Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

Helpless, Jia Yun could only say gently, "Miss Lin is joking. Please have a seat."

He took out a bar of soap with a delicate orchid scent and handed it over, saying, "This is for Miss Lin."

Lin Daiyu took it, held the soap with her slender fingers, and gently sniffed it.

Her eyes darted around, and she noticed that the other sisters also had a bar of soap in their hands. She gave a soft "humph" and placed the soap on the table in front of Jia Yun.

"So it's something everyone else has, that's why you gave it to me. I wondered what rare thing it was. Since everyone has the same thing, I don't want it."

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai couldn't help but roll her eyes again.

Tan Chun frowned slightly at this, while Ying Chun and Xi Chun, one with her head down and the other looking out the window, seemed not to care.

Jia Yun smiled bitterly to himself; she really was still that "Pin'er".

But he was prepared, and took out an even smaller and more exquisite oil paper package from the cloth bag.

Inside was a more uniquely shaped, light purple soap with a clearer color.

"Miss Lin, don't be in a hurry," Jia Yun pushed the new soap in front of her. "This one is different. The orchid soap you just had was the same as the other sisters' share. This one, I specially mixed a few calming herbs for you. The fragrance is refreshing and may be more to your liking."

Lin Daiyu looked at the unique light purple soap and heard these words, and the displeasure in her eyes disappeared.

She sounded as if she had won a battle, and her voice softened: "That's more like it... Thank you for your trouble, young master."

After a minor incident, Jia Yun began to formally teach.

Today, Jia Yun chose Zhao Mengfu's regular script. He first explained the characteristics of Zhao's style and then personally demonstrated a few characters.

After practicing calligraphy for about half an hour, Jia Yun realized it was still early and remembered Siqi's request from the previous day. He immediately made a plan in his mind.

He looked at Yingchun with gentle eyes and said, "Second Miss, your stroke of the character '永' today is exceptionally well-structured, showing that you put your heart into it."

Caught off guard by the praise, Yingchun's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, like they'd been smeared with rouge. Her voice was barely audible: "Young...young master, you flatter me. I didn't write well..."

"No," Jia Yun said earnestly, "The essence of calligraphy lies in perseverance and comprehension. Second Miss is calm and patient, able to endure solitude, which are the most valuable qualities for learning calligraphy. Given time, she will surely achieve great things."

Yingchun was so flattered by his praise that she felt completely flustered, but her heart was as sweet as if she had drunk honey. Although she kept her head down, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

After a short rest, Jia Yun noticed that the girls seemed a bit tired, so he smiled and said, "Practicing calligraphy for so long can get boring. How about I tell you a story to cheer you up?"

"Okay!" Tan Chun was the first to respond. "What story does the young master want to tell? Is it about talented scholars and beautiful women, or about gods and ghosts?"

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "I'm sure you have a wealth of knowledge and ideas, young master. We'll love to hear whatever you say."

Lin Daiyu also looked at him with great interest.

Jia Yun's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Yingchun, whose face was still flushed, and he asked gently, "Second Miss, what kind of story would you like to hear?"

Yingchun was surprised that Jia Yun would ask her alone again. After a moment of surprise, she whispered, "I...I want to hear...stories of martial arts masters, the kind who can fly over rooftops and uphold justice..."

Jia Yun smiled: "Alright, then I'll tell you a story about a martial arts master."

He cleared his throat and began to tell the story: "On the banks of the Qiantang River, there lived a hero named Guo Xiaotian, and his sworn brother Yang Tiexin..."

He was talking about the opening of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

At first, Tan Chun, Dai Yu, and the others listened somewhat casually, thinking that these were just crude stories of fighting and killing, not as elegant as poetry.

But as you listen, you become captivated by the intricate plot and vivid characters.

The heroic spirit of Taoist Master Qiu Chuji fighting alone against government troops in the snow, the unwavering loyalty between the Guo and Yang families, the treachery of Duan Tiande and others, and the heart-wrenching fate of the orphaned children...

Before they knew it, everyone was engrossed in the conversation, even the maids and servants who occasionally stopped to eavesdrop outside the window were completely absorbed.

The remaining half hour passed quickly, but just as the story reached its most suspenseful point, Jia Yun stopped abruptly and said with a smile, "Let's stop here for today. To find out what happens next, please listen to the next chapter."

The girls then seemed to wake from a dream, and all felt that they hadn't had enough.

Tan Chun exclaimed, "This story is wonderful! It's much more interesting than those old-fashioned tales of talented scholars and beautiful women!"

Xue Baochai nodded in agreement: "The characters are vivid, the plot is dramatic, and the young teacher's storytelling is also very engaging."

Although Lin Daiyu did not explicitly praise her, the gleam in her eyes revealed her interest.

Yingchun listened with shining eyes. She had never heard such a wonderful story before. She felt as if the timid self in her heart had also experienced a thrilling and vengeful adventure with the heroes in the story.

The time had come, and Jia Yun was the first to leave. The remaining girls were also chattering as they packed up their paper and pens, preparing to return to the backyard.

