Ci Jinzhi

  Chapter 10 Storybook

  Duan Yunling was startled, and retreated subconsciously: "Sister, you scared me."

  Xin You looked from Duan Yunling's tense body to Duan Yunwan's curious eyes, and said calmly: "Cousin Ling wants to go with me, I said forget it this time, and hang out together some other day."

   "So that's how it is. Third sister, Cousin Qing has business to do, so don't join in the fun. Let's make an appointment to go out together some other day." Duan Yunwan held Duan Yunling's hand, "Go back to the room."

  Duan Yunling withdrew his hand, and said in a low tone, "Understood." After saying that, he walked forward quickly without waiting for the two of them.

   "Cousin Qing, don't take it to heart, Third Sister still has a childish temper." Duan Yunwan smoothed things over and quickly chased after her.

  Xin You had previously learned from Xiao Lian that Duan Yunwan and Duan Yunling lived in the same yard, and now she looked at the backs of the two sisters thoughtfully.

   "Girl—" Seeing Xin You standing still, Xiao Lian yelled in a low voice.

  Xin You walked forward: "Xiao Lian, what is the relationship between the eldest girl and the third girl?"

   "Very good." Xiao Lian said without thinking.

   "Is it good?" Xin You murmured, looking around, the figures of the two sisters had disappeared around the corner.

  Xiao Lian has been tense these days. Hearing what Xin You said, her complexion changed slightly: "Do you think there is a conflict between the eldest girl and the third girl?"

  Xin You shook his head slightly: "It's not necessarily a contradiction, let's take a look."

  The two sisters were very close in the impression of others, but from Duan Yunling's reaction, she noticed a little avoidance of Duan Yunwan.

  Perhaps, the two sisters are the breakthrough to find out the truth.

   This thought flashed through Xin You's mind, and she decided to try it out when she came back from the house.

  It will be a beautiful day with bright sunshine.

   Nanny Fang followed all the way to the carriage.

   "Girl, let this old servant go with you."

   "The nanny just came back, so I'd better stay in Wanqingju and have a good rest. Xiaolian and the guards are enough."

  Mother Fang's heart skipped a beat when she heard Xin You's emphasis on the word "just came back".

  If she can be driven away once, she can be driven away a second time. At this time, it is better to reduce the sense of existence as much as possible.

   Is she thinking too much, or is that what the girl means?

  Nurse Fang looked at those eyes that were as clear as black jade, and stopped insisting: "The girl will come back earlier."

   Under Nanny Fang's earnest instructions, Xin You took Xiaolian and two guards and went to the small mountain village in a carriage.

  The day’s plan is in the morning, and the villagers are busy working. When they saw the approaching carriage, they stopped their work curiously.

   "Who's a distinguished guest?"

It would be great for ordinary people to sit in a donkey cart, so how could they afford a horse-drawn cart? Because of this, someone soon remembered: "Didn't Old Wangtou save a little lady from a rich family a few days ago? Are you human?"

   "No mistake, it's the carriage that day."

   Following the discussion among the villagers, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the village. Xiao Lian got out of the carriage first and reached out to help Xinyou get off.

  The villagers' discussion became louder: "It's really that girl!"

  Someone with a bad temper had already run away to tell the old Wangtou couple.

  Old Wangtou and his wife were working in the field, when they got the news, they rushed home and invited Xin You and others who were waiting outside.

  Xin You took Xiaolian into the house, and the two guards stayed in the yard.

  The old woman looked embarrassed: "Girls should take good care of their health, thinking about what we two old guys are doing, and bringing so many things here."

   "Grandma Wang, don't say that, don't say it's just something to eat, no amount of food can be worth the life-saving grace of the two of you."

  Xin You's words were sincere, and given the old couple's age, they could see that they were sincere. The two felt warm, and felt a little less polite.

   "Grandpa Wang, do you still remember where you found me?"

   "I remember, just at the foot of a hill not far into the mountain, there is a field of pomegranates, red and yellow, blooming very lively..."

  After listening to the old Wangtou's detailed description, Xin You can be sure that the place where she slipped and passed out on the hillside is far from the place where Kou Qingqing fell off the cliff.

  Xin You thanked again and bid farewell.

   "The girl will leave after eating." The old couple kept the meal enthusiastically.

  Xin You declined: "The elders in the family told me to go back earlier."

  When the old couple heard this, they stopped forcing them to stay.

  Xin You said again: "I am temporarily staying at Duan Shaoqing's residence in my grandfather's house. If Grandpa Wang and Grandma Wang are free in the future, they can come to me anytime."

   "Okay, okay." The old couple responded repeatedly.

  When sending Xin You out, the old woman suddenly thought of something: "Wait a minute, girl."

  The old woman quickly walked into the room where Xin You lived, and soon returned, and handed her something: "The girl left behind."

  The object was tightly wrapped in faded old cloth, Xin You vaguely guessed what it was, opened it, and it turned out to be a book.

   It was the book of words she took away from the destroyed home. When she was taken away hastily by the Duan Mansion, it was kept by this kind-hearted old couple.

  Although she wrote down every word in the book, even if she lost it, it would not affect what she was about to do, and she was still happy to get it back.

Xiao Lian stared curiously at the notebook in Xin You's hand, and saw the three big characters "Peony Tale" on the cover, and she immediately regained her spirits, but those few brown stains reminded her of something in a blink of an eye, and instinctively swallowed what she wanted to say .

   "Thank you very much." Xin You put away the notebook and left the village with the old couple sending them off.

  The carriage moved forward without haste, and the wheels made a dull creaking sound, making it seem that the carriage was too quiet.

   "Girl, do you like reading storybooks?" Xiaolian noticed that Xinyou was in a bad mood, and tried to break the silence.

  Xin You bent her lips unconsciously, and said lightly, "I like to listen."

  Niangqin is especially good at telling stories, poignant, bizarre, scary, funny... It seems that there are endless stories hidden in my mother's mind, which can never be finished.

  Xin You gathered up her emotions and called to the coachman: "Go to Qianying Mountain."

  Qianying Mountain is the mountain where Kou Qingqing plays. Every spring, the thousand cherry blossoms are in full bloom, which is very beautiful. Although this season has passed the flowering period, it is still a good place for people to visit.

  The coachman showed surprise: "My cousin is going to Qianying Mountain?"

  The two guards who followed also looked at each other in blank dismay.

  Biao girl just fell from Qianying Mountain not long ago, and she wants to play again today, she is a ruthless person.

   "I lost a jade pendant that day, so it should have fallen there. It's rare to go out today, so I just went to have a look." Xin You explained gently.

   "This—" the coachman looked puzzled.

  Xiao Lian hurriedly stuffed a dime of silver into the driver's hand: "Although the jade pendant is not very valuable, it was left to the girl by the madam. If it is lost like this, the girl will be sad."

  The coachman held the silver and glanced at the two guards.

  Xiaolian stuffed money into the two guards again, and said with a smile: "It will delay the three of you a little."

  The three of them won't delay any longer after they got the benefit, the carriage quickly turned a corner and headed for Qianying Mountain. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they stopped the car and the coachman guarded it. Xin You and the others went up the mountain.

  (end of this chapter)