Film and Television World Life Record

Subsequently, Li Mu lived a secluded life, neither attending gatherings of literati nor accepting invitations to poetry recitals, and the hype quickly died down.

Especially among ordinary people, their main concern is making a living. They don't know much about poetry and literature, but they can join in the festive atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival, pretend to be cultured, and have more gossip to talk about.

As the festive atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival faded, this poem naturally lost its popularity among ordinary people.

Nowadays, the most popular places are actually brothels and entertainment venues. If you are a courtesan or a famous courtesan, you would be embarrassed if you couldn't sing "Shuidiao Getou".

However, although the popularity of this poem has declined in Jiangning, there is still some controversy surrounding whether it was written by Li Mu.

However, the influence of this poem spread like ripples to other parts of Wu Kingdom through word of mouth and letters among Jiangning students.

Outside of Jiangning, however, there were virtually no or very few voices questioning Li Mu.

Just as a scholar from afar, upon hearing this poem by chance, would also admire and be moved, he wouldn't care too much about who Ning Yi was or whether the poem was written in his dream.

Life went on uneventfully. During this time, Li Mu ran into Nie Yunzhu by the river several times in the early morning, and they would exchange simple greetings and chat for a few words.

Occasionally, when passing by her small house, through the open kitchen window, you might see her in the kitchen on one side of the house, either starting a fire or chopping vegetables. Or you might see her carrying a wooden basin to the river to pour water or wash clothes.

That afternoon, it was a bit chilly. After the students left school, Li Mu also left the academy. Instead of going straight back to the Su family, he strolled along the path in front of him and unknowingly arrived at the nearby market.

It's a very lively place, with vendors selling vegetables and other goods everywhere, and many shops lining the street. However, it's too crowded and chaotic.

Li Mu turned to leave, but then glanced around and seemed to spot a familiar face – it was Nie Yunzhu.

She was dressed very simply, with no makeup on her face, and even looked somewhat ugly. She also had an old-fashioned headscarf wrapped around her head. She was standing in front of a small cart, seemingly selling pancakes.

Perhaps sensing Li Mu's gaze, Nie Yunzhu glanced in their direction, and their eyes met. She seemed a little embarrassed. Her current appearance, and the way she sold pancakes, were indeed quite different from the impression she had left on Li Mu in the past.

She wanted to lower her head and hide, but she also seemed unwilling to escape these things. She quickly adjusted her emotions, looked up, smiled at Li Mu, and waved to him generously.

"Young Master Ning, what brings you here?"

Li Mu walked over and smiled: "I just wandered around and ended up here."

Looking at the deserted area in front of the cart, which seemed to have little customer traffic, Li Mu said, "Your business isn't doing too well?"

Nie Yunzhu looked somewhat helpless: "Today is only the fourth day of setting up the stall. I don't know if it's because the taste is bad or because there are no customers, but I haven't been able to sell many items in a day."

He picked up a pancake and said, "Young Master Ning, if you don't mind, please try it."

Li Mu didn't stand on ceremony. He took the pancake wrapped in oilcloth paper, took a small bite, and found it to be just average.

Nie Yunzhu stared at him nervously and asked, "Young Master Ning, what do you think of the taste?"

Li Mu laughed and asked, "Tell the truth?"

Nie Yunzhu said, "Yunzhu will naturally listen to the young master's honest words!"

Li Mu said, "The taste is ordinary, nothing special."

Nie Yunzhu's expression was somewhat somber: "It seems we'll need to study this for a few more days."

Li Mu said, "Don't be discouraged. When we have time, I'll tell you about a snack that uses pancakes. You can study it and maybe it will become a big seller."

Nie Yunzhu didn't care much, taking it as Li Mu comforting her. Indeed, scholars in ancient times didn't even know where the kitchen door was, so how could they possibly name any best-selling snacks?

However, his attitude remained sincere: "Thank you, Young Master Ning."

After chatting for a couple more minutes, and still seeing no customers, Li Mu asked curiously, "This place isn't close to your home. Isn't there a market over there? Why did you come all this way to set up your stall?"

