Chapter 006: Dream Memories

A gentle voice sounded in her ear, and she suddenly burst into tears, clinging to Chu Niang's neck, sobbing: "They, they said, I am a wild child... that I was abandoned by others, and you picked me up..."

Chu Niang looked at him and slowly said: "You know, I will never abandon her"

It was only then that she realized her eyes were damp, as if she had been crying in her dreams, yet she still smiled and said, "It was just some memories from my childhood."

That night, she slept very uneasily

The several little boys were all taken aback, Tianyin Tower? This little girl lives in Tianyin Tower?

"Hey," a voice came from behind, "why are you crying here?"

With tears in her eyes, she fell into a confused sleep, her mind wandering into a chaotic dream...

Someone is knocking at the door, and a young lady outside softly says: "Sister Chu, Lord Wang, the Minister of the Grand Secretariat, has arrived..."

Once when she went out, she saw an old man by the roadside selling candied hawthorn. Each piece of candied hawthorn was crystal clear, shimmering with a myriad of colors under the sunlight. She stood there, momentarily entranced, and by the time she came to her senses, her sister who had brought her out had already disappeared.

Luo'er, how did you come here all by yourself? You made it so difficult for me to find you. What would I say to Sister Chu if something happened to you?

Just like that, it was lost

Chu Mu Lian gently stroked her hair before calling Shuyun from outside the door to assist An Keluo with dressing and washing up, while she herself went downstairs first

She always finds it strange when she hears this, wondering why everyone knows who she is without even asking her name

She also smiled at Chu Mu Lian, but suddenly remembered the lost jade, her hand reaching up to her collar, feeling a wave of sadness in her heart

Repeatedly thinking about her jade, the piece that she has worn since childhood, which is said to be the only thing her parents left for her

Chu Mu Lian looked at her and said, "I have heard from Shu Yun. You need not worry; I have already sent someone to the Xiang residence to see if we can make some arrangements. We will search near the Yan Hall; perhaps we will find something."

She nodded and said, "I will get up and tidy up right away, and I will go downstairs to accompany Miss Chu shortly."

The Tianyin Tower is a teaching establishment under the Ministry of Revenue of the Celestial Empire. Who would dare to provoke trouble here on ordinary days? At most, it would be someone getting a bit drunk and causing a scene. Moreover, the Tianyin Tower is usually closed for business during the day; how could anyone possibly come to cause a disturbance at this time

Just after finishing my grooming, I heard a commotion coming from downstairs, as if men were shouting loudly, accompanied by the sounds of tables and chairs clashing

She twitched her small nose, her two watery eyes looking at Chu Niang, and softly said: "Chu Niang, will there be a day when you no longer want me? Please don't not want me, okay?"

She turned her head and saw a few slightly older boys, all dressed in fine silk robes. She recognized only the one at the front, whom she often saw running back and forth at the silk shop opposite Tianyin Tower. She had heard her sisters mention that he was the young master of the silk shop.

The eldest son of the silk shop chuckled and said to the other boys, "So it's her. I've heard my father mention her at home. She was picked up from Tianyin Tower, an orphan without parents. My father said, don't be fooled by her seemingly pitiful appearance now; in the future, she will end up just like those women from Tianyin Tower, engaging in the business of singing and entertaining!" After saying this, he cast a glance at her with a hint of disdain.

The little one watched as Chu Niang's body suddenly went limp, kneeling on the ground, hurriedly using her small hands to support her, anxiously asking: "Chu Niang, Chu Niang, what happened to you?"

I live in the Tianyin Building..." she replied timidly

Anke Luo hurriedly stood up, opened the door, and walked out onto the staircase corridor, looking down—several tables and chairs were overturned on the ground, and Chu Mu Lian stood in the hall, her face obscured, only her shoulders could be seen trembling slightly. A group of tall and strong men, dressed in the dark silk armor commonly worn by the martial generals of the Celestial Empire, stood arrogantly in the hall. One of them was shouting loudly: "What do you mean come back at night! We are heading back to the camp in the afternoon, where is the time to come back at night! I and my brothers here demand your best girls to come and sing for us right now!" A group of tall and strong men, dressed in the dark silk armor commonly worn by the martial generals of the Celestial Empire, stood arrogantly in the hall. One of them was shouting loudly: "What do you mean come back at night! We are heading back to the camp in the afternoon, where is the time to come back at night! I and my brothers here demand your best girls to come and sing for us right now!"

