Chapter 7

Su Si settled the bill with the innkeeper and waited until Li Rong had finished saying goodbye before approaching to ask. "What did you just say, young master?" Li Rong was still reflecting on the previous discussion when Su Si interrupted him to explain, "It's just some lectures and apprenticeships, and it's hard to see any progress. I'll allow you to spend more money for the next few days and eat whatever you want. In three days, pack your bags and prepare to travel day and night to Linyi."

Su Si didn't ask any more questions, but simply took note of his master's arrangement and prepared to bargain with the driver in the next few days. Li Rong returned to the inn first, so he went to the dim sum shop alone and waited in line. For several days in a row, he brought back one or two fat crabs after going out, but let's not talk about it for now.

Li Rong returned to the inn and took out a piece of silk cloth to write down the conclusion he had just heard. He felt that it was a rare opportunity, so he wrote it down in detail. He was afraid that he would forget the residence of the great scholar, so he wrote it down in detail and waited for his departure in two or three days.

Since the rain in Jinling, he hadn't experienced another autumn rain in the few days he'd been in Xuzhou. Xuzhou had been drenched in rain, falling for two days straight. Fewer pedestrians were carrying umbrellas than usual, and shopkeepers placed wooden buckets under their eaves to catch the constant dripping water. It was as if autumn had finally arrived in the city after this rain. Su Si, for once, took a break from his work, but he warned that if the rain continued, their journey to Linyi would be delayed even further.

Li Rong had spent the past few days quietly sorting out his doubts. He sat at his table, half-closed the window, sipping hot tea, letting the autumn breeze scatter the flickering firelight. He had gradually grown accustomed to the spiciness of Xuzhou cuisine, often enjoying a side of soup to satisfy his appetite. As he reflected, he realized that Xuzhou, in fact, had been influenced by the customs of the south of the Yangtze River, slowly blending with the rich cultural atmosphere of the region itself. Within this orderly and orderly environment, there was a sense of peace and tranquility where everyone could rely on their own resources.

This tranquility, rooted in the same vein as those found in Suzhou and Jinling, was nurtured by fertile soil and water, fused with a cultural atmosphere, and gradually settled into a peaceful state within this age-old city. This tranquility, while not obscuring the presence of the great sages from Pengcheng to Xuzhou, is deeply connected to the origins of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, fostering a culture of lively discussion in taverns and nurturing a simple, unpretentious lifestyle.

The autumn rain fell steadily, bringing a chill. Li Rong put away his inkstone, packed his bags, and sat quietly listening to the rain. At home, when it rained heavily, his father would often find time to stay home and play a game of chess with him. This was the most relaxing time for him and his father. Unburdened by the demands of officialdom or the profits and losses of the family business, they could just sit in the pavilion and listen to the heavy rain. They would place their chess pieces, wrestle with each other, and brew a pot of hot tea, its astringent aroma wafting through the rain. He and his father ignored the clock and sat there until the final victory or defeat.

As he got older, he was able to improve his chess skills and no longer lost to his father. In recent years, his father had been busy with the store business and the transportation of goods. Suddenly, he remembered this incident and realized that he had not played chess with his father for a long time.

Thoughts raced, and the sound of rain gradually grew louder. He savored the cooling, warm tea melting in the rain; it was a rare moment of true peace. The tranquility nurtured by nature reminds one of one's true heart. Li Rong no longer worried about the possibility of his study trip being interrupted for a few days. Waking up, he brewed tea, listened to the rain, and reflected on his true heart.

He was also delighted to have found the traces of a great scholar; at last he had a place to study and seek a teacher. As for his talent, only time would tell. Su Si, however, was restless. After two days of heavy rain, he'd gone out under an umbrella and wandered the city. Occasionally, he'd run into fishermen still hauling their nets by the river, and would trade copper coins for shrimp and crabs he'd have steamed for his meals.

Fortunately, the heavy rain in Xuzhou only lasted two or three days, and then it cleared up again. Su Si had agreed with the driver that the muddy roads would allow them to reach Linyi in just one day. Li Rong went out with Su Si to buy rations and other supplies for the journey. After calculating their silver balance, they found they had enough. Only after the clear skies did Xuzhou begin to feel the coolness of autumn. At sunset, the cries of geese flying south could be heard. The swollen river brought more people fishing, and the hawking on the long street became even louder.

They packed their bags, and the driver waited outside the inn. It was midday, the sun still glaring. Li Rong climbed into the carriage, and Su Si, as usual, chatted with the driver outside the curtains. He lifted the curtains and watched the carriage slowly leave Xuzhou. The sounds of street vendors, the shrimp and crabs struggling in their nets, and the spicy aroma of Xuzhou cuisine all faded away.

He experienced Xuzhou's more peaceful tranquility, stumbling upon a path to enlightenment there, and found peace and tranquility amidst the days of torrential rain. The wheels churned, the horses' hooves clattered through the still-wet mud of the city as they bid farewell to Xuzhou. Li Rong lowered the carriage curtain, closed his eyes for a rest, and then dug out the unresolved questions he had written down a few days earlier, waiting to embark on a journey through Linyi to seek a teacher and study.

He also believed he had taken a piece of Xuzhou's tranquility with him, transforming it into his own inner peace and character, slowly nurturing the teachings of sages, the way of officialdom, the way of nurturing the people, and his own personal principles of the gentleman he had learned from decades of studying bamboo scrolls. He had teased out a vague thread from the confusion he had felt in the south of the Yangtze River, waiting to hone his character through the remaining rivers. Regardless of success or failure, for him, it was still progress.

Xuzhou was less than two days' drive from Linyi, so they rested for about half an hour at a post station teahouse, as usual, before continuing on their journey. Following the Yi River, they arrived at Linyi. Considered a divided city during the previous dynasty, Linyi's city walls were newly built in the current era, with a bridge running down the middle to the main gate. The surging river water, tinged with a somewhat muddy yellow of sand, evoked Li Rong's carriage curtains to survey the newly constructed city. Compared to the cities they had previously visited, Linyi was populated primarily by locals, making in and out of the city smooth and convenient for both carriages and goods.

As usual, he searched for an inn. Li Rong didn't want to stay in Linyi for long, and just east of Linyi, over the mountains, was the place where the great scholar lived in seclusion. He was just stopping in the city for a while. Su Si naturally understood his son's intentions and went out to ask for directions and bought a local atlas to facilitate his journey.

Linyi's cuisine was more diverse, featuring shrimp and crab caught in the Hanoi area, and a fondness for wild vegetables gathered from outside the city walls for soup. The flavors were similar to those of Jiangnan, with most being light and mild, while others tended to be more spicy, making it more difficult for them to get used to than the food in Xuzhou.

Perhaps it was because of the heavy rain in Xuzhou that Linyi also experienced an autumn rain. Also, as they were gradually approaching the north, the autumn wind had already brought a chill. Li Rong had calculated the journey and planned to buy cotton-padded clothes and cloaks in the next city before heading east to find his teacher.

He undressed, lay on the couch, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. The fatigue of the journey swept him straight into sleep, but dreams were filled with bizarre things. He seemed to dream of Dai Xin's soup and A Niang and the others, or as if he were sitting among a group of students listening to sutras and teachings. He could hear the sound of flowing water rushing eastward, with a tinge of northern yellow, unlike the clear rivers of the south where you could see fish.

However, he had no thoughts since waking up. He straightened his clothes and tied his bag on his shoulders. Su Si had also finished washing up. They were going to walk across a small hill to the place where the great scholar lived to study and visit talented people.

It was still dark, the scattered lights of the city barely illuminating the long streets. Hoarfrost left traces of footsteps as Su Si and Li Rong walked together out of the city. The autumn wind rustled fallen leaves, and Li Rong could only discern the yellowing leaves drifting to the ground in the cool breeze, realizing the nearing arrival of the northern land.

The sun rose, and cocks crowed. The mist still hung in the forest outside the city. Li Rong, observing the atlas, discerned his direction and headed up the mountain. As if startled by birds, their clear chirps echoed in their ears. The path up the mountain, traversed by generations of woodcutters, led them up the winding path, each supporting the other.

Born in the Jiangnan water town, their movements were inevitably slow, and they were cautious as they climbed the mountain. By the time they reached the top, it was already past noon, so they sat down to rest, unpacked their dry food, and drank some water to fill their stomachs.

Li Rong massaged his aching hands and feet, easing the fatigue from the climb. Su Si, who was more lively, panted and called out in exhaustion, "Thank goodness you had the foresight. If you had left any later, I don't know when we would have arrived. This mountain road is really difficult to walk on."

An autumn breeze passed through the clouds, bringing a cool breeze. Li Rong stood up and could see the lush forests and the city of Linyi below. The geese flying southward flew in flocks, following the red sun. He sat down on the rocks on the top of the mountain again, and after regaining some strength, they supported each other and went down the mountain.

The path descending from the mountaintop seemed even steeper. The two men's clothes were ripped and scratched by the protruding branches, forcing them to break off branches for support. Even with the overwhelming fatigue, Li Rong felt a sense of relief. The hills south of the Yangtze River were usually covered with low-growing tea trees, and he had only ever crossed them by boat, drifting across the waters south of the Yangtze River. Now, climbing the mountain, nearing the northern tip, was a new experience for him. He and Su Si slowly made their way down the mountain path.

The mountain path was rugged and bumpy, but he pushed himself forward, the heat from his body soothed by the cool autumn breeze. It was as if, for a moment, he had a vague idea of ​​the path he was seeking, but he couldn't grasp that fleeting feeling, and he was no longer anxious to achieve it. Perhaps the path he sought was as continuous as the waters of the south of the Yangtze River, flowing from Luzhou all the way to Yangzhou, accessible to the people of different cities at any time, peaceful and abundant. He could only go upstream to find the source of living water. Perhaps the path he sought was as steep as the mountains of the north, winding and undulating enough to block out the clouds and the sun. He had no choice but to climb high and search with humility, hoping that one day he would finally catch a glimpse of it.

Li Rong gathered his thoughts. They were almost down the hillside when they could clearly see several houses nestled at the foot of the mountain before them. The salary he carried on his back had been collected by the innkeeper the previous night. He took out the silk cloth he had written down the place and read it carefully again, inevitably feeling a little hesitant.

Su Si paused, waiting for his young master to recover and continue on his way. Li Rong recalled Zhou Mingwei's earlier judgment; the words of the Great Dao still rang in his ears. He felt a little worried about his lack of courtesy and his inconvenience in disturbing him. He also felt a vague worry, worrying about whether his own path to the Dao would be successful...