Nie Yunzhu said, "You know my girl, Hu Tao, right?"

Li Mu said, "It's that girl of yours who was sick, the one you killed a chicken to make soup for. Is she better now?"

Nie Yunzhu said, "It started to feel better around the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it was completely healed a few days ago."

Li Mu said, "That's good!"

Nie Yunzhu pointed to a house in the distance and said, "As for why we set up a stall so far away, Erniu, who sells vegetables over there, and Hu Tao are in love. I brought Hu Tao here to set up a stall so that the two of them can spend more time together."

Li Mu nodded: "It's Hu Tao's good fortune to be your maid. Why didn't Hu Tao come to the stall with you?"

Nie Yunzhu said, "Hu Tao was originally with me, but Er Niu came over just now, so I asked them to buy some rice and flour. I deliberately gave them a lot of extra things, since it's a walk from here to the East Market, so they could have more time alone..."

Next, Li Mu ate the pancake in his hand while listening to Nie Yunzhu ramble on about her experiences setting up a stall over the past few days, occasionally interjecting a few words.

After a while, even though Li Mu slowed down, he still finished the pancake in his hand. During this time, the pancake stall remained deserted, showing how slow business was.

Li Mu glanced at the sky and saw that it was getting late: "It seems business is over for today. Let's pack up and go."

Nie Yunzhu hesitated and said, "Let's wait a little longer. Maybe we can sell a few more. Besides, this cart... is a bit heavy. It'll be a struggle for Hu Tao and me to push it..."

As they were talking, they suddenly felt a cool sensation on their face, and the next moment, fine rain began to fall.

Watching the crowds disperse in all directions at the market, Nie Yunzhu paused, then took out an oil-paper umbrella from under the cart. Unfortunately, there was only one; there were two people there.

After hesitating for a moment, he handed over the oil-paper umbrella: "Young Master Ning, it's raining. Please take this umbrella."

Li Mu glanced around: "It's raining, and there aren't many people at the market. It's time to pack up and close up. But your little cart..."

Nie Yunzhu said with some distress, "I'll wait for Hu Tao to come back, and then we'll push the cart home together."

Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "How about I take you back?"

Nie Yunzhu was somewhat surprised: "Young Master Ning, you're giving this away?"

Li Mu said, "It's just a few more steps, what's wrong with that?"

Nie Yunzhu hesitated and said, "But...Young Master Ning...you are a scholar, and a famous talent in Jiangning. You should pay attention to your appearance. What kind of scholar would do this..."

Li Mu laughed and said, "Miss Yunzhu, in my heart you have always been a girl who dares to think and act, and is straightforward and open-minded. Why do you care about these things? Besides, we are friends! What's wrong with helping each other out?"

A touch of emotion appeared on Nie Yunzhu's face: "Then...then Yunzhu will not refuse, thank you Young Master Ning."

As she spoke, she saw that Li Mu had already started pushing the cart and hurried over to help, but Li Mu waved her hand to stop her. The cart was like a toy in his hands, and he didn't need anyone's help.

"Are you using an umbrella?"

Nie Yunzhu hesitated for a moment, but when she saw that Li Mu was indeed relaxed, she breathed a sigh of relief. She then hurriedly ran to the entrance of the pastry shop next door and asked an old lady to leave a message for Hu Tao.

He then jogged to catch up with Li Mu, held the oil-paper umbrella over their heads, and walked side by side.

We walked and chatted along the way, and the topic of setting up a stall came up again.

Li Mu laughed and said, "It depends on the situation. Hu Tao will be getting married soon. Once Hu Tao leaves, you'll be all alone, and you won't even be able to push your little cart when you go out to set up a stall."

Nie Yunzhu looked troubled: "We can only take it one step at a time. We can't let Hu Tao not get married because of this."

Li Mu said, "You're lucky to have found a walnut stall."

Nie Yunzhu sighed, "A couple of years ago, I did think the two sisters would depend on each other for survival. But now that she has found her own place to belong, I am happy for her."

