CHAPTER 202: CHAPTER 194: SOCIALITE TRAINING PROGRAM

Tian Sisi distributed the gifts she brought from Beijing to several friends, Zhong Anping and Zhong Ankang each got a share, and even Jin Duofu, that snotty kid, received one through Zhong Meiying. The gifts were all the same, a small pack of Beijing-produced red shrimp candy for each person.

Although the gifts were not heavy, each recipient was very happy. Thinking that these candies were brought all the way from Beijing by Tian Sisi, they felt even more reluctant to eat them, cherishingly placing them in the drawer and occasionally taking them out to look at.

In the days that followed, Tian Sisi lived a carefree and comfortable life, sleeping until she naturally woke up, without having to walk more than ten miles to school, nor sitting in the classroom with a bunch of little brats. It was simply too wonderful! Tian Sisi wished she could roar towards the sky to express her splendid mood!

However, the happy times were always so fleeting. Tian Sisi’s carefree days lasted only three days before He Xuewen handed her a piece of paper, informing her that it was a curriculum schedule specially designed for her by Grandpa Zhang.

Monday: 8:30 am to 10:00 am learning Guzheng, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm learning Go, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm learning English;

Tuesday: Sketching, English, Japanese;

Wednesday: Piano, Sketching, German;

Thursday: Guzheng, Japanese, Italian;

Friday: Go, German, Piano;

Note: Every night, five calligraphy posters must be practiced, self-study the main curriculum, ask if there are questions.

Tian Sisi’s forehead creased with thick lines. What did this mean? Why were there so many courses? She looked up at He Xuewen and Old Man, hoping to get a satisfying answer.

Old Man rubbed his nose and looked around nervously, not daring to look at his granddaughter. In fact, he too felt it was a bit too much. Ah Nan was growing up and was not going to become a diplomat, so why learn so many foreign languages?

But Old Zhang insisted on doing so, and He Xuewen, who was her father, also agreed, saying that acquiring these skills was necessary to become a "Ming Yuan." The Old Man had only heard of silver coins, never "Ming Yuan." How was learning these courses related to "Ming Yuan"?

"Ah Nan, learning more will help you become a lady with a refined and graceful demeanor in the future," He Xuewen explained with a smile.

A lady with a refined and graceful demeanor? It had to be said, it was very tempting; surely no girl would not want to become a lady? Tian Sisi was no exception, but as soon as she thought of the dense schedule of courses, her head began to swell, and the thought of becoming a lady immediately faded.

"No, I don’t want to become a lady, I’m fine the way I am now, I don’t want to learn so many things!"

Tian Sisi protested firmly, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, her two braids swinging back and forth.

He Xuewen wanted to persuade her further, but Tian Sisi shook her head as if she had a cramp, and yelled, "I just don’t want to, Daddy, you know I don’t like studying, and yet you deliberately conspired with Mr. Yun, you’re so mean!"

"Grandpa, Daddy, if I study so much every day, my head will hurt, and then I won’t be able to sleep or eat well. Would you bear to see me shrink back to my previously gained weight?"

In order to escape this pit of fire, Tian Sisi went all out, throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground in front of He Xuewen and the Old Man, forcibly squeezing out a few tears. Sure enough, both the Old Man and He Xuewen immediately softened.

"Old Zhang, I think this curriculum is indeed a bit too much. How about we just have one class a day?"

Old Man quietly discussed with his old friend, and upon receiving a glare from Zhang Mingliu, the Old Man changed his tune: "Then how about just two lessons?"

He Xuewen also nodded in agreement, "Yes, Mr. Yun also said not to put too much pressure on Ah Nan, she doesn’t have to become a lady of great stature, simply learning the material will do."

Both were whispering in Zhang Mingliu’s ear with their backs turned to Tian Sisi, and their voices were so low that even if Tian Sisi pricked up her ears like a kangaroo, she only caught snippets of "Mr. Yun" and "lady."

Cloud Fox! You old coot, after all the nice food I’ve made you, you still backstab me like this, utterly shameless!

In Beijing, while Mr. Yun, in the middle of explaining historical allusions to Tian Xinhua and He Chengsi, sneezed uncontrollably, followed by another. Who was talking about him? Mr. Yun took out his handkerchief to wipe his nose.

Tian Xinhua hurriedly took a light coat from the coat rack and draped it over Mr. Yun. It was early autumn, and Beijing was still a bit cool in the mornings and evenings.

"Alright, that concludes today’s lesson. Both of you write an essay, and submit it tomorrow. Think about if you were He Kun, what would you do."

"Yes." Tian Xinhua and He Chengsi bowed respectfully and exited the study. As soon as they left the room, He Chengsi furrowed his brows. He detested writing essays the most, why did Mr. Yun always make them write essays?

While He Chengsi in Beijing was vexed by daily essay writing, Tian Sisi in Yuequan Village was also downcast by her ineffective resistance. Zhang Mingliu was a stern, unfeeling teacher; despite all the nice things Mr. Ren and He Xuewen said about him, the old man was adamant.

"I, Zhang Mingliu, will either not teach at all, or if I do teach, you must follow my curriculum plan!"

It turned out that a granddaughter’s tears are no match against the profound bond between comrades-in-arms. Seeing his old comrade upset, the Old Man shamelessly switched sides and began to work on his granddaughter instead.

"Don’t cry, Ah Nan, you’re so clever that learning will surely be easy for you. Before you know it, our Ah Nan will be the most formidable ’Ming Yuan’ in the world, unrivaled!"

"But what’s the use of learning these things? They’re not edible or wearable, I might as well learn cooking and dressmaking!"

Tian Sisi pouted; she truly didn’t want to learn these so-called highbrow lessons. In her previous life, Zhong Juying wanted her to be successful and enrolled her in many hobby classes: English, calligraphy, piano, guzheng, painting, dancing, etc. She was busy every day like a spinning top, and she genuinely wasn’t interested.

"Is life just about eating and wearing clothes? Humanity should have some higher artistic pursuits and can’t just think about food and clothing every day."

Zhang Mingliu couldn’t help but retort the young girl; he truly hadn’t expected Tian Sisi, with her refined and ethereal appearance, to be so vulgar. Truly a disappointment raised single-handedly by Tian Liu Jin, wasting her good looks.

"Grandpa Zhang, if you were starving for three days and nights, and in front of you, there was either a "Goubuli" bun or a painting by Wu Daozi, would you eat the bun or the painting?" Tian Sisi asked solemnly.

"Of course I would eat the bun!" Zhang Mingliu didn’t expect to be trapped by a little girl’s question and answered without thinking.

"There you have it, you also believe that eating is more important than art!"

The Old Man couldn’t help but burst into laughter, relishing the sight of Zhang Mingliu speechless and flustered. The Old Man wished he could hug his granddaughter and kiss her twice, for after all these years of grievances he had suffered at Old Zhang’s hand, his granddaughter had finally won them back for him!

He Xuewen couldn’t help but find it amusing as well, Ah Nan’s mind always had some quirky logic. Even though he knew what she said was incorrect, he simply couldn’t refute her.