The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

After returning to Xianfu Palace and having breakfast, Shen Meizhuang asked Caiyue to get the "Female Analects" and start copying it.

An Lingrong sat aside and watched her movements.

Shen Meizhuang put her five fingers together, lightly gripped the pen with her thumb and index finger, placed her middle finger on her ring finger, lifted the pen low, mainly using her wrist and supplemented by her fingers, moved the pen lightly, and her brush tip was flexible and brisk.

She used the popular hairpin-shaped small regular script among women. The characteristics of this type of calligraphy are thinner strokes, and short strokes are mostly replaced by "dots and strokes". Therefore, strokes such as left and right strokes that originally required more effort were omitted, and they could be written without exerting a lot of wrist strength or making large strokes. This saved wrist strength and accelerated writing speed. The strokes were like hairpin-shaped silk threads, hence the name.

The characters are square in shape, rigorous in structure, with even stroke spacing, upright in style, and well-spaced and arranged, giving people a pleasing feeling.

Shen Meizhuang moved her fingers slightly and slowly wrote:

Every woman should first learn to establish herself. The way to establish herself is to be pure and chaste.

Purity makes the body clean, chastity makes the body honorable. When walking, do not look back, and when speaking, do not raise your lips.

When sitting, do not move your knees; when standing, do not shake your skirt; when happy, do not laugh loudly; when angry, do not shout loudly.

Men and women are separated in different places, both inside and outside. Do not peek into the outer walls, and do not go out into the outer courtyard.

Don’t share your name with a man who is not a relative. Don’t date a woman who is not virtuous.

Only when one is upright can he be a good human being.

……

"The Analects of Women" is a book of admonitions for women written by sisters Song Ruoshen and Song Ruozhao during the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. It consists of twelve chapters, namely, the chapter on establishing oneself, the chapter on learning to write, the chapter on learning etiquette, the chapter on getting up early, the chapter on serving parents, the chapter on serving uncles and aunts, the chapter on serving husbands, the chapter on training men and women, the chapter on managing the household, the chapter on entertaining guests, the chapter on being gentle and kind, and the chapter on maintaining chastity. Each chapter specifies in detail the words, deeds, and ways of managing the household and dealing with social matters for ancient women.

In order to prevent Concubine Hua from catching her, Shen Meizhuang wrote every stroke very carefully. An Lingrong brought a cup of tea and handed it to Shen Meizhuang, "Sister, take a rest!"

Shen Meizhuang put down the pen in her hand, took the tea and took a sip.

An Lingrong pointed at the book on the table and asked, "Sister, what do you think of this book?"

Shen Meizhuang thought for a moment and said, "The format and style of the instructions in the Analects of Women are very clear. Each chapter directly tells women what they should and should not do, as well as the consequences and penalties for violating the instructions. Compared with previous generations of women's instructions, it is clearer and more specific, and more instructive and practical."

"What about the content?"

Shen Meizhuang had read this book since she was a child. "It describes the qualities and image that women should possess, and focuses on the role of women in the family. In addition to requiring women to be chaste, diligent, and filial, it also emphasizes that a woman's main role is to serve her husband, manage household chores, and raise children."

"Women do all these things, so what do men do?"

Shen Meizhuang choked.

An Lingrong sighed, "Ah, it's still more comfortable to be a man!"

"But all women follow this as their code of conduct!"

"So, nowadays, all the ladies from noble families are like people cast from the same mold!" An Lingrong continued, "Sister, if I do everything in the book, will you still like me?"

Shen Meizhuang thought for a while, isn’t that what her two half-sisters look like?

Seeing Shen Meizhuang frowning and remaining silent, An Lingrong asked again, "Sister, do you know why the author of this book remained single?"

"why?"

“Because they can’t do it themselves, haha!”

"You girl!"

After dinner, the two of them lay in bed. An Lingrong remembered what Concubine Hua had said that morning, and leaned on Shen Meizhuang's shoulder and said, "Sister, tell me about you and Sister Zhen!"

Shen Meizhuang asked curiously, "Why do you think of asking this?"

"Just chatting when you have nothing to do!"

"I was born the same year as Huan'er, a month older than her. We've known each other since childhood and have grown up together. My father, who led troops to various locations year-round, often sent me to my maternal grandparents' home in Beijing. My grandparents' home was separated from the Zhen Mansion by a wall, so we often played together, did housework, flew kites, and made paper boats. Huan'er has been extremely intelligent since childhood, proficient in poetry and songs. My uncle and aunt Zhen are upright people and don't want her to marry a rich and powerful man. Huan'er only wanted to marry the best man in the world and grow old with him. Unfortunately, God couldn't bear to see her precious pearl go to waste, so she entered the palace with me!"

Shen Meizhuang finished speaking, but before An Lingrong could respond, she asked, "Why aren't you talking?"

An Lingrong nudged Shen Meizhuang and said, "I envy the friendship between you two!"

When he said this, his tone was nasal.

Shen Meizhuang stroked her long, smooth hair. "Rong'er, although I haven't known you as long as Huan'er, your importance in my heart is no less than hers. The more I interact with you, the more you surprise me. I can also feel that there are many shining points in you that I haven't discovered yet."

"I love hearing what you said, sister!" An Lingrong instantly became happy and rubbed Shen Meizhuang's arm against her.

Shen Meizhuang also smiled as she watched her twisting and turning like a worm.

An Lingrong suddenly remembered something. "Oh, sister, your birthday is in half a month. Turning eighteen is a very important birthday. What gift do you want me to give you?"

"As long as you and Huan'er accompany me for dinner, that'll be all!"

"I'll definitely have dinner with you, and I'll also give you a gift. Let me think about it!"

"Okay, take your time to think about it!"

"How about the handkerchief?"

"Don't you still owe me more than ten?"

"Are the clothes good?"

“I haven’t even started wearing the clothes I made in the spring!”

"I can't afford such expensive gifts!"

"Go to sleep. You have to get up early to greet me tomorrow!"

"I've got something special for you!"

"it is good!"

"You've never seen anything like it!"

"Row!"