I'm a humble concubine. My acting skills are off the charts. You can check my performance.

The next morning, he went to pay his respects to the eldest lady. The third young master Zhao Zhiyuan was checked by the eldest lady for his schoolwork. He could not recite the lessons well, but in the evening even Zhao Minshan knew about it.

"Yuan'er is really a bit slack. It's bad enough that he can't compare to his two brothers, but now he's even worse than Yu girl."

The eldest lady looked worried and even slowed down her fiddling with the abacus. Zhao Minshan, who had finished his official duties and was sitting on the couch to relax, was originally a little hesitant about the eldest lady's checking of Zhao Zhiyuan's schoolwork. He didn't expect that Zhao Zhiyuan was not even as good as Zhao Fangyu.

"Girl Yu has some talent in studying." Zhao Minshan remembered the handwriting of Zhao Fangyu that he had seen before. At such a young age, she studied hard on her own without anyone urging her. In addition to wanting to please her parents, she probably also really liked him.

"It's a pity that Yu'er is not a boy, otherwise he would be a perfect helper for our Mo'er."

The eldest lady brought a piece of paper to Zhao Minshan, and said with a trio of pride: "Yu'er's talent is not only in studying, she is also good at math, and she doesn't even need an abacus to help with the accounting."

Zhao Minshan hummed with a hint of surprise, his tone rising.

The eldest lady might not understand, but he did. There was a subject called mathematics in the imperial examination, which relied on arithmetic. This subject often stumped countless students, because if they knew these things, they knew them, and if they didn't, they didn't know them. There was no way to quote classics and make specious remarks to gain points.

Zhao Minshan glanced at the account book handed over by the eldest lady. The handwriting on it was childish in some places, and he thought it was written by Zhao Fangyu.

Zhao Minshan closed his eyes and thought about Zhao Zhiyuan, who was usually silent when in front of him, and sighed that it was a pity.

The eldest lady smiled and said, "Maybe she just doesn't have the talent. A few months ago, Yu'er's academic performance surpassed Lan'er's."

Only then did Zhao Minshan begin to truly take Zhao Fangyu seriously.

"Tell me about Yu'er."

···

After the last battle to protect his sister-in-law, the relationship between Zhao Fangyu and Zhao Fangjin has taken a step further.

Zhao Fangjin often used Zhao Fangyu as an excuse to stab Zhao Fanglan's heart, and Zhao Fanglan's reputation as a talented woman was also transferred to Zhao Fangyu under the operation of the eldest lady.

Zhao Fanglan was so angry that she couldn't sleep well every night, and before the spring was over, she fell ill.

Zhao Fangyu also worked hard, practicing calligraphy, reading books and handling account books. Thanks to the fact that she had learned mathematics well in her previous life, these account books were not difficult for her.

However, her progress always follows that of Zhao Fangjin. No matter how much the eldest lady admires and likes her, and is willing to use her to compete with other courtyards, it is impossible for her to let her daughter give way to Zhao Fangyu.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Fangmo could already crawl.

When paying their respects, the whole family gathered around Zhao Fangmo, who had just learned to crawl, and Zhao Fangyu was no exception.

It's summer now, there are fewer banquets, and the people who come around are basically just relatives.

The eldest lady took Zhao Fangyu out several times. She never did anything that would give rise to gossip. Whenever she brought Zhao Fangyu to an occasion, she would also bring other illegitimate girls in the mansion.

In the distribution of each quarter, there was a set of clothes to be sent out for meeting guests. Zhao Fangyu's clothes were bean green and did not look bright, so Zhao Fangjin found out his pair of small pearl bud flower crowns and gave them to Zhao Fangyu to wear.

"Our little four is much prettier than others." Zhao Fangjin looked at Zhao Fangyu, who was as fair and tender as a water dumpling, and couldn't help but think of Zhao Fangyun, who had an ugly face just now.

