【Romantic Dream】【03】

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Chapter Three: Lu Shu Visits a Friend in Beiliu Lane, Wu Zhen Smokes in Xihua Hall.
It is said that Lu Shu had a chance encounter with Yuan You at the Fanglai Teahouse in the training ground. After tea, he returned to his uncle's house. After dinner, he chatted with his aunt about everyday matters and rested for the night.
The next morning, he prepared two pairs of visiting cards, one for his "sworn nephew" and the other for his "sworn brother." He changed into a large, red felt hat in the style of the Song Dynasty, a blue crepe robe, and a white jade dragon-tiger hooked ribbon. He carried a watch, a fan case, a purse, a small knife, and a dark blue crepe outer jacket. His servant, Xiao Xizi, carrying the visiting cards, the hat, the robe, and the water pipe, followed him out of his uncle's house and down the Nanhe River to the Changzhen Dao Yamen (local government office). The screen wall in front of the office faced the city gate of the customs house, a river wharf where pedestrians were always crowded. Lu Shu, with Xiao Xizi, slowly followed the crowd.
But there it was:
a gate named Baochao, a vital thoroughfare by land and water; a government office, overseeing the customs and departments of Yangzhou and Youzhou. Connecting Chu and Wu, reaching Huai and Lu; a network of travelers, densely packed with households.
Tax offices inspected for evasion, displaying tiger-head plaques to show their power; gate guards strictly apprehended traitors, flaunting their military might with wolf-tooth quivers. Inn lanterns beckoned passing travelers; shop signs attracted merchants. People entering and leaving the city, their breath forming clouds; those carrying loads on their backs and shoulders, sweating profusely. In the markets, orchids and beef jerky carried on the fragrant breeze; along the roads, urine, excrement, and foul water carried on the stench. Vegetable and fish/shrimp carriers jostled for space; well and river water carriers formed orderly groups. Carriers carrying firewood stretched out in a jumble; salt merchants' sedan chairs moved in a flurry of movement.
Poor women sewed, their arms wrapped in bamboo baskets; wandering monks and Taoists tapped on fish roe to collect money. Men dressed as women, adorned with powder and rouge, treated like animals, subject to confinement; beggars extorting money, playing with snakes. Carts loaded with goods, donkeys carrying loads, large merchants and small vendors making a living.
Truly a bustling thoroughfare connecting ten provinces, a prosperous and vibrant place along the two rivers.
Lu Shu passed the Changzhen Road government office, turned onto Gengyu Street, and saw many shops selling incense and perfumes by Dai Chunlin. Some counters were crowded with people buying incense and perfumes, while others were deserted. Lu Shu, new to Yangzhou, didn't know the reason and didn't want to ask anyone, so he passed Taiping Wharf, reached the four-way intersection outside Xiaodongmen, asked the shopkeepers for directions, went straight north into Daru Lane, passed Nanliu Lane, reached Beiliu Lane, and asked for directions to Yuan You's house. Entering the gate, he saw four white screen doors open. Xiao Xizi knocked twice on the screen doors. A servant opened a screen door and asked, "Which master is this?" Xiao Xizi handed two visiting cards to the servant, saying, "Our master has come to pay his respects; please inform him." The servant glanced at the cards and said, "Please wait a moment," before turning and going inside.
A short while later, the two screen doors in the middle opened wide, and the servant who had received the cards said, "Please.
" Lu Shu led Xiao Xizi inside. Yuan You had already reached the eaves of the main hall and was invited to the hall. Lu Shu wanted to invite Yuan You's father to come out and pay his respects, but Yuan You said, "My father is currently unwell; let's meet another day." Lu Shu then wanted to go to the back hall to visit his aunt and sister-in-law, but Yuan You repeatedly declined, and only then did they exchange greetings and sit down. The family served tea. Yuan You said, "I was truly unaware that you were coming to Yangzhou, and I had not yet paid my respects to your parents' residence. I am deeply sorry for arriving before you!
" Lu Shu replied, "I also hope you will forgive my late arrival." Yuan You asked Lu Shu to remove his large hat and put on a smaller one. He then took off his outer jacket and handed it to Xiao Xizi, where he changed into a light blue woolen jacket with a jade-colored brocade lining. He then sat down again.
The servants served another round of tea. They heard a servant at the entrance of the hall say, "Master Jia and Master Wu have arrived." Yuan You and Lu Shu stood up and saw Jia Ming and Wu Zhen entering. They went up to the hall, exchanged greetings, and sat down to enjoy tea and conversation. After a short while, a servant returned and said, "Young Master Wei has arrived." Yuan You and the others went to greet him at the eaves of the hall. Wei Bi went up to the hall, greeted Yuan You, and then greeted everyone else. They then took their seats as host and guests. Family members served tea, and after the tea was finished, the cups were cleared away.