"To be honest, when she first got together with Erniu, she didn't dare to tell me. She was worried that I wouldn't be able to take care of myself, so she refused to marry me. It was Erniu who mustered up the courage to propose, and that's how I found out about their relationship. Over the years, I've long treated her like my own sister. Now that she has found a good match, I don't want to burden her because of me."

The two walked along, chatting idly in the light drizzle, like a young couple running a small stall together to supplement their income.

The man was gentle and refined, the woman tall and beautiful. They were a harmonious and loving couple.

After a while, Nie Yunzhu suddenly said, "Young Master Ning, your poem 'Prelude to Water Melody' is truly excellent. It's sung by so many people in Jiangning City!"

Li Mu smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Yunzhu. However, Yunzhu, your musical skills are also excellent. I would like to ask you for guidance sometime."

What Li Mu said was true. He had passed by the small building many times and heard Nie Yunzhu playing the zither, and her skill was quite profound.

Nie Yunzhu said, "Young Master Ning, you are too kind. Yunzhu will be at your service at any time."

After chatting for a while, Nie Yunzhu seemed to have made a decision. She gritted her teeth before speaking: "Actually, Yunzhu's musical skills were also learned at the Golden Phoenix Pavilion in her early years..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Li Mu and saw that his expression was normal. He seemed unconcerned about her experience at Jin Feng Lou, and there was no contempt or strangeness in his eyes. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although she was innocent, her time at the Golden Phoenix Pavilion was a stain that no one could ignore.

Originally, she was a daughter of an official family, but when she was ten years old, her father committed a crime and she was forced into prostitution.

A few years ago, she was one of the most popular courtesans at Jin Feng Lou. Although she sold her art but not her body, her skills in playing the zither, singing, poetry, calligraphy and painting were all superb. However, because she had her own plans and did not compete or fight for anything, she was never the most popular.

Even when the courtesan selection was held on the Qinhuai River, she refused to participate, and as a result, her fame never reached the top.

Two years ago, he saved enough money to redeem himself and his maid Hu Tao from their servitude, and bought a two-story house by the Qinhuai River, where they settled down.

Unlike other women, some of them, even after redeeming themselves, would not completely leave this circle. They would still be invited to poetry gatherings attended by talented men and beautiful women, unless they got married.

Nie Yunzhu was different. She almost completely cut off contact with her previous circle of friends, and later, in order to make a living, she only took on some part-time work teaching music.

However, teaching music doesn't earn much, so I have to find other ways to make a living.

Nie Yunzhu briefly recounted her past experiences, then sighed and said, "When I first left Jin Feng Lou, I knew nothing and couldn't do anything except tinker with handkerchiefs and insoles. I stumbled along like that for two years, and in order to make a living, I had to do some work in the modern world."

"Hu Tao learned a bit about pancakes and other snacks when we were at Jin Feng Lou, which is why we decided to start with this. We plan to expand later by selling tea and pastries, which should be enough to keep us afloat."

……

The two chatted all the way and soon returned to the small building by the Qinhuai River. Nie Yunzhu opened the door, and following her directions, he parked the cart in the low shed on the side of the building before entering the two-story building.

This was Li Mu's first time entering. Although the two had known each other for a long time, they had only greeted each other or chatted briefly before, and had never entered the interior of the small building.

The interior is quite simple and elegant, with not too many items, making it appear very clean.

The first visit from a member of the opposite sex seemed to make Nie Yunzhu a little flustered. She ran to get some snacks to serve her guest, only to realize that she had already finished them a few days ago and had been reluctant to buy more.

He wanted to make tea, but found there was no hot water. He was about to boil some water, but Li Mu persuaded him to give up.

While there was nothing else to do, Li Mu also talked about the snack he mentioned. Actually, it wasn't anything special; it was just a common jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) in later generations.

Nie Yunzhu sells pancakes, which are almost identical to the ready-made Jianbing Guozi. Just add some crispy fried dough sticks, some vegetables, an egg or fried meat, brush on some sauce, and wrap them up.

Nie Yunzhu was an extremely intelligent woman, and with her experience selling pancakes at her stall these past few days, Li Mu explained the specific steps to her, and Nie Yunzhu immediately understood.