All Hail Cousin Brother

140 Cousin Was Angry

She really did not expect that even the childish Chang An was a hidden expert. She wondered how many secrets her cousin was hiding. Thinking back to when she had accidentally discovered her cousin’s tracks at the Precious Peace Temple and asked someone to cut off a strand of his hair, Yu Youyao quickly shook her head, not daring to think further.

Chang An was holding a firewood knife and cutting the tree, making a loud clang. The tall tree also began to shake violently.

The commotion was too big, and the entire Yu Residence was alarmed. Soon, many people gathered near the Jade Courtyard and pointed at the towering tree.

Even Old Madam Yu had heard about it and asked Nanny Liu to help her into the courtyard. “How did this girl cause trouble for the tree?”

When Nanny Liu heard this, she smiled. “How could that be? I’ve already asked around just now. Young Master wants to teach Eldest Miss zither skills. He wants to cut off the wood from the top of the Paulownia Tree and give a zither to Eldest Miss. The tree in our residence is growing well. Not only is it old, but it’s also planted in the sun. Young Master said that there’s no better piece of zither material.”

Old Madam Yu also laughed. “Oh, it’s not easy to make a zither. It takes time and effort to make it. It takes at least a year and a half to make a good zither. I didn’t expect the child to know how to do it. He’s really thoughtful.”

Nanny Liu said, “Isn’t that so? I was also shocked when I heard that.”

The more Old Madam Yu spoke, the happier she became. “It’s good to learn the zither. Although daughters must have virtue, they should also learn some elegant things to show their talent.”

Yu Youyao was worried that after the old tree branch was broken, it would fall from above and hit someone, so she asked the people in the courtyard to stay away and pushed her cousin to the bottom of the corridor.

“Cousin, can we make a zither after cutting down the tree branch?” Yu Youyao asked curiously.

Zhou Linghuai shook his head. “It’s not that easy.” Seeing that the little girl was looking at him with sparkling eyes, as if she was very interested, he explained, “The wood that has just been cut is wet wood. You have to weigh it first before making it dry and turning it into zither material. It takes seven to ten days to make good zither material.”

Yu Youyao was puzzled. “Why do you need to weigh the wood?”

Zhou Linghuai explained, “The process of making tungsten wood is also very particular. It needs to be heated with charcoal near a wall. The weight of the wood is heavy. If it’s two kilograms, it won’t decrease as much as when it’s cut off. If it’s dry, it will look like it has the color of smoke. This would be the best…”

Yu Youyao was filled with questions. She pursed her lips. “This is too difficult. How can the dry wood after being carved be as heavy as the wet wood that has just been cut?”

No wonder, since ancient times, although there were many zithers, there were very few famous ones.

Even Zhou Linghuai was speechless. There was too much knowledge involved, and he did not know how to explain it for a moment.

Seeing that her cousin was in a difficult position, Yu Youyao felt that it wasn’t easy to make a zither. “Cousin, it turns out that making a zither is so troublesome. Just the process of making it is so complicated, and it takes a lot of time and effort. It’s better if you don’t make it for me. I have a zither in my house that Mother left behind. I heard that it’s a famous zither that was passed down from the previous dynasty. It’s excellent to learn it with you.”

Hearing this, Zhou Linghuai suddenly pursed his lips and did not speak.

Yu Youyao felt her scalp tingle. Her cousin usually looked calm and indifferent, but after spending some time together, she could roughly sense some subtle changes in his emotions.

Cousin was angry!

Just as she was about to explain, she heard her cousin say coldly, “Cousin, do you think that the zither I am making is inferior to a famous one?”

Yu Youyao’s scalp went numb again, and she quickly explained, “How could that be? I just feel that it’s too troublesome and tiring to make a zither. I’m worried that I’ll tire you out and burden your health, making you suffer. Cousin’s health is more important than a zither.” As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes and stole a glance at his expression. Seeing that his expression had softened, she hurriedly squatted in front of him and raised her head. “Cousin, don’t misunderstand me. I like everything you give me.”

Zhou Linghuai shook his head and laughed. How could he still be angry? “Making the zither is a slow and detailed job. It looks troublesome, but it’s not something that can be done in a day or two. It’s fine to do it slowly.”

Even after he made the base, he still had to paint, draw, carve, and ponder. There were more than ten procedures, and each one took a lot of time.

Zhou Linghuai planned to make a rarer instrument, and he was even more particular about it. Just the layers of zither alone would take at least a year and a half. If there was a mistake in any of the procedures, it would be all over.

Naturally, he wanted the best for the little girl.

He didn’t intend to do it right away.

Yu Youyao felt relieved. “Cousin, take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

With that, she thought of the fan she had embroidered previously.

After knowing that her cousin was here, she casually stuffed it into her sleeve, preparing to give it to him. In the end, when she heard that her cousin wanted to make a zither for her, she was so happy that she forgot about it.

At this moment, she quickly took out the fan from her sleeve and looked at her cousin ingratiatingly. “Cousin, I’ve already embroidered the fan that I promised you previously. Quick, take a look. Has my embroidery skills improved a lot?”

Zhou Linghuai’s eyes widened as he received the fan.

On one side, the black bamboo was sparse, and its appearance was quiet and pleasant. On the other side, there was an ink orchid. Its leaves were wide like bamboo, but they were long and strong, like an azure dragon going out to sea. There were lotus petals that were dense and orderly.

The little girl’s embroidery skills had improved greatly. Compared to the sachet at his waist, the stitches were already flat and tight, and her skills were still a little shallow. However, her embroidery looked charming, and it did not conceal its beauty.

Zhou Linghuai’s throat tightened slightly. “In a short period of time, Cousin’s embroidery skills have improved a lot. It must have taken you a lot of time and effort to embroider this fan.” Stroking the embroidery on the fan, he lowered his eyes. “I didn’t spend much effort on that cursive script previously, but it’s even more difficult for you to embroider a fan. I’ve taken advantage of you.”

Yu Youyao was very happy. “I said early on that I wanted to give it to you, but it took so long. In the end, it’s my fault. Don’t you want to give me the zither too? How can a fan compare to the trouble of a zither? You still have to go to the Jade Courtyard every day to teach me calligraphy and guide me in my studies. In terms of taking advantage of someone, I’m the one taking advantage of you.”

Zhou Linghuai’s expression paused for a moment, but his smile did not fade. “Then, I’ll use the excess wood after the planning to make a fan structure.”

Yu Youyao nodded. “Cousin, you’re really amazing. You even know how to make a fan.”

No matter how many times he heard this, it still made him happy. Zhou Linghuai gently rubbed the top of the little girl’s head. “Go to the study. I’ll teach you how to play the zither.”