Vender ropa y traer vino para beber contigo

Capítulo 14

From the shadows outside the window came Old Zhang's chuckle: "That's right, it's an old habit."

Chang Sheng raised an eyebrow, puzzled: "Oh?"

Old Zhang paused, then sighed: "I've been thinking about this for a long time. When a person dies, is everything really over? They might not come back during the day, but they'll surely reappear at night... There's no reason for this. I just couldn't sleep, so I came out to take a look."

Chang Sheng couldn't help but think of Old Zhang's wife, who was said to resemble him. He guessed that Old Zhang was probably lovesick. Regardless of whether he actually looked like Old Zhang's wife, he did feel a sense of inexplicable closeness to him.

Gazing at the dark figure in the night, Ye Changsheng shook his head, closed the window, and went to bed.

Early the next day

Ye Changsheng got up and went outside. He saw that there was already a steaming hot breakfast on the table. He slowly sat down and ate a few bites. He couldn't help but sigh, "You can't judge a book by its cover. Old Zhang, with his wrinkled face and stubble beard, is really a great cook."

A clattering sound came from the courtyard. Ye Changsheng peeked out and saw Old Zhang leading a horse through the gate. In the morning sunlight, a hunched and thin figure was carefully maneuvering the saddle, patting the horse's back to soothe the snorting old horse.

Sensing that someone was watching, Old Zhang looked into the house and gave a simple, honest smile.

Ye Changsheng pointed at the horse and asked, "What is this?"

Old Zhang glanced at the carriage in the center of the courtyard, then patted the horse's neck and said, "This is my livelihood; I rely on it to transport medicinal herbs."

Ye Changsheng smiled mysteriously: "A fine horse, a fine horse."

Old Zhang seemed very busy. He left home in the morning and hadn't returned. He only mentioned that lunch was simmering in the pot before leaving.

Ye Changsheng sat on the steps in the courtyard, leaning against the doorframe, toying with a small white porcelain bottle with gold patterns in his hand. He uncorked it and sniffed; it had a faint, icy, and chilling scent. This was something everyone in the world wanted to fight for, something everyone desired to possess, yet once obtained, no one dared to use it. The rumors were numerous, and there was only one Bo Xian pill; whether consuming it would bring enlightenment or imprisonment, no one knew, nor was anyone willing to test it on others.

With a faint smile, he tucked the horse into his arms, slowly strolled to the stable, patted its back, and said softly, "Good horse, how about coming with me?"

The horse stamped its hooves and snorted a few times. Ye Changsheng carefully fed it a handful of licorice and smiled, "Ah, I agree... Let's get going without delay."

Ye Changsheng carried the small cloth bundle, led the horse out of the courtyard, mounted the horse, cracked the whip hard, and the horse neighed and galloped away.

As dusk fell, on Xiangping Street, a swift horse sped across the street like a shooting star. As it rounded a bend, the stable suddenly crashed into the haphazard stalls in front of the roadside shops, seemingly tripping over something. The horse stumbled slightly but continued galloping forward.

Inside the weapons shop, a man in brown, his hand on his long sword at his waist, saw a silver-red figure flash past outside the door. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, his brows furrowed, and he quickly turned to the person beside him, gave a few instructions, then hopped onto his horse and rode away.

Few pedestrians thronged the official road, and the three powerful characters of "Jiangling Prefecture" in clerical script hanging above the city gate gradually faded into the distance. On either side of the road ran a deep moat, paved with bricks and stones, its banks lined with peach, willow, camphor, and apricot trees. In bustling times, it must have been a constant flow of carriages and people.

"The east wind is a good messenger of warmth, causing grass and flowers to burst forth in abundance." When the wind blows, the roadside will surely be a tapestry of red and white, with lush green willows, a beautiful sight to behold.

Changsheng led her horse slowly along the road, occasionally rubbing her sore bottom from the saddle's jolting motion. In her words, such beautiful scenery shouldn't be rushed through.

A gentle breeze swept by from behind, carrying with it the faint clatter of hooves. Though not perfectly aligned, there were quite a few of them. Ye Changsheng thought to himself, "Could it be a caravan heading out of the city?" He half-coaxed, half-dragged the old horse aside, earnestly making way for those behind. The sound of hooves grew louder and louder, occasionally punctuated by the shouts of a young man.

