Chapter 105.3: Not Being Considerate in All Aspects
Luo Jing Bo looked at the drawings Jing Wan organized out, endlessly shocked, his lips trembling, “Little sis, you really don’t need to do this. Something this troublesome, I might as well directly teach.” Roughly three hundred drawings, at most fifty were his, the rest two hundred some were all done by Jing Wan. It hasn’t even been that long either. Even if she’d been imitating his drawings from the start, on average, she would still need to draw over ten a day. Moreover, she’d also stayed that many days in White Dragon Temple, and a few days ago, even helped him blend colors. And on other things, he didn’t see her leave behind either. Did she just not sleep all day everyday? “Little sis, this definitely won’t do, your body won’t be able to endure like this. You’re not allowed to draw anymore.”
Never mind Luo Jing Bo, even Gong mama didn’t know that her own miss already drew this many. Those that she’d let her put away, for the most part, were all incomplete pieces, and that was already quite a lot. Turns out, the ones she completed were even more? Gong mama felt she very much neglected her duties.
“No need to be that tense, it’s not like every single one was different. Many were all identical, so very quick to draw. I can finish four to five in two hours, or even more. It simply won’t take that much time.”
“That still won’t do, I will find time to teach…….”
“Third brother, if you want to let the gongbi painting be accepted by the people as soon as possible, then you directly teaching won’t work. ————-Alright, no need to say that much, quickly come help. Have every single booklet’s accompanying drawing all separated out. Because others all don’t understand which way to match them is the most fitting, that’s why the two of us can only do it ourselves. The remaining written portion just leave it to grandfather, let him find someone to print and bind into booklets. Five hundred booklets, released once every ten days, divided into ten times, each time exactly fifty.”
“Little sis…..”
“En?” Jing Wan had her head buried in organizing, not even lifting her head.
“All the benefits, you’ve let me taken a hold of, and even need for you to painstakingly take care of everything, making third brother feel………..”
“What?” Jing Wan lifted her head in confusion.
“Nothing.” Luo Jing Bo hurriedly went forward, helping her organize.
Luo Jing Bo looked to Jing Wan’s drawings. Truthfully speaking, if not for him being very certain that it wasn’t drawn by him, even he would’ve thought this was precisely his own drawing. He knew what his current level was, and he was very clear, he was far from that high level of his little sis’s. That hundred bird facing the phoenix painting, because he had put in a hundred twenty percent effort into it, in addition to his little sister’s help, it was thus able to reach that level where it can be said to be a masterpiece. But in reality, as long as one compared his drawings with his little sister’s, one will know, just how much of her own talent she was hiding.
“When this first batch is released, just say it’s some drawings from before. That way, even if they are a little inferior, it’ll still be fine. Just, still need for grandfather to take them and make them into different degrees of old. Luckily, at most it’s just going back one year’s time, so even if they are deliberately made to look old, still for the most part, no one will be able to tell, and there probably won’t be anyone that will be able to distinguish whether they are real or not. However, the later ones, third brother will need to approach the hundred birds facing the phoenix level as much as possible.”
“Third brother will work hard.” If in the past, under his grandfather and father’s lecturing, he was still just putting forward seventy-eighty percent effort in learning, then from here on out, he will put forward a hundred twenty percent. Otherwise, how will he be able to live up to his little sister’s deep regards.
The last important matter for today was the preliminary rounds of the imperial exam. Since there weren’t any major matters in the various areas, Luo Pei Shan returned rather early.
After returning, he was directly called to the rear court by his old wife, who told him about the matter of Jing Wan withdrawing from the engagement.
Luo Pei Shan’s complexion naturally wasn’t all that good. After going silent for a moment, “It’s also good that it was cancelled. Chen Zheng Min matched with my precious granddaughter, truly still lacking quite a bit.” It can be seen, although this matter’s cause might be Jing Wan, Luo Pei Shan’s impression towards Chen Zheng Min still dropped greatly. “Wan Wan, although said she wanted to have the matter pushed back some time before making it public, but it’s inevitable for this one to go find Cheng Junwang to reason with. Raising such a shameless daughter, what face does he have to enjoy the salary of a junwang? Also, that Li Ru Yu, as a daughter of the imperial family, all their faces have been thoroughly lost by her, what right does she still have to enjoy the salary of a junzhu?”
Luo Old Madam went silent. This was wanting to let Le Cheng Emperor take away Cheng Junwang’s nobility rank, or at the very least, let him drop in rank. And as for Li Ru Yu, she originally was at most just a xianzhu (title for the daughter of a junwang). But because of the Empress, she was specially conferred as a junzhu, and now, having done something this embarrassing, if one were to still let her enjoy such honor, then the Empress was just waiting for the imperial censor to submit an memorandum of misconduct.
“My lord, this wife’s third brother, how about just letting them off. In the end, we’re still relatives. Making the relationship too stiff isn’t good either.”
“En, all according to your words.” Luo Pei Shan faintly nodded his head.
Luo Old Madam smiled.
