Chapter 7- Learning

The sky gradually brightened. Perhaps it's already five or six o'clock in the morning. Cheng Jin had decided, she will be called as Ah Luo from now onwards.

After she woke up, she realized that she was wearing a thin silk clothing, it was not suitable for sports activities.

The awakened Xiao Yu asked Ah Luo:

"Xiao Jie, why do you wake up so early? It is only seven in the morning. You normally will not wake up before it reaches nine.

Ah Luo secretly recited the timing system in this world in her heart.

'It is better if I familiarize myself with their system.'

She then smiled and said;

"I am too happy with the test result from yesterday, so I cannot sleep anymore. Xiao Yu, can you help me to make a new set of clothes?"

Xiao Yu then brought a bucket of water for her to wash her face.

"What kind of clothes do you want to wear? Xiao Yu can make anything you want."

Ah Luo beamed, "I will draw you the design later. Oh Xiao Yu, do I need to go and... go to give greetings? "

Ah Luo still found the word Ah Niang difficult.

Xiao Yu beamed back at her, " Furen prefers tranquillity and loves embroidering to pass the time. She will greet the Da Furen at nine and will stay at her own chamber. Xiao Jie, you don't need to go."

Ah Luo asked peculiarly, " Then who should I seek if I want to learn something?"

Xiao Yu was surprised by her question.

"Da Xiaojie and Er Xiaojie are good in the four arts. Hence, San Furen and Si Furen are both proficient in the classic four arts. However, Xiao Jie you had already chased away a lot of the teachers who were hired for you. Thus, Qi Furen said that we will only hire again if you want to learn."

"However, Xiao Jie ah! Our Qi Furen is the real talented madam, she knows everything!"

Ah Luo smiled and thought that it was great.

'A teacher presented right in front of her!'

She said to Xiao Yu, "I feel lethargic after laying for too long. Why don't you bring me to have a look around? I want to move around."

"When my beautiful ah Niang comes back, I will have her teach me!"

When Ah Luo added beautiful in the word mother, she felt it was easier to address it.

Xiao Yu smiled and agreed to her. After done dressing her hair, Ah Luo was very excited and pulled Xiao Yu to go out. Even Xiao Yu was affected by her excitement and said,

" Xiao Jie used to love staying alone inside your chamber and never wanted to walk out of the yard. What had caused you to change?"

Ah Luo raised her head to look at Xiao Yu.

"I can't bear to let my beautiful Ah Niang shedding tears again. I can't let her hide inside this yard and grow old here too. Xiao Yu, you have to help me. We are not getting bullied from others!"

Xiao Yu's eyes reddened while bringing Ah Luo to walk around. She was patiently explaining the situations in the mansion.

Ah Luo suddenly remembered that she had not figured out her own full name and hence tilted her head to look at Xiao Yu.

" That sister from San Furen... what Li or Lei... and also the sister from Si Furen... what Li and Fei... both of them are so arrogant!"

Xiao Yu looked around and saw no one.

"Xiao Jie, San Furen and Si Furen are both from prestigious families. You cannot address Da Xiaojie and Er Xiaojie like that. If others heard this, they will blame Qi Furen for failing to teach you properly."

Ah Luo then used this chance to ask about the third madam and the fourth madam. The third madam was from the big family of general in Feng Du, a concubine's daughter. The fourth madam was the cousin sister of the minister of labour. The other madams were all from clean family, only the seventh madam was from a brothel.

She was brought with a heavy price after spending a few nights in the brothel. She was a gift for her Li old father as a concubine. No wonder she was being looked down upon.

Ah Lei's full name was Li Qinglei, Ah Fei was Li Qingfei and hence, Ah Luo naturally was Li Qingluo.

Ah Luo sighed and said nothing.

'Ah Niang is still originated from a brothel. With this kind of status, maybe the dog besides Da Furen is even more honourable than her.'

After walking all over the inner hall for half a day, Ah Luo had a grasp of understanding about the Li household. She held Xiao Yu backed to her room and had asked her to look for the seventh madam.

She took a brush and carefully drafted a map of the prime minister's mansion.

'The Tang courtyard is indeed secluded. There is a farm besides, a huge forest bamboo at the back and it was the mansion's wall after that. Ah Luo was very satisfied. If she were to climb over the wall to get out, nobody will ever found out.

The seventh madam was very excited once she heard that Ah Luo wanted to learn the classic four arts. She went to look after her hurriedly.

"San Er, what do you want to learn. Why do you want to learn? Tell Ah Niang!"

Ah Luo saw the excitement and warm gaze from the seventh madam. She walked towards her and gripped her clothes.

"Ah Niang, I don't want to learn too much, as long as it can trick others. We can't let others look down upon us anymore!"

The seventh madam was brimming with tears.

"I knew it. How can Ah Niang's daughter be a straw bag? Just by looking at the Begonia flowers, you can make such a melodious poet. San Er, you are talented."

Ah Luo smiled bitterly.

'No matter talented or not, now I have to learn to be one..."

From that day onwards, the seventh madam taught Ah Luo to learn guqin and learn drawing. Ah Luo realized that the brain of this child's body was very smart and quick in receiving knowledge. Her memories were superb. Adding her mind of a twenty years old, the seventh madam only needs to teach her one time and she will grasp it immediately.

Ah Luo realized that it was a good thing to learn guqin. She can play her favourite songs from the modern world to pass her boring time. Hence, she gradually putting more effort into the skills of guqin.

Until one day, the seventh madam was listening to one of the songs she was playing, The Water Melody. The seventh madam cried until the handkerchief was wet and she told Ah Luo,

"Your guqin's melody was full of emotions. It is even better than your Da Jie."

...................

furen= madam

da furen= big madam

san furen= third madam

si furen= fourth madam

qi furen= seventh madam

xiao jie= miss

da xiao jie= elder miss

er xiao jie= second miss