The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Lin Ruhai was very attentive to the education of the younger generation in his family.

This could be seen from the prenatal education.

Even though the children couldn’t talk yet, he wasn’t so extreme as to make them hold a brush, but he did frequently engage in “earlier exposure and observation” practices.

It was not surprising that he provided the best he could for his children.

Lin Ruhai never let go of his daughter, and his favorite was Luoyu: “By the way, the family of Mr. Xian will be arriving soon. Some of the children will be about the same age as Yuer, and they might become friends.”

Yun Shuyao pondered over this for three seconds.

She thought about herself.

Indeed, without friends to converse with, Yun Shuyao sometimes felt lonely. In the modern world, not having friends wasn’t a big issue with the internet offering everything. However, here, even if she wanted to make friends, finding one with similar interests was difficult.

There was a fundamental disconnect in thoughts.

The most typical example was her lack of reverence for the royal family and high-ranking officials.

She did not genuinely believe that they had the authority to decide her fate.

She was aware of her own issue and tried to speak less and avoid discussing her thoughts when relevant topics came up in conversations with Lin Ruhai.

Therefore, she didn’t have high expectations.

Loneliness was just a small part of her life.

If fate provided a chance, that would be great, but she wouldn’t be disappointed if it didn’t happen.

When the Lin clan members and their families arrived and settled down, Yun Shuyao felt a “thump” in her heart upon meeting someone.

Since Lin Ruhai had sent a letter and thawed the familial relations, four Lin clan members remained.

Two of them continued to participate in the imperial examinations, one having achieved the status of a Xiucai (successful candidate in the provincial exam), and the other having achieved the status of a Juren (successful candidate in the metropolitan exam).

The other two were here for their prospects, one with the status of Xiucai and the other with Juren.

Among these people, the one with only the Xiucai title and who had come on self-recommendation was the most valued by Lin Ruhai.

His name is Lin Hao, in his thirties, and he is particularly skilled in mathematics.

He is a typical specialist with a focused talent.

With him around, Lin Ruhai had a lot less to worry about.

Mrs. Wen is his wife, and their youngest daughter is just over one year old. When they came over with the child to make introductions, they gave the twins a pair of wooden dog figurines. The two little dogs had bells hanging around their necks, which seemed to be made of a low-purity jade. When Yun Shuyao approached, she actually felt a reaction from the Spirit Mirror, which had been unresponsive until then.

It is said that magical artifacts with spiritual properties will respond when they encounter compatible heavenly materials and earth treasures.

Now Yun Shuyao knew this to be true.

The Spirit Mirror was telepathically transmitting: Want.

Noticing the mirror’s need, Yun Shuyao calmly exchanged gifts with them. Once they left, she immediately took out the Spirit Mirror.

The mirror looked like a small ancient copper coin. What does an ancient copper coin look like?

The mirror looked somewhat worn and aged, showing signs of significant wear and tear, and it didn’t resemble the magical artifacts she had imagined.

Because it was severely damaged, Yun Shuyao had never received any clear messages from it, but she had a sense that if she were to die again, she might not have the luck to awaken once more.

How to help it recover?

Yun Shuyao didn’t know.

This was a pleasant surprise.

After everyone had left, she placed the items together, right under her nose, and the Spirit Mirror absorbed the bell.

Then nothing happened; there was no visible change.

Yun Shuyao could only put it away for now.

Because of this unexpected joy, Yun Shuyao’s appreciation for Mrs. Wen increased instantly.

The fondness for unfamiliar adults can be quite direct.

Her youngest daughter was close in age to the twins, so whenever Yun Shuyao prepared toys or food for the twins, she also made sure to prepare some for her.

These items were still presentable.

After having the twins, she often ordered dishes from the kitchen to satisfy herself.

Since the old lady had given her such a provision, there was no need to waste it.

Moreover, once her creative ideas were turned into reality by the kitchen’s skilled hands, she wasn’t the only one who could enjoy the delicious results.

Now, the Lin residence has many new dishes, including various dairy products.

Milk tea, yogurt, double-skin milk, and cake.

The cake was introduced for the old lady’s birthday.

The old lady didn’t want to make a big fuss, so a family meal with some congratulatory gifts would suffice.

Yun Shuyao made the cake in the kitchen.

The old lady indeed liked it very much—soft, sweet, and with a lingering aftertaste.

It was named “Songyu Cake.”

She occasionally enjoyed having a slice.

However, the cook had some trouble; there was no machine to whip the cream, so it had to be done by hand.

When Mrs. Wen received the cake, she widened her eyes, savoring the soft, sweet flavor in her mouth: “What is this called? It’s delicious!”