Yuan You invited everyone to sit in the west-facing flower hall, and everyone stood up. Yuan You said, "I'll guide you." Everyone said, "Please." They followed Yuan You. On the two small white-painted side doors at the west end of the hall, there was a sky-blue couplet: "The wind rustles the bamboo, the moon shifts the flower shadows." Entering through the side doors, one finds a large courtyard. There are exquisitely crafted artificial hills and valleys, several green paulownia trees, a few bamboo stalks, and more than a dozen plum, apricot, peach, and pomegranate trees. It is April, and the peonies in the flower beds are in full bloom. Facing south are three flower halls, above which is a nanmu wood plaque with sky-blue characters that read: "Playing with the wind and moon." The inscription below reads "Written by Gu Ling Wang Yingxiang."
In the middle, there are six white-painted screen doors, where a table with sea plum blossoms is placed, and a landscape painting by Chen Yuan of Yunxi hangs on the wall. Hanging on either side are couplets on gilded paper, reading: "The wind brings a thousand layers of green to the water's surface; the moon reaches the heart of the sky, a single expanse of blue." The inscription reads: "Respectfully presented to Senior Scholar Pei Shen," and the signature: "Respectfully presented to Huang Yingxiong of Qi." On the left side of the incense table sits a broken porcelain vase with a plum blossom base, a black lacquered square table, and more than ten sprigs of five-colored poppies inside. On the right is a marble plaque. In the center stands a large ocean-style clock, with a pair of gold-plated jade-encased glass covers. A pair of painted lacquer hat racks flank the table. The tables, chairs, footstools, stools, and tea table are all made of plum blossoms. The scholar's chairs and stools always have large green felt cushions with red braided "longevity" characters on them. On either side of the incense table are tin trays with plum blossom stands. Eight nanmu wood bookcases flank the table, each locked with a white brass lock, their contents unknown. Six paintings hung on the left gable wall: plum blossoms by the monk Fang Hua, landscapes by Yu Buqing, beauties by Wang Xiaomou, autumn scenes by Li Mousheng, roses by Ni Yantian, and pomegranates by Liu Guzun. On the right gable wall hung a horizontal scroll, Qian Wenshan's "Ode to the Epang Palace." A nanmu wood table stood by the right-hand railing, upon which rested an antique Longquan kiln vase, a high table with a rosewood base and five delicate white peonies. Against the back wall of the hall stood a large nanmu wood kang (heated brick bed), with a kang table (made of sea plum blossoms), a green felt kang mat, and ball pillows. A footstool and a spittoon were placed in front of the kang. Six tin lamps and square glass lamps of various sizes hung in the hall. The carved railings and bamboo curtains created a serene and elegant atmosphere.
Yuan You invited everyone to sit in the flower hall, where he brewed fine tea again and laid out four plates of snacks: a plate of raw pork and bamboo shoot buns, a plate of ham and glutinous rice shumai, a plate of five-nut and red bean paste steamed buns, and a plate of crab dumplings. Yuan You invited everyone to have breakfast, and they ate with Lu Shu, enjoying tea and conversation.
Wu Zhen's servant, Fa Zi, carrying a blue cloth bag, went to the right side of the flower hall and placed the bag on the kang (heated brick bed). He then moved half of the kang table (a type of heated brick bed) over to the side, took out a large opium pipe with a jade head and tail, a golden dragon mouth, and Xiangfei bamboo from the bag, and placed it on the kang. He then took out a small sandalwood box shaped like a small altar box, opened it, and placed it in the middle of the kang, like a
lamp holder. Inside the box was a white copper rotating beaded lamp, with a glass lampshade, a steel handle, a sieve, a water tank, and a water bowl. After setting it up, he lit a water pipe and some tinder to light the lamp.
Seeing that the lamp was already on, Wu Zhen stood up and sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed). From a colorful gauze tobacco pouch hanging at his waist, he took out a silver enamel-patterned revolving tobacco box. The lid had a lion playing with a ball, and the lion's eyes and tongue, along with the ball, were always alive.
It was said that this tobacco box came from Shanghai, and Yangzhou silversmiths could never make it.
Wu Zhen opened the tobacco box by hand, placed it in the lamp holder, and then invited everyone to smoke.
Everyone said they didn't know how. Wu Zhen repeatedly pulled them, eventually getting Lu Shu to sleep on the left side of the kang, while Wu Zhen himself slept on the right. He dipped some tobacco into the tobacco box with a steel rod, burned it over the lamp, and the tobacco stretched to over an inch long. He rolled it on the rod, then rolled it into a ball on two fingers of his left hand.