There are only two little sisters in the family. Zhao Fangyu and Zhao Fangyun are wearing skirts of the same style but different colors and similar hair crowns, but everyone's eyes fall on Zhao Fangyu at first glance.

Zhao Fangyu wanted to get into Zhao Fangjin's arms, but Zhao Fangjin stopped her. The eldest lady couldn't help laughing when she saw this.

"Ever since the fourth young lady came to the courtyard, the eldest lady has been smiling more than usual."

The eldest lady's smile continued unabated, and Zhao Fangyu looked like a lucky star.

"It was thanks to her that she saw through the third girl's trick last time." The eldest lady's eyes were particularly disgusted when she mentioned Zhao Fanglan. "He is just a bastard who can't even compare with Yu girl in schoolwork. What use can he be?"

"You want to harm my son for such a waste, do you think I am made of mud?"

Mother Cui added some new incense to the incense burner: "The eldest lady has not taken action in recent years and has restrained her temper. They have also forgotten the eldest lady's methods."

"Some people have cheap lives and cannot live a good life. It is hard to persuade damned ghosts with kind words. It is their blessing that the eldest lady teaches them a lesson."

The eldest lady smiled, smelling the faint scent of gardenia floating in the air, her brows relaxed.

Zhao Fangyu accompanied Zhao Fangjin to paint in the garden. Today was a day off for the master and it had just rained yesterday, so the weather was neither too cold nor too hot, perfect for going out to play.

"Ajin!" Suddenly a female voice was heard, like the cry of a lark in an empty valley, melodious and joyful. Zhao Fangjin immediately dropped the painting in his hand, turned around and hugged Meng Yanzhen.

It was a rare occasion for the two little sisters to see each other, so Zhao Fangyu did not disturb them and tactfully left the garden.

When I was leaving, I saw Mother Cui coming back from outside in a hurry.

Zhao Fangyu felt that something was wrong, and immediately turned around to tell Chunshao and Xiangyao that he remembered that one of the spices was almost used up, and he had to ask his second brother for help to buy some more.

He took the silver, wrote a shopping list, and arrived at Zhao Zhirun's yard on time.

Sure enough, there was a commotion in my brother’s yard.

Since Zhao Zhirun was not at home, Zhao Fangyu sat in his yard waiting for him.

I could still vaguely hear the noise from next door, and it seemed there were some "ignorant words."

Soon Zhao Zhirun came back and found Zhao Fangyu lying on the stone table, drowsy and looking uninterested in what was happening outside.

"Why don't you go in and wait?"

The strands of hair on Zhao Fangyu's forehead fluttered, becoming more lively: "It's hot, it's cooler outside."

"My second brother has something to do outside, and I have nothing to do later, so I'm free anyway."

Zhao Fangyu smiled and pushed the order over. Zhao Zhirun was familiar with this matter and agreed straightforwardly. Zhao Fangyu waited for him to accept the things before pretending to ask casually why he was away for so long.

"The evening breeze was so comfortable that I almost took a nap on my second brother's desk."

Zhao Zhirun tapped Zhao Fangyu's head with amusement: "It's not a big deal, it's just that there are two unruly maids in my third brother's place, and they have been dealt with."

Zhao Fangyu nodded, exchanged a few words with Zhao Runzhi and then left.

She thought about it all the way.

Her intuition told her that there was something fishy about the maidservant who had gotten into trouble with the Third Young Master.

The masters of the mansion all live together, and the servants spread the most rumors. Although the things in the front yard are kept secret, Xiangyao's family are all domestic children. Things that others find difficult to find out are just a matter of asking the neighbors for her.

It was the middle of the night, Xiangyao was on duty, and when no one was around, Xiangyao whispered to Zhao Fangyu about the news she had heard.

"The maid sent by the Third Young Master's courtyard was from Madam Zhang's side. She seduced my son into doing something he shouldn't have done. It is said that her body is empty."