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Finest Servant Chapter 658
🕑 Added 2023-11-16 10:16:40 +0000 UTCChapter 658 Aiding Ah Lin Ge
In the distance, bonfires blazed fiercely. Ah Lin Ge was cheerfully pushed away by the young Miao men and women, creating layers of human walls between him and the Holy Maiden.
An Biru's cheeks flushed, her eyes downcast in deep emotion. The mi cai encircled her, singing and dancing exuberantly, creating a fervent atmosphere.
"Ah Lin Ge, oh Ah Lin Ge—" Yilian watched, lost in a daze, murmuring to herself as tears streamed down her face. The mi cai of Yingyue Hamlet collectively sighed, turning their heads away in silence, unable to bear the sight of her distress.
"Sister, I beg of you, please help me!" Yilian suddenly exclaimed, gripping Zitong's hand tightly.
Zitong, seeing the crystal tears in her little sister's eyes, quickly nodded, "Tell me, your sister will make it happen!"
Yilian hurriedly took out a bamboo slip from her Miao bag and thrust it into her hands, "Please, quickly give this to Ah Lin Ge!"
The bamboo slip was filled with mountain songs. Zitong, puzzled, looked at it as Yilian urgently explained, "The Holy Maiden wants to sing with him, but he doesn't know the song I taught earlier. With this, he won't be afraid!"
"Yilian, have you gone mad?!" Zitong jumped up, indignant, "At this time, you still want to help that heartless man? If he can't continue, let the Holy Maiden look down on him, what does it have to do with you?"
"Sister, I beg you, help our Ah Lin Ge!" The young girl clung to her shoulders, sobbing and shaking her head desperately, "I just want to see him happy all his life, nothing else matters!"
"Silly girl," Zitong's nose tingled with emotion as she sighed helplessly, "We Miao girls, facing such cruel Hua lads, are tormented by them. It's as if we owed them in our past lives!"
As night fell, the bonfires were lit, and the matchmaking event officially began. Thousands of Miao girls dressed in silver attire danced to the music of lusheng and wooden drums. Their youthful and beautiful figures were mesmerizing, as the bright mountain songs echoed through the trees and laughter filled the air.
On the slopes, in the grass, and by the forest, pairs of figures could be seen everywhere, their melodious songs reverberating over the Wulian Peak.
"What are you doing—" Lin Wanrong had yet to understand the situation when he was swarmed by beautiful Miao girls, laughing as they pushed him aside. He danced and shouted in confusion.
"What else?" the girls laughed, "Of course, it's time for Ah Lin Ge to face the challenge! If you can't continue the Holy Maiden's mountain song, then admit defeat and surrender. Come back next year!"
Sing a mountain song? Lin Wanrong's face soured. This was exactly what he dreaded. The few songs he learned from Yilian were almost forgotten. How could he continue? If it were the song "Shi Ba Mo," he might manage, but he hesitated, shaking his head, only to see Sister An in the distance, winking and smiling at him.
The Miao girls, seeing the two exchanging glances from afar, their love apparent, burst into laughter, "Holy Maiden, sing quickly. Let's see Ah Lin Ge's skills! If he's not capable, he cannot marry our Holy Maiden!"
The mountain song as a token of love was the Miao people's favorite way of matchmaking. An Biru, no matter how skilled, couldn't bypass this hurdle. Her cheeks flushed, she glanced at him tenderly, her lips parting softly as she began to sing:
—
Brother has a home, I have none,
A lone skylark wandering the ends of the earth!
Brother has a companion, I do not,
A solitary magpie chattering alone.
—
The Miao people were naturally gifted in song and dance. An Biru, as the unique Holy Maiden of the Miao village, was the epitome of such talent. Her song, clear and bright, like a warbler emerging from the valley, lingered long in the mountains, an endless echo of melodious charm.
Lin Wanrong's heart melted upon hearing it. He hadn't expected that his Master Sister would turn out to be the most melodious songbird of the Miao village, even surpassing Yilian. It seemed the songs Xian’er sang were indeed personally taught by Sister An.
As the Holy Maiden's love song rang out, all the Miao people clapped and laughed, the atmosphere brimming with warmth and joy.
"Ah Lin Ge, it's your turn!" the Miao girls surrounding An Biru giggled, loudly calling his name.
