The Lu Family's Eldest Miss Wouldn't Go Back on Her Word, Would She?

There were about ten girls in the courtyard, mostly between seven or eight and eleven or twelve years old.

They were either reading around the stone table or practicing calligraphy on bamboo chairs. When someone came in, they all stopped what they were doing.

The wet nurse sneered:

"I don't know where Madam found this wild girl."

"With such a low social status, does he even deserve to sit here and study with a rich young lady?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at her indifferently and said, "What's your status? I'm the goddaughter of the county magistrate's wife. Weren't you here before?"

"It was just something the magistrate's wife said casually, but you took it seriously. A goddaughter is just an adopted daughter, not a biological one." The wet nurse couldn't stand Zhou Wanwan.

Zhou Wanwan looked at her with a half-smile and said:

"I didn't expect you to have such a high status in the Cheng Family. You must be the one who calls the shots in the Cheng Family!"

I can't afford to mess with someone like you. I'm going to go directly to Madam Cheng to resign. I can't do this kind of work."

They're all here to work, and she's fine if she speaks nicely, but this wet nurse is so sarcastic and strange; I don't know what she did to offend her.

Suddenly, Cheng Yueyao spoke up, "Sister, don't... go..."

Everyone was stunned. The young ladies all looked up and said, "Wasn't she said to be mute? Wasn't she born unable to speak? How did she just start talking?"

"I don't know what's going on either! This is so strange. I've been at the Cheng residence for so long, and I've never heard her speak before."

The wet nurse retorted angrily, "Are you threatening me? I'm a long-time member of the Cheng family, and you're not giving me any face at all!"

Zhou Wanwan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I don't know if you're an elderly person, but I'm a guest too, and you haven't given me any face at all!"

"Fine, fine, little girl, I don't want to waste my breath arguing with you here. I want to see how long you can stay in the Cheng Family." With that, the wet nurse left with the other girls.

Zhou Wanwan pulled Cheng Yueyao along, saying, "Let's come and listen to the lesson first."

Cheng Yueyao looked at her and whispered, "Sister, we can't offend her, or she'll beat us..."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Cheng Yueyao and said, "What do you mean by that?"

Cheng Yueyao refused to speak again. Soon the teacher arrived, and he was quite nice. "Everyone, bring out the calligraphy you wrote yesterday, I'll take a look."

Soon everyone took out their calligraphy. The calligraphy written by the eldest daughters of the Wen family in the Wen Family of the city and the Lu Family in the east of the city was indeed different, better than that of all the other young ladies.

The gentleman looked at Cheng Yueyao and said, "Miss Yueyao, didn't you write anything last night?"

Cheng Yueyao remained expressionless, while Wen Zhiyu, the eldest daughter of the Wen Family, said beside her:

"Sir, please don't ask her anymore. You have to ask her every single time you're in class."

But she never writes it. I feel she's disrespectful to you. Isn't she just deliberately refusing to write it because her father is the county magistrate?"

The gentleman coughed and said, "Miss Cheng, perhaps you've forgotten. It's alright, you can fill it in if you remember."

Since the money came from Madam Cheng, he naturally had to ask more questions.

He looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "Is this a new student at our school?"

"Tch... What newbie? Just a study buddy. Shouldn't study buddies stand and listen to the lesson? How dare you sit and listen to the lesson!" Lu Lan said loudly.

The young ladies nearby laughed, "I wonder where this country bumpkin came from, actually showing up in our classroom. He was just being lectured like a grandson by the servants in the manor."

"Exactly! How can someone like that be worthy of sitting with us? He's just polluting the air here."

"A country bumpkin like that probably can't even write. Can you write?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said, "So what if I can, and so what if I can't?"

"Hahaha... If you could write, I'd give you all this jewelry I'm wearing." Lu Lan humiliated him to the extreme.

Who would respect a village girl like this from the countryside?

In ancient times, social classes were very distinct, and this was the first time Zhou Wanwan had experienced the different treatment due to different classes.

She looked at Lu Lan and said with a smile:

Is what Miss Lu said true? But I don't believe it!

You mean if I could write, you would give me all your jewelry, right?

Lu Lan smiled faintly and said, "What if I win? I don't do things that don't benefit me."

Cheng Yueyao suddenly spoke up, "Don't bully my sister! I... I'll give you my jewelry if you win."

The gentleman next to her was startled and trembled slightly before saying, "Miss Yueyao, you can talk?"

Cheng Yueyao nodded firmly and said, "Yes..."

Zhou Wanwan looked at the gentleman and said, "How about we have you write a written agreement and sign it? I'm afraid Miss of the Lu Family might renege on the debt later."

The eldest daughter of the Lu Family wore quite beautiful jewelry: a pair of red gold hair ornaments inlaid with kingfisher feathers, a pair of filigree ruby Little Flower, a red gold lotus garland necklace, which was even inlaid with pearls, a pair of silver-plated pearl bracelets, and a pair of gold Blue Treasure earrings.

However, Cheng Yueyao's jewelry was even more luxurious than hers: a pair of red gold filigree hairpins inlaid with cat's eye stones, a pair of kingfisher feather hairpins inlaid with rubies and peonies, a red gold necklace inlaid with jade and beads, a pair of gilded bracelets inlaid with pearls, and a pair of gold earrings inlaid with emeralds.

The gentleman was very quick and finished writing the agreement in no time. Lu Lan scoffed and said, "She's just a country girl after all, so unruly and afraid someone will run away with her. I don't even care about this little bit of gold and silver jewelry."

Only after signing and affixing her seal did Zhou Wanwan begin to write.

Zhou Wanwan slammed the notebook shut and picked up her pen to start writing.

In just a short while, the excerpt from Mencius was already on the paper, the ink still wet but already full of spirit.

The gentleman stroked his goatee and couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration:

"Excellent! What a graceful and flowing style! You've rendered this famous quote from Mencius with the delicate elegance of a young lady confined to her chambers!"

It also possesses a sense of grandeur, with a balanced structure and a coherent flow of energy. In all my years of teaching students, I have rarely seen such fine calligraphy!

Are you really only five years old this year?

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "I am indeed only 5 years old this year, but I have learned some characters at home."

"Very good, very good indeed."

Lu Lan's face flushed with anger. Zhou Wanwan looked at her and said, "The eldest daughter of the Lu Family won't renege on her debt, will she?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Lu Lan said, "Does my family lack such a small thing? You are underestimating the Lu Family's daughter far too much."

After saying that, she waved her hand, and several maids came in. The personal maid whispered, "Miss, if Madam finds out you gave these things to her, she'll definitely be furious."

Lu Lan glared at her and said, "Just take it down. At most, Mother will scold you a bit."

The maids removed all her jewelry, and Zhou Wanwan put it into her bag.