She has never considered doing things on a moment of impulse. This bit, she had to say, similarly was taught by that degenerate father of hers from her past life. At the time, she very much fussed over her gains and losses, but afterwards, because she had her grandma’s meticulous correcting, she finally was able to somewhat change for the better. Towards other people’s sincerity, she was willing to give over her sincerity, and when necessary, she can also give out her sincerity first. But if it can’t be reciprocated, then she’ll unhesitatingly take it back. It can be seen, she actually was still more rational than emotional. If this happens on her family and friends, perhaps it wouldn’t be a problem. But if on a man, then she’ll probably never experience the taste of true love. Watching her feelings seemingly already in the depths, but once the other side heartlessly has a change of heart, she’s able to pull a ‘since husband is heartless, I thus cease’ move. To be able to take back just like that, is that still love anymore? True love can be like thin streams, flowing forever. But it can also be like madness, not allowing one to turn back, and wanting to save it when it breaks. In short, there was tens and thousands of connecting threads. It wasn’t something where one can just pull out the knife whenever one wants to, cutting off so cleanly.
Jing Wan felt that for her to truly fall in love with a man, it was very very difficult.
On Jing Wan’s side, she and her grandmother were determining Chen Zheng Min’s future.
In Luo Old Madam’s eyes, it was enough for just them to decide. She completely never thought of whether Chen Zheng Min or her third younger brother and the others would object or not. This can also be considered the attitude that most people usually held. After all, her own family’s young lady was marrying lower. Whether it’s their family background, or Wan Wan herself, there was nothing to nitpick about. What reason was there to not agree?
Jing Wan rather didn’t have such overbearing thoughts. Who knows whether or not the other person, before coming to the capital, already had a girl he admired hidden in his heart, just waiting for his name to appear on the golden scroll[1], and return to grandly marry her. Though whether there was or not, it’s actually really easy to find out. If there was, she’ll definitely not agree to this marriage. Although strictly speaking, in this world, there doesn’t exist ‘mistresses’, this kind of saying. Yiniang, concubines, and tongfangs, those were all lawful.
On the other side, Chen Zheng Min was somewhat in deep water. Last time, when his paternal great-uncle gave him pointers, paternal great-uncle had even appeared to quite admire him, saying that he would definitely be able to have his name appear on the list of successful candidates this time. His attitude had appeared stern, but was actually very gentle. This time, Chen Zheng Min’s cold sweat even came out. The test questions in the book were getting increasingly harder, and increasingly off track. Whenever he solved a question, although it was somewhat rough, but at least he was still able to answer it. Even if it wasn’t the best answer, it was still passable.
As for policy discussion on current trends, that was really going to kill him. No matter how politically astute he was, frankly speaking, he was still just a teenage young man. Although he wasn’t the ‘paying no attention to outside matters, only wholeheartedly studying’ type, and had also learned quite a few things from his own grandfather, but his understanding towards politics and governance was still limited. How could he compare to a crafty old fox, who has immersed in officialdom for decades, particularly even having twenty years of outer post experience too. This was practically the difference between an ant and a tree. Chen Zheng Min had seen quite a few past exam questions before, but even those court examinations[2] weren’t this complicated and profound either. Inside, he was bitterly complaining endlessly, paternal great-uncle, isn’t your requirements a little too high?
How would Chen Zheng Min know that before, that was treatment towards him as his old wife’s great-nephew, so naturally he’d felt Chen Zheng Min was outstanding enough. But now, he was facing his possible future grandson-in-law. Want to marry his precious baby granddaughter? Even getting within the top three class ranks were far from enough.
By lunchtime, Chen Zheng Min was finally able to escape from the study. He felt like he was about to collapse.
Even when he couldn’t answer the question, Luo Pei Shan wouldn’t reprimand him either. His patience was still the same as before. Instead, he would just lightly look at him. Chen Zheng Min just felt that his gaze, compared to getting scolded, was even more unbearable. However, thinking about the benefits that this suffering will bring, Chen Zheng Min just hardened his head and endured it. If there was still a next time, he would still boldly face it without looking back just the same. He definitely wouldn’t think about trying to avoid it.
Luo Jing Bo saw him looking just like that frost covered eggplant[3], and was very much shocked, “What’s wrong?”
Chen Zheng Min wiped his face and forcibly cheered himself up, “Nothing.”
But no matter how you look at it, it didn’t look like it was nothing. However, thinking to his own grandfather, Luo Jing Bo naturally somewhat guessed the reason, “Grandfather is just a bit strict, but he’s only like this to his own people. To outsiders, it’s rare for him to even say a word.”
Chen Zheng Min understandingly nodded his head, firmly believing that he himself was still not good enough.
After the afternoon meal, they casually chatted, exercised the food off, and then rested for a short period of time. Afterwards, Chen Zheng Min once again was dragged to the study alone by Luo Pei Shan. From the looks of it, Luo Pei Shan was planning to use more than half of his day off on himself. This was a special privilege that the Luo family’s sons and grandsons didn’t even have.
