On this day, as Ah Li's fingertips gently glided across the pipa strings, the last note faded away into the air.
The female teacher beckoned to Ah Li, inviting Ah Li to go out with her.
Ah Li put down her pipa and followed the female teacher, their shadows stretching long in the afterglow of the setting sun.
After the two had walked a little further away, the female teacher took out a delicate packet of mung bean pastries from her sleeve and handed it to Ali, saying, "This is something I brought for you from outside."
Ali took the mung bean pastry, a sweet smile spreading across her lips, and said softly, "Thank you, Master, you're always so kind."
The female teacher gently reached out and stroked Ahri's head. "I'll bring you something else next time. Just tell me what you like."
Ahri nodded obediently, her voice clear and melodious: "Okay."
Ah Li even asked the female teacher, "Teacher, have you eaten?"
The female teacher said, "I've already eaten, so you can eat."
Ali took out two pieces of mung bean pastry and said, "Master, please try some more."
Before the female teacher could refuse, Ah Li fed her the mung bean pastry.
The female teacher's smile deepened, and she ate the mung bean pastry.
Ali took a few bites and then carefully put the mung bean pastry away.
The female teacher noticed Ah Li's actions and asked, "Don't you like it?"
Ah Li shook her head, her eyes shining, and said, "It's delicious, but I want to take it to eat with Sister Junru."
The female teacher wasn't very happy to hear this, but didn't she just like Ah Li's innocence and kindness?
The female teacher smiled and said, "You always think of your sister Junru, and you always think of her whenever there is something delicious to eat."
Ah Li recited, "Because she is a very good person; she is the one who saved me from the heavy snow."
The female teacher's eyes flickered. Once she realized that this was a place for welcoming and sending off guests, would she resent her sister Junru?
As the sun sets in the west, the stars in the sky begin to glow faintly.
Ah Li told the female teacher, and then she took the mung bean pastries to find Junru.
At this moment, Junru was washing clothes. She said to Junlinhe, who was taking off his clothes in the room, "When you're done washing, bring your clothes for me to wash too."
"Yes, Mother."
When Ahri arrived, she found Jun Linhe taking a bath.
Because he was still a child, he washed himself inside the house without closing the door.
When Jun Linhe saw Ah Li arrive, he sat down in the water. He was a boy, and he was shy too.
Ah Li didn't look over. She took the mung bean cake and walked to Junru's side, saying, "Sister, I brought you mung bean cakes."
Junru chuckled and said, "Don't keep bringing things over; it's not good if Mom finds out."
"This was given to me by my female teacher; it's very delicious."
When Junru heard Ah Li mention the female tutor, she said, "That female tutor was quite nice to you."
Ah Li said, "The people in the building are all very nice to me."
However, Ah Li disliked the girls who studied with him, who always seemed to be complaining and wallowing in self-pity.
Junru also liked to see Ah Li's smile. When she was washing clothes and couldn't eat them, Ah Li would feed them to Junru.
When Jun Linhe came out, he saw Ah Li sitting next to Jun Ru, feeding her from time to time and chatting and laughing with her.
Ahri turned back and waved to Junlinhe, saying, "We'll have mung bean pastries today."
Jun Linhe was still thinking about the taste of mung bean pastry when he tasted it in his mouth.
Ahri fed Junlin Crane some mung bean pastries, then looked at him with a smile and asked, "Is it delicious?"
"tasty."
Ali put the remaining mung bean pastry into Jun Linhe's hand and said, "You take it and eat it. I'll go help my sister."
Junru replied, "No need, I can manage on my own."
Ahri still helped out, saying, "There's still some time, and I want to help."
Junru thought back to when the madam had arranged for her to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she couldn't even step out of that attic.
Now, Ahri is free to come and go as she pleases.
Jun Linhe was still standing to the side with mung bean cakes in his hand when Ali said to him, "Go boil some water so you can eat them with it and not choke."
"Um."
Jun Linhe took the mung bean pastry to boil water.
As Junru watched Jun Linhe go inside, she whispered to Ali, "Not long ago, a swordsman came to the building and said he wanted to teach Linhe martial arts."
"Isn't that great? With martial arts skills, you can protect both of you."
Junru was originally hesitant about whether to let Jun Linhe learn martial arts, but after listening to Ali's words, she wanted Jun Linhe to learn so that he could protect himself. She added, "Yes, here, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. He should learn."
Ah Li knew that Junru had a plan, so she lowered her head and continued to help with the laundry.
Jun Linhe, who was inside the house, also heard Ah Li's words: he wanted to learn martial arts to protect his mother and her.
Later, Ah Li and the other girls began to appear at the Tibetan Incense Pavilion, but their faces were covered by veils.
The madam was very satisfied with Ah Li because Ah Li was not stingy at all in front of the guests, and could even play chess and discuss poetry with them.
The other girls were alright, but they weren't as magnanimous and outgoing as Ahri. They were all too petty and had this "I'm pitiful, I was forced" attitude.
Ahri noticed that there were a few nice men, rich and good-looking, and some had been dragged in by their friends.
Sometimes, Ah Li is good at making people happy. When they feel comfortable, they might even give Ah Li some reward money.
Ah Li turned around and gave the reward money to Jun Ru, because Jun Ru wanted to send Jun Linhe to study outside, but actually she wanted Jun Linhe to learn martial arts with that swordsman. She didn't want the madam to know.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
