A Slap in the Face

"Father."

"Father."

As soon as Lu Zhengliu arrived, Lu Chang'gong and Qing stood obediently under the covered walkway to welcome him, like mice before a cat.

In truth, he seldom saw his two sons, but he didn't know why they were so afraid of him.

"What did you learn from Madam today?"

He stepped into Lu Chang'gong's room first and saw the brush zongzi displayed on his desk. At once, he understood.

Qing was the one who had thrown the brush zongzi away.

Lu Zhengliu felt somewhat annoyed.

"It's only the first day. We haven't learned much yet."

Though Qing was also afraid of his father, he was bolder than Lu Chang'gong and even dared to smile as he answered.

Lu Zhengliu glanced at him. His features were naturally sharp and aloof, giving him a stern appearance.

Qing immediately stopped daring to smile.

Lu Chang'gong said respectfully, "Father, Madam taught us to recognize brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Lu Zhengliu asked a few more casual questions.

But after that cold glance, Qing kept his head lowered and dared not speak.

For a moment, Lu Zhengliu couldn't quite bear it.

After all, his son had only recently returned home. Being too strict would harm their bond as father and son.

Lu Zhengliu soon left, instructing his manservant, "Dispose of this brush zongzi properly. Don't let anyone see it."

"Yes."

If it got out, he feared it would cause trouble.

Lu Zhengliu thought he had put an end to the disturbance.

Lu Chang'gong wore the jade pendant Lin Yunwan had given him.

One of Qing's attendants said to him, "Young Master Qing, Madam gave it to you, after all. Even the eldest young master knows to wear his to make Madam happy. Shall I put yours on you too?"

"All right."

Qing was still half asleep and agreed in a daze.

Once he woke up and saw the jade pendant at his waist, he yanked it off.

He was no longer so young. He knew his mother didn't like him accepting Mother's brush zongzi, so she surely wouldn't like him wearing this jade pendant either.

As for the manservant's reminder, he had long since forgotten it.

Lin Yunwan began teaching them calligraphy. During a lesson, she saw that Lu Chang'gong had simply tied the jade pendant securely to his waist with a cord and thought it looked rather plain.

After class, she asked Lu Chang'gong, "Would you like me to make you a decorative knot?"

Following her gaze, Lu Chang'gong looked down at his waist. When he raised his head, his dark, tranquil eyes glimmered faintly.

"Mother, wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Lin Yunwan smiled. "Tao Ye and Ping Ye both know how to make decorative knots." They would help her.

Lu Chang'gong untied the jade pendant and offered it to her with both hands.

Lin Yunwan made him a blue decorative knot in an interlocking-diamond pattern and returned it to him a few days later.

Lu Chang'gong wore a belted white robe, and the jade pendant hanging at his waist looked exceptionally elegant.

When Ping Ye saw him, she smiled and said, "Madam, the eldest young master is growing more and more handsome. He even looks a little like you now!"

She would never have a child of her own in this life.

But Lu Chang'gong really was a good child, reserved and calm, yet still possessed of a child's shyness. He was not only quite gifted in his studies but also hardworking, a promising scholar in the making.

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly.

If her father were still alive, he would have been delighted to find a student like this.

After she had taught them for some time, Lin Yunwan gradually assigned more homework.

As their studies grew more demanding, the differences between the two children's personalities began to show.

"Madam, Young Master Chang Gong writes so well. Every sheet is nearly the same."

When it came time to check the work Qing had handed in, Tao Ye said nothing, but Ping Ye snorted. "It was obviously written by more than one person. He needs someone else's help even to practice the basics. He still has more than ten years of hard study ahead of him. Who does he plan to have take his place?"

Lin Yunwan gathered up all the homework Qing had submitted.

Before she could take him to task, someone from the Hall of Longevity came looking for her first.

"Madam, the old madam asks you to come over."

"I understand."

Hall of Longevity.

Ge Bao'er said, "Old Madam, it's only a jade pendant. It doesn't matter if Qing doesn't have one. As long as it doesn't affect Qing's studies, that's all that matters. It's just that he hasn't come by these past few days, so I don't know how he's getting on."

Old Madam Lu said nothing at first. She gave Ge Bao'er a cold, sidelong look, then said, "There's no need to lace your words with barbs. Whether Yun Wan has treated them differently will be clear when she gets here."

She didn't want to speak ill of Lin Yunwan in front of Ge Bao'er.

Even so, when Ge Bao'er told her that Lu Chang'gong had a jade pendant and Qing didn't, she was displeased.

If Lin Yunwan truly couldn't be fair even over a jade pendant, how could she possibly treat the two children equally in their studies?

Of course, she wouldn't believe Ge Bao'er so readily, either.

To find out what had happened, she only needed to ask Qing himself.

"Old Madam, the heir and Young Master Qing are here."

Lu Zhengliu arrived first, bringing Qing with him.

The old madam happily held Qing in her arms and asked him, "Madam gave Chang Gong a jade pendant. Did you get one?"

Qing nodded. "I did."

Ge Bao'er's expression changed.

The old madam smiled and asked, "If you have one, why don't you wear it? Your mother gave it to you. Even Chang Gong knows to wear his. Don't you know to wear yours for your mother to see? She put her heart into it for you."

Qing pressed his lips together and looked at Ge Bao'er.

Lu Zhengliu also turned to look at Ge Bao'er.

Ge Bao'er panicked and explained, "I... I didn't tell Qing not to wear the jade pendant. I didn't even know Madam had given him one too."

She was truly being wronged. She really hadn't!