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nChapter 41 : Tingyun Pavilion

nTingyun (clouds on the sandbank) Pavilion was built near a clear water in the garden. It was said to be an attic, but it was actually a waterside pavilion with half of its surface stretching forward into the water. It was built with the beauty of a quaint scroll of small gardens in the south of the Yangtze River, and its interior was also beautifully decorated.

nAs soon as Yuxi entered Tingyun Pavilion, she smiled and said admiringly, “Third Sister, this Tingyun Pavilion you live in, is really beautiful. If I don’t know this place is yours, I will feel like I was in the fairy palace!” Naturally, there was an exaggeration in this statement, but this place was really much higher grade than Yuxi’s Rose Courtyard.

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nYuchen saw that Yuxi was only saying it as it was, without the look of envy, jealousy or hatred in her eyes. She smiled and said, “Fourth Sister can often come and play here in the future.”

nYuxi answered with a smile, but she would not really take the offer seriously. Apart from the fact that the maids around Yuchen had been guarding against her like she was a thief, the Old Madam was also not happy when she knew that Yuxi often looked for Yuchen.

nShishu came in from the outside, bowed, extended a salute and said, “Miss, Eldest Miss is here.” Today was the first day for Yuchen to move in. So, it was normal for people to come and visit.

nWhen Yuru entered Tingyun Pavilion, she felt that her eyes were not enough to see everything inside. She had always known that Tingyun Pavilion was the best courtyard in the residence, but she did not expect it to be so rich and exquisite, “It is a great blessing for Third Sister to live in such a beautiful loft.”

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nHearing this, Yuxi felt that it was not right. In order not to embarrass Yuru, she smiled and said, “We are all blessed to say that we all are truly lucky. Otherwise, if we were born in a common people’s home, where would we have such a good life as this, and perhaps, we will still worry about our three meals!“ This was also her sincere words. Although she lived a humbled life in her previous life, she never had to worry about food and clothing. Even if she was sent to remote hamlet by the Jiang family, she still didn’t have to worry about eating and drinking, but it was also because of this that she knew the ordinary people were actually having a much harder life than her.

nYuru choked, but soon she smiled again and said, “Fourth Sister means is being a young miss of the state residence is a great blessing for us.”

nThen, Yuchen took both of her sisters to look around Tingyun Pavilion.

nTo the west of Tingyun Pavilion was Yuchen’s private residence. The layout of this place wasn’t only managed to make Yuru felt hot, even Yuxi couldn’t help but sigh. The Old Madam was really too bias.

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nSeveral rooms in the east were unoccupied, but they were not idle either. They were arranged as study room, qin room, painting room and chess room.

nYuxi looked at the surface of the yellow rosewood writing desk and at the paintings on the wall which worth several cities (Chinese idiom : invaluable, priceless). As for the exquisite tea set placed on the table, no need for her to mention their worth. She was totally speechless. She was also a young miss of the residence, but the pay gap between them was too wide. Fortunately, she had lived for more than twenty years and managed to relax her mind. Otherwise, she would certainly be jealous.

nThe silk handkerchief in Yuru’s hand had been twisted till it changed its form. She felt angry, hatred and resentful.

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nFive Saints via Guoxue on 中國曆代著名道觀、道長簡介（四）article.

nThen, they went to the painting room and looked at the picture hanging on the wall. Yuxi couldn’t help but asked, “Third Sister, is this picture of the Five Saints a genuine one?”

nYuchen nodded and said, “It’s the real thing.”

nYuxi said with a smile, “Third Sister, you must be able to get some insight from looking at the masterpiece painting of the Saints every day.” The painting of the Five Saints was absolutely priceless in the market. If she got this kind of paintings, she would put them all away and treated them like the apples of her eyes.

