Chapter 35: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 35: A Dose of Reality
Cough, cough~
Yan Zhigao entered the main house. The once harmonious laughter of the four inside fell silent as they all turned to look at him.
“Father, why are you here? Weren’t you going to Shuangxin Courtyard?”
Yan Wenkai, as usual, spoke without thinking. The moment his words left his mouth, Yan Zhigao, who had just been about to sit down, felt a wave of discomfort. If he didn’t understand his son’s straightforward nature, he might have thought the boy was mocking him.
Glancing at his equally surprised wife and eldest son, Yan Zhigao realized that he had indeed been neglecting the main courtyard lately.
Yan Wenxiu glared at Wenkai, signaling him to stop speaking carelessly.
Wenkai pouted. He was just curious! Father rarely came to the main courtyard for meals, and since Grandmother had told everyone to eat in their own rooms tonight, he naturally assumed Father would head to Shuangxin Courtyard. Now that Father was here, why couldn’t he ask?
Standing to the side, Daohua watched the interaction between her two brothers and couldn’t help but hide a smile. Her younger brother’s bluntness was truly endearing.
Madam Li, with a gentle smile, set out a bowl and chopsticks for Yan Zhigao and asked, “Master, you didn’t eat at Old Madam’s courtyard?”
Yan Zhigao shook his head, recalling how Old Madam had waved him away, feeling a little dejected.
In the past, his mother had always favored him, lavishing him with all the best. But now, it was obvious that he was no longer her priority—his eldest daughter had taken that spot.
Whenever he tried to criticize his daughter, his mother would scold him for ages.
Glancing at Daohua, Yan Zhigao intended to reprimand her but hesitated when he remembered his mother’s words. In the end, he stayed silent, though his expression soured.
Seeing her husband hold back his words, Madam Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Daohua a subtle signal. “Daohua, quickly serve your father a bowl of the soybean pork trotter soup you made.”
Receiving her cue, Daohua promptly stood up and ladled out a full bowl of soup for her father. “Please enjoy, Father.”
Yan Zhigao gave his eldest daughter a sidelong glance. Seeing her cheerful demeanor, the words of reproach he had prepared melted away. With a grunt of acknowledgment, he picked up the soup and began to eat.
One sip led to another, and soon he couldn’t stop.
“This soup was made by Daohua?”
Madam Li nodded with a smile. “Indeed, except for the pork trotters, which the kitchen maid prepared, everything else was done by Daohua herself.”
Surprised, Yan Zhigao glanced at his daughter. “Your cooking skills are quite impressive, Daohua.”
Daohua responded humbly, “It’s thanks to Grandmother and Third Aunt’s teaching.” (Though she knew the secret lay in her space-grown soybeans.)
Yan Zhigao then asked, “Did you send some of this soup to your grandmother?”
Madam Li replied, “Of course. Grandmother is always the first to be served. Once the soup was ready, Daohua sent it to her, along with portions for the second and third households.”
Yan Zhigao instinctively wanted to ask if Shuangxin Courtyard had received any, but recalling the recent conflicts between Daohua and that courtyard, he swallowed the question.
Meanwhile, Yan Wenkai, having just finished his third bowl of soup, reached out for another serving but was stopped by Madam Li, who lightly smacked his hand.
“If you have any more, you’ll overeat and suffer tonight.”
Wenkai glanced longingly at the soup bowl before turning to Daohua. “Big Sister, can you make this soup again tomorrow?”
Without hesitation, Daohua shook her head. “I have class tomorrow, and there’s homework after that. I won’t have the time.” (Besides, her space-grown ingredients were limited, and she didn’t want to waste them on people who weren’t kind to her.)
Hearing this, everyone at the table looked a little disappointed.
Daohua’s cooking, though simple, was always delicious. Whether it was her dumpling soup or tonight’s pork trotter soup, her dishes left them feeling warm and inexplicably comfortable.
The mention of class reminded Yan Zhigao of something, and he had to speak up. “Tomorrow, before class, apologize to Teacher Qin.”
“No way!” Daohua refused outright.
