Chapter 230 - 222: Wants to Learn the Guzheng Too
New Year’s Eve stayed up too late, Tian Sisi slept until nearly nine o’clock the next day. The warm sunlight shot through the window lattice and fell onto Tian Sisi’s bed, making it warm and cozy.
Bathing in the morning sunlight, Tian Sisi felt too lazy to move. Just lying there, eyes staring at the grid patterns on the canopy, her hand kept pinching the dolls on the bed, feeling very content. Tian Sisi’s bed was lined with many dolls, big and small, all sorts and sizes, all bought for her by He Xuewen and Tian Xinhua, filling up her bed.
After lazing in bed for a while, Tian Sisi finally got up unwillingly. If it were up to her past life’s temperament, she’d definitely sleep until the afternoon on New Year’s Day since there was no need to worry about visitors nor the need to go out to pay New Year’s visits; it is a local custom not to go out on New Year’s Day.
But now she could not afford to indulge in laziness. She was certain that if she didn’t go downstairs now, Zhu Aiqing would surely come to drag her out of bed. Zhu Aiqing could never stand her sleeping in late, just like Zhong Juying in her past life, nagging every day about how early birds catch the worms and admonishing against laziness. Sometimes Tian Sisi really wanted to retort that the early worms get eaten by the birds!
Tian Sisi returned to the Tian Family and entered the kitchen, where Granny Zhao and Xu Qianwen were both there, preparing lunch. Tian Sisi called out to them. Oddly, Xu Qianwen seemed like a changed person today, not only responding to her but also smiling and saying, "Ah Nan is up!" and in the end, warmly brought out the porridge and dishes from the pot for her, placing them on the table, urging Tian Sisi to eat while it was still hot.
Has the sun risen from the west? Tian Sisi was rather flattered and surprised. She was more accustomed to Xu Qianwen’s cold and stern demeanor; Xu Qianwen’s sudden warmth didn’t sit well with her at all.
After thanking her, Tian Sisi ate gracefully, taking small bites very ladylike. Xu Qianwen, who was washing vegetables, couldn’t help but observe Tian Sisi. In the past, she didn’t find this orphan girl to be pretty, but now, she realized the orphan girl was actually quite beautiful, especially her temperament, which was far superior to Lili’s.
Even if Xu Qianwen disliked Tian Sisi, at this moment, she had to admit that Tian Sisi was prettier than her daughter. Standing together, the difference was clear.
In Xu Qianwen’s mind, Tian Sisi was absolutely not as pretty as her daughter. But now, the not-as-pretty Tian Sisi turned so beautiful after learning the zither, which was a blow to Xu Qianwen. It appears that the saying "practicing the zither makes a girl prettier" was true. Xu Qianwen did not believe it before, but now she could not deny it.
Hmph, if Tian Sisi could learn it, then her Lili could definitely learn it even better. The next time they return, she would have Lili learn the zither. And the teacher is already there. Coincidentally, the wife of a battalion commander under Ai Guo’s command is a zither player in the art troupe; she could have Lili learn from her. She didn’t believe that a student taught by a professional teacher would be worse than one taught by a so-so teacher.