Home delivery
Chu Ming initially only helped everyone mend clothes, but with each "thank you, junior sister" she gradually developed the idea of making her own clothes. Later, she not only made ordinary clothes, but also hairpins and various personal accessories, and her reputation spread far and wide outside the valley.
This trip was just after returning from Miss Wei's house. Her wedding day is set for the beginning of next month, and Chu Ming was invited to tailor her wedding dress and jewelry. The time was too tight, and there was no time to find suitable materials. Fortunately, the young lady's house had everything prepared, so she rushed to her place to have her measurements taken.
With only a few days left until the wedding day, the young lady invited her to stay and attend the banquet. However, Chu Ming was worried that her poor health might spoil the guests' enjoyment, and also thought of everyone in the valley, so she bid farewell to the young lady and returned to the valley.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she sat down, she noticed the mud stains on Meng Yan's clothes. Perhaps her enthusiasm for work hadn't completely faded, she wanted to tailor a new dress for Meng Yan.
"No need, no need, let's eat first. In my line of work, it's normal to get covered in dust, mud, and wood chips."
Meng Yan gestured swiftly; the afterimage had barely disappeared before the chopsticks were already in Chu Ming's hand.
While everyone else was still busy chatting, Meng Yan had already picked up his chopsticks and moved on to the next step.
Actually, not being able to talk has its advantages. For example, when you're eating together, no one will force you to chat. Similarly, while they're having their own conversations, you can be the first to taste many of the dishes.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but pause for a moment, a thought she had never had before.
In the past, she always had to hide away from the crowd, as if her appearance represented disaster and disease. But now, she can even eat openly and secretly.
Looking at everyone seated, Meng Yan smiled and raised his teacup. "How wonderful."
Halfway through the meal, a mechanical sparrow dressed in a floral dress flew over, carrying the night sky in its beak, clearly looking for Chu Ming.
Thinking it was just some random job, Chu Ming smiled and unwrapped the letter from the animal. But after reading the contents, she frowned. This change caught Meng Yan's eye, and she put down her chopsticks to ask her about it.
"It's nothing," Chu Ming said, her expression not looking too good. Everyone noticed the situation and concerned greetings came from all directions.
"There's a little trouble; I might have to rush back to the bride's house."
Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent for a moment.
Chu Ming's body is weak, how can she withstand such a torment? Last time she left the valley, she left more than ten days in advance. Now that the wedding date is approaching, even if she doesn't stop along the way, she will have a hard time making it in time.
San Leng hesitated before asking the question everyone was thinking: "Is it urgent? Can we... stay and rest a little longer?"
"The bride wrote to say that one of the phoenix hairpins I made is missing. Perhaps the children accidentally dropped it into my luggage while playing. Unfortunately, the materials are limited, and I cannot find a craftsman to make another one in a short time. I can only hope that I can bring it back." Chu Ming pursed her lips, her fingers pinching and releasing the hem of her skirt.
The necessities of a newlywed couple should not be neglected, but returning them immediately is not an easy task. What should have been a joyous feast has now become a dilemma for everyone.
"Can we use a mechanical sparrow to send it back?" someone asked.
Meng Yan shook his head before Chu Ming, "The mechanical sparrow is one-way. It was able to fly from the bride's house because Xiao Ming stayed there. It can only track the location of our own people and doesn't have the function of delivering goods at will."
"Moreover, hairpins, though small, are not easy to preserve. They can easily bend or break with the slightest bump. Considering all the possible situations that may arise on the way, delivering them in person is the safest option," Chu Ming added.
In the silence, Meng Yan kept talking with her hands, but Chu Ming, who was beside her, grabbed her and asked her to slow down and speak one sentence at a time.
"Please pack the things and give them to me, along with a letter explaining the situation. I will take them to the bride's house together."
“I can fly this mechanical kite faster than you can walk. I’ve flown it a few times, so I’m fairly skilled at it. It seems to be the fastest and most effortless method right now. It’s settled then.”
Chu Ming wanted to say something, but she was stopped by a series of gestures as Meng Yan stared intently at her.
"You can rest peacefully in the valley. I'm testing the mechanical kite anyway, which I'll have to do sooner or later, and this trip just happens to be on the way."
Finally, she rubbed Chu Ming's head until the redness around his eyes disappeared before letting go.
.
The original departure time was the morning of the next day, when the light would be good and the road would be clear. Meng Yan thought it made perfect sense that he wouldn't be too tired after sleeping all night.
So he took the hairpin and the letter and set off that very night.
Firstly, she was genuinely curious about the night sky. Although she knew that "the stars and the moon hang in the sky" was a lie told to children, she still wanted to get closer. The unknown and the scenery in the sky were only words to her; if she could, why not see it for herself?
Secondly, she was genuinely afraid of the farewell the next morning. After all, in her memory, every time she went on a long trip, she wouldn't be back for a long time. It had become a habit for her and her friends to see off their family members in groups of two or three. She wasn't very good at handling or experiencing this situation, so she decided to run away.
The wind, a blend of spring and summer, still carried a chill, and the distant mountains were hidden in the night, revealing only their outlines.
Even if the mountain isn't clearly visible, surely we won't run into it.
Meng Yan had only finished half of his words of comfort when a flock of birds came into contact with him.
The bird didn't understand or expect why there were people there, but driven by its survival instinct, it quickly changed direction. Meng Yan had considered that she might encounter birds on the road, but she never imagined that her nightmare would come true so soon after leaving home.
A flock of small birds and a large bird successfully avoided collision.
