Side Story - Beyond Victory and Defeat
In the morning, the old pear tree in the gang's courtyard blossomed with its first cluster of white flowers.
The fried fish stood on tiptoe under the tree, hanging colorful ribbons. The bright red ribbons were wrapped around the green branches, and they swayed and fluttered in the wind.
She wore a newly tailored silk skirt today, and her hair was adorned with silk flowers that her eldest brother had brought back from the market, making her look like a proud little sparrow.
"A little further to the left."
Zui Qingfeng leaned against the corridor pillar, pointing and gesturing, the jade pendant on his pipe swaying back and forth.
"Yes, right there."
Old Lin came out of the kitchen with a teacup in his hand and saw Chen Ze standing by the ladder with a stern face, holding a box full of colorful silk.
This usually aloof swordsman was persuaded by the fried fish this morning to actually agree to guard the ladder.
A pear blossom petal still clung to his long hair, shimmering with a pale golden light in the morning sun.
"Old Lin!"
The eldest brother burst through the door in a whirlwind, his colorful feather robe damp with dew. "Quick, look what I brought back!"
He was holding a wine jar in his arms, the mud seal still covered with fresh, damp soil.
Lao Ba followed behind, carrying two lively bass in his hands. The water droplets flicked from the fish's tails drew tiny rainbows in the sunlight.
"Did you win at the casino last night?"
Old Lin took the wine jar and smelled a rich, mellow fragrance of osmanthus.
Fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes as he smiled. "Now is the perfect time to drink it."
The arena was bustling with activity at noon.
The newly made mechanical kites, crafted by Lao Qing, hovered above the crowd, scattering a flurry of petals.
Zui Qingfeng, unusually, wasn't smoking; he was teaching a few new disciples how to play pitch-pot.
Chen Ze was forced to spar with Jian Yu, even though he could easily knock her wooden sword away with one move, he insisted on going at it for more than ten rounds, which made the little girl shout and yell.
Xi Jiang was adjusting the guqin inside the room, while Shi Yun was practicing some new piece.
"Bang!"
The eldest brother lost his balance and fell off the ring, landing right in Lao Lin's arms.
The jade crown in his hair was askew, but his smile was brighter than the sunshine.
"See that? I've mastered the 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' move!"
Old Lin straightened his jade crown, his fingertips brushing against the thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
"Last month, I lost three times to the junior sister of the Divine Marquis's Mansion using this technique."
"Winning or losing isn't the most important thing."
He waved his hand dismissively, turned, and ran towards the kitchen. "The sea bass should be steamed by now!"
At dusk, we sat around under the old pear tree.
The aroma of aged osmanthus wine mingled with the fresh scent of steamed fish. For the first time ever, Chen Ze drank two cups, and a faint redness rose to the corners of his eyes.
A gentle breeze stirs a bamboo flute, while an old man's mechanical kite, carrying a lantern, circles the sky.
"actually..."
The eldest brother suddenly spoke, his fingertips tracing the cracks in his wine glass, "That year, I competed with the musician in musical duels, and I lost miserably."
Fried Fish curiously leaned closer: "And then?"
"Then they gave me this jar of wine, saying..."
His voice trailed off, "I'll truly understand when I can talk about this defeat with a smile."
Moonlight streamed through the pear tree branches, scattering like shattered silver onto everyone's shoulders. From afar, the ethereal sound of a zither drifted in, harmonizing with the distant notes.
nameless:
The iron horse-drawn carriage on the eaves has stopped whistling in the wind.
We scoop up moonlight to warm the wine.
They say the martial arts world is like a coin.
The warmth lingered as it cooled in my palm.
Through drunken eyes, I counted a few stars.
All the laughter and scolding have sunk to the bottom of the bowl.
When clapping swords and singing,
Suddenly, all the lamps in the building fell one after another.
Suddenly, Zui Qingfeng raised his cup: "A toast to the contests we lost."
"To the soiled new clothes." Chen Ze clinked his glass.
"A tribute to the scenery encountered when I was lost," I replied with a smile.
"A toast to the colorful white clothes." Jianyu chuckled as he looked at Chenze.
The eldest brother tilted his head back and downed the wine in his glass, his colorful sleeves cascading down like a bird spreading its wings: "To...this very moment."
A night breeze swept through the courtyard, and pear blossoms fluttered down like snowflakes.
The cheers on the dueling platform, the wins and losses in the gambling den, and the rankings in the martial arts world all became stories to tell over drinks.
But even more important than these are the genuine smiles on those faces under the moonlight.
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