Yuxi waited for about a quarter of an hour when Yuchen finally came out. She could see that Yuchen was wearing twelve layers of unlined clothes, with her hair rolled up in a high bun, and the bun was inserted with jade and pearl hair ornaments.
Yuxi was stunned when she saw such a lavish costume. If they had to wear something like that just to learn the rules, they would surely be dead tired by the end of the day.
When Momo[1] Gui saw Yuxi, her eyes showed dissatisfaction, and she asked, "Why didn't you change your clothes, Fourth Miss?"
Yuxi was not stupid. How could she not understand the meaning of Momo[1] Gui's words asking why she was not dressed up like Yuchen? She answered, "I don't have such clothes."
Listening to Yuxi's words, Yuchen softly ordered, "Shiqin, take out the set of pale green clothes for Si Meimei[2] to wear."
When Yuxi heard this, she exclaimed, "San Jie[3], I can't wear your clothes." Yuchen was half a head taller than her, which would only make the outfit look ill-matched on her body.
Yuchen smiled and said, "The clothes were made last year, and I haven't worn them yet. So, they should fit Si Meimei[2] perfectly."
Yuxi gratefully said, "Thank you, San Jie[3]." Actually, she was ridiculing the matter in her heart. It was a waste that the clothes had already been made but were still not worn.
Yuxi followed the maid to Yuchen's bedroom, where she had to change her clothes first. She not only needed to change her outer garment but also her whole attire from the inside out.
The maid soon brought in the clothes, which were also twelve unlined layers made of satin and embroidered with exquisite patterns.
When the clothes were worn on Yuxi's body, it was slightly oversized.
Once Yuxi had changed her clothes, her hair needed to be done again, so she immediately sat in front of the room dressing table. She looked at the ivory dressing table, with the top of it filled with a dozen boxwood combs and a small silver case with enamel-coloured pearl powder inside. She tried her best to maintain her calm. If she constantly compared herself with Yuchen, it would only make her infuriated with herself.
Shiqin brought in two small boxes of head ornaments, and when she opened them, the stuff inside nearly dazzled Yuxi's eyes. Looking at the delicate and precious head ornaments inside, Yuxi finally lost her nerve. All of them were almost similar to the ones left by her mother. The troubling thing was all of these didn't mean much to Yuchen. Otherwise, how could Yuchen let her maid casually take them out?
Shiqin looked at Yuxi's emotionless expression and muttered in her heart. She always heard Shishu complaining that Fourth Miss had shallow eyes. However, when she finally looked at Fourth Miss, she discovered it wasn't the case!
It took half an hour for Yuxi's hair to be done appropriately.
An example of a high bun or
gaoji.
The image was posted by 汉服社 via Sohu (汉服发型--高髻, February 28, 2018)
The image was posted by 汉服社 via Sohu (汉服发型--高髻, February 28, 2018)
Yuxi looked at the girl in the mirror with her hair combed into a high bun and decorated with tons of jewellery. She could not help but mutter, was this really her? She looked like a little old lady.[T/N]
The hair bun was too high, the head ornaments were too much, and the clothes were too complicated. As a result, Yuxi couldn't walk steadily as she had to be supported by a maid nearby. She really wanted to cry. Where could this be considered learning the rules? This only made her suffer in misery! Just like how the momo[1] had abused her in her previous life!
Momo[1] Gui still felt dissatisfied with the newly groomed Yuxi. However, she didn't want to delay any longer, or the whole afternoon would be gone. She said, "Fourth Miss, let me see how you walk."
At this time, Yuxi only focused on walking steadily without falling down. Where would she have time to pay attention to her manners and demeanour?
Momo[1] Gui couldn't help shaking her head. Yuxi's walk was too bad. Then, she said to Yuchen, standing by the sideline, "Third Miss, try to walk a distance to show the correct way to Fourth Miss."
Yuchen slightly raised her skirt and strolled, almost at a leisurely pace, moving elegantly. When Yuxi saw this, she felt very depressed, thinking this was the gap between them!
After spending one whole afternoon studying how to walk correctly, Yuxi didn't know how many times she had fallen down, and she didn't remember how many times she had done it wrong.
Despite Yuxi not learning well, Momo[1] Gui didn't swear or even hit her. Instead, she just let her do it repeatedly until she did it well. However, by looking at Yuxi's performance, Momo[1] Gui felt that Yuxi was a block of rotten wood[5].
For the whole afternoon, Yuxi had felt more tired than when writing five hundred characters. When the etiquette training was finally over, she planned to change her clothes but was stopped by Momo[1] Gui.
