Miao Chu

Chapter 373 Thoughts
The key was reinserted into the lock, and with a gentle push, Song Miao heard a soft "click" as the lock opened.

Upon opening it, there was yet another box inside.

The box is made of some unknown material; it resembles silver, but is brighter and has a very hard texture.

Shen Xingniang turned it over and over to look at it, and said in surprise, "This is strange, how do I open it? I don't think I've ever seen this before when I was packing my things."

Song Miao looked at it and said, "If we follow my grandmother's advice, we should press it open from the middle."

As she spoke, she reached out her hand, and sure enough, with a little force, the box popped open.

The box was lined with another layer of tanned leather, wrapped very carefully, and only after the leather was opened did the contents inside become visible.

There was a stack of books and a copper box.

There were large boxes inside smaller boxes, and the innermost box was only the size of a palm. This time it was unlocked. When the lid was opened, there was a tiny golden lotus inside.

The golden lotus is crafted to a lifelike degree, depicting an unopened bud. The veins on the lotus petals and the textures on the leaves are clearly visible, as if made of pure gold. The color and luster appear completely different from different angles.

It was absolutely dazzling and radiant.

Shen Xingniang picked up the box, brought it closer to examine it, and couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"

Looking at the golden lotus, Song Miao felt her heart stop beating, her nose stung, and her eyes burned.

She asked slowly, "Miss Xing... do you know where this golden lotus came from?"

Shen Xingniang thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I've never heard of it or seen it before. I suppose my master kept it somewhere before he passed away. I don't know where it was found this time. I'll send a letter back to ask. But that house has been empty for a long time, and no one goes in there usually. The old man from before is long gone."

After she finished speaking, she handed the box containing Jinlian to Song Miao and then went to look at the books.

The books were not rare or unique editions, nor did they contain anything special. One book was titled "Children's Riddles," and another was titled "Gleanings from Lantern Riddles," but they were just common riddle books found in bookstores.

Shen Xingniang wasn't interested in either riddles or word puzzles, so she casually put the book back. Just as she was about to speak, she saw that Song Miao wasn't looking at the golden lotus, but staring at the books in the box, seemingly lost in thought.

She couldn't help but ask, "Do these books, and this golden lotus, have any connection to your family, madam?"

After asking the question, Shen Xingniang pushed the entire large box towards Song Miao without waiting for her reply, saying, "I have no use for this thing, so I might as well give it to you, my lady. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't even be able to open it."

Song Miao then came to her senses, calmed herself down for a few moments, and pointed at the golden lotus, saying, "I can't accept it—it's made of pure gold, the material is fine, but the craftsmanship is extremely rare."

"Look."

As she spoke, she picked up the golden lotus, turned it over, and pressed a spot on its back. With a "whoosh," the bud burst open, revealing the lotus seedpod and stamens inside. On one of the stamens, there was even a tiny bee. The bee's markings were faintly visible, and even its stinger was clearly visible.

Layer upon layer of petals—it turns out this is a double-petaled lotus, seemingly radiating a soft purple glow, simply breathtaking.

Shen Xingniang was stunned once again.

But after looking at it, she quickly put Jinlian back in the box and said, "I've seen it! But I still want to give it to you. My wife has told me several times that she doesn't like to hear me talk about how I saved her life, so I won't mention it again—just accept it, or you'll be disrespectful to me!"

She had been squatting on the ground, but at this point, she suddenly pursed her lips, tilted her head back slightly, and said, "Even without any favors, I still like to spend time with you, my lady. The last time I asked Second Madam Cheng, and she said there's a garden in the west of the city with some beautiful chrysanthemums in bloom. I wanted to invite you there, but I was afraid you'd be too busy..."

Song Miao was taken aback.

It turns out that the reason why Cheng Erniang suddenly mentioned the chrysanthemums in the garden in the west of the city and said that Song Miao could accompany Shen Xingniang was because of this.

She thought for a moment and then carefully inquired about Shen Xingniang's age and birth date.

