In the Wo Long Temple in the mountains, it was the time in the evening when the skies were getting dark and a light drizzle fell. The rain came with a chill wind, thus Gu Yu closed the window before saying to Shen Miao, "Xiǎojiě must be cautious and not catch a cold."
Jing Zhe wrapped Shen Miao with a cloak and spoke worriedly, "The mountain roads are not easy to walk. If the rain falls for the entire night, not sure if one could leave after tomorrow morning prayers. One may need to stay one more day else the road would be muddy."
"One more day to rest then one will rest one more day." Gu Yu smiled, "The scenery of this place is very good and the environment is also quiet and secluded. It is still better than…" She swallowed the rest of the words back to her stomach as she wanted to say that it was better when compared to those snakes in Shen Residence.
Shen Miao sat at the table moving the chess pieces. The current her now loves to play chess but unfortunately, the few girls by her side did not know how to play, she had to play by herself. Occasionally, Gu Yu and Jing Zhe would feel strange when their Young Lady played by herself, as there would be times when she portrayed some odd expressions which would make one's heart cold.
The doors were pushed open and Gui Māmā came in with smiles on her face. In her hands, carried some food, she smiled while saying, "Xiǎojiě, this is the vegetarian cuisine of the temple. Even though it is vegetarian, Wu Long Temple's cuisine is rather good. This old servant specially requested for a bowl of crystal Osmanthus broth. Dà xiǎojiě and Èr xiǎojiě had already tried it and said that it was good."
"Oh. Place it there." Shen Miao said plainly.
"It would be best that Xiǎojiě eat it while it is still hot. It would not be delicious if it cools down." Gui Māmā warmly brought the bowl over to hand it over to Shen Miao.
"Why is Māmā anxious?" Jing Zhe took the porcelain bowl smoothly from Gui Māmā and smiled, "Xiǎojiě had said to place it down. Just now she felt some discomfort and would take it after a while."
Gui Māmā felt annoyed in her heart but when she saw Shen Miao being indifferent to Jing Zhe's words, she could only clench her teeth. Previously, Shen Miao would always treat Gui Māmā's words as the most important and if Gui Māmā had some dispute with the maids, she would definitely punish the maids first. She did not know from when onwards Jing Zhe, Gu Yu and those two girls were appreciated by Shen Miao.
Just as she was contemplating, she heard Shen Miao suddenly said, "Māmā has already accompanied me for fourteen years."
Gui Māmā's heart jumped a beat as she looked at Shen Miao. Just at the same time, Shen Miao also looked over. A pair of clear eyes that had a childlike innocence which also put Gui Māmā in a trance.
Without one noticing, that baby that was crying piteously for food had become a little girl and grew up to a gracefully slim young female in front of her. Gui Māmā's heart sighed, in the beginning when Shen Xin and his wife left for the battlefield, they requested her to take good care of Shen Miao and in a blink of an eye, fourteen years had passed.
"Māmā all the while is close to me." Shen Miao said softly, "One remembered there was a time where I was running a fever and it was raining outside like it is now. The physician that the residence invited did not arrive for a long time, so Māmā got worried and ran out to search for one. In the end, Māmā slipped and broke your head but still instead to search for another physician to come over."
Gui Māmā was surprised and her expressions could not help but soften down, "Xiǎojiě still remembers these things."
"Naturally one would remember. Māmā has been with me for more than a decade and even Fùqīn and Mǔqīn would not have accompanied me more than Māmā. I see Māmā as a loved one."
"This old servant doesn't deserve the fortune of Xiǎojiě." Gui M��mā lamented in her heart. She did not expect that at this moment Shen Miao, who had been treated her coldly, would suddenly be so intimate. A wave of feelings rose in her heart after all one was not like this from the beginning. In the beginning, Shen Xin and his wife made her be Shen Miao's Māmā, her son had yet to take a wife and she did not have any grandchildren so she treated Shen Miao as her own granddaughter. There was also a period where she treated her with real feelings, but… Every man for oneself else heaven and earth would destroy one. Shen Miao was after all not her real granddaughter and if the Second Household delivers its promise, when the matter was successful, her son's entire family would be able to reap the benefits.
The money came from danger, moreover, Shen Miao would not be able to bring her anything. Gui Māmā's expression changed a number of times but at the end, she smiled and said, "Xiǎojiě, the weather is cold and the night is dark, it would be good to rest after having one's meal. When it's time to rest, light the incense and have a good night sleep then it would be good to pray for Lǎoyé and Fūrén early tomorrow morning."
"Many thanks for Māmā's concern." Shen Miao also smiled but her smile seemed to contain some unknown things. She said, "Māmā withdraw first, I will have the meal myself."
Gui Māmā would like to stay awhile more but seeing Shen Miao putting on a look of chasing her out, she could only withdraw. When she exited the room, she did not walk far and moved to the window so that she would be able to listen to the movements inside.
After a moment in the room, Gu Yu's voice sounded, "Xiǎojiě, the dishes are getting cold."
"Set the table then."
Afterwards, there were sounds of chopsticks clinking, seemingly someone had sat down on the table to eat. Jing Zhe asked, "Does Xiǎojiě find that this Osmanthus broth good?"
"Not bad." Shen Miao voice rang out, "It's to one's taste."
"Then do eat more." Gu Yu said with a smile.
After listening for a while, Shen Miao seemed to have finished and the sounds of the cutlery being cleared sounded before Gu Yu walked out, carrying the food basket. One could only hear Jing Zhe said, "Xiǎojiě still want to read a while?"
"Feeling somewhat tired; will read for a moment more. Go and light the incense." Shen Miao's voice was rather wan.
Gui Māmā straightened up her body and gave a big sigh of relief before looking back at the window again. She walked out of the courtyard and only when she exited the courtyard, she then could not help but mumble, "Xiǎojiě must not blame this old servant for being vicious, Èr Fūrén wants to deal with you and no one can stop it."
When Gui Māmā left, she did not see a male figure appearing behind her. He saw the back view of Gui Māmā leaving and a somewhat furious expression appeared on his face.
In the room, Jing Zhe looked at Shen Miao worriedly, "Xiǎojiě, Gui Māmā had already gone out. This servant still does not understand what exactly Xiǎojiě wants to do?"
She did not know why but Jing Zhe's heart felt somewhat uneasy as if in this deep and quiet mountain, something would happen. She asked, "Xiǎojiě acted the show to deceive Gui Māmā just now, was it because Gui Māmā is up to a scheme?" And the words that Shen Miao said in an amicable manner to Gui Māmā made Jing Zhe nervous, she fears that Shen Miao would be like before where she would listen to Gui Māmā words.
Shen Miao looked at the flouncing flame of the candlewick. The small sparks that the flame formed had a crackling sound, which was a sharp contrast compared to the rhythm of the rain outside.
Pretending to eat and pretending to light the incense, were just temporary measures. As for the reason to say such words to Gui Māmā, it was not because her heart was soft.
In the road of revenge, no one could turn around. It did not mean that if there was kindness in the past, there would be a reason to why mistakes could be made in the future. The wicked were never worthy of any mercy and the winners would always speak the last words to the losers before their heads fell.
She closed her eyes lightly.
"Xiǎojiě, what can be done now?" Seeing Shen Miao not answering her, Jing Zhe can only change the question.
"Wait."
"Waiting for what?"
The eyelashes of the young female slightly fluttered as her lips slightly hooked up.
"Wait for the night beneath the raven moon when it is time to kill and rob."