Turning around, Ye Changsheng saw a group of people dressed in brown, holding silver spears, not far away. He was clearly startled. Were these people coming to chase him? He quickly climbed onto his horse, spurred it on, and slapped the horse's rump hard. The old horse reared up and galloped forward.

The scenery on both sides flashed by like a carousel, and the whistling wind filled his ears. Changsheng felt that there was no end to the road ahead, but the sound of horses' hooves behind him was getting closer and closer. He sighed inwardly that Liu Yande was no easy character. If he had known this, he would have at least changed his clothes before going out.

Liu Yande's gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Ye Changsheng, who was galloping fifty paces ahead. He drew his silver spear from his back and hurled it. With a mournful neigh from the horse, the spear whistled and struck the horse's leg. The horse staggered a few steps before its massive body fell sideways.

Ye Changsheng, unable to stop in time, was about to be thrown off her horse. She inwardly groaned; was this a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble? Just then, a man in black robes, who had suddenly sprung from the side of the road, scooped her up, slung her onto his back, and turned the horse towards a fork in the mountain path.

Ye Changsheng was jostled uncomfortably, but knowing the situation was critical, she gritted her teeth and endured it. The person behind her seemed to notice something, lifted her up by the waist, and sat her sideways in front of her. The forest was lush and dense, and the little white horse traversed the mountain path as if it were flat ground. The person behind her was none other than Old Zhang, who had disappeared early that morning.

Ye Changsheng turned around with an apologetic look on his face. He had stolen an old horse from him not long ago, and he had just been shot in front of him. In any case, he felt sorry for him.

Old Zhang remained silent, but his expression was more serious than ever before. He cracked his whip, and the white horse, like Liu Yande's silver spear, flew forward with a "whoosh".

The wind whistled past their ears, ruffling their clothes and hair. Ye Changsheng squinted slightly, noticing a glimpse of a snow-white inner garment peeking out from beneath Old Zhang's filthy coarse black robe. He slowly raised his eyes, looking at the sallow, aged face before him, and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with a faint, sweet fragrance of lotus blossoms.

She reached out and touched the rough, uneven face, running her hand down to the temple, and ripped off the human skin mask. Beneath the mask lay a fair, smooth face with exquisitely beautiful features.

The scenery on both sides kept flashing by...

The moment the mask fell off, he smiled.

In that instant, Changsheng seemed to hear the sound of a lotus flower blooming.

The Valley of No Return outside the Red Water Pool in Jiuhua Mountain, Lingyang, is the only treacherous obstacle to overcome before entering the pool. A narrow plank road, paved with deep red stones, winds its way along the sheer cliffs of the Valley of No Return, resembling a pool of blood meandering between the green peaks. Some of the stones on the plank road appear to be artificial, but are actually hidden traps. Walking on the Red Water Pool, if you step on a stone, you will fall into the deep valley – a truly perilous journey.

This hidden and dangerous place is where the Hundred Pear Palace is located.

Meanwhile, the sound of a zither echoed through the forest inside Baitang Palace, like a gentle breeze or flowing spring water, adding much color to the lifeless Red Pool that had been devoid of life for centuries.

Inside the small pavilion by the stream, Lady Dai, the mistress of Baitang Palace, was playing the zither at her desk. Her long hair was tied up in a light, smoky crown, adorned with a begonia pearl flower. Delicate pearl tassels cascaded down her shoulders on either side. She wore blue jade earrings and a delicate, light green silk dress with a hundred floral patterns. Below her waist, more fine pearl tassels hung down her sides. Matching shoulder straps, a full ten feet long, trailed behind her along with the long train of her dress. She was truly incomparably noble and beautiful.

Not far away, outside the railing of the pavilion, a young man in brocade robes was idly throwing handfuls of fish food into the fishpond. Finally, he simply turned the bowl upside down and dumped all the fish food into it.

The beautiful woman in green standing to the side seemed completely unconcerned, a slight smile playing on her lips as she continued playing her zither.

The fair-skinned young man in brocade robes was none other than Jia Ling, who had disappeared from Lingjiang Tower that day. Whether it was luck or misfortune, he had drunk too much the night before and caught a chill outside, resulting in an upset stomach the next morning. After using the restroom, he returned to find many people in blue robes in the inn. Just as he was wondering what was going on, this group of people rushed to Ye Changsheng's door. Before he could even react, half an incense stick later, these same men in blue robes rushed out again, gathering the others to search for him.

