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  "A woman's character is of utmost importance, but it can't be judged at a glance. However, her upbringing and manners can reveal everything. If she does well, others may not necessarily praise her, but if she makes a mistake, she will definitely invite criticism. This is the severity of the situation, young lady, you must carefully consider this." Madam Zhou began with an important lesson on necessity before proceeding to the main topic.

  Maybe because of the urgency of time, Mrs. Zhou couldn't wait to cram all she knew into Lin Lan's brain.

  In ancient times, etiquette was complex and intricate. Lin Lan knew this, but what she didn't expect was that a servant from a merchant's household would have such extensive knowledge of etiquette and adhere to strict standards of behavior. She had thought that having studied European aristocratic etiquette, she had some foundation to build on, and learning these customs would be easy, but it turned out to be an entirely new and unfamiliar field, with a vast teaching system covering topics such as home life, social interactions, going out, visiting others, receiving guests, dining together, traveling, public speaking, gift-giving, celebrations, mourning, and worship, all of which had strict requirements and nuances.

  Facing such a heavy workload and high-intensity training, even if Lin Lan was extremely intelligent and talented, it would be difficult for her to digest everything in a short period of time. Lin Lan had no choice but to muster up the same energy she had when preparing for the college entrance exams, asking Yin Liu to bring her paper and pen, and writing down the key points and movements that Zhou Ma emphasized, planning to study them slowly at night.

  Zhou's mother quietly watched Lin Lan's actions, but in her heart she was extremely shocked.

  After a whole day of learning, Lin Lan's brain didn't get dizzy, but her hands were sore and couldn't take it anymore from taking notes. Her body was also aching all over. Zhou Mama had very high standards - if one knee bend wasn't done just right, it wouldn't do; if the waist was too straight or too stiff, it wouldn't do either; and if the movements were too slow, that wouldn't work either. Lin Lan's heart was racing with anxiety - what was the point of being so strict? Were all the noble ladies in the capital able to do this perfectly? She didn't believe it for a second.

  "Aunt Zhou, let's stop here for today! One mouthful won't make a fat man."

  Just as Lin Lan was performing her kowtows for who-knows-how-many times, with her legs and feet almost numb from kneeling, Li Mingyu appeared like timely rain.

  Lin Lan immediately sat down on the ground and rubbed her knees.

  Zhou's mother was originally quite satisfied with Lin Lan's previous performance, but now seeing her sit on the ground in front of Ming Rong young master, she couldn't help but furrow her brow.

  Yinliu wanted to laugh, but seeing Zhou Ma's face was not pleasant, she didn't dare to laugh, and her shoulders shook slightly.

  "Practice well what I taught you today, and I'll check on it tomorrow." Zhou Ma said with a sigh, after all, she was from a farming family background, her true nature had been revealed, forget it, let's just teach again tomorrow.

  As soon as Aunt Zhou left, Li Mingyun called Yinliu: "Go and fetch a basin of water for the young lady."

  Yinliu went out to fetch water at the sound of the voice.

  Li Mingyun walked up to Lin Lan, slightly bent down, with a gentle gaze and a warm tone: "Do you want me to give you a hand?"

  Lin Lan looked up at him with a tired expression, only to see his eyes slightly lowered, exuding warmth and tenderness, with a gentle smile revealing concern.

  Lin Lan felt a little dazed, ever since she signed the contract with him, he seemed to have changed into a different person, no longer with his usual coldness and distant reserve, occasionally showing a warm smile, whether it was cold or warm, he showed it so naturally and calmly, making her involuntarily believe that at this moment, he was genuinely concerned. Ye Zi's eyes were gentle.

  For a moment's confusion, Lin Lan came to the conclusion that this guy was absolutely a master of disguise.

  "No need, I'm not so delicate." Lin Lan stood up in a somewhat ungraceful posture.

  Li Mingyu didn't think much of it, looking at Lin Lan who was sweating on her forehead, and smiled slightly: "No need to rush, take your time, from here to the capital city, it will take at least two months or more, there's still time."

