Hearing that Brother Wuming was not here to buy wine, Maiden Yuan Xin stared with wide-eyed curiosity and asked, "Brother Wuming, if you came down the mountain this early, what are you here for?"
"Ah, following my master's orders, I'm passing through here on my way out to search for my family. Since I'm down the mountain anyway, I figured I should come by and say hello to Uncle Yuan," Wuming said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
How could Maiden Yuan Xin not see through Brother Wuming's little scheme? It was plain as day that Brother Wuming had come to see her, yet he insisted on pretending he was here to visit Uncle Yuan. Even so, she had no wish to expose him right to his face.
Since Brother Wuming had already put it that way, Maiden Yuan Xin felt it would be impolite to contradict him directly, so she casually asked, "Brother Wuming, what does your master mean by sending you out to find your family? Could it be that you still don't know where your parents are?"
"That's right. I've never set eyes on my biological parents since I was a little boy, and I haven't the faintest idea where they live now," Wuming replied immediately, frowning.
"So that's how it is. With a vast world out there and a sea of people, where on earth are you going to find your biological parents?" Maiden Yuan Xin asked with genuine anxiety.
"You're telling me! If my master hadn't forced me to come down the mountain and look for them, I wouldn't want to leave the sect from the bottom of my heart," Wuming said helplessly.
"Brother Wuming, you really shouldn't say that. Finding your biological parents is your unshirkable duty, and you simply must find a way to track them down," Maiden Yuan Xin said earnestly.
"Let's hope so!"
"Then how many days do you plan to be gone before you come back?"
"I couldn't say. Master already made it clear—if I don't find my biological parents, I shouldn't bother coming back. Maiden Yuan Xin, don't you think my master is being a bit too harsh?" Wuming replied, still looking extremely reluctant.
"Brother Wuming, how can you blame your master? After all, he's only doing this for your own good!" Maiden Yuan Xin hurried to comfort him.
"What you say makes sense, but I can never stop worrying about my master's daily meals and living arrangements. After all, he's getting on in years. If he were to fall ill or suffer some occasional ache or pain while I'm not around, who would take care of him?"
"Brother Wuming, don't you worry about that at all. I can drop in to check on your master every few days. If he needs anything, I'll take good care of him for you. Just go with a peace of mind!"
As they spoke, the two of them walked out the door of the winery.
At that moment, Boss Yuan spoke up: "Xin'er, you can't go out today. There are still plenty of things in the winery that need extra hands."
The reason Boss Yuan shouted was that he feared his precious daughter was about to run off and play with that little rascal again, so he had no choice but to call out and stop her.
His precious daughter was a grown woman now. If she and that little rascal were to do anything improper, wouldn't that ruin the good name of the Yuan family?
Hearing her father shouting, Maiden Yuan Xin could not avoid him, so she immediately answered, "I know, but there aren't any customers in the shop yet, and it's still early!"
"Even if it's early, someone has to watch the place. I can't be staying in the front shop all day and neglecting the winery work!" Boss Yuan urged.
"Don't worry, Dad. Your daughter is just going to wander around the neighborhood and won't go far at all. I'll be back in no time." How could Maiden Yuan Xin possibly heed her father's instructions? Her words sounded as sweet as honey, but in the blink of an eye, she grabbed Brother Wuming's hand and pulled him out of her father's sight.
With Brother Wuming by her side, Maiden Yuan Xin's spirits suddenly felt much lighter, and she cast every single worry to the back of her mind.
If only the two of them could play together every single day—how wonderful that would be!
Wishing to spend a little more time with Brother Wuming, Maiden Yuan Xin quickly proposed, "Brother Wuming, you're setting off on a long journey today to find your biological parents, so you definitely need to bring yourself some good luck and a favorable omen. How about this—I should treat you to something today, to see you off!"
"Ah, the two of us getting a bite to eat is fine and all, but how could I possibly let you pay? After all, I'm a grown man. Treating you today is my job; otherwise, if word of this got out, it really wouldn't look good."
Looking into Maiden Yuan Xin's beautiful, innocent face, Wuming smiled and immediately countered.
"Brother Wuming, how can you talk like that? It's only right and proper for me to treat you as a send-off. If you don't let me, I'll be upset." Maiden Yuan Xin said this, deliberately putting on a slightly aggrieved tone.
How could Wuming ever dare to upset Maiden Yuan Xin? He instantly changed his tune and agreed, "All right then. Since you're so determined, I'll let you treat me."
"That's more like it! Brother Wuming, just say the word—what do you actually want to eat?" Maiden Yuan Xin asked, her face beaming with smiles once again.
Catching sight of a steamed bun shop, Wuming said, "Let's just eat some buns the two of us!"
"Great! As long as you want to eat them, I'll go buy them right now." Without a moment's hesitation, Maiden Yuan Xin hurried over to the bun shop, bought four steaming-hot buns, and quickly shoved them into Brother Wuming's hands.
Taking the buns, Wuming kept only one and stuffed the rest back into Maiden Yuan Xin's hands.
Seeing this, Maiden Yuan Xin quickly refused, "Brother Wuming, these buns were bought for you to eat. I'm going home to have the meal my mother cooked as soon as I get back, so don't you worry about me going hungry."
"How can we do that? Didn't we just agree we'd eat together? If you aren't going to eat, then I won't eat either," Wuming said with absolute resolve.
Seeing how serious Brother Wuming was, Maiden Yuan Xin had no choice but to yield. "Fine, I'll keep you company and eat one too, but you have to finish the rest. After all, you're setting out on a long journey today—how can you walk with an empty stomach?"
With that, Maiden Yuan Xin casually picked up a bun for herself and shoved the remaining buns right back into the palm of Wuming's hand.
Hearing her put it that way, Wuming had no choice but to drop the matter. After all, he couldn't let a simple thing like eating buns make Maiden Yuan Xin unhappy again!
Watching Brother Wuming finish the buns, Maiden Yuan Xin felt a wonderful surge of delight in her heart. After all, she had finally gotten her wish.
In her high spirits, Maiden Yuan Xin took the remaining bits of loose silver from her pocket and shoved them all into Brother Wuming's hand.
Seeing this, Wuming was dumbfounded. He had just eaten Maiden Yuan Xin's hot buns; how could he possibly accept her money now? A person shouldn't be too greedy!
Without missing a beat, he hastily refused, "Maiden Yuan Xin, I can't take this silver."