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墨書 Inktalez
Sigh, hearing that voice gives me a headache.
Lin Yuan was speechless.
Without even turning around, he knew it had to be that girl named Li Chun. As the legitimate daughter of the Li Family, a prominent noble family in the capital, and the goddaughter of the renowned Prince Jing, she was incredibly proud. At just sixteen or seventeen years old, she had a sharp tongue and loved to talk, leaving no opportunity for anyone else to interject during their journey.
Li Chun looked down on every man except for the taciturn Lin Yuan, with whom she seemed to have a special fondness. She would often approach him under the pretense of asking questions to get closer. However, Lin Yuan deliberately kept his distance from her. When he couldn't avoid her any longer, he would respond perfunctorily, not even bothering to look at her directly.
This behavior infuriated the naturally proud and sensitive Li Chun.
Throughout the journey, she began nitpicking at the tour group, complaining about this and that, which dampened the spirits of the other ten or so Young Ladies in the group. Yet no one dared to offend this young lady easily.
Now seeing Lin Yuan leave, she was displeased. "I've never seen a family so inconsiderate. You arrive at a place and just abandon everyone like that?"
Hearing this made Lin Yuan unhappy. He had been enduring various grievances along the way, and now she was dissatisfied again. However, he had matters on his mind and didn't want to argue with this childish girl. He decided to treat her as a spoiled child throwing a tantrum and patiently replied, "Miss Li, we've been operating like this for quite some time now. All the rules and arrangements were explained to you beforehand. Once we arrive here, we must follow the local arrangements since they know this place better..."
"What if something happens while you're gone?" Li Chun said defiantly, hands on her hips as she glared at Lin Yuan from her elevated position.
"That won't happen. If it does, we'll deal with it when I return. I'm leaving now..." Lin Yuan was too lazy to engage in further conversation and rode off, leaving behind Li Chun's angry accusations.
It seemed that doing business wasn't an easy task after all; it was rare for someone as proud as him to endure such nonsense. If it weren't for... hmph, he wouldn't bother leading these pampered Young Ladies out here.
In the early morning, as the sun rose and its rays fell upon him, Lin Yuan found himself sweating despite riding out on horseback. He couldn't tell if it was from the heat or excitement within him. Regardless, just thinking about the person he was about to meet made his expression soften, and he couldn't help but smile.
Following a familiar path, he noticed the vibrant spring scenery along the roadside but paid little attention to the blooming flowers until he neared his destination and reined in his horse.
This was an unknown village outside Yangzhou City. Looking ahead, he spotted a courtyard with blue bricks and red tiles standing alone at the edge of the village; a small path wound its way toward the village exit.
On either side of the path were lush green grasses and various wildflowers blooming vibrantly. The peach trees in front of the courtyard were in full bloom.
Amidst the greenery and blooming peach blossoms, the small courtyard resembled a paradise isolated from the world, much like that person within it.
Gazing at that blue-brick red-tile courtyard, Lin Yuan momentarily lost himself in thought.
Since Lin Tian'er opened the travel route to Jiangnan, Lin Yuan volunteered to take on the task of leading the tours, and Lin Tian'er trusted him to handle things reliably. Jiangnan is the most popular route, so he had to go there almost every month. This time, it had been two months since his last visit, mainly due to the Spring Festival.
Looking at the small courtyard hidden among the green trees, he took a deep breath. Sigh, it had only been two months since he was last here, yet it felt like more than two years had passed. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit shy about approaching.
"Jiangnan is Beautiful, the scenery is familiar. The sunrise makes the river flowers redder than fire; in spring, the river water is greener than blue. How can one not miss Jiangnan?"
After a melodious female voice echoed from afar, the sound of children reading aloud filled the courtyard, invigorating him in the morning.
This voice startled Lin Yuan, who was still on horseback. He dismounted, tied up his horse to let it graze, and checked his attire before walking proudly toward the courtyard.
A middle-aged man carrying a shoulder pole approached him. As he reached outside the courtyard, he carefully set down his burden and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Listening to the clear reading voices coming from inside, he wore a look of contentment and stood outside the courtyard for a moment, seemingly entranced.
After the uniform reading voices subsided, a gentle female voice asked, "Students, do you all understand the meaning of this poem?"
Then came a childish voice saying, "Teacher, I know! I know!"
After explaining the meaning of the poem, the teacher couldn't help but praise loudly, "Wen, you are amazing! Well said! Today, what I want everyone to remember is that our hometown is so beautiful. We should not only love our hometown but also work to build it up when we grow up and make it even more beautiful. Is that okay?..."
"Okay!" came the unified response of children's voices.
When Lin Yuan approached closer, the middle-aged man finally snapped back to reality and noticed Lin Yuan looking at him with an awkward smile.
Lin Yuan visited occasionally to bring supplies for the teacher inside; he recognized Lin Yuan and was not surprised. He quietly greeted him, "Little Master Lin has arrived?"
