Chapter 8

One morning, Ji Le's flattery was almost endless. If she only had this little ability, Zhou Rong would not regard her with such favor. In fact, Ji Le is much more diligent than Ji Ling.

Jile Dao: "It's alright, the old lady. Ling is very generous, she has been letting me use her piano all along."

Zhou Rong then spoke: "Miss Le is learning to play the piano for the first time, and she must touch the piano to get a feel for it. A Ling, let Miss Le try your piano; your skills are better than hers."

"So early?" Ji Le exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder Sister Rong looks so young; Master Zhou praises you for being better than the blue that comes from the indigo plant."

Ji Le laughed and said: "What are you so nervous about? As the saying goes, a great teacher produces outstanding students. If you say you have no talent, doesn't that imply that Sister Rong's teaching is lacking?"

Ji Le quickly said: "Sister Rong, you have misunderstood Sister Ling. It has been I who have been using her Yunhe these past few days."

Ah, as one grows older, memory tends to fade. I should consider that Le Yatou also needs a琴. Unfortunately, your cousin has returned to the academy; otherwise, it would have been best to have him find one for you. He has extensive connections and can always procure good items

Ji Lezhang glanced at Ji Ling apologetically and silently said, "I am sorry, I cannot help you"

Ji Ling could only nod in response.

As a result, who would know that there would be twists and turns ahead? A few days ago, Yao Mama suddenly sent a letter to her mother, stating that the old lady had chosen a young girl from the Ji family to raise. However, the girl was too dull, and the old lady was somewhat displeased. Therefore, Yao Mama instructed her mother to bring her into the Chu residence.

Nan Hui immediately agreed and soon found an ancient zither. However, it had not been used for several decades, and the strings were already broken, making it unusable for the time being

"Not bad, Miss Le. You can ask A Ling about the places you don't understand, as she knows all the characters in this Three Character Classic and has memorized more than half of it," said Zhou Rong

When I was three years old, my mother would always tell me stories before bedtime

Ji Ling was left blushing and speechless by Zhou Rong's reprimand

Upon returning to Jialetang after school, Ji Le did not mention to the old lady about needing the piano. Her thoughts were likely similar to Ji Ling's, as neither wanted to ask someone for something right away.

Ji Ling was so praised by Zhou Rong's words that her head nearly buried itself into her neck

As soon as Ji Le saw "Yun He," she took an immediate liking to her. She played the piano with great dedication; although her musicality was not as strong as Ji Ling's, she excelled in her earnestness.

The old lady said, "That won't do either. One must have their own piano to learn, especially since Ling also needs to practice. Nanhui, I remember there seems to be a piano in the back room; please open the door and have a look."

Ji Ling could only shake her head again

Ji Le was taken aback, "Ah? But I heard that Ling Mei only learned for four or five days as well"

Ji Ling shook her head repeatedly, her face flushed as she said: "No, no, I don't have any talent."

However, after Ji Le asked Ji Ling to borrow "Yunhe," she had no more concerns. "Sister Ling, you are truly remarkable. Not only do you have a talent for learning, but your gift in playing the guqin is also something that even Sister Rong admires greatly. Unlike me, who can only be a diligent bird that flies early, practicing hard to keep up and not hold you back. Now that I don't have a guqin, may I borrow your Yunhe to practice?"

Ah, I do not love the qin either; this instrument was part of my dowry from years ago. Nan Hui, tomorrow find someone to see if it can be repaired, and re-string it. The old lady said to Nan Hui, then turned to Ji Le and said: It seems you can only share a qin with Ling girl for now

Zhou Rong only smiled and said: "A Ling is wise"

Ji Ling held onto the piano without letting go and immediately began to practice earnestly. The little girl, at the most delicate and charming age, caught the attention of the old lady, who inquired upon hearing the tinkling sound of the piano.