“It’s called Songyu Cake.”

“I’ve truly learned something new. I’ve never heard of such a delicious pastry before…”

As they talked more, Yun Shuyao found that they got along quite well.

Mrs. Wen was just a scholar’s wife, with no significant status, and her background wasn’t good either.

Mrs. Wen was the daughter of a hunter.

She married Lin Hao because Lin Hao had an accident in the mountains and was saved by Mrs. Wen’s father.

Many people in the Lin family felt that Mrs. Wen was not a good match for Lin Hao. She only gradually learned to read after marrying him, and her speech was always in plain language.

Moreover, her direct manner of speaking did not endear her to others.

After coming to the Lin residence, her interactions with the governor’s family, especially the governor’s wife, were initially strained. She and Jia Min had a clash of personalities. It wasn’t that Jia Min was particularly arrogant, but a well-read young lady and someone who had to struggle to understand idioms and was very straightforward in communication didn’t mesh well.

When she visited Bitao Courtyard, other than exchanging greetings and showing concern, there wasn’t much to talk about, and her interactions with Meixiang Courtyard were also unpleasant.

Mrs. Wen was puzzled. The governor’s wife treated her politely, so why did one of the concubines always seem to look down on her?

Initially, Mrs. Wen didn’t have high hopes for the last female guest. However, after a few visits, she discovered that she could have a conversation!

Moreover, her straightforward manner and non-conformity to the big family’s etiquette did not seem to be a problem with the other party!

Mrs. Wen was a broad-minded person.

Many people looked down on her, but she managed her family very well.

Lin Hao had only her as his wife, and their two sons and one daughter were well-raised and knew how to behave properly.

Yun Shuyao exchanged child-rearing experiences with her and listened to her stories about life in the mountains before marriage. As a result, they became friends.

They would occasionally meet, chat, and sit together for tea and snacks.

By the end of the year, Yun Shuyao’s special abilities had reached level four.

She immediately began to roll up her sleeves.

Why are wood-type abilities considered lackluster in the early stages?

It’s not without reason. At levels one and two, their abilities are quite minimal, like a plant with a growth period of thirty days. You can shorten its growth cycle by thirty seconds.

Is this ability impressive?

Yes, but it has almost no practical effect.

At level three, there are improvements, allowing the plant to mature two minutes earlier.

The impact is still minor, but at level four, there is a qualitative change.

Yun Shuyao might not need the growth acceleration function yet, but she can make plants healthier, reduce pests and diseases, and increase survival chances in case of mutations.

This is already a very practical function, especially with the robust plants her uncle sent her.

With her around, the yard is filled with greenery. At first glance, it looks vibrant and delightful.

So, the two children enjoy spending time in their small garden.

Their senses are sharp.

They are not ability users, but their healthy appearance, Yun Shuyao believes, is subtly influenced by the environment, so they rarely fall ill.

In stark contrast are the children of her colleagues.

Their issues are congenital, not life-threatening, and Dr. Zhou’s efforts are not in vain, but minor ailments are unavoidable.

Every time her child fell ill, Meixiang Courtyard would be in chaos. A child so small couldn’t express where it hurt, only cried and fussed, crying until her voice was hoarse, which made everyone’s heartache.

Moreover, children don’t like taking medicine, and she couldn’t understand the soothing words.

Every dose of medicine was a tug-of-war.

Sometimes Meiyiang felt it was unfair, but she also felt guilty because she knew that Yingyu was a child she had insisted on having despite the medicine.

Plus, her performance during pregnancy was poor, unable to eat much, and now seeing her daughter’s frail appearance only made her heart ache.

But she had no regrets about having taken the medicine to have this child.

Especially with Yun Yiniang also got pregnant soon after.

Meiyiang felt that if she hadn’t had this child, she might have gone mad.

Sometimes, she admired Jia Min for enduring so many years without children. How did she manage?

She couldn’t imagine herself in Jia Min’s position.

And Meixiang felt that if she were in Jia Min’s shoes, she would have had a maid give birth to a child and then brought the child to her side to silence any gossip.

At this moment, she was especially grateful for the previous events.

She could personally raise her own daughter.

…

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed since Yun Shuyao arrived in this world.

For young children, time is always particularly noticeable.

They went from being tiny, unable to see the world clearly, to sitting, crawling, and then evolving to walking on their short little legs.

Now they had become the mischievous troublemakers that gave the many servants in Lanxin Courtyard headaches.

They ran so fast and were so playful that a long line of people trailing after them couldn’t catch up. Yet, they always managed to slip through the gaps, as slippery as loaches.

