Mammy Qin was cautious and steady in her actions. She wasn't someone who would casually sow discord. Everyone in the room knew that Mammy Qin only said this to tactfully divert everyone's attention so that old madam wouldn't feel awkward because of the Sun Clan's words just now.
When the Sun Clan saw Mammy Qin leading Ji Xiang and Ru Yi to count, they smiled proudly as if they had won a battle. They felt extremely refreshed and leisurely sat down.
However, Qin Huining was different.
Although she used to be the most favored in front of old madam, Mammy Qin, this old servant, had always been respectful to her and wasn't intimate enough. She always acted in a way that others couldn't find fault with, but she was unwilling to get close to her.
She had studied poetry since she was a child. How could she be a crafty person? It was impossible for her to secretly write one less page to be lazy. That kind of behavior was disdained by even children. It was fine that Mammy Qin suspected Qin Yining like this, but she even included her. It was truly insulting to the extreme.
"Replying to old madam, this servant has finished counting." Ji Xiang rearranged the paper and secretly glanced at Qin Yining with an obscure gaze.
"Old madam, this servant, Ru Yi, and Mammy Qin counted together. Miss Huining copied it ten times, and Miss Si … copied it thirty times."
When everyone heard this, their gazes landed on the two stacks of paper that were obviously of different thicknesses on the short table.
In fact, everyone could see that the two stacks of paper were of different heights, but old madam didn't care. Others couldn't see the sizes of the words on Qin Yining's paper, so they just thought that her handwriting wasn't good and the sizes were different, wasting some paper.
Who would have thought that when old madam asked her to copy ten times as punishment, she actually copied it thirty times?!
Old madam was surprised as she flipped through the "Book of Filial Piety" submitted by Qin Yining. Although the handwriting was ugly from beginning to end, it could be seen that there were no traces of ink stains on each piece of paper. Although his handwriting was ugly, his attitude was extremely serious.
Old madam smiled and asked, "Sister Yi, I only punished you ten times. Why did you copy it thirty times?"
"Yes, I have the same question." Qin Huining also said, "I know that you have been studying with Nanny Zhan with your sisters these past few days, and you still have to study in the afternoon. Our time is equally tight, so how could you have copied twenty times more than me?"
After Qin Huining finished speaking, he covered his mouth and laughed.
The old madam was purely asking a question, but Qin Huining was hinting that Qin Yining might have cheated. This was something that everyone could hear.
The Sixth Young Lady smiled cooperatively.
Miss Seven and Miss Eight were secretly angry. They glared at Qin Huining several times.
Even the Sun Clan looked at Qin Huining differently.
The Sun Clan was displeased in their hearts.
After a few days of calming down, it wasn't difficult to see that Qin Huining was targeting Qin Yining. However, this was in the old madam's room, in front of the second and third branch. Now, there were only two people in the eldest branch, Qin Yining and Qin Huining. Qin Huining's behavior was truly disregarding the dignity of the eldest branch!
Qin Yining blushed shyly. He slightly lowered his head and twisted his fingers. Today, she had combed her hair into a common bun. When she lowered her head, it naturally revealed her slender and fair neck. Coupled with her delicate posture when she stood up, she looked as delicate and beautiful as a swan. It made people who looked at her couldn't help but feel pity for her.
Even her voice was somewhat timid. It was obvious that she was embarrassed as she said, "Replying to Old Madam, granddaughter didn't know how many times I wrote at first. Because of what happened that day, granddaughter was angry with Old Madam. I was truly unfilial. Every time I copied a word, granddaughter would reflect on myself. Later on, I unknowingly became engrossed in it. In the end, I didn't notice how many times I copied. It was only last night when granddaughter's maidservant tidied up the room that I discovered that I had copied more than forty times. Before coming, I took away those that were too ugly. Only these were left. "
At this point, Qin Yining quickly glanced at the old madam. Her face turned even redder. "Old Madam, granddaughter has never studied since young. I'm good at chopping firewood, hunting, and collecting herbs in the mountains. However, it's really difficult for me to write. Even giving Dog Shuan a piece of corn biscuit is better than me. I've wasted a lot of ink these past two days. I feel pity for those white papers."
"Pffft —!"
As soon as Qin Yining finished speaking, a burst of laughter was heard.
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw that the old madam had already slapped her thigh and laughed loudly.
Although the old madam was sometimes biased and liked to stir up trouble when handling matters, she was born in a noble family and had a good upbringing. The people around her hadn't seen the old madam laugh like this for many years. Recalling what Qin Yining said just now, they also couldn't help but laugh out loud.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was so harmonious that it was as if the new year had passed.
"You child! Come here, come to grandmother. " The old madam wiped the tears from her laughter while pulling Qin Yining's hand and patting it. "How is it as unbearable as you said? You don't have the conditions to study. Otherwise, your writing wouldn't be worse than your sisters'! It's hard for you to seriously reflect on yourself and write more than forty times? No wonder I saw that you have dark circles under your eyes these past two days. "
"Lujuan." The old madam turned her head to look at Mammy Qin.
