Riding the wind of rebirth

People probably won't be able to get here anytime soon, so everyone will continue their tour. Although this place is not yet listed as a tourist attraction, and tourists generally don't pay attention to this unrestored place, it is precisely because of this that it retains more "original traces," making it more worthy of exploration for Zhouzhi than the hastily cobbled-together Shen Hall.

The hall was furnished with some furniture, which was covered in dust. Upon inspection, it turned out to be made of mahogany. The cultural relics protection department really isn't afraid of theft.

"Come here quickly, elbow! There's a small alley here!" Zhang Xinyi shouted from the east side of the hall.

They walked over and found a dark and long alley on the east side of the hall, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It led directly from the outside street to this alley. There were very high walls on both sides of the alley. However, because of its orientation, the alley was only slightly dark, but not black or dirty, and it was very cool.

This is a great place for taking photos. Zhou Zhi invited everyone to go in and take pictures, but Mai Xiaomiao and Zhang Xinyi were a little scared. Ye Xin, on the other hand, was quite bold and took two pictures with a round fan. The Tyndall effect created by the sunlight shining obliquely down from the roof was very photogenic. The girls' love of beauty immediately overcame their fear of the mysterious.

“This is the ‘accompanying passage’. In the past, large houses like this would not open their main gate unless there was a major event. Only when there were weddings, funerals, celebrations, or visits from distinguished guests would the main gate be opened and a sedan chair carried in. In daily life, family members and servants would basically use this kind of accompanying passage to come and go.”

The alleyway was quite long, and the small door from the lobby was actually in the middle of it. After the women finished taking photos, they weren't afraid anymore, so Zhou Zhi looked to the other side and said, "Shall we go take a look?"

The group continued walking forward, passing a niche in the mottled wall with the embers of incense sticks stuck in it. After walking a little further, the path became brighter, and the light reflected off the wall had a slightly greenish tint.

When they arrived at the alley entrance, everyone's eyes lit up; they had arrived at the backyard of this old house.

The backyard is lush with flowers and trees, a picturesque scene in spring. In front of the alley, there is a crystal-clear stream that flows along the wall in a wonderful way. After forming a small pond about ten feet square in front, it circles around the small dock and waterside pavilion by the pond in an arc before continuing to flow forward.

There was also a sign nailed to the entrance of the alley, with an introduction that said this little river had an elegant name: "Zhujing". Because it was connected to South Lake, the river water was clear and cool.

The small pool in front, about ten feet square, is actually a place where small boats meet and turn around. The riverbank is protected by granite revetments.

The embankment also serves as a path for people to walk on, and right next to the embankment are the back windows and backyards of the riverside houses.

The design typically features a row of open windows with a balustrade in front, which can be opened and closed using a wooden lever. Below the windows, on the embankment, are stone carvings in the shape of ruyi (a traditional Chinese symbol of good fortune), clearly mooring stones, much like the hitching posts in front of wealthy northern households—functional facilities.

The backyard of Zhang Hall is a quiet and serene little garden, surrounded by houses with white walls and black tiles. It truly lives up to the description of the wonderful scene in the couplet "The river flows through the house".

Across from here are houses, and on this side are waterside pavilions and small docks. The waterside pavilions and small docks together form part of the back garden of Zhang Hall. Under the high firewalls, green bamboos sway, roses bloom, and ribbon grass adorns the winding paths.

"It's truly a case of 'when you think you've reached the end of the road, a new vista opens up before you're in the dark!'" Zhou Zhi exclaimed. "This place is really nice, but it's so private that I bet many tourists don't even know about it."

The garden is very small, but also very charming. In particular, there is a Taihu stone in front of the water pavilion, which is exquisite, translucent, and as white as snow. At the top of the stone, there is a protrusion that looks like a swallow. Next to the stone is a stone tablet with the words "Jade Swallow Peak" written on it.

"No wonder this place was later renamed Yuyan Hall, it turns out it was because of this strange rock formation."

