Chapter 4 Resolution

Cheng Jin took her time to digest the words. The seventh madam looked at her worriedly and spoke to her in a soft tone.

"San Er, it's your turn."

Cheng Jin got panicked.

"I almost forgot this Ah Luo also needs to participate in the test."

She neither possessed any musical skills nor caligraphy skills; what did she know?

She neither knew which dynasty was it nor what place is this...

Cheng Jin's scalp got numbed while walking to the centre of the hall and stood there.

That father of hers asked her," Your two Jiejie, one majored in Guqin and one majored in calligraphy. Ah Luo, you had failed to hand up your homework three months ago and your ah Niang protected you from the punishment. She said that she will make sure you will learn properly for the next three months. What had you learned over the months?"

Cheng Jin had racked her brain and there was no way out. She decided to just randomly read some ancient poetry that she had learnt before in the modern world. But she was afraid that the people here might have heard them before. If they really accused her cheating, then she would say that she had liked those poetry lines. If they had never heard of them, then it will be her exclusive skills."

She raised her head and said softly, "I had been learning poetry, can I sing it out?"

The middle-aged man widened his eyes and stared at Cheng Jin doubtfully. Even the seventh madam was frowning in secret.

That father of hers then laughed and said, "Well, well, our household San Xiao Jie actually knows how to recite the poem. Read it out for me. Hahaha!"

Low snickers can be heard in the hall. Cheng Jin turned her head and saw the face of the seventh madam got paler.

She sighed inwardly and began.

"Lonely winds in the days of February,

Winter chills blow timidly in the spring park,

Begonia flower was not cherished in its rouge colour,

One's independence is blurry in the drizzling rain."

That was a poem by Chen Heyi from the Song Dynasty named 'Spring Chill'. It literally carried the meaning of a person who was waiting in loneliness, to be cherished. But that weak person had his or her arrogance and they are not willing to beg for love.

Cheng Jin had changed the last two words and finished the poem with the tender voice that did not belong to her. She saw that everyone in the hall reacted in dazed. There was all kind of expression such as shocked and jealousy. She couldn't get used to it as it was not her own voice.

'Even I got shocked when listening to this voice reciting the poem... It clearly came out from my own mouth but it felt like it was listening to someone else talking."

The middle-aged man stunned out for a long time. He switched his gaze towards the seventh madam and stared at her meaningfully. Cheng Jin turned to the seventh madam as well. The seventh madam's eyes were brimming in tears. Her gaze was gentle yet filled with sentiments.

Cheng Jin was relieved as that world was not the Song Dynasty and they had never heard such a poem before.

That man laughed in a very happy mood.

"Fantastic! Ah Luo can recite such a good verse when you are only six years old. Your Ah Niang had been very attentive in teaching you. Your punishment will be waved. Ah Die will frequently visit you to listen to your poem!"

Once those words were said by him, there was countless of sharp and nasty gaze that could pierce one to death in the hall.

Cheng Jin lowered her head and silently blamed that father of hers. He was unaware of how heavy the effect from that one sentence "your mother had been very attentive" had carried.

"I guess he thought that it was Qi Furen who had thought her this, but that is fine too..."

Who wouldn't suspect if a person who couldn't even read a verse and almost got punished three months ago can suddenly write such a poem?

Even the seventh madam had mentioned this Ah Luo hate poetry and hence did not learn it well.

Cheng Jin then retreated back to the side of the seventh madam and pondered silently. The seventh madam did not teach her daughter to write this poem. She needs to create an explanation to dispel her doubts.

That father of hers spoke again in a stricter tone.

"We, the Li family as considered as Ningguo's aristocrat and scholars based family. After this, all of you must work harder so that we will not be a joke to others!"

Everyone in the hall had promised in a unison. Soon, the gathering scattered slowly and everyone had gone back to their own courtyard.

The seventh madam held onto Cheng Jin's hand and deliberately let others go first. Finally, they walked out of the hall and went towards the garden. Cheng Jin could feel that the seventh madam was a little frantic as she held her hand tighter than before and their walking pace was also getting faster. It seemed like the poem had inadvertently spoken out her forbidden thoughts. Based on what the seventh madam had told her, Cheng Jin's judgment told her that this seventh madam is definitely not favoured concubine by her husband.

While walking, Cheng Jin had looked around the antique cloister.

'Ningguo? As in the Ning Kingdom? Is this an unknown world?'

'The hostility from all the wives towards the seventh madam..."

'That cunning old fox father of hers...'

'And two incredibly talented yet delicate sisters of her...'

'Another epic war of grievance!'

'What should I do ah? I had read so many transmigration novels, will I be able to grasp the knowledge of this world and play around and conquer it?'

'Or will I die at a very young age? Or perhaps I will be back to my world tomorrow?'

Cheng continued her analysis. This Ah Luo had always been introverted and she was afraid to speak out her own mind. Well, let's just continue to be introverted then. Cheng Jin decided that she should just continue to be this calm and quiet girl. Don't alarm anyone with useless antics and complains. Otherwise, if this beautiful mother of hers abandoned her... she as a little six years old kid had to die too, right? It is alright if she suffers from starvation. But in this big world, what if she was kidnapped and sold to a brothel? In the end, isn't it a dead road too?

Cheng Jin raised her head and looked at the seventh madam again. It seemed that she had regained her complexion. She had not noticed the differences in Ah Luo. Since she was sent to this world out of sudden, she might as well let the heaven to decide her destiny. Everything happened for a purpose, right? It was lucky that Ah Luo was just six years old. If she was to be older... How is she supposed to cope with this family? She can't really fake her memory loss, right?'

This was lucky enough.

On the way back to their courtyard, Cheng Jin started to observe the environment in front of her.

This household is definitely a big and reputable household. The site around is actually quite huge. That father of hers must be extremely strict patriarch. Every servant that had bumped into the seventh madam will greet and give a slight curtsy. They don't even dare to lift their eyelids higher. She was hesitating whether a rich household is better or a poor household is better.

Obviously, the richer one is better, right? The ordinary people in the ancient world sometimes don't even know how did they die. They were always in hunger, and the clothes are not warm enough.

Not only that, the tax collection is a toll. If they meet a hooligan landlord or the natural disaster struck the country, the grasses are sold before even deeply rooted in the soil. Although wealthy households are prone to conspiracy and battle, Cheng Jin was prepared for it. She who had public officers as parents in the modern world had heard a lot about the external and internal official conspiracy. The complexity of the communications between them were all fierce and dangerous. She had assumed that no matter which dynasty or which timeline, it was all the same, right? It was all about understanding the heart of the human.

She held onto the hand of the seventh madam firmly and tighter.

"Let's go home!"