Lin Yuan nodded and smiled slightly while shifting his gaze toward the slightly ajar courtyard door, trying to catch a glimpse of that graceful figure. He casually asked, "Has your child made progress in her studies recently?"
The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, unable to hide his joy and pride. "The child who just answered is my daughter..."
Lin Yuan was somewhat surprised and turned back to him. "What? Your daughter is attending school too?"
The middle-aged man chuckled foolishly, his face slightly flushed, and said shyly, "So this country girl has no chance to go to school? They all say that when she grows up, she'll just get married. What's the use of studying? It's Teacher Shen who insists that all the children go to school, claiming something about gender equality. She even said that as long as girls go to school, she won't charge any tuition. Unable to refuse Teacher Shen's good intentions, I brought her here... heh heh..."
The middle-aged man with the surname Wen rubbed his hands together, smiling awkwardly. "But we can't let Teacher Shen worry and pay for everything for free. So, some of the newly harvested grain was ground into flour by the child's mother and sent over..."
Lin Yuan felt a stir in his heart and looked down at the burden. The baskets on both ends were covered with blue cloth, and lifting a corner revealed freshly ground flour. The flour was white with some black bran; for country folks, it might be considered high-quality flour, but in Lin Yuan's eyes, it still seemed rough.
Seeing the man's cautious yet satisfied expression moved Lin Yuan; the enthusiasm of these rural people was genuine.
He nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly heard the courtyard door open. A little girl with two braided pigtails came out. Her coarse cloth clothes were patched but clean. With big eyes looking at the middle-aged man, she said in a crisp voice, "Dad, Teacher Shen said she heard your voice and told you to hurry back home and not come again. Otherwise, she would have to send you back herself, but she's too busy and can't carry it. You're just making her work harder..."
The little girl's expression showed some anger; clearly, she blamed her father for interrupting. They had already sent food three times, but Teacher Shen didn't want it at all. Each time her father came, Teacher Shen had to interrupt her lessons, wasting everyone's time.
Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile; the little girl obviously didn't understand adult matters and was just trying to send her father away. In her young mind, the teacher's words were more important than anything else.
However, the girl's words stirred an indescribable feeling in Lin Yuan's heart.
The middle-aged man's face turned awkward; he knew Teacher Shen's personality well enough to understand that if she said she wouldn't accept it, she truly wouldn't. But it wasn't right for the child to eat and drink for free here without any compensation.
He could only look helplessly at Lin Yuan and say, "Master Lin? What do you think about this..."
Lin Yuan waved his hand gently and replied kindly, "Since Teacher Shen has spoken, you should take it back quickly; otherwise, she might get angry..."
Seeing the middle-aged man helplessly pick up his burden to head back home, the little girl finally shifted her gaze to the stranger outside. She looked him up and down before quickly deciding on a title for him in her heart. Then she politely said, "Big brother, Teacher Shen said to let you come in..."
Big brother? Wow!
Lin Yuan was taken aback and couldn't help but laugh; did he really look that young?
He helplessly touched his nose and followed the little girl inside before entering the guest room in the west wing.
Through the long window, Shen Sujun was teaching in the main hall when she saw Lin Yuan enter the west wing. Remembering how Lin Yuan had looked speechless when that little girl called him "big brother," she couldn't help but chuckle.
Gently and politely settling Lin Yuan, she imitated the adults and poured tea for him before saying, "Big brother, please wait a moment. Teacher Shen will be here soon. You mustn't run around..."
"......"
Lin Yuan sighed, waving his hand. He thought to himself that this little girl was quite clever; it was clearly Teacher Shen's original words she had learned so well. It was likely that the teacher didn't want him to eavesdrop, fearing it would distract the children.
Sitting at the table, Lin Yuan eagerly awaited the appearance of the beautiful lady while surveying the small courtyard.
The courtyard was clean and elegant, with several cherry blossom trees blooming vibrantly against the southern wall. The pink flowers swayed gracefully in the wind, resembling a woman's dance. Lin Yuan found himself momentarily entranced, his mind drifting to the graceful movements and charming smiles of the beauty from his dreams, along with her strikingly clear black-and-white eyes and the intoxicating aura surrounding her...
"What is Young Master Lin thinking about so intently?" Shen Sujun asked curiously as she entered and noticed Lin Yuan holding a teacup without drinking, his gaze fixed outside.
Hearing her voice, Lin Yuan snapped back to reality and met her porcelain-white face, feeling his cheeks flush involuntarily. Damn it, what was I just thinking?
Clearing his throat feignedly, he crossed his legs and leaned back casually to conceal his embarrassment. "I heard you teaching earlier; that poem you wrote was quite good. Whose work is it?"
Shen Sujun sat down across from him, poured herself a cup of tea, and after finishing it in one gulp, smiled and said, "It's mine. What do you think?"
Seeing the astonishment in Lin Yuan's eyes, Shen Sujun thought to herself that she felt a bit guilty for not telling him that this poem would only appear hundreds of years later in history.
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