What should he sing? Seeing the eager, expectant eyes of everyone, Lin Wanrong's forehead was beaded with sweat, his back drenched in an instant. Facing swords and riding horses never made him flinch, but singing a love song? That was nearly the death of him. He only knew a few mountain songs, and the one Sister An sang was never taught to him by Yilian.
"Sing, sing!" As he remained silent, laughter erupted around him. No one had expected that Ah Lin Ge, embodying strength, courage, and wisdom, would be unable to sing a mountain song, something the Miao people excelled at naturally! The irony was almost theatrical!
"Die, you heartless wretch!" Just as Lin Wanrong hesitated, he heard a furious cry. A bamboo slip, whistling through the air, headed straight for his chest. Zitong of Yingyue Hamlet gave him a cold glance before swiftly running away.
Startled, Lin Wanrong fumbled to catch the bamboo slip, glancing at it to find, to his surprise and delight, the mountain song bamboo slip made by Yilian. He quickly looked up, searching for her in the vast sea of people, but she was nowhere to be found.
As he remained quiet, a wave of whistles and laughter rose around him. The young men teased, "Ah Lin Ge, just surrender and come back next year!"
"Who says I'm surrendering!" Lin Wanrong chuckled, holding the bamboo slip. With a determined heart, he raised his voice and sang loudly:
—
The sun rises in a red blaze,
The moon appears through a misty haze;
Neither sun nor moon do I cherish,
Only for my beloved to flourish.
—
"Bravo!" This was truly unexpected, Ah Lin Ge was indeed full of surprises. The girls laughed and clapped thunderously, dashing the hopes of the young men who had aspired for the Holy Maiden.
An Biru chuckled, pulling a few girls to dance gracefully by the bonfire. Turning her head in the firelight, she cast a coquettish look at him, her face aglow with a radiant red hue, her enchanting voice echoing in his ears:
—
The sun shines on the white rocks,
the maiden rises to dry her flower shoes.
As the shoes are laid on the stone,
just then the young man comes!
—
An Biru, being a Miao woman, naturally excelled at mountain songs. Poor Ah Lin Ge, a genuine Hua lad, proficient in little ditties like "Shi Ba Mo," but love songs were a struggle, barely squeezing out one.
Looking at his Master Sister, her eyes reddened with emotion and a charming smile, he felt both joy and anxiety. How could he continue this mountain song?
"Ah Lin Ge, quick!" The Miao's mi cai, surrounding the Holy Maiden, laughed and urged him on.
‘Do you think I don’t want to sing? I just can’t!’ Lin Wanrong thought in distress, sweat beading on his forehead. In his confusion, he felt a breeze and a bamboo slip harshly thrown at him. Zitong, amidst the crowd, glared at him in frustration.
Yilian, it was Yilian again! His heart swelled with gratitude. Hastily picking up the bamboo slip, he sang without looking.
—
Several sisters sitting in a row,
the one who lifts her head is the sweetest, you know.
The one who looks up, sweet as can be,
fun to play with, like a key—
—
As soon as he finished, he realized something was amiss, slapping his thigh, his face changing color, "Oh no, what a blunder!"
The crowd burst into laughter. Ah Lin Ge really had guts, daring to sing anything in front of the Holy Maiden. Although the song was right, it was like a flirtatious young man's confession.
"Sister, that's not what I gave him!" Yilian, seeing his embarrassment, stomped her feet anxiously in the crowd.
Zitong chuckled, "Is that so? Oh, I might have made a mistake. But that song was wonderfully sung, probably the best I've heard from Ah Lin Ge. Maybe because it's a true reflection of his heart!"
Yilian shook her head with a bitter smile, knowing her sister had intentionally set Ah Lin Ge up.
The bonfires roared as the girls, encircling the Holy Maiden, teased, "Holy Maiden, how can Ah Lin Ge do this to you? He's mocking you!"
‘Have the heavens turned upside down? Not even a member of our Miao village yet, and already being so picky?’ Sister An bit her lip, giggling coyly, her eyes flirtatiously fixed on Lin Wanrong. Feeling a chill down his spine, he thought, ‘It's over, my Master Sister is going to explode at me!’
—
Brother is a true confidant to the sister,
The cobbler's awl aspires to be a needle true,
Learn from the amaranth, red through and through,
And never let your heart turn black like Sichuan pepper, anew.
