Zexiu sneered, "Stop wasting your breath on him. If you're not satisfied, go stay outside. Even if you do stay, pay for it yourself. Nobody here will pay for it."
Yelü Jing laughed and said, "Good brother, you are too heartless. How about this, if I share a room with you tonight, even if it's a cave or a thatched hut, I can stay there."
Zexiu raised his fist to hit her again, but he was so scared that he quickly shrank behind Lianyi, grabbed her shoulders, and blew on her neck: "Little Lianyi, you have to protect me."
Lianyi quickly pulled out a few copper coins from her sleeve: "I...I'll do it!"
The smiling shopkeeper's smile froze when he saw the few copper coins. He forced a dry laugh and said, "Sir, this little bit of money is only enough to buy a few cups of tea."
Lianyi touched her pitiful purse, heartbroken and empty.
Gengu sighed, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and threw it on the table: "Bring four clean superior rooms. If there are bedbugs or rats, we'll tear down your shabby shop."
The shopkeeper hurriedly led them upstairs and instructed the waiter to bring hot water and tea.
Zexiu escorted Xiaoman and the others into the house, then suddenly said, "You'll stay at the inn for a few days, and don't go out unnecessarily. I have some business to attend to, it will take at most three days, at least one day, but I'll definitely be back."
After saying that, he turned and left. Xiaoman hurriedly chased after him and asked anxiously, "Wait... Zexiu, are you going to catch those criminals to exchange for the bounty?"
Zexiu nodded. Xiaoman whispered, "Those criminals are all thugs who kill and rob; they're capable of anything. You...aren't you alright alone?"
Zexiu smiled and said, "Don't worry. Just stay here and relax. By the way, things have been a bit strange at Mount Bugui lately. We haven't heard from them in a long time. We used to run into Lao Sha and his men all the time, but we haven't seen a single one lately. It's a bit eerie. Be careful. Gengu is a clever and meticulous kid. Listen to him when it matters."
Xiao Man nodded guiltily; their absence was inextricably linked to her.
Without another word, Zexiu turned and walked out. Lianyi leaned over and asked, "Uncle Zexiu is a chivalrous hero who lives off government bounties. I've heard that to be like that, you need great skill and a lot of connections. I'm envious of those bounties; they're hundreds or even thousands of dollars. He must be an extraordinary person."
Xiao Man laughed and said, "You still call him 'uncle'?"
Lianyi was stunned for a moment: "Didn't Master say I should call him Uncle..."
Xiao Man laughed so hard she bent over, nodding repeatedly: "Okay, okay, you don't need to change how you address him, just call him Uncle from now on."
As they were talking, the waiter brought hot water up. The two of them washed up and changed into clean clothes. As soon as they opened the door, they saw Yelü Jing standing at the door with a smile, raising his hand to knock.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Man crossed her arms when she saw him, a half-smile on her face. "Your good brother went out to catch bad guys, aren't you going to wait for him obediently?"
Yelü Jing chuckled and said, "Before he returns, let's go out and have some fun together. I know a good restaurant here with excellent wine, fish, and mutton."
Xiao Man nodded and said, "I see. When someone is around, you concentrate, but when they're not around, you become fickle."
Yelü Jing said urgently, "Good girl! That's not how it works! I came here specifically to invite you for drinks."
Lianyi quietly tugged at Xiaoman's sleeve. This child was being far too polite to this lecherous scoundrel. Xiaoman sighed and nodded: "Alright, let's go. Don't come crying to me about being poor and having no money later."
Yelü Jing patted his chest: "Don't worry, this time I won't let you spend a single penny."
A spoiled brat is a spoiled brat; he can't do anything serious, but he's quite adept at enjoying himself. That restaurant was really quite nice, with two floors. The private rooms on the second floor weren't separated by the usual gauze curtains, but by small bamboo fences, arranged in a pleasingly sparse and dense manner. The Khitans were known for their martial spirit, and various weapons were hung on them, which was quite unique.
The wine served was osmanthus wine, a specialty of the South. The dishes were all from the South; some were familiar to Xiaoman, others were completely unfamiliar. Her mother was from Suzhou, and when she was alive, she would cook a delicious meal for her, all Suzhou cuisine, when she was in a good mood.
"It's rare to find Jiangnan cuisine here." Xiao Man took a bite of the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and couldn't help but praise it, finding the taste surprisingly authentic. Lian Yi had never eaten anything so delicious before, and without even looking up, she buried her head in her food.
