"Hey, little fish, have you ever eaten fish?" her companions laughed at her.

"Fish, fish are so cute, why should I eat them?" The little fish said weakly.

"What a pity. Today's meal happens to be fish. You shouldn't eat it then." A maid pretended to be regretful.

"Really?" Xiaoyu raised his head, his eyes sparkling.

"It's fake, hahaha. You don't even need to think about whether a fish from Xingzi Lake is worth anything to you. Do you dare to eat fish? The immortals in this town will cut open your stomach."

The little fish shrank its head and murmured, "I... I don't want to eat it. Little fish won't steal food..."

The older maid sneered, "What a silly girl! You will definitely be a maid for life. Why did you choose any other name? Xiaoyu? Do you have to stay on the boat for the rest of your life? You can't get on the shore? Will you ever eat fish in your life? It's really unlucky. Let's go, ignore her. I don't want to play with you anymore, but you keep coming up to me shamelessly. You're such a bitch."

Everyone left with laughter. One or two maids at the edge of the crowd looked hesitantly at Xiaoyu who was burying her head, and then followed the group, smiling at the topic that made everyone happy and laugh.

Because you can't be isolated and become the next small fish if you don't fit in.

On the deck, the little girl with missing teeth who was left behind slowly squatted down, her face calm. She stared at the cracks in the floor without blinking, from where a few tiny ants were emerging, as if they were basking in the sun.

The squatting fish and her small shadow shrank back, leaving the blue sky and sunshine above their heads to the ants. "Why are you on the boat? Land... isn't land good enough...

"Did you come from that mountain ahead?

"It's really far, farther than the little fish can walk..."

Xiaoyu, who was used to the swaying pleasure boat, squatted on the deck with her legs hugged. She swayed left and right with the amplitude of the lake water hitting the hull, and talked to the 'uninvited guest' who came from afar.

"You've walked so far, aren't you afraid? What if you get lost..."

After a while, Xiaoyu raised his hand and scratched his forehead, then stroked the curve of his face with both hands, revealing his thin face, which looked more energetic.

She jumped up, making way for the ants, bathing in the breeze from the lake. She raised a small hand to press down her bangs of hair that were about to fly away with the wind, and looked up at the Xingzi Town on the distant shore, which was quiet during the day, and the mountains surrounding Xingzi Town and Xingzi Lake.

The little fish turned around and jumped away from the deck with its vast sky and magnificent scenery, and returned to the narrow but warm and safe cabin.

Behind her head was a scene that she was extremely familiar with.

How many houses are there in Xingzi Town?

Seven hundred and eighteen. There were three uninhabited and dilapidated huts, and Xiaoyu was worried that they would not survive the next rainy day.

How many trees are there on the sunny side of the big mountain behind Xingzi Town?

Three thousand and twenty-nine. Yesterday one of them was quietly cut off by a farmer on the mountain.

But what's on the other side of the mountain?

The little fish thought that only the wind knew.

…

At this time, in the Zuixianlou pleasure boat, in a narrow and damp cabin on the lower floor, which corresponded to the magnificent hall above.

The little girl with missing buck teeth looked at the night view outside the window and came back to her senses.

The chill of the autumn night seems to be able to penetrate through the tiniest pores.

She couldn't help but hug her knees, moved closer to the flames of the burning spring water, and tightened her hand around the pink silk handkerchief that had been abandoned by the noble.

A lot of weird things happened today.

During the day, the atmosphere on the ship was very serious. Some stern-faced stewards said that important people had come on board and asked them to be quick.

But to Xiaoyu, it seems that everyone is a big shot, a big shot as tall as a mountain or a big shot as tall as the sky, there is no difference to her, so she just does her own thing honestly.

In the evening, she was assigned a strange 'chore'.

In fact, Xiaoyu didn't think it was a chore at first, but the other smart and clever maids avoided doing it, as if they were afraid of seeing something they shouldn't see. According to her usual practice, these things that her companions avoided and finally fell on her were collectively called chore.

Xiaoyu was sent to bathe and dress a strange and beautiful girl.

This strange and stunning girl suddenly appeared in the past few days. She moved into the room of Luo Xiu, the top prostitute in their Zuixian Tower, and used all of Luo Xiu's daily necessities.

