Chapter 35: The Handmaiden Ning'er
Su Ying and Su Ning have known each other for more than 60 years, and they have also heard of her filial piety in treating her grandmother's eye disease.
Su Ning bowed her head, she understood that Su Ying was right. Since Qian Yi took great pains to protect the white crisp matsutake mushroom, it can be seen that he loves flowers and plants, and Qian Fan is full of interest when he sees her tiger tooth dagger and Lingxiao jade flute, which also proves that he really likes weapons.
Su Ning and Su Ying reluctantly chatted a lot until late at night, when they went to sleep. Su Ning is rarely lazy today, she didn't meditate and refine her qi, and today's incident is the most amazing encounter she has had since she came to Qiongke City.
She thought that from tomorrow onwards, she would change from a disciple to a maid, and she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive in her heart, igniting a complex feeling of anticipation and helplessness.
Early the next morning, after Su Ning washed and changed her clothes, Liuli Palace sent someone to pick her up.
The inner floors of the glazed palace are stacked on top of each other, and the green tiles are Zhu Yong, and it is really flowers and trees that are sparse, and the glory is varied. The embroidery grass in the courtyard is full of fragrance, and the lotus flowers in the pond are colorful.
Su Ning walked all the way, and what she saw in her eyes was full of beautiful flowers. There are many plants in the yard that she can't name, and they must be all strange flowers and flowers that are difficult to find in the world.
The Liuli Palace is bigger and more gorgeous than the Tridacna Palace, but there is only Qianyi and the attendants who take care of his daily life, Su Ning heard Su Ying mention it, and together with her, there is only one chief in charge of the Liuli Palace, ten maids, and two cooks and four Taoist children. Qianfan's "Jade Palace" is a little more lively, with more than 30 people, including the chief manager, maids, Taoist boys, husbands, and old grandmothers.
It's just because Qianyi is a lonely and lonely person, and it is said that he likes flowers more than living things.
Qianyi is the palace master, and because he has this preference, the pavilions and pavilions in the glazed palace are all named after flowers and plants, which is different from the other six palaces.
Su Ning was led to a hall called "Lingbo Pavilion", where she was received by the aunt in charge of the Liuli Palace.
This aunt's surname is "Cheng", and she looks like she is only about twenty years old, she is also a kind person, and asked Su Ning a few words-
"Your name is Su Ning, right?"
"Yes. Su Ning replied with low eyebrows.
Aunt Cheng said: "Okay, the son has not returned for the time being, and when he comes back, you have to formally meet once." ”
"Yes. ”
"From now on, in the Liuli Palace, your name will be Ning'er. ”
"Yes, Auntie. ”
"How is your spiritual cultivation?" Aunt Cheng asked again.
"Aunt Hui, Ning Er is not talented, and her spiritual cultivation is only at the first level. ”
Aunt Cheng said with a smile: "The first-class cultivation is more than enough as a maid, and many maids in the palace only have a little aura." ”
"Thank you, auntie......" Su Ning replied in a low voice, although it was a compliment, she was a little sad to hear it. After 60 years of penance, I am just qualified to be a maid......
Aunt Cheng explained to her the rules and taboos in the palace, and said:
"You go to your room to change your clothes and get dressed, and then you can come back to your duties immediately. ”
"Yes, Auntie. ”
Su Ning followed the maid who had just led the way and left Lingbo Pavilion. The place where the maids live is called "hosta hall", a large piece of hosta flowers are planted on the wall of the courtyard, looking at it from afar like a long sea of snow, the breeze blows, and the fragrance hits people far away.
The number of maids is small, so each of them has an independent bedroom, although the room is not large, but it is also fully furnished, which is beyond the reach of the other six houses.
The bed in the room has been placed with clothes, shoes and socks prepared for Su Ning, and like the Taoist robe, the maid's costume is also "seamless", and when you wear it, you will become the size and length of the composite wearer.
Aunt Cheng explained that the maids of the Liuli Palace wore a plain gauze upper skirt, a bean-green full-breasted long skirt, the corners of the skirt were decorated with a little white plum, a dark green long belt and a palace silk waist, a double screw bun on the hair, and a cloud silk embroidered shoes on the feet, and could not wear any head and face ornaments, only a little fat powder.
Su Ning changed into a dress, combed her hair in a bun, and took off the Lingxiao jasper flute around her neck, wrapped it in a silk handkerchief, and put it in the box. Previously, she ran around and had to hang the flute on her body for collection, but later became a disciple of Datong Mountain, and she didn't think to take it off, but now she doesn't have to carry it with her.
Su Ning hadn't worn women's clothes for more than sixty years, and she was a little restrained after wearing them, and she almost forgot how to walk. Fortunately, she walked a few steps and found her senses, Su Ning left the room with a small step with her skirt, and returned to Lingbo Pavilion to find Aunt Cheng.
There was another maid in the hall at this time, she looked to be in her early fifteens, medium height, and pretty.
Su Ning gave a blessing to the two, and Aunt Cheng said:
"Ning'er, this is Qiu'er, in the future, you will work with Qiu'er and others to take care of the flowers and trees in the courtyard of Gongzi (Qianyi). ”
"Yes......" Su condensed and felt that the name "Qiu'er" was very familiar, and she was thinking about it, Aunt Cheng said again;
"There are many precious herbs in the Gongzi Courtyard, some of which need to be nourished with spiritual energy, because you were a disciple of this sect and have a solid spiritual foundation, so you were sent to take care of them, and you will have to be more careful in the future. ”
"Yes, Ning'er remembers her aunt's teachings. Su Ning replied respectfully.
