Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 899: Vigilance and Planning (1)

Chapter 899: Chapter 899: Vigilance and Planning (1)

Overnight, when Mo Yan awoke, the fifteen birds that drank from the Spirit Spring Water had been trained by Xue tuanzi into true message-carrying birds.

Eager to try, Mo Yan immediately wrote a letter to his father, cautioning Lord Father to beware of Chief Minister of the Imperial Temple Zhao Fengnian and briefly explained the reasons therein. After the letter was written, it was sent off by an all-black myna.

The myna was very clever; after it was told the detailed address just once, and certain it understood and would find the way, Mo Yan released it.

Mo Qingze returned home in the evening and, at the steps in front of the House of the First Scholar, he saw the myna that delivered the message. Initially thinking the little fellow was merely resting its feet, he was surprised when it suddenly flew onto his shoulder and stretched out a yellow claw in front of him.

Looking at the letter tube tied to its leg the size of a thumb, Mo Qingze was stunned. Because he wasn’t sure the letter was for him, he didn’t intend to open the letter tube at first. However, just as he was about to brush off the myna to continue on his way, he saw the bird peck open the wooden stopper on the letter tube and stare at him with bright, wise eyes.

Amused, Mo Qingze teased the myna with his finger and saw it gently peck at his finger while chirping softly, appearing very intelligent.

With a deeper smile, Mo Qingze eventually opened the letter tube that was brought before him, recognized the familiar handwriting, looked again at the myna still preening its feathers on his shoulder, and a glint passed through his eyes. He then carefully put away the letter and entered the house with the myna.

The door was opened by an old count, about sixty years of age. Upon seeing Mo Qingze, the elderly man respectfully greeted, "My lord, you have returned!"

Mo Qingze replied with a slight smile, "Uncle Sun, I have some matters to attend to. Please tell Aunt Sun to delay dinner for half an hour."

Uncle Sun hurriedly responded, "Yes, my lord!"

Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun, a married couple, were brought in by Mo Yan from the Dentist’s not long ago to take care of Mo Qingze’s daily meals. They were also pitiable individuals, having lost their only son in middle age and later living with their grandson and his wife. As they grew older and could no longer farm, they were driven out of the house by their daughter-in-law and grandson, forced to sell themselves to make a living.

However, because they were quite old and not skilled in serving others, even though their combined price was only six taels of silver, nobody was willing to buy them. Just as the Dentist was about to kick them out, no longer willing to provide for them, Mo Yan saw them and bought them back.

The couple lived in the Scholar Mansion and usually didn’t have much to do—just clean, wash clothes, and cook for Mo Qingze, which was relatively easy for the two elderly people.

Mo Qingze nodded to Uncle Sun and headed to the study with the myna.

After carefully reading the letter, an understanding expression crossed Mo Qingze’s face, finally unraveling the puzzles of the past few days.

With plans forming in his mind, Mo Qingze couldn’t help but feel a headache. He took up his brush and wrote a brief response to his daughter, which he tucked into the myna’s leg-mounted letter tube.

Touching the myna’s smooth feathers and thinking about how patiently it stood at one end of the desk while he was writing the letter, staying quiet and not causing any fuss, he grew quite fond of the little creature.

He turned and took half a piece of pastry from a drawer in the desk, broke it into small pieces to feed it, and seeing the little creature’s eyes light up and hop towards him excitedly, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly, saying warmly, "Eat up, and when you’re full, take the letter back."

"Chirp chirp!"

The myna understood, chirped twice at Mo Qingze then hopped over to his hand to peck at the food, quickly polishing off the half pastry.

Satisfied, the well-fed myna soon vanished into the night. Mo Qingze, cleaning up the crumbs scattered on the desk, resolutely decided that when he returned, he would ask his daughter to let him keep the myna.