"By the way, where's Uncle Cheng?"
After all that commotion, Uncle Cheng still had not appeared. Xing Yan found it strange and asked Ju Ying about him.
Ju Ying said she did not know either, but Xing Yan's mother told them that Uncle Cheng had risen very early. He had said he would go down to check on the carriage at the foot of the mountain and take the driver some dry provisions. He had specifically told her that Ju Ying and Xing Yan need not wait for him; after breakfast at Xing Yan's home, they could go find him at the carriage themselves.
At breakfast, Ju Ying insisted on trying the amaranth seeds instead of rice porridge to show her remorse. Unable to dissuade her, Xing Yan could only ask his mother to make amaranth-seed porridge.
The girl had little idea what amaranth-seed porridge was like. Only when she spooned it into her mouth did she discover that Xing Yan had spoken the truth. It really did taste awful. Even with diced roe deer meat cured in soy sauce, Ju Ying still found the amaranth seeds hard to swallow. Yet she persisted and finished her bowl without a word of complaint. Watching her, Xing Yan thought to himself:
This girl is quite considerate, after all.
When they reached the clearing at the foot of the mountain where the carriage stood, as Uncle Cheng had instructed, the driver told them that Uncle Cheng had already left on his own. He had gone to Mount Sanqing to visit friends and asked Xing Yan to look after Ju Ying for the time being.
Although Ju Ying was surprised that Uncle Cheng had left without saying goodbye, she was not angry in the least. On the contrary, she grew positively delighted. Perhaps an outing was more enjoyable with someone her own age. Unlike her, Xing Yan found this rather odd and muttered to himself:
"Mount Sanqing... isn't that over near Poyang Lake? I've heard there are quite a few Daoists there. Does Uncle Cheng have friends there too?"
"Poyang Lake? It's so famous! Xing Yan, take me there! Please?"
Ju Ying's ears proved remarkably sharp. She immediately caught the words "Poyang Lake" and began pleading with him.
While they were talking, the driver handed over a letter, saying Uncle Cheng had left it for Xing Yan and that he could open it whenever he liked.
Young and naturally curious, Xing Yan needed no urging from Ju Ying. He tore open the envelope and took out the letter. What important business could Uncle Cheng possibly have with a boy from the streets whom he had met only by chance? Surely it was nothing more than a request to take good care of Ju Ying.
He unfolded the letter and read:
"Over wine last night, your verse proved most graceful and elegant. As I savored it, this old man's fingers began to itch, and I could not resist attempting a poem in response:"
Oh, so he wants to discuss poetry! Was that verse I made up last night really rather good? Uncle Cheng's running script was excellent too. Beneath its solemn dignity, his brushwork possessed a distinctly free and flowing grace.
Reading on, he found that Uncle Cheng's brushwork abruptly changed into bold, unrestrained cursive:
"A foolish child lies astride an immortal mountain's back,
Cold dew drenches him, moonlight robes his form;
An orchid beginning, a willow-down ending, he sings of golden threads,
He was always one who dwelt in Luofu's dreams."
The ink strokes danced across the page. Those twenty-eight characters seemed infused with some indescribable spiritual vitality, as though they might soar right off the paper. Yet, admiration aside... was this really a poem in response? It scarcely seemed related to the verse he had composed last night.
Though its meaning baffled him, the poem itself was quite good, with lilting sounds and much to admire. Uncle Cheng's cursive, in particular, was wild without being chaotic. Its delicate, lively beauty carried a freedom untouched by worldly dust. Clearly, Uncle Cheng had devoted considerable study to calligraphy.
As the boy silently admired it, he noticed more writing beneath the poem:
"In my judgment, little Mei of the Li family is not your destined match."
Signed: Ling Chengzi.
"...Who would have thought Uncle Cheng could be so unseemly at his age! When did I ever mention little Mei?"
The boy's face began to burn.
"Hey! What does the letter say?"
Seeing his cheeks redden, Ju Ying grew curious and craned her head to look.
"Shoo, shoo. There's nothing worth reading."
Xing Yan was far too embarrassed to let her see that final sentence!
"I never knew you were such a stingy fellow, Xing Yan!"
At the sight of Ju Ying's disgruntled expression, the boy suddenly felt an urge to tease her:
"Hehehe, Ling Chengzi-oh, no, I mean your Uncle Cheng-already told me..."
He paused, watching the girl prick up her ears, then continued:
"Uncle Cheng said he's going to marry you off to me! Wahahahaha!"
