Time Travel: The Noble Family

A man, about fifty years old, dressed in a cyan garment and exuding the air of a scholar, having heard what Attendant Student said, came over and led Yueyao to a small study on the side. Once inside the study, he asked, "Old Master, young lady, my surname is Lan. May I ask what kind of calligraphy copybook does the young lady wish to acquire?"

Yueyao stated her request, "My younger brother is starting his education, and I want to obtain a copybook in the Ou style for his practice. I need a handwritten copy by a famous person." There was really no hope for an original; people who owned originals would keep them at home and not sell them unless absolutely necessary.

Mr. Lan, seeing Yueyao's humility and understanding, and then seeing Ma Chengteng nod slightly towards him, said, "Young lady, you are in luck, our bookhouse happens to have a calligraphy copybook in the Ou style. I will now ask someone to fetch it for you to see."

Yueyao nodded her head.

Mr. Lan instructed the Attendant Student and then turned to Yueyao with a smile, "If the young lady does not mind, could you please write a few characters for this old man to see?"

Yueyao was unwilling. A lady's calligraphy should not be casually displayed. Moreover, she did not want others to see her handwriting and thus shook her head, showing a lack of courtesy.

Mr. Lan looked towards Ma Chengteng.

Ma Chengteng said with a smile, "Yueyao, just write a few characters, it's a custom here at Qingfeng Bookhouse. There's no harm in it." He wondered why the child was being so cautious.

Meanwhile, an Attendant Student brought over the writing materials.

Yueyao internally complained, "What kind of ridiculous rule is this." But at this moment, she had no choice but to go through with it. Reluctant to show her real skill, Yueyao picked up the brush and wrote four characters: Qingfeng Bookhouse.

Yueyao had started learning the Willow-body calligraphy style at the age of two in her previous life, and after dedicating over twenty years of diligent study and practice to it, while not comparable to a great calligrapher, her skill was certainly not mediocre. Even if she tried to hide it, it couldn't be completely concealed, so she deliberately wrote the characters poorly, yet they still carried a degree of refinement.

Seeing Yueyao's Willow-body calligraphy, Mr. Lan's gaze towards her changed. At such a young age, she had managed to evoke some of the charm of the Willow-body style. Truly a talent with potential. It was a pity she was a young lady. If she were a young man, he could recommend her to meet famous persons. If they took her in as a student, it would be both a good opportunity and a great honor.

One of the reasons that Qingfeng Bookhouse attracted scholars, which Yueyao did not know, was that if you showcased your talent here and won the approval of several in charge, the bookhouse would recommend you to famous persons. Whether you could become a student of such persons depended on personal fate, but for students from poor families, such an opportunity was tremendously valuable.

Mr. Lan exclaimed, "If the young lady persists, she will undoubtedly become a great master." With guidance from a renowned teacher, she really could become a top calligrapher.

Yueyao shook her head, "I have reached my limit; I cannot continue further. I plan to learn another style. I wonder if you could recommend one or two."

Mr. Lan felt a sense of pity for the wasted talent. After contemplating for a moment, he said, "Your writing is elegant and refined. How about choosing the 'Quick Snowfall and Sunny Day Post'? Its characteristics are elegance and flowing grace, akin to floating clouds pursuing natural beauty."

Yueyao smiled in thanks, "Very well." She had actually just mentioned that on purpose. She had no intention of giving up learning the plum blossom calligraphy style. Having mastered the Willow-body style and then adding the plum blossom style would be sufficient. She intended to devote all her attention to painting and had no time to learn another style of calligraphy. However, having such a scroll for reference was still acceptable.

As Mr. Lan prepared to leave to fetch the calligraphy scroll, Yueyao turned to Ma Chengteng and said, "Uncle, I still wish to select a few more books of interest."

Being a reader, Ma Chengteng hoped everyone would be diligent in learning. Although his niece was a woman, it did not prevent him from hoping that Yueyao would become a talented lady. "Of course, no problem. You go ahead, I have some old friends here, and I'll go greet them."

Yueyao nodded her head.

Mr. Lan smiled and said, "The books are on the second floor. Please, young lady."

Upon reaching the second floor, Yueyao was immediately greeted by a waft of ink scent. She looked at the neatly arranged rows of bookshelves, with the books perfectly aligned. Each shelf had labels indicating the category of books and small tags specifying the exact rows and columns.

The weather was good today, so all the surrounding windows were fully open, allowing sunlight to pour in, making the entire house bright and cheerful.

Yueyao began to look through the rows according to the summaries. The range of books was vast, and this level contained all sorts of miscellaneous books. The books concerning imperial examinations were in the third building. Her father's study held mostly books on imperial examinations but also many on Guqin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting.