Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Resonance of Scholarly Voices (Part One)

That night, Liu Qin finally saw her father. In front of her father, mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law, she brought up the idea of having the serving maids and young attendants join her in the study hall to learn to read and write. Each family member reacted differently to her words.

The old lady, unsurprisingly, did not approve. She felt that Liu Qin had only behaved herself for a short while before starting her mischief again.

Her brother, Liu Cheng, thought his little sister was clever and full of ideas, one after another, making her hard to handle. He secretly sighed in relief, thinking how lucky it was that she was his sister; if she were his own daughter, he doubted he could manage her. Liu Cheng completely missed the point. As for sister-in-law Cai Xinlan, she was genuinely surprised. A lady of her standing would never have considered learning together with servants—not even in private. At most, she might quietly teach her personal maid a few characters. But she was smart; in this household, with her father-in-law, mother-in-law, husband, and little sister-in-law involved, she knew better than to say anything disagreeable.

Only Liu Lord regarded Liu Qin seriously for a moment and then asked, “Has your teacher agreed to this?”

Liu Qin looked at her father with wide eyes, full of admiration. “Teacher said, as long as Father permits, it can be done.”

“Very well, let’s do as Qin’er says,” Liu Lord decided.

No sooner had he spoken than the old lady objected, “Lord, how can that be? It’s against custom. If maids and attendants all go to study, who will attend to matters in each courtyard? Not to mention, it will stir resentment among the household staff.”

“Qin’er, your mother makes a good point. How do you propose to solve these issues?”

Knowing her father was testing her, Liu Qin’s eyes darted as she spoke in a childish, sweet tone, “It’s only for a short while in the morning, it won’t interfere with their duties. If others in the household want to learn, they can listen in after finishing their work. Teacher says understanding more principles is always a good thing.”

“This, this…” The old lady was at a loss for words, yet still unwilling to yield.

In the end, Liu Lord persuaded her, “Madam, it’s not a big matter. Let Qin’er have her way. If it truly affects daily operations, you can step in then.”

The old lady finally said nothing more. Liu Qin climbed down from her father’s knee and threw herself into her mother’s arms, coaxing her affectionately for a while, then asked with a smile, “Mother, Sister-in-law, could we let Sister Bai and her grandmother and brother come work in the household?”

“Sister Bai? Who is Sister Bai?” The old lady was puzzled.

“The one I met in the street last time. It was Sister Bai who told us about Second Brother’s news—Father knows about this, right?”

Liu Lord nodded with a smile, and Jiang Li, nearby, explained Bai Rong’er’s circumstances in detail. Both the old lady and Cai were moved by Bai Rong’er’s plight. Yet Cai still hesitated, “We have enough staff in every part of the household. Adding three more is just a few extra pairs of chopsticks, it’s no trouble. But her grandmother is elderly, and it’s hard to assign her tasks. If we leave her idle, she may feel uncomfortable. Mother, why not settle them on the estate and let the steward arrange some lighter work?”

“Fine, you handle it,” the old lady replied, patting Liu Qin’s small head. “In fact, that estate will one day belong to Qin’er. If Bai Rong’er proves capable, she could become a valuable helper.”

The estate? My estate? Liu Qin blinked. Should she ask her mother to give her the estate now? No, best not to be too greedy. She’d already made two requests today—if she asked for more, her mother might turn hostile.

Having accomplished two important matters, Liu Qin was overjoyed, skipping all the way back to Plum Courtyard. Yet when she shared the wonderful news with Cui Liu and Cui Yu, their reactions were thoroughly discouraging.

Cui Liu’s face was full of disbelief; she stammered, “Miss, you mean... you want me to go to school?”

“Yes, both you and Cui Yu.”

Cui Yu showed no sign of happiness, her face drawn, “Oh, Miss, please don’t torment us. If I were fit for study, Hai would already have passed the imperial exam. I’d rather not go—I’ll just attend to you while you’re there, alright?” Then she muttered under her breath, “It’d be better to spend that time playing somewhere.”

Hearing Cui Yu, Cui Liu also hesitated, “Maybe I shouldn’t go either. I’m too old to sit with you and your brothers—it would make people laugh.”

Liu Qin’s joy was dashed to pieces by their responses. She nearly gave up, not wanting to force them, but Cui Yu’s attitude made her angry. After all, she’d arranged this good fortune for them out of years of friendship, yet Cui Yu not only failed to appreciate it, but accused her of causing trouble. Well then, trouble it is—she would trouble her until she changed her mind.

With this thought, Liu Qin put on a stern face, speaking seriously, “Sister Cui Liu, who dares laugh at you? Didn’t you always say you envied the neighbor’s children who could study when you were little, and urged me to work harder? Now that Father and Mother have agreed, why won’t you go?”

Cui Liu opened her mouth, not knowing what to say. She had indeed used her childhood as an example to encourage Liu Qin, though mostly to discourage laziness. Still, thinking back, she had truly envied those children.

Liu Qin turned to Cui Yu, even more serious, “If you don’t go, fine. But from now on, all tasks in Plum Courtyard will be yours—including Sister Cui Liu’s duties.”

“This, this…” Cui Yu was tongue-tied, hesitating for a long time before reluctantly agreeing, “I’ll go, but Miss, you know I’m slow. If I don’t do well, you must speak up for me with the teacher, alright?”

“No problem! It’s not like I expect you to become a top scholar. What’s there to be nervous about?”

Liu Qin clapped her hands happily. The two felt relieved by her words and began to look forward to the next day.

On the following day, a rare, sunny morning dawned. Gentle sunlight bathed the earth, dispelling the accumulated chill of previous days. The industrious birds were already active, their chirping, along with the sounds of footsteps, greetings, and laughter throughout the household, filled this winter morning with boundless energy.

At the appointed hour, everyone gathered in the study pavilion. Master Zhou still sat at the front, with the three official students in the first row—Jiang Li to the left, a bit farther away, Liu Qin and Hai to the right. In the back, six unofficial students sat in pairs, three rows: Dong Xiang and Dong Ping, Chang Xing and Chang Sheng, Cui Liu and Cui Yu.

Master Zhou was not displeased by the addition of several students of humble status. He remained as amiable as ever. Once everyone was seated, he began the new lesson, introducing the first poem from "Three Hundred Classical Poems."

“The sun lingers over the beautiful landscape; the spring breeze brings fragrance to flowers and grass. Mud softens as swallows fly, warm sand welcomes sleeping mandarin ducks.”

After reading the poem twice, Master Zhou explained its meaning in the simplest terms, “Imagine, if you will, green mountains and clear waters basking in spring light, so lovely. The spring wind carries the scent of flowers and grass; swallows, carrying moist mud, busy themselves building nests; and paired mandarin ducks sleep on warm sand…”

Everyone was drawn in by the scene Master Zhou painted. Before their eyes appeared beautiful vistas: spring breezes warming the air, flowers scenting it, swallows darting about, mandarin ducks nestled together—a spring so enchanting, it seemed every breath carried the spirit of the season.

Master Zhou effortlessly stirred their interest in learning. Even Cui Liu, who had always been shy and kept her head down, now looked up at him with eyes shining bright.