—
The Holy Maiden's melodious song floated on the breeze, a stern warning to Ah Lin Ge not to be fickle. The Miao people, adept at singing and dancing, understood the underlying message, and laughter erupted, curious to see how Ah Lin Ge would respond.
‘I'm in trouble now, caught in Zitong's trick!’ Lin Wanrong thought, shrinking back as he caught his Master Sister's half-smiling gaze, lamenting inwardly. Embarrassed before so many, what was he to do? Sister An was no pushover!
As he brooded, a gentle breeze brought another bamboo slip to his feet.
‘Zitong, this girl is still playing tricks on me?’ he muttered, picking up the bamboo slip. About to throw it back, he glanced at it and suddenly gasped. This time he read it clearly, joy filling his heart. Holding the bamboo slip high, he waved vigorously toward An Biru and sang loudly:
My dear, rest assured of my affection,
Peek not through the crack for mere reflection.
I am like the banana tree in the backyard,
Changing leaves yearly, but my heart stays unscarred.
The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. Ah Lin Ge and the Holy Maiden's song exchange was splendidly done, a mix of reprimand and persuasion, witty and humorous, dissolving the minor mishap into nothingness.
Seeing a smile bloom on Sister An's face, Lin Wanrong breathed a sigh of relief: ‘Thank you, Yilian!’
In the crowd, a pair of bright, tearful eyes watched him, smiling through her tears.
Ah Lin Ge, having successfully sung three consecutive mountain songs, had indeed impressed the Miao girls. They giggled and gathered around An Biru, "Holy Maiden, do you fancy Ah Lin Ge?"
The Holy Maiden, always charming and generous, found herself blushing with shyness when her kinsfolk surrounded her, asking about this life-altering matter. Unsure whether to affirm or deny.
"If you don't speak, that means you agree!" The girls laughed, waving at Lin Wanrong, "Ah Lin Ge, do you fancy our Holy Maiden?"
Hearing this, Lin Wanrong felt invigorated, his eyebrows nearly leaping with joy. He jumped up, waving his hands and shouting, "Fancy her? I've fancied her for hundreds of years!"
"Fancied for hundreds of years?" The mi cai giggled, pushing him forward forcefully, "Then what are you waiting for?!"
The mi cai spontaneously divided into two groups, pushing the pair towards the center amidst whistles and cheers. Lin Wanrong, seeing the Holy Maiden surrounded by her people, her face flushed with shyness, her head bowed, could hardly believe his eyes. ‘Is this the same foxy and enchanting Sister An? How has she become as innocent as me?’
As he drew closer to Sister An, close enough to see her jade-like skin and flower-like delicate face, his heart blossomed with joy. He opened his arms wide and lunged forward, "Master Sister—"
"Hey, slow down!" A Miao girl stood in front of him, smiling, blocking his arm, and winked mysteriously, "Ah Lin Ge, do you truly fancy the Holy Maiden?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Lin Wanrong blinked eagerly, "I like the Holy Maiden more than gold and silver!"
The girl nodded, pulling out a piece of paper from her bosom, laughing, "The Holy Maiden pitied you in the previous rounds, not wanting to trouble you. But be careful with this last test, we chose this mountain song ourselves, and the Holy Maiden knows nothing about it. If you can't continue, hehe, we'll kick you back on her behalf!"
Really? Lin Wanrong felt a sudden tightness in his heart. At this point, they still wanted to challenge him? The Miao village was harder to navigate than a dragon's lair!
This was known as "The Playful Suitor", another traditional Miao village activity. The mi cai handed the paper to An Biru, who blushed upon reading it, taking a long while before daring to speak. Her voice, like a heavenly melody, gently rippled through everyone's ears:
On the mountain, leaves are piled high,
Alas, the sister knows not how to make them fly.
Someday brother shall teach me so,
Only leaves needed, no matchmaker in tow.
No wonder the usually bold Holy Maiden turned so shy; it was an outright confession and proposal. According to Miao village customs, whether Ah Lin Ge agreed or declined, he had to respond with a mountain song.
Sister An's voice was infinitely tender, like a celestial melody descended to earth, but Lin Wanrong dared not even breathe: At this crucial moment, where could he find a mountain song to express his feelings? Did he have to rely on Yilian to save him again?
