Lou Xiyue, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, stood amidst the blooming flowers, vividly explaining to me the essence of a "playboy."
I rolled up my sleeves and gave Lou Xiyue a rough description of what the Green Calyx flower looked like. Then we began searching for it in this secluded valley. I had previously assigned Lou Xiyue a task in Medicine King Valley—to pull weeds in the valley—intended to train his keen eyesight. But today I found that his training was quite inadequate. He would often come over with a weed and ask me, while I was engrossed in playing with the fish in the water, "Is this a Green Calyx?"
I took off my shoes and socks and stood by the stream, whistling and watching the birds fly to and fro in the sky. I was in high spirits.
Lou Xiyue looked up at the sky. "Master, it's getting dark. If we don't find the Green Calyx Flower soon, we might not be able to leave the mountain today."
I nodded upon hearing this, walked a few steps along the stream, and picked a green calyx blooming by the water. "Xiyue, since it's getting late, let's go back."
Lou Xiyue sighed and said, "You noticed this green calyx flower a long time ago?"
I laughed and said, "Ah, didn't I tell you? Green calyxes love moisture and only grow near water. Hahahaha."
Text [07] Green Calyx Withers (Part 4)
After Lou Xiyue left the mountain, I took the same route back to Xuzhou with him.
We arrived in Xuzhou just in time for the Dragon Boat Festival. The streets of Xuzhou were bustling with activity. As we rode our horses across the Liu River, the banks were teeming with people. Several exquisitely carved dragon boats floated on the river, their dragon heads draped in red cloth. With three drumbeats, the red flags unfurled, and the dragons soared through the water like flying swords. The spectators on the stone arch bridge held their breath and gasped in awe.
I looked up and saw a group of people sitting or standing by the window of a riverside tavern. He Tingzhi was dressed in an indigo official robe embroidered with cranes and deer symbolizing spring, with flowing clouds and gold thread trimming the cuffs. He looked calm and composed. He had a refined appearance and was talking with the officials beside him, sometimes nodding, sometimes smiling slightly, and sometimes sipping his tea.
A burst of cheers erupted as the leading boat drew near the pole adorned with rainbow halos. Hearing the noise, He Tingzhi turned to the window, a smile playing on his lips as he nodded.
Lou Xiyue and I said with regret, "The dragon boat races and phoenix games on the river are probably things he will never see again. From now on, all the wonders of the world will only be a figment of his imagination."
Lou Xiyue agreed, "In that case, He Tingzhi's official position will probably be in jeopardy."
I sighed deeply, "Actually, someone helped him get rid of the poison."
"oh?"
“When I asked him how long he had been blind, he told me it had been half a month. Usually, after being poisoned by Bai Cui San, symptoms such as tinnitus and cyanosis of the lips would appear after a few days. But when I examined his pulse the day before yesterday, there were no signs of impending death. This shows that the person who poisoned him probably regretted it and wanted to get rid of the poison, but unfortunately, the residual poison had already entered his bones and blood, and the blindness could not be reversed.”
Lou Xiyue pondered for a moment, "You think Su Wan'er poisoned it?"
I dismounted, intending to join the commotion at the market. "I don't know. But what I'm sure of is that He Tingzhi knows in his heart who poisoned him. Besides, Su Wan'er seems like a gentle and refined young lady; such a heinous crime as murdering her husband doesn't seem like something she would do."
Lou Xiyue smiled and said to me, "Since today is the Dragon Boat Festival, we should also commemorate Qu Yuan."
I picked out a few sachets and craned my neck to look at the longevity thread woven with five-colored silk threads on the stall. "Of course, of course, Qu Yuan sacrificed his life for his country. A great man of his generation has passed away. My heart is filled with sorrow."
Lou Xiyue led me into a restaurant and waved to the waiter, saying, "Bring me a pot of realgar wine and a plate of stir-fried five poisonous creatures."
I asked curiously, "What is 'stir-fried five poisonous creatures'?"
"Master, you've probably lived in the valley for so long that you haven't heard of it. In Jiangnan, people stir-fry five ingredients with spices during the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off evil spirits; it tastes delicious. Because these five ingredients are all poisonous, eating this stir-fried 'Five Poisons' will grant divine power."
Chapter 2
"It's refreshing and invulnerable to all poisons," he said, his expression one of pure delight, as if it were the most delicious food in the world; then he raised his phoenix eyes slightly and looked at me with a smile.
Just then, the waiter brought over a dish of stir-fried vegetables that were so dark and colorless that Lou Xiyue's mouth watered, and I couldn't wait to pick up a piece and put it in my mouth.
Lou Xiyue began to speak slowly, “These five poisonous creatures are toad, scorpion, spider, snake, and centipede.” After he finished speaking, he looked at me and smiled, a very content smile.
My throat tightened, and I choked.
Lou Xiyue poured a cup of realgar wine and said slowly, "This dish uses chives, water chestnuts, wood ear fungus, silver fish, and dried shrimp to symbolize the five poisonous creatures."
I couldn't catch my breath and coughed incessantly, clutching my chest.
Lou Xiyue turned her head to look at me, still smiling.
Then he dipped his fingertips in realgar wine, suddenly leaned closer, held my chin with one hand, drew three lines on my forehead, lightly touched the tip of my nose, and then stroked behind my ear, pinching my earlobe lightly or heavily.
I trembled. "Lou Xiyue, what are you doing?"
Lou Xiyue had already stopped what she was doing. She picked up her cup, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp. She laughed and said, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, painting your forehead with realgar can ward off poisonous insects, prevent illness, and prolong the festival."
I suddenly stood up, poured some realgar wine into my palm, rubbed my hands together, and rushed towards him, "Then, then your teacher will draw a picture for you too."
He subtly moved away from me, saying, "Xiyue has already drunk the realgar wine, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself, Master."
We strolled around outside for a while, and didn't return to the He residence until almost dusk. Calamus and mugwort hung on either side of the vermilion gate in front of the mansion. As we entered the backyard, we saw Su Wan'er standing under the locust tree in the distance, her back trembling slightly.
"Let's go tell Wan'er that the green calyx has been picked, and we can use acupuncture to detoxify it tomorrow."
As Lou Xiyue and I approached, Su Wan'er turned around, clutching a light blue men's outer robe in her hand. Her eyes were filled with tears, her face was deathly pale, she bit her lip tightly, and her body trembled uncontrollably. Then she ran away in tears.
As she left, we could clearly see two people standing by the small pond in the courtyard. Lu Xiaoyue tilted her head back and kissed He Tingzhi's lips; he hadn't yet changed out of his official robes, and a blush had crept onto his face. Dusk fell, and the evening glow floated on the horizon, casting a crimson hue that enveloped the two of them. The pond behind them shimmered with a soft light, occasionally a few curled leaves falling, creating ripples. Xiaoyue's light apricot-colored veil tangled with the hem of his official robes, and strands of her hair brushed against He Tingzhi's fair face.
He gently pushed Lu Xiaoyue away, his lips moving as if he were saying something. Lu Xiaoyue then glanced in the direction Su Wan'er had left, a smile playing on her lips.
I opened my mouth, staring at the two people in the distance, and after a long while, I asked, "How come they're gone?"