The late spring breeze, carrying the scent of locust flowers, swept through the covered walkway. Jiang Wan’s hand, clutching the wolf-hair brush, paused; the final stroke of the character for "Endurance" on the rice paper trailed off into a thin, spindly tail. She looked up at the wisteria trellis outside the water pavilion, where clusters of purple flowers cascaded like a waterfall, shimmering softly in the morning light.
"Is the Eldest Miss writing the character for 'Endurance' today?" Wanqing stepped forward, holding freshly ground ink, her gaze falling upon the paper. "You were checking the account books until midnight yesterday; you really should have rested more."
Jiang Wan set down her brush and rubbed her aching wrist. "Father said he would examine me on the essence of the *Lessons for Women* today, so I cannot be sloppy." She traced the ink on the paper with her fingertips and suddenly let out a soft laugh. "Besides, there are some things that, the more you try to endure them, the less you can."
Chapter 20