Notes on Longevity

Chapter 32 Xiaoshuang Develops Feelings? An Zhixun and Zheng He

"Miss, just now in the alley, I noticed that bookworm kept staring at you. Could it be that he has feelings for you?"

The man frowned slightly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Xie Xiaoshuang.

"Brother Shuping, what are you saying? You haven't been singing too much opera, have you? You've started to believe in those so-called love at first sight stories now?"

Xie Xiaoshuang wasn't angry at all; instead, her face flushed slightly under the lantern's glow. Shu Ping noticed this and clearly felt he was right.

He had deliberately said those words for Xie Xiaoshuang to hear. Although he didn't know what Yang Youan was thinking, judging from the blush on her face in the alleyway, he felt that his young lady might have developed some feelings for Yang Youan.

Jie Xiaoshuang explained this to Shu Ping, but she knew the truth in her heart. When she saw Yang Youan staring at her, she actually felt shy. She lowered her head, avoiding Yang Youan's gaze.

She thought and thought, but she didn't know why she felt this way. Was it because of Yang Youan's delicate appearance? It didn't seem so. Or was it because he was a scholar? Although she often sang stories of love between scholars and women when she was in the opera troupe, it didn't seem to be because of that.

"No, that's not it. I'm just afraid that bookworm might have bad intentions towards you."

As Jie Xiaoshuang pondered this, Shu Ping teased her.

"Brother Shuping, if you say that again, I won't talk to you anymore."

Xie Xiaoshuang was a little angry now. She quickened her pace and walked towards the pear orchard.

Meanwhile, Yang Youan returned to the inn under the escort of the three men.

After bowing to the group to express his gratitude and watching them leave, he was about to head to his room when the innkeeper called him back.

"Young Master Yang, please come back."

"What's wrong, shopkeeper?" Yang Youan asked, looking at the anxious shopkeeper with a puzzled expression.

"My young master has been waiting for you all day," the shopkeeper said, pulling Yang Youan upstairs.

Yang Youan was pulled along by the shopkeeper, walking beside him with great confusion, thinking to himself, "Who is your young master? What are you waiting for me for?"
But when Yang Youan arrived at the room where Li Chengru had stayed, and the innkeeper knocked on the door, he realized what was going on when he saw the young master he had mentioned.

"What brings you here, Brother Zhang?"

Yang Youan bowed to the person inside the door.

When the shopkeeper mentioned his young master, Yang Youan couldn't recall when he had ever met or known him.

Upon seeing Zhang Ze'an, he immediately remembered that Li Chengru had mentioned in the backyard that this inn was originally Zhang Ze'an's residence. After they moved to a new residence, the front yard of this place was converted into an inn.

"Come in and talk."

Zhang Ze'an spoke to Yang You'an, then waved to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper bowed to Zhang Ze'an and left the second floor, returning to the counter. He then instructed the waiter to prepare some food to bring up to the two of them.

"Before Brother Li left, he came to see me and asked me to come and visit you when I had time, and also to ask when you were planning to go back." Zhang Ze'an sat at the table, adding fresh tea for Yang You'an. Soon, the waiter brought in the food box and placed it in front of the two of them.

"Although I failed the exam this time, I am very satisfied to have met Brother Li and Brother Zhang, and I do not feel disappointed."

Yang Youan sipped the tea Zhang Ze'an had added, a slight smile on his face:
"After tomorrow, I will leave Fuyang and return to Fuyun, where I will prepare to go to the capital to take the imperial examination three years later."

"Alright, alright!" Zhang Ze'an nodded, got up, opened the lunchbox, and took out the food with Yang You'an. After sitting down again, Zhang Ze'an asked Yang You'an, "By the way, why are you so late today?"

"I had a run of bad luck. On my way back to the inn, I encountered some bandits and was almost robbed of my money and nearly killed."

As Yang Youan ate his meal, he sighed and recounted his recent experiences with a sorrowful expression. Finally, he turned to Zhang Ze'an and said with emotion, "If I hadn't met Miss Xie and her group later, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it back tonight."

"The Five-Mile Pear Orchard in the north of the city?" Zhang Ze'an listened to Yang You'an's description, eating his food thoughtfully. "Are you going tomorrow?"

“Yes,” Yang Youan put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhang Ze’an with a serious expression: “I will be setting off for my hometown tomorrow afternoon.”

“Alright, take me with you tomorrow.” Zhang Ze’an put down his chopsticks, got up and walked to Yang You’an’s side, patting him on the shoulder: “This Wuli Pear Garden is no ordinary pear garden. I’ve been to see the performances before, and their skills and costumes are indeed incomparable to those of ordinary pear gardens.”

"By the way, Brother Li, do you know anything different about this Pear Garden? I saw that Miss Jie was surrounded by guards with knives. At first, I thought she was a young lady from a wealthy or official family."

After listening to Zhang Ze'an's words, Yang You'an voiced his doubts. He really couldn't understand how a Peking Opera performer could have so many guards.

“I know a little, but not much,” Zhang Ze’an said, pacing around the room. “The name ‘Five Mile Pear Garden’ was bestowed by Emperor Shangyuan. It is said that twenty years ago, the Crown Princess, who is now the Empress of Emperor Wenshang, gave birth to a boy and a girl. The Emperor was overjoyed and held a banquet in the palace, inviting many highly skilled artists from the martial arts world and folk to celebrate the Crown Princess’s birthday. The next day, Emperor Shangyuan bestowed the name of the garden upon them, and many officials went to curry favor with him. However, as time passed, after Emperor Shangyuan passed away, the Pear Garden gradually declined. Emperor Wenshang would visit it when he first ascended the throne, but now he hardly goes anymore. As for why, I don’t know.”

After Zhang Ze'an finished speaking, Yang You'an frowned and asked, "I see. But why was he granted a name by the emperor after performing in an opera?"

"I don't know either. You'll have to ask them if you want to." Zhang Ze'an, always eager for a good show, encouraged him, "Why don't you ask them tomorrow? I'm quite curious about this too."

As soon as Yang Youan finished speaking, he stood up and said to Zhang Ze'an, "Miss Jie saved my life, how could I possibly ask about their secret past for such a reason? Please forgive me for being unable to comply."

“That’s true.” Zhang Ze’an raised an eyebrow helplessly. “It’s really not a good idea to do this. Alright, it’s getting late, you should go back to your room and rest. Call me when you go tomorrow.”

"Alright. Brother Zhang, farewell." Yang You'an clasped his hands in a salute to Zhang Ze'an, who returned the salute with a smile.

North of the city, five miles away, lies the Pear Orchard.

Outside.

"Miss is back." A young woman opened the door. When she saw Xiaoshuang return, her furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and she looked at her with a smile.

But Xie Xiaoshuang, standing outside the door, looked at the young men behind the woman, who appeared tense and were holding sticks, with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What's wrong with you all?"

(End of this chapter)