The Fourth Lady

Qingyan brought Qingcong to the gardens and headed straight for the wayside pavilion. There, the ink and brush, leftover from yesterday, were still there. She ordered Baizhi to prepare some snacks, that way there was something to eat when they got hungry.

"Miss, there still some of the calligraphy paper you left from yesterday. What do you plan on teaching the young master today?" Zizhu looked to Qingyan and began to grate the inkstone with familiar hands.

Qingyan helped Qingcong up onto the stone stool and warmly said to him, "Cong'er, have you ever heard your fifth sister recite any poetry?"

Qingcong listened to Qingyan and shook his head, "I've never heard."

Qingyan picked up the brush and dabbed some ink, after pondering for awhile she wrote down Cao Zhi's [Seven Step Verse], this was the first poem Minning learned. Perhaps at the time Minning didn't understand the meaning behind this poem, but by now he should understand it.

"Burning the beanstalk to boil the beans, the beans in the pot cry out; originally born from the same root, why must we be at each other's throat?" Zizhu read the poem out loud in a light voice, "Miss, I recall this is Cao Zijian's [Seven Step Verse] from the Three Kingdoms period."

(TN: Cao Zijian is Cao Zhi's courtesy name)

Qingyan placed down the brush and nodded at Zizhu, "That's right, this is Zijian's [Seven Step Verse]." The placed this sheet of paper before Qingcong, "Read with me a few times, then Cong'er can read a few times, what do you think?"

Qingcong warmly smiled at Qingyan.

Burning the beanstalk to boil the beans, the beans in the pot cry out; originally born from the same root, why must we be at each other's throat!

Deng Yan struck the wooden fish* with a devout look, all the way until the servant girl by her side cried out, then did she put down the instrument. She stood up and looked to Linghua and expressionlessly said, "What's the matter?"

(TN: Those instruments used in reciting buddhist sutras to help keep the rhythm)

"Yiniang, just now I heard that the fourth miss took young master to the gardens to practice writing. Should I head there to retrieve the young master?" Linghua looked to Deng Yan as she said this.

Linghua's words, "Are you sure

a docile manner, "That's right, it's precisely

Yan still shook her head, "How could that fourth young miss be interested in our Cong'er." As if recalling something, she immediately widened her eyes. When she looked to Linghua she cried out

of Qingcong reciting the [Seven Step Verse]. She stood to the side and carefully observed them, she discovered that Qingyan didn't have even a bit of

you worried for Cong'er, that's why you especially came to see?" Qingyan said plainly as she looked to Deng Yan who was hiding

clothes, she walked out from behind the rock formation. When Qingcong saw Deng Yan he ran up to her with

lovingly flicked his nose, "Cong'er do you still

dropped his head at

want you to call me mother, it's just that my status here is such." Deng Yan casually said

verse I taught you to her?" Qingyan said

didn't understand the meaning behind this poem, but how

root, why must we be

tonight?" Deng Yan looked to

meet with Deng Yan's eyes

sister, can I come find you tomorrow to teach me how to read and write again?" Qingcong, who was in Deng Yan's

tomorrow." Qingyan looked to Qingcong still with a smile, and then as if remembering something she said, "Big

Qingyan, then he

wholeheartedly devoted herself to buddha, why did she think of coming to win miss over?" Zizhu said in a low voice as she watched the figures

you ever heard of the saying 'having your back to a big tree will bring good shade', if Deng Yiniang is a decent ally, then why should I be against it?" As she said this, she picked up her brush and began to write on the

calligraphy was something Qingyan developed after she

there's little water, sit and watch the

proverb for optimism, it roughly means that there's better days

practicing her calligraphy, she sat at the pavilion for a while, before returning