There is a happy inn in the capital.

The officials said the man was a scoundrel and a gambler who owed someone a thousand taels of silver and was probably trying to extort money from Li Shuchen to pay it back.

The crowd at the entrance dispersed, and the reception hall became quiet; there weren't many people left.

Li Shuchen asked Gu Ziying, "How about that? I'm awesome, right? How dare he covet my money? Does he think I'm a pushover? I'll beat him to a pulp!" He looked like he wanted praise.

Gu Ziying, of course, was happy to oblige her, saying, "Shu Chen is the best."

Li Shuchen said smugly, "That's right, who can beat me?"

The two chatted as they walked upstairs.

Gu Ziying: "You're really strong, much stronger than I imagined."

Li Shuchen: "Hehehe, I do practice martial arts, but I'm not even at the beginner level."

Gu Ziying: "Martial arts? You practiced them yourself?"

She didn't see that Li Shuchen had a mentor either.

Li Shuchen: "Yeah, me. Pretty good, right?"

Gu Ziying: "Practicing martial arts is no small matter; safety must be a priority."

Entering the Three Treasures Hall

Li Shuchen: "Look at me, ho ho ha hey!"

After saying that, he put on a show.

Gu Ziying watched Li Shuchen practice his boxing. She genuinely wanted to learn martial arts. There was someone in the capital who would be suitable to be Shuchen's teacher, but that person was used to being a loner.

I wonder if I could introduce her to Shu Chen? She'll pay him a visit another day.

After Li Shuchen finished showing off, he asked, "Wasn't I amazing?"

Gu Ziying replied, "Impressive."

Gu Ziying sat with Li Shuchen for a while, then went back.

Li Shuchen continued studying the martial arts manual that Xiao Jizi had given him.

That day, Li Shuchen was studying martial arts manuals in the Sanbao Hall. She wanted to learn as much as possible so that she could use it for self-defense in case of any unexpected events.

Fortunately, Li Shuchen practiced Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade) every day, so he had some foundation and it was easier for him to learn.

Knock, knock, knock, a knock came from the door.

"Miss, it's me, Aunt Wang."

Li Shuchen stopped her stance and stood at attention. Aunt Wang must have something to discuss with her at this time.

Li Shuchen: "Enter"

Aunt Wang came in somewhat apologetically and said, "Miss, I have something to say, so please just say it. The kitchen is too busy."

Li Shuchen knew that there were indeed too few people, and with the current high volume of customers, Aunt Wang couldn't handle everything by herself.

Li Shuchen took a sip of tea and said, "I've thought about adding some help for Aunt Wang, but I haven't found suitable people, and I don't trust anyone outside."

Aunt Wang thought for a moment and said, "I have a daughter named Shuang'er. She's fourteen, almost fifteen. She helps me at home and knows how to cook some simple dishes. If Miss needs..."

I'll have her come over tonight so I can take a look at the young lady.

Li Shuchen thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay."

Aunt Wang's face lit up with joy: "Then I'll go downstairs first."

After Aunt Wang left, Li Shuchen continued studying the martial arts manual, learning each move with remarkable skill.

She reluctantly put down her arms only after Grape called her to dinner.

In the front hall, Aunt Wang led in a little girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, who looked somewhat like Aunt Wang, with round, bright eyes.

Before Aunt Wang could introduce them, he stepped forward and bowed to Li Shuchen, saying, "Greetings, Miss."

Li Shuchen smiled: "Good girl, you'll call me Shuang'er, right?"

Wang Shuang'er: "Miss, it's called Shuang'er."

Li Shuchen thought she was polite and unafraid of people, which was good.

Li Shuchen nodded. She was quite clever and knew how to handle problems in the kitchen. Besides, the mother and daughter had a certain understanding of each other, making their teamwork easy.

Li Shuchen then said, "Come and work tomorrow, in the kitchen with your mother."

Wang Shuang'er bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Miss. I will definitely work hard and live up to your trust."

Wang Shuang'er knew that Miss Li trusted her, which was why she was willing to let her work in the kitchen.

She and her mother depended on each other for survival. She had tried many jobs before but was rejected every time. Over the years, she had come to understand how difficult it was for a woman to find work. Now that Miss Li had given her this opportunity, she would be as loyal to her as her mother.

Cook Wang smiled and said, "Miss, I'll take Shuang'er downstairs first."

Li Shuchen: "Hmm"

Li Shuchen noticed it was getting late; it had been a long time since he had slept at home.

Li Shuchen: "Grape, go back to the mansion to sleep tonight."

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was Xiao'er's day off.

Li Shuchen had just finished breakfast when he heard Xiao'er reading aloud.

"Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with; if you get too close to them, they become disrespectful, and if you keep your distance, they resent you."

From Chapter 17, Yang Huo, in the Analects

Li Shuchen walked over and asked, "Xiao'er, do you know what this means?"

Li Lingxiao looked up at Li Shuchen and slowly said...

This means that concubines (those favored by the ruler) and those full of secrets are difficult to cultivate. (Here, "cultivate" refers to nurturing, cultivating, and fostering a righteous spirit, as well as nourishing the body, mind, nature, and destiny.)

Therefore, one must maintain a proper distance when interacting with them; getting too close can be impolite and break the rules, while keeping too far away can easily breed resentment.

Li Shuchen nodded in affirmation: "That's right."

Li Shuchen felt that her younger brother hadn't gone astray.

Li Lingxiao scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said with a smile, "Brother Xiao told me this."

Li Shuchen: "Brother Xiao?"

Li Lingxiao: "Yes, Brother Xiao is my classmate. He has helped me a lot. I ask him whenever I don't understand something."

Li Shuchen: "Your Brother Xiao is quite good; he has his own insights."

Li Lingxiao: "Yes, Brother Xiao also said, 'Confucius' famous saying is: Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. His philosophy is that 'the benevolent love others,' so I don't think Confucius would belittle women and petty people."

The Great Learning states: "From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must regard the cultivation of self as the root." The "petty person" Confucius referred to is everyone who has "not cultivated themselves."

A true gentleman (君子) achieves a state of mind where he can manage his family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world through self-cultivation. We are all born petty; a gentleman is someone who progresses from being a petty person. No one is born that way.

Xiao'er thinks Brother Xiao is absolutely right.

After listening, Li Shuchen also felt that this Brother Xiao was a person with his own opinions and clear principles.

Li Shuchen: "He explained it very well, and you listened to him. I'll reward you with a big chicken leg tonight. Get some rest; remember to balance work and rest."

Come on, I'll take you out for a walk.

Li Lingxiao happily replied, "Okay."

Li Lingxiao put the book away and went to change his clothes. He was very happy; this was the first time his older sister had taken him out to play. He wore his best and most presentable clothes, and dressed neatly and properly.

Li Shuchen also went back to her room to change her clothes. She needed to look presentable when going out, unlike at home where she dressed so casually. It was also a way of giving herself a sense of ritual.

Grape styled her hair into a pretty bun, a lily bun, but it seemed like she didn't have any suitable jewelry.

Looking at the small amount of jewelry, Grape didn't know which one to choose for her mistress: "Miss still doesn't have enough jewelry."

Li Shuchen also felt there weren't enough hairpins or ornaments, and there weren't any suitable for this hairstyle.

Li Shuchen: "Okay, I'll go buy it in a bit. That's all for now."

Li Lingxiao had already tidied up and was patiently waiting in front of Li Shuchen's door.

He knew that girls need time to dress themselves up, and they should spend time dressing themselves up too.

The door creaked open, and Li Lingxiao looked at her older sister who walked out of the house. She was beautiful, but something was missing.