This place is perfect for photography. Apart from two elderly people on the other side who seemed to be picking vegetables and washing clothes, occasionally glancing up at us with kind but slightly curious eyes, no one bothered us at all.

Zhou Zhi looked at the wooden basin his grandparents had placed by the water and smacked his lips: "The two old folks are raising snails..."

"What? You want to disturb someone's dinner?" Ye Xin was both amused and annoyed. "Don't be silly, it'll be two hours before we get back." "The water towns of Jiangnan are indeed peaceful and cozy." Zhang Xinyi sat on the chaise lounge. "If I had the time, I'd really like to stay here for a few days."

“Indeed, if this place were developed into a guesthouse like Suihuaxuan, it would definitely be very popular.” Mai Xiaomiao nodded in agreement.

“That’s absolutely impossible.” Zhou Zhi laughed. “Suihuaxuan doesn’t qualify as a cultural relic, but this place is different. It’s a Ming Dynasty building that’s been preserved in relatively good condition. It should at least be considered an immovable cultural relic. It’s just that the cultural relic protection unit hasn’t taken care of it yet.”

"It would be even more fun if we could have a small boat to play with," Mai Xiaomiao said. "Or a raft would be fine too. The scenery here is completely different from that of the Liangshan Mountains, but both are beautiful."

"Speaking of which, we should prepare for the Yi New Year when we get back," Zhou Zhi said with a smile.

"I've seen the photos you sent," Zhang Xinyi said. "I really want to go and have some fun."

"Forget about you. Keep pushing forward," Zhou Zhi said. "Come back when you pass the exam, and I'll even cover your travel expenses."

"You said it!" Ye Xin immediately said, "Add me to the list! Oh, and Wen Yu too!"

“They’re working hard to get into graduate school, and they deserve a reward. You’re already in the national education security fund, why are you getting involved?” Zhou Zhi immediately found a topic to argue with Ye Xin.

"I'm a family member!" Ye Xin declared confidently. "Shouldn't family members be treated this way?"

Just as he was rambling on, a few people came over from one side of the corridor. The one in the lead, a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, asked, "Gentlemen, did you see anyone here just now?"

"No," Zhou Zhi said, putting down his camera. "We came here for sightseeing, and we haven't seen anyone else besides ourselves."

“Professor Ruan,” Zhang Xinyi suddenly blushed, like a primary school student caught doing something wrong by the teacher, “the person you’re looking for is Zhou Zhi, right?”

“Yes, yes, yes… it’s someone named Zhou Zhi,” the middle-aged man nodded. “You know me?”

“I’m also from Tongji University. I saw you arguing with your boss, saying you were going to… lie down on the road and let a car run you over… that’s why I remember you.” Zhang Xinyi realized she couldn’t continue the conversation, so she quickly pulled Zhou Zhi over to shield herself: “He, he’s Zhou Zhi!”

"You? So young?" The newcomer was Ruan Yisan, the actual initiator of the protection of Zhouzhuang. He was somewhat incredulous upon seeing Zhou Zhi's appearance.

"Professor Ruan, hello." Zhou Zhi extended his hand proactively: "Was it Professor Wang who informed you? I've long admired your name, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Are you Zhou Zhi?" Ruan Yisan reached out and shook hands with Zhou Zhi: "Hi, I thought that since you're Elder Wang's disciple, you must be at least the same age as us. I didn't expect you to be so young!"

“Let’s talk outside,” Zhou Zhi said. “We discovered that the windows of the side rooms on both sides of the large courtyard in Zhang Hall are made of polished seashells. Old Wang has already told you about this, hasn’t he?”

"Come on, let's go to the site and talk," Ruan Yisan quickly said. "By the way, this is Wang Yongzhi, the cultural relics protection inspector from Shanghai, responsible for the immovable cultural relics in Zhouzhuang. You can just call him Lao Wang." (End of this chapter)