Assessment

Old Madam Lin kept staring at her, but it didn't seem like she suspected her identity; rather, she was deep in thought.

Lin Yunwan was always composed, her eyes remaining perfectly calm.

Surprisingly, the Old Madam praised him, "Hmm, not bad. He's a steady child."

Old Madam Lin looked at Nanny Fan.

Nanny Fan stepped forward with a smile and said, "When I was greeting Madam and Miss outside earlier, I thought the young lady was quite nice."

The Old Madam originally meant that if the girl didn't make a good first impression on her, she shouldn't bring her in.

If you think he's a good kid, then bring him in.

She felt the girl was worth training at first sight, so she brought her in.

Lin Yunwan was completely bewildered, having no idea what her two elders were up to!

Old Madam Lin Nanny Fan, "Go and prepare."

"Good."

Nanny Fan walked behind the screen and instructed the maid, "Come here and move this screen away."

Two maids and a Matron came together to move things.

Behind the screen was a low, long table with a tea set on it, but it didn't look like the tea leaves she usually used for drinking tea; it looked more like something for preparing tea.

Was the Old Madam testing her?

Lin Yunwan was unsure; she knew far too little about the Lin family.

But she didn't know how to make tea.

Nanny Fan knelt before the long table and said with a smile, "Miss, come here quickly."

Lin Yunwan walked over.

Nanny Fan said, "Please sit down and watch, young lady. I will only explain these things once. Remember as much as you can. I will demonstrate first, and you can remember as many steps as you can."

It seems I need to teach her how to make tea?

Lin Yunwan sat opposite Nanny Fan, staring intently at Nanny Fan's hands.

Nanny Fan had hands that weren't used for rough work, and her movements were very elegant when she served tea.

Tea ceremony was not popular in the Capital. Lin Yunwan had only heard of it and seen pictures of tea sets in books, but she had never learned how to make them. She watched with great concentration.

Soon after, Nanny Fan wiped her hands and said, "Miss, why don't you try it?"

How much can she remember in such a short time?

Lin Yunwan didn't rush to start, and closed her eyes to recall for a moment.

She didn't have Chang Gong's photographic memory, but she was well-read and knowledgeable, and learned things very quickly.

When I opened my eyes, my hands moved too, without any fear.

Add tea leaves, pour in hot water...

"Granny, this is all I can do."

Lin Yunwan completed the fifth step, but the tea she finally prepared was nowhere near as good as Nanny Fan's!

She was, after all, just a novice.

"The girl has done very well."

Nanny Fan didn't criticize her; on the contrary, she was quite satisfied.

She held up the tea that Lin Yunwan had prepared and showed it to Old Madam Lin, smiling, "Look, it's very good."

Old Madam Lin glanced at it and said, "It's very dense..."

She asked Lin Yunwan, "Is this your first time learning tea ceremony?"

Lin Yunwan nodded. "Yes."

She really hadn't studied it.

Old Madam Lin was very satisfied.

For a beginner, this is already quite good.

Nanny Fan chimed in, "Although making tea is a small thing to pass the time, it can also reveal whether a person's hands are steady, their mind is calm, and their brain is quick."

She smiled and said to Lin Yunwan, "Don't be arrogant, Miss. You are good in every way."

Old Madam Lin said calmly, "It seems that more than ten years of living in the countryside have prevented you from being as spoiled as your sister."

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise!

Lin Yunwan lowered her eyes.

If Miss Lin were still alive, that would be a good thing!

"Go and teach her flower arranging."

"Old Madam Lin said."

Nanny Fan walked to a round, tall table, placed a vase in it, put a few flowers in it, and then took scissors to trim the flowers.

As she cut, she said, "If we were to explain it in detail, it would take a whole day and night. To put it simply, young lady, just cut according to your feeling and get to the point where you can express the mood of spontaneous singing."

He made a few quick cuts and handed the scissors to Lin Yunwan.

"Girl, give it a try."

Lin Yunwan took the scissors and, following the marks left by Nanny Fan, made some cuts by feel.

She knows how to arrange flowers, how to arrange and nurture them, and how to choose the right size vase.

"Grandma, it's done."

Lin Yunwan put down the scissors.

She didn't use any special techniques, just a few casual cuts. Fortunately, she had learned flower arranging in a casual and natural way when she was young, and she was also intentionally pretending, Nanny Fan couldn't tell anything was wrong.

Although Nanny Fan didn't realize it, she greatly admired Lin Yunwan.

