Chapter 27: It's a pity we met too late
I haven't been this happy in a long time.
A rockery as tall as two people is carved out, forming a series of peaks and ridges. Following the path, orchids such as cymbidium, paphiopedilum, and dendrobium orchid lightly stretch out from the cracks in the rocks, and bloom with exotic flowers of different colors. The flowers are integrated into the scenery, showing the enchanting beauty of spring without any vulgarity. This garden was skillfully built by Bu Yibo. A single flower is a scene, and when combined with the branches hanging around the cracks in the rocks, it is another scene. Looking through the stone cave on the right, there is another scene. Butterflies fly through the flowers, and Yanru is in high spirits. She walks along the path built by the rockery, fanning herself to catch butterflies. The largest butterfly among them leads Yanru all the way. The sounds of stringed instruments, singing and dancing gradually become clearer. The guests drink and have fun, and the laughter of tossing pots and hiding hooks merges into a whole. The faint lyrics of the musicians' singing, mixed with the subtle fragrance of the flowers and plants in the garden, penetrate into people's ears and noses:
“Yuming New Pool Rain.
It’s sunny in Jinlu Pavilion.
Don’t stop singing and drinking when you are in love.
Look, even the heartless insects and ants have feelings.
The land rises from the shadows. Wind and flowers appear in the corners of the eyes.
Qi Xuan still has some fragments of the sutra to teach. He asks when the dream of the east wind will end.
Pink butterflies fluttered, leaving the path of orchids amidst the rockery and swooping down to a riot of vibrant blossoms, blending into the vibrant spring scenery of the garden. Looking up, a lush green enveloped a small pavilion by the water. A small potted orchid stood on the platform. In the pond, finger-sized golden fish gathered on the shore, waiting for visitors to feast on them. Three fan-shaped recesses were carved into the bluestone wall on the opposite bank. Within each frame, rock and small plants were arranged to depict scenes of plum, bamboo, and pine, creating three "scrolls" that changed with the seasons. Yanru belatedly realized she had arrived at the reception courtyard. Guests gathered in the front hall, while she remained in the back. There were few other people, save for a few maids in green serving wine and food. She leaned against the railing, pinched her fingers together, and spread them toward the water, mimicking the act of feeding. The fish, mistaking her for a prize, crowded the surface, their mouths wide open, eager to feed. She was so engrossed in the pleasure of playing with the small fish with her bare hands that she noticed three or four women approaching the platform from a distance, accompanied by a man dressed in silver brocade. She could easily count the number of people on one hand, and the women's expressions lacked any warmth or enthusiasm. Yet, the man, however, acted as if the women were treating him with such grandeur, like the moon surrounded by stars. Yanru came to her senses and looked at the newcomer. Although the blossoms and branches obscured her view, she felt a sense of familiarity in his figure and features. Curiosity drove her to stare, determined to uncover the truth.
As the traveler drew closer, the man's features revealed themselves: his eyebrows, like clipped fingernails, rested on a face the color of pigskin jelly, his nose a perfect match, two holes poked into the jelly. He must have struggled with the balance of his features; his mouth opened and closed unsteadily, while his eyebrows fidgeted, straining upwards to create three wrinkles on his forehead. Yanru was deeply shocked by this appearance; a face so ugly could be more unforgettable than a handsome one. She recalled—this man was Xue Jia, the man who had offered marriage to Yi Bin's family during a winter visit to Tiekan Temple.
Coincidentally, Xue Jia also discovered Yanru.
That day at Tiekan Temple on Qingxiu Mountain, he boasted of the Xue family's wealth, his ancestors' military achievements, and the protection afforded by the mighty tree of his adoptive father. He believed the Yi family's country bumpkins, hailing from the barren lands, would be eager to marry him. He treated the eldest daughter of the Yi family with arrogance and confidence, treating her maids and even her stunning lover as his own possessions, ready to flirt with them. However, his carelessness led to the loss of Jingzhou. To curry favor with his superiors, the Yi family's master promised his daughter to the Ma family, a family of three generations of high-ranking officials. He even had the audacity to reject the offer, dismissing him as frivolous and vulgar.
What the hell, that's bullshit! He's vulgar and frivolous? He's clearly a free-spirited, unconventional, and romantic young man! The Yi family had gone to great lengths to get their daughter a good price, even concocting this high-sounding excuse. This had earned him a stern rebuke from Madam Xue, forcing him to adopt the airs of a handsome, courteous, and Confucian gentleman. After several days of pretense, his adoptive father, having met him, was quite pleased. He sent him a letter, inviting him to attend today's banquet, a gathering of scholars, as a token of encouragement.
The banquet was overflowing with beauties, all of them from distinguished families, their grandfathers and fathers high in power, fabulously wealthy. Xue Jia, like a rat caught in a pool of oil, was happier than a cockroach in a granary. He refused to play chess with the male guests—after all, he couldn't do it. Instead, he transformed himself into a toad chasing a swan, fawning over the ladies, vowing to marry a genuine, high-ranking official's daughter to show the Yi family what the Xue family could do. Unfortunately, a saddled donkey with a plait couldn't become a genuine, Ferghana-style horse. Xue Jia, pretentiously dressed in gold and silver, imitated the aristocratic sons, wearing hairpins and jade, and wearing incense for an hour before leaving. But these three or four girls, as usual, looked down upon his superficial wealth and scorned him. Feeling awkward, he felt his face pressed against his buttocks, then caught sight of a single girl staring at him. Her confidence was like a pig's bladder, deflated by a few women, only to be quickly inflated by Yanru.
