Yueyao looked at Nanny Gu with a cold smile at the corner of her mouth. Not long after her return, she had visited Hualin Temple to offer incense, where Master Pu An said that as long as she sincerely copied the Classic of Filial Piety every day for a year, and then burnt it for her parents in the netherworld, it would make her parents' lives in the netherworld better. This was undoubtedly a timely help for her, who had suddenly lost both parents at that time. So, in her previous life, she persisted in copying the scriptures for a year, burying her head in the scriptures every day, and, as a result, missed out on a lot of things.
Seeing the smile that was not quite a smile on Yueyao's face, Nanny Gu was greatly frightened. But thinking of the promise of Eldest Madam, she could only brace herself and said, "Miss, you must not give up halfway! The Great Grandmaster said, it must be with a heart of utmost sincerity."
Yueyao gently placed the Silver Hairpin on the dressing table, "Don't worry, Mother, I know what I should and shouldn't do. You're getting on in years, staying up late is bad for your health. From now on, just take good care of your body. The matters of the courtyard can be handed over to Mu Qiu and Hua Lei."
Nanny Gu wanted to say she could endure it, but seeing that Yueyao didn't even glance at her and directly called Mu Qiu in, she left sheepishly.
Yueyao waited for Nanny Gu to leave and a sneer flashed in her eyes. It seemed the Lady family was getting anxious, sending Nanny Gu to test her. But now with the grandmother holding the fort, the Lady family did not dare to make a move. Otherwise, grandmother would not let her off.
After lying down, Yueyao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, her mind a mess. Yueyao couldn't sleep and simply got up and went to the Small Buddhist Hall. Instead of continuing to copy the scriptures as usual, Yueyao sat at the table full of scriptures, pondering the path she would take from now on.
Yueyao sat in the chair, looking at the full moon outside. She had returned to this life not merely to guard against others, nor just to fight against the Lady family. As long as she became wary of the Lady family, was no longer deceived by them, found outsiders to help her, and was not as helpless as she had been in her previous life, the Lady family would not dare to sell her.
What should she do then? She couldn't lead a life as aimless and confused as she had in her previous life.
Yueyao's mind was in a jumble. She inadvertently looked at a painting on the wall, which reminded her of her days in the Nunnery.
There were many women in the Nunnery. Among these women, those who had families who cared for them would have money and food sent from home every month and had no worry for clothing and food; there was also a large group who had nowhere else to go and thus resorted to the Nunnery. These women had to fend for themselves, as the Nunnery could not afford to care for them for nothing. To make a living, these women resorted to needlework or other occupations, and a smaller number had to do rough jobs, all of them laboring heavily.
After arriving at the Nunnery, she realized she was good for nothing. She could neither cook nor handle needlework; she was incapable of everything. This made the steward in charge of the Nunnery's affairs frown upon seeing her. Over time, not only did the steward look down upon her, but even the women beside her despised her as if she were a parasite.
It was later that the Great Grandmaster noticed her good handwriting and let her copy scriptures, and during this process discovered her talent for painting. Thus, she earned money for the Nunnery by copying scriptures and painting images of Bodhisattvas and Buddha. With the considerable income she brought in, her days at the Nunnery became better.
Yueyao sat at the table, gazing at the painting of a Sunset Mountain Dwelling. Although she did not need a reputation for talent in this life, she must not lose her artistic skills. Not only must she not lose them, but she must also strive for perfection and aim for further progress. In this way, if ever there was an emergency, she could survive on these skills.
Thinking of painting, Yueyao couldn't help but remember Teacher Wen lamenting her wasted talent, saying that if she were born a boy, he would definitely take her as his student, despite the unfortunate fact that she was born a girl.
Teacher Wen Chengxiang had agreed to teach Yueyao to repay a favor to a friend, Lian Dongbo. Although Teacher Wen thought Yueyao had an astounding talent for painting, he did not take her as a student because she was a girl. The reason was simple: girls were expected to marry, bear children, and take care of household affairs. Learning painting was merely for cultivating one's sentiments and could not be considered a serious occupation. However, although Teacher Wen held such views, he was as strict with her as he was with his students and taught her earnestly. It was those four years that laid a solid foundation for her. It was a pity that a family crisis occurred before she could study deeper, and she had to return to the capital. After returning, she had no further instruction from the teacher and everything she learned was self-taught.
Yueyao clenched her hand; her calligraphy had reached its peak and could no longer progress. But her painting skills were just beginning, and there was still much room for improvement. If she wished to advance further in painting, the only option would be to seek out Teacher Wen. Though it was impossible for him to take her as a student, she was certain that if she encountered a difficult problem and sought his advice, Teacher Wen would surely guide her. Although she had not received systematic training in her previous life and had not delved deeper, her twenty additional years of experience and practice in painting, coupled with Teacher Wen's guidance, would definitely enhance her painting skills.
Yueyao pondered for a long time, and she had a clear direction for the path she wanted to take in the future. With a plan in mind, the panic in her heart also dissipated quite a bit. Yueyao went back to her room and lay in bed, inadvertently thinking about how Brother Zheng had only recognized ten words that afternoon.
Now Yueyao truly felt downhearted. Brother Zheng was falling behind his peers in his studies, and his learning was even slower than a turtle's crawl. At this rate, he would lag far behind others. She had given up on the idea of him becoming a Palace Graduate or a Juren—graduating as a Scholar would be a great kindness from heaven.
Yueyao smiled wryly, not understanding why her brother had such poor aptitude. How could he be so different from her? If possible, she would rather be more ordinary herself if it could mean making her brother a bit more intelligent!