When Gengu saw her praising the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, he couldn't help but take a bite himself. His beautiful eyebrows immediately furrowed: "Why is it sweet? What a strange taste."
Yelü Jing laughed and said, "Suzhou cuisine is mostly sweet. How would a child like you know the exquisite details of these Jiangnan dishes?"
Xiao Man's appetite was limited; she would only take a couple of bites of each thing before putting it down, and she would just drink her wine sip by sip.
Yelü Jing continued, “The owner of this shop only serves Jiangnan cuisine, which is said to be a direct descendant of his mother’s skills. With such expertise, he could easily make a fortune if he opened a shop in Suzhou, but he insists on staying in this harsh northern land, where he faces immense difficulties in sourcing supplies each time. Everyone finds this strange. Someone asked him, ‘Since you are a Song person, why do you stay in Liao territory?’ His answer was quite interesting. He said, ‘My mother waited here for someone her whole life, but she never saw him, so I must stay and wait for him in her place.’”
Lianyi listened intently and couldn't help but sigh, "She must have been waiting for the one she loved, and she actually waited her whole life."
Xiao Man said calmly, "That's called being foolish. If someone has feelings for you, they will come to you without you having to wait. If they don't, they won't even know until you die. Why suffer for yourself?"
Lianyi said softly, "But she likes it, and there's nothing we can do about it..."
Xiao Man laughed and said, "That's even more foolish. What kind of person is worth liking like that?"
Lianyi was speechless. Yelü Jing quietly squeezed her hand and whispered, "Little Lianyi, don't talk to that kind of heartless master. She doesn't understand anything. As a woman, being able to sacrifice for the one you love is true happiness. Being vindictive and scheming all the time is just emptiness."
Xiao Man, with her sharp ears, overheard this and couldn't help but say, "What do you mean by sacrificing for your lover is happiness? Where is the happiness? In my opinion, what women really like is that kind of self-pitying mood, thinking all day about whether he loves me or not, and giving up everything else. In the end, it's not the other person who suffers, it's just themselves who suffer. And if they feel that they are doing something great and are very noble when they die, then they are just fools."
She raised her voice, and a guest in blue robes sitting in the opposite private room stirred, seemingly glancing in their direction. Yelü Jing waved her hand and said, "Enough, let's not talk about such unromantic things. After you get married, let's see if you'll still say such things."
As they were talking, they suddenly heard the tinkling sound of a pipa being played downstairs. Everyone couldn't help but lean down to look, and saw a young girl dressed in coarse cloth sitting downstairs, holding a pipa, playing and singing. The girl had fair and smooth skin, and although she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she still had a certain charm.
Unfortunately, most of the people here were Khitans, and most of them came to fill their stomachs. No one cared what she was singing. She sang a song, but no one listened, let alone gave her any reward.
Yelü Jing suddenly clapped his hands and said loudly, "That girl, how about you come up and play a piece?"
A hint of delight appeared on her face. Sure enough, she gracefully went upstairs, approached, gave a slight curtsy, and without a word, pulled up a chair. Her fingers danced across the strings, producing a smooth, flowing sound. Yelü Jing couldn't help but praise, "Excellent! There was a Tang Dynasty poet named Bai Juyi who wrote a poem with these two lines: 'The large strings clang like a sudden rainstorm, the small strings whisper like private words. The clanging and whispering blend together, like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate.' This young lady has truly grasped the essence of those four lines."
He started acting up, winking and exchanging flirtatious glances with her.
The girl covered her face and chuckled softly. Suddenly, Xiaoman said, "No, you played the wrong tune just now. You played Jade Butterfly, didn't you? You didn't play those four consecutive notes in the second stanza correctly."
The girl was stunned, her face flushed, and she whispered, "I have been learning the pipa since I was a child, how could I have played it wrong..."
Xiao Man reached out and plucked the string twice, correcting the note she had just played incorrectly, and said, "That's how it should be. Even if you're just trying to make a living, you shouldn't play the piece wrong."
The girl stormed off, refusing even Yelü Jing's reward. He sighed, "What are you doing pretending to be a teacher now? We're just out having some fun."
Xiaoman originally wanted to tell him that when her mother taught her to play the pipa, she was not allowed to miss four consecutive notes. If she missed even one, she would not get dinner that night. That's how she developed her nitpicking skills. Before she could finish speaking, she saw the guest in blue from next door come out, bow to her, and say in a deep voice, "So you are a refined person, young lady. Please forgive my previous rudeness and offense."
After speaking, he looked up and saw a young scholar with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an air of refined elegance.
