Chapter 225: Chapter 210: Mr. Qi of the Su Family (Third Update)
Song Wei had to go to the court, and Wen Wan needed to head to the Hongwen Academy. Both of them were very busy people, so Granny Song got up early to prepare breakfast for the young couple.
When Wen Wan got up, Jinbao was still sleeping soundly.
The little one was quietly cute, without a hint of mischief, and Wen Wan leaned over to give him a gentle kiss on his cheek.
After breakfast, Song Wei walked to the Hanlin Academy, while Wen Wan took a carriage to the Hongwen Academy.
Today, without her husband accompanying her, Wen Wan seemed quite relaxed as she didn’t have to worry about being noticed.
When she got off the carriage, she happened to see Lin Xiaoyue getting off the carriage on the opposite side.
The breeze lifted a corner of the curtain inside the carriage, and Wen Wan caught a glimpse of a man’s stern profile, but it was quickly covered again.
Lin Xiaoyue also saw Wen Wan and noticed her surprised look. Feeling a bit annoyed, she turned to the person inside the carriage and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to come again!"
The man’s indifferent voice came out, "Wasn’t it you who asked me to pick you up and drop you off every day?"
Lin Xiaoyue blushed with embarrassment and said against her will, "I was just in a momentary whim, it’s not needed in the future."
The man’s tone remained unchanged, "Are you sure what you’re saying now isn’t a whim?"
Lin Xiaoyue was extremely flustered and stomped her foot, "Su Qing, are you agreeing or not?"
The man inside the carriage, known as Su Qing, rubbed his temples in a gesture of feigned headache. After a while, he replied, "Study well, I’ll send someone to pick you up in the evening."
Feeling satisfied after getting her way, Lin Xiaoyue bid a simple farewell and quickly walked toward Wen Wan on the opposite side.
Wen Wan greeted her with a polite smile.
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at the carriage Wen Wan had arrived in and asked, "Did you come by yourself today?"
Wen Wan replied, "The chauffeur brought me."
"What about the one who picked you up yesterday?"
From Lin Xiaoyue’s tone, it seemed that if Song Wei didn’t come, she felt Wen Wan was losing something significant by comparison.
She was indeed a competitive young lady.
Wen Wan couldn’t help but smile. After pondering overnight, she learned to remain composed and replied calmly, "The adults have their own work to do. As someone staying with relatives, I’m just fortunate to have a spot, so how could I trouble anyone to pick and drop me every day?"
Finishing her words, she thought to herself that since everyone called her husband "Mr. Song," it wasn’t inappropriate for her to do the same—it was just a convenient way to muddy the waters.
Lin Xiaoyue wasn’t entirely convinced and stared at Wen Wan’s carriage several times, during which the curtain was also lifted by the wind.
Confirming that there was indeed no one inside, Lin Xiaoyue was somewhat crestfallen. If she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have let that person come.
"The hour is approaching, let’s go in!" Wen Wan suggested.
Lin Xiaoyue snapped back to reality and responded absentmindedly, "Hmm," and the two of them proceeded together toward the lecture hall.
Before entering, Lin Xiaoyue stopped her again and frowned, "Did you really come to Beijing to stay with relatives and got lucky in entering Hongwen Academy?"
Wen Wan didn’t answer directly, instead asking, "Is there a problem?"
Lin Xiaoyue bit her lip corner inconspicuously and suddenly shook her head, "Nothing, just asking."
Seeing that the hour was late, Wen Wan entered the lecture hall first.
Lin Xiaoyue watched Wen Wan’s back for a moment, then stepped forward to follow.
Today, there were four classes: literature, guqin, tea art, and floral arrangement.
Wen Wan had never encountered these before and learned a bit slowly.
Lin Xiaoyue had a little experience, but not much.
She had thought she was already quite clumsy, but unexpectedly, there was someone clumsier, which immediately boosted her confidence. While the teacher was guiding other students, Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Wen Wan beside her and asked in a low voice, "When you were with your relatives, did you never do these things?"
Wen Wan smiled awkwardly. She grew up in the countryside and was restricted by her stepmother before marriage. It was already fortunate to barely have enough to eat, let alone learn these elegant things.
Last year when they arrived in Beijing, her husband’s career was just beginning, and his official rank was too low. Their family couldn’t even secure a spot in Hongwen Academy, not to mention they didn’t have any servants at home. As the wife, besides taking care of Jinbao, her daily responsibility was to honor her in-laws. Where would she have the opportunity to learn?
Seeing her reaction, Lin Xiaoyue guessed the answer, "I’m somewhat curious. Exactly which family did you come from as an outsider?"
Wen Wan asked back calmly, "I’m also curious, why does it seem like your family members have time to send you to Hongwen Academy every day, and they seem quite young?"
Lin Xiaoyue: "... You’re something else!"
Wen Wan smiled at her, "Isn’t there a saying, ’Courtesy demands reciprocity’? If you want to know about me, shouldn’t you trade it for your own?"
Seeing the clever woman in front of her, Lin Xiaoyue gave up, "Fine, I won’t ask you anymore, and you don’t have to ask me. Let’s just continue on as we are."
Wen Wan smiled with her eyes almost crescents and pointed at the tea set on the table, indicating that she should continue the tea ceremony.
——
After school in the evening, Song Wei didn’t come to pick her up, so Wen Wan got on the carriage with peace of mind.
On the other hand, Su Qing didn’t show up either. Lin Xiaoyue, after confirming that no one came, looked back at Wen Wan’s carriage, took a deep breath, lifted her skirt hem, and boarded her carriage before instructing the chauffeur to head back to the mansion.