Chu Mu Lian smiled and said, "Why are you still thinking about those matters"

Chu Niang nodded slightly, pulled her closer, and said: "Then what I mentioned to you earlier..."

The face of Lady Chu flushed with two patches of red, and she said, "That matter... I already agreed to it long ago, but is the lady of the house willing?"

She opened her eyes, blinked, and before her stood a stunningly beautiful middle-aged woman. "Chu Niang..." she called out softly.

Chu Mu Lian smiled gently, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, and softly wiped away the tear stains at the corner of her eyes, saying: "Luo Er had another nightmare?"

Upon hearing these words, her small face froze in place, forgetting even to cry. A wild child? ... She was actually picked up by Lady Chu ... ... Lady Chu said that her parents had entrusted her to someone at Tianyin Tower because they were going far away for business, but all these words were originally lies to her ... ...

She has visited every shop on Zhenan Street. At first, the people in the stores would always sigh, "Whose daughter is this, so beautifully made!"

Ankeluo nodded and said, "Guailuoer is careless. Originally, Qinqin had already reminded me to change the silk thread, but I just happened to forget. I also didn't expect that the jade had been worn for sixteen years and would actually be lost last night..."

When she was young, she often asked her mother to braid her hair, change into a beautiful little brocade dress, and have the other sisters from Tianyin Tower take her out to the street.

The other boys, upon hearing this, began to mock her one after another, until her sister, who had brought her out, rushed over, out of breath, and scolded all those boys away

Chu Niang was momentarily taken aback, then took her small hand and placed it on the jade pendant hanging from her neck, saying: "Luo'er is not a child of unknown parentage. Look at this beautiful jade; it was left to you by your father and mother. They had their own unspoken difficulties, which is why they could not stay by your side. But they must have loved Luo'er very much, and no matter where they are now, they will always remember Luo'er in their hearts"

I... I can no longer find my way back" she said with tears in her eyes

Chu Niang's words made her stop crying, her little mouth gently curved upwards, and her small hands tightly clung to Chu Niang, murmuring: "Chu Niang, you are truly good to Luo Er"

The sisters who brought her would always shield her behind them, then lower their voices to say: "She is the one brought back by Sister Chu..." Before they could finish speaking, a look of understanding would often appear on the questioner's face, repeatedly saying: "I see, I see"

The lines on the man's face softened slightly as he spoke gently, "Rest assured, once you enter, no one will dare to bully you."

The man glanced at her beside Chu Niang, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "I just finished court, changed my clothes at home, and came over. I wanted to ask you, have you thought about the matter I discussed with you a few days ago?"

She could not say anything, her mind was filled with the words of those boys from earlier, and she did not even know how she had been brought back to the Tianyin Building

The man looked at her, his expression becoming serious again. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Mu Lian, do you really have to make things difficult for me? How could those few in my household possibly allow you to bring her through the door..."

In a state between half-dreaming and half-awake, An Keluo felt his hand being gently held by someone, soft and warm, a long-lost sense of reassurance enveloping him.

Someone spoke up, saying: "This little girl is quite adorable and lovable." This immediately provoked a burst of laughter.

Her small face was covered with tears and mucus. Chu Niang gently wiped her while softly asking, "Luo'er, what exactly happened today? Can you tell Chu Niang, please?"

Someone asked again: "Where do you live, do you still remember?"

The little girl suddenly panicked, her small legs running quickly, crossing one street after another, yet she still could not find that older sister. With a tear welling in her eye, she felt extremely wronged and sat down on the stone pavement in the street.

Lady Chu smiled gently, her fingers brushing over the little head, and said: "Rest assured, Lady Chu will never abandon Luo'er. With such intelligence and beauty, who would be willing to part with you? When Luo'er grows a little older, Lady Chu will invite the best teachers to educate Luo'er, and will make the most beautiful clothes for her, allowing Luo'er to become the envy of every young lady in the capital."

The man furrowed his brows, his lips moving as if in thought. After a long while, he sighed and said, "It seems you wish to stay in this Tianyin Tower for a lifetime." After speaking, he cast a deep glance at Chu Niang and turned to push the door open and leave

Chu Mu Lian smiled and said, "Do not be too sad. Although things have been lost, there will always be a day when they can be found again. A new theater troupe is rehearsing in the east of the city today; would you accompany me to listen to it?"

Then the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man dressed in a brown robe walked in. Upon seeing him, Chu Niang's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as she said, "What brings you here today?"