Song Jiyun and Yuan Yunzhong were drinking tea and playing chess in the abbot’s Zen room.
The tea was West Lake Dragon Well Tea, and the chess pieces were cloud-patterned.
Moreover, the abbot’s skill at chess was rather good. Yuan Yunzhong met his match, and the two of them often fell into contemplation as they played.
A true gentleman watches the game without commenting.
Song Jiyun quietly exited the Zen room and went to feed the brocade carp by the small pond in the courtyard.
Yuan Yunzhong then called her to help count the pieces.
Song Jiyun saw that Yuan Yunzhong, wielding the white pieces, had created large swathes of empty space and couldn’t help but glance at the abbot.
The abbot chuckled and said, "Lord Yuan is full of strategies and adept at decision-making; this humble monk admits defeat."
He seemed very cheerful, and after counting the pieces, he insisted on inviting Yuan Yunzhong to play two more rounds.
But Yuan Yunzhong dropped the chess pieces and said indifferently, "I appreciate the kind offer, master. But I’m scheduled to go fly kites with my family shortly, so I will have to visit you another day!"
The abbot tried to keep him there, saying, "The spring day is splendid; you can stay at Nameless Temple for a few more days."
Yuan Yunzhong had no intention of becoming chess friends with the abbot and politely said, "When I’m free, I will definitely come to bother the master."
With no other options, the abbot could only send them off from the Zen room.
As Song Jiyun and Yuan Yunzhong walked along the lush green stone-flagged path, and once the abbot was out of sight, she whispered, "Is there something wrong with the abbot’s style of playing chess?"
Why else would they leave after just two rounds?
According to their previous plan, they should have stayed in the Zen room until the pavilion was cleared, then all together gone to eat vegetarian food in the monastery’s dining hall.
Yuan Yunzhong also lowered his voice and said, "His style of play isn’t bad. But he plays too slowly and is indecisive, it’s agonizing to watch."
It didn’t show.
Song Jiyun, careful not to be overheard by the people in the temple, covered her mouth and laughed, her large eyes clear-cut as a moon, half hidden behind her hand.
Yuan Yunzhong paused briefly.
Song Jiyun suggested with a laugh, "Why don’t we find somewhere nearby to have some tea?"
She felt that Xiong Wenqing seemed quite pressured in Yuan Yunzhong’s presence.
Perhaps because Yuan Yunzhong was something of a scholarly tyrant.
She thought it would be better for them not to go to the pavilion.
But Yuan Yunzhong pondered for a moment and then said, "Shall we go fly kites instead?"
Song Jiyun said, "Haven’t we agreed to fly kites this afternoon? Jixue is still at the pavilion!"
She was the one most looking forward to kite flying.
Song Jiyun was not a person who liked physical activities, and she had agreed to kite flying mainly for the sake of playing with the children and giving Madam Qian a chance to unwind.
Yuan Yunzhong said, "Let’s go test the wind first."
Song Jiyun felt that was also acceptable.
With the experience, they would surely be able to get the kites up easily that afternoon, and watching them would make everybody happy.
The two then headed to the slope they had chosen earlier.
The servant boys took out the kites, wound up the strings, and some even tried to help launch them into the air.
Yuan Yunzhong chased them to one side, picked a dragonfly kite, felt the wind, and, after a few running steps, tugged the kite string in his hands. The kite, like a puppet in Yuan Yunzhong’s hands, obediently rose into the mid-air and, following the direction of the wind, soared higher and higher.
"Awesome!" Song Jiyun didn’t stint on praise and gave him a thumbs up.
Yuan Yunzhong didn’t speak but smiled, handing over the wooden reel wrapped with the kite string to Song Jiyun.
"For you!" he instructed her. "Just tug at it gently. If it flies too far, reel in some string; if it starts to dive, let out some string. I’ll get another, a butterfly kite, up in the air."
Perhaps it was from running just now, several droplets of sweat clung to his temple.
In the sunlight, they shone like morning dew, sparkling and bright.
Song Jiyun responded with an "oh," busily taking the wooden reel.
Their palms touched.
She could feel the breadth and warmth of his palm, and... a slight dampness.