Jia Ling was furious. That ungrateful Ye Changsheng was quick to run away; she dusted herself off and slipped out of the backyard. Just as she was considering whether to go find that fool Huang Qiuyi first, a group of small teams in blue robes surged in from both ends of the street. Stomping her foot angrily, she didn't have time to think about anything else and "whoosh!" jumped into a slowly passing carriage.

The moment the curtain was lifted, a familiar, rich, and sweet scent of perfume wafted out.

When Jia Ling finally saw the shy and charming face in front of her, she felt a surge of frustration.

The woman waved a handkerchief from her sleeve, raising an eyebrow: "Oh, this young master..."

The carriage continued its slow, leisurely journey, the thick curtains shielding it from the street's clamor. Until the carriage...

Once outside the city gates, surprisingly, no one came forward to search them. Jia Ling smiled and said, "Thank you very much for today, sir... uh, third sister. There will be plenty of time in the future, until we meet again."

He lifted the carriage curtain and was about to get out when a white ribbon suddenly flew out from behind him. Before he could utter a sound, he was pulled back into the carriage and fell awkwardly at the feet of the beauty.

Dai San Niang, with boundless charm, said in a sweet voice, "Why did you leave so soon, young master? I don't even know your name."

Jia Ling coughed a few times and laughed, "No problem, no problem, my surname is Jia."

With a flick of her silk handkerchief and a flick of her delicate fingers, Dai San Niang said with pursed lips, "So it's Young Master Jia."

Jia Ling tried to move her body, which was wrapped up like a dumpling, and couldn't help but sigh. Was this like escaping from the tiger's den only to fall into the wolf's lair?

Encountering Immortals in the Mountains

Outside Changqiao Town, Yingchang Prefecture. Night of May 25th, around midnight.

Guo Fengying, the manager of Fengping Ticket Shop, clutched a small blue printed package in his arms and secretly slipped out of the courtyard. He hadn't slept all night and was extremely tense and exhausted, but the thought of the golden package in his arms and the daily debt collectors made him grit his teeth and head out into the wind. The dark night was utterly silent, the wind howled, and the shadows of the trees swayed.

He wrapped his clothes tighter and walked towards the bridgehead.

At the bridgehead... there was a dark figure. Accompanied by ethereal sounds, like someone singing, seemingly very devoutly, the tone was very mysterious... like... the soft chanting of a dying old woman.

It felt like countless eyes were staring straight at you, leading you into the abyss of death...

On a tree branch at the bridgehead, something was hanging precariously. Guo Fengying looked closely and was so frightened that he stumbled backward and fell to the ground. The thing swaying in the wind on that branch was clearly a person whose internal organs had been ripped out.

The song echoed in the distance, and the person on the ground had already shakily gotten to their feet and staggered back—shouting angrily, "There's a ghost..."

Green mountains and clear waters, lush forests and tall bamboos.

Changqiao Town is situated on the banks of the Ru River, bisected by three tributaries. With its abundant water and numerous bridges, warm climate, and beautiful scenery, it's a picturesque town. Beyond several mountains and across the Ying River lies Yingchang Prefecture. While not everyone within a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers) may know of Changqiao Town, the stonemason Li Jixian is a household name. Legend has it that the houses, bridges, palaces, and temples built by Li Jixian are as solid as a rock, standing firm for years despite wind and rain. Even the emperor once summoned him to oversee the construction of a Taoist temple.

Li Jixian was already past the age of maturity, his hair gray, yet he was still vigorous and radiant. He built a grand mansion in Changqiao Town, surrounded by ancient trees and famous shrubs, with green waterways and winding corridors. Within the high walls and courtyards, the houses, pavilions, and terraces were all tall, spacious, and magnificent. People of the time looked upon it with awe and called it a "celestial palace."

Following his ancestors' teachings, Li Jixian opened his school to accept apprentices. Anyone who wanted to learn the craft could come and try. As a result, people not only came from within a hundred miles, but also from as far away as Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital, who traveled great distances to learn from him. Moreover, if guests came from afar and wished to tour this "celestial palace," Old Man Li would also welcome them with great enthusiasm. Thus, this "celestial palace" was bustling with activity, housing over a hundred people in total.

