Chapter Seven, Subdue.

In the blink of an eye, she stood up as if she had suffered a tremendous humiliation, and shouted sharply: "What are you looking at? Did I say something wrong? Your mother is nothing but a whore!"

Zhang Qi sat quietly in a corner, lowering her gaze and waiting for the instructor to begin the lesson

Sister Liang arranged a room for Zhang Qi, which only had one bed, indicating that there was no need to share with others. Seeing Zhang Qi's gaze sweep over the bed, Sister Liang smiled and said, "Aqi, you can settle down here for the time being. If Twelve Young Master sees you, he will surely arrange for something better." Twelve Young Master is her biological father.

In the afternoon, her task is to learn to read and write

Instructor Zhao had just felt both anger and vigilance towards Zhang Qi, yet at this moment, a faint sense of gratitude surged within her. She cast a glance at Zhang Qi and thought in astonishment: I heard she came from the countryside and had only been able to read for a month. Yet with the methods she is employing now, even the ladies of the palace are no better. She truly is not to be underestimated.

After all, she is not really a sister-in-law; this gaze is heavy and carries an unspoken authority. Upon suddenly seeing Zhang Cen, he couldn't help but shiver.

I heard he comes from the countryside. It is obvious that he is a lowly person

The broom is placed in the storage room, and Zhang Qi only needs to take it out to sweep. The yard is not large, and it does not take an hour to clean it thoroughly.

Zhang Qi turned around

At present, Zhang Qi has not thought about whom to meet. Her memory is too vague; among the people appearing around her, even if there are two familiar faces, she cannot recall their names, nor can she remember her experiences and interactions with them or their characters. Therefore, she continues to work quietly, taking one step at a time

After Zhang Can shed tears from the scolding, Teacher Zhao turned around, looked at Zhang Qi with a flattering expression, and said with a smile: "Aqi, it's time to learn characters, let's go back."

Zhao Jiaoxi was taken aback and shouted loudly: "Do you dare to leave? Once you step out of this door, do not think about learning characters again!"

Zhang Qi turned around and saw the instructor casting a disdainful glance at her

At this point, she turned to Zhang Can, her face turning pale, and shouted sternly: "Foolish! How can a good sister-in-law speak so shamelessly like a rogue? Go! Stand outside for an hour! Then copy this 'Classic of Filial Piety' once again and submit it to me in five days!"

After resting for a while, she finally stepped out of the room

She is, after all, a member of the Zhang family, a sister-in-law, living in the servants' quarters; how could she possibly be truly satisfied? Her ability to say such a thing stems either from a lack of experience due to her rural background or from being someone who is aware and considerate of the situation

... ...

As Zhang Qi lowered her head to sweep, not far away, the sound of chattering and pointing could be heard, faintly mixed with the sound of suppressed laughter

Zhang Qi was furious and was about to erupt when he heard the impatient scolding of the instructor ahead, "What are you making noise about? Zhang Qi, Zhang Cen, write this character ten times!"

At the last sentence, a sound reached her ears, causing Zhang Qimei's heart to skip a beat. She turned her head to glance at her sister-in-law Zhang Cen, who was a head taller than her.

The other three sisters-in-law turned pale at her scolding, shrinking back and sitting on the couch without daring to move.

Zhang Qi stopped in her tracks. At this moment, she stood at the threshold, outside the door, where there was a tree-lined path.

With a pale face, Zhao Jiaoxi looked at Zhang Qi, the muscles in her cheeks twitching frequently. Forcing a smile, she gently said to Zhang Qi: "Sister-in-law, you speak too harshly. Insulting one's parents is a grave mistake; how could I possibly condone such behavior?"

She is also someone who has seen the world and naturally understands that even in the era of the Two Jin Dynasties, which valued indulgence and spontaneity, the concept of filial piety was still held in high regard. Not to mention the current era

Zhang Qi quickly replied: "Sister-in-law arranged it, and Aqi is very satisfied"

It is better that this sister-in-law's words do not get out; once they do, not only will her teaching position be at risk, but her reputation will also be utterly tarnished

Upon hearing this, she did not get angry but instead smiled, lifted the hem of her skirt, and strode out.