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nYuru knew that this was a painting by Saint Wu Daozi and she couldn’t bear it any longer. She said, “Grandmother really loves Third Sister dearly. She will often gives everything good to Third Sister. All pictures in my yard can’t compare with a picture in Third Sister’s room.“

nA trace of awkwardness appeared on Yuchen’s face. Some of these things were her mother’s dowry, and some were given to her by her grandmother.

nYuxi didn’t seem to hear the jealousy in Yuru’s words. She smiled and went to an easel. She looked at the unfinished painting and said, “Third Sister, this peony flower painting is really good!”

nYuchen responded to Yuxi’s words, “Fourth Sister is too modest. I can’t paint flowers as well as Fourth Sister.” Yuxi’s landscape painting standard had nothing good to be said about. However, the gorgeous flowers that she painted were fabulous, which Yuchen could not compared. According to Teacher Song, this was Yuxi’s natural talent.

nYuxi said with a smile, “Where can I be compared with Third Sister? When I draw pictures, I only draw for my amusement.” She even hardly wrote in her spare time.

nYuru almost vomited blood when she heard this. What this about Yuxi only painted for her own amusement? Was this a sneer at her inability to do anything? She had never missed Yujing as much as did right now. If Yujing was here, she would surely make a scene and asked her not to hold herself back so much.

nAfter Yuxi completed her walk through around Tingyun Pavilion, she was ready to go back, “Third Sister has just moved in and I’m sure there are many things to do, so I won’t bother Third Sister anymore. I’ll come back when I have free time.“

nYuchen would be really busy with the move, so she didn’t ask for Yuxi to stay either.

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nIn response, Yuru also left with Yuxi. Once outside, Yuru didn’t returned to her yard, but instead suggested to tag along with Yuxi to Rose Courtyard.

nHow could Yuxi not know what was in Yuru’s mind, which was nothing more but to see if her courtyard furniture arrangement was no better than her, “Today, I’m actually quite free, so, Eldest Sister, you can come with me!”

nQingxuan was very worried about her Miss. She had already offended Third Miss. Was she going to offend Fourth Miss next? If she continued doing this, she would surely not be able to request a helping hand from them in the future. Qingxuan thought till here, and her heart turned powerless. She didn’t know why, but her Miss temper had became more and more wrong. If she kept on like this, Qingxuan was worried that she would lose control.

nOnce they arrived at Rose Courtyard, Yuru looked at it interior decoration and her expression loosen up. All the things in the interior of the courtyard were all fell short of the ones she currently using.

nYuxi knew Yuru came to find a balance, so she didn’t spare a look at Yuru’s happy face.

nThe Rose Courtyard was pitifully small, not as big as the east of Tingyun Pavilion, and there was nothing much for anyone to see. In a blink of an eye, the walk through of the courtyard was over.

nBefore leaving, Yuru remembered one thing and asked, “Fourth Sister, I heard that Third Sister’s Tingyun Pavilion will have a small kitchen. Do you know that?”

nYuxi nodded. Then she smiled and said, “I know it is convenient to have a small kitchen, since it is also convenient to have a cup of hot tea at night, so I am also going to build one in the Rose Courtyard!”

nYuru’s complexion turned stiff, “Did Grandmother agreed?” If Yuchen had a small kitchen, she could forget it. After all, Yuchen had a powerful backer and quite well-off, but if Yuxi also had a small kitchen, she felt it was unfair. Who in the residence did not know that Yuxi’s mother had lost all her money?

nYuxi smiled and said, “I haven’t mentioned it to Grandmother yet, but Third Sister’s small kitchen money is from her private savings. If I set up one too, Grandmother wouldn’t refuse. Eldest Sister may not know, at the end of the twelfth month last year, Motao went to the big kitchen to get my breakfast. She fell on the way and had to take care of her injury for more than half a month. With a small kitchen, there will be no more of such incidents. “

nYuru looked a bit embarrassed, but she quickly hid it and said, “Fourth Sister, our monthly allowance isn’t enough to build a small kitchen.” Mother must have promised to give Yuxi some subsidiaries, otherwise where would Yuxi be so forthright. Thinking till here, Yuru had a bad taste in her heart. Her mother had treated Yuxi like her own daughter, however acted indifferenly to her daughters from the same house.

nYuxi said with surprised, “Naturally, it is not enough if I used my monthly accounts, but the baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop opened by Mama Fang is doing better and better now. She earns at least thirty to forty taels of silver a month, which is enough for me to spend.”

nThe smile on Yuru’s face could not be maintained, “Mama Fang is really a loyal servant.” Why didn’t she have such loyal servants who could make money for her?

