Dong Zha carefully recalled the marriages of Yi Jie and Shu Jie.

  In their previous lives, both of them married scholars, one with the surname Sun and the other with Wu, but neither achieved great success or made any significant contributions in their official careers.

  I don't know which two families?

  She thought for a moment and then went to Sixth Aunt's place.

  Ji's family was also worried about Du Zhao's studies.

  She said to Du Zhao: "Reading and writing are things that cannot be rushed, every day reading for half a time, writing for half a time, will naturally improve day by day. I'm worried about your needlework and household accounting. Huang's wife is about to give birth, can't let you go over there to join in the excitement. You follow me to learn needlework, although not as good as those who specialize in it, but for daily life, sewing and mending don't need to ask others. As for managing the household and accounting, it's not just talking on paper, best to follow second sister to learn - she is in charge of the inner storehouse, has many experiences, you can only learn things by following her around, here I encounter fewer things, even if I want to tell you, there are no examples, afraid that the more I say, the more confused you'll be."

  Sixth Aunt thought of everything for her, Du Zhao was very grateful.

  It's just that her situation is special, and what Sixth Aunt worries about is precisely what she's best at and doesn't need to learn. What Sixth Aunt thinks she can take her time with is precisely what she lacks the most and hopes to learn in this lifetime.

  "She smiled and said, 'I think I'll just focus on studying for now! Didn't you say that people become clever from reading books? Once I've finished my studies, when it's time to learn about needlework and household management, I'm sure I'll be able to accomplish twice as much with half the effort.'"

  Duan Zhao's naive optimism could only make Ji sigh inwardly. Thinking of the years she had spent with her, he said: "I think it would be better this way. You come over every day at dawn, read for an hour, write for an hour, and in the afternoon from noon to late afternoon learn needlework and household chores. After the New Year, I'll see what Yixiang and Shuxiang have planned, and you three can keep each other company."

  Dong Zhao Ke didn't dare to take out her needle and thread in front of Ji Shi, she just wanted to imitate Yi Jie and the others, but she couldn't even imitate their clumsy beginner stitches, and was sure to make a mistake.

  "It's better for me to follow you in reading and writing in the morning. In the afternoon, I practice needlework at home." Duan Zhao smiled, "The Western Mansion also has a maid who is very good at needlework."

  Ji agreed.

  Dòu Zhāo started commuting between Dong and Xi every morning.

  In a few days, Du Shiying had a letter back, saying that he was appointed as the examiner of the Hanlin Academy.

  Grandma asked Du Zhao: "What does a censor do?"

  Dong Zhaohui only knew that this was a seventh-grade official and smiled: "Probably like the bailiffs in the county government."

  "Grandma smiled and said: 'No wonder your grandfather didn't want to be an official. He used to be a reviewer at the Hanlin Academy.'"

  The second lady was very satisfied that Du Shiying could go to the Hanlin Academy, and smiled: "He Zhongzheng is also together. Two brothers, in the future there will be a response."

  Ji Shi took the opportunity to bring up Du Zhao's matter: "...I heard that Yi Jie and Shu Jie are both learning needlework from Huang Shi. I saw that Huang Shi was not convenient, so I didn't agree. The children at home are growing up gradually, and some things should be planned ahead of time. If it's not too early, let Shou Gu follow Yi Jie and Shu Jie to learn etiquette together, what do you think?"

  "We'll talk about this later." The second lady said, bringing up the Chongyang Festival on September 9th, "I was thinking that we should invite the mistresses of each household to come and admire the chrysanthemums at our home. If we don't appreciate the chrysanthemums on the Chongyang Festival, it's not like a real Chongyang Festival."

  Ji's family can't afford to turn around on this topic again. However, Du Zhao has been following her since childhood, and she has no daughter of her own, so she has always treated Du Zhao like her own daughter, teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, although not to the point of mastery. She is able to hold her own in social situations with literary figures and refined scholars, and with a bit of guidance on needlework and women's red embroidery, she will be perfect. Unfortunately, it's hard to find someone good to teach her these skills. In the end, a woman still needs to know how to manage a household; elegance and refinement are just icing on the cake. If she doesn't learn how to manage a household, won't all her previous efforts have been in vain?

