Chapter 4: Chapter 4

The Ming household watched in amazement as the Eldest Miss stopped being picky with her food. Unloved vegetables, given a dip in the sauce, she would now eat without complaint.

Old Patriarch Ming, though often away from home during meals, clearly felt pleased, as the Old Servant reported everything to him in detail. “I always told her that, being a grain merchant and major landowner, we should know better than most to cherish our food. She never listened. But that girl arrives, and with some unknown method, tricks my Rou’er into eating properly. Could it be that sauce she makes is truly that delicious?”

Old Patriarch Ming was completely baffled. He had the Old Servant secretly fetch some of the Eldest Miss’s usual dipping sauce for him to try. It was tasty, yes, a little sweet, which the Old Patriarch didn’t particularly care for. He gave up after a single taste.

“The taste buds of children are truly mysterious. Well, let her continue eating with Rou’er. Next month, we’ll see if Rou’er has grown any taller. So very tiny… who knows when she’ll grow up. Ah—” Old Patriarch Ming let out a long sigh.

His daughter, Ming Yulan, only had eyes for matters concerning her husband. Beyond a certain level of care for Rou’er, she paid no attention to anything else. He could not count on her in this life. It was all down to his granddaughter’s performance. A pity she was still so small.

Meanwhile, in the Study, today was the tenth day Ye Qiuniang had followed Ming Rou to learn from the Master. She was only twelve, but she had never before learned to read. She simply couldn’t compare to Ming Rou, who, though young, was bright and had just begun her formal education. Moreover, Ming Rou had started a month or so earlier, so her progress was naturally faster.

Ye Qiuniang was always slow to understand. The Master, losing patience, ordered her to recite a passage repeatedly. Ye Qiuniang thus began to recite aloud: “In performing duties for others, is it not a failure of filial piety…”

“It’s not ‘filial piety,’ it’s ‘loyalty’!” The Master, who had corrected this many times, finally snapped. “Put out your hand. Once you feel the pain from a strike, you won’t make the same mistake again.”

Ye Qiuniang extended her hand. She had only been at the Ming residence for a short time, and the calluses and marks left from her days at the Ye household had not yet faded. With a sharp ‘smack,’ the heavy ruler struck her palm, and the tender flesh instantly went from white to red.

Ye Qiuniang didn’t even furrow her brow. Back in the countryside, her father’s lashings were far heavier than this ruler. This small punishment wasn’t enough to make her flinch. But the same couldn’t be said for someone else.

Beside her, Ming Rou had never been struck on the palm by a teacher. Seeing Ye Qiuniang hit now, her little face turned pale with fright. Her large, round eyes instantly reddened, but she dared not make a sound. The Master had said that no unauthorized talking was allowed during lessons, or she would be punished as well.

The tiny girl held it in, her little nose tip turning red, sneaking glances at Ye Qiuniang every few moments. When the lesson was finally over and they respectfully bid the Master farewell, Ming Rou grabbed Ye Qiuniang’s hand and rushed out of the Study. The moment they were outside, the little girl could not hold back any longer and burst into a loud wail.

Ye Qiuniang was taken aback, stunned that she had held it in for so long. The sting of the ruler on her own palm had already been so faint as to be forgotten. Yet this little creature had cared so deeply.

She knelt down and gently wiped the teardrops from the corner of Ming Rou’s eye. A touch of emotion stirred on her own face as well. She pulled Ming Rou, who was smaller than herself, into her arms and comforted her softly, “Eldest Miss, don’t be upset. Qiuniang’s hand stopped hurting a long time ago.”

She extended her palm; indeed, the red mark had already faded. Ming Rou caught her hand, examining it back and forth, and asked gingerly, “Does it really not hurt?”

Ye Qiuniang shook her head. Only then did Ming Rou’s heart seem to settle. Though the corners of her eyes still glistened with tears, she paused in thought and then said, “From now on, when we study, you recite to me first when we return. If there are mistakes, I can correct you. That way, when we come to the Study, the Master won’t have to punish you.”

Seeing her so serious, Ye Qiuniang was a little stunned. She had never studied before. Now that she had the chance at the Ming residence, she was naturally diligent, but she hadn’t thought of becoming as proficient as the Eldest Miss. She just wanted to learn a few characters.

But now Ming Rou was so concerned. Should she tell her that it didn’t really matter whether she learned well or not? Yet, looking at the little girl before her, so young, she wasn’t sure if Ming Rou would understand. What she was sure of, however, was that if she said it, Ming Rou would surely be disappointed. She didn’t want to see that disappointed look on the Eldest Miss’s face.

Ye Qiuniang opened her mouth, but in the end, no words came out. If the Eldest Miss wanted her to learn well, she would grant her wish. She would put more effort into her studies. After all, knowledge, once stored in one’s mind, belonged to oneself.

Ming Rou was still a child and couldn’t study all day. She had a few close playmates. One was the grandson of Old Patriarch Ming’s cousin, a six-year-old boy named Ming Hongxuan. By seniority, he was Ming Rou’s cousin. Another was the granddaughter of an old friend of Old Patriarch Ming, named Xu Qionghua. Before Ye Qiuniang arrived, Ming Rou had played with these two children.

