Chapter Fifty-Two: This Is Mother's Will

Hearing this, Wei Qingwan’s steps faltered; she turned around with a puzzled expression and looked at Wei Ruo.

On Wei Ruo’s face was a gentle smile. “Actually, it makes no difference to me which carriage I ride in. As the eldest sister, I shouldn’t quibble over such trivial matters with my siblings. But what Mother said made a lot of sense, and I couldn’t very well contradict her wishes.”

Wei Qingwan glanced toward Madam Yun.

At this moment, Madam Yun didn’t quite know what to say. Those words had indeed come from her! But at the time, they’d all thought it was Qingwan who would be going to study at the Xie family estate. They hadn’t expected that Qingwan would be the one to suffer wrongs in this.

Had she known Qingwan would be aggrieved, she would never have brought up switching carriages—she would have considered her daughter’s feelings and made it up to her!

“Mother, is this… truly your decision?” Wei Ruo also looked at Madam Yun.

“Yes, it is,” replied Madam Yun. Though she felt uneasy, she couldn’t deny the words she had spoken.

She then tried to comfort Wei Qingwan. “Qingwan, the Xie family is highly esteemed. We can’t let them look down on us. Let your elder sister ride in the larger carriage. That smaller one may be a bit cramped, but it’s newly purchased, and I had it prepared especially for you.”

Wei Qingwan’s eyes were already red. She bit her lip and nodded lightly. “I understand, Mother. There’s no need to worry. I understand it all…”

Her voice trembled, and it was clear she was struggling to hold back her grievances and sorrow.

Seeing her daughter so upset yet trying to appear strong, Madam Yun felt a pang of heartache.

Wei Ruo stepped forward. “Don’t worry, Mother. Qingwan is a considerate girl; she wouldn’t cry just because she’s switched to a smaller carriage. When I first returned to the household, she even said she’d give me everything of hers.”

“Though I never intended to take Qingwan’s things, the fact that she said it shows her sincerity. Surely, giving up the carriage she used to ride in is a small matter, and not something to grieve over.”

Wei Qingwan’s tears threatened to fall, but upon hearing Wei Ruo’s words, she managed to hold them back.

Wei Ruo looked at her and sighed. “If not for Mother’s reasoning, I truly wouldn’t have minded taking the smaller carriage. Back in the countryside, I didn’t even have a bullock cart, let alone a horse-drawn one. To have a carriage at all is a blessing to me—large or small, what does it matter?”

Hearing this, Madam Yun felt a pang in her heart. Looking into Wei Ruo’s clear, bright eyes, she felt an odd sense of discomfort.

She began to realize that her recent thoughts had been somewhat misguided. Although Qingwan had been aggrieved, it was not as severe as she’d imagined.

After all, for all these years, Qingwan had enjoyed the privileges of the eldest daughter of the Wei family. Even if she now had to take a slightly smaller carriage, it was still better than the life Ruo’er had led before.

Thinking this over, she knew she could no longer harp on about Qingwan’s grievances.

Once she understood, Madam Yun said to both girls, “Enough now—it’s getting late. Each of you get into your respective carriages and set off. Especially you, Ruo’er. It’s your first day at the Xie family; mind your behavior.”

“Understood,” Wei Ruo replied, then turned briskly and boarded the large carriage.

Wei Qingwan hesitated, but seeing that Madam Yun would not change her mind, she finally let Cuiehe, her maid, help her into the smaller, noticeably shabby carriage.

Once inside, Wei Qingwan began to sob.

“Miss, please don’t cry—you’ll ruin your eyes,” Cuiehe hurried to comfort her.

“I don’t want to cry, but I can’t stop the tears. My heart aches so badly,” Wei Qingwan lamented, glancing at the battered carriage walls. “Now I don’t even have the right to sit in the family’s carriages. I suppose it won’t be long before I’m cast out altogether…”

“Don’t think that way, miss. It’s only that you lost the chance to study. The master and mistress and the young masters still dote on you as before,” Cuiehe tried to reassure her.

Being Li Mama’s daughter, Cuiehe shared her mother’s views.

They were both convinced that the second young lady, with her family’s love, would have a far better life than the eldest.

“Who knows? Now even my brother is kind to my sister… She’s more capable than I am, she’s won the favor of Master Wang and the Xie family, and I am nothing…”

“But madam is already cross with the eldest, and her repeated defiance has nearly worn away all of Madam’s feelings of guilt and desire to compensate her,” Cuiehe went on.

“You needn’t comfort me anymore. I know all too well what my situation is now…”

Unlike before, after this fiasco, Wei Qingwan was far more despondent, no longer so easily consoled by a few words.

At that moment, Wei Ruo was seated comfortably in the large carriage.

When she left home, she brought along several bundles, telling the family they were study supplies.

In truth, she’d hidden some account books among them.

This way, she could review the ledgers on her way to and from the academy, sparing herself some boredom.

Upon arrival at the Xie residence, Wei Ruo was led to the family’s private schoolroom.

The Xie estate was far grander and more spacious than the Commandant’s. After a circuitous route guided by the house matron, Wei Ruo nearly lost her bearings.

When they reached the room, she saw two desks arranged inside, the space ample and well-lit.

Wang Caiwei and Xie Ying were already there.

The empty desk on the left was obviously for Wei Ruo. On it lay new writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone—clearly prepared by the Xie family, lest she forget or lack anything.

Wei Ruo glanced at the items—everything from the Treasure of the Four Arts shop, identical to what was set before Xie Ying.

After she took her seat, Wang Caiwei introduced herself.

Though not a beauty by conventional standards, Wang Caiwei, renowned as a talented woman, had features that put people at ease—a certain scholarly air, tranquil and serene.

She then invited Xie Ying and Wei Ruo to introduce themselves.

When the introductions were over, she didn’t begin the lesson immediately, but brought out several books for them to choose from.

There were the likes of “Precepts for Women,” “Instructions for Women,” and “The Female Analects,” as well as classics such as “The Book of Songs,” “The Book of Changes,” “The Spring and Autumn Annals,” and “The Art of War.”

Wei Ruo and Xie Ying considered for a moment, then each made their choice.

Wei Ruo picked “The Book of Changes”—she’d heard it was good for fortune-telling, though she wasn’t sure if that was true. Still, compared to the other books, it seemed the most interesting.

Xie Ying chose “The Art of War.”

Impressive—the Xie family’s young lady was even bolder than she was!

Seeing their choices, Wang Caiwei smiled and nodded. “Now I know how best to teach you both. Sit down, and let us begin.”