Chapter 33 Nightlife:

“Yes, it’s outside,” Shen Bingsi nodded. “Do you want to move inside?”

Rong Xie was both amused and exasperated; Shen Bing Si was always remarkably oblivious to the sense of shame that most people possessed.

"Oh, you mean outside," he finally understood, then asked in return, "Doesn't cultivation happen outside?"

Rong Xie was taken aback, his ears burning again: "Outside... do we still need to cultivate?"

Rong Xie thought that the purpose of this trip was to relax. Having just experienced the rumors, even someone like Shen Bingsi who disregards others' opinions had suffered a great loss. She must have been under a lot of pressure and needed to unwind.

This was especially true for Rong Xie.

It can be said that one reason for agreeing to come out this time was to find a place to stay, another reason was to avoid close contact with Shen Bingsi, and the palm leaf scripture was just a trigger.

Unexpectedly, he had oversimplified the situation.

“Of course, cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you fall behind,” Shen Bingsi said.

As he spoke, he grabbed Rong Xie's hand and led him into the courtyard. "Are you all ready? Such beautiful weather is perfect for strolling around the streets. Stop getting ready, let's go!"

Rong Xie was still worrying about what to do to sleep that night when Shen Bingsi led him outside onto the street. When he came to his senses, he was surrounded by the bustling street scene of Shengjing.

He had always thought he disliked crowds, but standing in the middle of the main street, surrounded by a constant flow of people, with laughter and cheerful voices filling his ears, and the warm sunshine on his body, he felt no disgust whatsoever.

There was a certain joy in it.

He felt Shen Bingsi's hand grip his through her sleeve, pulling him in one direction. He looked up and saw Shen Bingsi diligently parting the crowd.

Rong Xie followed behind Shen Bingsi, crossing the crowded street like crossing a river, and came to the other side of the main street, entering a small alley.

Shen Bingsi was very familiar with Shengjing and wandered freely through the back streets and alleys. Rong Xie let him pull her along, looking up at the small two-story buildings that were almost joined together on both sides of the alley. The sunlight was blocked by wine flags, signs and windowsills decorated with various flowers and utensils, with only a few rays falling down.

Sometimes, you have to bend over to get through those low windowsills; other times, you turn into a more orderly and wide alley, where weeping willows line both sides, concealing the red gates of some mansion. The bluestone slabs on the ground are swept spotless, and the faint sound of reading can be heard from inside the walls.

"arrive!"

Shen Bingsi slowed her pace.

Stepping out of the alley, the view opens up.

Rong Xie first saw a white stone railing extending along the street. This street seemed particularly wide, and there was another white stone railing on the opposite side... When he realized what it was, he could already see the flowing water under the railing, and two simple and ancient clerical characters engraved on the white stone arch bridge: Cu Yu.

Shenyang is surrounded by eight major rivers, and Cuyu is just a branch of one of them. Because it runs through the capital, it has become the most famous one. The river water is like the finest Tianyu jade. On a sunny day, looking down from the riverside railing, you can see emerald green patterns like jade textures. Against the backdrop of the white stone riverbed and railings, it exudes the elegance of the capital and is a sight to behold.

Rong Xie had visited Shengjing before and had toured this river, but it was nothing special.

Shen Bingsi wanted to take him to experience the newly opened cruise activities on the Cuyu River. Because of the high price, it blocked a large number of tourists who wanted to watch the excitement. The nobles in the capital also disdained such public activities. At present, there were several empty boats at the dock, and only one boat was rocking in the middle of the river.

"This boat is nice. I've been thinking about it ever since I saw it last time. I heard that one trip can take you to see almost all the sights in the south of the city. You get off at Guangji Temple in the southeast corner of the city and then take a car back."

In the capital, not just anyone could ride in a carriage; many roads prohibited carriages and horses from traveling together, which gives you an idea of ​​how expensive this project was.

Rong Xie thought this was probably a project specifically designed to fleece wealthy merchants from other regions. After all, the palace had huge expenses, and they needed to increase revenue. It was better to fleece wealthy merchants from other regions than to exploit the people.

Rong Xie really wanted Shen Bingsi to just give him the cash directly, and then they could just take a walk along the riverbank and that would be it. But Shen Bingsi's expression was like that of a little black lamb waiting for feed, staring at him with her big, watery black eyes. Rong Xie couldn't bear to refuse her.

