"No matter what, just keep your people in check."
Shen Mo originally wanted to hide, but after hearing this, he thought it was unnecessary. Even Gu Buju would give way to Rong Yue's words, let alone the young servant in front of him.
Sure enough, he withdrew his hand, but was still somewhat unwilling, and said to Gu Buju, "Young Master, he..."
"Abi, shut up! How dare you touch the pageboy of the Rong family?" Gu Buju looked at Shen Mo and said, word by word, "Even if it really is a girl, with this small body, how can you tell if it's real or fake?"
Shen Mo's lips twitched. This Gu Buju was clearly using a sheep's clothing to settle personal scores.
"It's starting! It's starting! Young master, look, that's the second young lady of the Yuan family." Ah Bi was a simple-minded person. As soon as someone appeared, he shouted to announce the start of the show, completely forgetting what had just happened.
Following his gaze, Shen Mo saw a pale yellow figure gracefully ascend the stage, bow slightly to the people upstairs, and then sit down elegantly. As for what the pipa-like object in her hand was, Shen Mo rubbed the corner of her eye, opened it again and again, but still couldn't see it clearly.
When Abi enthusiastically described the exquisite clothes worn by the second young lady of the Yuan family, which were made in the capital, and even glanced shyly at the judges' building, Shen Mo suddenly accepted the fact that her eyesight had deteriorated again.
The crowd gradually quieted down. A moment later, a string plucked, accompanied by a clear female voice, shattering the silence and causing a stir among the onlookers. The music seemed to transport everyone to a distant, deep valley, but the valley was devoid of any gentle breeze, too dull and desolate. Even Chen Mo could tell that such a spirited yet lifeless melody would likely be unpalatable to Rong Yue.
When the second woman appeared, Abi had already been ordered to shut up, so Shenmo could only make some judgments from the music. The long strings murmured and the short strings whispered. Shenmo frowned. On such a day, she was playing such a sad tune. This woman had lost sight of the scenery before her, yet she was still unconsciously drawn into it.
"Ah Mo, did you bring your young master's flute? Don't let anything go wrong." Gu Buju asked casually, seemingly finding it a bit boring.
After a long silence, Gu Buju turned to look at her, and Shen Mo suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Oh, I brought it." Only when she took out the flute from her bosom did she realize what Gu Buju had just said.
"Young Master Gu, if I heard correctly, you just said... flute?"
Gu Buju's expression suddenly changed drastically, but he didn't want to stand up abruptly. He growled, "Rong Yue, you know that Su Yi said to change A Mo's piece to a flute. She even told me to remind you yesterday. I thought it wasn't necessary. You... do you have a bad memory or do you simply not care about Su Yi at all?"
Not only was Shen Mo stunned, but even A Bi was taken aback, never expecting that he could also throw a tantrum. The music on stage was becoming unbearable to listen to. Seeing Rong Yue's darkening face, Shen Mo quickly squeezed past A Bi and said, "Young masters, please don't be angry. It's all my fault. I have a bad memory. I will definitely bring the flute over before it starts." After saying that, she put down the flute in her hand and ran out frantically.
Despite her small and frail body, she still tried her best to run out of the shoving crowd. Thinking about Gu Buju's accusations and the disappointment that Jiang Suying might be about to face, Shen Mo felt inexplicably irritable. She had to explain to the coachman for a long time before he realized the seriousness of the matter.
In this hurried world, time is always compressed to a very short time, so much so that when Shen Mo returned in front of the jade flute, he was no longer sure if he was about to become a sinner.
"Excuse me, excuse me." Shen Mo kept repeating these seemingly useless words, but the truth of "haste makes waste" always holds true. When she saw the innocent eyes of the old man she had bumped into and who had fallen to the ground, she froze.
"Senior, can you... stand up by yourself?" If he said yes, Shen Mo could start running; if he said no, Shen Mo would have a reason to rebel and run away. But the other party didn't say a word.
Her feet, which had already taken a few steps, suddenly stopped. Shen Mo gritted her teeth and turned back. Just as she was silently helping the old man from the crowded area to a safe corner, the old man spoke. However, Shen Mo wished he hadn't spoken.
"Young lady, the fun is over. My legs aren't strong enough anymore. Would you please take me home?"
Shen Mo stood up abruptly. "What did you say?"
The old man always knew when to be silent. He watched Chen Mo stare blankly for a long time, watched her walk away unconsciously, and then silently walked back, tucked the jade flute in his hand into his waistband, and said, "Let's go, I'll accompany you home."
How did you know I was a girl?
The old man smiled kindly, "With hair as black as ink and skin as white and delicate as jade, how could you possibly be a man?"
Shen Mo touched his head and realized that his hat had disappeared. He pursed his lips, lost in thought, but did not say anything more.
"I think I heard that the lady of a wealthy family in Ningcheng is going to the mountains to cultivate her mind and body?"