Momo[1] Gui said, "You should return to your courtyard in this dress."
Yuxi opened her mouth, wanting to say that wearing these heavy clothes would only make her dead hot outside! However, when she thought this kind of behaviour was inappropriate, she immediately closed her mouth. Afterwards, she carefully explained, "Momo[1], it's currently hot outside. If I return while in this dress, my makeup will also be ruined."
Momo[1] Gui frowned, but she finally agreed to Yuxi's request in the end. She said, "Once Fourth Miss returned to your own courtyard, Miss must practice properly and never slack off."
Although Yuxi felt uncomfortable, she still replied respectfully, "Momo[1], rest assured. I will practice properly when I go back."
Momo[1] Gui nodded. When Yuxi finally left, she turned her head towards Momo[1] Quan and said, "Third Miss has learned the rules very well, with just a little guidance. But Fourth Miss is a bit small-minded. She had to be corrected from the beginning." It wasn't like she was unable to fix Yuxi. It was just that she was just unwilling to waste her time on her.
Momo[1] Quan knew what Momo[1] Gui meant. She was appointed as the one who would teach Fourth Miss from the basics. She did not object but stated, "If I start teaching Fourth Miss in the afternoon, I will have to prepare the medicated meal in advance."
Momo[1] Gui responded, "It doesn't matter. Just tell the maids to watch the fire when the time comes."
Back in Rose Courtyard, Yuxi almost collapsed because of exhaustion as she sat feebly on a chair. She didn't know if her body could hold up to get through her day like this every day. This was really too much for her.
When Yuxi practised writing characters that night, her body felt very painful. Every time she raised her hand, she would wince in pain. Today was only the first day of her learning rules. She estimated that if every day were going to be just like today, she would surely go insane.
When Yuxi got up the next day, her whole body ached. She said to herself, "This is really troublesome." She had suffered once in her earlier life, and now, it looked like she would suffer again. She really couldn't do anything to change it.
After Yuxi had finished breakfast, she went to Magnolia Courtyard. Looking at Yuchen, who was still in good condition, she could only admire her. Well, she shouldn't compare herself with Yuchen, or the jealousy would stick in her heart till she died.
In the afternoon, Yuxi noticed that Momo[1] Quan would teach her rules. Though she felt awful for being rejected by one momo[1] after another, she quickly suppressed the feeling in her heart. As long as she could learn something, nothing else mattered.
Like Yuxi, all the other people's eyes fell on Momo[1] Quan, though Momo[1] Quan only fixed her eyes on Yuxi.
Momo[1] Quan spoke much friendlier than Momo[1] Gui. When Yuxi followed her teaching and did something wrong, Momo[1] Quan would point it out. She also advised Yuxi on how to avoid making the same mistake again. Yuxi learnt many more rules this afternoon, which was much easier than yesterday.
Momo[1] Quan felt that Yuxi was not really a block of rotten wood[5]. Yuxi only lacked a teacher to teach her since it was apparent that she did not understand many things. However, Momo[1] Quan could see that Yuxi studied very carefully and had a strong understanding. "Tomorrow, we will learn courtesy etiquette on bended knees."
Yuxi felt that Momo[1] Quan was more accommodating, so she could not help but ask, "Momo[1], can I not wear this dress again tomorrow?" The dress was really uncomfortable for her to wear.
Momo[1] Quan shook her head and said, "You must wear it."
Yuxi thought that if she had to wear the dress all the time during etiquette classes, her neck would not be able to be straightened up in the future.
Momo[1] Quan explained, "Fourth Miss, only by wearing formal clothes while learning the rules can you achieve twice the result with half of your effort. It's also for your own good that we ask you to do it. You'll know when you get the results later on."
When Momo[1] Gui didn't talk, only smiling, she made herself look much friendlier, while Momo[1] Quan always looked serious. However, after Yuxi personally interacted with both of them, she felt that the two momos[1] had contradictory tempers. It was much easier to get along with Momo[1] Quan than with Momo[1] Gui. "Momo[1], it's not that I don't want to wear the dress, but the head ornaments are too heavy. They make my neck hurt, even now."
After listening to this statement from Yuxi, Momo[1] Quan asked her to sit on a chair, massaging her shoulders for half an hour.
At first, Yuxi felt very pain, with sweat beads on her forehead. However, her whole body slowly felt comfortable, and the pain in her shoulders finally eased up. She was so ecstatic that she asked, "Momo[1], do you also know how to heal?" Through Momo[1] Quan's act, she knew that Momo[1] Quan clearly knew medical skills!
