Chapter 27: The First Encounter at the Market
Wang Yiping, this time I must protect Shi Yun and not let her be defiled by your beast of a brother. I want to see how you would send Yan Hong to me?
But that wicked servant, I would find a way to get her to be on my side.
Wang Yiping, I would let you experience what it means to have your own means used against you. I would definitely let you experience the wonderful taste of being betrayed by one of your own people.
After thinking about all that she did to Shi Yun, Zi You felt guilty.
Looking at her own servant girls pointing to the street stalls, the handmade clay-people figures, concentric knots, kites, paper cut-outs, embroidery, and masks, she couldn't help but softly said, "You guys take a look. Whatever you like, I will buy for you."
The four girls heard, gratefully looked at Zi You, and embarrassedly shook their heads.
Indeed, since their Xiaojie [Young Lady, Miss] recovered from her illness, she was very good to them. Not to mention the food or jewelry she bestowed on them, she also taught them to read and learn martial arts. She was amiable and never lost her temper.
The really liked this kind of Xiaojie. Although the old Xiaojie would reward them, her eyes when she looked at them held a scornful contempt.
But now Xiaojie treated them like relatives. Her warm and soft eyes seemed to be able to see straight into their hearts.
Seeing someone kneading flour dough figures, the four girls and Zi You went over.
The person making dough figures was a nearly sixty-year-old man, dressed in shabby clothes, sitting in front of ragged bamboo baskets.
Picking up some flour dough, he rubbed and knead and used a small bamboo knife to cut and carve a body, face, hands, hair and clothing. Instantly, an artistic lifelike figure was completed.
Zi You looked at the old man's thin and helpless hands and her eyes dimmed. She asked softly, "This elder, can you make figures of us five?"
What a beautiful voice! It was like an Oriole singing. The old man looked up in amazement and was stunned when he saw Zi You.
The little girl in front of him had eyes like two deep purple crystals in clear waters. They were clear and bright. The corner of her eyes lightly swept upwards.
She was wearing a pale blue dress, with a noble temperament. Her skin was white like snow, similar to a lotus breaking through the surface of water: beautiful.
The old man didn't speak. He put down the work in his hand and picked up new dough. He started kneading and pretty soon a dough figure resembling Zi You was created.
Zi You found it strange. She was wearing a hat, with only her eyes revealed. A veil covered the rest of her face below the eyes. This old man could depict her cold and noble temperament so closely. Even her high tiny nose and petal-like lips were very similar.
Zi You was amazed. Commoners were really hidden tigers, crouching dragons. A humble craftsman was actually a master of sculpture.
Zi You couldn't bear to put it down and hadn't yet spoken in admiration before someone snatched the dough figure away. "This dough figure, Ye [Lord] wants. How much money?"
The voice resembled a duck's voice, due to the man changing his voice.
This man knew martial arts and he was a better martial artist than herself. Zi You immediately realized these two points. Because this person's movements were fast as lightning, as soon as she realized someone came over, the dough figure in her hand was already snatched away. She didn't have any time to react.
No wonder Grandfather was not reassured to let her go out by herself. Before exchanging moves, she already lost the first opportunity. Indeed, in the world there were people better than oneself. Knowledge was endless, as was martial arts. It seemed she still needed to work hard!