What impressed everyone was that whenever they were being naughty and couldn’t be caught by the servants, once Yun Yiniang made her move, the two little rascals couldn’t escape her grasp.

Clearly, Yun Yiniang shouldn’t have been faster than them.

Moreover, Yun Yiniang was strong; holding one child in each hand was no problem.

These two children were quite sturdy, and their struggles made it nearly impossible for the servants to hold them with both hands.

This made Lin Ruhai somewhat worried. His son was fine, with a normal appetite, but his daughter had always shown a hearty appetite and grew very robustly.

Now, his son and daughter were nearly a head apart in height, and his daughter was even a size bigger.

Good health isn’t a bad thing, but Lin Ruhai couldn’t help but worry that if his second daughter continued to grow so robustly, what if her future husband wasn’t pleased with her when she grew up?

Although people say that a good wife should be virtuous and not focused on appearance, everyone understands the truth.

Whenever he thought about this, Lin Ruhai would be concerned, considering relaxing his conditions when searching for a son-in-law in the future, as background wouldn’t be important.

With his support, even if the son-in-law had reservations, no one would dare show it.

When he occasionally brought this up, Yun Shuyao thought, “…”

The child is still so small, and he’s already thinking about marriage?

However, it’s indeed something to consider early on. Moreover, there’s an opportunity to bring up a relevant matter: “Sir, how about, when the children are a bit older, we secretly hire a martial arts teacher for them? Some people may seem fine now, but things might change in the future. It’s better to plan ahead. If she learns martial arts, who would dare to bully her?”

Lin Ruhai laughed: “Aren’t you worried she might bully others?”

Yun Shuyao wasn’t concerned: “Bullying others is always better than being bullied. Besides, if the child is well taught, she won’t grow up to be someone who can’t distinguish right from wrong.”

Lin Ruhai: “…”

Well, that makes sense.

Looking at his daughter’s sturdy build, and since she hadn’t yet started to slim down, practicing martial arts would also help shape her physique.

The matter wasn’t pursued further, but Yun Shuyao knew that Lin Ruhai was now attentive to it.

It’s good that he’s attentive.

Having experienced the end times, Yun Shuyao understands the importance of martial skills very well.

When everything is fine, it doesn’t seem necessary, but in an emergency, it can be lifesaving.

—

In two years, a lot can happen. For Yun Shuyao, aside from the growth of her two children, the biggest change has been in her maternal family.

Her father participated in the provincial exams and became a juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination).

Her elder brother obtained the xiucai (a degree from the imperial examination), and her second brother is already a tongsheng (a student who has passed the preliminary exams).

Her cousin from her uncle’s family also became a xiucai.

Another good development is the flourishing flowers and plants in Lanxin Courtyard.

The flowers and plants she grows have already become a part of an industrial chain.

Periodically, a batch of flowers and plants comes in, and a batch goes out.

The incoming ones are seedlings, and the outgoing ones are mature plants ready to bloom.

These are repackaged and sent to shops as premium products.

Initially, she took over a shop and converted it into a place for selling potted plants, offering only ordinary-grade flowers and plants.

After opening the shop, the business wasn’t bad. Some people knew who was behind the store, and if they needed flowers, they would buy from her.

If they could get the attention of the governor’s family, they were willing to pay extra. Moreover, the flowers and plants here looked very vibrant.

Later, they occasionally saw premium and rare items.

These would quickly be bought and given as gifts.

Anyone who liked this type of plant would find something they liked.

Yun Shuyao also targeted her sales, focusing on specific types.

Orchids were the most abundant.

Yun Shuyao had also given flowers and plants to people in the household.

Lin Ruhai had even placed orders with her.

He was a big spender on flowers and plants.

He didn’t mind Yun Shuyao making a bit of extra money.

Jia Min also had a shop, and he never objected.

Yun Shuyao wasn’t surprised by this.

In everyone’s eyes, she didn’t do much herself; she didn’t do it all by hand.

She always had the maidservants and servants water, fertilize, remove weeds, and manage pests.

She was just more meticulous.

Furthermore, the quantity wasn’t large.

The area of Lanxin Courtyard was limited, and the growth of flowers and plants also required time.

Moreover, scarcity made things valuable, so Yun Shuyao had no intention of increasing production.

As for the changes in the spirit mirror that swallowed the bell…

It can only be said that it now looks a bit more lustrous.

Other than that, there were no changes.

She also wanted to find other things to “nourish” the spirit mirror, but unfortunately, the item she got from Lady Wen was an accident. Yun Shuyao tried various other jade stones but didn’t come across another like it.

