RPAGF Chapter 138 New Friends
Chapter 138 New Friends
Mao Mao, however, snorted defiantly.
"Although I am younger than you, I know more and have more experience than you. Unlike you, you stay cooped up in the Crown Prince's residence all day, never stepping out of the gate. Do you know what human relationships are? Do you know what the coldness of human nature is?"
Wei Ming was rendered speechless by Mao Mao's retort.
Yes, he has no memory of his past. Now, all he knows is that he is a human being; he knows nothing else.
He clutched the hem of his clothes, looking aggrieved, and lowered his head. Lan Zhi quickly reminded Mao Mao...
"I called you here to keep Ming'er company, why did you make him angry? Apologize to him."
Mao Mao didn't want to apologize at first, but then he remembered what his sister had told him before they came.
"Wei Ming is a patient, you need to be considerate of him and take good care of him, understand?"
Thinking of this, Mao Mao came up to him and whispered:
"Young master, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have upset you just now. Let's be good friends from now on, and we can take care of each other, okay?"
Wei Ming then suppressed his displeasure and nodded.
At this moment, Xiangxiu came in and reported:
"Miss, Lord Zhang has arrived."
"Please ask him to go to the study first, I'll take them both there now."
To make it easier for Wei Ming to study, she specially chose the largest room in Jingxiang Garden and converted it into a study.
Xiangxiu stood there, somewhat embarrassed.
"But he didn't come alone."
"Oh?"
Lan Zhi looked at Xiang Xiu in surprise, "Who else?"
"There's also a child..."
"child?"
She was a little surprised.
"Why did you bring your child to class, Lord Zhang?"
Xiangxiu shook her head.
"I don't know, and I didn't dare to ask. You go and see for yourself!"
Lan Zhi then hurriedly walked towards the door, and Mao Mao and Wei Ming followed her out.
She came into the courtyard and saw a man in his early thirties standing in front of her. He looked very humble, holding the child tightly with one hand and a paper bag in the other, which looked like teaching supplies such as pens, ink, paper and inkstone.
She hurried forward to greet him.
"Lord Zhang, you've arrived, why don't you come inside? Please come in quickly."
Zhang Guodong released the little girl's hand, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:
“Miss Lan, I’m sorry for bringing my daughter here today. I hope you won’t mind.”
This little girl has two cute little pigtails on her head, and her long, thick eyelashes set off her big, watery eyes, making her look so endearing.
She quickly shook her head.
"It's okay, your daughter looks adorable."
Zhang Guodong looked at her with eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Lan. Let's go to the study now!"
Lan Zhi then led him to the study that had been prepared in advance, told Mao Mao and Wei Ming to listen carefully to the lesson, glanced at the little girl sitting there obediently, and then turned and left.
As soon as she arrived at the door, Sun Wei came to greet her.
"Miss Lan, why don't you ask the Emperor to send someone else?"
"Substitution?"
She looked at Sun Wei, puzzled. "Why?"
Sun Wei hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and sighed:
“It’s inconvenient for Zhang Guodong to teach here with a child. Besides, the young master’s emotions are quite unstable right now. If this child upsets the young master, the Emperor might punish Zhang Guodong. I feel that this is not appropriate.”
"So, will he keep bringing the child here from now on?"
Lan Zhi was puzzled. According to the Emperor, Zhang Guodong was highly educated, but he had resigned from his official post. His main job was to go to the palace twice a week to teach the princesses and princes to read and write. The court would pay him a monthly salary.
She was already very curious about this matter. Logically speaking, the imperial court would not be so lenient towards someone. Now, after hearing Sun Wei talk about it, she became even more curious.
Sun Wei let out a soft sigh and nodded.
"Well, don't be fooled by his current official position as a fourth-rank scholar in the court. His family is actually very poor. There isn't a single maid in the Zhang family. He takes care of the children himself. This is why the emperor allowed him to resign and go home, but also made him come to the palace to teach from time to time. Actually, I think the emperor felt sorry for him and wanted to take care of him."
Pitiful?
How can you describe a dignified fourth-rank official of the imperial court as pitiful?
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Sun Wei continued:
"His grandfather was a military general who died saving the late emperor. His father also died on the battlefield when he was three years old. His mother also passed away in the same year due to excessive worry. After that, the Lin family declined. He grew up under the care of an old steward. Later, the emperor remembered his ancestors' merits and directly allowed him to participate in the palace examination. He lived up to expectations and won first place. The emperor took him into his service and directly appointed him to work in the Hanlin Academy. He married a wife, but three of their children died in infancy. His wife also fell seriously ill as a result. Fortunately, five years ago, his wife gave birth to a daughter, the child in the house."
At this point, Sun Wei let out another sigh of relief.
"Fate is cruel. This family could have lived a good life, but three years ago, his wife suddenly fell seriously ill. He asked the emperor for permission to resign from his official post so that he could take care of his wife. The emperor, mindful of his ancestors' merits, granted his request. However, considering that he would have difficulty surviving without his salary, the emperor allowed him to frequently enter the palace to teach several princesses and princes, and only took back half of the salary he was entitled to..."
Hearing this, Lan Zhi secretly gasped.
"Then why does he bring the child with him? What illness does his wife suffer from?"
Sun Wei shook his head.
"I don't know. It's said to be a mental illness. He often beats and scolds the child, and he can't communicate normally with people. No one is willing to work for the Zhang family. Over the years, Lord Zhang has spent all his savings on treating his wife's illness and has also incurred a lot of debt. Among the court officials alone, he owes more than several thousand taels. Out of desperation, Lord Zhang has to lock his wife up every time he goes out and then take the child with him."
"That must be really tough for him."
Lan Zhi glanced sympathetically towards the study.
"And that child seemed so sensible and obedient."
"Yes, when Lord Zhang went to the palace before, this child often followed him. She never made a fuss or disturbed Lord Zhang's teaching. She just sat there quietly. She was so sensible that it broke my heart!"
Listening to Sun Wei's words and learning about Zhang Guodong and the child's story, Lan Zhi couldn't help but feel pity for Zhang Guodong and the child.
After class ended, Zhang Guodong took advantage of the break to approach Lan Zhi.
“Miss Lan, I didn’t have time to explain in detail earlier. I will have to bring my child to class from now on, but don’t worry, I won’t let her disturb anyone in the manor. She will sit obediently and listen to me.”
Looking at the man in front of her who looked much older than his actual age, Lan Zhi felt a mixture of pity and admiration.
She quickly shook her head with a light laugh.
"It's alright. If she likes studying, let her study with Mao Mao and Ming'er. If she doesn't like it, she can come out and play. The Crown Prince isn't here, and there aren't so many rules in the mansion."
Her words surprised Zhang Guodong, but he still shook his head.
“No, she can’t sit and study with Young Master Ming; that’s against the rules.”
“This is the Crown Prince’s residence, not the palace. There are no rules here. Besides, I’m in charge here now.”
Zhang Guodong suddenly bowed deeply, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss Lan. My daughter enjoys listening to my lectures. Whenever I come to the palace to teach, the people there don't allow her to enter the study. She can only wait outside. If she could really attend class with the two young masters, I would be extremely grateful."