Two days later, after Yuan Niang had fully recovered from her cold, it was time to return to school.
After finishing breakfast, she tugged at the straps of her small deerskin satchel hesitantly. Though she had spoken boldly before, deep down she felt uneasy and somewhat nervous about facing the classroom.
Wang Runzhi called her over, patted her head, and told her she had selected a study companion for her.
Yuan Niang looked up in surprise and saw Chao Yun leading in an eight or nine-year-old girl through the side door. The child wore her hair in a double bun hairstyle and was dressed in the specially made Su residence servant uniform. Her eyebrows were dark as ink, her skin fair as snow, with a few faint sesame-seed-sized freckles on either side of her nose. When she smiled, the corners of her mouth turned up, adding to her charmingly naive appearance.
Wang Runzhi instructed earnestly: “Zhi Xue, from now on you shall stay by the young lady’s side and attend to her, mainly serving her writing needs. You must devote yourself to your duties and ensure she suffers no grievances.”
Zhi Xue bowed slightly and replied softly: “Yes, madam.”
Coming to her senses, Yuan Niang said quietly: “Shiniang, Second Brother will be with me in the classroom. It’ll be fine.”
Wang Runzhi smiled: “He’s still a child who needs watching himself—how could he take proper care of you? Moreover, you already have too few attendants in your courtyard. Fu Shuang has been distracted between two places, running herself ragged. Wouldn’t it be better to add a study maid specifically to accompany you to school? Then Fu Shuang could peacefully manage affairs in your courtyard.”
Yuan Niang’s nose twitched slightly as she nodded: “Thank you, Shiniang.”
Wang Runzhi said gently: “No need for such politeness with your shiniang. You’ll be late for school—quickly take Zhi Xue to find Chen Ge’er.”
Yuan Niang stopped hesitating and bounded over the threshold in three quick steps, seeing that her shifu and Chen Ge’er were already waiting for her.
Zhi Xue said: “Young lady, let this servant carry your satchel.”
After handing over the satchel, Yuan Niang skipped over to Su Shi: “Shifu, are you really going to escort us to school?”
“Of course.” Su Shi bent down to pinch her small nose, then scooped her up in his arms. “Let’s go!”
Chen Ge’er followed behind, his satchel bouncing on his back as he trotted along.
Resting her head on her shifu’s shoulder, Yuan Niang softly hummed: “Little Erlang, carrying his satchel to school, fears neither the blazing sun nor howling winds. Only dreads the teacher scolding him for laziness! With no learning to show, too ashamed to face his parents.”
Chen Ge’er—who had just been contemplating how to slack off in class—jolted at these words, his eyes widening in disbelief as he silently mouthed his protest: “Bad Yuan Mei! Don’t tease me!”
Seeing his flustered and embarrassed expression, Yuan Niang’s mood lifted considerably, and she giggled delightedly.
Unaware of the silent exchange between the two children, Su Shi felt his own spirits rise seeing her so happy. Outside the school, students had already begun gathering in small groups.
Yuan Niang gradually grew tense again. The incident with the poetry composition had shaken her profoundly—even now her heart carried the lingering fear, and she couldn’t help feeling timid around those connected to that day.
Sensing her unease, Su Shi reached back and patted her stiffened spine to comfort her.
Just as she began to relax, she suddenly heard a very familiar voice: “Vice Prefect Su, you’ve come?” The ordinary greeting carried barely suppressed excitement.
Su Shi nodded, gently set Yuan Niang down, then instructed her study maid: “Zhi Xue, take Yuan Niang into the inner hall.”
Zhi Xue nodded obediently. She and Chen Ge’er each took one of Yuan Niang’s hands and walked together into the school.
They took their original seats. The classroom was already mostly filled with students.
The gap-toothed child Chen Yunjian, seeing the teacher detained by Su Shi, turned around again to try speaking with Chen Ge’er.
Chen Ge’er maintained an aloof expression, paying him little attention—clearly still upset about him leading the mockery of Yuan Niang that day.
When Chen Yunjian saw Chen Ge’er ignoring him, he swiveled to address Yuan Niang instead, only to find Zhi Xue standing like a solid wall beside her.
Chen Yunjian rubbed his nose sheepishly and turned back around, feeling rather dismissed.
Tap! Tap! More students entered the room. Yuan Niang, uninterested, didn’t bother looking up.
Unexpectedly, one of them walked directly up to her, stopped, and smiled before speaking.
Yuan Niang instinctively glanced up and was slightly surprised to see Chen Shiyi Niang. “Are you studying here too?” she asked.
Chen Shiyi Niang nodded. “Yes, Sister Yuan! Could you scoot over a bit? Let’s sit together!”
The desks in the classroom were long and could theoretically seat three, but students usually paired up in twos. Since Chen Yunjian was Shi Yi Niang’s older brother and had claimed a desk for himself, Yuan Niang had assumed Shi Yi Niang would sit with him.
To her surprise, Shi Yi Niang shook her head. “Who wants to bother with him? He didn’t wait for me this morning and even swiped my pastries. So annoying!” She leaned closer to Yuan Niang and added in a conspiratorial whisper, “Besides, with his missing front teeth, he looks ridiculous. I’m afraid people will laugh at me too if I sit with him.”
Well, it seemed this young lady was quite the appearance enthusiast.
Unbeknownst to her, though she thought she was whispering, several students overheard and kept glancing at Chen Yunjian, whose face flushed red and white with humiliation. Glaring back at his sister in mortified anger, he snapped, “Don’t even think about copying my homework later!”
Shi Yi Niang retorted confidently, “I’ll copy from Sister Yuan!”
