Notes on Longevity

Chapter 43 A Graceful Demeanor and Deep Affection, Shuping Departs for the Martial World

Right on either side of the courtyard entrance, the people who had come out and were supposed to go back to their rooms were all hiding in front of the stone wall. They were all looking at him with a smirk. The person standing at the front kept rubbing the snow off his hands. It was obvious that he was the one who had thrown snowballs at him earlier.

After rubbing the snow off his hands, the man waved to the other man, signaling him to come over. The man glanced at the courtyard and saw that Zhang Wanyi had already walked to Shuping's side. He took two steps to the side, then quickly walked up to the other man and whispered, "I thought you had really left."

The man chuckled and pointed at the man, saying, "You think I don't know what you're thinking? How can I miss out on this kind of excitement?"

As soon as they finished speaking, voices came from inside the courtyard, and everyone quickly crowded together, turning their ears toward the courtyard.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you want to see me alone?" Zhang Wanyi said reproachfully, looking at her with her head down or looking around.

Upon hearing this, Shu Ping lowered his head and remained silent.

“Anyway, Young Master Yang has already told me.” Zhang Wanyi stood in front of Shu Ping. Upon hearing this, he immediately raised his head, looking at Zhang Wanyi in disbelief. He was about to speak when Zhang Wanyi interrupted him: “Hey, don’t speak yet! I’m asking you, is your background really that important? Besides, I’m not the same person I was back then. What’s this about being worthy or not? Besides, that’s all in the past. Do you think the present is more important or the past?”

Zhang Wanyi's questions left Shu Ping speechless. He truly liked Zhang Wanyi, but the insurmountable barrier of their different backgrounds weighed heavily on his mind. Marriage was about matching social status. Although both of them had been opera singers before, and still were, there was a difference between them: street performers and amateur singers. Though it was only a difference of one word, and others might not see any difference, they knew it was different.

The Peking Opera performers have real skills; they earn their living through their abilities, and every gesture and expression is carefully crafted. In contrast, someone like me relies entirely on verbal spieling, deciding how to perform and sing based on the audience's mood and reaction. To put it bluntly, one relies on skill, the other on gimmicks.

Furthermore, men are all concerned about their image. If others gossip behind their backs, saying that this man used to speak filthy language on the street, while that girl is the daughter of the owner of some famous garden, it would inevitably be very hurtful. And Shuping happens to be the kind of person who cares a lot about his image.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Zhang Wanyi asked, frowning, after talking for a while without Shu Ping saying a word.

Shu Ping finally raised his head. He looked at Zhang Wanyi, and though he had something to say, he didn't know how. Helpless, he could only apologize to Zhang Wanyi and walk past her to leave the courtyard, but Zhang Wanyi called him back.

"Shuping, what exactly do you want me to say?" Finally, Zhang Wanyi couldn't hold back any longer and shouted loudly.

Those outside the door exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why things were going in the wrong direction.
“I do like you,” Shu Ping turned to look at Zhang Wanyi, “but I used to be just a street hawker, I’m not good enough for you.”

After Shu Ping finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving Zhang Wanyi alone in the courtyard, heartbroken and on the verge of tears in the heavy snow.

Shu Ping walked out of the courtyard, glanced at the awkward-looking crowd standing on both sides, smiled slightly at them, gave them a fist and palm salute, and then left, heading straight for the backyard.

The crowd walked to the door from both sides, watching Shu Ping's departing figure and then looking back into the courtyard. For a moment, they didn't know what to do.

After Shu Ping entered the backyard, he went straight to his room. Xie Xiaoshuang, who lived across the hall from Shu Ping, was standing at the door admiring the snow, but when she saw Shu Ping hurriedly return to his room and close the door, she immediately turned around and called out to Yang Youan, who was sitting at the table reading a book, "Zhenghe, Brother Shu Ping has gone back to his room."

Upon hearing this, Yang Youan shook his head, put down the book in his hand, stood up, and slowly walked to Xie Xiaoshuang's side. He said, "Brother Shu is still stubborn, and it seems he's going to leave early. I was thinking that if Sister Wanyi spoke first, Brother Shu might be able to let go of his so-called family background. But it seems he cares a lot about it."

