Chapter 136 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

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 Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

 Chapter 136: 

Inspection 

Old Madam Lin kept staring at her, but it didn't seem like she was questioning her identity; rather, she was contemplating something.

Lin Yunwan, always composed, maintained a calm gaze. To her surprise, she earned the old lady's approval. "Hmm, not bad. A steady child," remarked the old lady, looking at Fan Mama.

Fan Mama approached with a smile, "When I met Madam and Miss outside, I already felt that Miss was quite exceptional."

Originally, the Old Madam meant that if Miss didn't make a good first impression, she shouldn't be brought inside.

If Fan Mama felt she was a good child, then bring her in. She thought Lin Yunwan was worth cultivating, so she brought her inside to let the Old Madam have a look.

Lin Yunwan was perplexed, unsure of what the two elders had in mind.

The Old Madam instructed Fan Mama, "You go prepare."

"Alright."

Fan Mama went behind a folding screen and instructed the maids, "Come here, move this folding screen away."

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Two maids and a servant came over to move the screen.

Behind the screen was a low table with a set of tea utensils on it, but it didn't look like the usual tea residue she used. It seemed more like the things used for serving tea.

Was the old lady testing her?

Lin Yunwan was unsure. She knew too little about many things in the Lin family. But she didn't know how to serve tea.

Fan Mama knelt in front of the table and smiled, "Come over here, Miss."

Lin Yunwan walked over.

Fan Mama said, "Miss, sit down and watch. I'll only explain these things once, so remember as much as you can. I'll demonstrate first, and you can try to remember each step."

It seemed like she was going to teach Lin Yunwan how to serve tea.

Lin Yunwan sat across from Fan Mama, paying close attention to her every move.

Fan Mama's hands, unaccustomed to rough work, moved gracefully as she demonstrated the art of tea serving. In the capital, tea serving was not a prevalent custom, and Lin Yunwan had only heard about it and seen illustrations in books. She hadn't learned it before, so she focused intently on the demonstration.

After a while, Fan Mama wiped her hands and said, "Miss, give it a try."

How much could Lin Yunwan remember in such a short time? Not rushing to start, Lin Yunwan closed her eyes to recollect. While she didn't possess photographic memory like Chang Gong, she was well-educated and quick to learn from her extensive reading.

When she opened her eyes, her hands moved confidently—pouring tea, adding hot water...

"Mama, this is the best I can do."

Lin Yunwan managed to reach the fifth step, but the tea she prepared in the end was incomparable to Fan Mama's. After all, she was still a novice.

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"You've done very well, Miss," Fan Mama commented, expressing satisfaction rather than criticism. She presented the tea Lin Yunwan brewed to Old Madam Lin with a smile. "Look, it's quite good."

Madam Lin glanced at it and remarked, "Very fine..." She then asked Lin Yunwan, "Is this your first time learning tea etiquette?"

Lin Yunwan nodded, "Yes."

She indeed had never learned before.

Old Madam Lin was quite pleased. For a beginner to achieve this level was already commendable.

Fan Mama remarked from the side, "Though brewing tea seems like a trivial pastime, it reveals whether a person has a steady hand, a calm mind, and a sharp intellect."

Smiling, she said to Lin Yunwan, "Don't be afraid of becoming arrogant, Miss. Everything you do is impressive."

Madam Lin added calmly, "It seems that more than a decade of rural living has molded you differently from your sister, making you less impetuous."

It turned out to be a silver lining to the misfortune!

Lin Yunwan lowered her eyes. If only Miss Lin were still alive – that would be the real blessing!

"Go and teach her flower arranging," said Madam Lin.

Fan Mama went to a round, tall table, arranged a vase, inserted a few flowers, and trimmed the stems with scissors.

As she pruned, she explained, "If we go into the complexity, it would take days to finish. To keep it simple, Miss, just cut a bit based on your feelings. Aim for a spontaneous harmony."

After a few random cuts, she handed the scissors to Lin Yunwan.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

"Give it a try," Fan Mama encouraged.

Taking the scissors, Lin Yunwan followed the traces Fan Mama had made and cut based on her intuition.

She was skilled in flower arranging – from cutting to preserving and nourishing, selecting the right-sized vase, she knew them all.

"Mama, I'm done," Lin Yunwan said, putting down the scissors.

She hadn't used any particular technique, just a few casual cuts. Fortunately, her early experiences with flower arranging were of the natural and spontaneous kind, and with her intentional disguise, Fan Mama couldn't discern anything unusual.

