Volume 1 Chapter 56: The Sound of the Xiao (2)

  Lu Yun was also clever, and he reacted at this time. He ran to the young man's face and said: "Money brother, my sister is right. You don't know, five years ago, when Guihua City was promoted to filial piety, it wasn't much more than you did, he just gave his family's fields to his brothers and sisters. But can you guess what happened later? He was recruited by the imperial court, and last year he returned home in glory, with a grand procession of people and horse-drawn carriages. The nobleman went back to his hometown, saying that he was grateful for the care of his fellow villagers over the years, and gave away 50 carts of goods. That's 50 carts of goods!"

  Lu Yun is quite good at making up stories, not only is Luo Ling vivid and lifelike, but also extremely excited with flying eyebrows and dancing colors.

  In this city, there are rarely any wealthy families' young masters and ladies, mostly just ordinary villagers. These people only talk about trivial matters in their daily lives, who has ever heard stories of those high-end people? As they gather around one by one, listening with relish, thinking that when they return to the village, they can also boast a thing or two.

  Lu Yun said as he called out again, "Later, everyone in his village received generous gifts, but only his sister-in-law got nothing. Guess what that sister-in-law thought? She was not reconciled, everyone said her family had produced a great nobleman, her children were also making a fuss about gifts, and she wanted to go to Luoyang to enjoy the blessings. So that sister-in-law ran to the front of the great nobleman, knelt in front of him and cried and begged. Qian Ge, guess what that nobleman did?"

  "What should I do?"

  It was not the young man with the surname Qian who asked, but a villager next to him who was listening to the story with great interest.

  Seeing someone flattering him, Lu Yun's small face turned bright red. He said loudly: "That noble man, he asked the villagers to bring a bowl and fill it with water. Then he poured the water onto the mud and said to his sister-in-law: 'If you can put this water back into the bowl without spilling a drop, I will forgive you and take your whole family to Luoyang to live a life of luxury.'"

  The story goes like this, and all around there was a commotion. "How can the water be poured out and then picked up again?" "Exactly, this is impossible."

  In the midst of the buzzing, Lu Yun nodded and said: "Right, this is impossible! So that nobleman just took away a few neighbors who had always helped him, leaving his brother and sister-in-law in the countryside to suffer. Alas, soon after that nobleman left, his brother and sister-in-law fell ill, and their children were neglected. It's said that even their daughter, who was already engaged, was rejected by her fiancé."

  The story ended, and after a brief silence, the buzzing sound grew louder. The crowd sighed at the evil brother and sister who had received their due punishment, while occasionally glancing over at the fat woman.

  Under the gaze of the crowd, thinking about Lu Yun's story, the fat woman suddenly became flustered.

  In recent years, the new emperor has governed the world with filial piety and virtue. There have been frequent reports of people from humble families being recommended for their filial conduct and becoming Xiaolian officials. Yet she never thought that one day this could happen to her as well.

  When she saw the fat woman's face turn pale and then red, her eyes on her brother-in-law also showed a hint of fear and flattery. Lu Yue smiled and led her brother out by the hand.

  Lu Yun bid farewell to the young man surnamed Qian while following behind Lu Xue as they squeezed their way out. Before long, the siblings had exited the market.

  As soon as they left the crowd, Lu Yun shook his head and smiled complacently, saying: "Sister, how was my story just now?"

  Lu Xuan nodded, rubbing her brother's hair and smiled: "Well said." In her brother's sulky muttering, she smiled again: "A Yun is really clever, knowing that speaking requires three parts truth and seven parts falsehood to make people believe.

  Praised by his sister, Lu Yun was very pleased with himself. He proudly raised his head and walked with a bounce in his step.

  However, after such a delay, the night had already fallen when they returned home. Lu Yue was busy making fire and cooking rice, and by the time the siblings finished eating, the full moon of the 16th was shining brightly both inside and outside the house.

  At this time, the sound of the sheng from next door started again.

  Lü Yu arrived at the courtyard, listening to the sound of the sheng while thinking about what had happened during the day. At this moment, the sound of the sheng became softer and gradually dispersed under the moonlight.

  Lu Xuan unknowingly found himself standing at the edge of the wall where he stood yesterday.

  She suddenly came to her senses with her back against the wall. She turned her head and looked at the thick city walls with a clear and cold gaze, thinking: All the hardships in this world are because people have desires that go beyond their grasp. My family background is far from his, and it's impossible for us to be husband and wife in this life. Since I know there's no hope, why should I let myself sink further?

  Lu Xuan slowly backed away at this thought.

  It was as if their hearts were connected by a spiritual thread, and almost as soon as she moved, the sound of joyful voices calling out "Ah Yu..." emerged from amidst the serene and refreshing shadows.

  He called out again, "Ah Yue... are you there? Ah Yue." Lu Yue stopped in her tracks, she turned her head to look at the thick mud wall, and after a while, said: "The bright moon is fine, but the spring breeze does not allow it!"

  Only eight words were spoken, and Lu Xuan said them slowly, one word at a time.

  It's easy to say, but for some reason, when saying these eight words, a kind of indescribable melancholy still emerges from Lu Xing's heart. This melancholy may have nothing to do with love, perhaps it's just a kind of inexplicable youthful sentiment.

  Lu Xing had always been decisive in her actions, and after dropping those eight words, she turned around and left.

  As she walked into the middle of the courtyard, she heard a clear low call from behind her, "A Xuan!"

  Lu Xuan turned back.

  She looked up at the handsome young man who had climbed to the top of the wall and was staring at her with a dazed expression. In the instant when Lu Yue turned around and met his eyes, she clearly saw that in the young man's eyes, which were as black as ink and layered with mystery and beauty, there were actually tears welling up!

  He's going to cry!

  This thought took away Lu Xuan's strength, and he couldn't bear to go back to his room.

  The young man looked at her for a while, lowered his eyelids, and nimbly climbed to the top of the wall to sit down. Then, he put the flute to his lips and began to play a mournful tune.

  The flute's sound drifted and turned like a dream, carrying an indescribable sense of terror and entreaty, winding its way back again and again, twining around her. Just as Lu Xing couldn't help but pause and look back, the young man fluttered his long eyelashes, his gaze clear and bright as he looked at her, unwavering for a moment.

  At this time, he didn't have a bit of the sadness from just now. Even Lu Xuan, who had always thought himself to be sensitive, said to himself: I must have misjudged him earlier.