—

The governor’s term is three years, and as expected, Lin Ruhai was re-elected.

Many people in Xingtai Prefecture were happy about this.

In three years, Lin Ruhai had already made a name for himself in this place, and everyone was reluctant to see him go.

Yun Shuyao was also glad he wasn’t leaving.

This was her hometown.

She knew Lin Ruhai wouldn’t stay here forever and would eventually leave, but having him stay for an additional three years was already quite good.

Who knows what will happen in three years?

Her father planned to participate in the next imperial examination. If he succeeded, even as a Jinshi, he would naturally be able to take up an official position.

What happens afterward is uncertain.

When Lin Ruhai heard that her father had become a successful candidate, he also smiled and gave him some of the books he had used for the imperial exams as a gift.

Jia Min soon heard the news and smiled slightly, “So that’s how it is. Congratulations to Lady Yun then.”

The next day, when she visited for greetings, Lady Mei looked at Yun Shuyao with her two children and thought about her own family. She couldn’t help but comment with a touch of envy, “I heard that your father has passed the exams. That’s really good fortune, but as for the ranking… I wonder if he will continue to be fortunate as a Jinshi.”

A successful candidate might not be appointed immediately, but with connections and money, one can become an official. Once in an official position, the status changes significantly.

Yun Shuyao smiled, “Thank you, Sister Mei. Although it’s a stroke of luck that my father passed, my parents are already very surprised and pleased.”

Lady Mei curled her lips, thinking it was a bit pathetic.

Just being a successful candidate was already cause for such a surprise?

Yun Shuyao responded with a smile, knowing that Lady Mei was envious, no need to pretend otherwise.

She glanced at Jia Min, who was observing them but kept her eyes on the children.

For her, whether Yun’s father passed the Jinshi exams and became an official didn’t matter much.

It was just a seventh-rank official.

What she valued most was still having a child.

Not long after Yun’s father became a successful candidate, there was another significant event at the Lin residence.

The young master and miss in the house were now three years old and were due to start their education.

Of course, they wouldn’t be expected to write at such an early age, but recognizing characters and learning to read could be gradually arranged.

Jia Min prepared the Tingyu Pavilion as the place for the children’s education.

The teacher was soon appointed—Lin Hu.

He was also a successful candidate and one of Lin Ruhai’s assistants.

Every morning, Yun Shuyao would take the two children to the Bitao Courtyard to greet them, then return to her own courtyard. The twins would then go with Jia Min to the Songbai Courtyard, have their greetings, and breakfast, and then go straight to Tingyu Pavilion for classes.

Now, the three children attended classes together without distinguishing between genders.

Lin Ruhai was affectionate towards the three children, but his demands were also extremely strict.

If they didn’t meet expectations, they were punished accordingly.

However, due to the eldest daughter’s frail health, he didn’t apply any physical punishment to her.

But for the healthy second daughter and the young son, the level of their attentiveness determined the severity of their punishment.

He himself had also been punished with a board when he was younger.

Learning requires patience.

The most patient one is Yingyu, then Chenyu, and the least patient is Luoyu.

When the time is short, it’s manageable, but over time, Luoyu can’t sit still, as if there were nails under her bottom.

Whenever she moves, the other two children follow suit.

Luoyu became the one most often punished.

She was punished to stand in the corner, to have her palms hit, and also to be forbidden from eating pastries.

The first two punishments didn’t bother her much, but the last one was unbearable for Luoyu.

The teacher found a way to handle her and frequently used this method.

It doesn’t matter if the method is old; as long as it works, it’s effective.

Luoyu is not unintelligent; she has the best memory, but she just can’t sit still.

At first, Luoyu really disliked going to class, but as the curriculum added drawing, she began to enjoy it and became engrossed in it.

She enjoys playing.

The teacher added more playful activities to her curriculum.

After finding the right approach, Lin Hu, as the teacher, became more adept at his job.

He initially planned to work part-time for a year or two, until the main family found a suitable replacement, then step down.

However, after one year, two years, three years, until the master’s six-year term as governor ended and he was transferred to Guangzhou, Lin Hu still hadn’t stepped down. Watching the three well-behaved children standing in front of him, Lin Hu felt a great sense of accomplishment.

But, upon hearing the news that the master’s family was expecting a legitimate son or daughter, Lin Hu couldn’t help but worry about his three students.

They were all of illegitimate birth. When there were no legitimate children, they enjoyed nearly the same treatment as legitimate sons and daughters. But from now on, things will be different. What would their futures hold?