Because You’re Here (1)
The sensation was crisp, the taste sweet. Chewing a few more times, Luo Pei Shan felt he even quite like it. “Where did you pick this from, is there more?” Since one liked, then just eat some more; this was common of human nature.
“Didn’t I already tell you, I stole it from a monkey?” To be at this age, yet the teeth still pretty good, similarly was hard to come by. Most importantly, grandfather and grandmother were both pretty good. Seeing them eat well, the younger generation will certainly be happy too.
“This is treating grandfather as a three year old child? With it looking this fresh, the skin not damaged in the slightest, not having any trace of the skin being scratched either, such a capable monkey, yet was this stupid, getting it stolen by a girl like you without the slightest effort? Wan Wan, don’t belittle monkeys like this, careful the monkeys later gang up on you.” Luo Pei Shan chuckled, this silly little girl wants to tease him? Too inexperienced. “Where are those two servant girls of yours?” With the servant girls and guards following along, where was there still the need for her to personally do it.
“Old master, this servant is here.” Bai Shao and Hei Mei came out from behind the shrub to the side. Held in Hei Mei’s hand was two branches, and on it precisely hung the fruit in his hand. And in Bai Shao’s hand, there was even a whole bundle wrapped up using a large leaf. It can be seen, in this short period of time, the two sisters’ harvest was very plentiful.
Because prior to going out, they already knew what kind of place they were going to, Jing Wan and them all dressed very plainly, being as efficient as possible. Even for Jing Wan, on her wrist, she also just wore a string a buddhist beads. As for the other accessories, regardless whether it was on her head, or on her body, including earrings, there wasn’t a single one of. The two sisters had climbed trees to pick fruits, but standing there, they were still pretty and beautiful. Alright, the useless one was just him, this old man, and perhaps can also include this weak and frail servant boy at his side. Even so, “With a bunch of strong and muscular grown men present, where was there still the need for delicate young girls to do this kind of thing?” He put on a stern face.
The two sisters were somewhat hesitating in silence. Can they say that they’d volunteered for the task themselves? Moreover, as servant girls, to be this unsteady, will it be considered that they won’t be able to serve miss well, and thus be kicked out? They couldn’t help feeling nervous inside.
Jing Wan rather didn’t mind, saying with a smile, “Grandfather, Bai Shao and Hei Mei came from a hunter’s household, and since childhood, have been accustomed to staying in the mountains. If not because of misfortune, right now, they perhaps would’ve still been like before.” Climbing a tree to steal bird eggs, picking fruits, breaking off branches for firewood, setting up traps all over the mountains, drawing the bow and setting the arrow to hunt prey, going into the waters to catch fish, grab crabs, those were all child’s play, and also exceptionally carefree and satisfying.
Luo Pei Shan understood. If it was because of slowly growing up, the temperament slowly settling down, then towards that kind of life in the past, when occasionally recalling, one would feel reminiscent, but for the most part, won’t produce a similar inclination anymore. But, if when one was still half-grown, and because of external factors got cut off from one’s original lifestyle, suddenly going from one environment to another environment, then perhaps towards the past, one will have attachments. On normal days, perhaps one was still steady with bearing, but once there was the opportunity, it was inevitable for one to get restless, the heart itchy and unbearable. Luo Pei Shan seeing that the girls have always never had wicked thoughts, thus just waved his hand, “There are no outsiders today, so just play as you please.” All had came from the Luo family, so even if one went crazy playing, still won’t have to worry about ruining one’s image. As for the people sent by Jin Qinwang, since they’ve entered the Luo family gates, then naturally their surname is now Luo[1]. It also didn’t matter if they go ‘inform’ their original master either. If he disdains my dear granddaughter for being crude, then just don’t marry. That’s why, Sir Luo’s complaint towards a certain person currently was still very deep.
Hei Mei revealed a look of pleasant surprise, and even Bai Shao’s gaze couldn’t help but light up either.
“Although playing is playing, still take it easy, and don’t hurt yourself.” Looking at those hands, one just knew, they’ve long been raised delicate, and can’t compare to the past.
Seeing the people by her side happy, Jing Wan’s mood also couldn’t help improving. “Come come, have the fruits all washed, everyone all have a taste.”
Bai Shao went and picked some more large leaves, washing them clean along with the fruits. This was natural spring water, so didn’t need to worry about it not being clean. Afterwards, for everyone that came out with them, each had a share. The others were still fine, but Luo Pei Shan’s servant boy was very much overwhelmed by the favor. “Grandfather, do you normally mistreat him?” Jing Wan very bluntly said with a laugh as she ate.
Even if these were all ‘their own people’, but for better or worse, they were still a bunch of men, so can’t you be a bit more reserved? He swept a glance over. At least they were perceptive, each and every one all having their heads buried eating their own thing. From beginning to end, their eyes never carelessly glanced around, let alone wantonly staring. Setting aside the original guards, their character were all pretty good, and as people sent by An Yi, they further knew the stakes, having gone through hard brain washing, very much understanding the principles of survival.
Luo Pei Shan ruthlessly glared at the servant boy at his side. Useless thing, always making him lose face. A grown man already, and no matter what, had followed him in seeing some of the aspects of society, yet in the end, still not as magnanimous and composed as the girls younger than him. Really, raised for nothing.
The servant boy couldn’t make sense of Luo Pei Shan’s glare. However, because of Jing Wan’s words, he was somewhat bashful and somewhat embarrassed.
Aside from this short episode, the atmosphere overall was warm and harmonious.
When they finished eating, they continued following along the stream.
TN: All
After obtaining Luo Pei Shan’s permission, Jing Wan although couldn’t ‘go wild’ like Bai Shao and Hei Mei, this didn’t really hinder her from being happy from playing. Moreover, she ultimately was just someone that exercised her body all year round. Towards certain skills, she still was very lacking.
From this side of the valley, suddenly seeing that there was something on the opposite cliff, they went over again. In any case, it was just going from the left cliff to the right cliff, then to the left cliff again in the valley, ending up with a pile of random things, for instance, fungus, fruits, and even some medicinal herbs. In conclusion, it seems they’ve accidentally forgotten the reason why they came here, because so far, they’ve already been in the valley for more than two hours, yet haven’t dug up a single flower sprout. Or perhaps should say, Jing Wan simply didn’t pay any attention to it.
Although today’s goal in setting out will most likely fall through, Luo Pei Shan wasn’t angry in the slightest. Compare to those, he, as expected, still liked hearing the sound of his own dear granddaughter’s carefree laugher even more, seeing her soaring spirit.
However, having the valley’s animals startled to the point of fleeing everywhere in disarray, and as the main culprit, was even standing there ‘proudly’ laughing, Luo Pei Shan wanted to facepalm. This dear granddaughter of his, he somewhat couldn’t bear looking at directly. However, recalling the things he did at her age, Sir Luo lightly coughed, calming down. What did that count as, simply just ‘little shaman meets big shaman’[2]. These things that his granddaughter played simply weren’t worth mentioning.
It was also because Jing Wan and them explored rather broadly, they actually discovered some things that others didn’t discover in the past.
[1] For servants that are slaves they usually take on the family’s surname, but not because they are part of the family, but because they’re that family’s property.
[2] Fig. to pale in comparison to someone greater
T/N: There’s a line in this chapter where the author forgot a verb in between, so the line ended up reading ‘little girl Luo Pei Shan’.
