Chapter 204 - 203: Qin Xiaowu: Nearly Slapped in the Face by Big Sister
Qin Liuxi spent a night at the Daoist Temple and roamed the city upon her return. Although she intended to attend the old coffin seller’s funeral, the time had not yet come, so she returned home to show her face first.
As she entered through the corner gate of her own courtyard, Qi Huang was sewing under the eaves, while Qin Mingchun had set up a small table and stool nearby, holding a book and reading, but with apparent distraction. Hearing the noise at the courtyard gate, he sprung up.
"You’re back," Qi Huang said with a smile, placing her needlework back into the basket and standing up to greet Qin Liuxi.
Qin Mingchun also bowed to Qin Liuxi as a gesture of respect: "Please be at ease, elder sister."
"Mhm." Qin Liuxi walked over, picked up his book, and saw it was still "Student Rules." She flipped through it and asked, "How come there are no annotations? Don’t understand it, or just lazy?"
With a sound of surprise, Qin Mingchun replied: "I just took it out to read. I’m not lazy; I understand it—it’s all memorized in my head."
Qin Liuxi glanced at him and said, "Understanding is one thing, but you should annotate your insights. Those are your personal interpretations. In the future, even if you’re looking at the book yourself, or if it’s being shared, others can see your thoughts and compare them with their own insights. And even if you don’t share it, when you look at the book later in life, your views may change with age and experience."
"With different ages come different perspectives on things. Noting them down gives you something to compare. You say you remember, but as you grow older, will you remember everything, big or small? A good memory is not as reliable as a worn pen. You should make notes when you read, understand?"
Qin Mingchun nodded, timidly replying, "Understood." With his head down, he glanced up at Qin Liuxi again, hesitant to speak.
"Speak your mind; don’t hem and haw like a young lady."
In a soft voice, Qin Mingchun asked, "Elder sister, our Qin family has been raided, and grandfather and father have been exiled. Does that make us the family of a criminal official?"