The Treasure Scroll, Chapter Nineteen: The Round Fan (Part One)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:19 Word Count: 4703
Xiao Man was somewhat stunned when she saw his appearance.
This person looked somewhat familiar, as if I had seen him somewhere before. He obviously had the same feeling. He looked at Xiaoman, then at Lianyi, and after a moment of surprise, he smiled and said, "I apologize for my rudeness. My name is Li Shisan."
Someone's name is actually silver carp! Someone's given name is thirteen!
Gengu couldn't help but burst out laughing. Lianyi covered her mouth and widened her eyes, while Xiaoman remained serious, stood up and curtsied: "Greetings, Young Master Li. We were too noisy and disturbed your enjoyment. We are extremely sorry."
Before he could finish speaking, Yelü Jing asked in surprise, "Isn't this the boss? Why aren't you sitting downstairs? You've come up here to drink by yourself. You certainly know how to enjoy yourself."
The crowd gasped again. It turned out he was the legendary restaurant owner, incredibly young. Li Shisan smiled, and Lian Yi had already dragged over a chair for him. He thanked her and sat down before saying, "I'm ashamed. There are fewer customers at this hour, so I took a break to come up and rest. I didn't expect to run into you all. I overheard this young lady talking about pipa music and realized we were kindred spirits, so I rushed over to greet her. I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation."
Xiao Man, through a series of unexpected events, ventured into the world of martial arts. The men she encountered were either ice-cold like Tian Quan, or sarcastic like Ze Xiu, or madmen from Bugui Mountain who treated human lives like ants, or lecherous rogues like Yelü Jing, or arrogant brats like Gen Gu. The man before her, however, possessed a refined and elegant demeanor, spoke with grace and gentleness, and made her feel a surge of joy—a joy that left her speechless. Such a gentlemanly and refined person only made her feel ashamed of herself.
She could only manage a couple of dry laughs. "Well... I wouldn't call ourselves kindred spirits. I've only learned a little bit about the pipa. But Young Master Li, you've managed to run such a large restaurant so successfully at such a young age. I really admire you."
Are they just going to keep praising each other like this until the end of time?
Li Shisan smiled and said, "I have learned some pipa skills since I was a child, but I am not very talented and have never grasped the subtleties. Now that I see that you have a discerning ear, able to identify subtle errors among thousands of melodies, I can't help but admire you. I wonder if you could spare some time to give me some pointers?"
Xiaoman readily agreed: "Sure, no problem. But I don't really know much about it, so please don't laugh at me if I make a mistake."
Li Shisan hurriedly went to the private room inside and retrieved a pipa. It was entirely purplish-black with cloud patterns all over it. Xiaoman could tell at a glance that it was made of sandalwood. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Rich people are rich people. Even their pipa has to be made of sandalwood."
He took the plucked string and plucked it a few times. The sound of this rosewood pipa was extremely rich and resonant, hollow yet with a sharp, intense quality, unlike any ordinary pipa. Then, like pearls and jade falling, a clear, melodious sound followed, which was a piece called "Jade Pavilion Spring".
The scenery atop the city walls is vibrant with the warbling of orioles, while below, the spring mist laps against the shore.
When will the green willows and fragrant grasses cease to grow? My tearful eyes and sorrowful heart are already broken.
These were lyrics by Qian Weiyan, usually melodious and poignant. No one expected him to start with such a sorrowful tune, leaving everyone somewhat bewildered. The sandalwood pipa naturally possessed a powerful tone, and the lower section was even more potent, capable of shattering metal and stone. The sound seemed to smash jade pendants and crush golden scepters. Xiao Man's back hairs stood on end, and she couldn't help but clasp her hands together, feeling an endless stream of goosebumps rising on her skin, her heart pounding wildly.
Li Shisan suddenly sang loudly: "My feelings are gradually fading with age, and I am shocked to find my youthful face changed in the mirror. In the past, I was often ill and disliked fine wine, but today I fear that the wine cup is not enough."
After finishing the song, he himself showed a sorrowful expression. After a long while, he slowly put down the pipa and said with a bitter smile, "With such an elegant guest here, I should not compose such a mournful song, but my mother used to play this song often, and I have long remembered it in my heart."
Xiao Man said in a low voice, "This pipa sound is too intense, we should change it. My mother said that music is the most subtle thing, amplifying the joy, anger, sorrow and happiness in one's heart a hundredfold. If one is in distress and still plays such intense sounds often, I'm afraid it might be bad for... well, for one's health."
