In the solemn and respectful small Buddhist hall, the sound of wooden fish's 'dongdong' slowly and rhythmically sounded. The curling white smoke in the Buddhist hall made people who walked into this small room immediately smell a thick and reassuring sandalwood scent.
The servant who came to deliver a letter was standing outside the door. Through the pane, he could only see the back of old Madam kneeling on the futon. Unconsciously, he relaxed his movements, for fear that any movement would disturb old Madam's interest in worshiping Buddha.
The attendant standing behind old Madam was the first to spot the servant standing outside with his head poking in. She signaled to the little maid standing nearby before quietly walking out of the Buddhist hall. She led the servant to a distance away from the Buddhist hall to a corner twenty steps away. She lectured in a hushed voice: "You're seeking death? You clearly know that this is the time for old Madam to worship the Buddha. Why aren't you doing your job in the front yard and coming to the backyard instead?"
"Nanny, even if this little one had the guts of a bear, I don't dare to disturb old Madam's peace. But a letter was handed in from the front, saying that it was for old Madam." The servant let out a 'hehe' before apologizing to Attendant Liu. One must know that Attendant Liu had been with old Madam for decades. Even their family's official was brought up by Attendant Liu. Among Liu Manor's servants, her status stood out. Even the misses and young masters in the manor would show some kindness to this attendant when they saw her. Let alone him, a small errand boy from the front yard?
Irked, Attendant Liu patted the kid on the head and said, "You kid, aren't you muddled? You know old Madam doesn't like to see visitors the most. Why do you send whatever cat or dog's letter?" Their old Madam was the most honorable old Madam in Luohe Prefecture. If anyone of any status can see her, she might as well set up a booth outside to tell fortune!
The domestic servant wasn't mad from being patted. He only grinned and apologized: "Attendant, I'm certainly not being muddled. Where could I get the gut to disturb old Madam's peace. The person who handed the letter also handed this in. Saying, old Madam would understand at a glance." While talking, he took out a small red jade fan pendant from his pocket. The middle part of the fan pendant was hollowed out and a small "英" character was engraved on it.
As soon as Attendant Liu saw it, she snatched the red jade fan pendant over, held it in her hand, and looked at it carefully. Although her expression hadn't changed, she still had some doubts in her eyes. The word on this red jade fan pendant was part of old Madam's name. It seemed to be the fan pendant that old Madam loved very much when she was still in her boudoir. She remembered old Madam gave it away later? Could it be that person came back?
Thinking of this, Attendant Liu's eyes changed. She took the letter from the servant who had been smiling apologetically: "Fine. You go now."
Holding the letter and the token, she turned around and entered the Buddhist hall.
"What's the matter?" Although old Madam Liu was reciting Buddha script with her eyes closed, Attendant Liu's movement of exiting and returning didn't escape her.
Seeing that old Madam was about to get up, Attendant Liu hurriedly stuffed the things in her hands to the little maid next to her and stepped forward to help her up. Then the two walked slowly to the couch by the window. Attendant Liu helped her to sit down and took the pagoda flower honey water brought by another little maid. Only then, she brought up the matter just now: "There is a letter from outside for you. This came with the letter."
Seeing the red jade fan pendant that had remained unchanged even though it had been decades, old Madam's calm eyes flickered slightly. She asked, "She is back? It seems that that old thing didn't die in the capital and returned to Luohe Prefecture alive instead." Although she uttered old thing, the joy in old Madam Liu's eyes couldn't be hidden from Attendant Liu.
Attendant Liu, who handed the letter to Madam Liu, was also overjoyed. Old Madam was getting older and the people back then were getting old or gone. If it was truly that old friend returning to Luohe Prefecture , there was still a share of missing and concern even when things were different now. Being able to meet and talk to each other can be regarded as fulfilling a regret from the youth!
***
Three days later, in Luohe Prefecture's state cavalry Official Liu's manor.
"Honored guest, please this way." The servant of Liu Family bowed his eyebrows respectfully and lowered his hands. He took small steps to lead the way and winding around until he reached the backyard of Liu's manor where a signboard with the words 'Fushou Hall' was hung before stopping. Attendant Liu, who had been ordered by her master, was waiting at the gate of the courtyard long ago.
Seeing the servant bringing someone over, she went up to bow: "I haven't seen you for many years. How are you?"
After the news of Xiao Family's mishap spread to Luohe Prefecture, old Madam sat in the Buddhist hall all night without sleeping. Now seeing that she was fine, Attendant Liu's eyes were red: "Old Madam got up in the morning and coughed. This old servant tried to persuade her to stay in and wait. If not, she would have already come out to welcome you long ago ."
"I haven't seen you for many years, Yu Jia. You have aged a lot." If the person sent the letter in wasn't Mrs. Song, who was it? The two stood outside by the moon gate and chatted a bit. Attendant Liu stepped forward to support Mrs. Song and with a small pause every three steps to the Fushou Hall. Only a few Liu Family's servants were left behind looking at each other. Everyone was at a loss as well as puzzled.
The servant who led the way was still in shock of Attendant Liu's respect for the not-so-luxurious-looking elderly. he heard the visitor call Attendant Liu by her boudoir name. What was up with the nostalgic smile on Attendant Liu's face? While going out, he was thinking about whether he had neglected the distinguished guest when he was leading the way just now. He pondered about it over and over again and was finally sure that he hadn't before breathing out a sigh of relief. If he offended old Madam's distinguished guest, he no longer needed to mingle in Liu Manor.
Back to Fushou Hall. Wearing a deep purple dress with ten thousand blessing patterns and sichuan figured satin headdress inlaid with jade on her forehead, an old woman was sitting on the couch with the help of a maid. When she heard movement outside, she immediately put on her shoes again and stepped on the ground. Just in time for the people who came in from the outside to arrive. The two old friends who had been separated for decades looked at each other speechlessly through a bead curtain.