Seeing that she remained silent, the old man changed the subject, "Young lady, do you know who was playing the zither and flute with Miss Jiang just now?"
Chen Mo's steps came to an abrupt halt, but the old man seemed oblivious. "I was confused. You just arrived; how could you possibly know?"
"He wasn't using a flute?"
“The flute… can capture the beauty of the scene, and the loneliness is gone,” the old woman pondered for a moment, and a light suddenly flashed in her eyes as she looked at Shen Mo. “That’s right, I was just thinking that their music seemed to be bound by something. Now that you say so, it is indeed the best choice to use the flute.”
"If the flute is the best choice, why does the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) still exist?" Shen Mo said casually, stroking his waist, without expecting any answer.
"It can only be said that the flute was born at the wrong time."
"Then what is the point of its existence?"
"It's meaningless for now."
Suddenly, Chen Mo sat down by the roadside in a huff, looking weak and frustrated. "Senior, I can't walk anymore."
"Then let's rest for a while." The old man sat down with her.
After a long silence, Shen Mo stared blankly at the ground. "I've felt this way for many years."
"Young lady, you..."
"The lady of the wealthy family you mentioned earlier, is she Madam Rong?"
"I do not know."
Shen Mo stood up abruptly. "Please forgive my rudeness, but I'm afraid I cannot escort you home. Farewell."
Where to go?
Shen Mo looked at him and suddenly revealed a strange smile, "Become a monk, is that alright?"
Chapter Eleven: Qingyou Mountain
"Sigh... If Miss Jiang hadn't twisted her ankle at the crucial moment, the rearguard position would definitely have been hers this time. What a pity!"
"Indeed, that zither and flute music, combined with the graceful Jade Lotus pink dress dance, was the most spectacular performance in recent years."
The two walked past, shaking their heads, completely unaware that the smile on Shen Mo's face by the roadside had long since vanished. Fate had become so dramatic around her; when you stubbornly substitute the flute for the xiao and believe you can get through the ordeal, failure finds its way in another direction.
Perhaps it was because the Chihua Palace event had ended, but large numbers of people left, filling the streets. Shen Mo, however, had to struggle against the flow of people back to where she started. She looked back once, but the old man was no longer in sight. Shen Mo paused, gritted her teeth, and simply left.
The moment Rong Yue carried Jiang Suying into the carriage at the Jiang residence, Shen Mo squeezed out from the crowd. She saw Jiang Suying's tearful, regretful, and delicate profile, and she saw her timidly opening her mouth. Shen Mo could even imagine what she was saying, but she couldn't see Rong Yue's expression.
A tall, upright figure – this was the last scene Chihua Palace left for Shen Mo.
Later, Shen Mo met two people: Mo An and Madam Rong. One meeting ended unsuccessfully, while the other went smoothly as expected.
“Aunt An,” Shen Mo held Rong Yan in her arms and looked steadily at Mo An, “Amo is leaving.”
"Okay, go ahead. Young Master will definitely need you to help out too." Mo An affectionately patted her head.
"Aunt An, I mean I'm leaving the Rong family." Shen Mo said with a smile.
Mo An was stunned for a long time before she could process what was happening. Her face was very pale. "What kind of crazy talk are you spouting? Let alone the fact that the Rong family took us in and treated us with the utmost kindness, you're so young. Do you think you can just leave the Rong family and starve to death? Your mother lost herself to save you, and you want to ruin yourself like this?" Mo An became angrier and angrier as she spoke. She knew Shen Mo's stubbornness and maturity beyond his years, and in the end, she even shed a few tears.
"Aunt An, do you know what A-Mo fears most in this life?" Shen Mo reached out her small hand to wipe away Mo An's tears, but Mo An turned her face away, so Shen Mo had to withdraw her hand and said, "I fear loneliness the most, and not just in this life."
"If you're afraid of being alone, then stay with Aunt An and Yan Yan. Don't worry, A Mo, Aunt An won't neglect you because of Yan Yan. Be good, don't mention the silly thing about leaving the Rong family again." Mo An pulled Shen Mo into her arms and comforted her several times. In her eyes, this was a child who was afraid of her favoritism and afraid of lacking love.
Unfortunately, Mo An only heard the first half of the sentence. If she had heard the second half, even if it was just a casual question, Shen Mo would have used her as a loophole to unleash all his past and present lives. However, she did not.
A bitter look appeared on Shen Mo's face. "Aunt An, I didn't mean to envy Yan Yan. It was precisely because I was afraid of being alone that I left the Rong residence with Madam this time."
"Why?"
"Because Amo wants to see the outside world."
"Has Madam agreed?"
"No."
"Then she..."
"She will agree."
As she expected, Madam Rong's agreement came as smoothly as anticipated. As for the reason, she told Mo An, "Because I am Dong Yun's daughter." However, she knew that the more important reason was that dress, the one Rong Yue claimed she would throw away after wearing.
