The Little Lucky Girl

"Your place is quite different from the capital."

There were people selling all kinds of things on the street, and they were all very casual. Some seemed to just pull a bunch of onions or pick a few fruits from their backyards and put them on the ground without shouting.

The stall owner is cheerful, as if it doesn’t matter whether he can sell anything or not. He just comes to the street to stay and selling things is just a by-product.

The two of them walked slower and slower. At first, it was Aunt Luo who led Ming Youyou, but gradually, it was Ming Youyou who dragged her forward.

"Look, there is a caravan of merchants from the Western Regions coming up ahead. They look very interesting."

Aunt Luo smiled. Every year the palace would hold a grand banquet to entertain foreign envoys, and she had come into contact with many of these foreigners.

But seeing that the child was determined to let her "see the world", she followed him.

The wait was over, but I still enjoyed watching it.

It wasn't that these people looked any different from the ones she had seen before, but the envoys who entered the palace were always respectful;

And now this group of people, speaking in poor Dayu dialect, not only bargained with the stall owner, but sometimes when they got too excited, they even swore in strange tones, making her laugh out loud along with the onlookers.

After walking around for a long time, they all felt a little hungry.

Seeing that Aunt Luo's eyes were always on some rare things, Ming Youyou thought that she might also want to eat something rare, so she said: "I'll take you to eat something special that people in the capital have never heard of."

Aunt Luo also became interested, so she was led by her, through one alley after another, and came to another small market. She immediately smelled a overbearing fragrance coming towards her.

Ming Youyou took a deep breath, his eyes brightened, "Hurry up, new stock has arrived, if you go too late it will be gone."

After saying that, she took advantage of her small size and slipped into the crowd. After a while, she came out again, holding a small bag wrapped in leaves in her hand.

She opened the leaves and held them in front of Aunt Luo, "Try it, it's fragrant and delicious."

Aunt Luo picked one up and took a look at it, then suddenly threw it back in a hurry. Her face changed drastically and she asked, "Is this a bug?"

"Yes, it's a bamboo worm. It grows inside the bamboo and is delicious."

"Are you afraid of it?" She scratched her head and pulled out a plump little thing from the leaves. "Why don't you try this? Does it look like a peeled shrimp? In fact, it tastes better than shrimp."

Seeing that the child was swallowing his saliva but was still waiting for her to take the first bite, Aunt Luo took it and put it in her mouth.

“How is it? It tastes good, right?” Ming Youyou also fed herself one and squinted her eyes happily. “When I take a bite, juice splashes out.”

Aunt Luo nodded. She knew that this must be some kind of insect, so she forced herself not to think too much about it and just focus on the smell.

A passerby walked by and saw the leaves in Ming Youyou's hand. He said enviously: "You got both the bamboo worm and the bee pupa. You are so lucky."

Aunt Luo's face changed. She clutched her clothes tightly with both hands and pursed her lips.

Ming Youyou looked a little scared and whispered, "If you feel uncomfortable, just spit it out."

Seeing that Aunt Luo just shook her head and couldn't say anything, she thought for a moment and said, "Wait for me, I'll go get some water."

She ran out of the alley quickly, and came back after a while, handing her a bamboo tube panting, and with her other hand she took out a small paper bag from her sleeve pocket, which contained a few black plums.

Aunt Luo drank the water and recovered. She looked at Ming Youyou's sweaty forehead and returned the bamboo tube to her. "You should drink some too. Be careful of heatstroke."

Ming Youyou pushed it back, "I'm not thirsty yet, you should drink it all. In fact, a lot of food just looks weird. For example, when I first saw crabs, I was also shocked, but after eating them, I found that they were delicious."

"But if you really don't like it, don't force yourself. Eating should be a happy thing."

Aunt Luo nodded, "I know, maybe I'm used to it."

She recalled: "When I was a little palace maid, I also served the nobles. The nobles were kind and would give us leftovers. No matter what the food was like or whether we had any dietary restrictions, we would eat it with gratitude..."

Ming Youyou opened his mouth wide, "Giving leftovers to people is considered a reward?"

Aunt Luo smiled and said, "There is someone in charge of picking up the dishes, and the remaining dishes have not been touched."

She said, "I was very patient back then. I could even eat a lot of coriander without changing my expression. Unfortunately, I have been a female official for a few years and can cook for myself. But my stomach has become pampered."

Ming Youyou frowned and thought for a while, "I don't think your stomach has become delicate, but it is free. Now that you are free, you should stop making things difficult for yourself."

Aunt Luo looked at her steadily for a while, "With your temper, I'm afraid you won't survive more than half a year in the palace." Seeing Ming Youyou's eyes widened, she smiled again, "But I think you're right."

On the way back, Aunt Luo walked very slowly. She no longer paid attention to the items on the stalls. Instead, her eyes swept across the faces of the stall owners and customers. Listening to their lively bargaining, her face softened unconsciously.

When they returned to the county government office, Aunt Luo let Ming Youyou go out and play, and went straight to find County Magistrate Tao.

When Magistrate Tao saw Aunt Luo coming in, he immediately stood up, asked her to sit down, and personally poured her a cup of tea, "What have you considered?"

Aunt Luo bowed slightly and said, "Please take good care of me in the future."

Magistrate Tao was delighted. "Don't worry, we will treat you in the same way as the highest standard in the capital."

Aunt Luo smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I can still do some work now. If you build an embroidery workshop, I will be paid as a manager. When I can no longer hold a needle and thread, the money I have saved over the years should be enough to buy a small farm for my retirement. When the time comes, I will ask you to take care of me and give me a place to stay."

Magistrate Tao understood that Aunt Luo was unwilling to be completely dependent and chose to cooperate instead.

That means that from now on, she will be responsible for her own food, clothing and daily expenses, and the burden will be much heavier. But at the same time, she will also be free.

People in the palace are dominated by others all their lives, and most of them are used to it. After they come out, they are willing to follow the original path. It is rare for people like Aunt Luo to be alone and dare to choose to be independent again.

Master Tao showed even more respect and nodded in agreement, saying, "You can stay in the guest house forever. Once you close the small door, it will become an independent courtyard. You can do whatever you want. When the embroidery workshop is built, I will have someone reserve a small courtyard for you. You can live wherever you want."

"It's just that I may have to work in Yuqing County for a few more years," he said with an apologetic smile, "This place is not as prosperous as the capital, so I can only ask Aunt to follow us and suffer."

Aunt Luo lowered her head and said, "You are joking, my Lord. No matter how prosperous the capital is, it may not have anything to do with me. Although this place is small, it makes people feel truly at ease."