Chapter 269: Unaware

 Chapter 269: Unaware

"Little sister, is Teacher Shen very strict?"

On the way to the classroom, Li Zixun looked somewhat worried, while even the usually composed Li Zixuan appeared tense.

Both of them knew that some tutors had a very high opinion of themselves and often looked down upon families of merchants.

Daohua reassured them, "Don't worry, Teacher Shen is a very kind person."

When they arrived at the classroom, Yan Yihuan, Yan Yishuang, and Yan Yile were already there, sitting at their desks and organizing their books and writing materials.

"Yihuan, Yishuang, Yile!"

"Greetings, my younger sisters!"

Li Zixuan and Li Zixun greeted them first.

Yan Yihuan immediately stood up and returned the greeting, "Hello, elder sisters!"

Yan Yile was a bit slower and stood up languidly, giving a somewhat perfunctory response.

However, Yan Yishuang remained seated, casually flipping through her book without acknowledging them.

Seeing this, Daohua furrowed her brow. "Third sister, your elder sisters are greeting you."

Yan Yishuang glanced up at Daohua, harboring resentment towards her aunt, who had kept her under house arrest, and disdainfully glanced at the Li sisters, thinking that a merchant family was not worthy of her response. She gave a dismissive "Hmm" and ignored them.

Daohua's frown deepened, and Li Zixuan and Li Zixun were also somewhat uncomfortable. However, they quickly shifted the topic to prevent any conflict.

Neither of them wanted to cause tension between their cousin and the illegitimate daughter of the Yan family so soon after arriving.

Daohua didn’t want to let a small matter like this ruin their morning either, so she avoided dwelling on it. She looked away and led the Li sisters to two desks nearby. "You can sit here."

The classroom was spacious, with two rows of desks already set up. After adding two more, it now had three rows in total.

Li Zixuan asked her sister Li Zixun to sit in the front, while she sat in the back. Their maid quickly arranged the writing materials they had brought.

Once the two were settled, Daohua returned to her own seat.

Before long, Teacher Shen arrived.

Yan Yishuang, secretly pleased by Daohua's tolerance, immediately put away her smile and pretended to be studious when she saw Teacher Shen glance at her.

Teacher Shen had noticed the situation in the classroom and, seeing that Yan Yishuang still hadn't grasped the situation, she shook her head in disappointment.

The third young lady of the Yan family had some talent and intelligence, though she wasn't as beautiful as her elder sister. However, with the support of the Yan family, her future could have been promising, perhaps even marrying into a minor official's family.

Unfortunately, she lacked clarity on important matters.

Madam Li was not a harsh stepmother who would suppress her stepdaughter, nor did the legitimate daughter suppress her illegitimate sister. It could be said that the third young lady of the Yan family was very fortunate to be born into such a family.

However, this third young lady, instead of being content with her position, often opposed the legitimate daughter. Now, with the Li family’s girls coming to visit, she had greeted them with an obvious lack of respect.

Her actions were foolish and rude.

What was worse, she was completely oblivious to it.

If Madam Li truly wanted to make things difficult for an illegitimate daughter, she had plenty of ways to do so. Even with Lord Yan's protection, she could make life miserable for her. Moreover, Lord Yan no longer doted on his illegitimate daughter as much as before.

After all, with the eldest daughter of the Yan family being so outstanding, the younger daughters appeared somewhat lacking by comparison.

Teacher Shen glanced at Daohua, who was lowering her head to organize her books, and silently lamented. It was no wonder Lord Yan increasingly favored this daughter.

She respected her elders at home and could assist in her father’s career. When going out, she gave the Yan family face, which made it hard not to like her.

Why do noble families prefer their legitimate daughters?

Besides the status of their maternal family, legitimate daughters are often more understanding and refined, while even if illegitimate daughters receive the same education, they still seem to carry a certain "small family" air.

Of course, Yan Yi was not without flaws. She lacked the tact and grace of a noblewoman, as shown by her public confrontation with her father regarding the punishment of Concubine Lin.

If she hadn’t gone to the Xingyun prefecture after that incident, she would have been severely scolded.

It was important to understand that just being in the right didn’t mean one could do whatever they wanted.

Teacher Shen thought about these things but showed no signs of it on her face. She smiled and called Li Zixuan and Li Zixun over, inquiring about their studies at home.

After hearing their responses, Teacher Shen pondered for a moment.

The futures of daughters from merchant families and official families were different, and naturally, their education should differ as well.

After a moment, Teacher Shen smiled and said, "It seems you still lack some knowledge of etiquette and manners. I will focus on teaching you more in that regard. As for other subjects, you may choose what you like to learn—whether it’s embroidery, music, or painting. Feel free to ask me whenever you need guidance."

Li Zixuan and Li Zixun both smiled with joy and bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Teacher Shen."

Teacher Shen waved her hand to signal the two girls to sit down, then began the lesson.

After a few days at the Yan family, Li Xingnian was about to leave. Since both Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wenkai were going to study at the academy, Li Xingnian took the three Li brothers with him, leaving only the Li sisters behind.

"Dad."

Li Zixuan looked at Li Xingnian with some reluctance.

Li Zixun also seemed a little downcast.

Li Xingnian glanced at Daohua, who was standing a distance away saying goodbye to the three Yan brothers, and spoke to the Li sisters. "You two must study hard under Teacher Shen here. A tutor like him is not someone we could hire, so don’t miss this opportunity, understand?"

The two sisters nodded.

Li Zixuan replied, "Don't worry, father, we’ll study diligently."

Li Xingnian said, "The third house of the Yan family has many people. If you feel wronged, bear it a little. Don’t cause trouble for your aunt."

Both sisters nodded.

Li Xingnian paused for a moment, then added, "If it's something that doesn't involve adults, don't just tolerate it. Go to Daohua; she will protect you."

Li Zixuan hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Dad, won’t that cause trouble for our cousin?"

Li Xingnian smiled. "Adults care about their face. If there's a conflict, it’s hard to resolve. But children’s little quarrels are harmless, and it will be over soon. Daohua knows how to handle things. Besides, she’s the eldest sister, so she can guide her younger siblings."

Li Zixun smiled and nodded in agreement.

Li Xingnian glanced at Li Chenyu and the others. "It’s a pity. Wenxiu and Wenkai are going to the academy. Otherwise, you could have stayed here and studied for a few more days."

Upon hearing this, Li Chenyu and the others also felt some regret.

After spending a few days with their Yan cousins, they realized how much they knew.

Even Wenkai, who wasn’t fond of studying, could speak fluently about things happening outside.

Meanwhile, Daohua handed a food box to Yan Wenkai. "Fourth brother, this is a medicinal meal I prepared for Xiao Yeyang. After you meet him, be sure to give it to him."

Yan Wenkai looked around and noticed there was only one food box, so he immediately asked, "Why didn’t you prepare any for us?"

Daohua rolled her eyes at him. "What have you been eating these days at home? Medicinal meals shouldn’t be eaten too often. I’ll make them for you when you return from your break."

Yan Wenkai nodded and asked, "Why didn’t you prepare for Brother Dong and the others?"

Daohua replied, "Why would I prepare for them? They have their elders looking after them. They don’t need me to worry. Xiao Yeyang is different. He’s staying in Zhongzhou alone, so of course, I need to take extra care of him."

Yan Wenkai smiled. "That makes sense!"

(End of Chapter)