The drowsiness of bird-taming master Meng Yan completely dissipated. She patted her face, straightened her body, and rushed into the darkness ahead.
Even faster than expected, Meng Yan arrived around the bride's residence just as the morning mist began to rise.
It was still early, and the talisman would expire after use. To avoid wasting it and to conduct more comprehensive testing and research on the mechanical kite, she circled back after passing the bride's residence, piloting the mechanical kite in circles above what appeared to be an empty forest.
.
Yue Lang yawned and wiped the dew off the leaves. He was going to do a feng shui consultation for someone today. He had been so engrossed in reading the scriptures in the library last night that he had completely forgotten about it. Fortunately, his senior brother happened to run into him and reminded him. Only then did he leave the sect with the graceful steps of someone about to ascend to immortality.
A gust of wind came from nowhere, and a cool breeze poured down from above. He leaned against a tree and shook his head.
Looking up, I saw only a slowly moving cloud in the sky, and the surrounding flowers and plants were still. The wind from earlier seemed to be just my imagination.
It seems that sleep is still necessary; I will definitely follow other people's sleep schedules from now on.
As he was deeply reflecting, another breeze came from above. Yue Lang looked up again, then looked away, snapping his fingers twice to wake himself up.
.
After much waiting, the sun finally rose to the position where ordinary people should be busy, and a few wood chips fell from the red gate of the bride's mansion as it slowly drove backward.
"Young lady, is there something you need while waiting at the door so early in the morning?"
Meng Yan handed the wrapped hairpin and letter to the servant, turned to leave, but was stopped by someone as she twirled halfway around.
"Miss, don't be impatient. Waiting too long will make your back and legs uncomfortable. Why don't you come to my residence to rest for a while before continuing your journey?"
Judging from the voice, it sounded like the mistress of the house, that is, the bride. With the wedding day approaching, Meng Yan couldn't refuse her, so he had to turn around half a circle and come back.
She took back the items that had just been sent out from the servant, stepped into the mansion, and intended to hand them over to the bride herself.
The maids poured tea for the two of them. Meng Yan nodded his thanks and then sat down to rest quietly.
The people in the valley can understand sign language because they have family members like her. Outside the valley, not many people understand it. She came in simply to rest, and apart from wishing the bride well, she didn't have anything else to say.
The bride was very surprised after reading the letter and hurriedly asked Meng Yan if his journey was smooth and if he needed to find a room to rest for a while.
To be honest, she was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, and she almost fell off the door several times when she stood at the door. However, since the bride's wedding was approaching, she figured everyone in the mansion must be very busy, so she decided not to disturb her.
Meng Yan shook his head, got up to say goodbye to the bride, and then randomly pointed at the phoenix hairpin and the big red double happiness character to express his blessings. After that, he floated out of the wedding house, and almost tripped over it when he crossed the threshold.
As planned, Meng Yan found an open space, opened the mechanical kite, and sat in the driver's seat with tears in her eyes.
She wants to go home; she wants to sleep.
However, daytime is different from nighttime; she couldn't simply close her eyes and fly away as if nothing had happened.
As she passed through the fields, the golden expanse of land snapped her out of her reverie. The natural wind and the wind brought by the mechanical kite converged on the fields, creating layers of golden waves with a rustling sound.
Above the golden surface are three or five black and white dots, which are a few children who have agreed to fly kites on the ridge of the field.
Meng Yan sighed with envy at the children's joy and continued to fly the mechanical kite towards the valley, but turned back after flying not far.
Weren't we flying kites? Where are the kites?
Listen closely, or more accurately, before you can even hear it, your eyes already see the answer—it's hanging on the tree.
The kite was inconvenient to stop mid-flight, so she groped around in her cramped seat for a while before finally finding a piece of wood that could be disassembled without affecting flight. She casually detached it, aimed it, and tossed it gently. The kite fell to the ground with a thud, and the children cheered.
"Thank you, Big Bird!"
As she passed through the village, a small courtyard caught Meng Yan's attention because she saw a scene similar to her own: a person sitting in the center of a pile of wooden planks.
Judging from his back, he was an elderly man. He held the wooden block in his hand, tapped it for a while, sighed, and then moved on to the next block.
This series of actions couldn't be more familiar. Meng Yan from the research and development department looked like this every day. The hardships of being a craftsman made her take a few more glances, and this glance made her three points more alert.
As they watched, the mechanical kite stopped and landed on the ground.
Since the flight test has already been conducted, there's no need to skimp on the talisman paper, especially since the person sitting below is one of my fellow travelers! Only those who have been tortured and tormented by experiments can understand this kind of pain.
She pretended to ask for directions to take a closer look, and soon another figure carrying a block of wood appeared beside the old man.
The two men were banging and striking each other without communicating at all.
The sun silently moved its position, and Meng Yan brushed the hair in front of his eyes aside and handed the old man the umpteenth piece of wood in his hand.
The old man took it and skillfully repeated the process, but this time he didn't take it apart. Instead, he stared at it for a while, then suddenly turned to look at Meng Yan, giving her a thumbs-up and shaking it twelve times in front of her.
Meng Yan swept away the wood chips on the ground, which symbolized failure, with the hem of her skirt. She found a suitable spot to sit down and began gesturing to the old man while holding the mechanical device.
Although there was no language to connect them, the experience-sharing event ended smoothly. A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in the old man's cloudy eyes. He stood up and escorted Meng Yan to the village entrance before leaving.
Meng Yan also thought she would leave like this, until she saw an old woman under the big locust tree at the entrance of the village.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
