Nanny Lau nodded.
Yueyao and Brother Zheng had lunch together. Today's lunch was rather lavish, featuring braised lion's head made from vegetables (since one must abstain from meat during mourning), flower tofu, sesame sauce with shredded cabbage, and creamy asparagus soup.
Yueyao no longer just nibbled at half a bowl of rice like before. She now required herself to eat at least a full bowl each meal, and if possible, an additional half a bowl. Relying solely on tonic foods without eating properly could cause significant harm to one's health, she remembered, and it was essential to walk slowly for a while after meals to aid digestion.
This wisdom had come from her time at the Nunnery. The Great Grandmaster was very proficient in medical skills, often administering treatments to various madams and ladies, which was in fact one of the Nunnery's significant sources of income. After falling ill several times at the Nunnery, the Great Grandmaster, noticing her frailty, taught her the Five Animal Frolics. As time passed, her health gradually improved, and she hardly fell ill anymore. Thus, she was prepared to start performing the Five Animal Frolics now. However, without a good enough reason, starting the exercises abruptly could arouse suspicion, as they could look unseemly.
Brother Zheng ate a bowl of rice and then put down his chopsticks. Yueyao asked with a smile, "Are you full? If not, Hua Lei can add more for you. You can have as much as you want to eat."
Brother Zheng hesitated before replying, "I am full."
Yueyao felt a tinge of sorrow in her heart; if he were truly full, there would have been no hesitation. Nonetheless, she gently touched Brother Zheng's forehead and said, "Hua Lei, give him another half bowl of rice. He doesn't look like he's eaten his fill." After instructing Hua Lei, she turned to Brother Zheng and said, "You're growing, so you need to eat a lot. The more you eat, the quicker and taller you'll grow. Your sister is waiting for Brother Zheng to grow up and protect her, isn't she?"
Hua Lei held out a sweet porcelain white bowl and added more rice for Brother Zheng.
Brother Zheng looked momentarily lost, a mix of joy and worry on his face. "Can I, can I really protect Sister?" It wasn't merely a dream that he could protect her.
Yueyao placed a lion's head into Brother Zheng's bowl, saying, "Of course it's true. Once our Brother Zheng grows up into a strong man, he will protect his sister. That's why you must eat more and grow quickly."
Brother Zheng glanced at Hua Lei and Mu Qiu, who both nodded in agreement. His spirits lifted, and he joyfully took the bowl from Hua Lei's hands, eager to eat. After finishing, he asked for more.
Seeing that Brother Zheng had reached his limit, Yueyao stopped any further additions and had Hua Lei serve him a bowl of soup instead.
Hua Lei felt very happy inside. The young lady had truly eased her mind and was no longer lost in the shadow of the Second Old Master and Second Madam's passing. With Young Master Zheng by her side in the future, she believed the young lady would only get better.
After finishing lunch, Yueyao took Brother Zheng's hand and walked him around the yard. Her Lanxi Courtyard was spacious, and many flowers were planted in the garden.
A breeze carried in a fresh, pervasive fragrance – dense, pure, intoxicatingly sweet.
Yueyao pointed to a vibrant patch of flowers in the garden, "Brother Zheng, these are orchids planted by Father. They're all blooming now."
Brother Zheng was familiar with the word "Father," but the concept of "Father" was foreign to him. After hearing Yueyao, he mumbled to himself, "Father?"
Yueyao then told Brother Zheng about their father, who once studied assiduously in this very place and eventually succeeded in the imperial examinations, earning the prestigious title of Tanhua.
Brother Zheng listened intently, his little face full of solemnity. He looked up at Yueyao with hesitation and asked, "Sister, can I become a person like Father?"
Yueyao felt a wave of relief upon hearing these words. Whether or not he could become that person was secondary; what mattered was Brother Zheng's ambition and his drive to excel. Yueyao nodded affirmatively, "Of course, you can. As long as Brother Zheng is willing to work hard, you can certainly become a man that people respect and admire, just like Father."