“Hmph, her last poem—” Chen Yunjian began, but before he could finish, his stool was kicked.
He spun around furiously toward Chen Ge’er. “Su Yu! Why did you kick me?”
Without looking up, Chen Ge’er replied coolly, “You’re being noisy. The teacher will be here any moment.”
Chen Yunjian turned back grudgingly and muttered, “Can’t even speak now? Her poetry really is… something else…”
The entire class, having overheard their bickering, recalled Yuan Niang’s Ode to Snow from that day and began murmuring among themselves, interspersed with a few snickers.
Yuan Niang silently clenched the hem of her robe, her cheeks growing warm with embarrassment.
Suddenly, Chen Ge’er slammed his textbook shut, stood up, and declared loudly, “Since you all enjoy discussing poetry so much, why not try composing linked verses with me? You’re all two years older than Yuan Mei, yet you shamelessly mock a young girl?!”
Yuan Niang looked up abruptly at Chen Ge’er. He had always detested poetry—avoiding family banquets, skipping external gatherings hosted by their teacher, and even dodging verse exchanges between their teacher and eldest brother as if evading a cat. She had genuinely believed he was inept at literary arts!
But how could the teacher’s most prized disciple truly lack skill in poetry? He was suppressing his innate dislike to stand up for her. He truly was a wonderful, wonderful elder brother.
Chen Shiyi Niang watched Chen Ge’er’s demeanor and leaned close to Yuan Niang’s ear, murmuring with envy: “Now this is how an elder brother should be! Not like my brother, who never waits for me when going to school!”
None of the others dared provoke Chen Ge’er’s displeasure. With heads bowed low under his words, they pressed against their desks, not daring to speak.
“Slurp!” A loud sound pierced the silence as Chen Shiyi Niang nonchalantly took out her bamboo cup and sipped some milk tea, releasing an unmistakable aroma of milk tea that filled the air.
Nearby students were drawn to look over, and the bolder ones couldn’t help but ask: “Shiyi Niang, what are you drinking? Why does it smell so fragrant?”
Chen Shiyi Niang proudly lifted her chin and replied: “Milk tea! It’s a tea beverage that Sister Yuan came up with. It’s really fragrant.”
Hearing this, Chen Yunjian perked up and turned around: “So this is why you were dawdling at home, unwilling to leave?” He scratched his head and added, “She can barely compose poetry – how could she make tea beverages?”
Chen Shiyi Niang shot him a disdainful look and retorted: “You really underestimate people.”
Chen Yunjian then caught on and asked: “Did Father secretly take you out to play?”
“Hmm?” Chen Shiyi Niang gave him a haughty glance and replied, “Do I need to spell out that I’m Father’s favorite child?”
Others grew impatient with the siblings’ bickering and were more interested in Shiyi Niang’s milk tea, so they quietly interjected: “Shiyi Niang, are you selling this milk tea?”
Chen Shiyi Niang said: “This is Sister Yuan’s tea beverage. Only those who never mocked Sister Yuan are qualified to drink it!”
“I, I never made fun of Lin Puyuan!”
Another child raised their hand: “Me too, I never did! I can’t compose poetry either!”
“And me! I can’t compose poetry either! And I’d never laugh at others.”
Soon children throughout the entire classroom were raising their hands, clearly tempted by the milk tea.
Yuan Niang found the situation both amusing and exasperating, and the last remnants of her resentment slowly dissipated. She faintly heard her master saying outside the door: “Yuan Niang is still young. At home, I forbid the children from reciting poetry to cultivate their noble spirit.”
Song Laoxiucai respectfully replied: “Master Su is right. This old man failed to consider this properly…”
There was no snow in Hangzhou today – an exceptionally rare sunny day. The fog in Yuan Niang’s heart gradually cleared along with the weather.
Watching the children begging Chen Shiyi Niang for milk tea, she finally understood her master’s original intention in holding the Tea Tasting Party that day. So… it was all for her sake.
How fortunate she was – to have a master who loved her so dearly, and a second brother who protected her so fiercely.
Finally, Chen Shiyi Niang’s attendant finished distributing the milk tea, breathless from the effort, and placed the last cup in front of Yuan Niang.
Chen Shiyi Niang blinked and said: “February in Hangzhou is still quite chilly. After a cup of milk tea, everything feels warm, and even the words in books become sweet and lovely.”
Yuan Niang couldn’t help but laugh – this was the first time she’d heard someone describe written words that way.
Holding the straw between her lips, she took a sip of the fragrant milk tea, feeling completely comforted. She also brought out the sweet cakes made by Sister Chao Yun to share with everyone.
First meetings are awkward, second meetings familiar. With milk tea and pastries bringing them together, everyone quickly became acquainted and warm with each other.
Although Chen Ge’er remained as aloof as ever, he was the handsomest young master in the entire school. The girls were willing to talk with him, and the boys were curious about him because he was Su Shi’s son. Surprisingly unanimous, they all came to Chen Ge’er with questions about their studies.
Chen Ge’er might appear aloof and distant, but in reality, he was warm-hearted and always willing to answer questions for everyone—except for those who had laughed at Yuan Niang. He held grudges fiercely! Despite this, he gradually became even more popular than milk tea.
Before long, the stern old scholar, Scholar Song, walked in beaming with joy and began the lesson.
Yuan Niang sat up straight, listening attentively, determined to reclaim her former glory as a top student from her school days.
Time ticked by, and a month passed. In the third month of the year, the Jiangnan region was lush with grass, alive with orioles singing, and flowers blooming in full splendor.
It was on such a fragrant and bustling rest day that she received replies from Su Zhe and Wan Niang!