He dipped it into the tobacco box again, burned and rolled it over the lamp flame several times, until the tobacco was rolled into a bubble. Holding the gun, by the light of the lamp, he placed the tobacco bubble on the mouthpiece of the pipe, pinched it tightly with his fingers, and then poked a hole in the pipe with a steel rod under the lamplight. He blew on the gun himself, wiped the muzzle with his hand, and then handed the gun to Lu Shu. Wu Zhen held the butt of the gun, and Lu Shu held it tightly in his mouth. Wu Zhen pointed the mouthpiece of the gun at the lamplight and told Lu Shu to smell the tobacco.
Lu Shu took a deep sniff, but the mouthpiece was blocked. Wu Zhen then reheated the gun under the lamplight, struck another steel rod, and handed it to Lu Shu to smell again. This was repeated several times, half-smoking and half-burning, until Lu Shu finally finished the smoke and handed the gun back to Wu Zhen. Lu Shu laughed and said, "Brother, it's not like I'm smoking, it's more like I'm suffering. Brother, don't be modest, just enjoy yourself." Wu Zhen then offered the others tobacco, but no one was willing to. Wu Zhen slowly took seven or eight puffs and invited Lu Shu to his right. Wu Zhen lay down on the left side of the kang (heated brick bed) and took seven or eight puffs there as well.
A table had been set out in the study hall, along with cups. Yuan You invited everyone to take their seats. Wu Zhen put down his opium pipe, and Lu Shu stood up as well. After much humility, Yuan You insisted that Lu Shu sit first, Wei Bi second, Jia Ming third, Wu Zhen at the head of the table, and Yuan You at the bottom, pouring wine.
Twelve small dishes were first laid out, followed by four smaller plates. The group asked Lu Shu about the scenery of Suzhou and Changshu, and Lu Shu inquired about stories and historical sites in Yangzhou, engaging in casual conversation over drinks. Five more main dishes were served, and several jugs of Baihua wine were consumed. The group said, "We can't drink too much at noon; please order some food." Yuan You then toasted each person with a large cup, followed by four smaller plates of food, which everyone finished. A servant brought hot towels, and the group wiped their faces before settling down to drink tea. The servants who had accompanied them had separate seats, while Yuan You's servants were invited to eat in the corridor. Wu Zhen then lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) and took a dozen or so puffs of opium. The servants had finished eating. Wu Zhen told Fa Zi to put away the smoking paraphernalia and put the small table back on the kang (heated brick bed).
Yuan You invited everyone to go to Fanglai Teahouse for tea. The conversation revolved around discussing women and pleasure, and the five men felt a strong connection. Wei Bi said, "Brother Wenhua and Brother Youying were sworn brothers, and our unexpected meeting is a matter of fate. I humbly request permission to join your sworn brotherhood. Would you be so kind as to grant me this honor?" Seeing that Wei Bi's father was currently a candidate for the Lianghuai government, everyone was eager to accept his offer of brotherhood. They all agreed.
Wei Bi said, "Tomorrow, our boat will be offering incense at the Guandi Temple on Xiaojinshan Mountain. We'll gather everything early in the morning at Jinyuan Noodle Shop on Duozi Street. Everything is at my behest; there's no need to follow the example of those vulgar people who pool their money for a 'pig's head party' and invite ridicule. What do you all think?" At first, everyone refused, being modest, but seeing Wei Bi's sincerity, they all agreed. After afternoon snacks, Yuan You invited Lu Shu to dinner, but Lu Shu firmly declined, saying, "I need to speak with my uncle-in-law tonight, so we'll meet tomorrow morning." Yuan You couldn't insist, so he instructed the waiters and the water pipe vendors to write down the bill. The group left the teahouse and went their separate ways home.
The night passed. The next morning, Wei Bi first sent his servant to the Xiaodongmen Wharf to hire a large, long-sailed boat: "I'll wait for news at Jin Yuan Noodle Shop." The servant agreed and left. Wei Bi, accompanied by his servant, carried a colorful printed cardboard bag lined with jade-colored silk, containing a vest lined with blue crepe fabric and white silk, a printed menu, a small white copper basin, a Korean cloth handbag, a Guangxi tin garland, a calligraphy scroll, a writing brush, and an inkstone. He also carried a blue cloth bag containing a white copper water pipe case, paper tinder, and other items. Leaving the mansion, they headed straight for Jin Yuan Noodle Shop on Duozi Street. What will happen next? Let's find out in the next chapter.

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【Romantic Dream】【03】

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