Chapter 360 The Last Chance, Another Plot
There was a female school in the capital. Some people liked it, while some didn’t.
However, no matter people liked it or not, some people considered that the Misses, who had studied in the female school, were better than other Misses in talents. Meanwhile, some people considered that it was not true, because the Misses, who were enrolled in the female school, were talented originally.
The aristocratic families also had two views. Thus, some Misses studied in the female school in the capital, while some were still taught by their etiquette instructors at home.
People in the capital had also adopted a tolerant att.i.tude towards it. It didn’t matter whether a Miss had studied in the female school or not. The experience of studying in the female school was not a bonus point for a Miss in her marriage.
The reason why Nanny Zheng advised Qin Wanru to study in the female school was that she wanted Qin Wanru to blend into the circle of the Misses in the capital. Of course, there were other Misses at banquets. However, compared to the female school, there were a lot less Misses. In the female school, everyone was about the same age when enrolled with the purpose of studying, so they could communicate better.
The Misses, who had just moved to the capital, would almost go to the female school for a period. It didn’t matter if they had learned anything, as long as they could know more people.
So some people said that the female school was a place where the Misses, who had just moved to the capital, socialized with each other.
“Nanny Zheng, I’m not going to the female school. Do you know some monasteries with a fair reputation in the capital?” With a smile, Qin Wanru cut a small flower figure out of the paper-cut in her hand.
“Monastery? Miss, why do you want to go to a monastery? Nanny Zheng said, while her face changed slightly.
“A teacher of mine may come to the capital. She is a nun of practice. When she arrives, I should find a monastery where she can live. It must be a monastery with a fair reputation!”
Qin Wanru casually said without raising her head.
Mingqiu Nun was indeed going to the capital soon. Someone like her was definitely unwilling to live in the Qin’s Mansion for long. Thus, Qin Wanru intended to find a good place where she could live.
Of course, on the other hand, it was because she needed such a quiet monastery with a good reputation. Nevertheless, she did not intend to tell Nanny Zheng this decision for the time being.
Hearing Qin Wanru say so, Nanny Zheng said after thinking for a while, “There is a great monastery outside the city. The female members of some aristocratic families go there to wors.h.i.+p the Buddha, and it has fine scenery.”
“Which monastery?”
“Yuhui Monastery!” Although Nanny Zheng had worked in the palace, she was not unfamiliar with the reputation of this monastery. Many Madams of aristocratic families had mentioned this monastery when they entered the palace. They said that there was not only beautiful scenery but also an extremely efficacious Bodhisattva. Whatever they prayed to the Bodhisattva for, most of their wishes came true.
Yuhui Monastery? Qin Wanru frowned. It sounded familiar. Putting down the paper-cut in her hand and thinking carefully for a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and recalled it.
In the last life, Rui’an Great Elder Princess wanted to become a nun in this Yuhui Monastery, right? It probably meant that Rui’an Great Elder Princess was very familiar with this monastery. What was more, this monastery could attract a Great Elder Princess, which meant that it was not bad indeed.
“Everyone in the capital knows about the monastery. Second Miss, you can know about its reputation as soon as you send someone to inquire about it. It’s great to arrange your teacher to live there.”
Nanny Zheng said again.
“When can we go there and have a look!” Qin Wanru had made up her mind to arrange her teacher to live in Yuhui Monastery.
“After the Spring Festival. Second Miss, you can take Madam Dowager to wors.h.i.+p the Buddha. I heard that the Bodhisattva in Yuhui Monastery is very efficacious!” Nanny Zheng reminded. Actually she had never been there before. Her former master couldn’t take her there even if she wanted to, because she had been locked in the palace and unable to take her to get out of the palace. Nanny Zheng had heard of it, but had never been there personally.
It sounded like a good idea. Qin Wanru nodded.
“Second Miss, you are at the proper age, and have just moved to the capital. You just know a few Misses now. It’s really helpful if you go to the female school. You can meet more Misses of the same age there.”
After the negotiation over the monastery, Nanny Zheng returned to the previous subject and continued advising.
“We’ll talk about it later!” Qin Wanru nodded with a smile and said.
Seeing Qin Wanru show less antagonism towards it, Nanny Zheng was relieved, and said instantly, “Miss, you should think over it. It is very important to your future. If you can go to the female school, it will be quite beneficial to you.”
Qin Wanru had been very resolute before. Now it was good to see that she became less resolute. Nanny Zheng didn’t urge her to make the decision.
“Nanny, inquire about the female school for me. Although I’m not sure if I will go to the female school, I should know more about it!” Qin Wanru accepted Nanny Zheng’s advice.
“Okay, I’m leaving now. Miss, you should go to bed early. Tomorrow is the eve of the Spring Festival, and you should prepare for wors.h.i.+pping the ancestors!” Nanny Zheng said happily, and then reminded Qin Wanru. When she was about to leave, she was stopped by Qin Wanru.
“Wors.h.i.+p the ancestors?” Qin Wanru raised her watery eyes and asked with a little surprise.
“Second Miss, haven’t you wors.h.i.+pped the ancestors in Jiangzhou?” Now Nanny Zheng was astonished. Shouldn’t every family wors.h.i.+p the ancestors during the Spring Festival?
“Don’t we wors.h.i.+p the ancestors on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year?” Qin Wanru asked in puzzlement. Of course, they wors.h.i.+pped the ancestors in Jiangzhou, but they did that on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year.
