Part 1 - The Double / Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 006 Monkey

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Salesman Zhang looked at Jiang Li in a daze.

He knew these two little girls from a few years ago. He heard that they were girls from a wealthy family who made mistakes and were sent to this nunnery. Just looking at the way they were dressed, it was hard to believe that they came from a wealthy family. The maid was more lively, but the young lady got angry easily. It was the reason Mr. Zhang left in a hurry every time he finished selling something. Seeing Jiang Li talking to him so kindly.

When she spoke like this, her gentle and soft appearance really made her look like a lady from a wealthy family, but she was just a young lady from the first assistant's family. This was too exaggerated.

Although he had doubts, Salesman Zhang still had to rush to the other end. He thought Jiang Li was joking and would not really use all the money to buy cakes. After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see how the master and servant lived here. It can be seen that they are by no means rich. It is okay for an ordinary wealthy family to buy cakes with forty strings of copper coins, but it is not very reasonable for two children who cannot wear warm clothes.

"If you buy so many cakes, they’ll be spoiled if you don't finish them all." Mr. Zhang couldn't help but remind her.

"It's okay," Jiang Li said, "I can finish eating."

Having said this, Mr. Zhang didn't say anything more. The copper plate was someone else's. Jiang Li bought almost half of the cakes in his load. He could go down the mountain and go home as soon as possible. It was not too late to be happy. What's there to worry about?

Tong'er, on the other hand, although puzzled by Jiang Li's words, had probably never disobeyed Jiang Li's orders, so she could only suppress her anxiety. When she returned with a large drawer of cakes, the passing nun in grey clothes looked at her from time to time. She and Tong'er were afraid that they would come to snatch it, so she hugged the cake tighter.

After returning to the noisy room, Tong'er put the basket of cakes on the table, closed the door, and finally couldn't help but ask: "Why did the girl buy so much...this?"

Jiang Li didn't look at her. She opened the window. The window faced the rolling hills of Qingcheng Mountain. The beautiful peaks were undulating. The snow in winter had long melted. The peach blossoms all over the mountains and plains dyed the normally solemn peaks with a layer of pink clouds. Like a gentle and stunning beauty.

"Look." She pointed in the distance for Tong'er to see.

Tong'er took a closer look and saw a palm-sized curly-tailed monkey squatting on a peach tree in the distance, holding a fruit and gnawing happily.

"It's a monkey." Tong'er was puzzled, "What can a monkey see?"

There are many monkeys on Qingcheng Mountain, and they are also naughty usually. The monkeys here get along well with people, especially at the Helin Temple. Because there is an endless stream of pilgrims coming and going every day, sometimes when they see these monkeys squatting and playing in the trees, they will also throw some peanut candies or other foods. In winter, when food is scarce, monkeys beg for food from pilgrims more frequently. In spring and summer, when there is no shortage of food, the monkeys do not disturb the pilgrims and just have their own fun.

However, because the nunnery is deserted, monkeys rarely come here - there is always no fun in a place where you can't get food.

"Go get some cakes." Jiang Li said.

Tong'er followed the instructions and went to get some pieces of walnut cake.

Jiang Li broke the walnut cake into small pieces and waved it to the monkey on the tree from a distance. Perhaps the cakes from Zhang Seller's house were really sweet. The aroma of walnuts quickly attracted the curly-tailed monkey. It rushed to the window and stared at the walnut cake in Jiang Li's hand warily, eager to try it but not daring to step forward.

Jiang Li stretched her hand forward again, and the monkey finally couldn't resist the temptation of walnut cake. It stretched out its paw to touch a piece and turned around and ran behind a stone on the side with its back to Jiang Li. After eating the cake, it turned around to look at her again, seeing Jiang Li still standing in front of the window with a smile on her face, holding some broken cakes in her hand, became more courageous, and turned back to find Jiang Li to get something to eat.

After going back and forth, after the monkey finished touching the food in Jiang Li's hand, Jiang Li clapped her hands at the bold capuchin monkey to indicate that she had nothing left. The monkey looked at Jiang Li's palm reluctantly for a while, then left with its tail raised.

Tong'er, who had witnessed all the process, asked: "Girl, do you want to feed the monkey? Why do you want to feed it with cakes? It is better to use wild fruits picked from the mountains. This cake is precious and not cost-effective."

Not to mention the personal maid of the First Assistant's family, even Jiang Li or Xue Fang Fei’s personal maid who was around when they were girls in Tongxiang, would feel sorry for a few cakes. If others saw this scene, she doesn't know how many people would be affected. Sad. Jiang Li reached out and touched Tong'er's head and said with a smile: "But monkeys like delicious food more than wild fruits."

Tong'er wanted to say something else, but Jiang Li turned around and walked to the table to sit down. There was only one stool in the room, and Tong'er made it by herself from the wood she picked up from outside. The legs of the stool were unstable. Jiang Li said, "Tong'er, from tomorrow onwards, you can use these cakes to feed the monkeys."

Tong'er's eyes widened: "Girl, why is this? I don't understand."

People don’t have enough to eat but they still have to take care of monkeys? What's the point?

"I want these monkeys to do something for me," Jiang Li smiled. "Just think of these cakes as money for traveling."

"But……"

"It's just a few cakes," Jiang Li interrupted her, "When you go back, let the small kitchen make them for you every day. Don't worry about these."

Tong'er was silent. When she talked about returning to Yanjing, Jiang Li was probably feeling more sad than she was. Tong'er didn't dare to say anything that would make Jiang Li sad.

"These cakes," Jiang Li stretched out her hand and knocked on the basket. The aroma of cakes was everywhere in the room. The master and servant could only eat porridge and pickles every day. The aroma had already aroused their hunger. Jiang Li suppressed the hunger in her belly and said: "Divide these cakes into fifteen parts and feed the monkeys one portion every day until the nineteenth day. On the nineteenth day, there will be no need to feed them."

Tong'er was puzzled, but still responded: "I'll spare it then."

"It's half an hour away from Helin Temple," Jiang Li said, "I can't go out of the nunnery gate every day, so you have to go. Every day when you go out at Hai hour, you take these cakes and feed them to the monkeys in the forest behind Helin Temple at midnight, keep feeding until the 19th, you don’t have to go on the night of the 19th.”

She wondered if Master Jing'an got instructions from others. Jiang Li could not leave the door of the nunnery. She could only stay in the nunnery every day, and her every move was watched by others. Tong'er, on the other hand, can move around because she has to go to the mountains to chop firewood during the day. Tong'er has stayed in the mountains for six years and is very familiar with the roads in Qingcheng Mountain, so she won't get lost.

In Qingcheng Mountain, there are often noble ladies who come to offer incense. To ensure safety, there are no bandits in the mountain, so it is very safe. Otherwise, Jiang Li will be worried if Tong'er goes out at night.

After listening to Jiang Li's instructions, Tong'er suddenly asked: "Are you doing this to prepare for returning to Yanjing?"

Jiang Li looked at her and smiled: "Are you scared?"

When Tong'er heard this, instead of being afraid, she changed into a look of eagerness to try. The little girl was very courageous, and for some reason she was willing to do it. She geared up and said, "Don't be afraid! I have wanted to do this for a long time!" "

"Very good." Jiang Li nodded, "Let's start from tonight."

　　─────Digression─────

​Have you ever thought that Ah Li is a warm girl╭(╯^╰)╮

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