Chapter 9

The old lady asked, "What happened?"

"Grandma, Cousin Chu is truly wonderful, his word is worth a thousand gold pieces, and he has not treated me and Ling sister any differently just because we are outsiders," Ji Le whispered in the old lady's ear. She knew that the old lady loved to hear people praise Chu Shi.

Ji Le looked at Ji Ling, feeling both envious and jealous. She could not help but think how well the old lady and Chu Shi treated her. Of course, Ji Le also noticed that both the old lady and Chu Shi were very generous people. As long as she worked hard to win their favor in the future, she was certain that she would not be inferior to Ji Ling.

The old lady once again asked Chu Shi: "Is it difficult to find another guqin?"

Keqin was brought in by Chu Shi, and he naturally has the authority to make decisions. Therefore, even though Ji Ling felt reluctant in her heart, she could only comply.

Ji Ling immediately froze, so what she dreamed really happened

Chǔ Shìzhāo Jì Líng said: "Sister Líng, give it a try."

Ji Ling was overjoyed, as she never expected that with just a few words from Chu Shi and the old lady, she would receive what she had longed for. She was immensely grateful to Chu Shi, for if he hadn't asked a few more questions, the old lady wouldn't have thought of finding the Konghou master for her

Among the young ladies of the Chu family, aside from the eldest daughters who are to be married, the foremost are naturally the two legitimate daughters, Zhen and Jing. These two not only possess exceptional beauty but also remarkable talents, making them well-regarded within the circle of noble ladies in the capital, which naturally raises their standards. Although Ji Ling and Ji Le have been at Jiale Hall for nearly a month, the number of times Zhen Zhen and Jing Zhen have spoken to them can be counted on one hand. Ultimately, it is a matter of looking down upon them and disdainfully refusing to regard them as sisters.

Upon waking, Ji Ling was puzzled about how she had dreamt such a strange dream. It was not until she met Chu Shi in the evening that she recalled that the girl who was betrothed to Chu Shi also had the surname Ge. However, Ji Ling reassured herself that dreams were not real; otherwise, the old lady would surely be upset. Although the marriage had not yet been formalized, she was still Chu Shi's fiancée.

Ji Ling nodded and said, "I like it."

In fact, Ji Ling practices calligraphy diligently every day, though not as obsessively as Ji Le. If it were not for the comparison with Ji Le, Ji Ling's progress would actually be quite commendable.

Speaking of which, it is hard to understand what Shuzhen is thinking. Aren't Jiling and Jile both young girls raised in Jialetang? One would think they should be thorns in her side, but perhaps because Jiling arrived first and took away her hatred, Shuzhen's hostility towards Jile was not as deep when she came. Moreover, Jile is not as beautiful as she is. Therefore, whenever there is an opportunity to belittle Jiling, Shuzhen never misses it.

On the day Chu Shi returned to the residence, the old lady naturally brought up the matter of the qin, saying, "You must not be biased; since you have given a meeting gift to Ling, you cannot neglect Le's share either"

Hmm. Ji Ling nodded somewhat sullenly.

Qian Mian said softly: "The eldest daughter of the Ge family has passed away"

In the evening, Ji Le privately expressed his apologies to Ji Ling, saying: "Ling Mei, I am sorry, it was not intentional, and I did not expect that Shi cousin would... However, Shi cousin said he would find another one for you. Moreover, if you need it, you can also borrow it from me."

For this reason, after school, Ji Le practiced the piano. When the lights in the other rooms were turned off and everyone was asleep, she began to call Huai Bing to grind ink for her to practice calligraphy

While everyone was conversing, Lady Su suddenly walked in briskly from outside, her expression quite somber

Qian Mian thought for a moment and smiled gently, "Indeed, in this residence, no matter what one does, there will always be people gossiping."