Attendant Liu knew that old Madam wanted to talk to her old friend at this time, so she signaled the other maids standing in the room. All the servants quietly walked out one after another. Shortly later, only the two of them.
"We've been apart for forty years. Never thought we could meet again here." Standing outside the bead curtain, Mrs. Song spoke first. Sighing slightly as her eyes reddened a little: "Chen Ying, how have you been all these years? "
Old Madam Liu, who was called 'Chen Ying', also had reddened eyes and replied, "No matter how bad it was at the beginning, it's all better now. How has Elder Sister Song been these past few years?" The two sat on the couch. One left, one right, they chatted. As they remembered the youthful years back then, they also lamented how the time flew. The years weren't forgiving.
As for Xiao Lin Ru who accompanied Mrs. Song to Liu's residence today, she was taken to the side hall by Attendant Liu and was served tea and snacks. A maid was left waiting outside the door. Only then, Attendant Liu came back to the corridor outside the main hall, in case old Madam required someone to serve at any time.
Xiao Lin Ru sat in the side hall with restrained clothes and folded hands. She didn't lose her ladylike demeanor at all. Her words and deeds reflect good upbringing. Nor did she look around. This made the servants of Liu Manor very curious. What was the background of these two guests? From their attire, they didn't look like the master of a wealthy family. However, this young woman with a married woman's hairstyle was very dignified. Truly strange!
Back to Mrs. Song and old Madam Liu. Behind closed the door, the two talked for about half an hour. Only then, the wooden door of the main hall can be heard opening from the inside with a squeak. Old Madam Liu and Mrs. Song came out one after the other. .
"I'll trouble you on this matter." Mrs. Song slightly nodded at old Madam Liu. Afterward, she walked out of Liu's manor with her granddaughter who had come to her side to support her.
Old Madam Liu stood in the yard and watched Mrs. Song departed before returning back with the help of a maid to the inner room to rest. Half lying on the couch, she enjoyed the maid gently kneading to her shoulders. She sighed: "I'm old and useless."
The maid knew that old Madam wasn't talking to her, so she didn't respond. She focused on carefully controlling her strength to massage old Madam.
***
Mrs. Song personally took action. The problem of choosing the academy head was indeed resolved.
The female academy was located in the inner side of the city east in Luohe Prefecture. Not far from Fu Academy and on Jiazi Alley. It covered an area of about five mu. Inside were classrooms, dormitories, canteens, tea rooms, courtyards, and other facilities. All were fully equipped. The main subjects to study were qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and songs. The elective subjects were dance, riding, needlework, tea art, and flower art. Each subject had a full-time teacher. Mrs. Yu, Mrs. Zhao, You Jin, and Third Master Huang worked together for a good few months before finally gathering the famous teachers from Luohe Prefecture and northern Xinjiang before the Dragon Boat Festival.
The opening day of the female academy was set on the fifth day of May.
Although it only opened on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the recruitment and sending out invitations for the opening day had already started in early April. All the respectable families in Luohe Prefecture received invitations from Erya Female Academy. At the beginning, almost everyone scoffed at it and thought it was nonsense. Later, from an unknown source, there was news that the person who served as the academy head was old Madam Liu from state cavalry Liu Family!
What kind of person was old Madam Liu? The only old Madam in Luohe Prefecture with a third-rank mandated title. After losing her husband thirty years ago, she raised two children by herself. One of them later became the highest-ranking official state cavalry in Luohe Prefecture. She had another son, who was employed in the Hanlin Academy in the capital. Her only daughter married into Junwang Manor and became a Wangfei! If it comes to the most honorable woman in Luohe Prefecture, it was really old Madam Liu.
But old Madam Liu hadn't attended any banquets since five or six years ago. Unforeseen, this little-known Erya Female Academy was able to invite old Madam Liu this time! Although it was unknown if the news was true or not, they all had the intention to send their daughters to Erya Female Academy when hearing this news. After state cavalry Liu Family's three concubine-born daughters signed up, those in Luohe Prefecture who followed the trend were too many to count in an instant. Within three days, 127 people had signed up.
On the fifth day of May, Erya Female Academy officially opened its doors. Early in the morning, young ladies from various families wore uniform dresses with the words 'Erya Female Academy' embroidered on their chest and all arrived at Erya Female Academy in carriages or sedan chairs. One hundred and twenty-seven female students plus Su Family's three sisters(You Yin, You Zhu, You Bao) and You He's two sister-in-laws in Liu Family, it was a total of 132 people. After the preliminary examination on April 27, they were divided into five groups. Today was both the beginning of school and the first day of class.
As for the honorary academy head, old Madam Liu, she also came to Erya Female Academy a quarter of an hour before the auspicious time. Together with Mrs. Song, Mrs. Yu, Mrs. Zhao, and others, old Madam Liu took a small sedan chair to visit the female academy.
After the visit, old Madam Liu went to the class where one of the concubine-born granddaughters was located and said a few words. Slightly tired, she got into the sedan chair with the support of Attendant Liu and went to the female academy hall to meet those parents who came to visit and said a few words before saying goodbye to everyone with a smile. After getting into Liu Manor's carriage, she left.
The parents of those students were a little shocked when they saw old Madam Liu actually appeared. They were even more puzzled when they saw the people from Erya Academy talking and laughing beside old Madam Liu. They were puzzled. Who exactly was Erya Academy's people? They heard that they were just a nouveau riche from the countryside? Why were they so familiar with old Madam Liu? Internally, the parents were half full of doubts and half warning themselves to have a good relationship with the owner behind Erya Academy.