Aunt Cheng turned her head and instructed Qiu'er:
"Qiu'er, you take Ning'er to 'Cuilin Garden'. ”
Qiu'er was blessed and responded: "Yes, Aunt Cheng." ”
Qiu'er said softly to Su Ning: "Ning'er, please come with me......"
Su Ning hurriedly replied: "Yes." ”
Su Ning also said goodbye to Aunt Cheng and followed Qiu'er to Cuilin Garden. Su Ning walked behind Qiu'er, she was sure that she had heard of the other party's name, but she couldn't remember it for a while.
Aunt Cheng said that she had a solid foundation of spiritual power, so she was sent to take care of the flowers and plants in Qianyi's residence.
Su Ning couldn't help but use the Bright Eyes and Clear Heart Mantra to spy on her aura, Qiu'er was also a first-class spiritual power, however, Su Ning was still taken aback, because she accidentally saw Qiu'er's true body-
The other party turned out to be a white ape!
And Su Ning was also blessed to the heart, and immediately remembered the identity of the other party. Sixty years ago, Su Ning encountered the test level set by the white ape spirit on the way up the mountain, when the little white ape that changed into a child was called "Dongdong", Su Ning was in the cave, Dongdong said that his sister was also in Qiongke City, his sister was called "Qiu'er", and asked Su Ning to help him talk.
When Su Ning first came to Qiongke City, she specially inquired about Qiu'er, but then she didn't find it, and gradually she forgot about it, but she didn't expect that now she met Qiu'er in Liuli Palace.
Su Ning remembered Dongdong's entrustment, so she hurriedly quickened her pace to keep up with Qiu'er, and she said lightly:
"Qiu'er, are you Dongdong's sister?"
Qiu'er was stunned, she turned her head to look at Su Ning, and Su Ning smiled:
"That's right...... I met Dongdong when I was going up the mountain, and he asked me to give you a word......"
Su Ning paused, she had to remember what Dongdong said at that time.
Qiu'er said: "Yes, I am Dongdong's sister...... What did he tell you to say?"
Su Ning finally remembered, she said: "Dongdong said that he misses you very much, so let you go back to see him when you are free." ”
After Qiu'er listened, a trace of gloom flashed in her eyes, but she quickly covered it up. Qiu'er said lightly: "Okay, I'm sorry for you, I know everything......"
Su Ning saw that she seemed to have something on her mind, so she didn't talk to her about it in detail.
Speechless all the way, Qiu'er took her to Cuilin Garden. Since this is the place where the palace master lives, it is naturally more spacious and gorgeous than other places in the palace, and there are more plants and trees inside.
As soon as you step into the door of the moon cave, you can smell the fragrance, but in the courtyard, the vines are covered, the green willows are hanging around, the green lotus is condensed, and the bamboo shadows are uneven. Green and ranran, the spirit grass is strange, fragrant and fragrant, treasure flowers are of a thousand colors, green is still in the air, the ancient trees are hundreds of feet high, the red breeze is blowing, and the fairy fruit is ten sweet. Wisteria stands in the Hibiscus Pavilion, and hibiscus stands with the rose garden. There is also the white jade fence, Lingbi stone mountain, cangtai path, bamboo fence flower barrier. Su Ning is like entering the Pengyuan Immortal Pavilion, and it is fascinating to see it.
Qiu'er led her to the backyard, where there were a few nectarine trees, which had not yet borne fruit, only large scorching peach blossoms.
Su Ning saw a maid standing under a tree, holding a brocade cloth bag in her hand. Qiu'er called to the maid:
"Bing'er, come on. ”
The little maid named Bing'er then picked up the cloth bag and ran over, and Qiu'er told her:
"This is Ning'er, from today onwards, I will be on an errand with you and me in Cuilin Yuan. ”
Su Ning and Bing'er greeted each other, and Qiu'er said to Bing'er again: "Bing'er, you lent Su Ning the 'Luoying Dust Bag' for a use." ”
"Good. Bing'er handed the cloth bag in her hand to Su Ning.
Su Ning took the cloth bag called "Luoying Dust Bag" with both hands, the bag looked nothing special, and the mouth of the bag was tied with a double-strand gold thread.
Qiu'er taught her: "You squat down, open the mouth of the bag, face the fallen flowers and leaves on the ground, and cast spiritual energy on the bag with both hands." ”
Su Ning did as she said, after she cast her aura, a sucking force suddenly appeared in the bag, and a breeze rolled up on the ground, and all the broken flowers and leaves that fell on the ground were sucked into the bag, and even the fallen leaves that were dozens of feet away were also inhaled.
Bing'er said in surprise: "Ning'er, your spiritual power is really strong, you can suck in the leaves from such a distance." ”
"Thank you......" Su Ning also felt that this bag was amazing, and Qiu'er reminded: "You take back the aura, and the mouth of the bag will close." ”
It turned out that the bag was driven by spiritual power, and it would only absorb flowers and leaves that were separated from the branches, and the stronger the user's spiritual power, the wider the range it could absorb.
After Su Ning closed the bag, Qiu'er asked her to return the bag to Bing'er, and led her to a flower shed. After Su Ning went in, she found that the roof of the shed was a large piece of transparent pale yellow glass, which she had never seen before.
Another little maid was in the shed, watering and fertilizing the flowers. The flowers in this shed are all kinds of strange, and Su Ning doesn't even know any of them. The flowers were all carefully separated and kept in pots or bottles, Su Ning felt the aura in the shed, and after she used the Bright Eyes and Clear Heart Mantra, she found that the flowers were covered by invisible magic barriers, and if you want to water and fertilize, you have to use spiritual power to open the magic barrier first, and then close it, which is quite laborious.
Qiu'er told Su Ning: "The flowers in this are all found by Gongzi from the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm, and Gongzi attaches great importance to it, so it needs to be taken care of even more." ”