"Little guy, you've been charmed by me, haven't you?" Xue Jia decided to show off his prowess in front of the young ladies, proving that even if he spread his feathers like a peacock, someone would take the bait. He touched his face and rubbed his fingers—hmm, not bad, not too oily. He tossed his robe, half-raised his arm, and strode towards Yanru with a proud and confident look. "Miss, how's your makeup? You seem to be staring at me. What's the matter?"
As soon as she opened her mouth and spoke, the ugliness and stench of her words hit her face. Yanru was caught off guard, covering her nose with her fan and stepping back repeatedly. Xue Jia thought she was shy and couldn't help but feel happy. Her silence was also simply and crudely attributed to the reservedness of a girl. He looked left and right, and Yanru's outline seemed familiar. He simply said in a pretentious tone, "Hey, I always feel that this girl looks very familiar. I seem to have seen her in a painting somewhere?"
The girls behind him slowly stepped forward. One of them was Wang Yingxi, a master calligrapher. She said, "It's not surprising. The paintings in the front hall, by Master Ji Mingxiu, bear a striking resemblance to this girl. Especially the longest one in the middle, 'Parting with You,' where she's dressed in a cloak and holding a curtain. It's a vivid image before my eyes."
The blue-dressed woman to Wang Yingxi's left chimed in, "Yes, judging by the girl's appearance, she must be from Jinling. Could she be the legendary Miss You, the goddess of painting and calligraphy of Master Ji Mingxiu?"
My reputation has spread to the ears of these ladies from prominent families in the capital. Yanru was very proud and said, "It's me."
Xue Jia's eyes gleamed. Ji Mingxiu, that was a renowned master painter. This woman was his goddess of painting. If he could please her, wouldn't it be easy for him to connect with Ji Mingxiu and make him one of his connections? He would surely win praise from his adoptive father. He stood in awe of Yanru and introduced himself politely, "Excuse me, I just came up and started chatting with you. I haven't had time to introduce myself to you yet. I am the only son of the Xue family, given the single name Jia. My family currently runs a dyeing workshop, tends horses, and makes a living by dealing with merchants from the Western Regions."
Dyeing workshops, horse racing, and acquaintances with merchants from the Western Regions—I hadn't expected the guest to be so distinguished. Having Bu Yibo, a close friend of mine, and someone who knew wealthy merchants, this banquet was truly the right one. Yanru was overjoyed, and the other person's rough appearance became pleasing to her. She also forgot about his crude behavior at Tiekan Temple. "What a coincidence! My family in Jinling also has an embroidery studio, which is well-known throughout the area. I look forward to your guidance in the future, Master Xue."
Wang Yingxi, worried that Yanru might be entangled by Xue Jia, called his friends forward, hoping to find a chance to pull her away. However, Yanru smiled charmingly and chatted happily, enjoying herself immensely. Miss Wang, also a woman accustomed to the pleasures of the world, and, in a tacit understanding with her friends, quickly seized the opportunity to shake off Xue Jia and flee.
Yanru initially disliked the group of girls as an eyesore, but they tactfully left, which was exactly what she wanted. She invited Xue Jia to sit with her, and as the drifting tune drifted by, she recounted the stories she had recently shared with Bu Yibo about old times in Nanjing and studying in a foreign land. Where necessary, she added Zheng Sirui's success in the imperial examination, and a few bits of Liu Xiangna's tidbits, hinting that, as a close friend of the current female Jinshi, she must be a brilliant, well-read, and exceptionally gifted individual. Using the allure of "jade" to lure her, she learned from Xue Jia that he was a native of the capital, that his grandfather had been a general outside the Great Wall, and that his parents owned numerous businesses. They had returned to the capital in recent years to trade with the Western Regions, where they had amassed a vast collection of jewelry and antiques, successfully infiltrating the imperial nobility and becoming a prestigious imperial merchant.
He rattled off the story of the Xue family's rise to prominence, his tongue and teeth splattering with arrogance as he became excited. But his words were peppered with references to "thousands of taels of gold," "tens of thousands of taels of silver." The stench of money wasn't bad, and how could a conversation about wealth be unpleasant? Yanru relished the conversation, gradually lowering the fan she'd been covering her nose. The twinkling starlight of Liu Xiang's pipa playing filled her eyes—there was no way around it. Wealth was also a talent, even more so than Lang Yan's, truly worthy of the reputation of "unparalleled in the world."
"The mountains and rivers are a place where one can establish oneself. There are exquisite things beyond their kind. Ten thousand houses surround the star palace. A road leads to Huaili.
The red robes with tassels and the purple air of the dantai are another world.
Let's drink wine in front of the jade steps and celebrate the wind and clouds."
Strings and pipes played long and deep, and the musicians continued to sing. Perhaps it was the mellow sound of the music that made Yanru, who hadn't even touched a drop of wine, feel a little intoxicated. When Xue Jia told her that he still had millions of taels of silver to his name and was doing jewelry business outside the Great Wall, with a hundred sapphires from Persia, three hundred pairs of jade bracelets from Java, and two hundred gold and silver rings from Ceylon, Yanru felt dizzy. She let Xue Jia hold her slender jade fingers and said in a coquettish voice, "Master Xue, it's a pity that we met too late."
[Mumbling]: Today is the topic. At the banquet, the song sung by the musicians was "Nan Ke Meng", which hinted at Yanru's life.
Also, while the name "Tiekan Temple" comes from "Dream of the Red Chamber," the temple itself, along with Bu Yibo's Fan Garden, are modeled after real-life sites in the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area in Nanning. Admission is 20 yuan, and student ID is half-off. Everyone is welcome to visit Nanning this spring!
Finally, I still say that: everyone is welcome to leave a message + cast a recommendation vote, everyone's interaction is the biggest motivation for updates. This story is purely fictional, and I hope everyone will focus on our Sui Dynasty and the story of the girl from the You family in Jinling!
Heart!
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