The Blind Lady and the Mute Maid

When Ah Qiu was eleven years old, he was sold into the Xiao Mansion as a slave by his father. Miss Yan Ran of the Xiao family was born blind, and Xiao's mother ordered everyone who served her to become mute. In order to get an extra piece of ocean compensation, Aqiu resolutely drank dumb soup. Xiao Yanran likes A Qiu, a playmate of similar age. She would let Aqiu hold her hand and explore the house; she would sing to Aqiu under the moonlight, or share a snack together. Even though Aqiu couldn't respond to her in words, she still enjoyed it. Five years have passed. Xiao's father and Xiao's mother died of sudden illness one after another. Many uncles swarmed in and greedily divided up the Xiao family's property. Aqiu overheard that these relatives had begun to plot against Xiao Yanran, intending to assassinate her and then fake it into an accident. Ah Qiu was shocked and fled with Xiao Yanran overnight. Xiao Yanran was homeless, lonely, and despaired of all hope. Aqiu forged a letter, falsely claiming that the Xiao family had arranged a marriage with her cousin's family in Peiping, encouraging Xiao Yanran to go find her fiancé, and giving her a hope of living. So the two depended on each other and embarked on a long road to find relatives and escape. Along the way, they escaped from the hands of bandits; they also hugged and kept warm in cave dwellings sealed by heavy snow; they encountered evil-hearted human traffickers, and even received a bowl of hot porridge from a kindhearted person when they were desperate. The two gradually understood each other's feelings, and when they were about to clarify their desires, they were forced to separate due to a strange combination of circumstances... ---------- The patient and calm mute maid x the delicate and gentle blind lady Overlooking the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period HE 2021.10.14 Intention: Don't bow your head in adversity, cherish the beauty in front of you