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墨書 Inktalez
The Li siblings did not receive the new and exciting items sent by Hanno, but they did get a letter from their elder brother.
Their elder brother was alive; he was safe and had become an official. In a few months, he would be able to return home to see them. The two siblings were overwhelmed with joy, embracing each other and crying tears of happiness. Wen Zixia's three brothers did not try to stop them, allowing them to cry freely. However, the Wen Family Brothers felt a bittersweet pang in their hearts. If their father had not died, would he also have been able to return home in glory like Brother Li and the other villagers?
Indeed, news of not only Elder Brother Li but also other villagers who had been conscripted came back. The reactions of those who received news about their sons, husbands, or brothers mirrored that of the Li siblings. The air above Aoyama Village was filled with a mix of joyous and sorrowful cries.
Eventually, everyone managed to stop crying, and smiles of happiness replaced their tears: their sons, brothers, and husbands were not only alive but had also become officials. Although they held minor positions, they were still officials. From now on, they would be considered people of status. This must be a blessing from their ancestors; first, they were given Celestial Seeds to escape hunger, and now they were blessed with the safety of their children in such dangerous places as battlefields. After all, battlefields were the most perilous; hadn’t many from other villages left only to never return? Yet nearly everyone from Aoyama Village returned safely—wasn’t that a sign of ancestral protection? Elder Brother Li thought to himself: This is my achievement; how could it be taken away by "ancestors"?
The village chief gathered everyone in the village to discuss how to express gratitude to their ancestors. Everyone voiced their agreement loudly and generously contributed money so that the chief could purchase offerings and ritual items for the ceremony. They agreed on a date for the worship ceremony. While everyone was excited, Wen Zixia felt downcast; other families had returned loved ones while theirs would never see theirs again. Li Zhoule sensed Wen Zixia's emotions and gently held his hand. Feeling the warmth of his palm brought comfort to Wen Zixia, who responded with a faint smile at his fiancée.
Preparing for the ancestral worship involved many tasks; even with everyone working together, it could not be done in just one or two days. The chief and the village elders set the date for half a month later during the summer festival. This festival was also known as Aunt Festival, June Sixth, Homecoming Festival, or Bug King Festival. It primarily involved activities like storing water, drying clothes and scriptures, women visiting their parental homes, bathing livestock and themselves, and praying for good weather.
Li Zhoule held Wen Zixia's hand as they returned home while Li Yishu accompanied Wen Ziyu under her sister's hint to help take care of her emotions. As for Wen Zixue, he had already run off to play with other children from the village.
"Let’s go see if Sister Han has sent anything over," Li Yishu said as she pulled Wen Ziyu into the storage room. Inside, both were stunned by the crystal-clear music box before them. Its beautiful design far surpassed that of plastic bottles or lighters; the only thing that could compare was a hairpin adorned with rhinestones—though unfortunately, boys often lacked appreciation for such things.
"Sister! Brother Wen! Come quickly!" Li Yishu shouted.
"Did Sister Han send something over?" Li Zhoule and Wen Zixia walked out of the storage room hand in hand.
Wen Ziyu pointed at a Porcelain Jar. "Elder Brother! Zhou Le! Look!"
The two were equally mesmerized by the music box's design.
"It's so beautiful!" Li Zhoule exclaimed as she couldn't help but step forward to lift the music box out. Wen Zixia snapped back to reality when she moved and followed her over to pick up the note beneath the box.
"This thing is called a music box," Wen Zixia said, looking at Hanno's hand. "A music box is a device that produces sound and plays music through mechanisms. There is a switch at the bottom of the box; once opened, it can play music. Additionally, Sister Han has provided six batteries. Once the batteries in the music box run out, it will no longer produce sound and will need new batteries installed."
Li Yishu and Wen Ziyu paid no mind to the batteries. The two of them crowded around Li Zhoule, with Li Yishu snatching the music box from his hands. She flipped it over and turned on the power switch. Immediately, glass bubbles began to spin, and the Jellyfish changed colors in a dazzling display of light. The sight alone left the four of them in awe, not to mention the beautiful music that accompanied it. The music box played "City of the Sky" on the piano, its exquisite melody and enchanting notes resonating deeply within their hearts.
When the music stopped, the four remained lost in a dreamlike state for quite some time. Finally, Wen Zixia let out a long sigh. "Truly a treasure crafted by celestial beings. Just this piece alone is beyond what mortals possess."
Li Yishu remarked, "This melody should only be heard above; how rare it is to hear such beauty in our world! I feel incredibly lucky to experience this."
Wen Ziyu added, "It's a pity we can't listen to it often; it must be presented to the Emperor."
Wen Zixia advised, "Ziyu, do not harbor any covetous thoughts. Even if such a treasure were in our possession, we could not keep it safe."
Wen Ziyu obediently replied, "Elder Brother, rest assured; I understand."