But recently, a very strange thing happened in the once prosperous and peaceful town of Changqiao. Cheng Errong, one of Li Jixian's hundred or so apprentices, was found hanged alive from a tree at the bridgehead, with a large hole in his chest and all his internal organs missing. Coincidentally, Guo Fengying, the manager of the money exchange who had fled that night, stumbled upon the scene. After returning, most of the people there went mad, shouting "Retribution...retribution..." to everyone they met.

"Master," the maid Bai Yuan said, bringing a cup of hot tea, "there are two guests outside the manor who say they want to see the Celestial Palace. I wonder what your opinion is..."

Normally, Bai Yuan wouldn't need to consult Li Jixian about this, but given the recent incident at the manor, she was unsure of what to do. Li Jixian took the teacup with one hand, took a sip, stroked his small goatee with the other, narrowed his eyes, and said unhurriedly, "Bai Yuan, next time add five more tea leaves. Also, since you're a guest, please come in."

Bai Yuan nodded repeatedly, bowed, and withdrew. Suddenly, a person rushed out from around the corner, causing teacups and trays to shatter on the ground. The person, however, disappeared around the corner without stopping—it was none other than He Zhongcheng, the village head of Changqiao Town. Bai Yuan resigned herself to her bad luck, tidied herself up, and left.

The "Fairy Palace" truly lives up to its name, not to mention the butterflies, flowers, birds, rockeries, and stone bridges that fill the garden.

Just looking at the tall, majestic, and imposing main building is enough to leave people speechless and amazed. Ye Changsheng thought to himself, "This Li Jixian built his house even taller than the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Is he really trying to emulate King Zhou of Shang by building a tower to pluck stars from the sky?"

The "visitors from afar" mentioned by the white kite were Ye Changsheng and Helan Ronghua, who had just shaken off their pursuers and arrived in Changqiao Town. The day before, they had ridden their white steed recklessly, and upon emerging from the mountains and seeing wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and cowherds tending their cattle, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Relieved, they suddenly felt a bit hungry and thirsty, and after searching themselves thoroughly, they found their pockets and stomachs were equally empty. Guided by a kind passerby, they found themselves at the rumored hospitable "celestial palace," the Li residence.

A white kite gracefully approached and said softly, "Master said that you two can rest assured and stay here. However, due to some recent troubles at the estate, he cannot personally greet you."

After speaking, she secretly glanced at the man in black robes, then stepped aside and said, "This way, please, both of you." Soon, Bai Yuan led them to a spacious and bright guest room. Opening the window revealed a view of five miles of emerald waters, a serene and pleasant scene. Directly opposite was the towering main building. A bright octagonal mirror hung in the room, and beneath the window was a small table with several sticks of incense. After Bai Yuan left, the ravenously hungry Ye Changsheng, carrying a bowl of fruit from the table, sat down in a chair by the window and happily began to eat.

Helan, who was standing to the side, coughed a few times and said slowly, "Sheng'er, those are someone else's tribute."

Ye Changsheng held her favorite candied fruit in his hand and chewed a handful of unknown dried fruit in his mouth. For a moment, he didn't know whether he swallowed it or spat it out. He hummed something indistinctly and continued to eat handful after handful.

Helan heard it clearly, and her face darkened—she said, "Call me Ye Changsheng."

Having eaten about half full, Ye Changsheng clapped his hands and looked out the window. Li Jixian seemed to really like the imposing architecture and striking furnishings, finding them quite different from the delicate gardens of Jiangnan. Turning to Helan, he smiled and said, "I'd like to go for a walk. Want to come along?"

Looking at her bright smile, Helan Ronghua smiled faintly and said, "No, come back soon."

The most distinctive feature of Changqiao Town is its abundance of water and bridges; as Ye Changsheng observed, there's practically a pavilion every five steps and a bridge every ten. The largest stone bridge in the town is the Ruyang Bridge over the Ru River. Suddenly, a plume of black smoke rose from beneath the bridge, and Ye Changsheng, leaning against it admiring the scenery, couldn't help but peer down. He saw a Maoshan Taoist priest in a yellow robe brandishing a wooden sword, chanting incantations, and occasionally sprinkling powder onto the candlelight, producing puffs of black smoke. Beside him, an elderly woman nearing fifty held a small handkerchief, sobbing and wiping away tears.

