The MC forgot the plot

一 NINE 一

九 The roles and duties of a woman in the ancient times

The plum blossoms moved against the dance of the wind, its thin branches intertwined with one another creating rustles; the spring solstice blooms along the plum blossoms carrying its unique smell, petals falling one by one like showers of flowers.

Butterfly like wings flew open, brows furrowed as a splash of distress stained it and before long, a soft sigh left her red bitten lips.

The brush fell on her exhausted hand as she leans back on the wooden couch, her feet no longer bound with the rules and soon the shoes constraining her white delicate feet were out in the open.

If XiXi was here then she would have collapsed from panic seeing her young miss doing this vulgar pose— feet out in the open with her socks left on the heated floors; one of her legs crossed and the other on the upper side of the couch.

"Why can't I remember! Ugh!" Her face contorted into anger and both helplessness and not before long, she seems to have given up and bump her head over and over to the circular mahogany desk.

Meng Jia Yi was currently suffering from her realization of this world— a fictional world that was written in her world and one that she has rejected. To be fair it wasn't her that rejected it, she was just part of the acquisition team and only acquire novels and pitched them to sign to their company. The senior editors are the one that rejects and sign those novels they acquired, they are the one who is choosing which is more valuable and it's just her unlucky encounter with a mentally disturbed man.

Now what she can do is to plan for herself because, in the end, she has always believed that she only has herself to count on. Her now new family or in turn the original's family wasn't hers, to begin with, and also a fictional character. They weren't even real, what's more, she was just a shu daughter in this fictitious world with a lot of barriers that hinders her.

The only thing she could count on was to marry a soft-willed man as the main wife who can treat her as an honored guest. The man should be low in terms of power, without parents and other elders to dictate his life and someone who she can manipulate.

Other than that she would not enter the palace nor become a wife or a concubine of some officials. She would rather be a nun on a temple if the original's parents wanted to matchmake her to those stated above.

"Miss, this is XiXi, can this slave enter?"

She was taken out of her thoughts for her future when a knock resounds outside, her long fragile neck lifted up from the desk and hums in answer.

XiXi did a greeting first before whispering to her miss the matters outside. "Nanny Xia is outside, she has brought a female tutor, a retired palace maid from the inner palace to teach you the rules"

Meng Jia Yi almost bit her tongue, she forgot about this Madam Sima who was always looking for trouble for her. She now only wishes she could have a scheming mind and an ability to twist words to defeat her but considering her current position or the lack of it in this story — things may change and she may be unable to take it back in the future.

She has to observe more and this tutor might be perfect for her to study more about this fictitious world.

"Let them in and also prepare some snacks and tea to the living room" she ordered enthusiastically, a great contrast to XiXi's nervous expression before XiXi started her work seeing her miss's calm mentality.

Soon Nanny Xia and the female tutor who is once a palace maid in the inner palace came in. Every step that the female tutor made was done with such flawed movements, even the way moves her sleeves to place them in her knees was done in such immaculate action. Her back was straight and her chin held up high and with a unique aura that solely belongs to her; she kind of reminds her of her Senior Editor Chen which she has complex feelings too.

Since if it weren't for her rejecting that novel she acquired she wouldn't be here.

She then performed a greeting to the female tutor to which she just coldly replied. "You may go down"

She stood up and took a seat and before she knew it, her hands have already moved on their own and placed the tea filled cups on their side.

The female tutor dismissed Nanny Xia who had a sour expression before saluting her and leaving. There were only the three of them and with XiXi trembling like a leaf on her side, Meng Jia Yi remained unbothered by the rigorous observation of the female tutor.

"Young Lady seems to be quite composed" her voice was layered with a hint of surprise, Ma Zhen was known to be one of the female tutors that nobility wanted to learn from to their daughters.

It was no wonder to say that she is both strict and fair to her students and whoever was taught to her was known to have a successful marriage and hold prestige in the ladies' inner backyard.

What Meng Jia Yi didn't know was that it was Concubine Ban that wished to have a Female tutor Ma Zhen to teach her daughter along with the other daughters in managing the household.

The Prime Minister, Men Qing Ruo, who is the master and the husband of Concubine Ran, plans to let all his daughters to learn in managing the household after hearing Concubine Ban's wishes. She was once his beloved after all, someone that is still looked upon fondly by him. So to receive high praise from the noble households and reach a threshold of marriage proposals he agrees— they are after all in the age of marriage.

Besides a woman can only hold her head high up if; one she has the favor of her husband; two she has a powerful maternal family backing her and; three she has the wits and ability to gather prestige and power over the inner backyard.

"Jia Yi accepts Teacher Ma Zhen's praise" she lightly approved of this lady's current attitude.

She has been in the palace and has seen a lot of young ladies who try to act smart and have their eyes high up in the sky. Criticisms are frowned upon and praises are seen as a natural thing to come.

"Third miss will learn with her other sisters tomorrow at chén shí"

"Jia Yi understands" Meng Jia Yi then sent off her new teacher and soon asked XiXi to wake her up early and to make her remember the time for her new schedule.

It seems like she has to make sure to learn as much as she could to survive in this world and to be able to integrate more.

Her future is a veil that she could not see, one step and she would fall into the abyss and such would only hold on to this new life of hers.

Notes:

• To treat each other as an honored guest is a Chinese idiom meaning mutual respect between husband and wife (in most cases, love is replaced by respect)
• Tutors for female nobility are known to be retired palace maids and I am not so sure about it but what I do know is that young ladies in the boudoir are learning from their mothers how to handle the household.
• Chén shí means 7 am to 9 am; is the time when dragons would make rain; breakfast hour.

***
Ninth chapter! Hope you like this chapter!

Okay, not much has happened but we get to know about the struggles that woman faces in it is the resources are given to them or the lack of it. In ancient times and this particular setting, there is only girls in nobility that could study but unlike the boys who have such diverse subjects— for girls, it would be managing the household. Women in ancient times need to be submissive slaves to their husbands and to give birth. Even today the barriers left in ancient times are still present in the real world and only halved or a portion has changed.

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