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墨書 Inktalez
Turtle peeked at Xing Ruyi, retracting its head back into its shell. After a while, it slowly poked its head out again.
"If I tell you, can you save my life?"
Turtle's eyes darted around.
"No matter how foolish my past actions were, I am now facing retribution. Since you are a kind-hearted person, you surely cannot just stand by and watch me be stripped of my shell, right?"
"You only did something foolish?"
Xing Ruyi was not familiar with the rules of the upper realm, but she understood the rules between the mortal world and the underworld. If someone with magical abilities in the mortal realm wanted to punish Turtle, then the mistakes it made could not simply be summarized as foolishness. As for the underworld, she knew well the temperament of the King of Hell. To be punished as Turtle, and to be stripped of its shell at that, it must have committed some truly wicked deeds.
However, Xing Ruyi could not voice these thoughts; she wanted to hear what kind of "foolish" things Turtle had done to end up in such a predicament. If the story was interesting, she could share it with the fox later; if not, she would treat it as a way to pass the time.
Thinking of the fox made Xing Ruyi a bit restless. She pointed at Turtle, signaling it to wait, then walked to the center of the marketplace to look around.
Considering her and the fox's personal abilities, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack for her to find the fox, while it would be relatively easier for the fox to find her. Just as she was pondering how to leave a message for the fox, she saw Ling'er coming out from a nearby shop. A spark of inspiration hit her at that moment.
"Madam, Ling'er couldn't find Uncle Wang. Should I look elsewhere? The door at Uncle Wang's house is open; he can't have gone far."
"No need. Uncle Wang is at home and has just agreed to lend me this Turtle for a moment. You see, my sister is new here and accidentally got separated from her husband. Being unfamiliar with this place, she doesn't know where to search and is afraid of getting lost in the process. Could you help my sister? Please check if there's a handsome man in white clothing at this Fish Market."
"A handsome man?" Ling'er frowned. "What does 'handsome' even mean?"
"Well..." Xing Ruyi looked at Ling'er with some difficulty.
She had many words in her mind to describe the fox and could even recite elaborate passages about it, but looking into Ling'er's pure and innocent eyes made her hesitate. No matter how she calculated it, there seemed to be some suspicion of self-promotion like Mother Wang selling melons.
"This is the Fish Market, right? Ling'er, think about it: who from this area would wear white clothing here? As for what 'handsome' means, my sister isn't sure how to explain it to you. In any case, if you see my sister's husband, you'll know it's him."
“Ling'er understands.” Ling'er widened her eyes in realization: “Sister looks just like the person in the painting. If Sister is praised for being beautiful, then Brother-in-law must also resemble the person in the painting.”
Xing Ruyi smiled a little shyly. She crouched down to meet Ling'er's gaze: “Does Sister really look like the person in the painting?”
“Mm!” Ling'er nodded: “Here, every once in a while, a few strangers come by holding a Portrait, asking if we have seen the woman in that painting. Out of curiosity, I secretly took a glance, and the sister in the painting looks exactly like Madam. It's just... just that her hairstyle and clothes are a bit different.”
“Oh, there’s such a thing.”
Xing Ruyi smiled and suddenly thought of the Portrait that Yunxi had given her years ago. The woman in the Portrait looked exactly like her, but that person was not her; it was the reigning Empress, Wu Shi Mei Niang.
In the Reincarnation Wheel, the Empress had given up on seizing her Yuan Shen and body, but Moxuyou was unwilling. Although time had passed, there was no guarantee that the Empress wouldn't change her mind or that Moxuyou wouldn't want to use her for something again. Feeling a slight stir in her heart, she asked Ling'er: “Is there still a Portrait here?”
Ling'er shook her head: “No! Those people each hold a copy of the Portrait. My mother used to be an Embroiderer; her Portrait was not of an ordinary person but was embroidered with fine Silk Thread on extremely precious silk. Such skills and craftsmanship could only be found in the Embroidered Workshop of Divine Capital. My mother said that the girl in that painting must have an extraordinary background; even if she isn't a noble lady or princess, she must be someone of significant status.”
“Oh!” Xing Ruyi lightly exclaimed, secretly keeping this matter in mind.
She was familiar with the Embroidered Workshop; perhaps she could secretly return to Divine Capital with Fox to inquire about whether those Portraits had any connection to her. As for Ling'er, she didn't want her to think too much about it, so she gently pinched her cheek and said: “Then Sister is even less likely to be the person from that Portrait. Sister is just an ordinary Woman, and our family is at most well-off.”
Ling'er nodded, “Then Ling'er will help Madam find someone!”