No sooner had he spoken than he imitated old Qinghe, waving his arms and laughing with exaggerated abandon.
"You're lying! Uncle Cheng would never say that!"
A flush swept across the girl's face as she protested in a fluster.
After a moment, the clever girl finally recovered her wits and struck back:
"Hmph! Even if Uncle Cheng really wanted to marry me off to you, would you dare marry me?"
Hearing this, the inexperienced boy felt his courage had been called into question. As though deeply insulted, he shouted in stubborn defiance:
"Of course I would!"
"I, Zhang Xingyan, would dare marry anyone except Princess Qingcheng!"
Unexpectedly, the girl did not laugh at his ignorant boast this time. She merely lowered her head and remained silent for a while, then looked up with a radiant smile:
"Princess Qingcheng... is she some great man-eating tiger?"
Their destination, Poyang Lake, stretched into a vast expanse of misty waters, with no boundary between lake and sky. At the time, it was the third-largest lake after Cloud Dream Marsh and Dongting Lake. Shaped like an enormous gourd, broad in the south and narrow in the north, it hung from the southern side of the Yangtze, that long ribbon of white silk.
Once again, they took the carriage to this immense lake in Poyang County, under Raozhou's jurisdiction. Perhaps this was the first time Ju Ying had seen such a sweeping expanse of water. When the lively girl first beheld Poyang Lake, its mighty waves beating against the shore and its waters stretching without end, she could only stare wide-eyed, unable to utter a word.
Only after a long while did the girl emerge from her wonder at nature's magnificent creation and say softly to Xing Yan:
"When Father used to make me read, the books always had phrases like 'water and sky share a single hue' and 'the gleam of water meets the heavens.' I thought they sounded so poetic. Only today did I truly understand how much real meaning those few words contain..."
It was little wonder Ju Ying felt such awe. Looking south from the shore of Poyang Lake, they saw a vast, boundless sweep of water, with no shore visible even in the far distance. At the limit of sight, the lake merged with the blue heavens, until it was impossible to tell sky from water.
Xing Yan had visited Poyang Lake several times and was not as excited as the girl. Yet Ju Ying's wonder proved infectious, and he too felt that the lake was especially beautiful today.
The boy led the girl along the lakeshore, enjoying the sights, entirely unaware that the carriage was slowly following behind them.
Close beside them, the waves of Poyang Lake ceaselessly washed over the earth and stones of the embankment with rushing, splashing sounds. A refreshing breath of damp air brushed their faces, wonderfully pleasant.
Seeing that Ju Ying was full of enthusiasm and did not complain of fatigue, Xingyan led her around the embankment to visit some of the lake's famous sights. Their winding route took them past Pipa Pavilion, to pay respects at Lao Ye Temple, to visit Taijun Rock, and up the Three Kingdoms Zhou Yu Command Platform. Only near noon did Ju Ying begin to feel weary, and Xingyan suggested that she dine at Lakeview Tower in Poyang County's town.
Lakeview Tower stood on the southeastern side of Poyang County's town, only a few steps from the shore of Poyang Lake. It was an ideal place to enjoy a meal and admire the view.
Arriving beneath Lakeview Tower, Ju Ying looked up. The three-story building was constructed entirely of wood, with soaring eaves and tiered galleries. Its upper two stories were octagonal, while the lowest was square. Small blue-black tiles and powder-white roof ridges gave its subdued elegance a delicate charm-quite remarkable for a restaurant.
Looking up, she saw a black wooden plaque hanging beneath the projecting eaves of the second floor. The name "Lakeview Tower" was written across it in bright green lacquer, with vigorous, majestic strokes that were plainly the work of a master. Beneath the plaque, a couplet hung on either side:
"Flowered paper and fragrant tea bowls lend their perfume to a thousand years;
Cloud shadows and the glow of blossoms bring a whole tower to life."
Whoever had composed the couplet, it suited Lakeview Tower's character admirably. The elegant architecture made the old tower itself one of Poyang Lake's scenic attractions.
After they had admired the building, Xing Yan led Ju Ying upstairs to eat. She and her driver seemed to share an unspoken understanding: without exchanging a word, the driver parked the carriage below and waited. Ju Ying appeared entirely unconcerned, clearly accustomed to this. Her driver, however, was broad and powerfully built, a striking contrast to the shabby, scrawny appearance of ordinary carriage drivers.
Puzzled by this, Xing Yan could not help asking about it. The girl told him that she was the daughter of a merchant in Luoyang, and that the driver was employed by her family and had accompanied her all the way here.
