Chapter 4, Poor Writing
Seeing that Yue Xiu's expression suddenly darkened, Yue Qianqiu then deliberately said with a smug tone: "However, I am in a good mood now, so you may go in. A gentleman does not hold grudges against a petty person. As your uncle, would I really stoop to your level?"
Although she did not understand his meaning, Luoxia looked at the serious expression on Yue Qianqiu's face and unknowingly swallowed her doubts, nodding her head emphatically
Upon witnessing this scene, I recalled how in the morning, Yue Qianqiu had driven Yue Xiu away in one go, and finally, Qing Cao could no longer contain herself
Early in the morning, Yue Qianqiu, who had slept relatively well, lazily got out of bed and stretched widely
Qingyin turned her head to look at herself as she saw the passing of a thousand autumns, and for a moment, her heart was filled with indignation
Yet Yuexiu did not expect that not only did Yue Qianqiu not care about himself, but he also had the heart to manage a maid, which instantly made her furious: "You are not only wasting things yourself, but you also teach others to waste things?"
Suddenly, Qingyin realized that today was the day when Luoxia accompanied Yue Qianqiu out. Seeing her standing gracefully, yet with only her eyes swollen and red, she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy and stepped forward to jab a few words at her
He did not say anything to comfort her until it was time to wash up and have breakfast before going out. Only then did he suddenly command, "Luoxia, today you will take me to Heping Pavilion."
Regardless of whether the other party calls him "Ninth Uncle," he does not care. However, upon hearing this reason, he replied with a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown: "But Grandfather is not here at the moment"
Upon catching a glimpse of her swollen eyes, reddened from dressing, it was evident that she had cried more than once last night, and he let out a sigh, sounding old beyond his years.
Yue Qianqiu grew up in Heming Pavilion since childhood. As soon as he could walk, he began to learn how to climb the ladder, and his greatest joy was to mess up the vast collection of books on the bookshelf
Upon hearing this, Qingyin immediately raised her eyebrows and said, "Using an egg to apply on the eyes? Isn't that a waste of resources?"
"Ninth Young Master, how many scholars cannot afford to buy books and can only copy them from the bookstore to read? Can't you cherish them a little more?"
In the eyes of the green grass and the verdant fields, seven-year-old Yue Qianqiu is not like Yue Xiu Yi, who has the guidance of esteemed elders such as the madam and the young master. How could he possibly understand those thick and heavy books, which are clearly just a waste of resources
Luoxia is the maid responsible for the meticulous affairs inside and outside the Qingfen Pavilion. Usually, it is the task of two young maids to see off Yue Qianqiu when she leaves. However, after experiencing such an ordeal last night, since Yue Qianqiu has given her instructions, she naturally agreed immediately. Nevertheless, she had to carefully apply a damp soft cloth to her eyes, yet even so, the redness and swelling remained difficult to alleviate
She and Qingyin are cousins, and Xiang's mother is her aunt. It is largely thanks to Xiang's mother that she is able to work in a light and easy place like Hemingxuan. Now that she hears that her cousin might be stealing books, how can she just stand by and do nothing
The one who has arrived is the legitimate eldest son of the Duke of Yue, the cherished great-grandson of the old master of Yue, Yue Xiu Yi, with Chang'an being his childhood name
Being mocked to this extent, Yuexiu felt both ashamed and angry, and had no intention of borrowing books at all; in a fit of rage, she turned around and left.
After applying it, wash it off and eat it, what's the waste in that? Or are you saying that when the falling sunset was at your home, you couldn't even afford an egg?
The idiom "sweeping away the elegance" is used quite well. Yue Qianqiu, engrossed in flipping through the thick tome in his hands, finally raised his head after a long while and said, "But I just like poor-quality books, so what?"
Hearing these words, which were clearly mockery on the surface and subtly sarcastic underneath, Luoxia could not help but tightly crumple her handkerchief into a ball, unable to muster even a forced smile
At this moment, Qingyin was suddenly flustered. Her mother was the trusted confidante of the matriarch, the true grandmother of the Yuexiu family, so how could she dare to offend the genuine young master?
In that instant, Qingyin's face turned as pale as a blank sheet of paper, and her entire body began to tremble violently
The list of those to be married has just been released, approved by the third wife. The elder sister knows she is to be married and cried with joy for an entire night
The grass instinctively took a step aside, seemingly wanting to distance itself from me. Qingyin's face turned pale, her hands tightly twisted together. In her gaze towards Yue Qianqiu, the disdain and contempt had finally vanished, replaced by deep resentment.
Yue Xiu was suddenly called by Yue Qianqiu, and his expression immediately darkened. He had always felt uncomfortable in his heart, wondering why he, being of similar age to Yue Qianqiu, had to address him as "Ninth Uncle." However, due to the hierarchy of their families, he had to swallow his grievances. Now that he knew Yue Qianqiu was not even of the Yue family bloodline, he was even less willing to call him "Ninth Uncle" again.
Qingyin also sarcastically mocked him a couple of times, but seeing that Yue Qianqiu seemed not to have heard, she said irritably: "Ninth Young Master, at least you should take care of your belongings. Which young master in the mansion is so uncouth?"
The old master, who was unrestrained by formalities, had long ago decided to forgo the morning trip with a wave of his hand. It was only in the evening or even at night when he returned that his children and grandchildren would gather at the Crane Ming Pavilion. Therefore, usually, it was only Yue Qianqiu who would go there early in the morning.
"What happened when great-grandfather is not around?" Yuexiu immediately became furious and raised his voice, saying, "You can go to Heping Pavilion every day, so why can't I? I started recognizing characters and reading at the age of four, and what about you? Relying on great-grandfather's favoritism, you started messing around with books at the age of four!"
