Qiao Hezhi naturally didn't want to miss the opportunity, so he followed behind Fang Yu. The two of them entered the study together. By now, the stove had already been lit inside, making the room warm and cozy.
Fang Yu walked over to the bookshelf and searched for a while, wanting to find a book suitable for Qiao Hezhi to read. But all he found were classics and policy essays. He hadn't expected to be at a loss for a moment: "None of these are good books for passing the time; they're all tough to chew through. When I have some free time, I'll go out and find a few light reading books to bring back."
Qiao Hezhi indeed didn't care for these kinds of books either, but he didn't want to leave the study, so he said: "I can read some poetry books as well."
"Then just pick whatever you like."
"Mm."
Fang Yu sat down at his own long desk, spread out some paper. He didn't plan to review any lessons, the Master hadn't assigned any homework today. He focused his mind and began to draw the concept he had envisioned during class earlier, an idea that had come to him out of frustration with the cumbersome process of writing.
Qiao Hezhi browsed the bookshelf for a long while, selected a book of poetry, and read for a time. He stole glances and saw Fang Yu holding a thin piece of charcoal, writing and drawing on the paper for a long time. He was so focused he didn't even look up once, and it was unclear what he was up to.
He got up from the low table and wandered over, hesitating about whether to sit beside Fang Yu, but felt too bold to do so openly. He considered using a pretense of examining Fang Yu's drawings as a reason to sit beside him, but before his hesitation could fully form, Fang Yu noticed his approach and moved aside to make a place for him.
Qiao Hezhi suppressed a small smile, tilting his head as he inquired, "What is it you're drawing, Master?"
"Diagrams. Here, let me explain it to you."
"This triangular section is the nib. The short, square piece is the cap. The part you hold is the barrel, and this long outer casing is the shell." Fang Yu pointed at the diagram: "I was thinking about how troublesome it is to use a brush in winter. Dipping it in ink freezes your fingers, and carrying all the writing materials is inconvenient. So I imagined a simplified pen, roughly two inches long, that could easily fit in a pocket and be ready to use anytime. Wouldn't that be much more practical?"
"What a clever idea, Master." Qiao Hezhi listened with great interest, but also questioned: "But even if it's carried in a pocket, you'd still have to bring ink."
Fang Yu pointed to the diagram and explained, "You see the parts I've drawn here—the cap, the nib, and this tube that holds the ink. The idea is to fill the tube with ink and attach it to the nib. When you hold the pen at a tilt and write, the nib would flex slightly under pressure, allowing ink to flow out. This way, you don't need to bring ink separately."
He then added, "This is just one design. I've also drawn another version. It works on a similar idea, but the nib is finer, and it's fitted inside the barrel with a spring. To use it, you press the end, and the nib extends outward, which is even more convenient."
Qiao Hezhi watched as Fang Yu vividly described how to use his simplified pen, as if he had really used one before.
After finishing his introduction, Fang Yu sighed: "It's a good idea, but I just don't know if it can be made."
Qiao Hezhi said: "Since you've already drawn the diagrams, making it probably isn't too difficult. Why not take the finished diagrams and ask my uncle? Perhaps he can make it."
"Excellent!" Fang Yu said, his face brightening with a happy realization. "I had nearly forgotten that your uncle is an artisan."
"Tomorrow when we go back, we'll bring the diagrams. Uncle's house isn't far from home. We can invite Uncle over for a simple meal and ask him how to make it."
"That would be excellent!"
Thinking he would need to find an artisan, Fang Yu drew several more alternative designs: an ink reservoir tube that was filled manually by suction, one with a pull-tube installed at the end to suck up ink... He drew them all on the paper and carefully refined them, hoping that at least one could be successfully made.
While the two of them were enjoying a warm and harmonious atmosphere, the situation at Changshou Hall was far from peaceful.
Yin Rao'er had suffered greatly at Fang Yu's hands today. In the evening, she wanted to find Fang Yu to apologize and try to win back his favor. She came over to the Bicang Small Pavilion, wanting to go to the study, but was stopped outside by Xuezhu, who had already received instructions. After her crying and making a scene proved ineffective, she went angrily to find Madam Chen, but unexpectedly was stopped again, this time by Qian Pozi. She ended up standing outside in the cold wind for half a shichen without managing to see anyone.
She felt both panicked and cold. Seeing that it was highly likely she was going to lose the Fang family as a backer, she wanted to go back overnight to discuss countermeasures with her family, but the servants were watching her and wouldn't let her leave the residence. It was like being tortured in a boiling oil pot.
And Madam Chen, separated from her by just a few walls, wasn't much better off. Fang Yu's few seemingly baseless words had suddenly left her feeling unsettled. She had only eaten a few bites of her evening meal and looked worried.
In her heart, Madam Chen refused to believe Fang Yu's words. The living, breathing man who ate and laughed before her was undeniably her son in appearance. Yet a thread of doubt lingered within her. Ever since Fang Yu had fallen into the water, he truly had not been the same as before; his words and actions had changed significantly. Still, she could find no suitable explanation for this transformation.
The memory of her son's fall into the water stirred Madam Chen's resentment toward Yin Rao'er once more. Were it not for that girl, her son would never have gone to the village and encountered such a misfortune. After the incident, Yin Rao'er had not even bothered to visit. Now that she needed to buy cloth, she suddenly remembered to seek out their family. Madam Chen thought the girl fully deserved this rejection.
Lost in her troubled thoughts, Madam Chen was unusually quiet. She retired to her bed early and did not speak with her maids or the pozi, instead tossing and turning restlessly as she pondered. The servants found her behavior somewhat strange that day, assuming she was still deeply upset about Qiao Hezhi. However, since she did not cause any disturbance, they were all content to leave her undisturbed, and no one ventured to bother her.
The following day, after Fang Yu had finished his morning wash and was preparing to visit Changshou Hall to pay his customary respects to Madam Chen, a servant from Changshou Hall arrived with a report instead. The servant informed him that Madam Chen had left the house early that morning, and that Yin Rao'er had also departed at daybreak, taking the cloth purchased by the Fang family and returning to her village in her family's carriage.
"Was the carriage arranged for her by Mother?"
Xuezhu said: "Miss Cousin requested it herself. When she was leaving, the Old Madam had already gone out. I originally thought Miss Cousin should at least say something to the Master, but her eyes were swollen as big as walnuts, and she said she had no face to see the Master."
Fang Yu laughed scornfully: "She's too embarrassed to see me, but she has no problem taking advantage of the Fang family's generosity. Let her go. Anyway, in a few days I will also go to the village. But Mother, what is an old lady like her going out so early for?"
"I went to inquire, but whether the people at Changshou Hall are tight-lipped, or the servants simply don't know why the Old Madam went out, I couldn't find out anything. I only know the Old Madam took Qian Pozi with her."
Fang Yu pondered for a moment, then beckoned Xuezhu closer: "Come here, I have a couple of instructions for you."
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