Indeed, Fan Mama couldn't discern anything unusual but greatly admired Lin Yunwan. She nodded several times while looking at the vase, then walked over to Madame Lin to whisper, "She's excellent at flower arranging too. Truly nurtured in the mountains, her temperament is gentle and serene, and the flowers she cuts are just as unpretentious and natural, without sharp edges or excessive prominence."

Old Madam Lin assessed the vase and then observed Lin Yunwan. 

"Come here," she said.

Lin Yunwan walked over to Old Madam Lin. 

Old Madam Lin instructed Fan Mama, "Give her that pair of bracelets."

Fan Mama took out the prepared bracelets and smiled, saying, "Miss, this is a welcoming gift from Old Madam Lin." Afraid that Lin Yunwan might hesitate, she urged, "Quickly accept it, Miss."

Lin Yunwan did consider for a moment whether she should accept it or not. However, she had no choice but to take it. She received the bracelets and said, "Thank you, Old Madam Lin."

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

The pair of bracelets Lin Yunwan had originally worn on her wrists were now exposed. Fan Mama had sharp eyes; she had noticed them earlier but only praised now in front of Old Madam Lin, "Miss, the pair of bracelets on your wrists are also exquisite. Your wrist is as fair as snow, perfectly suited for such bracelets."

"Old Madam Lin, you made the right choice in your reward."

Old Madam Lin smiled, a rare sight. She spoke gently to Lin Yunwan, "Very good... Your father has not mistreated you."

Good jewelry and clothing, there is no shortage for Yunwan.

Finally, Old Madam Lin asked Yunwan, "In the future, do you want to learn those things with Fan Mama?" She pointed to the flowers in the vase and the tea cups on the long table.

Yunwan was slightly stunned and looked up at the Old Madam. This was the most important purpose of the Old Madam today! She smiled faintly and said, "I want to."

"Miss Lin grew up in the mountains from a young age. If she doesn't learn these things with Fan Mama, how can she fully utilize her skills? Even tigers take naps; if she exposes herself, wouldn't it cause trouble for the Prince? 

"Alright. In the future, Fan Mama will come to your residence and teach you things that girls of your age should learn every day."

Old Madam Lin reminded her, "You are not young anymore. Your parents won't keep you for too long, meaning the time you spend learning with Fan Mama won't be too lengthy. Understand?"

Lin Yunwan nodded. Having been a teacher herself, she knew exactly what teachers valued the most.

She said, "Old Madam, I won't slack off." She would learn as much as she could, and the skill of making tea was definitely worth learning.

Old Madam Lin felt tired and said with closed eyes, "Go and meet your eldest aunt and your third aunt!"

"Your granddaughter takes her leave."

Lin Yunwan bowed and left with Fan Mama. Fan Mama escorted her, saying, "I'll come by tomorrow at the Mao hour[1], so be ready early."

"Don't worry, I won't make you wait."

"But the Mao hour is too early. Are you going to stay at the mansion, or..." If she was going to stay in Lin Huabin's house, Fan Mama would need to inform the Madam and the Master to arrange a room.

Fan Mama smiled and said, "Miss doesn't know; we, the elderly, need less sleep. We wake up before the Mao hour, get ready, and there's still plenty of time to spare."

"No need to bother preparing the courtyard separately for me. Just open the gate for me."

"If you need to discuss this matter with the Second Master, you can go home and talk to him. If you don't have time to meet the Master, I'll attend to the Old Madam later."

Lin Yunwan laughed, "No need for you to make an extra trip; I'll handle it myself."

"That's even better!" Fan Mama didn't want to specifically meet Lin Huabin.

Lin Yunwan found a servant in the mansion, first went to see the eldest aunt, and finally went to see the third aunt with Madam Zheng.

After returning to the courtyard of the Old Madam, Fan Mamma discussed with Old Madam Lin: "The eldest daughter of the second master is a good seedling, but if we only teach the eldest daughter, what about the second daughter?" It left an unsatisfactory situation.

Old Madam Lin responded indifferently, "Teach them together then."

She frowned and said, "Teach Yunjiao more strictly. I haven't paid much attention to the affairs of the Second Master's house in recent years. Every three to five times when Yunjiao appears in front of me, she looks obedient. As soon as Yunwan returned, she revealed her true colors. I don't know what kind of character she has developed into! You don't need to teach her too much about flower arranging and tea making. Go and properly cultivate her character."

Although Nanny Fan agreed, she felt that this was not an easy task. Miss Yunjiao has a very formidable mother!

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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[1] Mao hour: refers to the time period between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system, which divides a day into 12 double hours. Each double hour is approximately two modern hours. The Mao hour corresponds to the early morning hours around sunrise.

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