The chauffeur asked her, "Why didn’t you let Mr. Qi come to pick you up, Granny Qi?"
Lin Xiaoyue replied, "Isn’t it that the Hongwen Academy doesn’t allow men to come in?"
The coachman smiled, "Mr. Qi won’t go inside again."
"That’s still not okay." Lin Xiaoyue insisted, "If he comes often, my identity is easy to be exposed."
The coachman shook his head helplessly. It was this Granny who wanted someone to pick her up in the first place, and it was also this Granny who kicked them away. This little temper is all spoiled by Mr. Qi...
——
Wen Wan returned home and found Jinbao sitting on a bench by the front door, his little legs dangling, craning his neck to look outside.
All of a sudden, his mother appeared in his line of sight, and Jinbao quickly turned aside, pretending not to see her.
Wen Wan called out, "Jinbao, I see you!"
The little guy remained unmoved and even raised his hand to cover his eyes.
This nonsensical action made Wen Wan chuckle. She took a few steps to his side, crouched down, and gently said, "You can’t see me, but I can see you!"
Jinbao arrogantly looked elsewhere, just refusing to look at her.
Wen Wan seized the opportunity to pinch his little face, "You were waiting for me, and yet you won’t admit it. Fine, I’m leaving then!"
Jinbao didn’t quite understand, but he saw his father approaching through his chubby little fingers and immediately opened his small arms for a hug.
Song Wei’s time to leave Lower Court coincided with Wen Wan’s time to finish school, but since the Song Mansion was closer to the Hanlin Academy, Song Wei just needed a few steps to get back.
Thus, he returned home before Wen Wan.
Seeing his little wife, a smile appeared in Song Wei’s eyes as he asked her, "It’s your first day officially learning things. Are you tired?"
"Not really." In front of her husband, she immediately became proper.
After a while, she looked at Song Wei, "Why did you let Jinbao sit at the door?"
This little troublemaker could climb out onto the street if you’re not careful.
Song Wei said, "Earlier, Grandpa sat with him here for a while. He probably realized you would come back through the main door, so he didn’t want to leave."
"Then why didn’t you leave anyone to watch him?"
Song Wei explained gently, "I didn’t go far, just afraid Jinbao would catch a cold breeze, so I asked Yuanbao to find some clothes."
Wen Wan felt at ease, and upon seeing the little guy’s chubby, cute look, her heart instantly softened. She bent down to hold her son before Song Wei could.
The little guy was still sulking; after kicking his legs a couple of times, he smelled the familiar scent of his mother and immediately forgot his "deep-seated grudge," and snuggled into her arms.
——
Yang heard that Wen Wan had officially entered the Hongwen Academy and came over after dinner to have a chat, asking what was being taught there.
Wen Wan truthfully said she learned literature, the guqin, tea preparation, and flower arranging today.
Yang was envious and asked if it was difficult.
Wen Wan replied, "I’ve never been exposed to these before, so I have to start from the basics. It’s quite challenging."
Yang sighed, "I won’t have a chance to enter such a place, just waiting for you, my cousin-in-law, to master it and show off a bit for us."
Wen Wan said, embarrassed, "I’m clumsy; it’ll take at least two or three years to learn it well."
"No worries," Yang said. "After all, there’s someone looking after Jinbao, so you can focus on studying. Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll truly be an official’s wife proficient in everything, and you can give us some pointers."
After a pause, Yang continued, "I asked my husband, and he said getting into the Hongwen Academy is the most cost-effective. Everything that aristocratic ladies learn is taught there. If you hire tutors yourself, you’d need several, and the outside tutors charge different rates. All in all, the cost is too high, and most families can’t afford it."
Wen Wan nodded, "Hongwen Academy is an official school. The teachers there receive government stipends and meals. The students only pay a nominal fee, so it’s quite economical. If you and Xie Zheng work a bit harder and have a little girl, then when Xie Zheng becomes a fifth-rank officer, you’ll get a spot."
Yang blushed at her words, "How can you be sure it will be a girl? What if it’s another boy? I would be worried sick."
They already had two sons, and Yang had always longed for a daughter but was hesitant to try because she was afraid it would be another son.
——
During an incense-making class that day, Lin Xiaoyue suddenly felt unwell and looked pale.
Wen Wan asked her what was wrong, but she couldn’t speak, as if she was trying hard to endure something.
Seeing something was wrong, Wen Wan informed the teacher and supported Lin Xiaoyue out of the classroom, intending to take her to the medicine room to see a Medical Officer.
When they reached the flower bed, Lin Xiaoyue pushed her away, squatted down, and began to vomit heedlessly.
Wen Wan quickly reached out to pat her back, not asking anything.
After vomiting for a while, Lin Xiaoyue went to the water room to rinse her mouth. Seeing Wen Wan still waiting outside the door, she forced a smile and said, "I’m fine, maybe I ate something bad, my spleen and stomach feel uncomfortable."
Wen Wan offered, "How about I take you to the medicine room to get checked?"
Lin Xiaoyue quickly replied, "No, no, I just need to rest for a bit."
"Are you really okay?" Wen Wan, having been through this herself, had a vague suspicion in her heart but felt inappropriate to voice it.
"Do I look like someone who has a problem?" Lin Xiaoyue spun around and began to chase her off, "Your hands are clumsy, you learn slowly, so don’t worry about me. Hurry back, or you’ll miss the class."
Wen Wan still wanted to say something, but Lin Xiaoyue had already pushed her a few steps, and she heard her urging, "If you don’t go now, not only will I be unhappy, but the teacher will also be displeased."
Wen Wan reluctantly agreed, "Then find a place to rest yourself. I’ll head back to class first."