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This laziness stems not only from an inherent reluctance to put in hard work due to personality traits, but also from a deep-seated fear of the effort required to learn the unknown.

She is not a person with perseverance, persistence, or self-control. If it requires a lot of time and energy to accomplish something and the process is not attractive to her, she will most likely give up.

A while ago, she had made plans and worked hard, such as memorizing a certain number of poems every day, practicing the piano every day, and learning embroidery every day.

However, the effect was minimal.

For example, when preparing to memorize poems, one often feels involuntarily bored and thinks to oneself, "I'm not in a good state of mind to study now, so the effect will definitely not be good. I might as well take a break and study later."

So he reached for the books nearby, such as "Anecdotes of Ancient and Modern Times" and "Travels of XX." And so, "later" became "tomorrow." Day after day.

For example, you might be ready to practice the piano, but you're quickly deterred by the strangely shaped sheet music, and end up sitting there daydreaming for an entire afternoon.

Watching Yuan Rou, Yong Jiao, and the others handle these things with ease, she felt envious, but her ambition to catch up was quickly crushed by the cruel reality—learning a skill from scratch, starting from nothing, requires more than just talent; the most important thing is the ability to endure loneliness and strong self-control.

Sadly, it seems Su Chen lacks all three. So she became lazy and procrastinated, and now, time has passed.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in warm water, she gradually got used to it over time, feeling that even if she didn't study, life wouldn't be too difficult. Because Tang's mother knew she had only recently recovered from a serious illness and needed rest, she specifically instructed several teachers not to be too strict with her.

She was well aware that once she entered the capital in a month, if she didn't learn some of the skills expected of aristocratic women in this era, trouble would inevitably ensue. Yet, she remained listless.

Looking at today's events from a different perspective, they aren't necessarily a bad thing. At least they've served as a wake-up call, reminding me that I really should strive to learn something. While feigning amnesia is a cliché and usable trope, it's not a foolproof method.

Adapting to the environment? Su Chen chuckled self-deprecatingly. It wasn't that simple. Especially for someone like himself who lacked any willpower.

But regardless, she had made her decision. She had to learn what it would take to make a living, no matter how difficult it was!

===========

"What's wrong, Miss?" Dongkui spread out the bedding and hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "You've been like this ever since you came back from the Cui residence. You haven't said a word and have just been sitting there. Have you been wronged? Should we go and talk to the old lady?"

Huh? Su Chen turned to look at her in surprise.

The gentle maid, her face showing concern, said again, "Is the young lady feeling unwell? Shouldn't you rest early? If you've been wronged, it's best to speak up."

"What grievance did you suffer?!" Granny Sun was startled when she arrived, having only caught the last half of what was said. She quickly asked. Dongkui saw that she was carrying a pile of things and hurriedly went over to take them and put them on the table.

Su Chen glossed over the matter with vague words, offering a perfunctory explanation. Seeing Dong Kui take the large silk-wrapped item from Granny Sun, she couldn't help but lean over to take a look. Granny Sun smiled as she approached, untying the knot at the top of the maroon silk wrapping, and then unwrapping several more layers of silk before revealing a wooden box inside.

Seeing how tightly the box was wrapped, Su Chen was very curious about what was inside. Granny Sun picked up the box separately and said with a smile, "The old lady gave it to you. You can open it yourself. Don't say I stole your things." After saying that, she took out a gilded key from her belt.

"What kind of talk is this!" Su Chen exclaimed, both amused and annoyed, "Granny!"

Dongkui laughed, and Granny Sun laughed even more as she took the key and opened the lock. She fiddled with it for a while, then inserted the key in several places and turned it, before finally putting it in the lock and opening it. She said, "This new lock is really troublesome. There's a specific order and a clever way to open it. Although it's the best for preventing theft, it's also very troublesome to remember how to open it."

“It must have been brought back from Kyoto,” Dongkui said. “Judging from this seal, it must be from Tianyuan Old Records.” She then said to He Suchen, “Miss, look at this place.”

Su Chen looked closer and saw that there was indeed a small phoenix carved in an inconspicuous place on the box. Although the phoenix was small, the carving lines were extremely smooth, and it looked as if it was about to take flight.

“Tianyuan Laoji is a royal establishment, opened thirty or forty years ago. Everything inside is exquisitely crafted, and the phoenix symbol is subtly displayed in every place,” Dongkui explained.

