Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 143 - 60: Li Family (Part 2)

Chapter 143: Chapter 60: Li Family (Part 2)

Yueyao shook her head, smiling as she said, “I think Li Han, my little brother, is quite delightful, lively and lovable; just looking at him makes people fond of him. Auntie doesn’t know, but I worry about Tingzheng being too solemn. Having him follow Li Han might change his dull temperament for the better.” Even if he’s a bit impulsive, that’s no harm, as long as Li Han himself has a good nature.

Lady Li felt somewhat moved by Yueyao’s earnest dedication to her younger brother, a responsibility that should have belonged to a mother but had now fallen on Yueyao’s shoulders.

In a while, the teacher will arrive.

The teacher arrived wearing an ivory-white Zhu-style robe, with a landscape of mountains, towers and pavilions finely embroidered on it, and his head was wrapped in a silver-edged scarf of the same color. He seemed a very mild and approachable man.

Yueyao, watching this attire, had a momentary trance. She remembered her father also favored such attire; on days when he was not at work, he would be dressed like this around the mansion. Alas, she could no longer see her father’s face.

Yueyao immediately lowered her head to hide her emotions, and after gathering herself, lifted her head and respectfully greeted the teacher, “Mr. Zhu, my little brother’s situation is quite special, so I need to discuss some matters with you. Please forgive any impropriety.”

...

The teacher who would instruct Li Han was a man named Mr. Zhu. Mr. Zhu listened with some surprise, “If there’s anything I need to be aware of, Miss, do not hesitate to inform me.” It was the first time he had encountered such a situation in his years of teaching.

Yueyao then explained Tingzheng’s situation to Mr. Zhu in detail.

When Mr. Zhu heard that Tingzheng took a month to learn the Hundred Family Surnames, he was stunned. Mr. Zhu had already spoken to Li Guoxing, and he had no objections to teaching an additional child. As the master had commanded, he certainly could not refuse. However, previously, he had only been told by Lord Li that the child was of average aptitude, but now, after hearing the young lady’s explanation, it seemed calling him ‘average’ would be overgenerous; even ‘inert wood’ would not be an exaggeration.

Lady Li was also astonished. She had heard from her husband that the child was not very talented, but she had not expected this extent of deficiency. Now, looking at Yueyao, her expression changed; fully aware of her brother’s limited talents, Yueyao had nevertheless patiently taught him day after day for months. Such patience might be expected of an elderly person, but Yueyao was only eight years old, and this patience was nothing short of astounding.

Yueyao, seeing the difficulty in Mr. Zhu’s expression, quickly said, “Please be at ease, Sir. I only hope he can learn enough to distinguish right from wrong and uphold our family’s name in the future.” Yueyao spoke this way in order not to pressure Mr. Zhu; without pressure, there’s no burden, and he could then teach Tingzheng more wholeheartedly. If there were the pressure of academic progress, no teacher would dare to teach Tingzheng.

Mr. Zhu’s demeanor softened. Considering that it took a month just to learn the Hundred Family Surnames, how could such inert wood be carved into fine jade? “Rest assured, Miss, I will teach him to the best of my ability.” That he would give his utmost was certain, and he said no more.

Yueyao, having received this assurance, was very satisfied, and she asked Hua Lei to bring forth the gift she had prepared. Among the gifts Yueyao gave was a Duan Inkstone, which is one of the four famous inkstones. The Duan Inkstone Yueyao presented was of a fine, smooth quality, moist and pure in luster, clearly a top-grade item.

Yueyao had inquired about Mr. Zhu’s preferences and knew that he enjoyed collecting inkstones. Giving gifts was naturally a matter of catering to the recipient’s tastes, and it had taken Yueyao considerable effort to find this Duan Inkstone. In fact, there were more valuable inkstones than the Duan, but when giving gifts one must also maintain a sense of propriety. Presenting something too extravagant now could not only make the Li family suspicious, but it would also leave her wondering what to gift in the future.

Mr. Zhu liked the Duan Inkstone as soon as he saw it, but he felt it inappropriate to accept such a valuable gift from a young lady: “Miss, I cannot accept this generous gift,” he said. If it were from Li Guoxing, he would have accepted it without a second thought. But from an eight-year-old orphan girl, he felt it would weigh on his conscience to accept.

Yueyao, seeing Mr. Zhu’s firm stance, turned to Lady Li for support.

Lady Li smiled and said, “Please accept it, Mr. Zhu! If you don’t, you would waste my niece’s kind gesture.” The inkstone wasn’t that expensive in the grand scheme of things, but what intrigued Lady Li was how Yueyao knew of Mr. Zhu’s fondness for Duan Inkstones. Gift-giving was an art, but the girl had managed to give something that truly pleased the recipient, which was no small feat.

In addition to the Duan Inkstone, Yueyao also prepared four other gifts, following the customary practice of presenting gifts when a student starts learning from a teacher.

Convinced by Lady Li, Mr. Zhu accepted Yueyao’s gifts. After a few more words, he returned to resume his lesson. With Li Han now joined by Tingzheng, the saying held, “He who eats a man’s food becomes his man; he who takes a man’s gift must return the favor.” Having received fine gifts, he was naturally bound to teach earnestly.

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