Explore Chapter 9 of 'Moment in Peking' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
After Old Yao returned from Shandong, the household seemed to have taken on a new atmosphere. He saw that Mulan had grown into a young woman, and was delighted. He often said to his wife, 'I wonder which families will be lucky enough to have our two daughters in the future.'
Old Yao indeed regarded Mulan as the apple of his eye. He taught Mulan to read poetry, starting with the Book of Songs and moving on to Tang and Song poetry. Mulan was exceptionally intelligent, learning instantly and able to infer more from one example. Father and daughter often recited and composed poetry together in the study, sometimes sitting for half a day.
Mulan also taught her younger sister to read. Mochou followed her sister's lessons, but she was slow by nature and her memory was not as good as Mulan's. However, she was diligent, writing each stroke neatly and carefully. Old Yao often said, 'This child Mochou will surely be a virtuous wife and good mother in the future.'
One day, Old Yao took out a copy of Three Hundred Tang Poems and said to Mulan, 'First memorize this book, then I'll teach you to write poetry.' Mulan opened it and saw that the first poem was Zhang Jiuling's 'Emotional Encounter.' She read it several times and could recite it. Old Yao was greatly astonished and said this child was a genius.
From then on, Mulan's first thing every morning upon rising was to go to the study to pay respects to her father and then recite poetry. Old Yao also changed his habit of sleeping late, getting up early to wait for his daughter. Father and daughter spent more and more time together, and their affection deepened.
Mrs. Yao observed this, pleased but also a little worried. She said to her husband, 'It's fine for you to teach her poetry, but don't teach her those newfangled things and spoil her.' Old Yao laughed and said, 'Don't worry, I know my limits.'
Mulan not only studied poetry but also learned antique appraisal from her father. Old Yao explained the bronzes, jades, calligraphy, and paintings in his collection to her one by one. Mulan was very interested in these objects and often asked questions, which Old Yao patiently answered. Once, Old Yao took out a Han dynasty jade disc. Mulan looked at it for a long time and said, 'The patterns on this jade disc don't seem to be from the Han dynasty.' Old Yao looked closely and indeed they were not; it was a replica. He laughed heartily and said, 'Good girl, you're even better than your father!'
When Mochou saw her sister so favored by their father, she was not at all jealous; instead, she was happy for her. She knew she was not as clever as her sister, but she excelled at needlework. The flowers and birds she embroidered were lifelike, and even her mother praised her skill.
When Tiren saw his father favoring his younger sisters, he was very resentful. He often complained to his mother, saying that his father was partial. Mrs. Yao could only advise him, 'Your father is also doing this for your own good. If you study hard, he will naturally dote on you too.' But Tiren would not listen and continued to do as he pleased.
Days passed, and under her father's guidance, Mulan's learning improved greatly. She could not only recite many ancient poems, but also write poetry herself. Once, Old Yao asked her to compose a poem on the topic 'Autumn Night.' After a moment's thought, Mulan wrote: 'The autumn night is cool as water chill, / The parasol leaves fall in drifts at will. / Gazing at the distant moon so bright, / I miss you but can't see you-what a plight!' Old Yao read it, nodded repeatedly, and said, 'Good poem! Good poem! But the last line is still a bit childish.'