Chapter 287: A Different Kind
Fu Tingyun quickly stopped Third Sister: "We can't spoil the children like this!"
Youyou also refused: "Teacher Yan said, 'When there is work, the disciple should serve; when there is food and wine, the teacher should partake.' It's only right that I show filial respect to Mother and Aunt. I can't accept Aunt's gift."
"Good, good, good," Third Sister replied, even more delighted. "Aunt knows you're filial, but this is my heartfelt gift. It wouldn't be right to take it back once given. Just accept it this time—next time, I won't give you jewelry but something else instead." With that, she slipped the bracelet onto Youyou's wrist.
Youyou, being a child with slender wrists, couldn't wear it properly. Besides, her mother had told her not to accept it, so she struggled to return it. Third Sister, however, insisted on giving it to her. The two went back and forth until, if not for Yu Wei, the bracelet would have fallen to the ground. Fu Tingyun had no choice but to let Youyou keep it, though she still admonished, "If Chunbing and Yuanxiao were to show you filial respect, would you reward them like this too? You mustn't do this in the future."
"Of course, of course," Third Sister agreed cheerfully, sighing, "It's just that I don't have a daughter of my own, so I can't help but dote on them."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Youyou curtsied to Third Sister in a proper gesture of thanks, then had Yu Wei help her put the bracelet away. She took the remaining snacks and went to find Xi Ge'er.
The maids and servants were tidying up the rooms, while Xi Ge'er, Xu Ge'er, and Yuanxiao were playing arrow toss in the study.
Xi Ge'er hit eight out of ten throws, and Xu Ge'er was even more impressive—his arrows landed effortlessly every time, making Yuanxiao, who only hit one out of ten, look rather embarrassed. He plopped down onto a nearby Grand Tutor chair and grumbled, "What's so fun about this? It's just brute strength. If we're going to play, let's play Qiqiao cards instead."
Youyou, who had just entered, couldn't help but giggle.
The three boys turned at the sound.
Yuanxiao scratched his head sheepishly.
Xu Ge'er, however, immediately dropped his arrows and ran over. "Sister, we were looking for you earlier, but you weren't here."
Youyou raised the pouch in her hand. "I went to see Eldest Cousin. He gave me these—Peach Blossom Cakes, a delicacy from the palace. There aren't many, so let's all try some." She opened the pouch and handed one to Xu Ge'er.
Yuanxiao exclaimed, "Huh? I finished mine ages ago. I didn’t know Eldest Brother still had such treats hidden away." He added, "These Peach Blossom Cakes are good," and unceremoniously took one.
Xi Ge'er held his cake, admiring it for a long moment before taking small, deliberate bites.
Xu Ge'er, on the other hand, stuffed the whole thing into his mouth at once.
Yuanxiao asked the two boys, "Well? Not bad, right?"
"Delicious," Xi Ge'er said, eyes half-closed in enjoyment. "So fragrant and sweet. Even better than Third Aunt’s Poria Cake."
Xu Ge'er, however, disagreed. "Too sweet." Noticing Youyou standing there absentmindedly with a piece in her hand, he called out, "Sister, don’t you like it either?"
"Oh!" Youyou snapped out of her thoughts. "No, no. I’ll eat it in my room." She hurried toward the door. "You all keep playing. I’m going back to sleep. I have to greet Mother early tomorrow!"
Xi Ge'er scratched his head. "But it’s not even Xu Zheng yet..."
Xu Ge'er tugged at Yuanxiao’s sleeve. "Second Cousin, what are Qiqiao cards?"Yuanxiao perked up, directing one of Xi Ge'er's maids to fetch the Qiqiao tiles from her own room, then pulled Xi Ge'er and Xu Ge'er onto the daybed by the window. "Let me show you how to play..." she said, paying no further attention to Youyou.
Youyou left Xi Ge'er's room and went to find Chunbing.
Chunbing was still organizing his books.
Seeing Youyou approach, he quickly asked, "Has my mother and Ninth Aunt... eaten yet?"
Noticing his flushed face, Youyou tilted her head curiously. "Cousin, are you feeling hot?" She glanced around, seeing the wide-open windows, and her puzzled gaze returned to Chunbing.
Chunbing stammered a few words before asking about Third Sister and Fu Tingyun. "...Did they say anything?"
"Aunt praised me for being filial," Youyou said happily, "and gave me a bracelet." She chattered away, recounting the scene in detail.
Chunbing visibly relaxed and asked, "Was the pastry tasty?" His eyes held a hint of anticipation.
Youyou immediately reached into her pouch. "Cousin, let's share." She divided the Peach Blossom Cake into two halves and offered one to Chunbing. "You didn't get to try any!" Her expression showed genuine sympathy for him.
Chunbing felt a warmth in his chest. "I don't really like sweets... You should have it all."
"We'll share," Youyou insisted, thinking of how Yuanxiao and Xi Ge'er had enjoyed it. She was certain the pastry must be delicious, and Chunbing's claim of disliking it was surely just politeness.
Chunbing gazed at Youyou's clear, bright eyes and the half-piece of pink pastry resting on her jade-white palm. His chest tightened with an indescribable emotion—both frightening and exhilarating.
When he didn't move, Youyou stamped her foot playfully and called out, "Cousin!"
Flustered, Chunbing lowered his head and ate the pastry directly from her hand. His tongue brushed against her palm, tickling her into giggles. She wiped her hand on a handkerchief before eating her own half.
"Was it good?" Chunbing asked.
"Delicious!" Youyou nodded with lingering satisfaction.
Chunbing felt both joy and sorrow—joy that Youyou liked his gift, sorrow that there was so little of it for her enjoyment. He clenched his fists, his expression turning resolute. "Youyou, I'll study hard and become a Grand Secretary when I grow up. Then you can eat as much Peach Blossom Cake as you want."
"Ah!" Youyou's mouth fell open in astonishment, utterly confused about the connection between her liking Peach Blossom Cake and his becoming a Grand Secretary.
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That evening, when Third Sister returned to her chambers, her personal Housekeeper noticed the missing bracelet while helping her remove her hair ornaments. After a moment's thought, the Housekeeper smiled. "Did you gift the bracelet to the young mistress?"
Third Sister nodded, smiling. "That child is truly delightful. Ninth Sister is more fortunate than I." Her tone carried clear admiration.
"Indeed!" the Housekeeper agreed, placing the ornaments into a box. "Not only is the young mistress beautiful, but she's also gentle and kind. At such a tender age, she already knows how to care for her younger brother... Who knows which family will be blessed enough to marry her in the future..."
Third Sister's expression shifted thoughtfully at these words.She sat silently by the dressing table for a long while.
When the housekeeper brought water and invited Third Sister to wash up, Third Sister stood instead and said, "I'll go check if Chunbing and Yuanxiao have gone to bed yet," heading toward her sons' side chamber.
Yuanxiao was already fast asleep, but Chunbing sat bolt upright practicing his calligraphy.
Third Sister walked over and sat beside her son, smiling. "Haven't you finished today's writing practice yet?"
"I have," Chunbing set down his brush and answered respectfully. "I want to practice five hundred more characters every day starting today."
Third Sister was taken aback.
Chunbing continued, "With Father away, I should be even more disciplined."
Naturally pleased by her son's ambition, Third Sister cautioned him, "But you must take care of your health. Don't overexert yourself."
Chunbing acknowledged her words respectfully and sat back down to continue practicing.
Third Sister then asked about the Peach Blossom Cake: "...Why did you think to save it for Youyou?"
Chunbing, who usually held his brush as steady as a pine tree, suddenly trembled, leaving a blot of ink on the pale yellow rice paper. "I, I... forgot to eat it, and found it today while packing my things. Just then, cousin came by, so I gave it to her..." He started haltingly but grew more fluent as he spoke.
Third Sister smiled faintly, patted her son's head, and returned to her room to rest.
Chunbing let out a long sigh of relief, his mind filled with the image of Youyou's charming smile, the corners of his mouth curling slightly in response.
Third Sister began observing Chunbing and Youyou more closely.
