Entertainment from Divorce

The doormat in the entryway still carried the dampness of the plum rain season in Jiangcheng. When Tan Yue bent down to push the suitcase to the corner, the sound of the wheels rolling over the tiles seemed to be mixed with the voices of people on Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street.

He reached out and pulled off the hot dry noodles-shaped pendant hanging from the suitcase handle—it was something Chen Ziyu had picked out at a cultural and creative store in Hubu Alley.

She laughed and said, "Hanging this up will remind me of the aroma of Jiangcheng whenever I eat noodles in the future"—then she saw Chen Ziyu squatting in front of the shoe cabinet, wiping a pair of canvas shoes covered with grass clippings from the East Lake Wetland with a wet wipe.

"Still tidying up?" Tan Yue walked over and handed her a glass of chilled plum juice that he had just taken out of the refrigerator.

Water droplets condensed on the outside of the glass bowl clung to the back of her hand, and she subconsciously pulled her fingertips back, but a smile lingered in her eyes.

“It’s been four days since you got back, and that notebook you bought at the Jiangcheng Museum is still lying on the coffee table in the living room. The ginkgo leaves inside are almost blown off by the wind.”

Chen Ziyu took the plum juice, tilted her head back, and took a big gulp. The cool sweetness slid down her throat, finally calming the afternoon heat. She pointed towards the living room, her voice still carrying a hint of languor: "It's not that I didn't want to put it away, it's just that flipping through that notebook reminds me of the days in Jiangcheng. Look at that page with the Crane Tower in it. Back then, you insisted on waiting for the sunset to paint the eaves, and you stood there for forty minutes until your legs went numb. In the end, the sunset only peeked out for three minutes, and you still stubbornly said, 'Those three minutes were worth all the waiting.'"

Tan Yue looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, there was the notebook with the sword pattern on the cover lying on the coffee table. A pale yellow ginkgo leaf was tucked into a blank page—it was picked up in the Tingtao Scenic Area of ​​East Lake, and it was still green at the time.

He walked over, picked up the notebook, and ran his fingertips over the pages filled with writing. The notes about adding double the sesame paste to hot dry noodles and the view of the old alley rooftops from the second floor of the Tanhualin Cafe suddenly made the air smell like Jiangcheng.

“That’s right,” Tan Yue handed the notebook back to her. “You were complaining that I was ‘stubborn,’ but you kept taking pictures of the Crane Tower and forgot to buy the sugar paintings that the old man was selling. In the end, I ran back and bought you a rabbit-shaped one. You took a bite and said, ‘It’s sweeter than the ones in Beijing.’ I still think you looked so cute when I think about it.”

Chen Ziyu glared at him, but couldn't help but smile: "That's because the sugar painting masters in Jiangcheng are so skilled! They can not only draw rabbits, but also miniature crane towers. I watched them boil sugar and pull it into strands, and my eyes were glued to them."

She paused, placed the plum juice on the coffee table, and unconsciously stroked the cover of her notebook with her fingers. "Actually, these past few days since I came back, I've felt like something's missing. When I wake up in the morning, I always expect to hear the shouts of 'Hot dry noodles—' outside the window, but when I open my eyes, all I hear is the noise of the breakfast stall selling soy milk and fried dough sticks downstairs."

Tan Yue sat down next to her, his knee gently touching hers, and he could feel the warmth of the sun still lingering on her trouser leg.

He actually had the same misconception: yesterday when he went to the supermarket to buy soy sauce, he saw Zhou Hei Ya (a brand of braised duck) produced in Jiangcheng on the shelf and subconsciously took two boxes.

This morning, while cooking noodles, I instinctively wanted to add sesame paste to the bowl, only to realize that we were out of sesame paste.

"Haven't you had enough fun yet?" Tan Yue pointed to the blank pages in the notebook. "I've noticed you've been flipping through this notebook more often than you've been looking at travel photos these past few days. You even take it out to look at it before bed."

Chen Ziyu's eyes lit up, and she pushed the notebook toward him, her fingertip pointing to the top of the blank page: "How did you know? Actually, on the high-speed train back to Beijing, I kept thinking that we only stayed in Jiangcheng for three days this time, and there are still many places we haven't been to, and... I also want to go to Luojing."

She paused, her voice tinged with anticipation, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to see the giant Buddha in the grottoes? I checked, and it's not hot in Luoyang in June, which is perfect for visiting the grottoes and the peony garden."

Tan Yue paused for a moment, then smiled.

He recalled last winter when the two of them snuggled on the sofa watching "Treasure Trove." When they got to the episode about the grottoes, he casually remarked, "It would be great to see the Buddha in person. I heard that the Buddha's smile is especially gentle." Little did he know that Chen Ziyu would keep it in mind.

