"Smack!"
Nanny Li struck down without mercy.
Duoduo felt a sharp pain in her palm. She withdrew her hand, rubbing it vigorously against her clothes, trying to ease the sting.
"This teaches you the first rule: punctuality!"
"No matter what happens, being punctual and keeping your word is fundamental. Understand?"
"I understand," Duoduo said, her voice choked with tears.
"Understood? Then go sit over there." Nanny Li didn't elaborate further, gesturing for the two to sit at the table.
Lüdou pulled Duoduo along, and they went over to sit down.
"Now, I'll test you on the characters from earlier."
Nanny Li walked over, casually began writing, and made sure the two watched carefully how she formed the characters.
Duoduo forgot the pain in her palm, her eyes fixed intently on Nanny Li's every move.
After testing them, Nanny Li felt privately satisfied.
Duoduo remembered all ten characters perfectly. Even Lüdou could recognize most of them.
Since Duoduo showed such good aptitude, Nanny Li decided to increase her workload.
With this increase, Lüdou clearly couldn't keep up.
Seeing Lüdou on the verge of tears from anxiety, Duoduo tugged at her sleeve during a break in Nanny Li's instruction.
"I'll teach you later!" Duoduo mouthed silently.
Lüdou nodded gratefully, and after that, she wasn't as flustered.
Nanny Li pretended not to see the little exchange between Duoduo and Lüdou.
Duoduo's willingness to help Lüdou was also beneficial for her own learning.
Moreover, Nanny Li had heard that Lüdou was very protective of Duoduo.
A maid like that, improving herself, was a good thing for Duoduo too.
With this in mind, Nanny Li increased the workload again, continuing until fatigue showed on Duoduo's face.
Nanny Li glanced at the water clock and put away the book.
"Nanny, I didn't mean to yawn on purpose just now. I'll listen carefully, I promise."
Seeing Nanny Li put the book away, Duoduo grew anxious.
Unmoved, Nanny Li placed the book in the cabinet.
"Enough. I'm tired and need to rest. You may leave."
Hearing this, Lüdou quickly pulled Duoduo into tidying the papers on the table, then they retreated from the room.
Duoduo was full of regret.
"Lüdou, do you think Nanny got angry because I yawned?"
Lüdou pushed open their room door, carefully placing the papers on the table beneath the windowsill.
"No, Duoduo. Look, it's almost the Si hour."
Duoduo didn't catch on. "What about the Si hour?"
"Have you forgotten, miss? At the Si hour, all the maids not on duty have to come to learn etiquette."
Duoduo slapped her forehead. "Ah! I forgot!"
Lüdou laughed. "Why slap your forehead for no reason? Quick, lie down for a bit. You'll be tired enough later!"
Duoduo immediately ran to the bed and lay down, patting the space beside her. "Lüdou, you come too."
Lüdou was indeed tired. She walked over and lay down as well.
Lüdou was worried they might fall asleep. If they were late, they'd be punished again.
She tried hard to recall the characters they'd just learned. "Miss, did you remember all the characters from earlier?"
Duoduo rolled over, lying on her stomach.
"Lüdou, you should call me Duoduo, not miss."
Lüdou smiled. "Duoduo."
"Yes! Lüdou, I remembered them all! If you forgot any, you can ask me."
Lüdou grew interested. She got up and brought over a piece of paper.
"This character and this one, I didn't remember."
Duoduo leaned over to look, pointed at one, and pronounced it.
Lüdou repeated it, carefully memorizing its shape.
Perhaps because she was with Duoduo, Lüdou felt less nervous, and soon she had memorized the characters she'd forgotten.
"Duoduo, you're amazing! You remembered them all! You'll surely pass the imperial exams and become a top scholar!"
Lüdou happily patted Duoduo's head.
Duoduo grinned. "Lüdou, you're amazing too. You'll also be a top scholar."
Lüdou covered her mouth, laughing.
Duodou rolled into Lüdou's arms. "Lüdou, we'll both be top scholars!"
Lüdou hugged Duoduo. "Yes, we'll both be top scholars!"
They happily tumbled about on the bed. Seeing it was almost the Si hour, Lüdou hurriedly pulled Duoduo up.
She re-tied Duoduo's hair and straightened her clothes, then they left the room.
By the Si hour, over twenty maids were already standing in the courtyard of the Bamboo Pavilion.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang had also arrived.
"Your Highness, you've come?" Nanny Li hurried forward to greet her.
"Nanny, I hope I'm not disturbing you? I just came to have a look."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang took Nanny Li's hand affectionately.
"Lüdou, bring a chair!" Nanny Li instructed.
Lüdou swiftly ran inside to fetch a chair. Duoduo followed her in to make tea.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang looked at Duoduo, whose demeanor was noticeably different, and a glint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
Lüdou set down the chair and quickly turned to help Duoduo.
The Princess Consort sat down, picked up the teacup, opened the lid, and sniffed the aroma.
"Nanny Li, please begin. I'm just here to watch, I'll leave shortly."
"Very well, please have a seat, Your Highness."
Nanny Li didn't stand on ceremony either. She turned and began having the maids line up again according to height.
The maids, who had been quite resistant to Nanny Li teaching them etiquette, quieted down upon seeing the Princess Consort present.
Once everyone had re-formed their lines, Nanny Li began lecturing on the rules.
After finishing the lecture, she started with the basics of walking and standing, demonstrating each herself.
"Good. Now, each of you place this booklet on your head."
"When this incense stick burns out, those whose booklets haven't fallen to the ground may go rest to the side."
"If your booklet falls more than three times, you will be punished with strikes to the palm."
"Now, place the booklet on your head."
Seeing everyone was ready, Nanny Li lit the incense and placed it in the burner.
No one dared to move, afraid the booklet on their head would fall.
Being the youngest, Duoduo stood in the very front row.
At first, she was all smiles, but as time dragged on, she began to sway.
"Thud!" Someone's booklet had already hit the ground.
Duoduo felt the thin booklet on her head grow as heavy as a thousand pounds.
It seemed her neck could no longer turn. It was agony.
She was just about to move slightly when the booklet on her head went "thump" and fell.
Duoduo was disheartened. She picked the booklet up from the ground and looked at Lüdou beside her.
Lüdou wanted to comfort her but didn't dare move.
"Recite!" Lüdou whispered a reminder to Duoduo.
Back in the Song residence, Lüdou had once been punished by the mistress. Back then, she had to balance a bowl of water on her head.
She had distracted herself by silently reciting nursery rhymes her mother taught her as a child.
Hearing Lüdou's words, Duoduo's eyes lit up.
She placed the booklet back on her head and began silently recalling the characters she had just learned in her mind.
Sure enough, with this distraction, Duoduo no longer felt the passage of time.
"Alright, time's up."
Seeing the incense in the burner had burned out, Nanny Li announced the end.
"Duoduo, Lüdou... you few, go rest over there."
Nanny Li hadn't expected the youngest, Duoduo and Lüdou, to persevere to the end.
