142 Sobbing
Yu Shuangbai was stunned by her words.
Yu Youyao was also a little angry. “You cried the moment you rushed into my room just now. How would I know what grievances you had suffered and what anger you had suffered? How would I dare to coax you? I would have coaxed you badly and made you sad instead. Isn’t it better if you cried yourself and let your emotions out?”
“I…” Seeing that she was angry, Yu Shuangbai was a little helpless and forgot to cry.
Yu Youyao glared at her. “You said that I’m learning all sorts of things and don’t want to play with you, but I’ve lost my mother since I was young, and even though I have a stepmother, I still can’t escape the reputation of being the eldest daughter of a widowed wife. Grandmother pitied me, so she found Nanny Xu to enter the residence and asked me to learn more rules and things so that I can accumulate some reputation. Otherwise, in the future, someone outside will use the words ‘the eldest daughter of a bereaved wife’ to criticize me and implicate the reputation of the residence. Grandmother is thinking for me, so how can I let her down? I have to learn well.”
At this point, her expression darkened. “I can’t compare to you. You have Second Aunt and Second Uncle. Even if you’re wronged and angry, you still have some backing. If I don’t learn well, even my father won’t let me off easily.”
Yu Shuangbai’s face was filled with shame. Previously, when Eldest Uncle slapped Yu Youyao, everyone in the Jade Courtyard had kept quiet about it. However, all the masters in the residence knew about this.
Not to mention anything else, even when she had broken her father’s inkstone and stained it, her father had not scolded her. He had only told her not to be rash in the future.
“It’s not like you don’t know what kind of person I am. Who would want to learn this and that all day long? I wake up earlier than a chicken and sleep later than a cat. I’m busy all day, like a spinning top. However, I envy you. Second Aunt helps you with everything. Even if she’s a little strict with you usually, it’s for your own good. She can’t really force you to do anything.”
Yu Shuangbai lowered her head and thought about how during this period of time, she did not know what was wrong with her mother. For the first time, she was being strict with her. She kept watching her learn the rules and needlework.
In the first few days, she could still tolerate it a little.
However, if she was forced too hard, she wasn’t able to take it anymore.
Seeing that she couldn’t learn things well and wasn’t motivated to continue learning. Her mother scolded her, “You’re already a young lady, but you still don’t know any rules all day. In the future, when you leave the house, won’t you be a joke? Look at your eldest sister. Do you think she’s playing around like you? In just three months, she’s learned the rules well, and even learned how to embroider. The medicinal tea that was sent over previously was also made by her. Now that she’s a little older, she can help manage the house. Can’t you learn from your eldest sister?”
When Chu Chu heard this, she did not feel anything.
However, she had been saying it every day, which made her angry.
Hence, she did not hold back her anger and quarreled with her mother.
After the argument, she felt aggrieved. Thinking about Yu Youyao’s recent changes, she couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild. Somehow, she ended up in the Jade Courtyard.
At this moment, Chun Xiao brought over a copper basin.
Yu Youyao picked up her handkerchief and helped Yu Shuangbai wipe her face clean. Seeing the tears on her face, she felt both heartache and amusement. “You’re already so old, yet you’re still crying. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Yu Shuangbai was stunned and let her be.
Xia Tao took the sheep cream used by Miss.
After crying for a long time, Yu Shuang’s white face was tense and uncomfortable. Yu Youyao took a jade spoon and scooped out some cream paste. She made circles with the bottom of the spoon and carefully pushed the paste to spread it evenly.
Yu Youyao used sheep’s milk to make the sheep’s cream. It took a lot of effort to make it. In the first few days, she had given her a few boxes and said, “Spring is hot, and the sheep’s cream is warm and moisturizing.”
She knew that Yu Youyao always gave her things that she had personally made.
Yu Shuangbai’s mouth was dry from crying, and Dong Mei happened to bring over a cup of medicinal tea.
She had cried hard just now and felt hungry, so Nanny Xu also brought over a few exquisite and delicious snacks.
Qiu Xing also silently washed a pot of cherries and placed them in front of her.
These big cherries had been found outside a few days ago. Yu Youyao did not know where they had come from, but from what she heard, they had ordered a lot of big cherries early in the morning. Everyone in the residence had a small plate of them. They were finally stocked with cherries. Even some of the capable servants could have a taste.
However, Yu Youyao had secretly given her another small plate.
As soon as she arrived at the Jade Courtyard, everyone in the courtyard surrounded her. This was because Yu Youyao sincerely treated her as a sister, so the maidservants treated her like their master.
Yu Shuangbai’s eyes turned red. Thinking of what she had said previously, she felt very vexed. She lowered her head and grabbed Yu Youyao’s sleeve anxiously. “I was just saying it out of anger. I wasn’t serious. I’ve always treated you as my best sister. You can’t anger me.”
Yu Youyao felt a lump in her throat. She deliberately looked angry and did not say anything.
Yu Shuangbai panicked. She squatted in front of Yu Youyao and winked at her. “Good sister, it’s my fault this time. I was spouting nonsense. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this time. I’m willing to do anything.”
Yu Youyao chuckled. “You’re so hot tempered. Who would dare to make you work like a slave? If Second Aunt finds out, her heart will ache. You can’t do this next time…”
With her smile, the sisters finally made up.
When Nanny Liu saw this, she couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.
Everyone in the house had left. Yu Shuangbai held her medicinal tea and began to complain about her mother. She talked about how crazy she had been recently, forcing her to learn the rules and learn needlework.
Yu Youyao did not say anything and just listened.
Yu Shuangbai spat out a mouthful of bitterness and finally felt a little better. “Tell me, is my mother too much?”
However, Yu Youyao knew very well what Second Aunt was feeling. “Among the sisters, Third Sister is very outstanding in every aspect. She has already gained a reputation for being kind and polite outside. Even if Fourth Sister is a little rash, she still has some good embroidery skills. Fifth Sister is good at poetry. We’re all sisters, so it’s inevitable that there will be differences in strength.”
Yu Shuangbai was suddenly stunned. She had never thought of this before, and her mother had probably cared about her pride and never mentioned it. Now that Yu Youyao had hit the nail on the head, she felt mixed emotions.
The room immediately fell silent.
After a long while, Yu Shuangbai felt a lump in her throat. “But I don’t like to do needlework. My mother has been forcing me.”
Knowing that Yu Shuangbai had figured it out, Yu Youyao heaved a sigh of relief. “If you don’t like needlework, just tell Second Aunt. She’s not unreasonable.”
Yu Shuangbai held her face in her hands in distress. After crying for a while, her carefree face finally had the worry of growing up. “But, if I don’t learn needlework, I don’t know what to learn. You also know that I can barely understand my studies, and I’m not good at playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. No matter what I learn, I’m not good enough.”