Chapter 352 - 341
"Ah?" Ms. Qian had only made an excuse to come see Mr. Zhuang, she didn’t think Mr. Zhuang would change Manbao’s name, but what would her style name be?
Mr. Zhuang then smiled and said, "A person has not only a surname and an appellation, but also a given name and a style name. It’s just that ordinary families don’t pay much attention to this, having only a given name. If Manbao makes progress in her studies, she can be given a style name in the future, as a token of the expectations I hold for her as her tutor."
Ms. Qian listened to the earlier part with confusion, but she understood the last sentence and faintly felt that this was something very positive.
Therefore, she quickly thanked Mr. Zhuang and then pushed the basket toward him again, laughing and saying, "These are eggs laid by chickens at home. Mr. Zhuang, eating a steamed egg every day is very good for your health."
Mr. Zhuang was quite accustomed to receiving gifts from students, especially agricultural produce, and, all the more because Manbao was his entry-level disciple.
The tutor is like a father; just as it seemed normal for the Zhou family when he gave Manbao books and writing materials, it was equally normal for him to accept these gifts from the Zhou family.
Because of this teacher-student relationship, he would be influential in Manbao’s future marriage, and likewise, she could have a say in his funeral arrangements.
Ms. Qian naturally picked out some candies from the basket and, smiling at Mr. Zhuang, said, "Manbao mentioned that you love sweets. These are some we have at home. They might not compare to what you have here, but they are meant to sweeten your mouth."
Mr. Zhuang recognized the candy that Manbao often brought him as tributes, and with a smile responded, "Old Madam is too modest. This candy is sweeter than ordinary candies; I’ve only tasted it from Manbao."
Ms. Qian paused with her hand, then laughed and said, "If Mr. Zhuang likes it, later I’ll have Manbao bring some more over."
"When you’re old, you can’t eat too many sweets," Mr. Zhuang said with a laugh. "Let her keep them and eat them slowly instead."