Lu Shuo and Helan Pei arrived at the dining hall one after the other.
Helan Zong asked with a smile, "Lu Shuo, how was class? Are you adapting?"
Lu Shuo nodded. "Jiang Siji has been very patient in teaching me."
Zhang Yizhu glanced at her daughter and saw Helan Pei also smile slightly, so she felt relieved and said, "You must be tired after half a day of class. Hurry and eat, then rest well."
After the meal, everyone dispersed. Lu Shuo returned to his room, took out the note he had tucked into his belt, and looked at it again.
He couldn't really say why he had retrieved a note that was no longer useful. Perhaps he felt it was something the Fourth Miss had written to him alone, something to keep as a souvenir?
He had been too much of a disruption to the Fourth Miss's class. She might not be able to tolerate him for much longer and might demand they have separate lessons.
Lu Shuo looked at the note, most of which he couldn't read, and let out a long sigh. He thought to himself that he must study hard. It didn't matter if he couldn't read in the countryside, but in the capital, especially in this noble house, being illiterate made life nearly impossible.
He folded the note neatly, put it in a drawer for safekeeping, then picked up his primer and began to recite softly.
He definitely couldn't recite aloud in class and disturb the Fourth Miss, so he had to work harder after class.
-
In the following days, Lu Shuo was a little nervous every day when he went to class, afraid that the Fourth Miss would suggest to Jiang Siji that they have separate lessons.
But his worry never materialized.
He and the Fourth Miss got along without incident. Although the Fourth Miss didn't write him any more notes, she didn't show any signs of annoyance either. During breaks, when he sat with Jiang Siji and talked, the Fourth Miss would listen and even laugh.
So Lu Shuo couldn't help but think that maybe he was too sensitive. The Fourth Miss was actually magnanimous and could tolerate having him in class. It was just that he was neither her brother nor a genius worth befriending. She certainly wouldn't become close friends with him like the village children who, just because they lived nearby, would naturally go up the mountains and down the fields together.
Lu Shuo also gradually understood his position from the daily actions of Duke Xuan, the Duchess, and Jiang Siji.
He was essentially just there to accompany the Fourth Miss in class, filling the void left by the other young masters who were not in the mansion, so the Fourth Miss would have a peer to keep her company.
For example, Jiang Siji, as a teacher, should dislike students being lazy and playful, but she actually liked to encourage him and the Fourth Miss to play together. She also liked to ask him about interesting stories from the countryside. He had thought Jiang Siji wanted to hear them herself, but later realized it was actually the Fourth Miss who wanted to listen.
The Fourth Miss had never left the capital, and after she lost her voice, she rarely even left the mansion.
Jiang Siji used the chance to chat with him to let the Fourth Miss hear stories from the outside world.
He also learned from Tianqing that the painting of a market lantern festival in the side room was commissioned by Duke Xuan as a birthday gift for the Fourth Miss. Because the lantern festival was crowded and accidents could happen, and the Fourth Miss couldn't speak, making it too dangerous to attend, she could only look at the painting and imagine being there.
The trinkets on the curio shelf, which were not valuable, were also brought back by Jiang Siji and the other young masters when they went out, for the Fourth Miss to see something new and to play with to pass the time.
Tianqing had warned Lu Shuo not to show pity to the Fourth Miss, as she didn't like it. But Lu Shuo couldn't help feeling sorry for her. After all, although she was a pampered young lady dressed in silk and eating delicacies, she was like a caged bird, unable to experience the colorful outside world. How much joy must she be missing out on?
Helan Pei had no idea that Lu Shuo was feeling sorry for her. On the contrary, she found him pitiable for having no parents. She even quietly told Jiang Siji not to make him memorize ancient poems about missing parents, mother, or hometown, lest he feel sad and secretly cry in the mansion again.
A few uneventful days passed, and it was time for the Imperial Academy's regular holiday.
As soon as Helan Chang and Helan Rong returned home, they started shouting and squeezed in beside Zhang Yizhu, complaining that the teacher taught too difficultly and that their heads hurt.
