Army Outside the City Gates (3)
T/N: Chapter sponsored by K. Samel! Thank you for sponsoring!
The two entered the teahouse and ordered a private room. This private room just happened to overlook the street. For the sake of peace and quiet, Mo Yang had the windows closed, and then let the shop owner prepare the four treasures of the study.
"Alright, Du third miss, are you ready?" After Mo Yang had everything all prepared, he first let Du Xiao Li recite the lyrics once, and then let her sing again it without accompaniment.
"Okay." In order to avoid mistakes, Du Xiao Li sang it once more. Just as she finished singing, Mo Yang already had the entire tune recorded down. Looking at the tune on the paper, Mo Yang happily said, "Thank you Du third miss for the help."
"You're welcome." Du Xiao Li lightly smiled.
"Don't know if Du third miss knows any other similar songs?" Mo Yang asked.
"I do." Soon after, Du Xiao Li sang some more. However, the ones she chose were all rather neutral and also carrying some antiquity. Those romance and love ones, ancient people probably can't accept either.
Mo Yang looked to the four five recorded songs and said with a smile, "Really just too grateful to Du third miss today. These songs' style are completely different from current songs, very distinct. I believe teacher will also like too. The day is already quite late, how about Mo Yang have you sent back first?"
"No need, later my maid will come get me. If Gentleman Mo is in a hurry, you can leave first." Du Xiao Li said with a smile.
"How can I leave Du third miss alone here. Since your servant girl is coming, then I'll wait with you. It's not too late for me to leave once she comes." Mo Yang shook his head and said. Although it was very important for him to go back and organize these tunes, he couldn't just abandon Du Xiao Li here by herself either.
Thus the two began chatting in the teahouse. Mo Yang normally didn't like to talk, but once on the topic of academics, he would began talking nonstop. This appearance of his made Du Xiao Li only think of one word: Bookworm!
When Xia Yuan appeared on the street, Du Xiao Li immediately knew. She stuck out her head and softly called for Xia Yuan. Xia Yuan followed the voice and saw Du Xiao Li upstairs, and thus entered the teahouse.
"Chatting with Du third miss today, Mo Yang gained a lot. Du third miss is truly a good teacher and helpful friend!" Seeing Xia Yuan arrive, Mo Yang somewhat didn't want to leave.
"I heard all these from my big brother. If Gentleman Mo likes it, you can go find my big brother." Du Xiao Li said. "In a few days, he should be able to start attending Four Way Academy. When the time comes, asking Gentleman Mo to look after."
"Definitely." Mo Yang had those sheets of paper stored into his chest. Seeing Xia Yuan entering, he cupped his hands towards Du Xiao Li and said, "Then Mo Yang will be leaving first."
"Miss."
"How is it? Is the matter taken care of?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"Something occurred in between, but it's already taken care of now."
"Then let's go back." Du Xiao Li said and took Xia Yuan back to the Prime Minister Manor.
When Du Xiao Li returned to the manor, the sun had already started leaning towards the west, and Du Ke Xin and them still haven't returned. Du Xiao Li directly returned to her own courtyard. Besides, right now, aside from Du Yun Han, no one else is interested in her whereabouts.
The Jade Bamboo Courtyard right now, aside from Xia Yuan and Ying Ge, there was only just a servant girl and a servant boy. Du Yun Han originally wanted to send some more people over, but got rejected by Du Xiao Li. One, her place was already rather small, so shoving in a bunch of servants, they would definitely be crowded to death. And two, she also was afraid that Silver might injure those people, so she only kept a servant girl and boy that knew martial arts.
However, this in an outsider's eyes became 'Du Xiao Li not receiving favor'. Thus, in the capital, two different rumors appeared. One said Du Xiao Li was favored, and one said Du Xiao Li didn't have any position in the Du Manor.
Du Xiao Li directly went to the drawing room in the first floor. At the moment, there was a person in tattered clothes currently sitting on the ground wiping her tears. Seeing Du Xiao Li come in, she quickly got up.
Du Xiao Li sat down, looking to that little beggar's reddened eyes. She turned to Xia Yuan and asked, "You bullied her?"
"Miss, how could I bully her?" Xia Yuan knew her miss was just joking, but she still explained.
Du Xiao Li looked to the little beggar's falling tears and somewhat heartached, asking: "What's wrong?"
The little beggar glanced to Du Xiao Li, but still didn't say anything, completely different from when Du Xiao Li saw her on the streets this morning.
"Miss, that old beggar that's together with her is ill. She used today's money she got from begging to go invite a doctor, but the doctor said there's already no hope."
"Died?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"Not yet, I let someone go invite another doctor, but he also said there's not much time left. Probably, it's just these two days. She at that old beggar depend on one another. In the beginning, if not for him saving her as an infant, there wouldn't be the her today." Xia Yuan said with a sigh.
Hearing Xia Yuan's words, the little beggar cried even harder.
"What's your name?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"I don't have a name, grandpa calls me Xiao Gui*." The little beggar said.
(T/N: Means little demon, it's an endearing nickname for children, kinda like calling them little brat but like in a cute way.)
"Xiao Gui." Du Xiao Li thought of her clever appearance this morning. Indeed quite fitting of this name.
"Miss, what are you looking for me for, if there's nothing, I want to go back to accompany my grandpa." Xiao Gui wiped her tears and said.
"Don't cry." Du Xiao Li smiled at her and said, "If I can cure you grandpa, but I want you to follow me, are you willing to recognize me as your master?"
"What?" Xiao Gui's hand froze on her face just like that as she dazedly looked to Du Xiao Li.
"I said, if I can cure your grandpa, give him a place to retire to, and then let you follow me, work for me, and never to betray me, are you willing?" Du Xiao Li patiently explained.
"You can cure my grandpa?" Xiao Gui emotionally looked to Du Xiao Li and said, "As long as you can cure grandpa, I will follow you, and never betray you in this lifetime!"
"Xia Yuan, bring the things, let's go see her grandpa." Du Xiao Li instructed.
"Yes, miss." Xia Yuan went out and came back carrying a satchel.
Sitting in the Du family horse carriage, the little beggar was somewhat reserved. In the past, whenever she encountered those official family's misses, which one didn't look to her in disdain. Not letting the guards shoo her away was already considered good, she'd never thought that she would one day be able to sit in such a luxurious horse carriage.
Before leaving, Du Xiao Li had already told Du Yun Han that she might not return tonight. Du Yun Han understood that Du Xiao Li was someone with her own views, and further understood that with this daughter, he could only go along with her willfulness. Thus, he nodded in agreement. When their horse carriage passed through the city gates, it was already almost time for the gates to close.
The horse carriage continued along for a long while before finally reaching a worn out house in the outskirts. Du Xiao Li, seeing that they'd traveled for this long, looked to Xiao Gui and asked, "You need to walk this far every day to enter the city to go begging?"
"No." Xiao Gui shook her head and said, "In the past, when grandpa's body was still well, we wouldn't leave the city at night. Normally, we would just randomly find an eave to sleep under for the night. Afterwards, grandpa fell ill, so we went to go find a place to stay. Grandpa would rest there, while I enter the city to go begging. Sometimes, when it gets late, I would just randomly find a place to sleep for the night by myself and then go back early next morning to see grandpa."
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