The Verdant Green Maiden's expression did not change as she listened to Liu Yong's lament.
Liu Yong looked full of regret.
After all, a long poem by Bai Juyi was a treasure rarely found in a thousand years. If they could have obtained the complete poem, who knew how breathtaking it might have been?
They rowed the boat to shore, then stepped onto Xunyang Riverside.
Old Yellow Ox and Stubborn Donkey disembarked one after the other, each taking his place behind his master.
The Verdant Green Maiden mounted the ox and swayed gently as she rode ahead.
Liu Yong followed.
He did not mount the donkey. He merely led him.
Xunyang City was bustling.
The passersby were courteous and polite to outsiders like the Verdant Green Maiden and Liu Yong.
The Verdant Green Maiden looked around the streets, memories flickering through her eyes.
Nearly two hundred years had passed. The scenery along Xunyang Riverside was no longer what it had been, and the houses lining the streets looked even less familiar.
"The sights of old have vanished without a trace."
The Verdant Green Maiden spoke softly, her words barely more than a murmur.
The street ahead seemed lively.
The Verdant Green Maiden and Liu Yong went over to look. A woman was playing the pipa for money at the street corner, with a sizable crowd gathered around her.
"Huh?"
"Now there's something unusual!"
Liu Yong sounded puzzled.
The Verdant Green Maiden turned to him. "What's unusual about it?"
Liu Yong said, "The pipa is usually heard in places where people discuss poetry and the finer things in life. Failing that... the ladies in the pleasure quarters play it. This is the first time I've seen someone play the pipa for money on the street. She's quite skilled. I imagine even