Seeing her father’s face darken, Madam Li quickly scolded her daughter. “How can you speak to your father like that?”
Daohua’s smile disappeared. “Teacher Qin doesn’t like me, and I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
Suppressing his anger, Yan Zhigao said, “Talking back to a teacher is wrong, no matter the reason. If word gets out, it will damage your reputation, and in the future, you won’t find a good match.”
Daohua’s expression darkened. Why did everything always come back to marriage? Couldn’t they avoid this topic for once?
Seeing her remain silent, Yan Zhigao softened his tone. “Teacher Qin’s attitude toward you is indeed problematic, but you must also reflect on your own actions.” He then turned to Madam Li. “Tomorrow, have a talk with Teacher Qin. If my Yan family’s daughter is at fault, she has every right to correct it, but a teacher should not deliberately target her.”
Madam Li smiled and agreed readily.
Daohua noticed that her father’s attitude had softened, so she didn’t press the issue further. However, after thinking for a moment, she asked, “Can we change teachers?”
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhigao’s face darkened once more. “Do you think it’s so easy to hire a female teacher in the county?”
Daohua frowned. “Teacher Qin doesn’t like me, and I don’t like her either. What if we have another conflict in the future?”
Yan Zhigao furrowed his brows. “Why are you always thinking about fighting with your teacher? Can’t you think of something positive for once?”
Daohua shrugged. “I’d like to, but ever since I started class, I’ve always been obedient. It’s Teacher Qin who picks on me—what can I do? third Uncle was right. Relationships depend on fate. With Teacher Qin, it’s just one of those situations where we don’t get along.”
“You...”
Yan Zhigao glared at his daughter, temporarily speechless, unable to come up with a retort.
At that moment, Madam Li spoke up. “Daohua, stop causing trouble. Teacher Qin’s knowledge is among the best among the female teachers in Linyi County. You should be grateful she’s willing to teach you. You need to learn from her with an open mind.”
Seeing the serious expression on Madam Li’s face, Daohua realized changing teachers was no longer an option. She muttered, “Well, what if she bullies me again?”
Madam Li replied, “I’ll talk to Teacher Qin.”
Daohua sighed. “Fine, but if she targets me again, I won’t tolerate it.” She was making sure she’d already given her warning.
Hearing this, Yan Zhigao was about to explode, but Madam Li quickly intervened to calm him down.
Once the children had finished eating, Madam Li signaled them to leave.
After the three siblings had gone, Yan Zhigao turned to Madam Li and complained, “Look at Daohua’s temperament. She’s been spoiled by her mother.”
Madam Li chuckled. “Dear, Daohua’s nature is a little blunt, but you need to understand her. She’s only just returned to our side and isn’t familiar with our rules. She goes to class and is specifically targeted by the teacher—if she didn’t fight back, wouldn’t that mean anyone could bully her in the future?”
Yan Zhigao glared. “Who would dare? She’s my eldest daughter. Who could bully her?”
Madam Li smiled faintly. “Has she really not been bullied? She’s only been here a short time, and hasn’t she been made to cry already?”
At those words, Yan Zhigao’s face turned awkward.
His eldest daughter crying—it seemed like it had been his fault.
That evening, Yan Zhigao stayed in the main courtyard.
Meanwhile, in Shuangxin Courtyard, Lin Shi and her daughter had eagerly been waiting for Yan Zhigao to come over so they could whisper in his ear, but instead, they went to bed in disappointment.
“Mother, do you think Father will punish Big Sister?”
“Of course. Your father values rules the most. If the eldest girl disrespects her teacher, he won’t just let it slide.”
The next morning, all the households and courtyards woke up early, waiting to hear what punishment Yan Zhigao would give Daohua.
However, by the time Yan Zhigao had left for the magistrate’s office, there was still no word of Daohua being punished.
Instead, it was Teacher Qin who, for the first time ever, was invited by Madam Li to the main courtyard.
In the past, to show respect for Teacher Qin, Madam Li had always gone personally to De Yi Academy to meet her whenever something important came up.
(End of this chapter)
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