Perhaps due to age and gender differences, Yuanxiao, Xi Ge'er, and Xu Ge'er often played boisterously together. Youyou sometimes joined their games, while other times she acted like an older sister, keeping them in line. Chunbing rarely played with Yuanxiao and the others, usually studying alone. Occasionally, he would stand by watching with a smile, his gaze often lingering on Youyou—either helping her out of a tight spot or assisting her in managing Yuanxiao and the others.
Youyou, however, treated Chunbing quite ordinarily, going about her business as usual. Sometimes she even found him meddlesome and showed impatience.
Yet Chunbing remained endlessly patient. No matter how Youyou treated him, he was always gentle and attentive in her presence, ready to help at a moment's notice—sometimes even without being asked.
Third Sister couldn't help feeling her son was being unfairly treated.
Her personal housekeeper chuckled, "The young miss is only seven. You're too impatient, madam."
Third Sister laughed at herself and let go of her concerns. She stopped worrying about these matters and spent her days with Fu Tingyun—either experimenting with new pastries in the kitchen, designing new embroidery patterns, or making small items like socks and bellybands for the children.
The children naturally divided into three groups. Every morning, Chunbing and Yuanxiao studied with their family tutor in the southern study of the outer courtyard, while Youyou studied with Teacher Yan in the eastern side chamber of the inner courtyard. Xi Ge'er and Xu Ge'er practiced stance training with Daoist An in the backyard. In the afternoons, Chunbing had more lessons, while Xu Ge'er went with Daoist An to explore Yuming Mountain. Youyou, Yuanxiao, and Xi Ge'er played word games or competed with grass blades, leaving Teacher Yan, who was supposed to instruct Youyou, with little to do.
Teacher Yan, feeling that his vast knowledge was wasted on teaching just one little girl, and seeing how Chunbing, despite his young age, already showed promise in his studies, couldn't help but feel somewhat disheartened. He pretended to pass by to listen in on the lessons given by the Shen family's tutor.Third Older Cousin's Husband had high hopes for his two sons and hired an old Confucian scholar as their tutor, who was well-versed in the classics and wrote with seasoned elegance. Noticing Mr. Yan peering around, clearly sizing him up, the tutor delivered his lecture with such dazzling brilliance that he thoroughly intimidated Mr. Yan.
Stung by this, Mr. Yan approached Fu Tingyun with a proposal: in the afternoons, Youyou should practice tracing characters with him, lest she waste her days idly playing.
Fu Tingyun planned to formally teach Youyou needlework in the autumn and thought it would be good to solidify her handwriting over the summer, so she agreed.
Mr. Yan then threw himself into teaching Youyou calligraphy, working her so hard that her arms ached from lifting the brush. Frustrated, she complained to Chunbing, who consoled her, "No pain, no gain. Calligraphy tests one’s discipline the most. Settle your mind, and with time, it’ll get easier."
Finding no comfort from Chunbing, Youyou turned to Yuanxiao instead.
Yuanxiao secretly helped her with the writing.
When Chunbing found out, he scolded Yuanxiao harshly, making both Youyou and Yuanxiao avoid him afterward.
He moped for days, his face dark as storm clouds.
Third Sister, learning the reason, couldn’t help but laugh and hinted to her son, "Everyone prefers sweet words over harsh ones."
"But that’s just honeyed words hiding daggers," Chunbing declared righteously. "Unworthy of a gentleman."
Third Sister didn’t press further and gave a vague reply.
A few days later, she saw her son approach Mr. Yan, and soon after, Youyou’s workload lightened considerably.
Overjoyed, Youyou pointed to her writing when Chunbing came by and asked, "What do you think? The tutor said it’s not bad and reduced my practice."
Chunbing thought it lacked both structure and grace, but remembering his mother’s words, he hesitated before reluctantly nodding. "It’s... passable. Just needs more practice."
Who was their eldest cousin? The one whose calligraphy was good enough to be pasted on doors during New Year!
Youyou’s face immediately brightened.
That evening, there were plums to eat.
Youyou picked the biggest, reddest ones and had a maid deliver them to Chunbing and Yuanxiao.
Yuanxiao cheered, pocketed a few plums, and ran off to play with Xi Ge'er.
Chunbing, however, stared at the plums in silence. After a long pause, he sighed softly and took a bite.
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O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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