cold clothes

The steps of a tea ceremony class are to brew tea, taste tea, have a nanny taste and score the tea, then wash the teaware, and then brew tea again for several hours, repeating this cycle endlessly. Drinking tea until your clothes are cold and your mouth is wrinkled and bitter, and your stomach is sore from not having eaten dinner... In addition, kneeling and sitting still for several hours makes your whole body numb and without feeling, but even so, you still have to maintain an elegant and graceful posture.

To call it elegant and refined is a bit of a positive ideal. I heard from a friend that the girls will learn seductive arts in the future, but they're too young to learn them yet, though the courses already subtly hint at something. As for this tea ceremony class, is the main focus really on teaching the young courtesans how to brew delicious tea and cultivate an appreciation for tea? No, the essence is to seduce men.

The old women explained that the correct way to brew tea was for etiquette, and they were taught to bow their heads and bend their backs. The other girls, having grown up in the brothel, believed whatever the old women said, but they couldn't fool Leng Yi, who had traveled from another time. When Leng Yi saw that the way to hold the teapot involved lifting the sleeve to reveal a snow-white wrist, the old women explained that it was to avoid soiling the clothes, but the implied meaning was quite obvious. They also explained that when pouring tea, one should kneel down close to the guest and lower one's head, making sure the head was lower than the guest's. This was clearly to please men with a submissive posture, allowing them to observe the white and smooth curves of the back of the woman's neck, satisfying their voyeuristic desires.

Such suggestive teaching was ubiquitous in the courtesan's courses. Even when reciting classical texts, the matrons required them to read in a high-pitched, melodious voice.

Those ancient sages and wise men would probably be horrified if they knew this.

Since Nongyue said she could learn from her, Lengyi didn't hold back. She imitated the steps and manners quite well, and the tea she brewed made the nanny nod with a smile, praising Lengyi for the first time.

Nongyue's face was visibly pale, not to mention Xiahua and Weifeng beside her.

Only the solitary and aloof Wu Xue remained as detached as ever, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs.

Leng Yi revealed a victorious and confident smile, her bright blue eyes shining brilliantly. She had always been good at smiling in her past life, and her stunning appearance made her smile exceptionally dazzling, so much so that it could cover up the despair for dignity beneath her smile.

Having finally endured the tea ceremony class, Lengyi was starving and visibly weak. However, Zhuoyu Pavilion had strict rules regarding food and drink, and no one could eat after dinner, so Lengyi could only endure her hunger.

Seeing this, Weifeng and Xiahua were certain that Lengyi had been punished by Yunqiu that afternoon. Weifeng's gloating expression was written all over his face, while Xiahua's eyes remained arrogant as always.

Xia Hua, as always, stepped forward to offer a few words of concern, advising Leng Yi to behave herself in the future and not to offend Yun Qiu, etc. Leng Yi smiled and said, "Sister Yun Qiu is only making me practice harder because she is not satisfied with how badly I play the zither, so that I can catch up with you as soon as possible."

This remark immediately changed everyone's expression; the pressure of the upcoming exam felt like an insurmountable mountain. The harder Leng Yi tried, the more pressure they felt.

As dawn broke and the water clock dripped, another night passed.

Today's calligraphy and painting class teacher, Qingchun, finally arrived. Dressed in a red dress, green skirt, and flying hair bun, she exuded elegance and a powerful aura. She looked rather domineering, as if she had come to interrogate someone. As soon as she arrived, her gaze was fixed on Lengyi.

Leng Yi gave her a provocative look.

Qingchun nearly flew into a rage, but she managed to suppress it. How could she be easily provoked by a junior? She gave a polite smile and said, "Let's begin the lesson."

“Today I’m not asking you to draw landscapes, flowers, or plants, but portraits,” Qingchun said. “Moreover, it’s about drawing the person among you who you think is most likely to be the thief.”

This question baffled everyone, but the young girls of Zhuoyu Pavilion were all precocious and realized that Qingchun was probably secretly targeting one of them.

Others might not dare to ask, but Xia Hua's status was extraordinary, so she directly asked Qingchun, "Sister Qingchun, what does this mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything, I just wanted to teach you how to judge people and the world. Some people you can know by their faces but not by their hearts, so you have to be careful." Qingchun said with a smile, but her eyes were glancing at Lengyi out of the corner of her eye.

Xia Hua naturally sensed it. She disliked beating around the bush and asked again, "Sister Qingchun, just tell me directly. Has anyone among us offended you?"

“That’s definitely not me. I’ve only seen Sister Qingchun during class,” Weifeng said hurriedly.

Xia Hua: "...I didn't say it was you."

"Hehe, you four little courtesans have always been well-behaved, I can't even keep up with praising you, when have I ever scolded you? It's just that a restless wildcat has recently arrived at Zhuoyu Pavilion, which has greatly displeased me."

The target was very clear: everyone's attention, as history repeated itself, focused on Leng Yi, who had remained silent from the beginning. And it must be said, Leng Yi had caused quite a bit of trouble in just a few days since he arrived.

Her cold, icy blue eyes held an untamed wildness, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips: "I knew someone as petty as you would retaliate against me, falsely accusing me of not only stealing your hairpin but also disrupting our class. Does Mama Hu know you're taking revenge like this?"

"You're still trying to deny it?!" Qingchun was furious. "You clearly stole my hairpin, and you still dare to twist the truth! You... Xiaoping! Yun'er! Take her to the torture chamber! I'm going to interrogate her to find out how she stole my hairpin!"

Xiaoping and Yun'er: "Yes."

Immediately, two strong and sturdy maids walked towards Leng Yi, while the others were terrified. Leng Yi secretly clutched something in her right hand.

"Wait, you can't just arrest the girls of Zhuoyu Pavilion as you please." Unexpectedly, Xia Hua stood in front of Leng Yi and scolded Qing Chun's maid. Then she turned to Qing Chun and said righteously, "Sister Qing Chun, we don't know what happened between you and Ning Bi. It's class time now. If you want to punish Ning Bi, you shouldn't do it at this time."

"Xia Hua, don't get in my way." Qing Chun was really impatient with Xia Hua and said decisively, "I'm going to drag her out now. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens, and I'll report to Mother myself. You, hurry up and do it!"

With Qingchun's order once again, Xiaoping and Yun'er stepped forward again. Xia Hua naturally couldn't stop them, but unexpectedly, Lengyi suddenly pushed Xia Hua aside and threw the thing in her right hand at Qingchun's face. Even though Lengyi's hands were clamped down the next moment, the powder still landed squarely on Qingchun's face.

The scene was chaotic for a while.

Qingchun screamed as the powder stung her eyes. The others were stunned by the sudden turn of events and didn't know how to react until Qingchun yelled, "Damn it, what did you throw?" Only then did anyone react and look at Qingchun's condition.

This calligraphy and painting class was truly impossible to continue, and Leng Yi was immediately restrained by Xiao Pingyun'er. Almost everyone was focused on Qing Chun's situation, but only Wu Xue noticed that Leng Yi remained unusually calm throughout.