In the eyes of outsiders, these two were the most suitable playmates for Ming Rou, as they were of equal social standing. Ye Qiuniang was merely a servant girl sold to the household for an auspicious match—medicine for the Eldest Miss. Once the Eldest Miss was cured, she would be of no further use. After the ten-year term expired, it would depend on whether Ming Rou remembered old attachments and granted her a good future path.

Ye Qiuniang didn’t overthink it. Ten years was a very long time, and who knew what would happen during it? All she could do now was pour her heart and soul into treating the Eldest Miss well, repaying the Ming family’s kindness. She would live these ten years well under Ming Rou’s protection.

Every morning, Ye Qiuniang would accompany Ming Rou to the Study. In the afternoons, she would play with her. Over time, she gradually became familiar with Ming Rou’s two other playmates. In the understanding of Ming Hongxuan and Xu Qionghua, neither quite grasped the concept of an Auspicious Marriage. Two women—how could they be husband and wife? They only saw her as a servant attending Ming Rou. But Ming Rou had explained to them several times: this was her Jiujiu, who would grow up alongside her.

As Ming Rou grew day by day, the Master assigned heavier and heavier coursework. Ye Qiuniang, having passed the initial character-recognition phase, gradually found her learning rhythm and began to see connections, combining book knowledge with real-world experience. Slowly, she began to blossom, and even the Master couldn’t help but praise her occasionally.

Ming Rou, however, was younger and less worldly. The path of learning is similar to the path of life; lacking deep experience, she inevitably had points of confusion. Ye Qiuniang, skilled at observing expressions, noticed that each time she herself was praised, a look of discouragement would appear on Ming Rou’s face. This caused her both heartache and discomfort. She felt she was basking in the Eldest Miss’s light while simultaneously stealing it—something she absolutely should not do.

Realizing this, Ye Qiuniang began to hide her brilliance. Seeing Ye Qiuniang, who had been showing such promise, suddenly become clumsy again and frequently punished by the Master, Ming Rou couldn’t help but worry once more.

Seeing the little girl’s anxious expression, Ye Qiuniang’s mood brightened instead. Shining brightly could be refreshing, but receiving the Eldest Miss’s concern brought a secret delight. She could tell that, even when she excelled, Ming Rou didn’t harbor jealousy. She must have already included her as one of her possessions, but being young, she was competitive and anxious, leading to feelings of resentment and unhappiness.

Having spent this time with her, Ye Qiuniang had long been captivated by Ming Rou’s innocent and proud nature. How could she bear to see her unhappy? And the knowledge the Master taught, she could just quietly memorize it in her heart. There was no need to flaunt it outwardly for recognition.

Excessive brilliance would inevitably attract unwelcome attention. Though young, Ye Qiuniang had already tasted the harshness of the world and naturally understood this principle. The Master, who taught them daily, quickly perceived the change in her. But he was no pedant. A moment’s reflection revealed the meaning behind her toned-down performance. He sighed inwardly that such a young girl understood the principle of hiding one’s strength.

From then on, he continued teaching as usual but rarely called on her to answer questions, nor did he casually praise her. However, where her thinking was insufficient, he still pointed it out sternly. Ye Qiuniang, perceptive as she was, understood the Master’s painstaking efforts. She studied diligently in secret and accepted the harsh criticism without a trace of complaint.

Yet, in Ming Rou’s eyes, the Master was being far too strict with Jiujiu. Sometimes, she would even step forward to argue on her behalf. The more Ming Rou did this, the guiltier Ye Qiuniang felt. She could only think of ways to be even better to her, and in this way, their bond deepened day by day.

By the time Ming Rou turned eight, Ye Qiuniang was fifteen and had grown into a graceful young lady. During her years at the Ming household, well-fed and well-rested, and shielded by Ming Rou, she had rarely faced hardship. Her body had developed quickly. Compared to the little bean sprout she had been three years ago upon arrival, she had changed dramatically.

Her once-darkish complexion had become fair and smooth. She had grown taller, and her youthful face had blossomed, causing passersby to turn their heads for a second look. People began to inquire: who was this beautiful young lady? Had she had her Hairpin Ceremony yet? Was she betrothed?

Upon learning she was the auspicious match for the Ming family’s future Family Head, many felt it was a pity. But then they thought, the Ming family only had one Eldest Miss. Two women could not become a real married couple. In a few more years, when the Eldest Miss was fully recovered, what use would she be? Surely the Ming family would let her go. But by the time the deadline passed, the young girl would be an older maiden—would anyone still want to marry her then?

Opinions varied, but none of it stopped people from making inquiries about the young girl. Ming Rou also noticed the attention from those around them. The lecherous gazes of those shameless men from outside were always brazenly appraising her Jiujiu. She knew they were eyeing what was hers, and she found it deeply unpleasant. She grew increasingly reluctant to take Ye Qiuniang out.

Yet there were men at home, too. Those male servants, with their toad-wanting-to-eat-swan-meat dreams, kept stealing glances at Ye Qiuniang’s graceful figure. This infuriated Ming Rou even more. In a fit of rage, she replaced several of the male servants with women to quell her anger.

Ye Qiuniang watched all this, torn between amusement and deep emotion. The trouble from these external gazes was endlessly annoying, but it wasn’t something she could control. Now that the Eldest Miss was venting on her behalf, it gave her some relief. Yet she couldn’t help but feel a touch of melancholy, thinking that one day the Eldest Miss might not always be there to protect her. What would things be like then? She could only take it one step at a time.