Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

Chapter 74: 74 Close Contact, Flying Kites

”However, not every Jade Maiden Bamboo produces this Jade Bamboo Liquid. Its conditions and environment for creation are still unclear, and it’s extremely rare. In the previous dynasty, a liang of Jade Bamboo was worth a thousand gold.”

Ye Wanqiu closed the book and said.

Chen Mo glanced up and saw the words ”Great Song Plants” written on the book.

”Since it’s so precious, it shouldn’t be wasted...”

”Qing Shuang, bring a bowl.”

”Okay.” Qing Shuang left once more.

Moments later, she came back with a large bowl.

Chen Mo poured out the Jade Bamboo Liquid from the split Jade Maiden Bamboo into the bowl.

Not just a single section contained the liquid; three consecutive sections did.

After pouring it all out, it filled an entire large bowl.

Although there was no scale, by estimating with his hands, it was probably two to three jin.

Even accounting for the weight of the bowl, it was still around one and a half to nearly two jin.

”Consort Jing, shall we divide it seventy-thirty, you seventy and this servant thirty?” After all, she is the mistress, and although I’m no longer a servant, my status still can’t compare to hers. Besides, she was the one who identified it as Jade Bamboo Liquid.

If she hadn’t mentioned it, I might have poured it all away.

”No... no, the bamboo is yours, and you helped me twice. How could I... ask for your Jade Bamboo Liquid?” Although she said this, Ye Wanqiu couldn’t help but be tempted by the Jade Bamboo Liquid.

After all, women adorn themselves for those who please them.

”Then fifty-fifty?” Chen Mo suggested again.

”I... I don’t need it, and even with Qing Shuang, we can’t... use that much.” Although Ye Wanqiu was still declining, her words carried no other implication.

Chen Mo thought about it and said, ”Then servant seventy, mistress thirty.”

”Alright.” Ye Wanqiu, after a moment of hesitation, nodded slightly.

Then Chen Mo divided it with bamboo tubes, pouring it into three tubes.

Chen Mo gave one small one to Ye Wanqiu.

Kept two large ones for himself.

In addition to his own use, he had to share some with Xiao Yunxi and Zhao Fujin.

No, there’s also Lin Su Ya.

Noble Consort Hu?

She threatened me, so she gets none.

...

After setting aside materials for the kite,

Chen Mo cut all the leftover bamboo into small blocks, five centimeters long and three centimeters wide.

The thickness of the Jade Maiden Bamboo was close to two centimeters, enough to stand upright if used for mahjong tiles.

Once he had enough tiles for 152 blocks,

Chen Mo distributed the tasks.

He asked Ye Wanqiu and Qing Shuang to carve circles from one to nine on the tiles.

Characters from one to nine.

Bamboos from one to nine.

...

East, South, West, North, and Center, four of each.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo worked on making kites.

But during crafting, he realized he hadn’t prepared any glue.

After mentioning it to Ye Wanqiu,

Ye Wanqiu sent Qing Shuang to find glue.

And Chen Mo trimmed the small bamboo blocks further, multitasking by running simulations.

”Chen Hong, take a look, is this right?”

Since Ye Wanqiu saw it as a way to repay Chen Mo, she was earnest in her carving. As a tile engraved with the Great Song characters of ”Nine Wonders” was completed, Ye Wanqiu happily showed it to Chen Mo.

”Let me see.”

Since he was multitasking, Chen Mo was a bit distracted when he took it, accidentally grabbing Ye Wanqiu’s hand holding the ”Nine Wonders” tile.

Ye Wanqiu instantly froze, her body electrified, trying to pull her hand back, but Chen Mo’s grip was strong, and she couldn’t free herself.

Her delicate face flushed red.

Her heart raced rapidly, not only from fear and tension but with a hint of excitement.

”Let... let go,” Ye Wanqiu said in a trembling voice.

Chen Mo, having just finished his simulation, refocused and quickly released Ye Wanqiu’s hand.

He respectfully said, ”Please forgive this servant, mistress. It was unintentional.”

Though he said this, his tone lacked any real fear.

Ye Wanqiu withdrew her hand, gently rubbing it. Her eyes, long and narrow, seemed to pool with spring water, ”You pinched me...”

Chen Mo: ”...”

He felt his blood slightly surge.

Then he took a deep breath and said, ”Mistress, let this servant take a look.”

This time, Ye Wanqiu tossed the ”Nine Wonders” in front of Chen Mo.

Chen Mo picked it up for a look.

Ye Wanqiu was clearly practiced.

Even using a carving knife, the characters still looked beautiful.

”As expected from the mistress, your carving is excellent, only lacking some color,” Chen Mo praised.

Ye Wanqiu said nothing, picking up another small block and continued carving.

Apparently, Chen Mo’s earlier action had sparked a sense of caution in Ye Wanqiu.

Watching her, Chen Mo couldn’t help but smile.

Adorable.

It wasn’t long before Qing Shuang returned with the glue.

But she didn’t notice the strange atmosphere between the two.

With all the materials ready,

Chen Mo quickly finished making a simple kite.

It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, just a triangle-shaped kite with two tail-like pieces attached.

”Come, mistress, let me take you kite flying!”

After tying the string to the frame, Chen Mo stood up and spoke to Ye Wanqiu.

Ye Wanqiu nodded slightly.

It was her first time seeing such a novel creation.

She was curious how this kite flying would turn out.

Fortunately for Chen Mo,

as soon as he stepped out of the sleeping quarters, a gentle breeze blew through the Jingru Palace courtyard.

Chen Mo let some string out, holding the kite frame with one hand and the string with the other, ran a bit, and released the kite, letting it soar into the sky.

”It... it flew?!” Qing Shuang was dumbfounded, watching the scene.

Ye Wanqiu was equally amazed, her eyelashes fluttering in wonder.

”Wow, what is that? It can actually fly!”

”Seems like that little eunuch made it.” Curious palace maids and eunuchs from Jingru Palace stopped their work and gathered to watch the kite.

Chen Mo didn’t let it fly too high, not beyond Jingru Palace’s eaves.

”Consort Jing, would you like to try?” Chen Mo approached Ye Wanqiu.

”I... can I?” Ye Wanqiu was eager.

”Of course, you can,” Chen Mo encouraged, handing the kite string to Ye Wanqiu.

Ye Wanqiu held the string, trying to let it go higher.

Suddenly, Chen Mo called out, ”Wait, mistress.”

”What’s wrong?” Ye Wanqiu obediently stopped, heeding Chen Mo’s words.

Chen Mo broke a branch from the nearest tree, stripped away the twigs, then rolled up his sleeves and rubbed it with his robe.

”Mistress, please hand this servant the string,” Chen Mo requested.

Ye Wanqiu handed the kite string to him.

Chen Mo tied the string to the stick, winding it round and round, until all the excess was on the stick.

Only then did Chen Mo hand the stick to Ye Qiwan, instructing her to hold it. To let it higher, unwind more string from the stick; to reel it in, keep wrapping the string around it, then continued:

”Mistress, give it a try and see if it’s easier to handle this way?”