The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Despite the task she had accomplished that day, for Mr. Fan, it was nothing more than her casually offering him a cup of tea, letting him rest at her house for a short while, and helping him find a carriage home. She hadn’t even offered to pay for his fare. All in all, it was like jellyfish drifting with the current – a trifling favor she had both the time and capability to carry out.

Yet Mr. Fan regarded it as something extremely significant. Because Zhuang Qingning had casually mentioned that Zhuang Qingsui was learning to read and wanted to attend a women’s academy, Mr. Fan remembered it clearly and genuinely took action on it.

Mr. Fan was indeed a man of deep affection and sincerity, valuing friendships highly.

Such a person was most worthy of making friends with.

Zhuang Qingning developed greater respect and admiration for Fan Wenxuan.

“I am grateful for your mindfulness, Mr. Fan, and for the effort you went to.” Zhuang Qingning rose to collect the books, bowing once more in thanks.

“You are overly polite, Miss Zhuang. It was merely a trifling service.” Fan Wenxuan stroked his beard and chuckled. “Please, do not dwell upon it.”

“I commend your character, Miss Zhuang, as you’re kind-hearted, and your youngest sister surely takes after you in that regard. She is a person of good conduct. Education and talent are one thing, but character and temperament are of the utmost importance. If a person is eager to learn and of good character, they should be properly nurtured. Otherwise, it would be a pity.”

“Furthermore, I am very fond of your courtyard and highly regard your intelligence, Miss Zhuang. I find we have much in common. It has been many years since I last had such a friend. I merely wanted to have a more in-depth chat with you.”

Of course, his intention to see more of Zhuang Qingning and think of how he could make a match for her remained unsaid.

“Mr. Fan’s warm generosity is truly our good fortune,” Zhuang Qingning said with a bright smile. “Mr Fan, since you came here early this morning, I assume you haven’t had breakfast yet? I was about to prepare breakfast. If you don’t mind, why don’t you join us?”

“Although my cooking skills are not great, my dishes are passable.”

“I would be honored, Miss Zhuang,” Fan Wenxuan replied without hesitation.

“Please wait a moment, Mr. Fan.”

Zhuang Qingning washed her hands, put on her apron, and headed to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Zhuang Qingsui played her part by setting the table.

A short while later, breakfast was served.

The table was adorned with fragrant steamed eggs garnished with river shrimp, mushrooms, diced radish, and corn kernels. There was golden yellow, tantalizing gruel made from cornmeal with a soft and crispy texture. Zhuang Qingning introduced a pancake made with various grains. There were also two or three appetising cold dishes: celery with dried tofu, cucumber with peanuts, and a cold salad of white jade mushrooms.

All had a pleasing combination of color, aroma, and flavor. Even Fan Wenxuan, who was accustomed to the gourmet foods of the capital city, could not help but sing praises.

While it was not out of this world or comparable to delicacies from land and sea, the most important thing was that it was packed full of fresh flavors and tasted really good. It was much more enjoyable than any of the exotic delicacies prepared with expensive ingredients.

The cooking was superb.

Satisfied, Fan Wenxuan burped heartily, marking yet another point in her favor.

“Miss Zhuang, your cooking skills are excellent,” Fan Wenxuan praised once more.

“As long as Mr. Fan finds it palatable, that’s all that matters. It might not be great, but it’s bearable,” Zhuang Qingning said with a smirk of a smile. Zhuang Qingsui and Zhuang Qingning cleared away the dishes, fed Snowball, and prepared for Qingsui’s calligraphy practice.

Fan Wenxuan asked to see the characters that Zhuang Qingsui had practiced writing.

Although Zhuang Qingning was quite versed in classical literature, she was not professional tutor. Knowing that Fan Wenxuan had the intention of giving some guidance, she immediately agreed and prepared paper and ink.

As a beginner, Zhuang Qingsui’s writing was average, but her posture and grip were impeccable.

Seeing this, Fan Wenxuan nodded approvingly.

Zhuang Qingsui was taught to write by Zhuang Qingning, clearly demonstrating her own knowledge and talent.

In particular, when Fan Wenxuan saw the regular script on the imitation papers that Zhuang Qingsui was practicing, he was especially impressed.

The writing was graceful and more vigorous than normally expected from a woman’s hand. Such writing could not be produced without several years of practice.

“Did you write these characters?” Fan Wenxuan asked, although he already had a suspicion.

“Yes,” Zhuang Qingning responded with a nod and a smile. “The calligraphy is clumsy and I fear it may not meet Mr. Fan’s approval.”

“Though the writing may not be impressive, it is not bad.” After a moment’s thought, Fan Wenxuan asked, “Miss Zhuang, from whom did you learn calligraphy?”

“I learned it from my father. He used to work as a clerk and he is literate. He’s also read some books, so I learned to read and write from him when I was a child,” Zhuang Qingning said.

Fortunately, the original Zhuang Qingning’s father was indeed literate and had read some books. The original Zhuang Qingning also learned to read and write from him when she was young. This is why Zhuang Qingning could boldly teach Zhuang Qingsui and Zhuang Mingli how to write without arousing anyone’s suspicion.

“I see.” Fan Wenxuan nodded. “Your father must have read quite a few books.”

Only a father who was well-read could have such a thoughtful and intelligent daughter who conducted herself with grace and propriety.

Fan Wenxuan’s admiration for Zhuang Qingning only continued to grow, and he proceeded to discuss a passage from a manuscript he brought.

Zhuang Qingsui listened attentively, and was able to follow Fan Wenxuan’s thought process, looking more and more like a school student.

After listening for a while, Zhuang Qingning couldn’t help but nod slightly in approval.

She had looked into the local school’s curriculum. It typically included basics like ‘Hundred Family Surnames’, the ‘Thousand Character Classic’, and ‘Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child’. The goal was to familiarize students with as many characters as possible, understand general principles, and lay a solid foundation before moving on to the ‘Four Books and Five Classics’.

However, Mr. Fan was different. Instead of focusing on rote memorization, he explained an entire article to them, one that described a scene. His explanations were simple and easy to understand, making learning more enjoyable and less monotonous.

Seeing that Zhuang Qingning was also engrossed in his teachings, Fan Wenxuan couldn’t help feeling a bit smug. During a break, he casually asked, “Do you find my teaching methods somewhat different from others?”

“Yes,” Zhuang Qingning replied, nodding. “The preceptors I’ve come across tend to focus on laying a solid foundation. Your approach, Mr. Fan, is indeed rare.”

“What is a foundation? Most people think the more characters memorized, the easier their further study and reading will be in the future. But grasping the characters without understanding their meaning or significance, their subsequent reading would be clouded in confusion. Their previous efforts would all be in vain.”

Fan Wenxuan continued, “It would be better to progress step by step. Use the text to lead the characters, so they can learn faster and find it less monotonous and annoying.”

“Mr. Fan, your words make a lot of sense.”

Zhuang Qingning mentally gave Fan Wenxuan a big thumbs up.

Professionals really are different.