He leaned closer and watched as Chen Ziyu wrote the two characters "Luojing" on a blank page, with a small outline of a Buddha drawn next to it.

“Then let’s go to Luoyang!” Tan Yue pushed the laptop toward her. “After we finish our work these few days, we can have a five or six-day vacation and slowly explore Luoyang. Unlike in Jiangcheng, where we ran to three attractions a day and were so tired that we fell asleep as soon as we got back to the guesthouse at night, this time we’ll slow down and really experience the charm of the capital city.”

Chen Ziyu sat up straight excitedly, picked up a pen, and made a list under "Luoyang": "I want to go to the grottoes, and go early in the morning. I heard that the morning sunlight makes the Buddha statues look especially gentle when it shines on them; I also want to go to the White Horse Temple to see the first Buddhist temple. I heard that the ancient cypress trees there are over a thousand years old; oh right, and the Luoyang Museum, which has a lot of Tang tri-colored pottery. I saw pictures of those colorful horses online before, and they were especially beautiful!"

“No problem,” Tan Yue nodded. “The grottoes will take up most of the day, so we can stay overnight nearby and go to the White Horse Temple the next morning. The Luoyang Museum requires advance reservations, so I’ll check the reservation method later and book the tickets in advance. Oh, and I also want to try the Luoyang Water Banquet. I heard it’s a specialty of Luoyang, and every dish is inseparable from soup, which is especially delicious.”

"Really?" Chen Ziyu leaned closer, her eyes wide. "Then we definitely have to go! I also want to go to the Old Town Cross Street. I heard it's especially lively at night, with lots of snacks, like 'Bu Fan Tang' (a type of soup), 'Tang Mian Jiao' (a type of dumpling), and Luo Jing's peony pastry. I want to try it and see if it really smells like peonies."

"Don't worry, all of this is arranged," Tan Yue ruffled her hair. "Let's first list the places we want to go, then check the transportation and accommodation for each place, and then plan a rough itinerary. This time we can stay in a guesthouse in the old town, where we can see the bluestone streets of the old alleys when we wake up in the morning, and go to the night market at Shizijie in the evening. How pleasant!"

Chen Ziyu nodded and picked up her pen to write diligently in her notebook.

Sunlight streamed through the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on the tips of her hair and giving it a soft golden hue.

Looking at her serious expression, Tan Yue suddenly felt a warmth in his heart—they had previously gone on a business trip to a coastal city, where they had waded in the water, eaten at seafood stalls, and sat on the beach at night listening to the sound of the waves.

From then on, they fell in love with the feeling of traveling together: not rushing through sightseeing spots, but taking their time to explore and remember the scenery and stories of each place.

“Oh, right,” Chen Ziyu suddenly looked up, “I also want to go to the Tang City Ruins Botanical Garden. I heard that there are late-blooming peonies in June. Although they are not as magnificent as those in April, you can still see what peonies look like. Moreover, there are many ancient architectural ruins in the botanical garden. Walking in it, it feels like you can feel the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.” “I know about the Tang City Ruins Botanical Garden,” Tan Yue smiled. “I read in a travel guide that there is a ‘Jiuzhou Pond’ inside, which restores the royal garden of the Tang Dynasty. There is also a light show at night, which is especially beautiful.”

We can visit the botanical garden in the afternoon, watch the light show in the evening, and then go to the crossroads for snacks; it's all on the way.

“Great idea!” Chen Ziyu said excitedly. “Then we can arrange our itinerary like this: take the high-speed train to Luojing in the morning, stay in the old town in the afternoon, and go to Shizijie to eat snacks in the evening.”
The next day we went to the grottoes and stayed near them.

On the third day, we went to the White Horse Temple, returned to the old city in the afternoon, and went to the Tang City Ruins Botanical Garden to watch the light show in the evening.

On the fourth day, we visited the Rakkyo Museum and strolled through the old streets of the old town in the afternoon.

On the fifth day, let's try the Luoyang Water Banquet, and then take the high-speed train home. What do you think?

“No problem, we won’t drive this time, parking is too inconvenient.” Tan Yue picked up his phone and opened the map app. “Let me check the high-speed rail tickets. Tickets for early June aren’t too hard to get. We can book one for around 8 a.m., arriving in Luojing around 11 a.m., which will be just in time for lunch in the old town. As for accommodation, there are many guesthouses with courtyards in the old town. We can book one with a terrace, so we can soak up the sun in the morning and have a few drinks on the terrace in the evening.”

The two chatted back and forth, their notebook lists growing longer and their notes becoming more detailed—a sun hat and sunscreen for the grottoes, comfortable shoes for the White Horse Temple, three hours for the Luoyang Museum, and finding the old local shop for the "Bu Fan Tang" soup at the crossroads. The plum juice on the coffee table gradually cooled, and the sunlight outside the window slowly began to slant westward, casting long shadows in the living room.