Instead of answering Yuxi's question, Momo[1] Quan only remarked, "I will massage your shoulders for half an hour after every etiquette class."
Yuxi happily gave Momo[1] Quan a thank-you gift. Before expressing her thanks, Momo[1] Quan commented, "This is not how you give your thanks." It was not Yuxi's fault, but the nurturing momo[1] requirements were usually very high.
Yuxi's face immediately turned red.
In the evening, Momo[1] Gui found Momo[1] Quan and asked her, "How did Fourth Miss perform today?" The two had a good relationship in the palace, and this time, Momo[1] Gui invited Momo[1] Quan to the state residence.
Momo[1] Quan replied, "Fourth Miss may not be as talented as Third Miss, but her perseverance and disposition are not comparable to those of ordinary people." She did not see Yuxi cry even once, show her tiredness, complains, or become impatient during their class this afternoon. Instead, Yuxi had been listening to her teaching earnestly. Momo[1] Quan believed the child could be taught.
Momo[1] Gui smiled. "You can continue to teach her if you feel good about her." Fourth Miss might have some advantages, but if she was compared with Third Miss, she was still far behind.
After three days of hard work, Hongshan finally found out all the ins and outs of Momo[1] Gui and Momo[1] Quan. She reported, "Miss, we have clearly found the two momos'[1] backgrounds. Momo[1] Gui was a First Class Female Official of Seventh Rank. She originally worked as a messenger in Cining Palace. Later, when Grand Empress Dowager passed away, she entered the Ceremonial Service Bureau to teach people etiquette. While Momo[1] Quan was a Second Class Female Official of Seventh Rank. She used to work in the Food Service Bureau. I heard Momo[1] Quan is also good at making a medicated diet. The Old Lady had obviously taken a lot of effort to bring over those two momos[1]. "
Yuxi's eyes lit up when she heard that Momo[1] Quan was good at making medicated diet. This also meant that Momo[1] Quan understood pharmacology. She knew that studying medicine in her current capacity was a delusion, but not learning it didn't mean she could not study pharmacology. Studying pharmacology was good for her. If Momo[1] Quan were willing to teach her pharmacology personally, the Old Lady would not object.
It was the first time Hongshan saw Yuxi's eyes looking so eager. "Miss, is there something wrong?" Her Miss' eyes were really frightening.
Yuxi's mind returned to reality, and then she said with a smile, "I just didn't realise that the two momos[1] were former female officials. No wonder I felt that they were different from a usual momo[1]. By the way, what about Momo[1] Chang?"
Honghan stated, "Momo[1] Chang was released from the palace several years ago. Over the years, she has been teaching rules to young ladies from large families and has a good reputation."
When Yuxi heard this, her mind felt faintly uncomfortable. Even when the Old Lady didn't like Yuru and Yujing, she still brought in an excellent nurturing momo[1] for them. Then, why did the Old Lady turn a blind eye to her in her previous life and let Wu Shi continuously humiliate her?
Hongshan felt that Yuxi had been acting bizarrely today. Yuxi would be happy one time, then turn sad at other times. However, she did not know what had happened that made Miss act like that. "Miss, are you not feeling well?"
Yuxi smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that my hands are a little sour, and I have to write a hundred characters in the evening. My hands ache when I think about it."
Hongshan could not help but give her some advice, "Miss, it is good that you write one hundred characters daily. However, it doesn't matter if you don't do it just for today."
Yuxi shook her head. "Teacher said that if you want to practice good handwriting, you can't fish for three days and sun-dry the nets for two days[6]. You have to stick to it day by day, or else you will never be able to write in good handwriting."
Hongshan explained that she just felt that Yuxi was working too hard.
Yuxi smiled and said, "Working hard is out of the question. It is just my hands are a little bit sour." When one did something, one must do it well and never give up halfway.
Footnotes Full List
- a term for an elderly lady
- si=fourth, meimei=younger sister
- san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie
- Try to imagine a five-year-old girl has a hairdo like this.
- fig. a hopeless case
- Chinese proverbs: not to persevere in doing sth / to do sth by fits and starts
Noob Translator's Musing
I admit I'm easily distracted. I have been playing this game called Hidden Hotel, where you have to find all the hidden items listed within a fixed length of time to get one star. That star can be used to renovate the hotel.
I like this kind of game, though it frustrates me when I can't find the last item while the clock ticks. That's why my mind can't focus on translating this chapter. - sweat drops -
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi