Chapter 122
Chapter 122 Goodbye Su Qingwu
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Mu Yunyao retracted her thoughts and walked forward, but a young master came out at the corner of the street. He was slightly fat and had a few attendants following behind him, one of them even had a broken finger. He was the young master of the Cai Yue Pavilion, Tan Ba Wang, who had been beaten up by Mu Yunyao earlier with an oil-paper umbrella.
At this moment, he was staring at Mu Yunyao's back with a sinister expression. “You slut, you finally got me to find you and you lied to me that you were Miss Tan, the Shopkeeper of Chun Xiu Fang (Spring Embroidery). I searched through the entire capital but didn't find anyone, but I didn't expect that I would meet her here. Go and check it out for me who exactly is this bitch?”
“Yes, young master.”
Thinking of the past, Mu Yunyao didn't have the mood to continue strolling the streets, so she simply returned home.
Su Qing saw that she had come back so quickly and couldn't help but feel a little curious. “Didn't you say that you were going to take a good look around today?” Why are you back so quickly?”
Mu Yunyao stuck to Su Qing's side, “I didn't want to go out and I miss Mother after I left? That's why I came back.”
“You little girl, did you eat osmanthus nectar today?”
“When Mother said this, I'm all hungry. I want to eat the Eight Treasures Rice that you made.”
“I don't know why you like the Eight Treasures Rice so much. I don't cook today, because tomorrow will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mother will make some osmanthus cake and mooncake to suit the scenery.” Su Qing caressed Mu Yunyao's hair and said as if she was coaxing a child, “How about I make you an Eight Treasures Rice in two days?”
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(Osmanthus Cake)
(Mooncake)
Mu Yunyao rubbed her hand against Su Qing's arm and nodded obediently. “Alright, Mother wants to make the osmanthus cake, but have you plucked the osmanthus flower as well?”
“I heard from Si Qin that at this time of year, there are osmanthus flowers on the streets. Mother intends to have her buy some.” Only the two of them didn't need too much osmanthus flowers, they could easily buy them for a few coins.
Mu Yunyao's eyes lit up. “No need to buy it, I'll personally go and pick it for Mother. There is an osmanthus forest on the west side of Jin Xiu Garden. At that time, I felt that the osmanthus flower had not bloomed yet, so it just happened to be convenient for me now. I'll go pick the best osmanthus flower and make an osmanthus cake for Mother.”
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“No. Then let's keep the osmanthus flowers for the guests to enjoy. I'll go and buy some for them.”
However, Mu Yunyao didn't listen. “Naturally, the best osmanthus flowers will be given to Mother. Just you wait, I'll go right now.”
After that, she ran out directly with the skirt on. Su Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She instructed Jin Lan and Jin Qiao, “Quickly follow and protect her. Do not let the young lady hurt yourself.”
“Yes, Madam. Don't worry.”
In order to make it convenient for Mu Yunyao to pass through, Steward Qin had someone open a secret door in the courtyard wall. So, she didn't need to take a detour to enter Jin Xiu Garden.
Mu Yunyao purposefully avoided the crowd and chose a small path to walk out to the outside of Gui Hua Garden. Before they even entered the courtyard, they could smell the refreshing fragrance of osmanthus flowers. As she slightly lifted her head, a branch of osmanthus flowers peeked out of the garden, and under the cover of the green leaves, they looked even more fresh and lovely, causing Mu Yunyao to unconsciously reach out and gently touch them.
Not too far away, Su Qingwu stood at the edge of the water, his eyes shining brightly.
Logically speaking, he had just returned from Jingling City to report to the capital. This time, the Emperor’s calligraphy could be escorted by someone else. However, when he heard Xu Li's words, he subconsciously agreed without the slightest hesitation and without worrying about the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On the way here, he would feel anxious from time to time, but he wouldn't be able to figure it out.
The following guards had already escorted the Emperor’s calligraphy to Governor Zhang's Manor. But he had stealthily made his way to Jin Xiu Garden and slowly made his way to Jiuqu bridge.
Standing on the bridge, he looked at the lotus flowers that filled the lake and thought back to that day when Mu Yunyao held onto the railing with a smile on her face. While he was feeling conflicted, he deliberately avoided the crowd and arrived at the water's edge. He did not expect to see Mu Yunyao, who was holding an osmanthus flower in her hand and smiling, the moment he passed by a clump of reeds.
She was wearing a flowery blouse and a light apricot-colored dress with a silver magnolia embroidered on the hem. From afar, it looked very fresh and pleasant. At this moment, she was holding onto her skirt with one hand and stroking the osmanthus flowers that protruded out of the surrounding wall with the other. The sweet smile on her lips was even more attractive than the bunches of osmanthus flowers.
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Su Qingwu felt as though his heart had instantly calmed down. The nervousness he had felt along the way had disappeared without a trace. He frowned, feeling even worse than before.
Mu Yunyao didn't know that Su Qingwu had come to Jin Xiu Garden. After touching the osmanthus flowers, the smile in her eyes deepened.
Jin Lan and Jin Qiao brought the basket and caught up. “Miss, please watch below. This servant will help you break the osmanthus flowers.”
Mu Yunyao had a rare playful thought as she carried the basket under the osmanthus tree, “My body was weak in the past, but my mother was always worried about me, this is not allowed, but my father was particularly indulgent towards me. He took me to the river bank to catch some fish and play with the water, and accompanied me to climb up the tree to dig a bird's nest …”
Her father had even brought her along to do what other children were able to do, so as to not let her feel even the slightest bit of regret because of her weak body.
Because of Madame Li, she had more or less hidden feelings for her father. Later on, her mother had given up her life for her. Such strong feelings had overshadowed her longing for her father. Now that she thought about it, her father truly loved her and loved her as much as her mother.
Jin Lan and Jin Qiao didn't dare speak up, afraid that they would make her sadder.
However, Mu Yunyao lightly smiled and suppressed the uneasiness in her heart. She raised her head to look at the not too tall osmanthus tree, then lifted her skirt and grabbed onto a branch as she climbed up.
“Miss!” Jin Lan and Jin Qiao didn't expect her movement to be so quick. They immediately cried out in alarm, stretched out her hand, and stopped underneath, afraid that she would accidentally fall from the tree.
“Miss, be careful, you must be careful!”
This osmanthus tree had been growing for many years and had been meticulously trimmed. Its branches were thick and sturdy, so it was not a problem for her to bear its burden alone.
Mu Yunyao picked a place to sit and hung her legs to shake. Seeing the nervousness on Jin Lan and Jin Qiao's faces, she couldn't help but laugh out loudly. After laughing, she accidentally raised her head and was attracted by the osmanthus flowers.
Under the sunlight, clusters of osmanthus were glimmering and the wind was blowing. The flowers were swaying in the breeze and breaking the trees' splendor. Mu Yunyao slightly narrowed her eyes. She admired them for a while before coming back to her senses. Then, she picked up an osmanthus flower and smiled. “Under the moon wheel, the jade is found in front of the palace. Up to now, Chang'e has thrown herself at people. I'll also learn from Chang'e in the middle of the month. How about I gift you all an osmanthus flower?”
(Osmanthus Flower)
Su Qingwu wanted to turn around and leave when she saw Mu Yunyao enter the Gui Garden, but after walking only two steps, she heard Jin Lan and Jin Qiao's surprised voices. He couldn't help but worry, afraid that something would happen to her, so she quickly walked around the stream and into the garden.
Unexpectedly, he had just arrived under the tree when he heard Mu Yunyao's words. He slightly raised his head and saw an osmanthus flower that she had casually dropped, falling into his arms.
Su Qingwu! Why was he here?
Mu Yunyao had originally wanted to give an osmanthus flower to Jin Lan and Jin Qiao, but she didn't expect her hand to slip and the flower branch suddenly fell from her hand. She hurriedly lowered her head and meet Su Qingwu's phoenix eyes. She could not bear the fierce one in her heart. Shivering, she grasped the branch unconsciously before slipping from the tree.
Su Qingwu raised his head while holding the osmanthus flower. Mu Yunyao sat on the osmanthus tree, the brilliant sunlight behind her smashed down and scattered. A gentle breeze blew, and golden osmanthus drifted, brushing past her hair and skirt. For a moment he lost his eyes and became confused. Standing under the osmanthus tree, for the first time, Su Qingwu clearly heard her own heartbeat, fast and powerful.