On the third floor, Ju Ying chose a pleasant table beside the window and sat down. She was about to order when she noticed Xing Yan standing to one side with his hands lowered. Surprised, she asked him why.
Xing Yan hesitated, then had no choice but to explain:
"How could I have spare money to eat at Lakeview Tower? You go ahead. In a little while, I'll ask the proprietor at the counter for some broth and have it with the dry provisions I brought. I often come here to collect fish for Rice Fragrance House, so I know the proprietor quite well. Don't worry. You eat first, Ju Ying. I'll wait here and keep you company."
For some inexplicable reason, Ju Ying's heart ached at his words. With a hint of reproach on her lips, she rose and firmly pulled him into a seat, threatening that if he would not eat, neither would she. The boy, who had always taken such things for granted, had not expected so fierce a reaction and could only sit down as she demanded.
Although he was well accustomed to working at Rice Fragrance House in Raozhou and knew a waiter's duties thoroughly, sitting properly at one of these fine tables was a first for him-like a maiden stepping into her bridal sedan. For a moment, he did not know what to do with himself. He felt as though caterpillars were crawling over his skin, and could not work out where to put his hands or feet.
Watching his amusingly awkward behavior, Ju Ying felt something quite different stirring in her heart.
"Xing Yan, call the waiter over. Let's order."
Ju Ying spoke gently.
Unexpectedly, the word "waiter" almost triggered an instinctive response in the boy. "What would you like, honored guest?" nearly slipped from his lips. Fortunately, he caught himself in time and called the waiter over just as the other male patrons did.
While the girl was asking the waiter about Lakeview Tower's specialties, Xing Yan interjected:
"Although I've never eaten here, I know its specialties very well. Lakeview Tower is best known for Poyang Lake lion's-head meatballs, steamed pouch-shaped red carp, sweet-and-sour crucian carp, and shad steamed with white reeds. But their white-reed shad isn't as authentic or flavorful as what they serve at Waterside House on Nanji Island in Poyang Lake."
The waiter clearly knew Xing Yan. Hearing his final remark, he laughingly scolded him for talking nonsense.
"Then we'll have all of those, and three large bowls of white rice."
Ju Ying gave the waiter her order.
"Th-that's two taels and four mace of silver, if you order all those dishes and three bowls of rice!"
The price spilled straight from Xing Yan's lips as he reminded Ju Ying that this was an enormous sum. But the girl protested:
"I've been walking for half the day, and I'm starving! Won't you even let me eat?"
"Hehehe..."
Hearing this, the boy could only laugh foolishly. Even looking at such extravagance made his heart ache.
Once the waiter turned and called their order loudly downstairs, confirming that these dishes would soon appear before him in all their solid reality-and that he would actually be allowed to pick them up with his chopsticks-Xing Yan began fidgeting in his seat, beside himself with excitement. At that moment, ridiculous thoughts churned through the sixteen-year-old's mind:
Who would have thought that I, Zhang Xingyan, would see a day like this! I actually get to sit in Lakeview Tower and eat! And try all its famous dishes in one meal! When I get back, I can really boast to the fellows at Rice Fragrance House!
The sixteen-year-old seemed to have become a little child in an instant. Watching his excitement, Ju Ying thought:
You silly boy. How could I possibly eat so much? I ordered all this to thank you.
Though that was what she thought, she teased him with a smile:
"Hey, if we don't have enough money to pay later, I'll have to leave you here as collateral!"
The excited boy immediately grew alarmed and uncertain. He began considering whether this might really happen, wavering between hope and fear.
At the sight of his foolish expression, Ju Ying pressed her lips into a smile and left him to his thoughts, turning instead to gaze at Poyang Lake outside the window.
Only then did she discover what an excellent place Lakeview Tower truly was for admiring the lake. From the third floor, all the splendor of Poyang Lake lay before her eyes.
As the saying went, "Ten thousand acres of level lake stretch like a mirror; clouds grace all four seasons, but autumn suits them best." It was now the cool autumn of the ninth month, with water and trees clear and bright. Viewed from the heights of Lakeview Tower, Poyang Lake revealed yet another aspect: distant heavens shone blue, and the waters soaked the sky, with pale sails faintly visible at the limits of sight. Gulls rose and fell above the lake, while wild ducks wheeled in graceful flight, displaying beauty in every movement. Truly:
"Idle clouds and a lone wild duck flew together; autumn waters and the endless sky shared a single hue!"
So deeply enchanted was Ju Ying by the light of the heavens and the reflections on the water that, for a time, she forgot where she was.
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