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nAfter sending off Yuru, Hongshan angrily said, “Eldest Miss is too much.” Whenever the three girls felt frustrated, they would come to her Miss courtyard to find a sense of superiority, which for her was akin to an act of bullying.

nYuxi began to feel that Yuru was very good in hiding her true self. She looked at Yuru’s gentleness and amiability, but when she knew her more, she found that all these gentleness and amiably were just a facade. Yuru was actually very small-minded. Previously, Yuxi couldn’t see her true self not because Yuru hid it well, but she was very foolish to even notice.

nSoon, Yuxi received news that the Old Madam had agreed for a small kitchen to be built in Rose Courtyard.

nWhen Mama Shen heard the news, she was very worried and said, “Miss, to build a small kitchen will cost a lot.”

nYuxi carelessly said, “How much money can I eat by myself?” In fact, she had been worrying about money recently. It only took half a month for her to prepare the ointment but she could not sell it yet. Otherwise, she would have taken it out long time ago, and let Mama Fang sold them.

nThe next day, Yuxi arrived at Magnolia Courtyard on time, exactly two quarters till maoshi (5-7am) hours, and so did Yuchen who stepped in at that point. There was nothing Yuxi could do right now. She actually had to make herself presentable, but if she went back now, she had to walk a long way back to her courtyard and she had to rush back here.

nTeacher Song looked at them both wearing thick coats and said, “From today on, you will learn wuqinxi from me.”

nYuxi was filled with joy that she crisply responded, “Okay.”

nYuchen, who had been educated as a lady, said at the moment that she did not want to learn it. What did this wriggle movements look like! If people outside knew about this, they would laugh to death at them.

nTeacher Song shook her head and said, “Third Miss, learning wuqinxi is for you to learn to exercise since you are not in good health. It’s useless to learn anything more without making your body healthy first.” Seeing Yuchen who still couldn’t make up her mind, she continued, “Yuchen, I’ve already told the Old Madam about this. She already agreed and there will not be many people who will know about it. So, you don’t have to worry about this being spread out.”

nYuchen was still reluctant.

nUnder Teacher Song’s strong request, Yuchen reluctantly followed her to learn wuqinxi. Strangely, Yuxi had already learned it like a model student, while Yuchen was still missing the point.

nLearning had always been a pleasure for Yuchen, but now, every minute felt like a torment for her. On the next wuqinxi class, she told Teacher Song that she would not like to learn it anymore and would rather spend that time practicing two more pieces of music.

nThis made Yuxi finally set her mind at ease. As expected, in all walks of life, in every trade, a master appeared (Chinese idiom : every profession produces its own leading authority), Yuchen also could not learn everything well.

nTeacher Song didn’t force it on Yuchen either, as she said, “You can’t just study every day. If you don’t want to learn wuqinxi, you have to exercise in other ways.” She could not think of any particularly good method for the time being, other than to let Yuchen went out and walked more on weekdays to exercise her muscles and bones.

nAfter saying this, Teacher Song looked at Yuxi, whose face was flushed. After letting them both into the room, she said to old woman Ding, “Now I don’t know whether it is good or bad to allow the Fourth Miss to sit in.” Yuchen was gifted and had a good character, but her actions and thoughts were framed by a framework from which she refused to move out from. While Yuxi was the opposite of Yuchen. She completely did not care about other people’s thoughts. She would do it as long as it was good for her.

nOld woman Ding had some doubts, “Ma’am, what do you mean?”

nInstead of explaining, Teacher Song softly said, “Maybe I’m thinking too much about it.”

nNoob Translator’s Musing

nNext chapter would be about the author, June, explaining regarding the subscription of the original novel.

nAlso, on Chapter 43, the author June will introduce her new novel and expressing her gratitude to her fans who have been supporting her and this novel, The Rebirth of Han Yuxi.

nSo, Yuxi and co will take a break for two chapters.

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