Huai Bing has realized that Ji Le is too competitive, and it is not appropriate to say much. Instead, he tries to persuade her in various ways: "Those over there have already gone to sleep, and you should not tire yourself too much, young lady"

Indeed. Your sister Ling has a particular fondness for the konghou. In the few days after her return, Qianmian mentioned that she insisted on sleeping while holding it. The old lady jested with Ji Ling, saying, "Since she likes it, it would be good for her to learn a bit; music can cleanse the mind and nurture the spirit"

The zither in Fan Ying's hands was stored in a zither bag. She stepped forward and handed it to Qian Mian, saying, "But be careful, make sure not to bump it."

Qian Mian, however, believed that Ji Ling was simply unaware of who Miss Ge was, which explained her expression. "Miss Ge from the Ge family is the one engaged to the eldest son, and she is set to enter the family next year."

Indeed. It is often said that a person's character is reflected in their writing, and one’s demeanor can be discerned between the lines, so one must not take it lightly. If a young lady can produce a fine piece of calligraphy, it will certainly earn her greater respect. This remark by Zhou Rong was directed at Ji Ling.

As they were speaking, Chu Shi asked Ji Ling again, "Didn’t I give you a konghou last time? Do you like it?"

Naturally, Chu Shi said: "Last time you gave Yun and Li to Cousin Le, I promised to find another qin for you."

Madam Su glanced at Ji Ling and Ji Le in the hall, and the two of them obediently performed their greetings and withdrew

Chu Shi smiled and said: "Since my cousin Le likes Yunhe, let us give Yunhe to her. I will find another one for my sister Ling."

Ji Ling lay in the quilt, still somewhat dazed. How could her dream be so prophetic?

When Ji Ling was secretly wiping away her tears, Qian Mian couldn't help but complain: "In my opinion, it's not that the young lady has a good temperament, but rather that she is weak in character. Miss Le, being such a clever person, surely knows that you need to practice the piano as well? She borrows your piano every day right after school and only returns it the next morning. How can you possibly find the time to practice?"

Ah, this is indeed a fine item from the previous dynasty said the old lady: A heart of ice within a jade pot

The old lady does not like Shuzhen's sharpness, especially since Qianmian has already explained the specific situation to her. The fact is that Ji Ling is not difficult to learn. "Nonsense, it's just that the two of them share one guqin; when one practices, the other loses out."

Ji Le, however, was not listening, as he was determined to quickly develop a semblance of skill. Then he would be able to study alongside Master Zhou, leaving Ji Ling far behind.

The next day when they arrived at the school, it was precisely the time for Ji Ling and Ji Le to practice their characters. They still had homework to complete every day after school, which required them to write a short piece.

The old lady is actually curious as well, "Let's open it and take a look."

Huai Bing secretly shook his head, Ji Le is indeed too strong-willed. Although this temperament is not entirely bad, it is likely that he will face some hardships in the future

Ji Ling is not a fool; she knows that Ji Le's behavior is somewhat domineering, yet she cannot bring herself to utter the words of refusal. "But if I do not lend it to her, I will be labeled as selfish and stingy, lacking in sisterly affection."

That night, Ji Ling had another dream, in which a person suddenly ran into Jialetang and said that the eldest daughter of the Ge family was gone

Ji Ling opened her large eyes and cautiously said to Chu Zhi, "Cousin Zhi, is this really for me?"

Ji Ling did not expect that Chu Shi truly remembered the matter of finding a qin for her, so she hurriedly stepped forward to express her gratitude

Ji Ling, after all, is a child. Upon seeing something good, she couldn't help but feel eager to try it out. Hearing Chu Zhi's words, she joyfully stepped forward. She first gently tapped the back of the guqin, "the sound is soft yet resonant." Then she plucked a string, and the sound seemed as if celestial beings were passing by in the sky. Although their figures were unseen, one could hear the jingling of their ornaments, like jade beads falling onto a jade plate.

Ji Le smiled sweetly and said, "Sister Rong, please don't praise me anymore, I still need to continue working hard."

Huai Bing advised, "Young lady, do not work too hard; you are still young and may not be able to endure it. Be careful not to damage your eyes."