The other party answered. Seeing that Shen Xingniang's birthday was in two months, Song Miao said, "This box does indeed have a deep connection with my family. I'll swallow my pride and accept your kindness, and I'll reciprocate with something nice in the future—Does Xingniang have any favorite flowers?"

Seeing that she was willing to accept it, Shen Xingniang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Even her slightly hunched shoulders relaxed, and she said with a smile, "Every time I want to send something to you, madam, I have to use my wits and courage. It's even harder than doing chores or making money!"

Song Miao laughed too. The slight bitterness that had arisen in her heart was instantly washed away by the words of the person in front of her.

She said softly, "Because Xingniang always gives me very nice, expensive, and thoughtful gifts. When I accept them, I feel uneasy and can't help but feel anxious."

He added, "Will Xingniang refuse my return gift later?"

Shen Xingniang chuckled, her eyes half-closed, like a cat stealing fish from its master's bowl.

She said, "I'm not as thin-skinned as my wife—I'd accept anything, even shops or carriages!"

But after saying this, seeing Song Miao looking thoughtful, she was startled and hurriedly added, "You're not really going to give me a shop and a carriage, are you? I was just boasting; if you really want to give them away, I wouldn't dare accept them!"

Song Miao couldn't help but laugh.

Shen Xingniang pointed to the golden lotus and asked curiously, "Is this an ornament for display?"

Song Miao shook her head and said, "It's not an ornament, it's a golden platform for the Rain Chain."

She explained the function of the rain chain to the other party, and then pointed to the eaves, saying, "If there is a window, hang it outside the window directly opposite. When you open the window and look out, even if it is not raining, the petals are very thin, and when the wind blows, they will tinkle, which is quite interesting."

Shen Xingniang shook her head and said, "I originally said that even if it's just an ornament, it's really not appropriate to put it there. Let alone putting pure gold on the table or cabinet outside, I wouldn't dare to put silver or ordinary copper coins there either—otherwise, what if it gets stolen by a thief?"

"Now it's going to be hung under the eaves..."

She looked somewhat disapproving, glanced down at the golden lotus again, but quickly noticed something unusual. Pointing to the lotus pod, she asked, "Is there...is there writing on it?"

Of course there are.

Song Miao hesitated for only a moment before saying frankly, "It might be... my name."

He continued, “My family was once quite wealthy. My grandmother had already decided on the names of her grandchildren. She asked two close friends for help. One of them was surnamed Shen, and the other was surnamed Yang. The one surnamed Yang was a weaver who was good at kesi (silk tapestry) – she helped to make the Rain Chain Golden Platform, which was originally intended as a birthday gift for the younger generation when they turned eighteen. If this is really my birthday gift, then perhaps, besides the character ‘妙’ (wonderful), there is also the character ‘十八’ (eighteen) hidden in the petals of this golden lotus.”

Upon hearing Song Miao's words, Shen Xingniang immediately touched the golden lotus petals. Sure enough, she quickly raised her head, held up the golden lotus to show Song Miao a spot, and said, "It's hidden so well—there really is an 'eighteen'!"

As she spoke, her tone became somewhat excited, and she said, "Then... your family and my master must have a great relationship and a deep connection—doesn't that mean we also have a destiny-bound connection?"

“This golden lotus originally belonged to you. I brought it to you because you saved me—wouldn’t you say we are extremely destined for each other?”

"of course."

Song Miao lowered her head, looked at the book "Riddles and Gazetteers" placed next to the box, and then glanced at the golden lotus.

very nice.

There was something left for her to remember the past by.

　It's almost the end of the month! If any of you have extra monthly tickets and don't have any other favorite stories right now, could you please cast one for our Xiaomiao? Thank you so much!
　　Thank you for all the monthly tickets, Xiaoxiang tickets, recommendation tickets, and all kinds of tickets. Thank you for subscribing and commenting. I am especially grateful for everyone's understanding.

　　There weren't many updates today, so please bear with me, fellow foodies ┭┮﹏┭┮

　　(End of this chapter)