“Okay,” he said.

Shen Bingsi immediately jumped down to pay the fare. The boatman brought him a boat with a sunshade. He turned around to look for Rong Xie, but found that Rong Xie was gone.

"Huh? Where did they go?"

Shen Bingsi went up the steps again and saw Rong Xie standing in front of a shop by the roadside, asking someone inside something.

"Thank you!" Shen Bingsi exclaimed.

Rong Xie turned around, smiled at Shen Bingsi, thanked the people inside, and then walked across the street.

"What are you asking?" Shen Bingsi grabbed Rong Xie's hand. "There are too many people here, don't wander around."

Rong Xie smiled again but didn't say anything.

A short while later, the two boarded a cruise ship and drifted on the Cuyu River, with the street scenes on both sides unfolding one after another.

The more Shen Bingsi thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong.

What are you doing at the brokerage?

Brokerage firms were intermediaries that facilitated negotiations between buyers and sellers. In places like Shengjing, where commerce was highly developed, brokerage firms of all sizes, both official and private, were ubiquitous.

The place Rong Xie went to was a large real estate brokerage firm that specialized in real estate transactions.

"I'm curious about the property prices around here," Rong Xie said with a smile. "You'll be honest once you ask."

"You want to buy property here?" Shen Bingsi asked in surprise. "Haven't you always disliked places outside of Huanxue Manor?"

"It's just out of curiosity," Rong Xie said. "The surrounding environment is nice. I see large houses and small courtyards in those alleys. It's quiet amidst the hustle and bustle, and there's a market nearby, making it convenient to buy groceries and other necessities."

“Yes, there are also calligraphy workshops, opera houses, and teahouses nearby, so there are plenty of activities.” Shen Bingsi smiled as well.

“Shen Er understands me best. A calligraphy workshop would be enough for me to live in. It’s a pity I don’t have enough money.” Rong Xie shook his head.

“They don’t accept spirit stones here; you need to exchange them for silver notes, which is a bit of a hassle.” Shen Bingsi hesitated for a moment, not saying “If you want it, I’ll buy you a house,” not because she was short of money, but because—Rong Xie was living in Shengjing, what would he do?

People shouldn't create trouble for themselves.

Of course, most importantly, they also need to cultivate together, and in order to cultivate, they also need to live together.

Around 5 PM, the boat arrived at Renji Temple. The two men looked at the temple stele in front of the gate and laughed for a while. It was a pity that Fang Renji was not there, otherwise they could have teased him again.

Shen Bingsi went to the donation area in front of the temple and got a note, intending to give it to Fang Renji when she got back, thus solving a small travel gift problem.

As dusk fell, the food stalls at the southeast city gate were set up. Amidst the swirling smoke, the stall owners practiced ventriloquism and performed various call-out songs to attract customers. Shen Bingsi would peek into each stall as she passed by, and would loudly call the owner over to ask what was selling best.

Rong Xie tugged at the fabric around Shen Bingsi's elbow, pulling him out from among the smelly, dirty makeshift tables and chairs: "We're not eating here, we're going back to eat."

"The Southeast Gate Night Market is an essential part of Shengjing's nightlife experience."

“What kind of nightlife is this? Isn’t there a curfew at 9 PM?” Rong Xie pulled him and lowered his voice. “It’s too dirty here. We can’t eat here. Didn’t I tell you to eat at proper restaurants and not street stalls?”

Shen Bingsi eventually obeyed and rode back to Fanshige with Rong Xie.

After dinner, Shen Bingsi asked the restaurant staff about the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The assembly would be held in three days, and a high-ranking Dharma Master would be in charge for the first three days, so there would be a large number of participants. If they wanted to go, it would be best to wait until the first three days were over and there were fewer people, otherwise they would only see a sea of ​​heads.

“Then we’ll wait a bit,” Rong Xie said.

"Alright," Shen Bingsi nodded. "Is there anywhere else around Shengjing you'd like to go?"

“Nothing special…” Rong Xie pondered. “I’ve heard that many literati and scholars live in the surrounding mountains, as well as some Taoist temples and hermitages. I’d like to visit those places.”