Helan Zhen was drinking tea slowly on the side. Zhang Yizhu asked her eldest son to tutor his two younger brothers, but Helan Zhen laughed and said, "Mother, you don't know. Their teacher has already complained to me. They took two days off before and didn't do a single character of their homework. When they returned, they copied from classmates and were caught red-handed by the teacher. With that kind of attitude from them, what can I do?"
"Is that so?" Helan Zong's eyes widened like copper bells. He slammed the table and roared, "Get the hell over here!"
Helan Chang and Helan Rong immediately shut up, tremblingly crawled out of their mother's embrace, and shuffled over to their father.
"You two, not studying properly, do you want a beating?" Helan Zong looked around, found nothing handy, so he just curled his fingers and mercilessly gave each one a rap on the head. "There are people who want to attend the Imperial Academy but can't, yet you, who are in it, don't cherish it!"
The hall fell silent. Lu Shuo, who had been sitting nearby ready to have some snacks, quietly withdrew his hand.
Who wanted to attend the Imperial Academy but couldn't? Him? He actually didn't really want to go...
Helan Rong covered his forehead and muttered softly, "I never liked studying anyway. I said from the start I wanted to practice martial arts, but Father wouldn't agree. He insisted on sending me and Helan Chang to the Imperial Academy... Not everyone is like Big Brother, for whom studying is as easy as eating and drinking..."
"Cut that out! Your eldest brother hasn't slacked off in martial arts either!" Helan Zong snorted. "Don't think I don't know what you two are thinking. You think you're going to be military officers in the future, so you don't need to study seriously, right? Let me tell you, with your current level, you wouldn't even know if a civil official was insulting you indirectly! Back when I lost a battle, do you know how those civil officials belittled me at court and urged His Majesty to recall me for punishment? If I hadn't written a memorial that moved them with reason and temporarily shut their mouths, and if His Majesty hadn't withstood the pressure, would you two still be so arrogant now? The Duke Mansion would have become a laughingstock!"
Helan Rong immediately fell silent like a quail, not daring to make a sound.
Zhang Yizhu coughed lightly. "Alright, that's enough said. There's no need to be so angry. Second and Third, you really are something. Your father and I trusted you not to check on your homework, but you two have been sly, copying classmates. Truly disgraceful. Is there any undone homework? Quickly make it up, and don't make your father angry anymore."
Helan Chang said gloomily, "None left. All made up."
Helan Zong said, "You took two days off before and played enough. I think you don't need to play anymore this time. Stay at home for the day! I'll check on your homework!"
Helan Rong pinched his philtrum, pretending to faint. Helan Chang shot a look of appeal at his loving mother, but Zhang Yizhu could only shrug, indicating that they had brought this on themselves and she couldn't save them.
Helan Pei secretly laughed on the side.
Helan Zhen looked at his younger sister and smiled. "Pei'er, you've been having class with Lu Shuo these past few days? Are you used to it?"
Helan Pei nodded.
"That's good."
Helan Zong suddenly remembered something and said, "Eldest, do you have nothing to do today? Why not take Lu Shuo out for a stroll. I think this boy studies much harder than Second and Third. Since he came to our home, he hasn't been out to play yet."
Lu Shuo quickly said, "No need, no need. I, I still have to practice calligraphy. I don't need to go out and play."
"Oh, nonsense. Practicing calligraphy can wait an hour or two." Helan Zong waved his hand and looked at Helan Zhen. "I'm not going out. Take him around to get familiar with the capital environment."
Helan Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Alright."
He had originally felt that Lu Shuo should go out more often to avoid missing his parents and secretly crying in the mansion, which might be noticed and lead to gossip. He had heard that Second and Third wanted to take him out, but Lu Shuo had refused, saying he needed to memorize texts. Now that his father had brought it up again, he couldn't let Lu Shuo evade it anymore.
Helan Zhen looked at Lu Shuo and smiled. "Don't worry, just a walk to look around. No need to socialize with anyone. Once you're familiar with the capital, you can go out on your own."
Since it had come to this, Lu Shuo had no choice but to say, "Then I'll trouble Eldest Young Master."