  Lin Lan was silent, not in a hurry? She wasn't in a hurry, but Mrs. Ye was anxious, having spent a large sum of money, 3,000 taels of silver! If she didn't learn at least 70 or 80 percent before setting off, she wouldn't pass the test, and it's possible that Old Lady Ye would cancel the engagement.

  "Hey! Being a lady is not easy, having to speak softly and walk gently, can't glance sideways, can't smile with teeth showing, at home obeying father, after marriage obeying husband, this whole life is like being a wooden puppet, what's the point? It's better to be a rural peasant woman, at least you can speak loudly if you want, if you're not happy, you can scold and it doesn't matter..." Lin Lan collapsed onto the recliner, unable to hold back her grievances.

  Li Mingyun smiled wryly: "Fortunately, it's just a matter of enduring for three years."

  "Three years isn't a short time, but don't worry, I, Lin Lan, am a person of my word." Lin Lan said with conviction, but in her heart she was thinking... what compensation would Li Ming allow her to have at that time?

  Li Mingyun lowered his eyebrows, with a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

  "What has he been doing all day?" Lin Lan was very curious, she had been working hard all day, what had he been up to?

  Li Mingyu lifted up the hem of his long shirt and sat down in the chair beside Lin Lan, his posture was very elegant.

  "Is it so leisurely?" Lin Lan was dissatisfied and felt unbalanced in her heart.

  Li Mingyan smiled faintly: "This time back to Beijing, I will participate in the imperial examination. Originally, I should have taken the exam three years ago. If I didn't do well on the exam, no matter how proper my demeanor and learning are, others won't give me a second glance."

  This is a realistic statement. As the saying goes, "A noble husband makes an honorable wife." If Li Mingyun could become the top scholar, then even if she was as stupid as a pig, this fake top scholar's wife would still have people fawning over her and trying to curry favor with her.

  Lin Lan gazed thoughtfully at Li Mingyu, a sly smile spreading across her face: "If you've studied for three more years and still can't get good grades, that's just too pathetic... in that case, our contract can be considered null and void."

  Li Mingyun's expression turned serious: "Why?"

  "It's meaningless now! If I don't pass the exam, what status can I have in that family? My role can't be played out either!"

  Li Mingyun raised an eyebrow and looked at her, saying slowly: "Don't worry, I will give you the opportunity to play a role."

  As they spoke, Yin Liu brought hot water over, and Yu Rong followed behind her. Seeing Li Ming Yun, she knelt down on one knee: "Young Master, the young master of the Chen family has arrived and wishes to see you."

  "Where is he?"

  "In the foyer."

  Li Mingyu quickly got up, straightened his clothes and said to Lin Lan: "I'll go first, tidy up a bit, and also meet Chen Gongzi."

  "Is it about Chen Ziyuan?" Lin Lan asked.

  Seeing her guilty look, Li Ming couldn't help but laugh: "What's wrong, afraid to see someone?"

  It's not that she didn't dare, it's just that Lin Lan felt a bit embarrassed and didn't want to go.

  "Zi Yan is not such a petty-minded person, besides, he has to return to the capital tomorrow, I still have something important to entrust him with, go and see him, understand the situation, and also be prepared in my heart." Li Mingyan patiently persuaded.

  Zhou's mother went back and directly went to see Old Lady Ye.

  "How was her study?" Old Lady Ye held the teacup and carelessly asked while gently stirring the tea leaves in the cup with the lid.

  "Old lady, we underestimated her." said Zhou's mother.

  Old Lady Ye's hand paused on the tea lid and she raised an eyebrow: "What did you say?"

  "She studied very diligently and had a good understanding, the key is... she also liked to take notes like Miss, I took a peek at her notebook, it was filled with neat and tidy entries, one by one, categorized and clearly written, wasn't that how Miss learned back then?" said Zhou Ma.

  Mrs. Ye remained silent for a while before saying, "Mingyun told me today that she is Dr. Hu's female apprentice and knows how to write prescriptions."

  This is an explanation for Zhou's mother, and also a way to convince herself that it was just a coincidence.

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