There are no secrets in the mansion; what Zhou Rong has said will be known by those who should know within a day. The gist of the rumors circulating privately is that Zhou Rong believes Ji Ling is not worthy of Yun He

Ji Le also thought that her mother was right. She knew her own advantages; the old lady would surely prefer her over Ji Ling, that dullard. However, she did not expect that Ji Ling was quite good at studying. The old lady probably would also appreciate a talented young woman, wouldn't she

What makes Ji Le proud is that the old lady took a liking to her lively spirit as soon as they met, and immediately decided to keep her. When her mother left, she advised her to be wary of Ji Ling. After all, the old lady's affection is limited; if she favors Ji Ling more, it is inevitable that she will favor Ji Le less.

When entering school, Ji Le also followed Zhou Rong for enlightenment along with Ji Ling. Her level was clearly inferior to that of Ji Ling, and Zhou Rong had to repeat things more than three times for Ji Le to remember. This made Zhou Rong, who had been teaching Ji Ling for a few days, somewhat unaccustomed, as who wouldn't prefer a disciple that makes things easier for the teacher

For beginners, Ji Le's piano skills can be said to improve daily. Although Ji Ling has an excellent sense of music, it is certainly not easy to master anything without practice, especially since she actually has no foundation at all; what she plays in her dreams is not the piano but the konghou.

Ji Lezhang smiled brightly and said: "Sister Rong is so beautiful and knowledgeable, I fear there are few women in this world who can compare to Sister Rong. If I could learn even a fraction of Sister Rong's knowledge, it would be enough for me for a lifetime"

Ji Le's mother had actually wanted to send her to the Chu residence for a long time, and even sought the help of Yao Mama. However, because Ji Le was slightly older, she feared that the old lady would think she was not suitable for raising, so Yao Mama had always kept silent.

"Sister Rong, at what age did you begin your education?" Ji Le asked again

Ji Le turned with a smile to Ji Ling and said, "Ah, I see. Then I will ask Ling Mei for anything I don't understand in the future, alright? I didn't expect our A Ling to be such a little talented girl."

Zhou Rong said: "That being said, if she wanted to practice the piano, how could she possibly allow you to borrow it?" This clearly indicates a refusal to accept any excuses

In the afternoon, during piano practice, I encountered the same situation as last time with Ji Ling; Ji Le did not have a piano.

When Zhou Rong taught Ji Le how to hold a pen, she practiced continuously even when her posture was not correct, not even putting the pen down during lunch. She was also murmuring softly, and upon closer listening, it was clear that she was repeatedly reciting the "Three Character Classic" that Zhou Rong had recently taught.

Such diligence and cleverness in handling matters quickly swayed Zhou Rong's heart towards Ji Le in just half a day's time

On this day, Zhou Rong could not help but say: "A Ling, although you have considerable talent, you must not be arrogant or complacent. The art of playing the guqin requires practice; if you do not practice for three days, your skills will become rusty. Look, A Le started learning the guqin several days later than you, yet now his finger technique has already surpassed yours by far."

Of course. Ji Ling said. She was not accustomed to refusing others, especially since she and Ji Le would be living together in Jiale Hall for such a long time. If there were any discord, the old lady would surely be displeased if she found out. Ji Ling always remembered that the reason she was able to enter the Chu residence was to keep the old lady company and not to add to her troubles

Zhou Rong smiled faintly, not to the extent of feeling proud over a child's words, but flattery is always pleasant to hear

"Miss Le borrowed the Yunhe, which is indeed a fine instrument; perhaps it also wishes to fall into the hands of someone who truly loves the qin," Zhou Rong said coldly. In truth, she was not specifically targeting Ji Ling, but rather resented her lack of ambition. With such a remarkable talent, how could Ji Ling not cherish it, which inevitably provoked anger in others

A few days later, Ji Le borrowed the zither from Ji Ling every day. She was already familiar with Ji Ling's temperament, which was simply one that did not understand how to refuse.