She nodded several times as she looked at the vase, then walked over to Old Madam Lin and whispered, "The flower cutting is also excellent. It's truly a testament to the gentle and refined nature cultivated in the mountains; the flowers she cuts are just as graceful and natural, without being pinched or peeking out."

Old Madam Lin examined the vase, then looked at Lin Yunwan.

"Come over."

Lin Yunwan walked up to Old Madam Lin.

Old Madam Lin instructed Nanny Fan, "Give her those bracelets."

Nanny Fan took out the bracelet she had prepared beforehand, smiling as she said, "Miss, this is a gift from the Old Madam." Fearing Lin Yunwan might hesitate to accept it, she urged her, "Miss, please accept it quickly."

Lin Yunwan did consider whether or not she should accept it.

... and she had no choice but to accept it.

She accepted the bracelet and said, "Thank you Old Madam."

The pair of bracelets she had been wearing on her wrist were now visible. Nanny Fan sharp eyes, had actually noticed them earlier, but only now did she praise them in front of the Old Madam: "The bracelets on the young lady's wrist are also excellent. The young lady's wrists are as white as snow, and such bracelets are perfect for her."

"Old Madam, you haven't given the wrong gift."

Old Madam Lin smiled; she rarely smiled, and her smile made her appear much kinder.

She said gently to Lin Yunwan, "Very good... your father has not mistreated you."

Yun Wan had all the finest jewelry and clothes; nothing was lacking.

Finally, Old Madam Lin asked Lin Yunwan, "Would you like to learn those things with Nanny Fan in the future?"

She pointed to the flowers in the vase and the teacups on the long table.

Lin Yunwan was slightly taken aback and looked up at the Old Madam.

This is the Old Madam's most important goal today!

She smiled slightly and said, "Yes."

Miss Lin grew up in the mountains. If she hadn't learned these skills from Nanny Fan, how could she have displayed them so effectively? Even tigers have their moments of weakness; what if she revealed her true abilities and caused trouble for the Prince?

"Alright. From now on Nanny Fan will come to your residence and teach you things that a young lady should learn every day."

Old Madam Lin reminded her, "You're not young anymore. Your father and mother won't keep you here for long, which means your time learning from Nanny Fan won't be very long. Do you understand?"

Lin Yunwan nodded. She had taught students before, so how could she not know what teachers valued most?

She said, "Old Madam, I won't slack off."

Learn as much as you can; the tea-making skills are definitely worth learning.

Old Madam Lin was tired, and said with her eyes closed, "Go see your Eldest Aunt and your Third Aunt!"

"Granddaughter takes her leave."

Lin Yunwan curtsied and went out with Nanny Fan.

Nanny Fan saw her off, saying, "I'll be coming over at dawn tomorrow, so please be early, Miss."

"Don't worry, Granny, I won't keep you waiting."

"But it's too early at 5 a. m., are you staying at the mansion, or..." If she were staying at Lin Huabin's house, she would definitely have to tell the Madam and master and arrange the room for the nanny.

Nanny Fan smiled and said, "Miss, you don't know, we older folks don't need much sleep. We wake up before dawn, and it's more than enough time for us to wash up and then go over."

"There's no need to go through the trouble of preparing a separate Courtyard for me; just open a gate for me."

"If you can talk to the Second Master about this, then go home and tell him. If you don't have time to see him, I'll take care of the Old Madam later..."

Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "You don't need to make the trip; I'll go and talk to them myself."

"That would be perfect!"

Nanny Fan didn't want to go see Lin Huabin on purpose.

Lin Yunwan found the servants in the mansion, first went to see her Eldest Aunt, and finally went to see her third aunt with Zheng Shi.

Nanny Fan returned to the Old Madam's Courtyard and discussed with Old Madam Lin: "The Second Master's eldest daughter is a good prospect, but if we only teach the eldest daughter, what about the second daughter?" It's not good to leave one behind.

Old Madam Lin said coldly, "You can teach them all at once."

She frowned and said, "You need to be especially strict with Yun Jiao. I haven't been involved in the affairs of the second son's house these past few years, and Yun Jiao seems well-behaved when she appears in front of me three or five times a year. But as soon as Yun Wan comes back, she reveals her true colors. Who knows what her true nature will become! You don't need to teach her too much about flower arranging and tea making; you go and properly cultivate her character."

Although Nanny Fan agreed, she felt in her heart that this was no easy task.

Miss Yun Jiao has a very formidable mother!