If Jing Wan were to see, she probably would be speechless again. Never mind her grandfather, Luo Pei Shan, as someone in officialdom, just an old fox, how many don’t have thick faces. But, this face of her grandmother’s was also just as extraordinary. Chen Zheng Ming was the greatest victim, yet now, never mind that it was made into his fault, you’ve forgiven them and even want them to be deeply grateful?!
Jing Wan must admit, compare to these people, she was still far inferior.
Not long after Luo Pei Shan returned to his study, Jing Wan and Luo Jing Bo came looking for him. Learning their purpose in coming, Luo Pei Shan was very much elated. As expected of his granddaughter, unlike other young ladies, crying and throwing a tantrum because one’s engagement was cancelled. “It’s still third girl that’s meticulous. I originally was still thinking that Jing Bo would still need to grind for another ten twenty years. This method of yours, although is a bit exhausting, but is indeed the best method. Even grandfather didn’t think of this before. Just, it’s a little too tiring for you.”
“The granddaughter doesn’t feel tired, instead just feeling that having something to do every day is far better than being bored all day.”
Luo Pei Shan helplessly laughed, “You ah, how I see it, you’re just a labor-slave[1].”
“A labor-slave is someone endlessly working hard unwillingly, this granddaughter isn’t the same. Every day, I’m happy and cheerful.”
“Fine, fine, as long as you don’t tire yourself out, just do as you like.”
“Then, the rest will be handed over to grandfather then.” Jing Wan giddily smiled, “These must be the newest ones, perfect, I’ll take them back to look over.” Jing Wan unhesitantly picked up the imperial bulletin on the table, “This granddaughter will withdraw first.”
Once Jing Wan left, Luo Jing Bo’s spirit instantly crumbled, hanging his head. His entire person was all somewhat dispirited and listless. This was a completely different person from the usual optimistic, carefree, and nonchalant Luo Jing Bo.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Pei Shan lifted the teacup and lightly took a sip.
Luo Jing Bo scratched his head, “Grandfather, compared to little sis, I feel I’m really incompetent, and moreover, also like a small child, needing for her to take care of everything. Clearly I’m the elder brother, yet can’t do anything for her.”
“Since that’s the case, then just go along according to her hopes.” Towards those things that Jing Wan instilled into Luo Jing Bo, the rest of the Luo family perhaps don’t know, but as the ones with the highest authority, Luo Pei Shan and Luo Old Madam still more or less knew a little.
These things were actually intentionally leaked to them by Gong mama. Although she was mainly responsible for Jing Wan’s personal matters, but if she wants to have Elegant Haitang Residence’s matters leaked out word for word, she was still able to. Moreover, the reason why she did this was mainly because her own miss’s thoughts, more or less, were blasphemous to society, even going against the Confucian moral injunctions for women[2], going against the female principles, and female commandments. And because of her influence, Luo Jing Bo, in the future, perhaps might do some things that in other people’s eyes, are unbecoming of conventional reasoning and morals. Rather than when the time comes, Luo Jing Bo gets reprimanded, and miss gets worried from watching, or even bravely step forward to defend him, letting everyone feel that miss is this departed from the norm, rebelling against convention, lacking in etiquette, having no propriety, it was better to let Luo Pei Shan and Luo Old Madam know a little beforehand. That way, if they have any thoughts, they can tell miss in advance, and not wait until when matters become serious, and things get out of hand.
Luo Jing Bo was shocked, violently lifting his head and looking towards Luo Pei Shan, “Grandfather already knew?”
“Not completely, but the important parts, one still knows.”
“As long as grandfather isn’t angry.” Luo Jing Bo didn’t want for his little sister to get punished.
“Why would I be angry? Your little sister has never thought of harming others, no? Actually, grandfather has long noticed, she’s someone that’s very different from other girls. She appears gentle like water, but in actuality, was someone with distinct likes and dislikes deep down, resolutely unyielding, think what others don’t dare to think, and able to do what others can’t. If one were to let other young ladies know her thoughts, they perhaps would curse at her very harshly with their mouths, but in actuality, they probably would be endlessly jealous inside, and further endlessly yearn for. They, since childhood, have been taught to view their husband as the sky, but have they really never thought of having their husbands view them as the sky before? They can’t, don’t dare to, and further don’t have the courage to say it. That is something that’ll get them drowned in a pond[3]. Jing Bo, grandfather doesn’t believe oneself to be an old-fashioned and unreasonable rotten old man.”
[1] Similar meaning to workaholic.
[2] The previously aforementioned ‘three obey, and four virtues’, namely: obey in turn three men, father, husband, and son, plus the four virtues of morality, physical charm, propriety in speech, and efficiency in needlework.
[3] This is a form of punishment for women that rebel against convention, well specifically confucian ethics. They are put in a cage and drowned in a pond or lake as punishment. Confucian values to the people in ancient china is comparable to how religion was like in the medieval times or middle ages. People would follow these values and rules strictly, and if you don’t you are a witch and will be burned at the stake. I actually know quite a few different forms of cruel and unusual punishments in ancient times, it’s not a fun time to live in.