"I'm not going!"
The moment Bai Ruxue heard that Xiao Mo wanted her to go cultivate at the Tianxuan Sect, she shot to her feet.
"Ruxue, you have a gift for cultivation. You shouldn't be boxed in by a little place like this—there's a whole wide world waiting for you."
"But I like it here!"
"Ruxue, just listen to me..."
"I won't, I won't! I'm not listening!"
The girl clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head and shook it.
"Xiao Mo! You big stink-egg!"
Bai Ruxue wiped at her tears and ran out of the courtyard.
"Ruxue..."
Xiao Mo called after her, but Bai Ruxue had already vanished into the dusk.
Sitting down on the stone bench, Xiao Mo looked at the pot of chicken soup on the table and couldn't help sighing.
As Xiao Mo saw it, there was no real use in Ruxue staying at his side forever.
If she had a master to teach her, it would do her cultivation a world of good.
And when the day came for Ruxue to transform into a dragon, she would have to walk the rivers to the sea.
Walking the rivers to the sea required someone to guard her Dao.
As one of the ten great sects under heaven, the Tianxuan Sect was certainly capable of guarding Ruxue's Dao.
"Was it me who kept her caged...?"
Xiao Mo lowered his head and drew the pendant out from his collar.
Looking at the crystalline silver-white snake scale hanging at his throat, he unconsciously tightened his fingers around it.
He stood up and walked into Bai Ruxue's room.
Bai Ruxue's room had no ornaments to speak of—just a bed, a stool, and a dressing table.
The dressing table was one Aunt Chen had no more use for a year ago and had given to Ruxue.
Humble as the room was, it was spotless.
Walking up to the dressing table, Xiao Mo saw a small stack of xuan paper stitched together with needle and thread.
He opened it and found the pages covered in dense, neat little characters.
Fourth month, first day.
Duck, two jin—seventy coppers.
Pork, three jin—sixty coppers.
Tofu, two jin—eight coppers.
Chili peppers...
Today's groceries came to two qian of silver in all.
Hmph. I'm never going to the Huang Village market again. Meat keeps getting more expensive lately.
Tomorrow I'll go up the mountain and catch a pheasant to build Xiao Mo's health back up, and save a bit of money besides.
But Xiao Mo's provincial exam is coming up, so I should buy some mutton for him too. I hear mutton is even better for the body.
Fourth month, second day.
No need to buy groceries today. What's down in the cellar will keep another two days.
Gathered some herbs on the mountain and caught two chickens. One to sell, one to stew into soup for Xiao Mo. Hee hee hee...
Only, Aunt Huang from Huang Village kept haggling me down. So annoying! I am not selling that cheap!
Fourth month, third day.
Little silkworms, hurry up and spin your silk. Once you've spun it I can weave cloth, and once the cloth's woven I can sell it for money, and then I can make clothes for Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo sets out for the prefectural city at the end of the month. I want to give him a fine new blue gown.
Other families' scholars get new clothes to wear. My Xiao Mo has to have them too!
Fourth month, fourth day.
A bunch of chives—one copper.
Rapeseed greens—two coppers.
Eggplant...
Fourth month, fifteenth day. I finished a new set of clothes for Xiao Mo. I'll bring them out for him to wear on the day he leaves—he's sure to love them.
Fourth month, twenty-fourth day.
Xiao Mo put on the clothes I made.
Mm. My needlework really is something else—Xiao Mo looks wonderful in them.
But Xiao Mo said he doesn't need clothes, and that I'd have done better making a dress for myself than a gown for him.
Honestly. I don't need new clothes—this hemp dress I've got on is plenty.
Fifth month, first day. Xiao Mo and I have come to the town. So this is the human race's prefectural city? It really is so lively. Xiao Mo went shopping with me and bought me candied hawthorn.
The candied hawthorn was delicious.
Today Xiao Mo saw a bun stall and said it reminded him of an old acquaintance. That isn't some woman, is it?
