Chapter 79: Half a Master

Chapter 79: Half a Master

After the young lad made his silent resolution, he reminded himself that he couldn't call her a brat anymore. Her name was Chu Xiaozi now.

The name sounded rather pleasant. If she ever had the chance to revert to her female form, she would keep it.

Seeing Su Youyue's expression soften, Chu Xiaozi hurriedly asked, "Miss Su, is there any use to these words on the letter?"

"It's useful, very useful," Su Youyue replied firmly.

Although the girl omitted some details, Su Youyue could imagine the great risk she took to steal half the letter back.

It seemed she had picked the right person. Anyone else in her place wouldn't have dared to steal the letter while the person was still around.

Su Youyue carefully stored the scrap of paper away.

With this evidence, she believed Xie Yuan and the deposed prince would gain a significant advantage and directly topple Minister Qiu!

"Jin'er, go fetch fifty taels of silver as a reward for Xiao Zi."

Chu Xiaozi originally imagined that, at most, Su Youyue would offer her twenty or thirty silver taels for the paper. She never dreamed that she would receive such a generous sum.

With these fifty silver taels, even if she left the Su Mansion, she could live comfortably for several years...

Without hesitation, Jin'er retrieved the pile of silver, then couldn't help but express her gratitude. "Rascal... No, Xiao Zi, you've been a tremendous help."

Holding the glittering coins, Chu Xiaozi's gaze shifted when she looked back at the paper.

How could mere words on a piece of paper be worth so much?

Regrettably, she was illiterate. Otherwise, she wouldn't have underestimated its importance and considered discarding it, thinking she didn't want to be involved in these matters.

Fortunately, she changed her mind.

Just as she tucked the silver into her clothes, a visitor arrived in the courtyard.

"Miss, the Third Young Lady is here," Xia Hua reported, standing guard outside.

"Big Sister." Upon entering, Su Rong immediately turned to Su Youyue, her eyes sparkling like a child's. "I'm here to learn about account books from you."

Beside her, Little Xing carried their own set of writing paraphernalia—ink stick, brush, paper, and inkstone—evidently intent on not using anything from Su Youyue's courtyard.

Seeing Su Youyue's anxious expression, she couldn't help but laugh. She was indeed too hasty; Su Youyue hadn't even mentioned this matter to her grandmother yet.

Since everyone has already arrived, she wouldn't turn them away. She instructed Jin'er and Chunya to bring the desk over and teach Su Rong in her room.

Su Rong, brimming with anticipation, only then noticed Chu Xiaozi's presence: "Big sister, when did you acquire such a young attendant?"

Aware of Chu Xiaozi's sensitivity towards the topic of servitude, Su Youyue straightforwardly explained, "She's not a servant boy. She's Jin'er's cousin. Something happened in her family, so she came to seek refuge with Jin'er. I've allowed this girl to stay for a while and entertain me with stories about the outside world."

Hearing her words, Su Rong instantly imagined how she longed for the outside world in her daily life, yet was hindered by her legs, which left her with only regret. Thus, she wanted to invite someone who had lived outside the mansion to share stories of the local customs and conditions with her.

Instantly, she felt a pang of sympathy for her elder sister and decided against probing further, lest she evoke any painful memories.

"Should you have any questions about the outside world in the future, feel free to ask me, big sister."

Su Youyue was not truly curious about the outside world, but she would not refuse Su Rong's kindness. She responded with a nod and urged, "Alright, if you're going to learn, you must be dedicated. I am a strict teacher."

In matters of study, Su Youyue has always been exceptionally diligent, so in her previous life, she placed great importance on Lu Wen's academics and was relatively strict with his schoolwork.

Little did she expect that her actions would lead him to resent her, making him believe that those who doted on him were his true family and the ones who genuinely cared for him.

But at this moment, Su Youyue was merely speaking out of concern. Su Rong's purpose in studying was different from Lu Wen's; she wasn't aiming for scholarly success. Therefore, Su Youyue could afford to be more relaxed in teaching her, even infusing some fun into the lessons.

Seeing Su Youyue start instructing Su Rong earnestly, Chu Xiaozi found herself left unattended. She idly picked at her fingers, standing aside. She could have left, but since Su Youyue didn't need her help with anything, she would be idle even if she ventured elsewhere.

Initially, she listened to Su Youyue teach Su Rong without much interest. Gradually, however, she became engrossed in the lesson as Su Youyue occasionally shared amusing anecdotes from her business dealings to make the learning process less tedious for Su Rong.

"Big Sister, that shopkeeper was so ridiculous, thinking he could fool you like that. Wasn't he just covering his ears and stealing the bell?"

Recalling the incident, Su Youyue chuckled. "His lack of education was his downfall. He believed his tricks were clever, not realizing that they had already been seen through."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiaozi couldn't help but recall the time when she had attempted to swindle Su Youyue, only to be exposed. Despite knowing that they had recognized her, she had continued acting...

In their eyes, she must have seemed equally absurd.

She too had never been educated, unable to read or write... She nearly missed out on fifty taels of silver due to her illiteracy.

Contemplating this, Chu Xiaozi wished she could read and write. Now that she had money, if she could learn a few more characters and secretly pick up some knowledge from Miss Su, perhaps she could start her own small business and support herself honestly, no longer needing to resort to deceitful means.

With this thought in mind, it grew stronger and her gaze became glued to the ledger. Whatever Su Youyue said, she diligently noted down, and by the end of the lesson, she had surprisingly recognized several characters. This filled her heart with joy.

Now, she felt that her days spent at the Su Mansion wouldn't be as dull.

After a morning of learning, Su Rong had gained much knowledge. As she left, she was already quite attached to Su Youyue, speaking in a sweet voice, "Big Sister, the cheese cake I took from you last time was so delicious! I've never had such tasty cheese cake before. Can you let Little Xing learn from Chunya?"

In both her lifetimes, Su Youyue had never experienced a younger sister being affectionate towards her. It wasn't a big deal, so how could she refuse? She promptly replied, "Sure, she can come over this evening. Today, I'll have Chunya prepare some extra desserts for her to study."

The young girl instantly exclaimed with delight, "Big Sister is so kind!"

After that, she bid farewell to Su Youyue and left the room with Little Xing, both of them stepping away cheerfully.

Chu Xiaozi had also learned much in the morning, but she dared not let Su Youyue catch her eavesdropping. Seeing Su Rong depart, she quickly averted her gaze.

Miss Su, the eldest daughter of the family, was a lady of high birth. No matter what, she certainly wouldn't be willing to teach an uncultured girl like herself... Chu Xiaozi had enough self-awareness to know this, but it didn't hinder her admiration for Su Youyue growing.

She had heard that scholars held their teachers in high regard. Did this mean that Miss Su, the eldest daughter of the Su family, was now half her teacher?