Zhang Qi glanced at the small path outside, as well as the passersby occasionally seen on the path, then turned back to look at Teacher Zhao and calmly said: "Teacher is mistaken, I, Aqi, did not come here to leave the school." Amidst Teacher Zhao's cold laughter, Zhang Qi quietly and clearly stated: "There are many people coming and going here, I just want to discuss with everyone, and I also want the entire Zhang family to weigh in: Teacher, is it just about teaching people to recognize a few characters, or should it also include teaching 'filial piety' and 'ritual'? If a teacher encourages their students to insult others' parents, should such behavior be tolerated?" Zhang Qi quietly and clearly stated: "There are many people coming and going here, I just want to discuss with everyone, and I also want the entire Zhang family to weigh in: Teacher, is it just about teaching people to recognize a few characters, or should it also include teaching 'filial piety' and 'ritual'? If a teacher encourages their students to insult others' parents, should such behavior be tolerated?"

Zhang Qi sat on the couch, quietly observing the arrangement of the room

She raised her head, her gaze quietly fixed on the instructor, and asked in a clear voice: "It was Zhang Can who insulted my mother, yet I did not even respond. How is it that Instructor Zhao wishes to punish me? Could it be that after years of studying poetry and propriety, the instructor genuinely believes that the act of insulting others' parents is worthy of admiration?"

Upon seeing Zhang Qi approaching, the four sisters-in-law turned their heads simultaneously, huddling their little heads together, pointing and laughing. Although they came from humble backgrounds, they still felt far more distinguished compared to Zhang Qi, the illegitimate daughter.

In the Zhang family mansion, there are three or four classrooms of various sizes. In the classroom where Zhang Qi is located, besides her, there are four modestly dressed young women. These young women are not only of a similar age to her, but they also possess pleasing features. From the tone of the conversation nearby, it can be inferred that they are all daughters of lesser branches of the family, not held in high regard, sharing the same awkward status within the Zhang family mansion as she does

Sister Liang looked at her, nodded, and said: "As long as you are satisfied. If you need anything, feel free to tell Sister Liang." Seeing that Zhang Qi said there was nothing, she gave a few more instructions and then turned to leave

Zhang Qi decided to stop while she was ahead, nodding and saying: "I was wrong; Teacher Zhao is not that kind of person. Fortunately, I did not raise my voice just now, so I did not disturb others." This was, however, a reminder to Teacher Zhao to keep the other three aunts quiet.

As he listened, Zhao's expression turned pale, and his palms began to sweat profusely

Zhang Qi stood up, knowing that this was her first battle since entering the mansion. If she showed weakness, it would lead to endless bullying in the future. However, if she acted too rudely and it spread, she would also face a life of hardship

She saw a look of pride on Zhao's face. Indeed, literacy is a privilege of the upper class; what an honor it is to be able to learn to read and write! Having managed here for many years, saying something to those above could very well jeopardize her own path to literacy.

Her mother is truly shameless

However, Zhang Qi is not an ordinary aunt

She had just reached this point when Zhao, the instructor, with his long face, suddenly turned serious. He glared at Zhang Qi and angrily said, "Who is being praised? You, little sister-in-law, are so meddlesome! Sit down and write this character one hundred times!" His voice was extremely stern.

The one who teaches them to read and write is a woman in her late twenties. Although this woman is not young anymore, she still wears her hair in a youthful style. She is a female official who has come out of the palace; having been released from the palace at an older age, coupled with her modest wealth and ability to support herself, she chose not to remarry. Instead, she took on the role of a tutor in various prominent families.

After finishing sweeping, I had breakfast in the large kitchen. Zhang Qi took a rest for a while, and then it was afternoon