Re-embroidering life

Ji Zimo rode his horse to Zhiyuan Villa. Dong Daru arranged for him to take the imperial examination next year, and now he was cramming for eight-part essays, policy essays, and applied essays.

While writing, he couldn't help but recall the conversation with his wife last night. He felt very sweet in his heart, and the corners of his mouth curled up quietly. Because he was distracted, there were several low-level mistakes in the article, and Dong Daru scolded him. Ji Zimo had no way to refute and could only bear it. After venting his anger, Dong Daru rolled his eyes: "Tell me, what's on your mind?"

Ji Zimo's face turned red. How could he tell the teacher about the matters between husband and wife?

"Hmph, you look like you're thinking about love!" Dong Daru rolled his eyes again.

Ji Zimo almost stumbled and fell to the ground. Is this what a respected scholar should say? Do the emperor in the capital and all the civil and military officials know that you are such a great scholar like Dong? Ji Zimo complained in his heart.

But it is only right for a disciple to ask the teacher for advice, right? Thinking of the confusion brought to him by the last quarrel with Qinghua, he blushed and said, "Teacher, what do you think of the saying that the husband is the guide of the wife?"

"Haha!" Dong Daru sneered and glanced at him with contempt: "Ji Zimo, you are not only old, but also stupid! You must have become stupid because of reading too much!"

"But aren't ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife the most basic human relationships in this world?"

Dong Daru leaned on the couch in a frivolous manner, crossed his legs, and looked at Ji Zimo with a look of disappointment: "There are all kinds of people in the world. How can there be any fixed rules for a couple to live together? It would be strange if you can live a good life according to what the book says! The most important thing between husband and wife is to love and respect each other. If you do nothing and just wait for your wife to obey you and regard you as the leader, then you can expect to be a bachelor for the rest of your life!"

Ji Zimo seemed to be thinking about something. Shui Qinghua said that she would treat him the same way he treated her. Was this what he meant?

A soft sound of footsteps sounded outside the study, approaching gradually. Ji Zimo did not notice that Dong Daru had put away his crossed legs, sat properly, and a sweet smile bloomed on his face. In the blink of an eye, the man had turned in from outside the screen, bringing with him a faint lotus fragrance.

Ji Zimo felt a flash before his eyes. He couldn't describe the woman's age or appearance because her temperament was too dazzling. Her clothes were not gorgeous, but when she glanced at his clear eyes, he felt ashamed for no reason. Ji Zimo grew up with everyone looking up to him. He never looked up at others, but in front of this woman, he suddenly became timid.

Dong Daru had already stood up from the couch and walked over to him quickly, smiling like a chrysanthemum: "Why did you come here so suddenly? If you have something to say, just tell me!"

The woman sat down on the couch with his help, her every move was indescribably elegant and graceful. "I didn't know you were having a class, I'm sorry to bother you." Her voice was as cold as ice.

"Don't bother me, don't bother me! School is about to end, and Zimo should go home for dinner."

Ji Zimo came back to his senses and hurried forward to bow deeply: "Student Ji Zimo, greetings to the master's wife."

The master's wife nodded to him to show her greeting, and Ji Zimo tactfully left.

Before, when Tang Hao heard that Dong Daru's daughter was the most beautiful woman in Jiangxia, he didn't believe it. It was strange that a teacher like him could give birth to a beauty. Now that he saw his teacher's wife, he believed it. He heard that his teacher's wife was a princess of an imperial family. No wonder she was so extraordinary.

Walking to an empty corner, Ji Zimo finally laughed without caring about his image. The teacher sternly lectured him, it turned out that in his family the wife is the head of the husband!

After Ji Zimo left, Lady Tanghua told Dong Daru: "Ever since Yajing saw an embroidered screen with a picture of galloping horses at the home of Magistrate Huang's daughter, she has been like a lost soul, looking around the world for who embroidered it, saying she wants to become his disciple!"

Dong Daru stroked his beard in confusion. Why is it that painting and embroidering galloping horses is popular now?

"Tell Yajing to stop messing around. I have a wonderful painting of galloping horses here. It is definitely better than that useless embroidered screen. I will send it to her for her to appreciate later!"

The courtyard where Miss Dong Yajing lived was named "Youhuangli", which was taken from Wang Wei's poem "Sitting alone in the secluded bamboo grove, playing the zither and whistling."

The yard is planted with green bamboos. Miss Dong often plays the piano, paints, plays chess, and meditates in the bamboo forest, following the example of the ancient sages in order to achieve a quiet mood and a clear mind.

Today, Miss Dong, who is usually relaxed, is a little bit uneasy. Yesterday, her father sent someone to bring her a painting of "Running Horses" for her to appreciate. She recognized it at a glance. This "Running Horses" is the original pattern of the running horse embroidery screen she saw at Miss Huang's house. Compared with the embroidery screen, the original painting's skills and realm are three points higher, and the surging power almost penetrates the paper and rushes to her face.

Influenced by her parents, Miss Dong has studied music, chess, calligraphy, painting and needlework since she was young. She is well-informed and has a first-class appreciation. Last time she saw the embroidered screen with a picture of galloping horses, she was amazed by both the painting and the embroidery. She never expected that after searching for it for so long, this painting was actually created by her father's disciple!

She had heard that her father had broken the rule of not accepting apprentices for many years and accepted a nearly 30-year-old apprentice. She had no interest in this senior brother and had never met him. She didn't expect that he was really talented. She just couldn't understand why such a precious painting was used as a pattern by an embroiderer and even presented to an official as a birthday gift? She thought that his family was very poor.

"Miss, Miss!" Qingzhu, the personal maid, ran over and said, "I just asked the servant in the front yard. The master's new disciple came to take classes today and is still in the study."

"Okay, Qingzhu, Zizhu, let's go!" Miss Dong lifted her skirt and went to the front yard.

Qingzhu hurriedly followed. Zizhu was about to say something, but stopped herself. It seemed inappropriate for the young lady to go to see a stranger openly. As a personal maid, should she advise her? While she was struggling, the young lady and Qingzhu were gone. Zizhu stamped her feet and said, "Never mind, senior brother, just because he is called a "brother", he is not a stranger!"

The three of them soon arrived outside Dong Daru's study. They saw his father and a tall young man walking out, chatting as they walked. Dong Daru scolded the senior brother for not working hard and not making progress. The senior brother bowed to Dong Daru and said, "It's not that I'm lazy, I've been busy looking for a female teacher for my daughter recently, so I've missed some lessons. I'll make up for it twice as much."

"That's better. You can take care of your family affairs. Just one thing, if you don't come back with a top scorer next year, don't say you are my student!" Dong Daru lectured fiercely. The senior brother made repeated assurances and bowed to leave.

"Female teacher?" Miss Dong, who was hiding behind the tree, rolled her eyes.

After the young man left, Miss Dong came forward to greet Dong Daru, and then pestered her father to talk about the discovery of the galloping horse painting.

"Oh, is that true? It's the same painting of galloping horses?" Dong Daru stroked his beard habitually. "I know Ji Zimo a little bit. He is very arrogant. He would never give the painting to an outside embroiderer, unless the embroiderer is his wife."

"Miss?"

"Yes, the only woman Ji Zimo knows is his wife. But given his pride, how could he allow his wife to sell her needlework? If he needed money, wouldn't it be easier to just sell the galloping horse paintings?" Dong Daru couldn't figure it out.

Dong Yajing couldn't figure it out either, but she grasped one key point: the person who embroidered the screen with the picture of galloping horses was most likely her senior brother's wife.