Later on, the servants who knew about this were trembling with fear as they were instructed by the serious and solemn landlady to call this strange and beautiful girl with red makeup on her forehead... Luo Xiu.

Is this a different person? Hmm, why is the name the same... The little maid with missing teeth was puzzled and curious.

But the rules of their line of work are not to look too much, not to ask too many questions, well, she concluded that in the end, when serving the masters, they have to be blind and deaf, but also smart and clever...

Therefore, Xiaoyu was assigned the task of bathing and changing clothes for the new 'Luoxiu' fairy this evening.

According to the usual practice in the building, serving the top prostitute in Zuixianlou was a great blessing, as it allowed one to establish a good relationship with her, so her companions would rush to serve her. But today, she was pushed up there in a daze.

Xiaoyu was not stupid, she knew it was definitely not pie in the sky, and when she was chosen by "luck", she was trembling with fear, and her calves were shaking.

So later on, she cleverly ate all the dry food and snacks that she had hidden away in advance, without any regrets. Then, holding her finally bulging belly, she went with another pale-faced maid to bathe and dress the fairy Luoxiu.

In the smoke-filled bathtub.

This new 'Luoxiu' fairy is so beautiful that Xiaoyu can't take his eyes off her. She is clean and pure.

Her skin was as fresh and tender as fish soup. Well, in Xiaoyu's mind, this milky white texture could only be aptly described by the fish soup she had been dreaming about day and night.

At that time, Xiaoyu rolled up her sleeves to bathe the extremely quiet Luoxiu fairy. She felt smooth and soft wherever her fingers touched. Then she used a special medicinal bath to wash away the red patterns on her forehead, right shoulder, and left waist...

During the whole process, Xiaoyu felt that it could only be described as "a fairy descending to earth, full of immortality" as described in the books, without a trace of impurities.

Moreover, the maidservant with missing buck teeth discovered that she was indeed extremely pure and clean, because she actually... had no hair.

Xiaoyu's face turned red, but she couldn't see clearly because of the rising white mist.

Besides, this fairy Luoxiu was very quiet and didn't pay any attention to them at all.

She was like an exquisite rag doll, with her eyes downcast and silent, as if she was in a daze, thinking about something.

Even when Xiaoyu and another trembling maid were washing the red patterns on her with heavy movements, she didn't even blink, as if she was in a dazed and trance-like state.

This made Xiaoyu, who thought she was serving a beautiful fairy with a bad temper who would whip the maid to death, breathe a sigh of relief, and then... she burped loudly.

Yes, that's right. Xiaoyu was not paying attention for a moment and burped loudly towards the beautiful red and white fairy who was surrounded by the fragrant fairy aura. The smell must have been quite strong, because the fairy "Luoxiu" who seemed to be in a different world and in the clouds couldn't help but change her expression slightly at that time.

Well, after all, the little fish gobbled up those rotten dry food not long ago...

Xiaoyu clearly remembered that the fairy Luoxiu turned around in a daze, looked at her, and suddenly spoke.

The voice is indeed as light and ethereal as a fairy.

"May I have your name."

"Little... Little Xiaoyu... Uh! Um." The little maidservant with missing buck teeth quickly covered her mouth as she burped again.

"Little Fish?" The stunning girl tilted her head slightly.

"No, it's a small fish. A very small fish in the lake." The little fish said timidly.

"Where are you from?"

"People on the boat."

"Are you on board?"

"Well, I grew up on this ship. I'm a shipmate."

"Why don't you say... you are from Xingzi Town?"

"I... I have never been to the town, never been on land." Xiaoyu kept covering her mouth, lowered her head, and spoke softly through her fingers. "I am a maid in Zuixianlou. According to customs and rules, I can only go off the boat with a distinguished man if I am chosen by him and redeemed by him. Otherwise, I have to stay on the boat. I... I am a boatman's daughter, a boatman."

This seems to be an ancient and lingering bad habit among the boatmen's wives on Xingzi Lake in Xingzi Town.

There are thousands of dynasties in this world, and the customs and habits are different. The customs in most places restrict women, either explicitly or implicitly, and are difficult to eradicate. Even in Dali, where the virtuous Queen Dugu is in power, and even though the power of the Music Bureau is unprecedentedly great, the extremely pure Crescent Moon women are respected and worshipped by the people of Dali, but what about those women who cannot enter the Music Bureau?