Li Shisan was quite surprised that she could say such a thing, so he smiled and said, "What you say is true, young lady. Playing mournful songs all the time is dangerous. That's why my mother passed away many years ago. I opened this restaurant and serve the dishes she used to make, simply to express my gratitude to my mother."
"Is your mother from Suzhou?"
Li Shisan shook his head: "My mother was a Jurchen. My father was a Khitan."
Yelü Jing interjected, "Aren't you a Song person? I heard someone say you were a Song person last time."
Li Shisan laughed and said, "No, it's just because my surname is Li and I can cook Jiangnan cuisine, that most people mistake me for a Song Dynasty person."
Strange, since his parents weren't from Jiangnan, why did they specialize in Suzhou cuisine? Xiaoman didn't dare ask. Yelü Jing said that his mother had waited for someone her whole life, but perhaps he wasn't referring to his father, but to another man. Maybe the person his mother loved was from Jiangnan, so she spent all her time cooking and playing music to remember him.
Who would have thought that this person would spill everything out: "When my father was young, he loved to travel the world. The year after he married my mother, he left home and wandered around the Jiangnan region for several years, falling in love with a wealthy woman from Jiangnan. When my mother found out, she followed him. But one day, the woman from Jiangnan suddenly disappeared and could not be found anywhere. My father was devastated by this and left alone, never to return home. My mother returned home and studied the customs and dishes of Jiangnan every day, hoping for my father's return. However, this wish was never fulfilled. I opened this restaurant partly to wait for my father on her behalf. I only hope that one day when my father returns from his travels, enters the restaurant, eats this food, and remembers something. That would fulfill my mother's lifelong wish."
Lianyi couldn't help but burst into tears, choking back sobs as she said, "Your mother was so devoted... How could your father do this?"
Li Shisan smiled and said, "There are too many things in this world that don't go as people wish, and even more people can't let go of them. In the end, it's just a matter of not being destined to be together."
Yelü Jing slammed his fist on the table: "I... I can't stand this kind of thing! Boss, tell me your father's name, and I'll help you find him! I refuse to believe we can't find him! How could he do something like abandoning his wife and children!"
Li Shisan said, “My father was also troubled by love, and besides, my mother has long since passed away. I am now well-off, so there is no need to dwell on the past. However, I still want to thank Young Master Yelü for his kindness. Judging from your attire, you must be people who travel the world. Please note that my father’s name is Li Wenjue. Because he often travels in Song territory, he changed his surname Yelü to Li. His original name is Yelü Wenjue.”
Lianyi's wrist suddenly trembled, and the wine glass in her hand crashed to the ground, startling everyone. Gengu whispered, "Sister, have you had too much to drink?" As he spoke, he grasped her hand, only to find that her palm was icy cold and covered in cold sweat, and he was also stunned.
She forced a smile and said in a low voice, "I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't hold on tight."
She looked startled, like a little rabbit, and suddenly asked, "Young Master Li... how old are you this year?"
Although Li Shisan found her question strange, he still answered with a smile, "I am twenty-three years old by the traditional Chinese age reckoning, several years older than myself, yet I have accomplished nothing. I am ashamed."
Lianyi Mumu nodded, said "Oh," and then fell silent.
Yelü Jing looked at her, then at Li Shisan, and suddenly exclaimed, "Look, don't their noses look very similar?"
He shouldn't have said it, because the more he looked, the more similar they seemed. Not only the nose, but even the eyes were very similar, except that Lian Yi's features were soft and delicate, while Li Shisan's were deeper and more rugged. Xiao Man exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you really look alike! You two aren't some lost siblings or something, are you? By the way, your name is Lian Yu, and hers is Lian Yi, even your names are very similar! Lian Yi, you've always said you're an orphan, maybe this will help you find clues about your parents!"
No wonder she thought Li Shisan looked like someone familiar; it turned out he looked like Lian Yi.
Li Shisan was also quite surprised and hurriedly stood up, asking, "May I ask, Miss Lianyi, where are your parents now?"
Lianyi's face was pale, and she shook her head frantically: "I...I don't know! I was abandoned at birth, I'm an orphan..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yelü Jing exclaimed, "Xiao Man, you and this boss look alike! Your mouths are exactly the same!"
This time it was Xiaoman's turn to be startled. She and Li Shisan stared at each other for a long time. Their mouths really did look very similar. Their upper lips were slightly upturned, with a playful touch, while their lower lips were full and rosy, with very beautiful shapes.