And there were brothels. What is "the business between men and women," anyway? Xiao Mo never did tell me.
But that's all right. When the time comes, Xiao Mo and I will just do the business between men and women together.
Fifth month, seventh day. Xiao Mo went into the examination hall. No Xiao Mo. So boring.
Fifth month, eighth day. No Xiao Mo. So boring. Why is there still another day?
Fifth month, ninth day. Going home, going home...
Fifth month, sixteenth day. Xiao Mo passed the provincial exam as a juren. Everyone keeps praising him. Who'd have thought Xiao Mo really is the Star of Literature descended to earth—though I still don't know what the Star of Literature is...
That county magistrate said he wanted to marry his daughter to Xiao Mo. I was very unhappy. I don't want to leave Xiao Mo. I don't want Xiao Mo to be with other girls. I don't know why I have thoughts like this.
But Xiao Mo said he won't marry the magistrate's daughter, and that tomorrow he'll go into town to refuse the magistrate. I'm very happy.
Still, I have to work hard and make myself better than every girl under heaven.
That way Xiao Mo won't be able to bear parting with me, and he won't marry any other girl.
Xiao Mo closed Bai Ruxue's diary—which read like a ledger of accounts—and looked at the pillow on the bed.
"Xiao Mo, you can scold me, you can hit me, but you can't send me away.
If one day you truly can't stand me anymore, just put this snake scale under my pillow.
The next day I'll pretend I know nothing at all and slip away in secret."
Ruxue's words from that day echoed again and again through Xiao Mo's mind.
"Big stink-egg! Big meanie!"
"I'm not talking to you for two whole days!"
"Stinky Xiao Mo!"
"Mean Xiao Mo!"
On a rock halfway up Sheshan, Bai Ruxue picked up one pebble after another from beside her and flung them off into the distance.
"I never want to see you again!"
"Ever... one month... seven days! Never mind... three days, then..."
"Big stink-egg!" Bai Ruxue stood up and shouted down the mountain. "I don't want to see you for three days! Go starve!"
When the shouting was done, Bai Ruxue sat back down, wrapped both arms tightly around herself, and buried her head between her knees.
"So then, I suppose it'd be better if I came to find you in three days?"
Not ten breaths had passed since the girl finished shouting.
Xiao Mo walked out of the darkness and came toward Bai Ruxue, one step at a time.
At the sound of Xiao Mo's voice, Bai Ruxue's slender body gave a little shudder; she scrambled to her feet and made to run into the woods.
"Stop running." Xiao Mo caught her soft white wrist in time. "If you keep running, I really won't be able to find you."
"I don't want you to find me anyway." Bai Ruxue stuck out her little pout and scrubbed at the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"But without you, who'd cook for me?" Xiao Mo smiled. "You don't want to watch me go hungry, do you?"
"Hmph..." Bai Ruxue huffed, ducked her little head, and muttered, "Starve to death, you big stink-egg..."
Xiao Mo smiled, took her by her tender white shoulders, and turned her around to face him. His fingers brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Don't be angry. I'm really not sending you away."
"Really?"
"Really." Xiao Mo nodded. "But Ruxue, do you truly not want to go to the Tianxuan Sect?"
Bai Ruxue raised her tear-misted eyes. "If I go, will you come with me?"
Xiao Mo shook his head. "That would be hard, I'm afraid. I'm nothing but a scholar—I've no talent for cultivation."
"Then I'm not going!" Bai Ruxue sniffled.
"Ruxue, cultivating at the Tianxuan Sect is what countless people dream of. Becoming an immortal is terribly hard, and you, Ruxue—you have the chance."
"But Xiao Mo, so what?"
Bai Ruxue's peach-blossom eyes rested on Xiao Mo.
"If I became an immortal and didn't have you, what would it mean?
A path of immortality without you isn't the road I want to walk."