“Ling'er, wait a moment.”
“Does Madam have other instructions?”
Ling'er stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Xing Ruyi seriously.
“There are no other instructions; it's just that if you help Sister find someone, Sister should at least show some appreciation, right?” Xing Ruyi said as she took off a silver pouch from herself: “This contains some loose Silver; you can take it back. If your brother wants to eat Osmanthus Cake, you can take him to buy some.”
"This Ling'er cannot be accepted!" Ling'er shook her head, saying, "My mother taught me that one should not take without giving something in return. Besides, the lady has already given Ling'er Osmanthus Cake, so Ling'er has no reason to ask her for anything else."
Seeing Ling'er's stance, Xing Ruyi felt it inappropriate to insist. Ling'er was a good child, and she feared that her actions might lead this good child astray. After thinking for a moment, she said to Ling'er: "You can refuse these Silver, but there is one thing that Ling'er must promise me, and you cannot decline it, okay?"
"If I don't know what the lady is referring to, then Ling'er cannot agree in advance."
"Don't worry, it's something you can take."
With that, Xing Ruyi turned back into the shop and asked Uncle Wang for some paper and a pen. She quickly wrote down some things and handed them to Ling'er.
"What is this?"
Ling'er shook the paper in her hand. She had not yet started school and had never learned to read from anyone; she couldn't understand a single word on the rough paper.
"Look at me, I almost forgot." Xing Ruyi suddenly remembered that people like Ling'er's parents, who lived by fishing, probably hadn't learned many characters either. The fish recipes she had kindly written down might be burned as firewood by Ling'er's parents without a second thought. She regretted tapping her forehead and said to Ling'er: "Just wait a moment; I'll revise what's on here."
When she came out again, Xing Ruyi had an additional piece of yellow coarse paper in her hand, which was used for wrapping items. She had simply sketched some patterns on it with a pen. These patterns were vivid and lifelike, and Ling'er understood them at once.
"Lady, this is—"
"Ling'er, you’re so clever! You understand it now, don’t you?" Xing Ruyi patted Ling'er's head: "These are all methods for preparing fish. Remember before we came to Uncle Wang's house? You told me that Uncle Wang is a smart person; he can find ways to sell both live and dead fish. But doing business requires quick thinking and eloquence; not everyone can learn that skill. Your parents probably aren't very good at it, right?"
Ling'er nodded: "That's right, my father is honest; even if Uncle Wang taught him step by step, he wouldn't learn it. My mother could manage it, but she considers my father's feelings and doesn't want to take the lead herself. Moreover, not everyone at this Fish Market is as kind-hearted as you are; my father worries that my mother might be taken advantage of, so he doesn't want her to shout out prices. I want to help, but my parents won't allow it; I'm just anxious but have no way to change things."
"Ling'er, you're already doing great!" Xing Ruyi gently patted her shoulder: "Keep this paper safe and give it to your mother when you get home. It contains various methods for preparing fish, especially those related to selling fish. You see, there isn't just one way to do business; fishing and selling fish aren't permanent jobs either. If storms come along, you'll just be stuck at home waiting helplessly.
"Instead of passively waiting for food to be handed out, it's better to actively seek ways to provide for yourselves. Let your parents engage in some business related to fish products. People live by food; since you're at a Fish Market, your father can catch fish himself while your mother is clever and understands the world well. I believe your future days will get better."
“Thank you, Madam!”
“No need to thank me; you should thank yourself. If you hadn’t stopped me on the street and asked for Osmanthus Cake; if you hadn’t kindly guided me; if you hadn’t immediately agreed to help me find my husband and refused the Silver Coins I offered without a second thought, I wouldn’t have thought to draw these designs. So, this fate is destined, but the opportunity is earned by oneself. Hurry back now; you’ve been out for quite a while, and your mother must be worried at home.”
“Then I’ll go home first, give this to my mother, and then tell her that I’ll follow her to help find the Madam’s Husband.”
“Then it’s hard work for you, Ling'er!”
“Madam—” Ling'er’s face turned red awkwardly, then she turned and ran off tightly clutching the two pieces of paper.
Xing Ruyi turned back to Turtle and poked at his shell, asking, “Mr. Turtle, have you thought it over? Do you want to tell me those stories of yours?”
“I’m not Mr. Turtle, and my last name isn’t Turtle!” Turtle grumbled as he poked his head out and added gloomily, “My last name is Wu, and my name is Wu Youde.”
“No virtue?”
“Wu Youde! It’s Wu Youde!”
Turtle’s head popped out from his shell all of a sudden.
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