Chapter 594: Bright Night Like Today
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Jing—” As the seal was engraved with a small seal script, she did not recognize it, so she naturally read the wrong thing.
Later, when her cousin was free, he taught her how to write in seal script. She realized that the word “of” in small seal script was 70 to 80% similar to the word “end”, so she asked her cousin to clarify.
Only then did she realize that she had made a huge mistake.
Not long after, the name and seal were carved.
Yu Youyao couldn’t wait to ask, “Are you done?”
Zhou Linghuai shook his head. “The newly carved inscription needs to be painted, and the seal needs to be sanded to be completed.”
Generally speaking, an inscription had to be carved before it was drawn. However, he wanted to give Yu Youyao a surprise. He did not confirm the name of the zither, so he left it until the last step.
Chang An had already brought over the paint and cinnabar.
The calligraphy and sand painting both required meticulous work. The coloring had to be even. There were many different strokes.
Even if it was a carved letter, he could not be careless.
Therefore, even the simple process took two hours to complete completely. The colors were full and heavy, simple and elegant, and it was not easy to lose color.
In this way, the zither was finally completed.
Chang An brought over a black zither box. With just one look, Yu Youyao couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Lacquer carvings, Jingtai Blue, Ivory carvings, and the jade carvings were known as the Four Special Skills or Eight Wonders of the capital. Their skills were like treasures. In the previous dynasty, they were once prosperous. It was only in the Great Zhou Dynasty that these skills declined.
However, good lacquer carvings were still sought after.
Yu Youyao liked lacquer carving. Previously, her grandmother had given her a lacquer carving makeup box. It was beautiful.
Her cousin was also good at carving and often made small things for her.
It was not easy to make small pieces of lacquer carvings. It would take at least a month or two, and at most three to five months.
On her makeup table, there were makeup boxes, fat boxes, eyebrow powder boxes, and so on. Most of them were given by her cousin, and there were many different types. There were red, black, color, and yellow…
But!
However, this black zither case was even more exquisite. It would take at least a year or two, and at most three to five years to successfully carve such a large piece.
On the zither box, there were zither patterns carved on it. Green branches with Chinese parasol leaves were entrenched on the long box on the black bottom, wrapping around the entire long box.
Between the branches and leaves, there were strings of yellow-green trumpet flowers. They were bright and beautiful.
On the surface of the box, on the long red table, there was a 25-string zither.
There was no need for gold and jade. The bright patterns on the branches were already so beautiful that they were lifelike and soul-stirring.
Ever since she had come up with an idea and asked her cousin to carve a zither seal, her cousin seemed to especially like the zither patterns. Many of the things he usually gave her had such patterns.
Her cousin’s carving skills were good. He could always carve different patterns.
For a moment, Yu Youyao actually had the illusion that she had bought something and returned it.
No, no, no. The zither and the zither box complemented each other.
Hence, Yu Youyao had a feeling that she had received two exquisite gifts on her birthday.
The red lining was filled with silk, so it wouldn’t hurt the zither. Zhou Linghuai carefully placed the zither into the zither box and closed the lid.
He looked up at Yu Youyao.
The little girl looked intently at the box in his hand and smiled brightly. Her eyes were curved, and her red lips were beautiful.
Zhou Linghuai’s eyebrows were as elegant as melted ink, as if flowers had bloomed. He suddenly stood up from his wheelchair. The servants in The Green House acted as if they hadn’t seen him and were doing their own things.
However, Yu Youyao’s eyes widened. She subconsciously covered her mouth, her eyes moist as she looked at her cousin in a daze.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen her cousin stand.
However, this was the first time she had seen her cousin. He stood up easily like an ordinary person without any help.
After throwing away his cane, her cousin stretched his back and straightened it. Only then did Yu Youyao realize that her cousin was a little taller than she had imagined.
He stood casually in front of her, his slender body already covering her petite figure.
“Cousin, you..” His leg had completely recovered!
Zhou Linghuai handed the box to Yu Youyao. “I’m overjoyed to hear that you’re getting older. There’s beautiful scenery everywhere. It’s a good year.” He chuckled. “Yao Yao, happy birthday!”
Yu Youyao held the zither case. The moisture in her eyes turned into specks of starlight that shone brightly.
She looked at her cousin. “I only hope that tomorrow will be the same as today. Everyone will be around.”
Three years ago, she had heard someone say that a wish would be fulfilled on her birthday, so she made this wish.
She hoped that her cousin would always be by her side on every birthday in the future.
At that time, she was still ignorant and did not know that some wishes could not be made easily.
This was still her wish on her birthday three years later.
No, perhaps she was even greedier than that.
Yu Youyao thought of the wishing brocade that she had thrown onto the Bodhi of Wishes on the day of the Buddhist Festival. It said, “I hope that you will be a thousand years old. I hope that you will be healthy. I hope that you will be like a swallow on a beam and I will see you at all times!”
Not only did she hope that her cousin would always be by her side on every birthday.
She also hoped to see his face at all times.
Zhou Linghuai was stunned. Clearly, he had also thought of three years ago.
Yu Youyao placed the zither case on the table and took a step forward. Her cousin was so close that he, who usually wore dark clothes, suddenly changed into a moon-white cloud brocade that was as bright as the moon shining on the lake.
All of a sudden, he stood tall and slender, looking elegant and refined. He had the aura and virtue of jade, and the firmness of stone.
Yu Youyao did not know what kind of struggle she had experienced in her heart. Only then did she muster her courage. Her hands trembled as she wrapped them around his waist. She hesitated for a moment and pressed her face against the chest in front of her. She could clearly hear his heartbeat.
She wasn’t sure if such a fierce heartbeat belonged to her or to her cousin.
The faint fragrance of ink on her cousin’s body had seeped out over time, revealing a hint of elegance. “Cousin, what do you think?”
Zhou Linghuai lowered his head. The little girl’s figure was petite and slender, only reaching his chest. When he lowered his head, his chin pressed against her head, and rubbed against her hair.
He thought of three years ago, when the little girl had held his hand and looked at him with bright eyes.
—I only hope that tomorrow will be the same as today. I hope that everyone will always be around!
“Cousin, what do you think?”
At that time, facing the little girl’s happy, excited, and expectant gaze, how did he answer?
Zhou Linghuai hugged the little girl’s petite figure in his arms. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her gently on the top of her head. “Okay!”
Three years later, his answer was still the same..
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