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There was a younger brother with an outstanding appearance, and Xie Xuan had secretly imagined what Jinse looked like. Although dragons have nine offspring, each different, they are still siblings born of the same mother and should share some similarities. So, Jinse, even if not a stunning beauty, should at least be a lovely and graceful girl. However, the girl in the green dress before him seemed rather ordinary at first glance; her features were even less delicate than his own.
Jinse's skin was somewhat dark, yet her eyes were light-colored, hinting at some foreign ancestry. However, in the prosperous Golden Tang Dynasty, Xie Xuan had seen many beautiful foreign women, including one in his household—a Persian beauty who was skilled in singing and dancing. Unfortunately, she had caught the eye of his elder brother and became a concubine.
It seemed that Jinse could see through Xie Xuan's thoughts as she smiled slightly and said, "Younger brother Jin Yu resembles Mother more, while I take after Father more. Looking at your appearance, you must resemble your mother more, right?"
"Yes! There's a saying in my hometown: sons take after their mothers while daughters take after their fathers. Though this saying is a bit crude, it can sometimes be true."
"Appearance is given by our parents; whether beautiful or ugly, it's just a skin covering. After a hundred years, we will all turn to bones. At that time, will we really dig up the bones to compare who has the bones of an ugly person and who has the bones of a beauty?" Jinse said, her eyes sparkling with light and her lips curved in a smile that made her look even more attractive.
"Your perspective is indeed unique. It’s true that no matter how beautiful one is in life, after a hundred years, we are all just bones," Xie Xuan replied. At this moment, Jinse had walked up to him. With the dim candlelight in the room, he began to carefully examine her features.
Upon closer inspection, he suddenly felt that this darker-skinned Jinse was even more beautiful than Jin Yu by several degrees. Jin Yu's beauty was immediately apparent, but Jinse was different; her beauty was like an emerald hidden deep within the mountains—only when one got close could it be discovered.
Although Jinse's skin was dark, it radiated a glow from within—her features were as exquisite as those of Jin Yu; there were no flaws at all. Her light-colored irises possessed an enchanting charm that captivated anyone who looked at her.
Xie Xuan had seen many fair-skinned beauties; while they might not be stunning enough to topple nations, they were certainly captivating enough to charm cities. However, he had never encountered someone like Jinse—dark-skinned yet exceptionally delicate in features. Thus, he couldn't help but steal another glance at her.
Jinse smiled even more brightly; her eyes seemed to hold stars as she looked at Xie Xuan and softly asked, "Have you suddenly realized that I actually look quite good?"
"I apologize for my rudeness!" Xie Xuan replied shyly, his face turning red as he lowered his head.
At that moment, Jin Yu entered the room. She carried a wooden tray with several dishes and a jug of wine on it. The wine jug was also made of wood; although it wasn't finely crafted, it possessed a rare primitive and rugged beauty.
The dishes on the tray were unfamiliar to Xie Xuan; although they tasted somewhat bitter, they had their own unique flavor.
"In these wild lands, we can only serve guests with these local ingredients. However, these were personally gathered by my sister. Though they are wild vegetables, they are nourishing for the body; it's quite good for you to eat some occasionally," Jin Yu said as she pointed to a dish in the center: "This is Hair Vegetable. Although it looks frightening when raw, it is delicious and has a lasting aftertaste with high nutritional value. The most precious thing is that it can grow in desert and semi-desert areas and is known as Gobi Treasure.
According to records from the Han Dynasty, Su Wu ate this dish while shepherding among the Xiongnu. Hair Vegetable is not only crisp and tender but also has effects such as phlegm reduction, heat-clearing detoxification, promoting digestion and lung health."
"I have heard of Hair Vegetable before but have never seen it in person or had the courage to try it. Now that I hear you speak so highly of it, I can't wait to try it," Xie Xuan said as he picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. The taste was indeed as delicious as Jin Yu had described.
"This Hair Vegetable dish, does it have vinegar in it? The aftertaste is quite tangy."
"Yes, it does have vinegar! This Jin Yu's dish of mixed seaweed is made using the Western Qin method, first soaked in boiling water and then mixed with our homemade Ginger Vinegar, which is why it has this flavor." Jin Yu added, recommending another dish to Xie Xuan: "This dish is called Vegetarian Mu Shu, made with the commonly found Mushroom Greens. It is particularly suitable for scholars as it has brain-boosting properties."
Xie Xuan glanced at Jinse and asked Jin Yu, "Is there a dish that can improve eyesight? You see my eyes; they are usually fine, but ever since I came to the mountains, my vision has worsened significantly. Even your sister, such a beautiful woman, looks ordinary to me now."
"Smooth talker!" Jinse remarked, casting a sidelong glance at Xie Xuan.
Jin Yu smiled in response and pointed to a nearby dish: "This is Earth Ear Stir-Fried Shredded Meat. The Medical Book mentions that Earth Ear has a sweet taste, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic; it can improve eyesight and boost energy. If taken internally or applied externally, it can clear heat and brighten the eyes, lower blood pressure, nourish the liver and kidneys, enhance vitality, and treat various ailments such as internal heat, burns, red eyes, and night blindness. It has a fragrant taste and unique texture, and this dish is also one of my sister's favorites."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tasted it carefully; indeed, the flavor was unique.