Moreover, sometimes, even if it was the extremely noble Crescent Moon Girl, what difference would there be between her and the humble girl on Xingzi Lake...

"Ship...people on the ship, people on the ship...so you are also a person on the ship..."

Behind the quiet bathroom screen, in the bathtub, a naked, stunning girl moved her pink lips and slowly stood up.

In an instant, in the white mist, water droplets slid down along graceful and charming arcs, and the spring scenery suddenly appeared, pure white, just like a pure white cold palace.

Fairy Luoxiu stretched out a snow-white jade hand and took Xiaoyu's rough little hand. Her beautiful and clear eyes stared straight at her. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked an extremely strange question...

…

In the small town of Xingzi, the night seems to be even darker tonight, covering up so many aspects of human life and people's thoughts.

In a small and damp cabin, Xiaoyu hugged her knees, looked at the fire, shook her head gently, and said to herself: "Is this fairy also on the boat... How strange..."

She was in a daze for a while, and at a certain moment, she stood up and prepared to put out the fire.

Because the indifferent and noble guest has left.

If she used too much firewood, she would be scolded by the manager.

Xiaoyu looked down at the folded pink handkerchief in her hand and was about to put it away, but the next second, her expression changed slightly.

Under the orange-yellow firelight in the cabin, the silk handkerchief was somewhat transparent, and the area covered by the fold was faintly visible. There seemed to be a few small words and some strange patterns.

The little maid with missing teeth looked around first, then she felt relieved and spread out the handkerchief curiously and carefully.

Among the many patterns above, there was a familiar pattern that instantly attracted her full attention.

That's a fish.

Well, the fish on the plate looked like it had been bitten.

The little fish blinked.

In addition, there were some other strange patterns, some of which she recognized and some of which confused her.

The largest pattern is a big boy who seems to be grinning and squatting on a windowsill or something like that. Behind him, there pops up the head of a little girl, who seems to be waving her hand to say hello.

In addition, there was a strange wooden board with two straight ropes tied at both ends. This strange thing seemed to be swaying in the wind, and a petite and skinny girl was sitting on the board.

Xiaoyu felt that she looked a bit like her.

Facing this pink handkerchief full of girlish feelings and fantasies, the little maidservant with missing buck teeth opened her eyes wide, stared at it blankly for a while, then burst into laughter, revealing her pink gums without front teeth... This was the handkerchief of the indifferent young lady... Was she embroidered it?

Xiaoyu was curious and his eyes continued to move downwards, finally landing on the line of childish and beautiful words.

Under the firelight, she whispered softly, "Xiao... Chai doesn't... want to eat firewood, wants... to eat... fish."

She bit her lip and looked up at the low ceiling of the cabin, whispering curiously, "Xiao Chai doesn't want to eat firewood, but fish?"

"That noble lady, is her name Xiao Chai? Hmm, what a strange name, just like Xiaoyu... does she like to eat fish too?"

Xiaoyu smiled sweetly, looked down at the boiling spring water, pursed her lips, and sat down again.

There was no effort to put out the fire.

She glanced at the pink handkerchief that seemed to carry some precious memories, stretched her hand forward, hovered above the spring water, and gently let go.

The scented handkerchief embroidered with a boneless fish, Zhao Rong, Zhao Lingfei, and the **Qiu Qian'er floated down slowly.

Gradually immersed in the boiling clear spring water.

Xiao Yu lowered his hands and eyes, preparing to warm himself by the fire.

But the next second, "Ding!"

Accompanied by a sound that seemed to indicate that the ban had been broken.

Xiaoyu witnessed with her own eyes delicious food, snacks and pastries that she had never seen in the past twelve years of her life.

There was a bright light on this snack handkerchief that Xiao Qian'er thought would make her feel she would never be hungry again.

The narrow and damp cabin was filled with countless beautiful things in the eyes of the little fish.

A dazzling array.

She looked around blankly, holding a bowl of pure white fish soup in her hand.

"Lots of fish."

Not long.

A certain maidservant who was missing two teeth was so happy that she started to panic. Her mouth was also busy with her movements. "Mmmm, burp~"

Outside the window, the night is quiet.