Hearing this, Xu Jiang kept it a secret, "You'll know when you come tomorrow."
Zhong Lu blew his beard and said, "You're really tight-lipped."
Xu Jiang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you down."
"Stop, stop. I feel even more anxious after hearing that." Zhong Lu spurred his horse forward a few steps to distance himself from Xu Jiang.
Seeing this, Xu Jiang was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, "Isn't this what you wanted to ask?"
They passed a stone tablet with the words "Xiaozhuxi" carved into it. Then, descending, they found bluestone steps. The steps were steep and narrow, making it difficult for donkeys and horses to pass. They landed and tied the donkey and horse to a locust tree by the stream. The grass and water were lush here, enough for a good meal.
After settling the donkey and horse, the two men went down the stairs. The sound of a flute came on the wind and then flew away lightly. The two men stopped to listen and recognized that it was a song of "Happy Reunion".
When the flute music became calm and quiet, a piece of music "Yangchun Baixue" came out from the bamboo forest behind the two people in response. The sound was simple and profound, and it was the xiao.
The two dared not speak, fearing to disturb the atmosphere. When the sound of the xiao gradually died down, Xu Jiang asked Zhong Lu, "Mr. Zhong, the piece 'Happy Reunion' was played for you. Will you not sing in return?"
Zhong Lu stretched out his arms to demonstrate. Xu Jiang saw that there was nothing else around his waist except the jade ring. Her eyes widened and she asked again, "You don't understand music?"
Zhong Lu cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "I will listen."
Xu Jiang was speechless.
Zhong Lu asked in return, "Manager Xu has traveled extensively and has seen a lot, so wouldn't he be able to do the same?"
Xu Jiang pondered and said, "My son will listen too."
The two looked at each other for a while, then burst into laughter.
Xu Jiang thought for a moment, "I'm not good at playing other instruments, but I've learned to play the leaf flute."
Zhong Lu raised his eyebrows and raised his hand to invite him.
Xu Jiang looked around and found a maple tree. He then picked a leaf of the right age, wiped it clean, curled the edges slightly, and put it to his lips to try, blowing out two short sounds.
Zhong Lu waited with his arms folded, a look of anticipation on his face, and then a sharp voice suddenly rushed out.
Someone in the bamboo hut knocked over a tea bowl, and someone in the bamboo forest missed a step.
Zhong Lu was close to the place and was frightened to death by the sound. He quickly covered his ears and was about to call for a stop when the shrill flute sound stopped and then started again bright and melodious.
The melody of this song is simple but lively, like the whispers of birds. In addition, Xu Jiang works hard and has a steady breath. The song is graceful and smooth, which makes people happy both physically and mentally.
After listening, Zhong Lu nodded and praised, "Not bad, but do you know anything else?"
Xu Jiang shook her head, "This is the only song I can sing."
Someone behind me asked, "What's the name of the song?"
The two looked in the direction of the voice, both with a look of surprise, and said in unison: "Master Mu?"
It turned out to be Mu Cong. Xu Jiang saw the xiao in his hand and thought to herself that the song "Yangchun Baixue" was played by him.
The three of them exchanged greetings, and then Mu Cong asked Xu Jiang, "Madam Xu, that song you just sang was quite wild and interesting. Does it have a name?"
"My flute music is crude, and I don't deserve your praise, sir." Xu Jiang calmed herself down and replied with a smile, "This is a song from the southwestern barbarians. The song's title is in the barbarian language, and it's difficult to translate into Chinese."
Mu Cong also understood, and then asked, "Does Shopkeeper Xu know what the song means?"
Xu Jiang nodded, "Sacred bird."
Mu Cong pondered for a moment and said, "The barbarian tribe's sacred bird is the Nuo. This Nuo isn't evil, but what we call the Luan bird. The barbarian ancestors believed that the Luan bird brought grain seeds and revered it as the highest deity. Furthermore, since the Luan bird only chose to roost in the Wutong trees when it descended to the earth, if this song were translated into Chinese, it would be 'Luan Bird Roosting in the Wutong Tree.'"
"'The Phoenix Perching on the Wutong Tree', what a good name." Zhong Lu applauded.
Xu Jiang marveled at his broad knowledge and asked, "Why is Lord Mu so knowledgeable about the barbarians?"
Mu Cong also replied, "I just read a few extra books." Then he asked, "Manager Xu, since you can sing and understand the barbarian songs, can you speak the barbarian language?"
Xu Jiang said ashamedly, "I don't speak the barbarian language. I learned this song from a barbarian woman I met by chance. I only know this one tune and no others."
When she fled from Guizhou and ended up in the barbarian territory, she was misunderstood by the barbarians because of a language barrier. It was this woman who came to her rescue. The woman spoke a little Chinese and took pity on her and took her in for a while.
I haven't seen her for six or seven years, and I don't know how she is doing now.
Zhong Lu and Mu Cong also said, "Since we have met, we might as well go together."
Mu Cong also readily agreed.
The three of them continued walking down, Xu Jiang trailing behind them, his eyes occasionally glancing at Mu Congye. Thinking of Mu Congye's entanglement with those people, and his friendship with Jiang Gu, he inevitably felt complicated.
She touched the bag on her back and found a collection of Jiang Gu's poems inside. Could this be God's will?
Oh, never mind. I’m here to attend an elegant gathering today. Instead of having wild thoughts and ruining my mood, I might as well let nature take its course.
Thinking of this, Xu Jiang's mind suddenly became clear, and she happily went to the bamboo hut with the two of them.
Mu Cong also looked back at Xu Jiang and sighed slightly in his heart.
After descending the last stone step and turning the corner, Xu Jiang saw a clear pond. From her vantage point, she had only seen half the surface, but as she got closer, she realized it was vast. After a quick estimate, she determined the pond was about an acre in size.
The pond's edge is paved with bluestone, and along the path are countless exotic flowers and plants, seemingly natural and naturally grown. At this time, they are in full bloom, a feast for the eyes. Besides these flowers and plants, there are also numerous ornamental trees, including maples, pear trees, and cotinus coggygria. The most abundant species is bamboo. The bamboo along the pond is mostly water bamboo, purple bamboo, and black bamboo. They grow short and dense, hanging down to the surface of the water, a uniform green hue that makes it hard to tell which is real and which is illusory.
The water in the pond was so clear that you could see the bottom. There were schools of fish swimming in it, just like the willow branches that Xu Jiang loved, making her mouth water.
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