A letter from the Zhu family arrives suddenly; though the letter is short, the sentiment

In the blink of an eye, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai had been at Wansong Academy for a month.

Over the course of the month, the weather in Qiantang transitioned from late spring to early summer. The pine needles in the pine forest surrounding the school changed from tender green to deep emerald. The banana trees by the school's courtyard wall grew their leaves even larger, and the raindrops hitting the leaves made a deep, muffled sound.

That afternoon, after school, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai returned to the schoolhouse. Yin Xin, who was in the outer room, saw the two enter and hurriedly went to greet them, taking Zhu Yingtai's book box from her.

Liang Shanbo went into the inner room and began to take off his outer garment.

Over the past month, he had developed a habit. Every afternoon, before eating after returning from the lecture hall, he would do one hundred push-ups. He did it naturally, and Zhu Yingtai watched it naturally as well.

He took off his greyish-blue linen robe, folded it neatly, and placed it at the foot of the couch. Underneath, he wore a plain cotton undershirt. He squatted down, placed his hands on the ground, and began to do push-ups, one after another.

One, two, three, four, five...

His movements remained steady, accurate, and neither too fast nor too slow.

A month ago, when he did push-ups, Zhu Yingtai would silently count in her mind. Now, Zhu Yingtai no longer counts; she only glances at him occasionally, her gaze lingering on his lean, muscular shoulders and back before moving away.

At this moment, Yin Xin walked into the inner room, holding a flat, long wooden box in her hands. It was about a foot long and made of cypress wood. The whole box was painted black, and there was a seal clay at the joint between the lid and the body of the box. A small red seal was stamped on the clay.

She held the letter in both hands and softly called out to Zhu Yingtai, "My lord."

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible.

Zhu Yingtai was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood. She got up and went to the outer room. Instead of taking it casually, she first brushed off her sleeves before solemnly accepting the lacquered box that still carried a faint fragrance.

She glanced instinctively towards the inner room. Liang Shanbo was still doing push-ups, his back to her, one after another, completely focused.

She sat down at the long desk by the south window in the outer room, and then took out a roll of paper from a wooden box. The paper was of the finest quality yellow hemp paper, with a warm color and a soft, supple, and smooth texture.

She slowly unrolled the paper.

A family letter. It wasn't written by my mother, but by my older sister, Zhu Yinghua.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

My sister Zhu Yinghua's handwriting is not as dignified as our mother's; instead, it is round and smooth, with each stroke exuding a gentleness and composure.

Her father's name was Zhu Guang, and her mother's name was Wei. When her father married her mother, she first gave birth to a daughter named Zhu Yinghua. Three years later, she gave birth to another daughter, who was Zhu Yinghua. After that, her mother did not have any more children, and neither did her father's concubines.

Therefore, she has no brothers, only her elder sister Zhu Yinghua, who got married last year.

She had previously received a letter from her mother, Ms. Wei, in which her mother simply wrote, "Everything is fine at home. Take care of yourself while you are away. Don't worry about me."

This letter was written by my elder sister, Zhu Yinghua.

The letter goes like this—

"My dear sister Yingtai, may we meet again:"

A month has passed since you left home for Qiantang. Your parents at home miss you day and night. Your mother often goes to the room where you used to live, opens the window and stands silently for a long time. Your father doesn't say anything, but he often asks, "Is Yingtai eating and drinking well over there?" I know his heart; he has never forgotten you for a moment.

Your older sister misses you too. You are all alone far away, though the distance isn't great, being alone in a foreign land always makes my heart ache. I wonder if you are getting used to the food there? Are you comfortable in your daily life? Are your classmates friendly? Is your teacher strict?

Now that you have come to Wansong Academy to study, you should study hard and not waste this time. I have heard that learning is about perseverance. You are naturally intelligent and have shown exceptional talent since childhood. If you can concentrate on your studies, you will surely achieve great things in the future.

However, there is one thing your elder sister must repeatedly tell you.

Although you dress as a man, you are still a woman of noble birth. Men and women are different, and should not touch each other. When you study with men, you must be mindful of your words and actions. Be careful in your speech and deeds, and do not let anyone discover your behavior. When you are out in public, you should walk on thin ice, and be careful with every step you take.

Every night before bed, your elder sister burns incense and prays, wishing you peace and safety, and that you will soon complete your studies and return home. Everything is well at home. The loquat tree in the courtyard is bearing fruit especially early this year, with clusters of yellow buds. Your mother says that when the loquats are fully ripe, she can preserve them in honey and send them to you to eat.

