Chapter 293: How Did She Find So Many Things for Herself to Do

Ancient led the group inside. The woman, who had been playing the pipa, looked up, her gaze immediately falling upon Yun Jiao.

Though she was the shortest of them all, Yun Jiao’s presence was the most dazzling in the crowd.

The woman’s eyes instantly lit up.

"Well now, where did this little darling come from? Aren’t you a beauty."

The woman’s voice carried the soft, melodic lilt characteristic of the Jiangnan region. Coupled with the fact that she was a singer, it was very pleasing to the ear.

Ancient had known this would happen.

This Xie San Niang was a complete sucker for a pretty face, especially lenient toward those who were good-looking.

Right now, she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from Yun Jiao. She rose, carefully set down the pipa she was holding, and walked over to stand before the girl.

"Little one, can Auntie touch your hand?"

Yun Jiao was bewildered, but she nodded nonetheless.

"You can."

Those two short words made Xie San Niang’s eyes light up again.

"Your vocal timbre is so unique. It’s perfect for singing, for opera!"

She stroked Yun Jiao’s hand again, but she was actually feeling her bone structure.

"Skin as smooth as cream, limbs as supple as if without bone, and yet with excellent resilience. Little one, what is it you came here to learn from me?"

Yun Jiao replied, "I want to learn a musical instrument. One that’s easy to carry and sounds beautiful."

"Oh my, with such wonderful natural gifts, it would be a shame to only learn an instrument! You can also learn to sing from me, or perform in operas, or dance—anything you like."

Ancient: ...

If he remembered correctly, plenty of people had come before, wanting her to teach their children. But despite her soft, gentle way of speaking, this Xie San—as she was called—had a sharp tongue and was incredibly picky.

This one’s posture is poor, that one’s voice is unpleasant, this one’s bones are too stiff, that one’s eyes lack spirit...

In any case, out of all those people, she hadn’t found a single one worthy of her notice.

And now look at her. The adults hadn’t even gotten a word in, and Xie San Niang was already eager to pass on every skill she possessed, wasn’t she?

"AHEM..."

Ancient cleared his throat. "I say, Xie San Niang, there are two other people standing right here. Have you not noticed us?"

Xie San Niang stood up. "Oh, so it’s Uncle Gu."

She glanced from Yun Jiao to Ancient, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Since when did your family have such a wonderful child? She isn’t yours, is she?"

Ancient saw the ’How could your family possibly produce such an exceptional child?’ look on her face and immediately bristled with indignation.

"What’s that supposed to mean? Why couldn’t she be one of mine?"

’Although... she really wasn’t.’

"I just brought her here to learn an instrument. What are you making such a fuss for?"

Xie San Niang looked at Yun Jiao. Such a promising talent. Now that she’d finally found one, how could she possibly let her get away?

A smile spread across her face. "Then let’s go inside and talk."

She had someone bring tea and pastries, and Yun Jiao couldn’t help stealing glances at her.

Every one of the woman’s movements exuded a gentle grace and classical beauty. It was a kind of temperament Yun Jiao had never encountered before.

The first thing one noticed about her was her aura, followed by her figure and her face.

"Little darling, what’s your name?"

"My name is Yun Jiao."

"Alright, Little Yun Jiao, you want to learn an instrument, right? Have a little something to eat, and then Auntie will take you to see them."

Yun Jiao nodded, her eyes brightening as she looked at the pink and white, flower-shaped pastries.

Not only did they look beautiful, but they also tasted delicious.

After they finished eating, Yun Jiao was taken to see the musical instruments.

Xie San Niang had cleared out a large room just for her instruments. Judging by how well-maintained they were, it was clear their owner cherished them deeply.

Yun Jiao was dazzled by the sight. After getting permission from Xie San Niang, she ran over to touch one instrument, then another.

"Each instrument has its own unique voice. Would you like to hear them?"

With Xie San Niang’s step-by-step guidance, Yun Jiao’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Then, one by one, Xie San Niang used the instruments to play different pieces of music.

For Yun Jiao, who already loved music, this was nothing short of an auditory feast.

"Now that you’ve heard the sounds of all these instruments, is there one you’d like to learn?"

Yun Jiao was conflicted; she felt like she wanted to learn all of them.

But since she lived by the sea, portability was a major factor for her family.

"That one."

Yun Jiao pointed to a vertical flute that had the texture of white jade.

A xiao would have also worked. She liked the sound of both instruments, and they were both portable enough to take anywhere.

"You don’t want to learn the others?"

Yun Jiao nodded honestly. "I do, but they’re not easy to carry."

"If they’re not easy to carry, you can just come here to learn."

"But first, I’ll teach you the vertical flute."

"Little Yun Jiao, have you ever danced before?"

Yun Jiao shook her head.

Forget dancing—she had never even seen anyone else dance.

In her past life as one of the Merfolk, their greatest skill was their singing; dancing was not part of their culture at all.

As for this life, dancing was considered a luxury. It was rare to see someone dance in daily life.

"Would you like to see? I happen to have some time today, so I could perform a dance for you."

A hint of anticipation shone in Yun Jiao’s eyes as she nodded. "I do."

"Alright. Wait here for a moment."

Xie San Niang went to change her clothes. When she returned, she was wearing a long, white dress of fine material.

In her hand, she held a round silk fan.

Xie San Niang led them to the backyard, where a stage had been specially built for dancing.

Then, with Yun Jiao, Yun Chen Nan, and Ancient sitting as her audience, Xie San Niang walked onto the stage with natural grace and began to dance.

She sang as well.

The long, flowing hem of her skirt was like a blooming flower around her. Her body was incredibly supple; from her fingers to her toes, every movement radiated beauty.

And while she danced, her singing was sweet and melodious, her breath control remarkably steady.

Yun Jiao appreciated beauty, and she loved beautiful things.

At that moment, Xie San Niang’s dance and song were deeply etched into her heart.

She watched, utterly mesmerized.

When the performance ended, Yun Jiao could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

Xie San Niang descended from the stage with a faint smile on her lips, her gait possessing an indescribable sense of lightness and grace.

This must be what they meant by the saying, "lotuses blooming with every step."

Yun Jiao looked at her, eyes shining. "Auntie, I want to learn this!"

Without Xie San Niang even needing to prompt her, Yun Jiao was already asking to learn.

Xie San Niang held the round fan to cover the lower half of her face, her alluring, almond-shaped eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Alright, I will teach you."

Ancient shook his head. "You crafty woman, Xie San Niang. You were clearly dangling a hook to lure this little one in."

Xie San Niang replied confidently, "If she didn’t like it, it would have been useless no matter how much I wanted to teach her."

And so, Yun Jiao, who had originally come just to learn a single instrument, dazedly became Xie San Niang’s student. She would be learning not only singing and various instruments, but also dancing and opera.

Even as she was leaving, Yun Jiao was still in a bit of a daze.

Xie San Niang patted her head. "Remember to come tomorrow. No slacking off."

Yun Jiao mumbled an "oh." On the way back, she began counting on her fingers all the things she had to study each day.

In the mornings, she had to memorize the various pharmacology books her master had given her. At noon, she had to learn anatomy with her Fourth Senior Brother. And in the afternoons, she would now go to her new teacher’s place for music lessons.

HISS...

’How on earth did I find so many things to do!’