Notes on Longevity

Chapter 155 A White Fox Accompanying Him, the Scholar Doesn't Remember

The snow is white and the cold wind is blowing. The capital city is always so quiet at night.

The shops in the capital closed early, and the remaining lights in people's homes illuminated smiling faces. Some people watched the snow under the cover of night, seeing children building snowmen in their yards; others strolled the streets with lanterns, seemingly searching for something.

In an inn west of the capital, a scholar was studying late into the night, preparing for the upcoming imperial examinations.

Like him, there were many other students who went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations.

"In my drunken stupor, I pick up my sword by lamplight; in my dreams, I hear bugles echoing through the camps. Eight hundred miles of roasted meat are distributed among my troops; fifty strings of music resonate beyond the Great Wall; autumn brings the review of troops on the battlefield."

The scholar was tired, so he got up from his seat, lay down on the bed, and recited the poem with his eyes closed.

He seemed to see his father riding a warhorse, charging bravely into battle and killing countless enemies on the frontier, amidst the yellow sands of the battlefield.

Once upon a time, his wish was to hold a gun and wear a robe, gallop across the battlefield, and become a valiant general.

But by a twist of fate, he became a scholar.

It was late at night, and I was still feeling sleepy, so I finally drifted off to sleep.

It was a pure white, cloud-like mist that slipped through the crack in the door and into the room. In the still-lit lamplight, a beautiful face first materialized, followed by a figure dressed in a white robe.

This person is none other than Miss Bai.

After she escaped from Chun Guang Lou, the woman still chased after her, but fortunately she was faster and managed to escape after circling around her several times before finally getting rid of her and entering the capital.

He approached the bedside, looked at the scholar who was still lying on the bed with his clothes on, and smiled. "I am fortunate to have met you, sir. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have had the courage to escape that place again."

These were her true feelings. And this was the second time he had saved her.

Before Bai Gu Niang transformed into human form, she secretly went to a private school and hid on a pillar on the roof of the classroom to listen to the teacher teach the young students. She learned a lot from what she saw and heard.

But in the end, he was still naive and was tricked into going to that place.

Although the book in the young master's book was just some idle gossip, it was very well written, especially the line: "Knowing that there is nothing that can be done, one should accept it as fate."

However, this sentence has a second half: "The ultimate virtue."

And its next line: "Understanding that one can act freely and without restraint is the ultimate expression of the Way."

I suppose this is what the young master truly wanted to say.

He was not in control of his own destiny, nor could he control his own destiny. Although the young master always appeared harmless, refined, and indifferent, he harbored many worries in his heart.

I've already read this book and remember it, so I'll return it to you. To repay your life-saving grace, I will stay in the capital and spend this time with you. After that... well, I haven't really decided where to go yet.

I've only heard that Jiangnan is a good place, so I suppose I'll go there.

As the white smoke dissipated, a book titled "An Ruoming" was placed on the wooden table in the room, next to the candlelight.

The next morning, the scholar woke up from his sleep, rubbing his groggy eyes, feeling somewhat puzzled: he had dreamt of a woman last night.

It's strange that I can hear her speaking but can't see her face clearly.

Soon, the waiter brought the washing utensils and breakfast.

After washing up, the scholar clapped his hands at the rather sumptuous breakfast and began to eat, completely unaware that a book had appeared on the table. Porridge, steamed buns, and a meat bun, plus lodging, totaled two taels of silver per day. This was what the innkeeper told him when he checked in, and the scholar didn't think much of it. After all, the imperial examinations were approaching, and many inns in the capital were already full, with prices rising to four taels a day; the scholar's two taels was already quite good.

After finishing his meal, the scholar washed and dried his hands, then picked up the book on the table, moved a chair to the window, and began to read.

After disappearing into the shadows, Miss Bai was surprised to see this scene and was very confused. Did he not remember that he had already given her this book?
She wanted to ask, but was afraid of something, so she chose to sit where he had just sat, and watched him quietly as the waiter cleared away the dishes.

The day was sunny and breezy, and many people gathered downstairs, dressed in blue jackets and carrying baskets, walking in groups of three or five toward the same place.

The young woman in white, dressed in a crowded outfit, followed the scholar at a distance.

The Imperial Examination Hall was the ideal place for scholars, a place where they could rise to prominence and become successful overnight.

She couldn't help but smile as she looked at the somewhat disheveled scholar who had been squeezed in.

"Young master, good luck."

This is what she said after watching them go in and hearing the sound of a gong in the courtyard.

The nine-day imperial examination was a long one. In each cubicle, the scholars wrote furiously, working on the questions set by the Ministry of Rites. Miss Bai remained hidden by his side as always.

However, the scholar quickly sensed something was amiss. Looking at the few simple dishes in his food stall, he was puzzled. It seemed like he could never finish them all, and he didn't recall buying any beef. So where did the beef come from?

He didn't know, but others certainly did.

On the bustling street, Miss Bai had bought food that could be stored for a long time and was about to return to the examination hall when someone found her.

She was led into an alley, and the woman in front of her was none other than Red Fox from before.

"You've made me search everywhere!" she said angrily.

"Are you going to take me back?" Miss Bai looked at her warily. She had followed her here because she saw that there were many people on the street and was afraid that a fight would cause a riot.

"Don't be like this. Actually, I've been looking for you for a long time, but I kept seeing you with that scholar, so I didn't go looking for you." She sighed, staring at Miss Bai with obvious anger.

"What do you want to do? If you dare to touch him, I'll make sure you suffer even if it means losing all my cultivation." Miss Bai put away the food, got into a fighting stance, and looked ready to make a move at any moment.

"I'm not here to fight you. Besides, do you think you can beat me?" she said dismissively.

Miss Bai was puzzled. Since they weren't here to fight, nor did they seem to be here to capture her, she asked, "Then what do you want to do?"

"Have you fallen for that scholar?" she asked with a mysterious smile.

"I didn't," Miss Bai quickly explained.

But as a woman who had frequented brothels for many years, how could she not see through Miss Bai's intentions?

But she didn't expose it. Instead, she said, "That's good. You must remember that the years you've spent in Chun Guang Lou have made you no longer the innocent white fox you once were."

"If he knew—no, he probably already knows. Besides, none of the people in brothels are clean. Do you think he would like you?"

Miss Bai fell silent. She was right. How could a scholar possibly like someone who slept with different men every day in a brothel?

"Also, he doesn't remember you anymore, so I'm giving you two chances."

(End of this chapter)