Father was recently browsing through old books in his study. The other day, he came across a volume of "Chu Ci" (Songs of Chu), which you had read before. He looked at it for a while, then suddenly said to me, "Yingtai has worked very hard on this book. Although her annotations are immature, they have a natural talent." After saying this, he remained silent for a long time, his eyes showing a mixture of approval and reluctance.

I know that although your father does not stop you from pursuing your studies, he is truly worried about you. You should understand your parents' feelings and take good care of yourself while you are away.

Words cannot fully express the feelings conveyed in writing.

My only wish is for my sister to be safe and well.

"Written by my elder sister Yinghua"

After reading the letter, Zhu Yingtai gently put it down.

Her eyes welled up with tears. The tears swirled in her eyes, but she couldn't hold them back any longer, and they slid down her cheeks. One drop after another.

At that moment, she was reading a letter and weeping in the outer room, while Liang Shanbo was doing push-ups in the inner room, their actions and thoughts completely separate.

She didn't wipe away her tears, but just sat quietly, looking at the letter from home and at her sister's round and smooth handwriting.

The image of her home in Shangyu seemed to appear before her eyes.

In the courtyard where she lived for more than ten years, there was a loquat tree planted by her father and a clump of orchids planted by her mother.

Mother Wei was a virtuous and resilient woman who poured her heart and soul into raising her and her sister. Her mother taught her to read and write, guiding her step by step, stroke by stroke. She often read aloud to her, such as from the *Chu Ci* (Songs of Chu), her voice always soft and slow.

Her mother never restricted her just because she was a daughter. She loved reading, so her mother let her read. When she wanted to study at Wansong Academy, her mother initially refused, but eventually agreed, helped persuade her father, and helped her pack her things.

On the day of her departure, her mother stood at the door, without shedding a tear. She simply brushed a stray strand of hair from her temple and smiled at her. In that smile, a thousand words were spoken.

Her father, Zhu Guang, was a cheerful man who doted on her. However, when she wanted to study at Wansong Academy, he initially strongly opposed it. How could a girl dress as a boy and show her face in public? But her mother persuaded her, she pleaded, and her sister also spoke up for her. After a day of silence, her father finally nodded in agreement.

On the eve of her departure, her father called her to his study and said to her, "Be careful in everything you do while you're away. If anything goes wrong, come back immediately."

Just this one sentence.

But she knew that this sentence contained all of her father's reluctance and worry.

Her older sister, Zhu Yinghua, was three years older than her. She was gentle and composed, like a still pond, seemingly calm yet unfathomably deep. From childhood to adulthood, her sister had always been her protector. When she got into trouble, her sister would cover for her; when she was wronged, her sister would hold her in her arms and stay by her side.

On her sister's wedding day last year, she hid in her room and cried. Her sister, dressed in her wedding gown, walked up to her, handed her a handkerchief, and smiled, saying, "Silly girl, why are you crying? It's not like your older sister isn't coming back."

She took the handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and said nothing.

The older sister continued, "From now on, when your older sister is no longer at home, you will be the eldest daughter in the family. You must be sensible, listen to your mother, and not make your father angry."

She nodded. However, this year she disguised herself as a boy and came to Wansong Academy to study.

Now, the elder sister is married, yet she still worries about her younger sister who is studying far away in Qiantang. The line in the letter, "Every night before going to sleep, I burn incense and pray that you are safe and sound," is like the elder sister's hand gently stroking her cheek, like the tender gaze the elder sister gives her.

She remembered the loquat tree in front of the courtyard.

That loquat tree was planted by her father when she was seven years old. She remembered it was a spring afternoon when her father held her little hand and planted a small loquat seedling in front of the courtyard.

She asked her father, "Father, when will this tree bear fruit?"

Father smiled and said, "When you grow up, it will bear fruit."

Now, she has grown up. The loquat tree has also borne fruit.

In her letter, my sister wrote, "Mother said that when the loquats are fully ripe, they can be soaked in honey and sent to you to eat."

Even though the loquats were ripe, she couldn't eat them at home; her mother had to send them to this distant place.

She lowered her head, tears falling again. Her shoulders twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her balance.

Just then, footsteps came from inside the room.

After Liang Shanbo finished doing push-ups, he came out from the inner room...