How could Huai Bing know of Ji Le's "ambitions like that of a swan?" Naturally, Ji Le was unwilling to tell Huai Bing the truth, only saying: "Sister, you also know that I have just arrived at the residence and have not learned anything before, so I can only be a clumsy bird that flies early, in order to follow Master Zhou in studying literature."

At this moment, Chu Shi was instructing the maid beside her, "Please give the qin to cousin Ling."

Ji Le was naturally delighted, but to her surprise, upon their first meeting, Chu Shi actually favored her more than Ji Ling. Meanwhile, Ji Ling was filled with reluctance; it was not that she did not like Yun He, nor was she uninterested in practicing the piano. However, she was also aware that she was not particularly charming, and her inability to articulate her thoughts made it no wonder that Chu Shi preferred Ji Le more.

What she aspires to achieve is to surpass the two legitimate daughters, Zhenzhen and Jingzhen, in the future, so that they will understand that even though she is merely a poor relative who relies on others, she is only inferior to them in terms of her background; in every other aspect, she does not fall short at all.

Indeed. Chu Shi smiled to himself and said, "I have not considered this thoroughly; I should find a master to teach Sister Ling the konghou."

Zhou Rong first glanced at the stack of characters submitted by Ji Ling, his expression remained almost unchanged. It was only when he saw Ji Le's writing that a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, "Miss Le's writing has improved tremendously, it is simply like comparing two different people compared to when she first started."

But how could she ask Ji Ling to borrow it? As soon as school was over, Ji Le began to play the piano, and she felt too embarrassed to speak up. Thus, half a month passed like this, and Ji Ling's piano skills made no progress at all, while Ji Le's piano skills gradually became apparent. With such diligent practice, even without talent, hard work would yield results.

The old lady laughed heartily and said, "No one in this family knows how to play the konghou, so how could your cousin Ling play it? It's rare to see you being foolish too"

Ji Le currently resides in the Baoxia Li of Jialetang, and the term "over there" refers to Ji Ling's Bisha wardrobe

Ji Le merely smiled and said to Chao Huaibing: "How can I compare myself to Sister Ling? She arrived first"

Ji Le is inherently strong-willed; it is not apparent in front of others, but behind the scenes, she works harder than anyone else. Her goal is not merely to surpass Ji Ling, as that is truly not a difficult task.

When Ji Ling and Ji Le heard this, they both looked at Chu Shi in astonishment

Compared to the joyful Ji Ling, Ji Le felt less at ease, even though she still wore a smile on her face. This was because she couldn't help but think that if Ji Ling hadn't given her Yun He, then this obviously more precious jade pot of ice would have belonged to her today

Shuzhen interjected, "But where can one find such good pianos? It is already quite rare for elder brother to find five good pianos. Didn't Sister Rong say that A Ling does not practice diligently and is simply unworthy of Yunhe? It truly is a waste of elder brother's good intentions"

There are no secrets in the residence. When evening came and arrangements were being made, Ji Ling asked Qian Mian, "Sister Qian Mian, why did the madam appear so troubled today? Is there some bad news?"

As expected, the old lady immediately burst into laughter, "From now on, you will all be like siblings; Ah Shi has always been very good to her own family"

"Can you play?" Chu Shi asked again

The body of the guqin is of the Zhongni style, unmistakably an ancient instrument, and it has been well-preserved over the years. The black lacquer appears to have been coated with a layer of jade-like luster by the passage of time, exuding an air of antiquity and elegance. The entire body of the guqin features flowing, broken patterns, interspersed with fine, hair-like streaks, making it both light and thin

Seeing the solemnity of Fan Ying, Qian Mian could not help but ask, "What kind of zither is this?"

"Yes, the grandson has noted it down," Chu Shi said

Qian Mian is the one who understands the situation best. Once, when Ji Ling was just about to practice the piano and had just set everything up, Ji Le came to borrow the piano without considering whether Ji Ling needed it. He simply stated his intention, which was clearly an act of taking advantage of Ji Ling's good-natured personality

Above the Longchi, three small seal characters are inscribed: "Jade Pot Ice"