"Jinse's preferences are truly different."
"Are all the guests from outside the mountains as eloquent as you?" Jinse rested her chin on her hand with a smile in her eyes and pushed the plate of Earth Ear Stir-Fried Shredded Meat closer to Xie Xuan: "Since you like it so much, eat more."
"I recognize this Earth Ear; however, this shredded meat doesn't seem like ordinary pork or beef."
"In the wilderness, most of the meat consumed comes from animals found in the mountains. As long as you find it palatable, don't worry about what kind of meat it is," Jin Yu said while lifting a bowl of porridge in front of her and slurping it down.
Xie Xuan initially wanted to grab some meat but felt hesitant after hearing Jin Yu's words.
Jinse laughed softly beside them and added, "Jin Yu is just trying to scare you; this is Wild Boar Meat. Although it's wild, its flavor is much better than domesticated ones. There are hunters in the mountains who often catch wild boars to sell at the market; they earn far more Silver Coins than from selling domestic pigs. Also, Jin Yu wasn't entirely truthful earlier; I love this Earth Ear in the Earth Ear Stir-Fried Shredded Meat; it's actually the shredded meat that's good. If you don't eat now, it'll all end up in her stomach later."
"You're really biased against your own brother," Jin Yu said quickly grabbing some shredded meat and stuffing it into her mouth. "You should eat quickly; my sister was right—if you don’t eat now, it'll all go into my stomach later. This Wild Boar Meat is hard to hunt; my sister and I can only catch one every month just to taste."
The more Jin Yu insisted like this, the more Xie Xuan felt embarrassed to pick up his chopsticks; he only chose some wild vegetables to pair with rice and ended up eating two large bowls.
After finishing their meal and leaning outside the house to enjoy the mountain scenery, although everything in sight was various shades of black, their different moods made it seem quite interesting. Jinse had somehow found a bone flute and began to play softly. Xie Xuan understood business well and was knowledgeable about poetry and songs but knew nothing about music. However, when Jinse played that bone flute, he couldn't help but feel entranced.
The melodious sound of the flute drifted into his ears, then followed the path of his hearing, directly penetrating his heart. At times it was enchanting and beautiful, at other times it was heart-wrenching and sorrowful. Xie Xuan's emotions fluctuated with the music, bringing to mind many past events. Just as he became completely lost in this timeless state, the sound suddenly stopped. He turned back in confusion, only to see Jin Se quietly holding the flute, gazing at him. Her cheeks were slightly damp; when she wiped them with her hand, she realized it was her own tears.
"Young master seems to have recalled something sorrowful," she said.
"In a lifetime, there are always a few indescribable sad memories. I am nearly twenty this year; if seventy is rare, I suppose I have lived quite a while, so sadness is inevitable, and reminiscing is unavoidable. But what about you, Miss? Why does your flute sound so sorrowful?"
"As you say, Jin Se also has her own sorrows," Jin Se replied, tucking the bone flute into her sleeve. "It’s getting late; you should rest early. Tomorrow morning, I will guide you down the mountain."
Xie Xuan opened his mouth as if to say something more, but Jin Se had already turned and walked towards the side room.
He stood in front of the room for a moment in silence before turning away. The moonlight finally broke through the clouds and fell into the courtyard among the trees. Jin Yu, who had originally been standing behind him, was now facing him directly. Seeing the slight surprise in Xie Xuan's eyes, he smiled gently. "Your guest room is ready; it’s rather simple, but please make do for one night. By the way, my sister did not mean to ignore you; it’s just that the bone flute is a relic left by our parents. She must have just remembered them and felt sad."
"Have your parents passed away?" Xie Xuan asked, knowing the answer but unable to help himself.
Jin Yu did not seem offended; he simply nodded lightly. "Father and mother were originally hunters in this mountain. Although life was humble, we were quite happy together. However, as my sister grew up, rumors in the village increased. They said my sister looked nothing like our parents and that my mother was originally a mountain spirit; thus, any children born to them must be monsters. Left with no choice, my parents took my sister and me—still an infant at that time—and moved away from the village to live in this mountain.
Though we moved away from home, those villagers would not let us be. When drought struck the village, they came to curse us; when it rained for days on end, they cursed us again; during years of famine, they surrounded our home for nights on end cursing us—yet when harvests were good, they claimed it was because we had been driven out of the village that they received such blessings.
In this way, my parents and I lived with my sister under constant harassment from those villagers for seven or eight years. That year, a plague broke out in the village and many people died. They once again besieged our home and forced my parents to hand over my sister as a living sacrifice to the Mountain Deity. My parents refused, so they set fire to our house. Father and mother were burned alive." At this point, Jin Yu suddenly raised her face and asked Xie Xuan: "Thinking back, it seems I haven't been down the mountain for a long time. My sister says it's dangerous down there and won't let me go. May I ask you, young master, what year is it now?"
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