The Daily Life of a Concubine's Daughter After Transmigrating

"But Miss, does Madam not want to teach you how to manage the household?"

Liu Yun said cautiously.

Even Liu Yun could see it, so how could Li Anqi not know?

Madam Zhao told me to go around the mansion to find out the relationships between the people. If I really went, the servants would gossip and say that Madam Zhao was unwilling to teach me personally.

Actually, it's not so bad.

I'm afraid that if word gets back to the old lady and the master, they'll misunderstand and think I'm being petty and deliberately showing off, ruining Madam Zhao's reputation. That would be terrible.

"Nothing of the sort, don't overthink it."

Li Anqi smiled and said.

"Alright, it just snowed last night. Come with me for a stroll in the back garden before we go back."

"it is good!"

Liu Yun responded with a laugh.

After a fresh snowfall, the plants and pavilions in the garden were covered with a layer of frost.

A layer of crystal ice had formed on the surface of the pond, and you could still faintly see the red koi fish swimming beneath the ice.

Suddenly, the melodious laughter of several girls, like silver bells, came from not far away.

Looking around, Li Anqi saw Li Baoqin playing under the cypress tree in the back garden with her two personal maids, Cuihong and Caixia.

Caixia was building a snowman on the side, Cuihong was sitting on a swing, and Li Baoqin was pushing Cuihong from behind.

Someone threw a snowball first, and the three of them put down their snowman and swing, and started a snowball fight.

The three of them were having so much fun that they didn't even notice someone approaching.

Li Anqi originally wanted to leave, but then he saw Li Baoqin smiling and holding Cuihong and Caixia's hands.

"You two are the closest people to me. From now on, the three of us are best friends! If anyone dares to bully you, be sure to tell me, and I'll stand up for you!"

"Cuihong and Caixia are truly outrageous! This servant will go and tell the old lady and the madam!"

Liu Yun was furious and turned to leave, but Li Anqi stopped her.

"If you go, you'll probably just make people dislike you again. And that's not necessarily what your sister meant. Don't go yet."

Liu Yun gave up, stood there and glared fiercely at Cui Hong and Cai Xia, even though neither of them saw her.

Li Anqi pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Hello, Sister Qin."

When Li Baoqin saw that the visitor was Li Anqi, the smile on her face obviously faded.

"How did you come?"

"Sister Qin, may I speak to you in private?"

Given the previous caterpillar incident, both Cuihong and Caixia were wary of Li Anqi.

When Li Anqi came to their door, they immediately became alert and gently tugged at Li Baoqin's sleeve, trying to tell her not to go.

Li Baoqin shook her head at them, indicating that she was fine.

Li Baoqin looked at Li Anqi with a 'let's see what kind of trouble you're up to' expression and said, "Fine."

The two, both wearing fox fur coats, walked side by side on the cobblestone path.

Li Anqi handed the hand warmer in his hand to Li Baoqin.

"Sister, your hands are all red from the cold. Let's warm them up first."

Li Baoqin hesitated for a second, but her hands were too cold from playing in the snow, so she didn't refuse.

"What does my sister want to say?"

Li Anqi glanced at Li Baoqin and spoke hesitantly.

"I just saw that you were having a good time with the maids, and I have something I want to say to you."

"What?"

Zhuangzi said, "The friendship between gentlemen is as bland as water, while the friendship between petty men is as sweet as wine. Gentlemen are close through blandness, while petty men break off through sweetness." Maintaining a little distance between people is good for your sister.

Li Anqi spoke calmly.

"What do you mean? Are you calling me a villain?!"

Li Baoqin's tone was sharp as she continued, "You're just jealous of my relationship with my maid! In my opinion, you're the one I should keep my distance from!"

“This villain is not that villain, sister, you have misunderstood.”

Li Anqi remained calm and composed, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"I just wanted to remind you, sister, that those maids are servants from birth. If they are elevated to the same level as you, sister, things might get out of hand."

"They are human beings, not pigs or dogs! Don't you have even a shred of humanity?!"

What Li Baoqin hated most was their arrogant attitude, treating servants like dirt.

"It has nothing to do with whether my sister is human or not. Ethical principles and social norms are the foundation of public order; going against them will only lead to chaos."

Li Anqi braced himself and tried to explain this to Li Baoqin.

In modern society, all people are born equal.

But in this day and age, people are divided into different classes. Some people have been lowly slaves for generations, like pigs and dogs being sold off.

Li Baoqin possesses modern ideas, yet she tries to apply them to ancient society.

Li Anqi certainly wanted to as well, after all, she had always adhered to the principles of freedom, democracy, equality, and harmony since she was a child.

But she knew that she couldn't possibly fight against the entire era on her own.

Every era has its own way of life, and going against ethical norms is undoubtedly like a moth drawn to a flame.

That's why she wanted to persuade Li Baoqin.

Even she herself sometimes couldn't accept this fact.

"What ethics! What social order? It's my freedom to be nice to whomever I want!" Li Baoqin suddenly exploded like a lit firecracker.

free……

A hint of longing flashed in Li Anqi's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Li Anqi slowly said, "Zhuangzi said: 'The long is not a surplus, the short is not a deficiency. Therefore, though the duck's legs are short, those who lengthen them will worry; though the crane's legs are long, those who cut them will grieve.' Cheng Xuanying's commentary says: 'To cut off the crane's length and lengthen the duck's shortness to make them equal is to deeply violate the workings of nature and go against one's true nature.'"

Li Baoqin dismissed it with disdain.

"Stop talking nonsense and trying to show off!"

Upon hearing such familiar modern words, Li Anqi felt a moment of light amidst the suppressed loneliness in the corner of his heart.

"...Sister cut off the crane's long legs to lengthen the wild duck's short legs, which goes against the laws of nature, and I'm afraid she will not have a good end."

"I think you just can't stand to see me doing well! What do you pedantic people who can only recite classical Chinese texts know? It's laughable!"

Li Baoqin thought that Li Anqi was still blaming her for being too close to the maid, and his tone was full of sarcasm and disgust.

"It's pointless to talk to you when we don't see eye to eye!"

After finishing her speech, Li Baoqin slammed the hand warmer heavily into Li Anqi's arms and stormed off.

Li Anqi stood there, quietly watching Li Baoqin leave.

Li Anqi returned to the courtyard with Liu Yun.

Zhilan quickly took the hand warmer from Li Anqi's hand, asked Qiuyue to add charcoal, and then followed Li Anqi into the house, where he took off her fox fur cloak.

"Second Miss has been gone for so long, she must have learned a lot from Madam. Now I can rest assured," Zhilan said with a smile.

"Madam was not feeling well, so I took a stroll in the back garden and did not stay with her for long."

Li Anqi sat down on one side of the daybed, picked up the needles and thread and the stretched fabric from the basket, and continued embroidering the camellia pattern she had learned a few days ago.

Zhilan paused, her smile faltering for a moment. After thinking for a while, she asked casually while busy with her work.

"Has Madam made things difficult for Miss?"

Li Anqi looked up, seemingly surprised that Zhilan would ask such a question.

Even if others know your situation, they will just give you a few vague words and let it pass.

Why did Zhilan dare to ask such a question?

"If I tell you the truth, will you also tell the old lady the truth?"

Li Anqi calmly and deliberately threaded the needle.