Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 24: Good Spring Days, Old Articles, New Songs, Night, Ancient Roads, Future

(Zhengsheng comes on horseback, speaking) I once toured the palace with a cheerful face, and I never imagined that the waning moon would shine before my white horse. I was on my way home from being demoted, and it rained heavily. My clothes were soaked through and I felt cold. I felt miserable. Thunder suddenly sounded in the sky, and it frightened me to death.

“There are many stories about officials who were unsuccessful in their careers. Is there anyone really willing to buy into them?” From the fragmented stories, Guan Yin pieced together a story about an official who was unsuccessful in his career, who left home to study hard when he was young, and who returned to his hometown in tatters in his middle age.

(Dan speaks) I have been in my hometown for many years, hoping that my husband will be promoted soon. Last time, there was a storm, so I took my two children home to visit my mother. (Dan comes on stage, crying) I received a letter and was demoted back to my hometown. I don’t know when my husband will be transferred.

(Meeting, Sheng Bai) My husband has made a mistake in his career, and has implicated my wife, wasting her best years in vain (Sheng Kneeling, Dan Supporting)

At this point in the story, Guan Yin finally understood. "Oh, so it's about love."

The draft was in a mixed up order, and lacked many of the original author's creations from his early years in the music school. Now that it's barely connected, the story is quite full of ups and downs, without lacking any glimmers of humanity.

"My husband, do you want Jiao'an to grind ink for you?"

It was like this again, Liu Jiaoan stood beside him without knowing when. Rather than saying that the former was quite elusive, it was better to say that Guan Yin was always immersed in his own world and could not fit into this courtyard that was as big as one and a half rooms.

The night outside the window was as dark as the ink in the small inkstone. When he looked out, the moon was hidden in the mountains. Guan Yin, who was alone in a strange place, could not help but feel the sadness in the script even when the warm wind blew: "No need, I can do it myself. Madam, you should pay more attention to your health and rest early."

Guan Yin did not agree, so Liu Jiaoan did not force him, and just pulled a chair and sat on the other side of the desk. She quietly traced Guan Yin's face with her eyes, and then set her eyes on the rice paper, watching the latter write on the paper stroke by stroke. However, because of her attention, her wrist, which was originally half-hanging, trembled slightly.

Finally, Liu Jiaoan looked away and followed the shadow cast by the window on the ground all the way up, until her eyes reached the green vines outside the wall that were also trying to climb upwards, and then she finally stopped.

It was a trumpet creeper that had not yet grown up. It spread its branches and leaves against the low wall and bloomed a few flowers in the moonlight, looking quite similar to the plum blossom that blooms proudly in the snow and frost.

"What are you looking at?" Although Guan Yin can be considered a thorough liberal arts student, being a liberal arts student does not mean that Guan Yin is good at writing articles, not to mention that he has taken the trouble to fill in such tunes. He can only rely on slow work and fine work, bit by bit.

Guan Yin couldn't sit still for much longer. He raised his head slightly and looked in the direction Liu Jiaoan was looking. However, his eyes were lazy and did not meet Liu Jiaoan's - Guan Yin's gaze did not fall on the trumpet creeper, but instead on the low fence that the trumpet creeper was climbing on, observing the bamboo strips of varying thicknesses.

After all, the fence was not put up just now. Guan Yin saw that it was crooked in some places. He thought that even if there was nothing to steal in this yard, he couldn't leave the door open and let people come in and out at will.

As expected, Liu Jiaoan’s heart was filled with this family that could not be considered a couple.

"But does the fence need to be repaired?" If possible, Guan Yin didn't want Liu Jiaoan to always maintain the character of a good wife and mother. With such a delicate mind, she could accomplish a lot of things, and she didn't need to focus on the daily necessities. "Madam, there are a few books on the bookshelf. If you can't sleep, you can actually read them."

"No need for now."

Guan Yin didn't know which question Liu Jiaoan was answering. If not, then not. Guan Yin didn't want his insistence to affect the life trajectory of a person who belonged to history.

"But am I disturbing my husband?"

"I..." As Liu Jiaoan's voice sounded, a thought suddenly flashed through Guan Yin's mind. Was his indifferent attitude towards history and these living people too cold?
Whenever Liu Jiaoan looked at him, Guan Yin could feel the rich emotions in her heart, including regret, pity, and even reluctance - Guan Yin thought that maybe he should find some time to try to make Liu Jiaoan slowly accept the fact that she was no longer her original self.

He shook his head slightly. Guan Yin didn't want to take risks in a completely passive situation, so he didn't dare to look at Liu Jiaoan anymore. He lowered his eyebrows and eyes, picked up the brush and rubbed it again and again, pretending to continue writing the song, but he couldn't squeeze out a word in his heart: "It doesn't matter, I'll sleep here tonight, you should get some rest early."

"Okay." Fortunately, Liu Jiaoan never interfered with her husband's work. Since she had nothing to do, she tidied up and fell asleep on the bed.

Guan Yin placed his left hand on his right wrist, which was already sore, and finally let out the breath he had been holding. The remaining light flowed from Liu Jiaoan who was lying down to the window.

If Liu Jiaoan wasn't looking at the fence, then what was it? Could it be...

"Could it be that it was because I didn't teach well that Ruan Bi failed the exams many times and finally became a legendary Huizhou merchant?"

"If that's the case, should I just persuade him to do business?" Cheng Heng was muttering when he suddenly shuddered and felt a chill on his back. "This doesn't count as changing history, does it? It just speeds up the process."

Staring blankly at the beams within his sight, Cheng Heng's thoughts began to wander: "I remember saying that this beam is bad in terms of Feng Shui. Is it actually because of the cramped space?"

"Oh, never mind, never mind..." Turning sideways, Cheng Heng's gaze fell on the shadow of the moon on the ground again - I don't know whose figure the moonlight is depicting today.

"Where is this?" When a familiar figure appeared in front of him, Cheng Heng realized that this dream did not seem to be about Guan Yin coming to his own world.

"Why are you..." Looking around, it was a familiar environment that he had gradually gotten used to. Guan Yin's eyes once again stayed outside the window. Before Cheng Heng called out, he finally turned his head and looked at the latter, "Why are you here this time?"

"How are you doing over there? What do the parents say? How did you handle the students' problems before?"

After saying this series of words, Guan Yin suddenly felt that he had unknowingly acquired some of the demeanor of an old teacher. Now it was as if he saw a colleague who had just returned to the office, and he began to ask questions about students and parents.

"What are you looking at?"

"Out the window."

"What's outside the window?"

"fence?"

Cheng Heng suddenly came close to Guan Yin and glanced outside through the window: "The trumpet creeper is blooming so beautifully."

"Drunk in the Shadows of Flowers. Have you ever used this tune?"

"No."

Just when Guan Yin was shocked by Cheng Heng's abrupt response, Cheng Heng brought the topic back to Guan Yin's original question: "It was like an illusion, like a dream of the original Cheng Zhan. Once I figured it out, I was able to get out of it."

"But now we have entered a new story." Just when Guan Yin had some hope, Cheng Heng's words completely dispelled Guan Yin's extravagant hopes.

"The trumpet creepers outside are really beautiful. You should go out and take a look."

(End of this chapter)