The foundation of the Yue family is shallow, and the family rules were all established one by one by the old master. Other matters can be discussed, but the issue of having unclean hands is a crime that, once caught, will inevitably lead to severe punishment
Seeing Qingyin pull up the grass and run to chase after Yuexiu 1, Yue Qianqiu took the opportunity to quietly advise Luoxia: "Remember, when you go back, close the courtyard door and bolt it. Today, even if it is the King of Heaven himself, he is not allowed to enter Qingfen Pavilion"
Until he saw that his face was flushed, Yue Qianqiu finally walked over with his hands behind his back and unceremoniously patted Yue Xiuyi on the head, then took two steps back to scrutinize his dazed nephew
She was completely unaware; watching her retreating figure, Yue Qianqiu neither shouted nor stood up, yet a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth
Upon witnessing this scene, Qingcao immediately realized the underlying trickery, and could not help but gasp in shock
After a morning of bustling about, Yue Qianqiu took a short nap on the soft couch for an hour after lunch. He then began to climb up and down again, spending more than half an hour selecting several books. Ultimately, he brought down a book that was at least three fingers thick, sitting directly on the floor with his back against the bookshelf, engrossed in flipping through it, while also dipping a pen in ink to write and draw.
Every day, Mr. Yue has to get up and leave the house before dawn at the hour of Yin to attend court, so in the Yue residence, the morning and evening rituals are strictly observed, but the morning part is simply impossible to accomplish.
After enduring ten years of hardship in a cold, impoverished study, one finally achieves success in the examination, yet only becomes a minor official of the eighth or ninth rank. This pales in comparison to those who, by mere luck, can attain wealth and honor, while frivolously disregarding the teachings of the sages.
He took a deep breath, deliberately omitting those two words, and said with his head held high: "I have come to the Crane Ming Pavilion to borrow books"
After blurted out those two sentences, Qingyin finally realized that she had effectively admitted it herself. Her face turned pale as she staggered back a few steps and suddenly rushed out the door. Having caused such a huge mess, the only person she could rely on was the senior lady's maid who accompanied her as a dowry, and now her mother had become a prominent figure in the household!
If it were not for the old master's instructions, they would have long been unable to restrain themselves from stopping Yue Qianqiu, who had been drawing lines and doodling all over the book.
He Ming Xuan is located to the east of Qing Fen Guan, separated by a door. Yue Qianqiu was brought back to the Yue residence and lived here, which is surprisingly closer to the old master than the actual members of the Yue family
Although he has become accustomed to the early rising and sleeping of this entertainment-deprived era, habit does not equate to preference. Even if he goes to bed early, being awakened at this hour still leaves him feeling fatigued
He flicked the book in his hand: "The past three years have not been wasted on books. On the third shelf of the left-hand side, the first compartment of the third layer is missing a set of three volumes. On the second compartment of the fourth layer, a complete set of twelve volumes has disappeared. Do I need to recall which other books are missing from the other shelves? I heard that your idle brother at home has been quite extravagant lately."
As soon as they faced each other, he recognized the boy who was of a similar age. Seeing that the other party seemed not to notice him and was about to walk straight past him, he lazily called out: "Chang'an"
However, just as he and Luoxia passed through the east-west Moon Gate, they saw a group of people entering from the south gate.
Upon hearing this, Qing Cao finally realized that although Yue Qianqiu had only brought up this topic today, he must have noticed something amiss long before this. Even though she wanted to help Qing Yin, at this moment, she no longer dared to speak up.
However, the old gentleman Ke Yue is completely unconcerned. In the words of this domineering elder, it is better for these books to be put to good use than to gather dust and rot.
He is of similar stature to Yue Qianqiu, with a jade-like face and vermilion lips, and handsome features. If he were to stand side by side with Yue Qianqiu, it would be easy for people to mistake them for brothers. However, in contrast to the flamboyant garments that the old master often has the maids like Luoxia dress Yue Qianqiu in, he is much more plain in his attire
When the green grass and the verdant turf could not persuade the furious Yue Xiu to return, and he dejectedly returned to He Ming Xuan, he saw that Yue Qianqiu was engrossed in climbing the ladder to fetch books, which made them all gnash their teeth in frustration
Without raising his head, he said: "When I first started to compile books, Uncle Ying, who was by my grandfather's side, spent several days compiling a list of all the books in the Crane Ming Study. After all, when he supplemented the books I had, he needed to have a clear understanding in his mind. At that time, you two had not yet been assigned to the Crane Ming Study. If you want to know whether I remembered incorrectly, just ask Uncle Ying to check it later."
When Luoxia first entered the mansion and recognized Xiang Mama as her godmother, during her time learning the rules at her home, not to mention eggs, even the meals were leftovers from her siblings
Qingcao forcibly squeezed out a smile: "Ninth Young Master does not know how to read, perhaps he remembered it incorrectly"
At present, Yue Xiu is dressed in a deep green outfit, with only a jade pendant tied around his waist by a red cord. In contrast, Yue Qianqiu's attire in emerald green is much more vibrant.
Upon hearing the commotion, the two maids, Qingcao and Qingyin, who had been attending to the affairs at Heming Pavilion during the day, rushed over. Upon seeing Yuexiu confronting Yue Qianqiu, they immediately chose to watch the spectacle.
Dear nephew, since you have come to the Crane Ming Pavilion to borrow books, you should be a bit more courteous to the acting host. Otherwise, if I happen to be in a bad mood, I might not let you in
Yue Qianqiu, who was keenly aware of the hidden threats around him, completely ignored the aggressive Yue Xiuyi. He turned to Luoxia and said: "Go back and get two boiled eggs, peel them, soak them in cold water, and then roll them on your eyes for a while"
Those books placed in this study are merely being wasted by you; it would be better to take them out and give them to those who are true readers