“That’s right, it’s kind of you to remember, even though you’ve been away from the capital for so long.” Granny Sun nodded and said, “The old lady said that you didn’t have any jewelry or other valuables when you went to the capital, so she gave you this box to use.” She then opened the box.

The box, originally a thick and heavy brown square, was unusually glossy due to the type of paint used on it. The simple and unpretentious embossed patterns on it further accentuated the solid and sturdy nature of the wooden box.

It looks like something valuable; I wonder how much it could fetch at the antique market.

Just as I was marveling at this, Granny Sun opened the box.

He had prepared himself for a room filled with radiant light, but the contents of the box were individually wrapped in gauze, making them impossible to see without unwrapping them one by one. Furthermore, each item was placed in a small recess, some separated by other materials. Su Chen picked one up at random, and immediately felt a dampness on his fingers—the gauze had been soaked with water.

Startled, she quickly unwrapped it. It was a jade piece used to weigh down her skirt, with a unicorn pattern, a bluish-white jade color, and a translucent, warm texture, yet it felt incredibly cold to the touch. She examined it for a moment, then looked up at Granny Sun: "This cloth seems damp. Granny, should we change it?"

Granny Sun looked at her helplessly, took the jade piece, and Dongkui secretly laughed. Su Chen blinked in confusion, and Granny Sun said, "This jade needs to be kept in water, otherwise it may crack. How come you don't know anything about these little things like maintenance?"

With an "Oh," Su Chen slowly opened the box and looked at the contents. Granny Sun sighed and said, "No wonder the old lady dotes on you. Although I already knew, I didn't expect her to care for you to this extent."

Hearing this, Su Chen felt a warmth in his heart, though not to the point of being overwhelmed. Dong Kui also said, "I've really learned something new. I've never seen anything like this before."

Granny Sun couldn't help but laugh and said, "This is what the old lady brought as part of her dowry, so naturally everything is of good quality. Besides, how many things have you seen before?" After saying that, she put away the box and said, "I'll help you pack it up, Miss. We don't need it for the time being."

Chapter 1: Entering the City

The promotional function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now! As the journey to the capital draws near, people in the room begin packing and preparing their luggage and servants. Su Chen had planned to use this time to learn something, but everyone's mood was fluctuating, and she was naturally affected as well, ultimately finding it difficult to concentrate on her studies.

She didn't share her anxieties about the future with He Su, who had just returned, due to a strange and inexplicable feeling. As they were about to depart, Tang's mother gave many instructions, and a restless atmosphere permeated the mansion.

Finally, it was decided that the head maid would only take Dongkui and the magistrate with her, Granny Sun would manage the servants, and a few guards and servants would be enough; the rest would be handled in the capital.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. After bidding farewell to the people in the mansion, the fleets of the Cui and He mansions traveled up the canal. The initial plan was to transport the ships by water to the dock outside Tokyo City, and then transfer them to horse-drawn carriages to enter the city.

The journey was relatively smooth, but Su Chen, who had planned to enjoy the scenery along the way, often stayed in the cabin due to seasickness, and didn't see much of the actual scenery. After finally disembarking, he only rested briefly before getting into the carriage. Cui's mother was a little worried and made him ride in the same carriage as her. The caravan then headed out along the road built at the dock.

It was late summer, and the wildflowers and grasses in the fields were still growing wildly with the help of the damp air. The endless rice paddies gave the area a sense of openness and tranquility.

In the early morning, the carriage creaked and slowly made its way along the official road. Su Chen leaned against the pillows and cushions, while Cui's mother half-closed her eyes to rest. The two maids huddled in a corner under the covers, their eyes opening and closing, wanting to sleep but not quite.

Bored, Su Chen slowly examined the carriage, which was said to have been hastily prepared by the Cui family in the capital for Cui's mother.

The carriage's wood was painted a deep red lacquer, smooth and heavy. The curtains were embroidered with auspicious floral patterns, making it opulent and beautiful. The carriage was quite spacious, furnished with a small table, cushions, and on the table were small snacks such as fruits and pastries, as well as a covered teacup and a small pot of tea. Beside it were several Taoist classics, and even strangely, a Buddhist book, the Diamond Sutra, was placed there as well.

Before Su Chen could take a closer look, He Su Shi and Cui Shi Ran's low voices drifted in through the curtains outside the car.

"We're almost there, Shizhi, look at the city wall over there."

A moment of silence.

"It is indeed tall and imposing. I wonder how much manpower and resources it took to build it."