Shen Bingsi frowned: "What's so interesting about those places? They're just a bunch of poor, unsuccessful scholars pretending to be Taoist priests or hermits, hoping that high-ranking officials in the capital will take a look at them. If you want to see something interesting, you might as well look at the villas of princes and nobles; those are more interesting."

"Have you been to see it?" Rong Xie perked up.

“Let alone the villas of princes and nobles,” Shen Bingsi laughed, “I’ve even been to the inner palace, though only at night.”

Rong Xie gasped.

"Do you want to go? There'll be no one outside after curfew. I'll take you," Shen Bingsi said.

"No, no," Rong Xie waved his hands repeatedly.

Shen Bingsi heard that there were no activities that evening, so she went to the inner room to take a shower.

Rong Xie was still figuring out how to reasonably go to the mountains to look at houses.

Before he knew it, he was sprawled out on the bed, holding a copy of "The Splendor of Shengjing"—a collection of miscellaneous notes about the sights and attractions of Shengjing—that he carried in his brocade pouch and began to read it with great interest.

The mountainous areas surrounding Shengjing, though called mountainous, are actually flat-topped plateaus. Many villages are built on these plateaus, with fields and houses nestled among the trees, where the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, just like a paradise.

Those places are far from the secular world, yet not completely uninhabited, and have beautiful scenery, making them ideal for building villas. The current Grand Secretary built the famous Lanyuan Villa in Lanyuan.

Rong Xie had already begun to fantasize about walking on the Blue Plain...

Suddenly, a damp, steaming hand reached out from the top of the book, pinched the spine with three fingers, and plucked the book away like picking cotton.

Rong Xie: ?

Immediately afterwards, Rong Xie felt the bed sink as Shen Bingsi squeezed onto him.

Shen Bingsi wore only a towel around his waist, and his body was still wet. The muscles in his shoulders and back were clearly defined, and his broad shoulder line pressed down as if he wanted to pull Rong Xie into his arms.

With one hand in front of him, he held up the newly acquired "Records of the Splendor of Shengjing," while his other arm reached behind Rong Xie's back, his fist resting on the sheet on the other side of Rong Xie's body. His chin passed over Rong Xie's ear, and he turned his head slightly, asking, "What's so interesting about this?"

Rong Xie was like a startled quail, not daring to move. He didn't expect Shen Bing Si to suddenly get so close, their faces almost touching.

Shen Bingsi turned the pages of the book with his thumb, and he actually started reading: "Wow, there really are so many tourist attractions in the outskirts of Beijing... What is this? I've never heard of it before... Could it be made up?"

Rong Xie suddenly felt unsure where to put his arm, which was neatly placed at his side. If he moved it slightly back, he would touch Shen Bing Si's body. He had just glanced at it and saw that it was her deeply defined abdomen, and below that was... the loose towel hanging down there.

"...So where do you want to go? Do you have any ideas?" Shen Bingsi asked.

"Hmm?" Rong Xie blurted out, "Blue... Blue Plain."

“Lanyuan? That’s fine. We can stop by Xiangji Temple on the way and ask about the Dharma assembly.” Shen Bingsi nodded in Rong Xie’s ear and rubbed her cheek against his ear.

Rong Xie wanted to dismiss these small actions as unintentional, but Shen Bing Si wouldn't let him off the hook. After throwing away the book, she still kept hugging him from behind without touching him directly.

"Do you know why nobles and royalty are willing to build villas on the Blue Plain?" Shen Bingsi asked.

"Hmm...?" Rong Xie's mind was in a mess, and he couldn't process it at all.

“Because there are several dragon veins beneath this capital city, and Lanyuan is the head of one of them. Imperial mausoleums have been built on the other ones.” Shen Bingsi chuckled. “This is a closely guarded secret of the Great Xia royal family, and it’s not recorded in any books.”

"Is that so?" Rong Xie felt that he might have misunderstood; Shen Bing Si really was talking to him about the feng shui of the capital.

“Dragon veins are actually a special kind of earth vein… They exude strong fortune, nourishing the people on the earth veins, including us. We’ve heard that it’s easier to succeed on earth veins, and we’ve been preparing for so long,” Shen Bingsi said. “So, shall we try again?”

"What?"

"Dual cultivation".

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[doge emoji]