The young master of a prestigious family is someone a mere page or maid cannot aspire to. Madam Rong is a devout Buddhist, but she is also from a prestigious family, so this sentiment is naturally understandable to her.
"Yue'er, I quite like this girl Amo, so let her come with me to the Buddhist site of Qingyou Mountain."
"Mother, are you taking my page away?"
Because of those words, Shen Mo looked up at Rong Yue, but forgot about him as soon as she saw him, because his eyes and eyebrows were perfectly normal.
As the carriage started moving, Shen Mo glanced back. The steady and upright Rong Yue was looking at the carriage and his mother as they walked away, while she saw the nurturing grace from her past life and the shelter she had been given in this life.
As Madam Rong closed her eyes and leaned against the carriage wall, the shaking of the carriage caused a long, hard object in the bundle she carried on her back to dig into her back, making her back ache. However, she did not want to move an inch.
The flute wasn't forgotten; it was that the person didn't want to return it.
"Old man, what's the name of the place we're going to?"
"I told you, old woman, how can your memory be so bad? I've told you so many times, it's called Qingyou Mountain, Qingyou Mountain."
"You dare to yell at me? You wait, when we get there I'll be in charge of the meals, I'll only be cooking for Madam and A-Mo!"
"Fine, fine, I give up."
Listening to the conversation of the elderly Xia couple accompanying them outside the carriage, Shen Mo raised his head and smiled slightly. It was truly remarkable that such a loving and interesting couple could exist at their advanced age. Aunt Xia was widely recognized as the best cook in the household, but because she spent so much time with Madam Rong, few people actually got to taste her cooking. Shen Mo couldn't help but click his tongue; it seemed that not only would he not be lonely in the future, but he would also benefit from Madam Rong's influence.
They drifted off to sleep in a daze, and in that daze they heard a bird chirping. In fact, their destination had been prepared by Rong Yue long ago. It was simple but not shabby, located halfway up the mountain. On the mountain was a rare and magnificent temple, Qingyou Temple, while the area below the mountain was mostly inhabited by fishermen and some hunters.
Shen Mo began to follow Madam Rong up the mountain to worship Buddha, helping Aunt Xia prepare food and clothing. In her spare time, she would dry some cooling and throat-soothing herbs for Uncle Xia. Before she knew how she would get involved with this place in the future, she was carefree and happy, treating this place as a safe haven and just being a ten-year-old girl.
It was a night like any other, but Shen Mo was doing something different than usual. Instead of heading to her bedroom, she went to the kitchen, feeling a little happy. However, when she saw what was in front of her, she felt nothing at all.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!" Bowls and chopsticks were smashed all over the floor.
"you……"
The person in front of her was frantically picking up two steamed buns and leaping toward the window at a speed that Shen Mo could hardly stop. All of this happened in just a few seconds. Shen Mo, holding the lantern in her hand, noticed that the other person even gave her a resentful look. She was dumbfounded, not because she was frightened by the food thief, but because it was the first time she had witnessed so-called light-footed skills. Judging from the figure, the person was actually a child who was about the same age as her.
"Amo, what happened?"
The Xia couple rushed over after hearing the noise; they had clearly just gone to bed and were still tidying up clothes.
Shen Mo looked at the messy kitchen, opened his mouth, and said, "It's nothing. I was just hungry and came to find something to eat. It was too dark and I didn't notice, so I knocked over some dishes. Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia, you can go to sleep. I'll clean it up." He secretly moved the lantern in his hand further away.
Uncle Xia laughed, "You silly girl, you always seem so proper, but I never expected you to be so anxious when you're hungry. You're just like me, haha..."
Aunt Xia shoved him after hearing this, saying, "Don't talk like that and make the girl laugh her head off. When have you ever been serious?" Then she came over to help tidy up.
Shen Mo quickly stopped her, "Aunt Xia's hands are clean now, so you should rest early. It wouldn't be good if your hands got all oily again." She knew that Aunt Xia was very clean.
Sure enough, Aunt Xia gave a few instructions and then left.
As their little argument faded into the distance, Shen Mo dared to retreat. When she opened the closet and saw that it was empty, she pursed her lips and looked out the window. This thief had stolen food that could fill her stomach, a cake that Shen Mo had secretly made with coarse flour, and Shen Mo's birthday. On that day, she turned ten.
So when the second time happened, Shen Mo would never let him off the hook. However, she didn't expect the second time to come so soon.
Holding a thin thread in her hand, Shen Mo listened to the rustling sounds approaching step by step in the darkness. Moonlight sparsely filtered in, and although she still couldn't see the other person's face clearly, she could tell that it was indeed the same person from last time.
"Thump!" Shen Mo frowned. He had been trying to sneak into the dark, but he had carelessly bumped into the water tank.
Clearly, the other party had noticed. Seeing him about to rush out the window with the same panic as last time, Shen Mo had no choice but to stand up and say, "Stop!"
The other party paused for a moment, but continued running forward.