Ye Changsheng rolled over and climbed down, then started chatting with the woman. Perhaps because Ye Changsheng looked kind, or perhaps because she wanted to confide in her, she wrung out her handkerchief, stopped crying, and began to talk to her.

This woman was Widow Liu, who lived at the edge of town. Her husband had abandoned her and their child many years ago. She had struggled to raise her son, who had become an apprentice to Li Jixian. She had hoped that once he mastered his skills, she could marry him and have a healthy grandson, thus completing her life. But last night, right here on Ruyang Bridge—she was murdered by a ghost.

Ye Changsheng asked in confusion, "How could he have been killed by a ghost?"

The woman burst into tears again, saying intermittently, "Aunt... young lady, you don't know... my poor son... his heart has been ripped out by a vengeful ghost."

Chang Sheng looked on with grief. This woman, widowed young, orphaned in old age, and now to have her heart ripped out, was truly tragic. From her, Ye Chang Sheng learned bits and pieces of information. The Ruyang Bridge, built thirty years ago, was one of Li Jixian's masterpieces. The Ru River was several tens of feet wide, suffering from drought in winter and flooding in summer. During the rainy season, the water was so turbulent that it could sweep away the bridge itself. The townspeople had to rebuild it repeatedly. Only after Li Jixian designed and built the Ruyang Bridge thirty years ago did things stabilize. Therefore, Li Jixian was practically a bridge god in Changqiao Town.

Ye Changsheng asked, puzzled, "Then why insist on saying that the bridge is haunted?"

The woman shook her head and sighed, "This river is too full of resentment. Thirty years ago, a family in town lost their two children around here. The whole town went out to search, but after days and nights, they still hadn't found their bodies. What else could it be but being taken by a water ghost? But I never expected... damn it... even my son would be taken away..."

Ye Changsheng sighed and patted the woman's shoulder, saying, "It's really... uh, damn it..." He looked up and saw that it was getting late. While it was still bright, it was time to go back for dinner. After saying goodbye to the woman, he followed the path he remembered to find his way back to the "Immortal Palace."

"Ah..." Walking along the road, Ye Changsheng was startled when a round belly suddenly appeared beside him. He took a step back and sized up the owner of the belly—round head and round belly, clearly a wealthy person. But at this moment, the fat man in silk clothes and a brocade hat seemed to have suffered some kind of fright, trembling and muttering, "Retribution, the curse of the bridge god..."

Ye Changsheng was clearly startled by the rambling fat man and asked cautiously, "Are you cursed?"

Upon hearing this, the fat man glared at her fiercely, looked around, and only whispered when he saw no one was around: "The one who's cursed is the village head... and him... no one can escape it..."

Just as Ye Changsheng was about to ask what "he" was, several burly men came running from afar and, without a word, dragged the fat man away. The poor fat man kept turning back, kicking his legs hard, and staring longingly at Ye Changsheng. With a long sigh, Ye Changsheng shrugged; this was truly something she couldn't help.

Walking slowly back to the "Fairy Palace," Ye Changsheng wandered around the winding corridors for quite a while. The Fairy Palace was so vast that Ye Changsheng almost got dizzy, but she also found Li Jixian quite interesting—the layout of the manor, from the small towers in the four directions to the main hall in the center, and the surrounding corridors, all conformed to Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams: the number of bays in the houses was mostly Yang, and the beams and pillars of the corridors were in the form of four pillars and three bays, or six pillars and five bays. The main building and the side pavilions also mostly had an odd number of steps. The number of steps on the stairs was mostly odd—one step, three steps, five steps, seven steps. In her opinion, Li Jixian was not only a master craftsman, but also a very honest Feng Shui master.

He went back inside, paused outside the door for a moment, then pushed it open and went in. The room was empty; no one was there. On the table under the window was a teacup; he reached out and touched it—the tea was cold.

Rushui Bridge at Night

That evening, Ye Changsheng was watering flowers at the door when Li Jixian sent Bai Yuan to inquire whether Ye Changsheng was settling in well. Ye Changsheng, carrying a watering can, nodded repeatedly, praising the beauty of this "fairy palace" endlessly, calling it a modern-day Epang Palace, a paradise on earth, and unparalleled in its magnificence. He was practically comparing Li Jixian to historical figures like King Zhou of Shang and Qin Shi Huang, outstanding supervisors in history.