Chapter 10: Chrysanthemum Powder

One is not afraid of intelligent people, but rather of those who are both intelligent and hardworking. Shen Caifan is such a talented woman who is both smart and diligent. Since childhood, she has diligently practiced writing ten large characters every day. Her father is a renowned scholar known throughout the world, and few can match his talents. However, she has never lost her own path due to her admiration for authority; instead, she set her goals early on and worked hard to achieve them

After a while, she finally heard Shen Caifan's voice, filled with laughter, as if the cool moonlight had shone down, resting upon her heart: "Don't talk nonsense!" Yet, she did not let go of Shen Caiwei's hand, and both of their palms felt somewhat warm.

Shen Caiwei paused for a moment upon hearing this, and after a while, she replied, "Elder sister, you will definitely win the championship." She looked up at the patterns on the bed curtain, tracing the flowers, birds, fish, and insects with her gaze, her voice unconsciously becoming softer, "Elder sister, you have had determination and goals since you were young. You learn quickly and take everything seriously. Sometimes I truly feel both envious and jealous."

Shen Caiwei's biological father, Shen Chengyu, remarried when she was one year old, and a year later, he had a daughter, Shen Caiping, who was the fourth child. People privately referred to her as "Fourth Lady." Shen Caiwei had never met this younger sister, and at this moment, the sudden thought of her brought forth a complex mix of emotions.

The three sisters are respectively named Sheep Fat Jade, Hetian Red Jade, and Jadeite. What will Shen Caiping be named?

Shen Caifan glanced at Shen Caiwei, whose eyes sparkled even in the darkness, and replied lightly: "First, wait until you have memorized the Analects before discussing further. You should understand the principle that one cannot chew more than one can swallow. Master the Four Books before looking into the Five Classics; only when you have a solid grasp of the literature and reasoning can you divert your attention to other matters"

Shen Caifan couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret: her second cousin was already beautiful, and in recent years, she had become even more outstanding. If it weren't for the birthmark on her body, she might even be more attractive than Shen Caiheng. However, although she thought this in her heart, her expression remained calm, and she merely nodded slightly: "Since it is something that all sisters have, Grandmother surely will not shortchange Fourth Miss." She seemed to hesitate for a moment before gently saying, "However, even so, it would only be sent to the capital by the servants. It cannot compare to what Grandmother personally gifted today, along with her heartfelt words."

Shen Caiwei thought for a moment, then leaned her head against Shen Caifan's shoulder and laughed: "Elder sister, I understand what you mean." She couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I was just suddenly curious about what kind of jade grandmother would give to Fourth Miss."

Shen Caifan paused for a moment before softly replying, "It is a book." After a brief pause, she continued to explain simply, "What I love most are calligraphy and painting. Although my father and third uncle are both quite accomplished in this area, I have been practicing the small regular script of Lady Wei, so I wish to take Mr. Lu as my teacher"

Shen Caiwei lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and thought seriously for a moment: in fact, she had had some exposure to all four of these, but only a little, and now it seemed still very distant. After a while, she slowly spoke: "I want to choose the piano; I heard that my mother chose the piano back then..." She had little memory of Lin Shi and could only infer what her biological mother was like from the words of the old Mrs. Shen—gentle and generous, with a refined character. It is said that Lin Shi was exceptionally skilled at playing the piano, expressing her emotions through it, and Shen Caiwei had seen the piano that she had left behind.

Shen Caiwei remained silent, knowing that Shen Caifan was trying to comfort her. In truth, she wasn't particularly sad; it would be absurd to have any feelings for a father she had barely met. However, there was always a slight discomfort. In her previous life, she was an orphan, and in this life, her biological mother had passed away early, making her scoundrel father no different from being nonexistent. Ultimately, it was merely a matter of unresolved feelings.

The last four examinations are referred to as the Flower Appreciation Banquet. As the saying goes, "Only the most outstanding can endure until the end, like flowers blooming among a hundred others." Only those who excel can receive a branch of flowers personally plucked by the dean. It is common for remarkable students to attract the attention of esteemed mentors at this banquet, presenting a rare opportunity for many that can almost change their destinies, making it extraordinarily exciting. Even Shen Caiwei is quite curious, waiting for Shen Caifan to take her to broaden her horizons.

Once her breathing steadied, Shen Caifan, who had just pretended to be asleep, finally opened her eyes, let out a gentle sigh, and raised her hand to pinch the corner of the blanket covering Shen Caiwei.

Shen Caifan remained silent for a while before finally speaking: "I do not know either. However, the situation in the capital is tense now, and it is likely that my second uncle is not having an easy time either"

In life, it is inevitable that not everything will go as one wishes. If one only focuses on what they have lost, they will never see what they have gained. Fortunately, her sister is understanding, and as she grows up well, there will come a day when she will make those who abandoned her and never truly acknowledged her witness her excellence

Shen Caifan glanced at her and said, "Can you feel at ease now?"

Outside, there were maidservants keeping watch, only a few small lamps were lit, their light faint and resembling ripples of water, layer upon layer, even the petals embroidered on the bed curtain seemed to have been washed with a layer of color. Thus, when she spoke, it was also softly, and somehow there was a wonderful sense of intimacy.

Shen Caiwei secretly reached out to hold Shen Caifan's hand, gave it a gentle shake, and said, "I love sleeping with my big sister the most"

Just then, a maid outside was carrying a white porcelain lotus-shaped bowl filled with bird's nest soup. Shen Caiwei chuckled softly and then turned to tug at Shen Caifan's sleeve, jokingly saying, "No wonder I suddenly felt hungry; it turns out the bird's nest soup has arrived..."