Yingchun felt unusually relaxed today because she had received a lot of attention and praise from Jia Yun.

She mustered her courage and decided to walk with Tan Chun and Dai Yu, whom she could usually talk to.

"Third sister, Lin sister... Shall we go together?" she whispered.

At that moment, Tan Chun and Dai Yu were walking side by side ahead, still excitedly discussing how wonderful the story of "Qiu Chuji" was.

Hearing Yingchun's call, Tanchun turned around first.

Although a smile remained on her face, it didn't reach her eyes. She only asked politely, "Is there something you need, Second Sister?"

Yingchun felt even more uneasy at her question: "No...nothing important, I just wanted to go somewhere together..."

Lin Daiyu, standing to the side, turned slightly, gently covering her lips with a handkerchief. Her clear, melodious voice rang out: "Second Sister, you've truly won the young teacher's favor today. He praised your excellent word structure and even asked you what stories you'd like to hear. Even those chivalrous tales seemed tailor-made for you. We dullards like us naturally can't catch the young teacher's eye, nor can we keep up with Second Sister's pace. How could we dare trouble Second Sister to accompany us?"

These words, though seemingly a joke, carried a sharp edge that instantly drained the color from Yingchun's face.

Upon hearing this, Tan Chun subtly pursed her lips.

But instead of trying to smooth things over, she tugged at Daiyu's sleeve and said, "Sister Lin, let's hurry up and go. I still have some questions I'd like to discuss with you."

After saying that, Tan Chun and Dai Yu quickened their pace, leaving Ying Chun behind.

As the two walked, whispers and soft laughter could be faintly heard.

"Third Sister, do you think the young teacher will tell the story of Guo Jing again tomorrow?"

"Who knows? Anyway, someone specifically ordered it, so the young master will naturally tell you..."

"That's right, we're just there to be there..."

Their voices seemed to be intentional, just enough for Yingchun, who was lagging behind, to hear clearly.

Yingchun's outstretched hand froze in mid-air; her joy was instantly replaced by disappointment and embarrassment.

Only Xue Baochai was left behind, taking in the entire scene.

She walked slowly to Yingchun, who was frozen in place, and gently comforted her, "Second Sister, don't take it to heart. Lin Daiyu is straightforward and has no bad intentions; Third Sister is also impatient, she must be thinking about the key points in the story, she didn't mean to neglect you."

Her voice was just loud enough for Daiyu and Tanchun, who hadn't gone far ahead, to hear.

Daiyu stopped in her tracks and turned around abruptly.

A pair of affectionate eyes glared at Baochai with anger, but just as she was about to speak, Tanchun secretly grabbed her wrist.

Tan Chun winked at her, shook her head slightly, and said in a low voice, "Why argue over such trivial matters at this moment? It's beneath your dignity."

Daiyu bit her lower lip, and was eventually led away by Tanchun, who was half-persuading and half-pulling her.

After they left, Baochai smiled faintly at Yingchun and said, "Look, they're all gone. Let's go back too."

Although she didn't say much, those few seemingly admonitory words were like soft nails, subtly and cleverly returning the reputation of being "outspoken" and "impatient," while still earning her a reputation for being magnanimous.

Tan Chun silently withdrew her hand, lowered her head to look at the lotus flowers embroidered on the toes of her shoes, and felt that the flowers, like her mood at that moment, were withered and lifeless.

That afternoon, Siqi was restless in her room, her mind preoccupied with the scene of her daughter going to class that morning.

Yesterday, she went to ask Jia Yun for help, hoping he would take better care of her honest and timid daughter and help her become more cheerful.

When Siqi finally saw Yingchun return, she rushed to greet her, only to find that Yingchun was still looking listless.

The girl's eyes were downcast, showing no sign of joy, and she even looked more aggrieved than usual.

Siqi's heart skipped a beat. She grabbed Yingchun's hand and asked anxiously, "Miss, how was class today? Did that young teacher... give you any trouble? Or... did he not do as he promised and not take care of you at all?"

Upon hearing this, Yingchun abruptly raised her head, then shook it instantly, her lips moving slightly. Though she didn't utter a word, her eyes reddened first.

So... it was Siqi who told him... I thought... Thinking of this, Yingchun felt even more upset.

Upon seeing her like this, Siqi's anger flared up instantly.

She had a fiery temper and immediately concluded that Jia Yun had broken his promise, betrayed her trust, and bullied her young lady.

She stood up abruptly, saying angrily, "That Second Master Yun! He agreed so readily to our faces, and now he's forgotten? How dare he bully a young lady like that! I'm going to confront him right now! Does he really think we're so kind as to let him take advantage of us?"

He was talking in a flurry and was about to rush out.

"Siqi! Don't...don't go!" Seeing that she was about to make a scene, Yingchun hurriedly grabbed her sleeve, tears finally streaming down her face. "No...it has nothing to do with the young master..."

"It's none of his business?" Siqi stopped in her tracks, both anxious and angry. "Then why are you doing this, young lady? Tell me! I'm so worried!"