"What's the world like outside the Great Wall?" The girl looked at Dudian curiously and said, "Is it really the boundless sea and the endless forest as the bards say?"
Dudian turned around and walked back into the pavilion, found a chair and sat down. He shrugged and said, "I've just been appointed as a scavenger and haven't been outside the Great Wall yet. However, there's definitely a sea, and there's definitely a forest too."
"How do you know?" Jenny followed him into the pavilion and sat on the chair opposite the tea table, looking puzzled. "Didn't you say you haven't been outside the Great Wall?"
Dudian suddenly thought of the Earth in his memory, the blue sea, the forest he had seen, and many beautiful sceneries. He felt a bit sad and murmured, "I've seen them, so of course I know."
"You've seen them?" Jenny said in surprise. "Where did you see them?"
Dudian came back to his senses and realized he had let something slip. He quickly said, "I saw them in the bards' poems. But I believe those things definitely exist. Otherwise, where did the bards get to know about them? It can't be just their imagination, right?"
"You think so too?" Jenny was a bit delighted. "That's exactly what I think. But my father always says that those are all made up by the bards and don't exist in reality at all. Even if they do, they definitely aren't outside the Great Wall. He also said that it's very dangerous outside the Great Wall. Is that true?"
Dudian thought that most likely her father was afraid that her curiosity would be too strong and she would secretly go to the Great Wall to peek at the outside world. He said, "There is indeed danger."
"Is it really that dangerous?" A hint of disappointment appeared in Jenny's eyes.
Seeing her dejected look, Dudian suddenly felt that he had personally extinguished a beautiful hope and felt a bit sorry. He said, "However, although there is danger, it doesn't mean there aren't the sea and the forest. I believe that one day, the danger outside the Great Wall will disappear, and we'll be able to go out and see the mountains and the sea, and go wherever we want."
Jenny's face immediately lit up. "Really?"
"Really!" Dudian said firmly.
Jenny showed a happy smile and said, "I think so too. I've told my father about it before, but he always asks me to give up such thoughts and says that the outside of the Great Wall is an ominous place. Except for special people like you, everyone else is prohibited from setting foot there."
Dudian smiled slightly and didn't say anything.
"I really want to see what's outside the Great Wall!" Jenny's face was full of longing. Suddenly, she thought of something, turned her head to look at Dudian, and said, "Since it's so dangerous outside the Great Wall, why did you become a scavenger and go outside the Great Wall?"
Dudian thought, I should ask you nobles about that. However, seeing that she was still young and obviously hadn't been involved in noble politics yet, he said, "There's no special reason. Maybe, just like you, I want to see what's outside the Great Wall."
Jenny looked at him with a hint of admiration on her face. "You're so amazing. We're the same age, but you're much braver than me."
Dudian smiled. "Because I'm a boy."
Hearing this, Jenny couldn't help but blush. She secretly glanced at Dudian. Seeing that he didn't notice her shy expression, she felt a bit relieved, but her heart beat slightly faster. She thought, How can I be alone with a boy in the garden? If my father finds out, he'll definitely teach me a lesson.
Thinking of this, she immediately prepared to lift her skirt and stand up to say goodbye to Dudian.
Dudian saw that she didn't say anything for a long time and thought he had said something wrong. He said, "Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to discriminate against women. There are quite a few girls among us scavengers. However, I think you should still listen to your father. It's really dangerous outside the Great Wall. When it's cleared in the future, you'll be able to see the outside world sooner or later. Moreover, I believe that day won't be too far away!"
By the faint moonlight, Jenny looked at the serious and confident expression on this boy's face and couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. She blurted out, "Really?"
"Yeah!" Dudian nodded affirmatively.
Hearing his firm words, Jenny seemed to be infected as well. She said firmly, "I believe you!"
Dudian smiled slightly and said, "I believe in myself too."
Jenny couldn't help but giggle. The thought of getting up and leaving earlier had long since vanished. After laughing, she said, "You know, my dream is to become a 'Divine Official'. Although Divine Officials can't go outside the Great Wall either, at least they can judge all the bad people inside the Great Wall. I believe that when there are no more bad people in the world and everyone works together, we'll be able to eliminate the danger outside the Great Wall soon."
Dudian smiled and said, "So you're studying the law?"
"Of course." Jenny smiled, showing a proud expression.
Dudian laughed and said, "I've studied the law too."
Jenny said in surprise, "You've studied the law?"
"Self-taught." Dudian added.
"Do you want to become a Divine Official too?"
"Yeah, and my goal is as great as yours!"
"Great? Heehee... That's right, our goals are both great!"
"How old are you this year?"
"I've just turned eleven."
"I'll be twelve soon."
As the night grew deeper, in the pavilion in the manor, the two of them became more and more engrossed in their conversation. They didn't notice how quickly time passed. It was as if they had an endless stream of things to talk about. They found common ground in their hobbies, ages, and views on things, as if they had found kindred spirits.
"One has no ears, one has no tail, heehee..." Jenny bent over with laughter, clutching her stomach. She completely forgot to maintain her noble demeanor and said, "What kind of strange song is this? Such a strange tune. It's so funny, heehee..."
Dudian spread his hands and said, "It's a children's song."
Jenny giggled again. She thought that there couldn't be such a strange children's song. It would probably scare the children. However, with such strange lyrics and a simple tune, it seemed that there was no other explanation except that it was a children's song.
Just as Dudian was about to tell a few more children's songs, he suddenly felt a mosquito bite his wrist. He slapped it with his backhand and killed it. Only then did he come to his senses and couldn't help but look back in the direction of the banquet hall.
Seeing his action, Jenny also reacted and secretly thought it was bad. She quickly lifted her skirt and stood up, saying to Dudian, "I have to go back now. Otherwise, my father will be very angry if he can't find me."
Dudian was just about to go back too and said, "You go first. I'll go later to avoid being seen if we go together."
Jenny couldn't help but blush. She turned around and ran out of the pavilion. Suddenly, she thought of something, turned back, and said, "You just said that you've heard a lot of nice poems. I like poems too. Can you give me one?"
Dudian was taken aback. Without the cover of the pavilion, the moonlight shone on her face. At that moment, he suddenly thought she was as beautiful as an elf, almost unreal. His heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "No problem." As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake and immediately regretted it. All the poems he had heard were Tang poems, which were classical Chinese poems and completely different in style from the poems in this world.
Suddenly, he thought of the modern poem that his sister often recited. He immediately chanted softly:
How can I let you meet me
At my most beautiful moment. For this
I have begged the gods for five hundred years
Begged them to let us have a worldly connection
So the gods turned me into a tree
Growing by the path you must pass by
...
Dudian remembered that this poem was called "A Flowering Tree". In the poem, the "Buddha" was changed to "god" by him. After all, the beliefs in this world were the Holy See of Light and the Father God, and there was no Buddhism.
Hearing the lines that Dudian softly recited, Jenny was immediately stunned. After a while, she came to her senses. Her face turned bright red, and she turned around and fled along the path, disappearing into the darkness.