Mammy Qin bowed to the old madam with a face full of smiles. "This servant is here."
"Go back and instruct the kitchen to send bird's nest porridge to the fourth young miss every day. I see that Sister Yi's body is too thin and weak. It seems like she will fall when the wind blows. She has suffered a lot these past few years. She should be well nourished."
"Yes. This servant will definitely instruct the kitchen. "
At this moment, Qin Yining's face was no longer so red. However, when she heard the old madam say that she would send bird's nest porridge to her, she was flattered and looked up at the old madam.
Her pair of almond-shaped eyes were covered with a layer of mist. Her eyes were pure and limpid like gemstones. For no reason, it made people think of a newborn kitten. It was so soft that people wanted to hold her in their arms and stroke her fur.
The old madam did indeed do so.
She held Qin Yining in her arms and patted her back. "Good child, don't be anxious. In the future, learn well from your master. Your handwriting will slowly improve. You don't have to feel that you are lacking compared to others. You are not allowed to compare yourself to a dog anymore. Do you understand? " Although she said this, she still couldn't help but feel that it was funny when she thought of the sentence "tie a piece of corn cake to the dog."
Qin Yining leaned into the old madam's arms. Her nose was filled with the unique smell of the elderly. Together with the fragrance of cosmetics and smoke, it warmed people's hearts for no reason. She couldn't help but smile with her eyes curved. She nodded obediently and secretly sighed in relief.
She didn't expect that the strategy of "lacking in quality and making up in quantity" was really feasible. Her hand that was almost broken from copying wasn't in vain.
God knows how much effort she spent to make her face turn red when she was "shy" just now …
Everyone looked at the scene of the old madam hugging Qin Yining. The eyes of those with shallow eye sockets, such as the third young miss and the eighth young miss, couldn't help but turn red.
Qin Yining's words just now inevitably evoked everyone's memories of her past.
Even the members of the Sun Clan, the second old madam, and the third old madam couldn't help but wipe the corners of their eyes with their handkerchiefs.
For a child who had been lonely since childhood, it was already not easy for her to survive. Who could criticize her for her good handwriting when she held a brush? Moreover, this child was such an honest person.
The Sun Clan's dissatisfaction with Qin Yining causing her to lose face had been completely replaced by pity.
Qin Huining, who saw all of this, almost gritted her teeth until they broke!
She didn't expect that Mammy Qin's casual words would cause such a consequence.
Why would the old madam laugh loudly at this person?
The old madam was still hugging Qin Yining and even said that Qin Yining's body was weak and had to eat bird's nest every day!
She didn't eat bird's nest every day in the past. When this savage beat people up, his fists were as hard as rocks and he was as strong as an ox. How did they see that her body was weak?!
She felt that her plan was completely wasted, because everyone had already forgotten about it!
Qin Huining maintained a stiff smile on her face, but her eyes were like knives that pierced Qin Yining. She was indeed a scheming and cunning person. She pretended to be pitiful and played the role of a clown. In order to gain the old madam's favor, she was willing to do anything! She was simply shameless!
Qin Huining cursed Qin Yining in her heart, and the smile on her face almost couldn't be maintained.
When the Sun Clan turned around, she saw Qin Huining's stiff expression. She sighed helplessly in her heart. She could see Qin Huining's rejection of Qin Yining, and she could also see Qin Huining's uneasiness. She could understand the origin of her uneasiness.
As a mother, she didn't know what to do other than comfort her. In the end, she was going to acknowledge Qin Yining. In these two days, she had carefully digested Duchess Ding's words. The Sun Clan only thought that she had given birth to another daughter.
Could it be that if she raised another daughter, Qin Huining would still be like this?
The more the Sun Clan thought about it, the more their faces darkened.
Qin Huining was in a fit of anger, so she didn't notice the Sun Clan's and other people's expressions. She only thought that she was smiling as usual.
But who in this room wasn't a shrewd person? The expressions of the mother and daughter fell into everyone's eyes. Each of them had a different thought.
But all in all, now they clearly recognized Qin Yining's power. When she first entered the door, everyone could see old madam's rejection of her. But now? In just a few days, she had the ability to coax old madam into laughing like never before. She could also make old madam hug her and give her swallow's nest to nourish her body every day.
Did old madam forget that when she violently beat up Qin Huining that day, two or three maidservants and older female servants couldn't take her down?
However, at this moment, old madam was happy, so no one would touch bad luck for no reason.
Mammy Qin saw that old madam handled things fairly and was so close to Qin Yining, so her smile deepened.
"Old madam." Just as the room was filled with laughter, a pleasing maidservant came in from outside. She saluted and replied, "Old madam, Duke Ding's heir's grandson is here. He's talking with the prime minister in the outer courtyard. He said that he wants to come in and greet old madam. Is old madam free here?"
Old madam was delighted when she heard this, "Yes, yes, quickly invite him in."
"Yes." The maidservant retreated.
Old madam then asked the Sun Clan, whose face was full of joy, "Why did your nephew come? Is Brother Meng on leave today? "
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