Chapter 167: Song
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The overall tone of the melody was quite somber as if it were narrating the countless sorrows of the world, accompanied by a wistful sigh.
Ye Ling was captivated by the music, and she found herself leaning against the wall, her eyes slowly closing.
This unknown composition resonated deeply with Ye Ling. She felt that it encapsulated the sorrows and hardships she had carried in her heart from her previous life.
As Ye Ling was lost in the music, the melody suddenly came to an end.
Subsequently, the erhu emitted a few sporadic notes, as if the musician was attempting something new.
Ye Ling realized that the erhu melody was a creation of the player, and it remained unfinished. The musician seemed to have encountered a challenge and was uncertain about how to proceed.
Observing a large tree in the courtyard on the other side of the wall, Ye Ling saw the luxuriant leaves extending beyond the wall into her courtyard.
She was struck with an idea and, standing on her tiptoes, plucked a leaf. She touched the green leaf and placed it near her mouth.
Then, she produced a series of consecutive notes using the leaf as an instrument. Playing music with leaves was a skill her grandfather had taught her.
After a short passage, Ye Ling stopped.
She had been deeply moved by the erhu composition of the person on the other side of the wall. The music had touched her deeply, and by continuing where it had left off, she felt that she had expressed some of the emotions she had long suppressed. Her soul felt considerably lighter.
On the opposite side of the wall, a man wearing a silk shirt stood frozen after hearing the sudden tune.
He then listened intently to the melody played by the mysterious person. To his astonishment, the harmony with which the other person had picked up the melody from where he had left off was truly remarkable. The creative block he had faced had been effortlessly overcome by someone else.
The man was overjoyed. After the music ceased, he hesitated for a minute before gathering the courage to say, “Thank you for your guidance. May we meet and have a conversation?”
The man could discern that the person on the other side of the wall was using leaves to play, and her skill was quite proficient. In light of this, he held a great deal of admiration and believed that the other person must be a highly skilled musician.
Given his infrequent outings, he was unaware of the tenant to whom his grandpa had rented the house.
The person on the other side of the wall appeared to be a recent tenant, and he had always assumed that the house was unoccupied.
After the man posed his question, he waited with anticipation for a response from the person on the other side of the wall. However, after a substantial amount of time had passed, there was no sound from the other side.
Had she left? The man felt a twinge of disappointment. Subsequently, he touched the erhu and promptly played the melody once more to ensure that he wouldn’t forget it.
After his performance, the man raised his gaze and looked at the lush tree. The sun’s rays filtering through the leaves illuminated his deep, beautiful eyes.
Ye Ling locked the door and was about to leave when she nearly collided with a woman.
The woman held a porcelain bowl in her hands and, upon seeing Ye Ling, nervously said, “Mr. Ling, this is freshly cooked mushroom soup. Would you like to try it?”
Ye Ling was taken aback. Had the mushroom soup been prepared so quickly?
Presumably, after Master Bai had distributed the mushrooms to the other tenants, they had eagerly cooked and tasted them. Thinking these mushrooms were provided by her, they had brought a bowl of mushroom soup to share with her.
Ye Ling hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept the bowl of mushroom soup.
The woman looked at Ye Ling with a mix of surprise and nervousness. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ye Ling had finished the mushroom soup.
Ye Ling handed the empty bowl back to the woman. The woman happily said, “This white mushroom soup is delicious. If you add some live prawns and tender tofu to cook together, it would be even better.”
Ye Ling didn’t know how to respond to this enthusiastic lady, so she simply nodded and gestured toward the courtyard entrance to signal her departure.
The woman quickly made way for her.
After leaving the town, Ye Ling didn’t head directly to the educated youth dormitory in Stone Village. Instead, she first visited Willow Village.
As she arrived at the entrance of the Wan family’s home, Ye Ling gazed at the familiar door, feeling a tinge of nostalgia.
She had been away for several days, and yet, coming back today, it still felt like returning home.
Ye Ling walked up to the door and noticed that it was unlocked, so she gently pushed it open..