Moyuan saw Sir leaving again and couldn’t help but ask, “Sir just got back and already you’re leaving?”
“I have to visit Yuan Mountain.”
Chen Changsheng said this, adding, “It might be a while.”
“Is that so…”
Moyuan paused, then said, “Oh, right, Sir. Over the years, so of Sir’s old friends sent things. Wine, tea. Yesterday Miss Yun ca to the temple and brought sothing for Sir.”
Chen Changsheng responded, “Yun Xiang?”
Moyuan nodded and went inside to fetch several packages of preserved fruit.
Clutching the large packages of preserved fruit, Moyuan said, “These… Miss Yun sent them over the years. She ca every year without fail, always bringing a few lotus flowers and one package of preserved fruit. I stored the lotus in the well, and it’s almost full now, Sir. What do you think…”
Chen Changsheng reached out and took one package of preserved fruit. He grew slightly dazed, recalling a letter he once saw inside the jade pendant.
He slowly snapped out of his reverie, sighing silently in his heart. He hefted the package in his hand.
That girl was silly. He actually didn’t like preserved fruit.
And the lotus too…
Perhaps just because Chen Changsheng had glanced at those things twice, Yun Xiang thought Sir liked preserved fruit and lotus flowers.
So she brought them every year, always carrying preserved fruit and lotus flowers.
Chen Changsheng walked to the well and looked down. He saw lotus flowers blooming inside, filling the entire well.
He sighed inwardly, murmuring softly.
“This fate…”
“Can it really not be broken?”
Su Junhan stood beside Sir and said, “Sir’s connections were always hard to sever. Such was the case with Miss Yun, and likewise with my sister, Hu Yu.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “Hu Yu, she seems to be gone now, right?”
He had heard Zhao Yuqing speak of this before.
Su Junhan nodded. “Human or monster, lifespan ends for all. But Hu Yu chose a different path. She refused to ever forget Sir.”
Chen Changsheng took a deep breath and nodded slightly. Then he said, “How do you feel about waiting another day?”
Su Junhan thought for a mont. “As Mr. Chen wishes.”
“Good.”
Chen Changsheng agreed and then told them, “I will head down the mountain, and return later.”
So things were better settled sooner rather than later.
Moyuan almost went with Sir but was stopped by Su Junhan.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Su Junhan asked.
Moyuan glanced at him. “I am Sir’s True Dragon Great General! I should be by Sir’s side!”
“You’re not even a mount! A Great General?” Su Junhan mocked. “Also, are you dense? Can’t you see what Sir is doing? Why crowd in?”
“Cough…”
Moyuan coughed. “Aren’t you curious?”
“When I saw Miss Yun, I understood. So no, I’m not curious.”
“Tell ! Tell quickly!”
“I refuse to tell you.”
“Then don’t say anything!”
“That was deliberate.”
“Shut up!!”
Moyuan started quarreling and swearing with Su Junhan.
Chen Changsheng, who had just reached the foot of the mountain, turned and looked up at the Taoist Temple atop the hill.
Many birds flew away elsewhere, disturbed by the noise coming from the temple.
Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but chuckle. “Seems there’s always soone to keep them in check.”
He turned back and headed in the direction of Yan County.
…
Though chaos had swept the land, Lotus Root Lane remained largely unchanged, just like before. Its breathtaking lotus pond scenery remained just as beautiful.
A glance at it cald the heart and cleared the mind.
Lotus ponds flanked Chen Changsheng on both sides. A great road stretched before him, leading to Lotus Root Lane. Long ago, Zhu Qi had planted a thousand acres of lotus ponds here. Perhaps that was how the place got its na.
“Everything as it was.”
Chen Changsheng gazed into the distance for a mont, then turned his attention towards the civic district.
However, halfway down the road, he suddenly saw a little girl dressed in red right in the middle of the path.
The girl had the distinct mark of a red fish on her forehead. She stared at Chen Changsheng with unconcealed anger.
Chen Changsheng raised an eyebrow but soon relaxed.
The little girl quickly ran towards her upon seeing Chen Changsheng.
“It’s you! I found you!!”
The girl grabbed Chen Changsheng’s blue robe angrily. “Pay back!”
Chen Changsheng smiled. “What do I owe you?”
“A lot!” The girl fud. “It’s all your fault! If not for those two gulps of your wine, I’d have beco a monster two years ago! I wouldn’t look like this dumb little girl! Pay back! Pay back!!”
As she spoke, she stomped her feet, plopped down on the ground, and burst into loud, dramatic tears.
“Pay baaack! Waaaah…”
“…”
Chen Changsheng watched her crying fit, montarily flustered.
He said, “Crying like this? Aren’t you acting exactly like a kid?”
Ignoring him, the girl threw a tantrum, wailing.
“I don’t care! I don’t care! You have to pay back!”
Chen Changsheng thought for a mont. “Tell then. How should I pay you back?”
The crying instantly stopped. The girl stood up, stuck out her small hand, and held up three fingers.
“Ahem.”
“Three hundred taels of silver, no credit!”
Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but laugh at her performance.
“How do you switch emotions so fast?” he asked.
The little girl frowned, her fierce expression sohow still cute.
Hands on her hips, she declared, “Are you trying to cheat ?”
Chen Changsheng shook his head. “If you’re after silver, you’ve found the wrong man. I don’t have a single penny on .”
Hearing this, the girl started wailing again.
“WAAAAAA!!”
Chen Changsheng ignored the tears. “Why does a monster need money?”
Looking pitiful, she smacked her lips. “Buy wine.”
“Buy what?”
“Wine.”
Chen Changsheng paused. “Children shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
The girl pointed an accusing finger at him. “You’re the kid!” she yelled defiantly, before sitting back down and renewing her crying assault.
Chen Changsheng waved a hand helplessly. “Enough, enough, stop crying. My ears are getting numb.”
“But I have no silver. How about I pay you with wine instead?”
At the word “wine,” the tears stopped instantly.
She looked at Chen Changsheng with eager eyes. “Is it the sa wine as last ti?”
“Autumn Moon Brew?” Chen Changsheng asked.
“Hey how am I supposed to know?!” the girl huffed. “Whatever! Either give silver or give the wine.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “You know wine made you ss up but you still want to drink?”
“What of it?” The girl glared at him. “You get to drink, but I can’t? I like it! What’s it to you?”
Chen Changsheng laughed aloud.
“Fine, fine, fine.”
Chen Changsheng lifted his wine gourd. Then he looked behind him, towards Autumn Moon Market, and called out three tis.
“Co, co, co.”
As the words fell, inside Flowing Cloud Temple in Autumn Moon Market.
A stream of wine suddenly surged up from inside the side room and flew out into the distance.
It crossed a great distance and poured directly into Chen Changsheng’s wine gourd.
The girl’s eyes sparkled. Slling the aroma, she started smacking her lips eagerly.
“Give ! Gim so.”
Chen Changsheng lifted two fingers, guiding the stream of wine towards the girl’s mouth.
She gulped down several big mouthfuls. Instantly, her face turned a rosy pink.
“Hehe, hehehe…”
The girl let out a silly giggle. Within monts, her little face flushed crimson. When she stood up, her whole body swayed unsteadily.
Her foot slipped. She transford back into a red fish and fell headfirst into the lotus pond with a loud splash.
“Splash!”
Chen Changsheng sealed his wine gourd. He approached the edge of the pond and watched bubbles continuously rise from the water.
“Gurgle… gurgle…”
Chen Changsheng chuckled. “A unique monster indeed, hahaha…”
He spared it no further thought and continued walking toward the civic district.
Yet the pond bubbled on… bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.
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