The next morning, Zora woke up rubbing her head — it hurt so much!
She really had drunk a bit too much yesterday. She had also forgotten to use her wood power to adjust her body. Now with this weak body plus a hangover… it was terrible.
She called Lisa to help her wash up and started thinking seriously about studying. In the memories of the original Zora... apart from eating, drinking, and having fun, she was basically useless!
She had been spoiled by Madam Bai, did whatever she pleased, refused to go to the academy, and even chased away tutors hired at home.
Meanwhile, Yeyin, at such a young age, already had the title of scholar…
Because of this, Madam Bai had scolded Zora many times. After all, Madam Bai worked at the Imperial College as a chief instructor. To have her favorite daughter not even know basic characters was truly embarrassing!
Zora thought back — not even a single book on her bookshelf.
Instead, there were rooms for playing games, raising crickets, birds, and lizards…
She sighed and said to Lisa, "Lisa, tell Ana to clean up my study later. We'll go to the bookstore to buy some books."
Lisa was surprised but quickly hid her expression.
"Yes, Miss. After breakfast, I'll prepare the carriage."
Zora liked all three maids: Ana was lively, Lisa was steady, and Mana, although a bit timid, was hardworking and resilient.
There was another maid, Hunu, but she had gone home to visit family recently. Hunu was the most active and skilled in martial arts, matching the original Zora's tastes.
After breakfast, Lisa followed Zora out. Zora kept thinking about what kinds of books to buy. Since the characters here were all different, she might have to start learning from scratch. Feeling frustrated, she touched her nose.
As soon as Zora left, an old servant at Peach Blossom Court quickly reported to Mr. Chen, "Sir, the young lady has gone out again. I heard her maid say she's going to the bookstore."
"Oh? She's really quite something. She hasn't even stepped into my courtyard these days. Getting more and more unruly," Mr. Chen said lightly.
"You say she's going to the bookstore? Probably to buy some picture books? Can she even understand them?"
Mr. Chen chuckled behind a hand, finding it amusing.
Seeing the mockery on Mr. Chen's face, the old servant immediately lowered his head, not daring to look anymore.
"Is this Baihui Bookstore, Lisa?"
"Yes, Miss. This is the largest bookstore in the capital, with the most complete collection of books. Many scholars love coming here."
Zora nodded slightly, lifted her skirt, and jumped off the carriage.
"Then let's go here. I'll take a look."
Baihui Bookstore had three floors and was elegantly decorated. When Zora entered, there weren't many people inside — just a few scholars picking books from the shelves.
No one came to greet her. In the middle of the hall, there was a tea-tasting area where a woman, who looked like the manager, was making tea.
As Zora walked closer, a rich tea fragrance filled the air, and the words "Da Hong Pao" popped into her mind.
Zora wasn't an expert in tea, but the original Zora had been. There was nothing she wasn't good at when it came to eating, drinking, and entertainment.
"A fine pot of top-grade Da Hong Pao. The manager has excellent tea skills."
"You know tea too, Miss? Please have a seat!" The manager said warmly.
The manager was a graceful woman in her forties, her voice gentle and slow, very pleasant to hear.
"Haha, then I'll enjoy it," Zora said without fuss, sitting down and picking up a tea cup, sipping it gracefully.
The manager saw that Zora was straightforward and had a good appearance and manner, so she felt a bit of goodwill and asked, "Miss, are you here to buy books?"
"Yes, and probably a lot."
"What kinds of books would you like? Don't worry — at Baihui Bookstore, no matter how much you want, we have enough."
Zora thought for a moment, then went to a nearby shelf, picked up a book, and flipped through it.
Wow, she couldn't understand a single word...
Looks like she had to start learning characters from scratch.
Fortunately, due to the power strengthening her spirit during the apocalypse, her mental strength was much greater than normal people's — almost photographic memory.
Feeling a little awkward, Zora turned back.
"Manager, I need books starting from beginner dictionaries up to those for the scholar exams. Could you prepare a full set for me?"
The manager quickly understood and said after thinking, "Miss, is it for a child starting school? Actually, it's fine to start with beginner-level books, and after passing the first student exam, you can buy scholar-level books."
Zora shook her head frankly and pointed at herself, "It's for me."
The manager froze but immediately smiled warmly, realizing she had misspoken.
"Haha, of course. I'll prepare them all for you. There are quite a few — would you like them delivered to your residence?"
"Please. Send them to Mr. Bo's residence."
The manager's expression changed subtly. Was this young lady the eldest daughter of Mr. Bo's family?
He knew the second daughter — not exceptionally talented but still achieved the scholar title at a young age.
Half an hour later, Zora's legs were numb from standing when the manager finally returned.
"Miss Zora, my surname is Pan. You can call me Manager Pan. The total is two hundred and ten taels. This dictionary here is a gift to bring you good fortune."
"If you need anything else in the future, just send someone to let me know."
Lisa immediately stepped forward to settle the bill. Zora sighed in relief. She always felt she didn't quite fit in with the scholarly air of this place, so she quickly said goodbye to Manager Pan.
Meanwhile, Sean, sitting on the third floor, accidentally spotted a familiar figure hurrying away downstairs.
"Ajing, call Manager Pan up."
Ajing quickly went to fetch him.
"Master," Manager Pan greeted respectfully, standing with hands behind his back.
"That woman in white just now — do you know who she is and why she came?"
Manager Pan was a bit surprised. The master never cared about women — in fact, he disliked them.
"Master, that was the eldest daughter of Mr. Bo's family. She came to buy books. She bought over 120 books today."
Sean frowned, "Why so many?"
Manager Pan smiled and explained, "They range from beginner-level dictionaries to scholar-level textbooks. Miss Zora said she was going to study herself."
Sean found Zora even harder to understand now.
Still, her willingness to learn was a good thing, so he didn't ask further.
Manager Pan, who had always been discreet, couldn't guess Sean's thoughts and quietly withdrew.
"Ajing, find out if there's anything unusual about Miss Zora recently," Sean ordered, his eyes narrowing like a deep, bottomless pool.
After returning to the residence, Zora started worrying again. She couldn't recognize a single character. She couldn't just go to school and sit with a bunch of little kids, right?
She needed someone to help her first learn to read all the characters before she could start studying properly.
Her mother had to go to the Imperial College every day and returned home exhausted.
Yeyin, her younger brother, was even less reliable.
She had no choice but to ask her mother to find her a tutor…
After lunch, Zora meditated to regulate her body, planning to wait for Madam Bai to return to discuss her study arrangements, mainly about hiring a tutor to teach her to read.
At the end of the afternoon, Madam Bai's maid came to inform her, "Miss, the Madam has a banquet today and will return very late. She asked me to let you know to talk with her tomorrow."
"Got it," Zora replied.
After dismissing the maid, Zora was about to tell Lisa to prepare dinner when she saw Yeyin passing by the courtyard.
Zora hadn't intended to greet him…
Suddenly she remembered Sean.
"Oh no, I forgot about that matter! My brain..."