I got my PhD conferred so I’m now Dr. Jal 😀 Woo!

Chapter 34: Enthusiasm at the Mid-Autumn Festival (part 2)

"Older sister Mu Qiu, has the young miss ever left the study room?" one pink-clothed servant asked, filled with worry.

"The young miss shouldn't have passed out inside?" another green-clothed servant conjectured audaciously.

"Oi, watch your crow's mouth¹! You dare to curse the young miss to pass out? I will smack you until you see stars." The pink-clothed servant then reached out her hand and started to beat the person.

"Help me, older sister Mu Qiu! I didn't mean to curse the young miss! I only casual said something."

"You still want to speak? Hmph! I haven't finished with you." Two of them closed in and chased the servant around. Mu Qiu watched the scene, and didn't stop them. She was actually lost in her own thoughts and wasn't paying attention to them.

Mu Qiu was thinking about the young miss's appearance yesterday when she picked up the book - surprise, joy, and more complicated emotions crossed the young miss's face. Later, she discovered that the book in the young miss's hands was from the old master and was one of three that the young miss wanted to memorise. After, the young miss took the remaining two books that His Excellency, The Ice Lord gave to the study. After one night, the young miss still hadn't left the study and even the meal they left outside the door had not been touched. Was the young miss actually diligently studying? Also, it was a book that was read by the young miss which has been on the bookshelf for many years.

Mu Qiu felt some pain at the back of her head. She returned to reality and saw the two servants who had been running around now in front of her with their heads bowed, although they glanced at her from time to time.

"Okay, let's go. The young miss needs it to be quiet in the study. It's enough for me to serve her. Mu Qiu couldn't help but sigh. Although she didn't know what those two were quarrelling about, she could guess that their fight had something to do with the young miss.

The two breathed a sigh of relief. When they thought about it, older sister Mu Qiu never scolded or reprimanded them, no matter how much they chattered. Actually, compared to her chattering, they preferred her stern explanations because when she chattered, she wouldn't be able to stop.

Mu Qiu looked at the two of them who left impatiently and couldn't help but laugh. Were they afraid that she would chatter at them again? Ah, now she had unnecessary thoughts to tell them, but she was worried for the young miss. When would the young miss leave the study?

Soon, ten days had passed. Bai Xi had yet to leave the study. Mu Qiu had delivered meals, but she was only able to leave the meal and then collect the bowls and chopsticks after. She didn't say a word.

This alerted Bai Jin Hang and Bai Yu Jie; however, they were unable to enter the room or convince Bai Xi to leave the room. After Bai Chong Yuan heard the news, he laughed and merely said, "That damn girl finally opened her eyes.:

Instead, Bai Yu Jie visited Xi Yuan every day, but left after two hours. Today, Bai Yu Jie had just left when the door opened.

"Hmm, the weather is good." Bai Xi left the study and stretched while she breathed in the fresh air.

"Young… Young Miss! You finally left. This is really good." Mu Qiu had been dozing outside the study door, but quickly opened her eyes. Upon seeing the familiar figure, Mu Qiu went over to give Bai Xi a big hug.

"Little Qiu Qiu, you shouldn't be missing me. Ahh, why are your eyes red? Didn't you come into the study every day to give me my meals? It's not as if we haven't seen each other for eight or ten years. Do you need be so enthusiastic?" Bai Xi found she was not used to this sort of atmosphere.

Mu Qiu released Bai Xi and looked down in embarrassment.

"Little Qiu QIu, are you shy?" Bai Xi smiled and nudged Mu Qiu's shoulder.

"Young Miss can take it as this servant making a joke."

"Very well. Go prepare some warm water. I'd like to take a bath and eat a large meal, and then go find that old man." She wanted to go find the old man to clarify the origin of those four books. Why did Feng Ming give her one of the books and the old man give her the other three?

"Yes, this servant will go and prepare them immediately."

Mo Xuan Yuan

Bai Xi didn't go directly to the room. Rather, she went to the bonsai which Bai Chong Yuan looked after diligently. Century plant², gladiolus³, scarlet kafirlily⁴. She frowned. The old man really likes a lot of bonsai. Bai Xi caught sight of a dying bonsai. If she was not mistaken, this should be a pansy⁵, which were common in Europe.

"Girl, since when were you interested in this old man's bonsai?" Bai Chong Yuan had waited for a long time and hadn't seen a shadow of the girl anywhere. He didn't expect that he would see her when he was with his bonsai.

"I thought you would take good care of these bonsai." Bai Xi didn't forget that the old man was eager to marry her off.

Contrary to her expectations, Bai Chong Yuan didn't go over to her and instead stared sadly at the wilting pansy. "This season's little fringed iris⁶ is the best one I have taken care of. It's hard to think that it's dying."

Bai Xi met Bai Chong Yuan's gaze. The pansy, also known as the fringed iris, is the flower that represents her. This old man really missed her.

"This kind of flower is fond of cooler temperatures. You need to avoid high temperatures and humidity, but it can't be too hot or too cold. It needs lots of light. You can put it in a shaded place, but remember to water it, not too much or it will drown."

"Hm?" Bai Chong Yuan stared blankly at the girl, as if he was looking at a completely different person. He seemed to see another person in her figure, one who he had missed for more than ten years.

"I also saw it in a book." In fact, she didn't understand much. However, she used to the old kid (Bai Xi's modern grandfather) talk about such things.

Bai Chong Yuan regained his senses and resumed his mischievous manner. "As expected, you've finally straightened out."

Bai Xi rolled her eyes. She must have been mistaken about the old man's fleeting sadness. It was hard to say if this pansy was grown out of a hobby or in memory of someone. "Old man, where did the three books you gave me come from?"

"Are you able to understand the contents of those books?" Bai Chong Yuan didn't answer her and instead asked a question. He then stepped into the house.

"Mm." Bai Xi followed behind closely. If not for little Qiu Qiu cleaning the study, finding some books on the shelf, and removing them to clean, she would not have found the book that Feng Ming gave her and the three the old man gave her were part of a set. In order to understand the contents of the book, one needed all four together. The first word on the first page of each book needed to be read together to create a sentence - the secret to a martial art technique. But, she was only able to understand half of it after a few days of struggling. Or, one could say that a large stone blocked her way. Once she removed this stone, she could fully comprehend the meaning of the words.

"Girl, can you bring those books?"

"Mm." Bai Xi pulled the books from her baggy sleeves and didn't notice Bai Chong Yuan use his eyes to signal for a middle-age man to retire.

"Girl, this other book is the one the Feng family's kid gave you."

^{1.Crow's Mouth - a term used by the Chinese to describe a person who always says bad things.↩}

^{2.(龍舌蘭) Century Plant↩}

^{3.(劍蘭) Gladioulus↩}

^{4.(君子蘭) Scarlet Kafirlily↩}

^{5.(三色堇) Pansy↩}

^{6.(蝴蝶花) Fringed Iris↩}