Yuan Yunzhong’s lips were slightly pursed as he said, "The centipede kite is Jixue’s favorite; we’ve saved that for her to fly."
"Alright!" Song Jiyun replied and turned to look at Yuan Yunzhong.
Yuan Yunzhong had already gazed up into the sky, sending the butterfly-shaped kite soaring.
The clear blue sky was pristine, with the two kites twirling around like birds fluttering through flowers, one ahead, the other behind, flying high and low, never straying far from each other.
So beautiful!
But soon, Song Jiyun could no longer afford to admire them.
She felt a lightness in her hand as the dragonfly kite she was flying unexpectedly bolted upwards, pulling her a few steps forward, and it looked like it was about to tangle with Yuan Yunzhong’s butterfly kite.
A kite’s flight is controlled by its string, and if the strings got tangled, both kites would plummet.
"Hurry! Hurry!" she couldn’t help shouting at Yuan Yunzhong, "Move your kite away quickly!"
"It’s okay!" Yuan Yunzhong didn’t move away from her as she’d asked, instead, he quickened his pace, took three steps in two, ran to her side, and without further ado handed her the spindle of the butterfly kite, saying, "Hold this, I’ll adjust the wind direction of the dragonfly kite."
Song Jiyun dared not be negligent and busily took the kite string from him.
Side by side with her, Yuan Yunzhong gently and firmly tugged at the dragonfly kite’s spindle a few times, and the kite stabilized and flew beside the butterfly kite once more.
Song Jiyun let out a long sigh of relief and an involuntary smile spread across her face looking skyward.
Yuan Yunzhong’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he warmly said, "The wind up there can change often, pay attention to the speed of the spindle in your hands."
Song Jiyun nodded repeatedly, focused on the kite in her hand, with no time to spare a glance at Yuan Yunzhong.
But soon, the two kites began to tangle with each other again.
"Yuan Yunzhong! Yuan Yunzhong!" Song Jiyun called out to him, anxiety coloring her voice.
Yuan Yunzhong came over to adjust the kites, and they quickly separated.
Song Jiyun sighed deeply once more.
However, her relief was perhaps premature.
The kites would tangle again shortly after reaching her hands.
"Yuan Yunzhong! Yuan Yunzhong!" Song Jiyun’s anxious calls filled the slope.
Like pearls and jade dropping onto a plate, they fell directly into Yuan Yunzhong’s heart.
He couldn’t help but let out a few quiet laughs before stepping forward.
Song Jiyun felt she wasn’t cut out for kite flying.
Sweating profusely, she handed the spindle back to Yuan Yunzhong, "Can you handle two kites at once?"
"Give it to me!" Yuan Yunzhong didn’t refuse, taking the spindle from her hands.
Only then did Song Jiyun completely relax.
She ordered the servant boy to spread out a Zhang velvet blanket on the grass, sitting down to enjoy watching Yuan Yunzhong fly the kites, "When I was little, I never liked to run around. When others went out to fly kites, I’d just come out to eat."
She had Xiang Zhan bring over a few items from the food box she brought, placing them on the blanket.
The rest was saved for snacking during kite flying in the afternoon.
Rice balls, fruits, pastries, various teas—everything was packed in a bean-green Old Blue and White porcelain casket and arranged on a bright red Zhang velvet blanket, which was a treat to behold even without eating.
Yuan Yunzhong raised an eyebrow and handed both kites to the servant boy, mimicking Song Jiyun by sitting down next to her on the blanket.
The scent of spring breeze and fresh grass wafted to his nose.
Song Jiyun passed him a small jar of pear juice, picked up a rice ball sprinkled with black sesame and pork floss, and said, "Try it; see if you like the taste?"
In the pavilion, Song Jixue was counting her fingers out of sheer boredom when she suddenly looked up, her almond eyes wide with shock.
What had she seen?
Two kites!
One dragonfly, one butterfly.
Both were styles her sister had said she liked.
She swelled with anger like a pufferfish.
Her brother-in-law had promised to fly kites with her, and now he had sneakily gone off to do it with her sister, without taking her along!
That was too much!
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