Metamorphosis of an Ugly Girl – Part One

Finally, it had come. The Third Madam suddenly picked up her daughter from the protective chair beside her, kissed her fiercely on the cheek, and joyfully exclaimed, “Daughter, Mother has waited… You must get better soon.” Miss Lin didn’t know what was happening, but suddenly she was startled and burst into tears with a “Wah!” Qingqing (the second daughter) rarely cried. Perhaps deep down, she understood that she was not someone people liked from a young age. Another month passed like this, the east wing had been renovated, but Master Lin had never set foot in it. The enthusiasm of the Third Madam had gradually cooled. One day, she was aimlessly wandering in the garden with her daughter. Walking with her head down, feeling downcast, she didn’t look at the scenery until she bumped into someone and was jolted back to awareness. “Master, it’s you.” The person she bumped into was indeed Master Lin. Seeing her, he was slightly displeased as she forgot to greet him, so he said coldly with a stern face, “Be more careful next time. It would be bad if you bumped into Xue’er.” Ah, Xue’er again, even mentioned right in front of her without any reservation. “Master, please give our daughter a name. She’s already four,” the Third Madam said awkwardly, trying to change the subject. Only then did Master Lin remember he hadn’t named this pitiful daughter of his. In an ordinary family, he might have cherished her, but he was Lin Pu! How could Lin Pu have such an unsightly daughter? Unintentionally, he looked at the grass beside the flower bed and said indifferently, “Let’s call her Qingqing!” The Third Madam felt a pang of sadness. “Qingqing,” this was her daughter’s name. He seemed to suppress his disdain, as if her daughter was just some weeds by the flower bed, easily dismissed. Master Lin couldn’t stand seeing women like this, as if he owed her eight hundred strings of cash. He flicked his sleeve and left, leaving the Third Madam alone with her thoughts—once, he doted on her so much that just a slight frown from her would make him fretful. It was all because of her, this little troublemaker. What kind of daughter was this, better to strangle her at birth. In truth, she didn’t realize that her daughter was blameless; the fault lay with Master Lin. When a man loves you, whatever you do is right; when he doesn’t love you anymore, nothing you do pleases him. In a blink, Qingqing was twelve, her skin still as dark as ever, but her figure had developed well, showing the grace of a young lady. Master Lin still did not favor the Third Madam because his youngest wife had borne him twins, a boy and a girl, both as white and chubby as could be. He named his daughter Lin Yafu, hoping she would be as elegant as a lotus emerging from water. His son, Lin Hong, was named in hopes that he would have great talent and ambition. Now, these two children were eight years old, and it was time to hire a tutor. He wanted to raise his children to be the best of the best, and yes, that included his daughter. Naturally, this did not include Qingqing. “Master, the tutor has arrived. He’s waiting in the garden to meet the young master and the second miss!” The voice of Lin’s steward came from afar. It was spring again, and the garden was filled with all sorts of flowers. Qingqing had sneaked out; her mother didn’t care for her, and Red Mama only told her to come back early and not to fall. Now, she was stealthily chasing after a few early spring butterflies, holding a few small yellow flowers she had just picked. “Who’s laughing over there? What kind of behavior is this?” A stern voice made her jump, and she immediately quieted her steps, keeping her head down, eyes fixed on her toes. “Master, it’s the eldest miss!” “Hmm… What are you doing here?” Master Lin, surprised by what the steward said, looked at his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in years, and asked, “Where is your mother?” “Mother is reading in her room,” Qingqing replied cautiously, her voice as clear and melodious as a songbird, carrying an allure not fitting her age. “Master, the tutor is here.” Just as Master Lin was about to ask something more, he was interrupted. Behind a servant stood a man with the appearance of a scholar, presumably the renowned first scholar in the court. Qingqing quickly stepped aside, not daring to breathe loudly. “This must be Mr. Liu?” Master Lin said, sizing him up. The man looked barely in his early twenties, with a frail scholar’s build, truly a case of not judging a book by its cover. “Greetings, Master Lin!” Mr. Liu casually bowed, neither humble nor arrogant. “When will the young master and the young miss be here?” Lin’s steward said, “I’ve already sent for them. They should be here any moment.” As he spoke, the young master and the second miss arrived. Mr. Liu observed the two children before him. He had a rule for taking disciples: he wouldn’t accept those who were stupid or unattractive. Mr. Liu said, “The young master and miss look quite refined, but I wonder about their talents?” “Feel free to test them,” Master Lin said confidently, always proud of his treasures. Mr. Liu nodded and asked, “What is the core idea of Confucius’s teachings?” Miss Yafu said, “Brother is older, let him go first!” A hint of pride flashed in Master Lin’s eyes; for an eight-year-old to show such filial piety was certainly not ordinary. Young Master Lin Hong bowed and said, “Your disciple, Lin Hong, pays respects to the master!” Mr. Liu waved his hand, “I have not agreed to take you as a disciple; it depends on your talent.” “Confucius’s thought centers on ‘benevolence,’ believing ‘benevolence’ to be ‘love for others.’ He proposed the principle ‘Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself,’ among other points.” Despite his young age, Lin Hong answered with clarity and force, his demeanor like that of an adult. Mr. Liu then asked, “Just now, I heard Miss respect her brother. Do you know if Confucius ever advocated for such virtues?” Yafu said, “He advocated for the way of ‘loyalty and reciprocity,’ suggesting that implementing ‘benevolent governance’ should be guided by ‘rites’: ‘To restrain oneself and return to propriety is benevolence.'” Mr. Liu continued, “Young Master, in a country, the ruler should be paramount. Why did Mencius say ‘The people are the most important, the altars of the soil and grain come next, and the ruler is the least important’?” Yafu was about to speak when Mr. Liu said, “Miss, there’s no need for you to answer. This concerns the way of governing a state, which women need not understand.” Yafu nodded and stepped back. Lin Hong was about to respond when suddenly, Qingqing rushed forward with unexpected courage, saying, “Sir, your statement is incorrect.” Everyone was anxious, fearing Qingqing would offend Mr. Liu. However, Mr. Liu was intrigued and looked at this “ugly girl” with interest, “Oh? How so?” Qingqing said, “May I ask, sir, does Mencius’s ‘The people are the most important, the altars of the soil and grain come next, and the ruler is the least important’ mean that the people should be placed first, the state second, and the ruler last?” Master Lin, initially wanting to stop Qingqing from speaking, now saw her without her earlier timidity, speaking confidently, and Mr. Liu seemed to encourage her to continue, so he said nothing more. Qingqing continued, “Mencius believed that the ruler should prioritize the welfare of the people, and that those in power must ensure the rights of the people. Mencius agreed that if a ruler is unjust, the people have the right to overthrow the regime.” Mr. Liu asked, “So, how does this relate to women not needing to understand the way of governing a state?”