Brother Zheng's eyes first lit up upon hearing her, but then they quickly dimmed. Restlessly twisting his sleeves, he revealed his unease. Indeed, after a while, Brother Zheng nervously said, "Sister, Maternal Auntie says I'm a fool, and Mama also says I'm so stupid it's infuriating. I'm not as smart as Father, I can't be as good as him. Sister, will you not want me when the time comes?"
Yueyao listened to Brother Zheng's cautious words and saw the fearful and anxious look in his eyes, as if she would cast him aside at any moment. She couldn't help but embrace Brother Zheng, tears streaming down. She didn't want to cry, but the tragic memories overwhelmed her.
Hua Lei stopped Mu Qiu, shaking her head: "Don't go. Let the young lady and the young master bond properly, to deepen their connection."
Brother Zheng, with his small hands, helped wipe away Yueyao's tears: "Sister, don't cry. I will listen to what you say. As long as Sister doesn't despise me for being foolish." Being called stupid so often, even Brother Zheng had started to believe it himself.
Once Yueyao had wiped away her tears, she felt a surge of resentment towards Maternal Auntie You and the old nanny who tended to Brother Zheng, wondering what they had made of him: "Never, my Brother Zheng is not foolish. Those who say Brother Zheng is foolish are the real fools. Brother Zheng, the most important thing about reading and recognizing words is not cleverness, but diligence. As long as Brother Zheng is not afraid of hard work or getting tired, you will surely learn and achieve something."
Brother Zheng was almost ready to swear: "Sister, I'm not afraid of hard work or getting tired."
Yueyao stood up and said, "Good, since Brother Zheng is not afraid of hard work or suffering, starting today, Sister will teach you how to read and write. If you do fear hard work and suffering, Sister will smack your palms." She had to be strict about this.
Yueyao took Brother Zheng to the front courtyard, planning to teach him reading and writing in Father's study from now on.
Yueyao and Brother Zheng entered the front hall, and the first thing that caught Brother Zheng's eye was the four-panel screen with yellow pearwood silk carvings, which showcased a Spring Outing picture that Lian Dongbo had personally drawn.
In front of the screen stood a desk made of black nanmu inlaid with cloisonné and a large piece of marble, on which an incense burner with entangled silk and inlaid greenstone was placed, flanked by armchairs of the same style, topped with green cushions. Due to mourning, the arrangement was very simple, and any brightly colored items had been put away.
Yueyao led Brother Zheng into the study. By the window was a writing desk, with Xuan paper casually spread out on it, and a complete set of the Four Treasures of the Study neatly placed.
The large bookshelf, closest to the desk, was piled high with books—thousands of them. Under the south-facing window, a pearwood couch stood, next to which was a side table with a green porcelain cup, holding several orchid branches. The entire room looked plain but exquisitely elegant and pleasant.
Yueyao glanced at the nearby table set for tea and the chessboard with scattered pieces, as if a game had been left unfinished, waiting for the master to return and continue.
Yueyao remembered her father, in his youth, reading and playing chess here. Sadly, she knew she would never see her father again.
Brother Zheng tugged at Yueyao's skirt. When Yueyao came back to reality, seeing that the writing desk was too high and would be strenuous for Brother Zheng to write on, she realized it should be replaced. Reluctant to do so, as it would disrupt the layout of the study, Yueyao looked around and finally decided to teach Brother Zheng to read and write at the tea table instead.
Yueyao planned to start with character recognition, having Brother Zheng learn the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and the Thousand Character Classic thoroughly. After that, she would teach him Tang Poetry and Song Lyrics. Once Brother Zheng had mastered these, she would send him to school.
Unfortunately, after a long search, Yueyao couldn't find the books she needed, so she silently wrote down the Hundred Family Surnames to make do for now, planning to buy them or ask her cousins to return the books later.
Yueyao took a writing brush, looking at the long-dried Duan Inkstone. It had been so long since she'd been in the study that she'd forgotten many things. But when Hua Lei wanted to use that inkstone, Yueyao couldn't bear to part with it. She told Hua Lei to find another ordinary inkstone to use. It was something her father had used, and Yueyao wanted to keep it. It might seem foolish, but she wanted to preserve it.
Hua Lei felt a tingling in her nose.