As for why Old Mai was berating the lady in front of her…
Well, the three ladies had all been rather diligent the day before, working hard to write down persistence copies of the jade slip, while also contemplating on the slips at the same time.
For Old Mai it wasn't that bad, as the family she came from could be considered decent in her hometown, so when she was young she had at least been taught some handwriting and basic etiquette.
Although the etiquette practice had long since left her, she still had decent handwriting, so while copying with a charcoal pen was strenuous and she had a few cramps in her hand after a day of writing, it was still bearable, and she could typically write down her notes in one try.
As for the other two ladies, they had only learned to read when they were in their thirties, as for writing… If Di Tou had asked them to use a brush, the might have just given up after they arrived, simply taking this as a case of broadening their horizons.