The weather today is just right, and it is spring again. Outside, the flowers are in full bloom, and the orioles sing among the willows. Sunlight filters through the intricately carved window, as if a layer of fine gold dust has been sprinkled in the air, warm and radiant. Shen Caiwei sits on the embroidery stool beside her, appearing as if she is enveloped in the warm spring light, glowing like a jade sculpture. The small peony flowers embroidered on her deep red jacket have subtle patterns that shift in light and shadow, and her long, curled eyelashes hang down, so distinct that one could almost count them, exuding a sense of tranquil elegance. Even though the birthmark on her face is half concealed by the bangs at her forehead, leaving just a trace, it still stands out like rouge accidentally smeared on white silk, strikingly impossible to ignore.

Shen Caiwei felt somewhat enchanted and thought that she would also ask someone to try it when she returned. Then she said, "Big sister, after you finish your studies at the girls' school, will you teach me to play the piano?" Because she was concerned that practicing the piano would be detrimental to a child's fingers, Shen Caiwei had never had the opportunity to learn and could only watch enviously as Shen Caifan tuned and played. For her, playing the piano was a refined pursuit that could elevate one's taste to a higher level, and she had long coveted it. It might even have an effect on the beauty mirror.

Shen Caiwei nodded and said, "Hmm, I will try it when I go back." She opened her mouth to chat and no longer wanted to read, sitting next to Shen Caifan. Looking for a topic to discuss, she asked, "Elder sister, do you think grandmother will give the fourth daughter a piece of jade as well, since she gave each of us one?"

At this moment, Shen Caiwei suddenly recalled that as a woman, she should not be so gloating over others' misfortunes

Oh," Shen Caiwei nodded in understanding, paused for a moment, and then curiously asked: "Elder sister, after your written exam for the girls' school, which subject are you planning to choose as an additional examination item?"

The women's examination is somewhat akin to the college entrance examination of a previous life, with the written test accounting for the largest portion of the score, similar to the unchanging subjects of Chinese and Mathematics, which are fundamental and mandatory. On this foundation, if someone wishes to claim the top position, they may choose to take one of the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. The best candidates selected from these four disciplines will be ranked based on their written test scores

Shen Caifan couldn't help but chuckle, raising her hand to gently ruffle the top of her head, smoothing her hair, and pulling her up to go drink bird's nest soup together

Shen Caiwei's eyes turned, and suddenly she understood, clapping her hands and saying: "Indeed, the Princess of Ruyang is a daughter of the Pei family. Even if my father wishes to remain neutral, he can only be aligned with the Ruyang prince by others. " With this thought, it was indeed a time of great upheaval in the capital, as everyone closed their doors to scheme. It seemed that her scoundrel father would also have a hard time, but she felt much better in her heart.

Mr. Lu is one of the foremost female calligraphers in the world today, with each character valued at a thousand gold pieces, earning the respect even of men. However, she has not taken on any apprentices for many years.

Shen Caifan noticed her apparent interest and continued, "The Emperor and the Sage have only one son and one daughter. The Crown Prince has been frail since childhood, often confined to his sickbed, and this year he was nearly unable to get out of bed due to illness. If anything were to happen to the Crown Prince, given the Emperor's current age, he would likely have to adopt a member of the royal family. The Wang of Ruyang is the Emperor's younger brother, and his legitimate son is just twelve years old, making him a favored candidate in the eyes of many."

After causing a commotion for a while, by evening, Shen Caiwei could not help but feel somewhat weary

Shen Caiwei blinked and looked up at Shen Caifan—after all, Shen Caifan rarely engaged in such idle chatter with her. She probably thought that Shen Caiwei was feeling down and intentionally changed the subject to comfort her. However, even as an older sister, her attempt to change the topic was quite awkward.

She lay in bed with Shen Caifan, the cool night outside like water, as if white frost covered the ground, with faint shadows of bamboo swaying. The maid brought warm blankets to cover them, and a light fragrance lingered at their noses, warm and cozy

Shen Caifan has always been at a loss when it comes to her younger sister. She glanced at Shen Caiwei and said lightly, "Is there really a need to teach this? Just press it between the pages of a book for a while and it will be fine. Just be careful not to stain the book with color." After thinking seriously for a moment, she added, "Red flowers, picked in the morning, are probably more suitable."

Shen Caifan was taken aback upon hearing this and lowered her head to look at Shen Caiwei

In the darkness of the night, it was difficult to discern Shen Caifan's expression, but one could hear her softly asking, "So, Second Mother, do you have a goal yet? When the time comes for you to take the women's examination, you will indeed have to choose one subject from the four. What do you plan to choose?"

Shen Caiwei waited for a while, but when she did not receive a response from Shen Caifan, she turned to look and found that the other party had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. She had no choice but to stop her murmuring and obediently close her eyes to sleep—early to bed and early to rise makes a good child. Without a computer and a mobile phone, Shen Caiwei felt that being a good child was truly not difficult. Because Shen Caiwei never kept her thoughts to herself, she rested her head on the pillow and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Caiwei inched closer, and as she drew near, she could catch the faint scent of chrysanthemum from Shen Caifan's hair—perhaps due to overthinking, Shen Caifan's hair was prone to falling out. Therefore, the Song family sought a secret remedy for her, known as chrysanthemum powder. This remedy was made by simmering ingredients such as sweet chrysanthemum, vitex, dried cypress leaves, ligusticum, and the white bark of mulberry roots in water, then straining it for use as a shampoo. With prolonged use, it would impart a subtle and delicate fragrance.