Old Madam Deng was greatly comforted and called out, “Qing Yun, have you prepared everything? Accompany the Third Young Master on this trip.”

Li Hui looked puzzled.

Old Madam Deng smiled and explained: “Your third sister was wronged today, so I gave her that inkstone with carp playing among lotus flowers—perfect timing to send it over.”

“Grandfather’s inkstone?” Li Hui exclaimed in shock.

“Mm.”

Li Hui walked out with Qing Yun in a daze, thinking halfway there: Grandmother gave that inkstone to Li Zhao—does Father know?

Qiao Zhao had just seen off He Shi when a maid reported that Third Young Master had come with Qing Yun, the senior maid from Qingsong Hall.

He didn’t barge in—it seemed the old lady had explained things clearly to him.

“Please let them in.”

A moment later, Li Hui walked in and, meeting Qiao Zhao’s calm face, felt quite embarrassed.

His gaze wandered as he shifted to one side, face reddening: “Third Sister… today I was wrong to misunderstand you. I… apologize to you…”

Qiao Zhao poured a cup of tea and handed it over with a faint smile: “Since Third Brother sincerely apologizes, then I accept.”

Her slender, fair hands held the rain-washed sky blue ice-crack pattern teacup, making Li Hui’s scalp tingle.

The tea couldn’t have laxatives in it, could it?

Meeting Qiao Zhao’s dark, grape-like eyes, Li Hui gritted his teeth, took the teacup, and drank it down.

Having apologized, Li Hui felt quite uncomfortable and hurriedly left after setting down the teacup.

Qing Yun, who had been waiting in the outer room, handed the inkstone to Qiao Zhao and left as well.

Qiao Zhao let out a long breath.

Finally, some peace.

She unwrapped the soft cloth covering the inkstone, revealing a smooth and lustrous stone.

Her pale fingers glided over the inkstone’s surface as Qiao Zhao nodded approvingly.

It felt like a good inkstone—clearly, the old lady had put thought into compensating her wronged granddaughter.

Thinking of He Shi, then of Old Madam Deng, Qiao Zhao smiled.

Life at the Li residence didn’t seem so bad after all.

Faced with a fine inkstone, she became interested and tilted her head to gently tap it, listening to the sound it made.

“Miss, Master has arrived.”

Following Binglu’s announcement, Li Guangwen stepped inside.

The young lady was tilting her head, playfully tapping the inkstone lightly. Li Guangwen was greatly alarmed: “Stop immediately!”

He rushed over in one swift movement and, meeting Qiao Zhao’s bewildered eyes, forcibly restrained his impulse to snatch the inkstone away. With a stern face, he lectured: “The inkstone the old lady bestowed upon you is a rare treasure—how can you treat it so carelessly?”

Qiao Zhao blinked.

Where had she been careless? She had been very responsible.

Qiao Zhao set the inkstone down.

“Gently, gently!” Li Guangwen stared fixedly at Qiao Zhao’s hands. Only after seeing her set it down properly did he breathe a sigh of relief and criticize: “How could you tap it randomly?”

Qiao Zhao found it amusing: “Father, I was listening to determine the quality.”

“Listening to determine quality?” Li Guangwen didn’t believe his previously unlearned daughter understood such things.

“Yes, among Duan inkstones, wood sound is superior, tile sound is next, and metal sound is inferior. The inkstone Grandmother gave me is a fine one.”

Li Guangwen looked at Qiao Zhao with considerable surprise, suddenly finding his daughter much more pleasing to the eye: “Of course it’s a fine inkstone—this was used by your grandfather. Back then—”

Back then, he had begged for it repeatedly, but Mother never gave it to him, yet now she had given it to his daughter…

Li Guangwen’s feelings were quite complex as he looked at the inkstone again and again.

What should he do when he wanted it so badly?

Father’s desire was too obvious in his eyes. Qiao Zhao pushed the inkstone toward him: “If Father likes it, I’ll give it to you.”

“No, no.” Li Guangwen shook his head repeatedly and said righteously: “This was bestowed upon you by your grandmother—how could you give it to someone else? Zhao Zhao, you must diligently practice your calligraphy in the future so as not to disappoint your grandmother’s expectations.”

“I see. I understand—I’ll certainly make full use of it in the future.”

Li Guangwen nodded with satisfaction, staring at the inkstone with reluctance.

Qiao Zhao smiled charmingly: “How about this—if Father tells me an interesting story, I’ll lend the inkstone to Father to admire for a few days, as a small gesture of filial piety from your daughter.”

Li Guangwen’s eyes lit up, then dimmed again: “Ahem, how would Father know how to tell stories?”

Someone as proper and serious as he was—how could he possibly read the romance novels young people enjoyed?

Qiao Zhao nodded silently.

Good that he couldn’t—she knew this father would say exactly that.

Qiao Zhao finally revealed her true purpose: “Then Father could tell me about interesting events happening outside.”

Having A’Zhu blend in with the household servants would take time, but she urgently wanted to know what was happening outside. Getting information from Li Guangwen, who served at court, was the best choice.

She had originally planned to seek out Father for another game of chess.

“Interesting events outside?” Li Guangwen frowned in thought and sighed: “No interesting events, but there is one tragic incident.”

“What tragic incident?” Qiao Zhao looked curious, but her heart tightened.

“You know Master Qiao, don’t you? I remember your mother once specifically bought Master Qiao’s calligraphy copybooks for you to practice with.” Master Qiao was renowned for both calligraphy and painting, so bookshops would reproduce his writing and print it as copybooks for sale.

“Mm.”

“Master Qiao’s family suffered a great fire. Only Young Master Qiao and his sister survived, and they’re currently staying at Minister Kou’s residence.”

Qiao Zhao’s eyes suddenly became moist.

After days of worry, she had finally received some news about her family!