  She still didn't give up. Following the second lady's words, she smiled and said: "Last year, Seventh Uncle's ink chrysanthemum won first prize, I heard that this year it's even better than last year, do you want to move over and enjoy the scenery?"

  After Dou Shiying left, his flower house was handed over to Dou Zhao.

  The second lady smiled and nodded, saying: "One thing doesn't bother two masters. This flower was borrowed by you last year, so this year it's still up to you to move it!"

  Ji smiled and replied.

  But I'm not quite clear about what the second lady means.

  If you want to promote Du Zhao, let Du Zhao follow the second lady's side and learn about managing the household. Why not do things that are beneficial for relationships? If it is said that you want to suppress Du Zhao, but instead moved the ink chrysanthemum raised by Du Zhao to be the flower master, the main mothers of Dingzhou County will probably all know about Du Zhao.

  Wang's wife knew that Ji's family had gone to see the second lady for Du Zhao's sake, and when she saw her return with a dazed expression, her heart immediately hung up, and she asked nervously: "What happened? What did the lady say?"

  Ji took the hot tea handed over by Wang's nanny and took a sip, then told Wang's nanny about the encounter with the second lady.

  "Could it be that Madam wants Fourth Miss to stay at home?"

  "It's not that serious," said Ji Shi, "Even if Old Lady wants to, she has to be able to keep her here."

  The old lady thought for a moment and said with a sigh, "You still don't remember our family's thirteenth young mistress. When she got married, all the things from her dowry were taken by Ninth Lady. As a result, Thirteenth Young Mistress wanted to... but had to consider the faces of us old ladies. In a fit of anger, Thirteenth Master took his concubine and made her a secondary wife. Thirteenth Young Mistress was too ashamed to say anything, if that secondary wife hadn't given birth to the eldest illegitimate son, who in the family would have known about this matter!"

  Ji's face suddenly changed greatly, and he anxiously paced back and forth in the room for a long time before calming down.

  She ordered Wang Nai Nai: "You grind ink for me, I will write a letter to Zhong Zhi."

  Wang's wife hesitated and said: "Sixth Master is a man of haste, why don't you write a letter to Seventh Master?"

  "Qī yé has a Wang by his side," said Jì with a sigh, "I'm afraid if things don't go well, I'll become the target of public criticism."

  The queen mother couldn't help but sigh.

  Dong Zhao didn't know about Ji Shi's worries, in the morning he listened to Ji Shi recite the Book of Songs, in the afternoon practiced writing for an hour, then accompanied his grandmother for a stroll in the East Corridor.

  She consulted her grandmother: "Sixth Aunt said. After finishing 'The Book of Songs', I won't have to go there to study anymore."

  "Then you've finished reading all the books?"

  "How can one finish reading all the books?" Dou Zhao smiled and said, "It's just that Liu Bo Mu said that lessons like 'Records of the Grand Historian' and 'Zuo Zhuan' require a great scholar to expound. She had only followed her brothers to listen to their grandfather's lectures once before, and could recite from memory, but she didn't dare to teach."

  Grandma is pitiful.

  Dong Zhaodao said: "You say, we invite an old Confucian scholar to teach me at home?"

  "Your grandmother hesitated: 'What did your father say?'"

  "If you agree, I'll write a letter to Father," said Du Zhao with a smile. "Otherwise, I'm afraid it won't pass the inspection of the second lady."

  "I'm at a disadvantage for not having read books." Grandmother said in a low voice, "You write to your father! If he doesn't agree, we'll go back to Tianzhuang. Can their hands still reach Tianzhuang?"

  When grandma moved to Tianzhuang, grandpa wrote a deed. He gave Tianzhuang to grandma as her retirement land, and after grandma's death, the Dugu family could take it back.

  Dong Zhaohao was overjoyed.

  She knew that no matter what she did, her grandmother would unconditionally support her.

  Dong Zhaolai pulled her grandmother back into the house and wrote a letter to her father.

  Just as I put down my pen, Qiu Qi came in and reported that Ji Shi had arrived.