“In the capital, we usually wors.h.i.+p the ancestors tomorrow which happens to be the eve of the Spring Festival. It may be a little different from the custom in Jiangzhou!” Nanny Zheng immediately knew that the customs in two places might be different.
“When we wors.h.i.+p the ancestors, should all family members come out?” Qin Wanru asked, biting her lip gently. She suddenly realized that she had forgotten something that she should know. After all, she had lived in the capital in the last life. However, she only remembered it vaguely, because every time she was taken away after showing up for a while. Her memory had faded away.
Nanny Zheng’s words reminded her of it!
“It’s true. All family members in the mansion should come to wors.h.i.+p the ancestors, even including those who are sick.” Nanny Zheng nodded and said. In the capital, the rules were quite strict in this respect. Those who were sick would be carried out to wors.h.i.+p the ancestors, as long as they could still breathe. Even if they couldn’t get up, they could show their respect for the ancestors by watching aside.
“Can Madam Di show up?” Qin Wanru asked suddenly.
She changed the subject suddenly. Nanny Zheng was dumbfounded for a moment. Thinking of what the maid had reported, she nodded and said, “She should show up. Since Madam Di is still the general’s wife, she must show up. It’s also a reason why she’s asked to leave tomorrow. She can leave for recuperation after wors.h.i.+pping the ancestors!”
Her words made Qin Wanru fall silent for a while. Qin Wanru said after thinking, “Nanny Zheng, you can leave and go to bed now. I will go to bed after cutting another flower!”
“Okay, I’m leaving now. Second Miss, you should also go to bed early!” Nanny Zheng nodded and smiled.
After Nanny Zheng nodded and left, there were only Qin Wanru and Yujie, who a.s.sisted her, in the room.
Picking up a piece of paper and cutting it a few times, Qin Wanru stopped, blinked and instructed Yujie, “Go to Madam Di’s yard and keep an eye on her outside. She will probably do something!”
It was the last day she stayed here, and she was leaving tomorrow. When the maid came to report, she said that the two inferior old maids outside Madam Di’s courtyard had been withdrawn.
Anyway, it was the last day Madam Di stayed in the mansion, so Qin Huaiyong did not guard her strictly.
If Madam Di wanted to do anything, it would be a good time tonight.
Yujie had also heard the conversation between Qin Wanru and Nanny Zheng. She immediately thought of this, nodded and left…
When Qin Wanru woke up the next day, several maids dressed brightly had been waiting at the bedside. Seeing her wake up, they joyfully dressed her in a newly made coat. The coat was made of red cloth with light colored embroidery, ingenious embroidery borders and several toggle-and-loop b.u.t.tons shaped like b.u.t.terflies.
Even dressed in such a vulgar red coat, Qin Wanru still looked elegant and pure.
Her pretty face looked increasingly charming with a little innocence and her bright red lips looked delicate against the red coat.
Qin Wanru rarely wore such red clothes, but had to dress in such a cheerful coat in order to please the elders in the Spring Festival. Looking at herself in the mirror, she still considered the red dazzling.
In the last life, her wedding dress was prepared by Madam Dowager long ago. However, after her engagement was broken off again and again, the wedding dress had been locked in her cabinet for long. When she was finally dressed in it, she saw Wen Xichi spit blood at the edge of her dress. The dress became as red as blood.
After being cut in two at the waist that day, the blood she shed also stained her plain clothes!
This color was too bright and made her uncomfortable.
She pulled the neckline which was so tight that she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
“Miss, you’ve grown up a little again. The neckline around your neck is a little tight. I will move the toggle-and-loop b.u.t.tons a little. Please wait a second!” Qingyue came and pulled her hand away, looked at it and said.
As she said, she and Qu Le undressed her. After that, Qin Wanru was relieved, turned around and leaned on the couch in her inner garment without saying anything.
Qingyue picked up the needle and thread and began to work on it, while Qu Le helped her pull off the thread.
Yujie came in with a cup of tea. Looking at Qingyue and Qu Le, who were busy with the needlework, she put the teacup on the table in front of Qin Wanru and said, “Miss, yesterday Madam Di sneaked to meet the First Miss!”
“How long had they met?” Qin Wanru picked up the teacup, raised her eyebrows and asked.
“About two hours. I’ve stayed outside and heard crying and abuse from inside,” Yujie reported.
The sounds spread far at night. Even though the sounds were not loud at the beginning, they still came out. The sounds seemingly became much lower after someone advised. When Madam Di came out finally, Yujie looked at the sky and could tell that it had been a long time which was two hours or so.
“When Madam Di left, the First Miss didn’t send her out. She and Nanny Zhou secretly left,” Yujie said again.
“Miss, after Sister Yujie told me that this morning, I secretly asked Qing Xue out early in the morning.” After Yujie finis.h.i.+ng reporting, Qu Le also looked up and reported the news she knew.
Before Qin Wanru got up, the maids had got up early. Although Yujie went to bed late, she was the most energetic one among several maids. It didn’t matter that she occasionally went to bed late.
“What did Qing Xue say?” With her long eyelashes fluttering, Qin Wanru said. She had an intuition that there must be a secret behind it. Qing Xue was a secret chess she had placed in Madam Di’s yard long ago.
Qu Le stood up, came up to Qin Wanru and whispered to her.
With her face turning cold, Qin Wanru suddenly sat upright and took a deep breath. “Is this true?”
“Absolutely true!” Qu Le nodded heavily!