Luo Jing Bo consciously and discerningly went to Jing Wan’s place to learn how to draw.
It was merely just still-life drawing, this to Luo Jing Bo was very easy, but his drawing’s composition was still far inferior to Jing Wan’s. Furthermore, his wasn’t that spirited either. Although Luo Jing Bo had seen Jing Wan’s completed works before, this was his first time seeing the drawing process. Seeing her doing it so effortlessly and casually, he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. This younger sister of his was indeed exceptional.
Fortunately, in the aspect of drawing, Luo Jing Bo wasn’t exactly hopeless. His foundation was also not bad. However, after seeing his own younger sister’s more than a hundred different colors of paint dye, he was quite astonished and also endlessly jealous, “Little sister, grandmother’s bias towards you really has gone off the edge.” That tone was rather bitter.
Jing Wan complacently smiled, “What can I do, grandmother just likes me.”
Although Luo Jing Bo hadn’t gone as far as to compete for favor with his own full-blooded di younger sister, he still had the urge to spit blood. Never mind that fourth younger sister and the others envied her, even he wanted to beat her up. However, first let’s put aside the fact that hitting people wasn’t the conduct of a gentleman. If he were to dare even touch a finger of hers, his grandparents and his parents would undoubtedly all crusade against him. At worse, he might get beat with the family rod, then get thrown into the ancestral halls.
Between the gongbi style and freehand, the differences were naturally not small. But once you truly grasp how it’s drawn, it wasn’t considered difficult to do. However, a lot of things were all the same, easy to learn, difficult to master.
Speaking of Luo Jing De, Luo Jing Ming, and Luo Jing Bo, the three brothers, right now, they all possessed the scholarly honor of being a successful candidate in the imperial provincial examination. Although this year, they still won’t be taking the examination, their level compared to Chen Zheng Min wasn’t lacking in the least either. The reason why their grandfather suppressed them, they were also very clear and didn’t have any complaints in their hearts either. For the sake of the Luo family, entering officialdom a few years later was worth it. Although when the time comes, Luo Pei Shan might have already passed, and they won’t have that good of a chance anymore, but Luo Pei Shan’s views were, even if they had assistance, they can’t completely depend on it either. They needed to rely on themselves. Don’t think about borrowing the older generation’s shade, but rather think about, for the sake of the entire Luo family’s longevity, holding up a piece of sky.
If the three brothers can all brilliantly pass in the same year, then the Luo family’s position will certainly be raised a step higher again. A family that has a younger generation stronger than the father’s, and grandfather’s generation was more valuable, and more worthy of roping in, than those families with a strong father’s and grandfather’s generation, but had no qualifying successors. And if nothing else, the Luo family’s daughters, on the matter of marriage, their options will rise not just one level. But unfortunately, right now really wasn’t the time for the Luo family to stand out in the limelight.
Perhaps the three of them all had different temperaments, but there was one thing that was the same, they all inherited Luo Pei Shan’s unwavering determination.
Don’t look at how Luo Jing Bo may be somewhat sloppy in his usual days, occasionally even being not in tuned, but when he actually does quiet down and study, you won’t find the slightest bit of restlessness on him.
All say that serious people look the best, regardless of male or female. That’s why, the servant girls at Jing Wan’s side, especially those that weren’t brought over from Qi’an Fu, seemingly all had a little stirring of love.
Jing Wan looked to that innocent display of theirs. Quite amusing, however, it’s fine to secretly steal some glances, but if they really dared to have thoughts that they shouldn’t have, even if it’s her four first ranked servant girls that she had deep feelings for, she would never allow it.
However, this kind of thing, Jing Wan didn’t need to take care of. In her residence, Gong mama, who was once her caretaker mama and now head mama, for the most part, took care of her daily needs. And when it comes to disciplining the servant girls, it was actually her wet nurse that took care of it all. When Gong mama had just became her head mama, there was no less of her competing for authority with Jing Wan’s wet nurse. Jing Wan originally still headache over how to coordinate this matter, but it eventually returned to peace. It was still her wet nurse as the main one in charge, but Jing Wan’s close matters, for the most part, she was unable to intervene. Gong mama’s abilities, Jing Wan had already experienced from the start, one word—–amazing. Truthfully speaking, that bit of short-sighted petty cleverness of her wet nurse’s was far inferior to Gong mama’s great wisdom. Furthermore, Jing Wan herself was already different from normal people, so her feelings towards her wet nurse weren’t that deep, thus further no need to mention obediently relying on her. That’s why, towards this kind of set up, she was very satisfied.
[1] Basically scoring top marks on the imperial exam
[2] Court Examinations – The highest level of imperial examination
[3] Frost Covered Eggplant – Means listless and dispirited; the origin of this folk proverb is a bit convoluted and I’m too lazy to explain it in detail, so just picture a wrinkly eggplant.
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