  Dong Shao's grandmother hurried out to welcome him.

  Ji's family repeatedly apologized to their grandmother: "How could we let you come out to greet us!"

  Grandma smiled and said: "Shougu has been taken care of by you since childhood, we are all grateful. If you are polite to me, it's too formal."

  Ji Shi married into the family, although she saw her mother-in-law every year and would exchange a few polite words with her, she didn't really understand her. It wasn't until Dou Zhao wanted to bring his mother home to live that Ji Shi sent someone to discreetly ask about her personality, and only then did she let Dou Zhao accompany her. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the purpose of the visit was revealed.

  Grandma heard that it was borrowed from Moju, and immediately accompanied Ji Shi to the flower house with enthusiasm: "When do you want? One day in advance, I will let someone move it for you - these flowers and grasses need to be dewed at night to grow well."

  Ji smiled and said: "Shou Gu's flower is so well-grown, it must be thanks to your guidance?"

  "It's because Shougu is a clever child." The grandmother said with pride, similar to You Rongyan's. "I told her before to use dried fish bones to drive away the fireflies, she saw that the flowers weren't growing well and knew to throw two pieces of dried fish bones next to the flowers, I didn't even think of it!"

  Ji smiled and chuckled.

  Grandma pointed to the flowers in full bloom in the flower house, "You see these flowers, aren't they beautiful?" Then she wanted to give a pot of autumn chrysanthemum to the Ji family. "Wherever you go, it's all chrysanthemums, withered and discolored."

  Ji looked at the begonia, tender and delicate pink, blooming densely between the emerald green leaves, already showing a pitiful beauty without having gone through wind or rain, very endearing.

  She was moved in her heart and said: "Shou Gu, what else have you planted here?"

  After Dou Zhao arrived in Kyoto, she never had a peaceful life again. After marrying into the Jin'ning Marquis's manor, whenever she felt anxious and uneasy, she would like to plant flowers and grasses. She once personally cultivated a two-colored peony. These ordinary flowers were just trivial skills for her.

  "She smiled: 'Are you here for the Chongyang Festival chrysanthemum banquet? I still have a pot of Jianlan orchid that is in bloom, although it's an ordinary variety, but placing it in the hall to welcome guests should be passable.'"

  Ji's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Dou Zhao: "I didn't think you'd be into gardening?"

  Dong Zhaohan's face turned red with sweat, and he hastily said: "It's just that I'm not afraid of trouble, if it doesn't grow well this year, we can try again next year."

  "Being able to fail and try again is already very good." Ji Shi kept praising Dou Zhao, listening to which made her grandmother's heart bloom with joy, insisting on giving a tea flower planted in a purple sand pot to Ji Shi: "I heard it can produce flowers of various colors."

  Ji's eyes widened in shock: "Eighteen Scholars?"

  Dong Zhaqian smiled and said: "It was transplanted just last year, and it hasn't bloomed yet. I don't know if it can bloom eighteen flowers."

  Ji Shi hastily instructed the rough servant girl carrying the basin: "Be careful!" And asked Dou Zhao, "How do you care for it?"

  "It's best to put it in front of the stained glass window frame, water it every two or three days according to the moisture of the soil. The water should not be stagnant, and it's best to change it after one or two days," said Du Zhao, feeling that there were many things to explain, so he simply said, "I come to your place for lessons every morning, I'll take care of it then."

  "That's the best." Ji smiled with joy, "I just happen to learn from you how to take care of these eighteen scholars - my ancestors loved tea flowers the most, my mother's hometown in Yixing is full of all kinds of tea flowers, blooming all year round."

  The varieties of tea flowers are different, and the flowering periods are also different. When Du Zhao listened to it, he could imagine its grandeur.

  ※

  Book-reading sisters and brothers, sorry about that. Didn't expect to get carsick, so I lay down for a bit before regaining my energy. First, I'll post the additional chapter, then I'll write an update after dinner.

  I will finish the progress tonight no matter what, but I won't be able to keep up with the time. Let's just check it tomorrow morning!

  o(n_n)o~

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