“Oh, right,” Chen Ziyu suddenly remembered something, “Should we bring something different this time? Last time in Jiangcheng, we brought a camera, a tripod, and a lot of clothes, but we didn’t wear many of them. This time we can travel light and bring more practical things, like that portable folding chair you mentioned last time. It would be really comfortable to sit by the river in the grotto and look at the Buddha statues.”

“Good idea,” Tan Yue nodded. “I can also bring a small Bluetooth speaker, play a song on the terrace of the guesthouse at night, have some wine, and enjoy the evening breeze. Just thinking about it makes me feel comfortable.”

By the way, it seems there are many small shops selling cultural and creative products in Luojing's old town. We can buy a small Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery ornament as a souvenir.

“And another thing,” Chen Ziyu picked up her pen and added another item to her notebook, “We can shoot more videos this time, and when we get back we can edit them into a vlog, piecing together the memories of Jiangcheng and the scenery of Luoyang. When we’re old, it will definitely be very interesting to watch. For example, we can shoot close-ups of the Buddha in the grottoes, shoot the shadows of the ancient cypress trees in the White Horse Temple, and shoot the bustling night market in Shizijie. We can edit them into some nice clips.”

Seeing her excited expression, Tan Yue couldn't help but smile.

He recalled the first time he traveled with Chen Ziyu, the two of them even argued about the travel plan—he wanted to be more spontaneous and go wherever the road took him, while Chen Ziyu liked to have everything planned out and didn't like last-minute changes.

At that time, he thought she was too serious, and she thought he was too carefree. It wasn't until later at the beach, when they got lost because they couldn't find the guesthouse they had booked, that they ended up staying at a small seaside inn. They chatted while listening to the sound of the waves at night and realized that occasional changes were actually quite nice.

Since then, they have found the most suitable way to travel for each other—Chen Ziyu is responsible for making general travel plans and booking accommodations and transportation, while Tan Yue is responsible for flexibly adjusting the itinerary and staying a few more days in places they like.

Just like this time in Jiangcheng, they originally only planned to stay in Tanhualin for an hour, but because they fell in love with a coffee shop hidden in an old alley, they stayed for an extra afternoon, watching the raindrops fall on the bluestone slabs outside the window and listening to the owner tell stories of old Jiangcheng. They spent their days leisurely and carefree.

“Oh, right,” Tan Yue suddenly remembered something, “When we go to Luoyang this time, should we try the local ‘Jiangmian’? I heard it’s a common noodle dish in Luoyang, made with fermented vegetable broth, sour and very appetizing. There’s also ‘Peony Swallow Dish’, although it’s not actually made with swallows, it has peony petals inside, it looks very pretty and tastes good too.”

“Okay,” Chen Ziyu nodded. “I also want to visit ‘Xigong Street’ in Luojing. I heard it’s a popular snack street for locals. It’s less crowded than Shizijie and the food is more authentic. There are many time-honored shops, such as those selling red bean cakes and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). They’re all worth trying.”

“No problem,” Tan Yue said. “Xigong Street is not far from the old town. We can go there on the afternoon of the fourth day. After strolling around the street, we can go to the Luoyang Museum, which is on the way. By the way, there is an exhibit of the ‘Luoyang Shovel’ in the Luoyang Museum. I would like to see what the real Luoyang Shovel looks like. I have only seen it on TV before.”

The two chatted like that, and before they knew it, it was already dark.

Chen Ziyu got up to turn on the light. The warm light in the living room illuminated the notebook on the coffee table, which was filled with their plans and expectations.

Tan Yue walked over and gently hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked out the window at the night view—the streetlights downstairs were on, and occasionally a car would drive by, leaving a trail of blurry light and shadow, while the distant high-rises still had scattered lights on.

"Do you think we'll visit all the historical cities in the country someday?" Chen Ziyu asked softly, her voice filled with longing.

“Yes,” Tan Yue whispered in her ear, looking down. “As long as we’re together, we can go anywhere we want. Today we can go to Luoyang to see the grottoes, tomorrow we can go to Chang’an to see the Terracotta Army, and later we can go to the capital to see the Forbidden City, West Lake, and gardens… Our travels will never end.”

Chen Ziyu turned around and looked into his eyes, which reflected the warm yellow light, like stars twinkling in them.

She tiptoed and gently kissed his lips, then smiled and said, "Then it's a deal, next stop Luojing, see you there!"

"See you there." Tan Yue replied with a smile, reaching out to hug her tightly.

The air conditioner in the living room was still blowing gently, the plum juice on the coffee table had gone cold, and the handwriting in the notebook looked exceptionally clear under the light. (End of Chapter)