Li Zhoule suggested, "We should hurry and deliver the music box to Sun Shopkeeper."
Wen Zixia agreed, "Alright, we'll head to the county town first thing in the morning."
Li Zhoule said, "I won't go; you and Li Yishu can go while I stay home with Zi Jue and wait for you."
Wen Zixia asked, "Is there anything else you want us to buy?"
Li Zhoule thought for a moment and replied, "Let's get a piece of meat and some bones."
"Great! We can eat meat again!" Li Yishu cheered.
Li Zhoule gave his head a light tap. "Didn’t we just have meat a couple of days ago? You’re so greedy; don’t you worry about what others might think?"
Li Yishu pouted, "There are no outsiders here."
Wen Ziyu chimed in, teasing Li Yishu, "Even though I'm not an outsider, I have to say, Li Yishu, you looked pretty silly just now."
Li Yishu huffed, "If you’re not embarrassed, then don’t eat the meat."
Wen Ziyu made a face. "Sister Zhoule made the meat; why shouldn’t I eat it? We can't let it go to waste."
Li Yishu stuck out his tongue in response. "You just want to eat it more than I do."
Wen Zixia turned to Li Zhoule and said, "Let them bicker; we should head out."
Li Zhoule smiled as she held the music box and left the storage room with Wen Zixia. As soon as they exited, Li Zhoule hurried back to her room to find a piece of satin for Hanno's embroidery and carefully wrapped the music box before handing it to Wen Zixia.
Wen Zixia didn’t take it. "Just keep it by your side for now; I’ll come back for it first thing in the morning."
Li Zhoule placed the music box back down.
"I'm going home to study," Wen Zixia said after Li Zhoule came out again and announced her departure.
"Do you still need to study now?" Li Zhoule asked. The light was dimming as evening approached, making it unsuitable for reading.
Wen Ziyu and Li Yishu emerged from the storage room, bickering with each other. Upon hearing Li Zhoule's question, Wen Ziyu replied, "Big Brother studies until the early hours of the morning every night. He's really putting in the effort."
Li Zhoule's expression changed upon hearing this. "Why go to such lengths?"
Wen Zixia sighed lightly. "For this Scientific Expedition, I must pass the exam to be worthy of you."
Li Zhoule understood; it was the change in her brother's status that put immense pressure on Wen Zixia. She walked over to Wen Zixia, took his hand, and said softly, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Believe in yourself. I believe in you too."
Wen Zixia gazed into Li Zhoule's eyes, feeling a sudden sense of calm wash over him. "I was being too anxious. Don't worry, I've come to terms with it now."
Li Zhoule smiled, radiant like a spring flower. "Then don't go back. You and Li Yishu can chat for a while; I'll go make dinner. Let's eat at my place tonight."
"Okay." Wen Zixia readily agreed.
Li Zhoule had a good temperament, and her cooking was better than usual. Although there was no meat, she stir-fried a plate of eggs and made golden, fragrant pickled vegetable pancakes with flour, which filled the four boys' stomachs to the brim.
The next morning, Wen Zixia took Wen Ziyu and Li Yishu to the county town. When Sun Shopkeeper saw the music box, his shock was palpable. As he listened to the music emanating from it and saw the shimmering colors inside, he trembled all over.
"A priceless treasure!" Sun Shopkeeper stammered. "This is a rare gem in the world; I don't even know how to price it."
Wen Zixia remained calm—mainly because he had already been stunned yesterday. "Just give me your best offer," he said.
It was a gift from the divine, after all. They hadn't invested any of their own resources into it, so to them, it felt like a windfall.
Sun Shopkeeper suppressed his excitement and pondered for a moment before saying, "Such a treasure is worth more than any amount of money, and my authority only allows me to access funds below twenty thousand taels of silver. Therefore, I will first provide you with banknotes worth twenty thousand taels. After I show this item to my young master, we can discuss how he will compensate you further. How does that sound?"
Wen Zixia nodded in agreement, "Let's proceed as Sun Shopkeeper suggested."
However, out of Sun Shopkeeper's sight, Wen Zixia clenched his fists, his palms slick with cold sweat. Twenty thousand taels of silver—what an enormous sum! Yet, for such an exquisite and novel music box to be priced at only twenty thousand taels seemed quite low.
After leaving Wei An Pawnshop, the three of them wandered aimlessly down the street for a long time. It was only when Li Yishu seemed to awaken from a dream that he asked Wen Zixia, "Brother Wen, I wasn't dreaming, was I?"
"Smack!" Wen Ziyu slapped the back of Li Yishu's hand, causing him to wince in pain as he shouted at Wen Ziyu, "Why did you hit me?"
Wen Ziyu asked, "Does it hurt?"
Li Yishu replied, "Of course it does."
Wen Ziyu continued, "Then do you still think you're dreaming?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yishu's mouth dropped open in realization. Wow, he wasn't dreaming at all!
There would be another update in the afternoon.
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