"What should we do? Is Brother Shuping really leaving? Why don't you go and try to persuade him again?" Xie Xiaoshuang looked at Yang Youan anxiously.

“Even my uncle couldn’t keep him here, so there’s not much point in me going.” Yang You’an looked at Shu Ping’s tightly closed door and said to Xie Xiaoshuang, “By the way, where is the silver I prepared for Brother Shu yesterday?”

"Oh, I'll go get it."

In the room, Shu Ping changed into a thick black coat. On his bed was a square bamboo basket, 1.3 feet wide and 2 feet high, filled with clothes.

Shu Ping held a knife in his hand, his back to the bed. He looked at his slightly worried face reflected on the blade, and his heart ached even more.

He had liked Zhang Wanyi for a long time, but he had never been able to confess his feelings because of his past. When he learned that Zhang Wanyi also liked him, he avoided her because of this, even pretending to accidentally lose or discard the things she gave him. He knew he was not good enough for Zhang Wanyi, so when she became increasingly obvious in her approach, he didn't want to hold her back and had no choice but to leave.

The night after Ping An woke up, the night he sat with Yang Youan at the entrance of the pear orchard, after everyone had fallen asleep, he went to the courtyard and knocked on the old troupe leader's still-lit door. "Are you really sure?" the old troupe leader asked softly, looking at Shu Ping with a hint of helplessness.

Shu Ping replied softly, "I've thought it through."

"Sigh, I won't try to persuade you anymore. If you want to leave, then go ahead. But can you really let go of Wan'er?" The old troupe leader sighed and asked him.

“Our backgrounds are different, and even if we are in love, I’m afraid of all the gossip,” Shu Ping said.

"But who cares?" The old troupe leader shook his head. "This world is too busy, and not many people really care about these things. You and Wan'er are both opera singers, and so am I. It doesn't really matter."

“I have traveled all over the country since I was a child and have met countless people. I know what you mean, Master, but I still can’t get over this in my heart.”

Shu Ping's stubborn tone made the old troupe leader realize that there was no room for negotiation, so he asked him, "When do you plan to leave, and where are you going?"

"Perhaps I'll have to trouble the troupe leader again. I plan to leave in the spring; as for where I'll go, the world is vast, there's bound to be a place for me." Shu Ping said, then paused for a moment. Actually, he hadn't decided where to go yet, but in his heart, he also had his own vision of the world, and he wanted to go out and explore.

"Very well, you have a lot of skills. If you go into the martial world, you might be better off than you are now. But you must remember that the martial world is wonderful, but it is also full of dangers. Be careful in everything you do. If you have time, come back and visit often."

"Yes. Thank you very much, Master and young master and young lady, for saving my life."

Shu Ping held a knife in his hand and placed the bamboo basket aside. He bowed and thanked Yang Youan and Xie Xiaoshuang, who were sitting in the upper seat in the reception room and standing on either side of him.

"Brother Shu, please take these travel expenses." Yang Youan and Xie Xiaoshuang came to Shu Ping and helped him up from the ground. Yang Youan took a large bag of silver from Xie Xiaoshuang and handed it to Shu Ping.

"Young master, what's wrong?"

Shu Ping panicked upon seeing this, but Yang Youan said to him, "You, the troupe leader, and Shuang'er saved my life a few years ago. This money is part of the debt of gratitude for saving my life."

As he spoke, he took out a delicate wooden plaque made of sandalwood from his pocket. Both sides were engraved with words or patterns. "This wooden plaque was given to me by Brother Zhang through Brother Li. If I encounter trouble in the martial world in the future, as long as it's not a major event like the sky falling down, people in the martial world will be more wary of me."

"Young master, this is too important for me to accept," Shu Ping waved his hand and stepped back.

"It's alright, I'll ask Brother Li to give me another one later." Seeing that Shu Ping didn't want it, Yang You'an finally stuffed it into Shu Ping's arms: "Alright, Brother Shu, if I enter the court and become an official, I'll need your guidance on matters of the martial world, so don't refuse."

"Yes, Shuping, you should accept it. This world of martial arts isn't as simple as it's portrayed in plays." The old troupe leader also stepped down from his seat and patted Shuping on the shoulder.

"This?" Shu Ping hesitated as he held the wooden plaque in his hand.

"And this silver is enough. The journey through the martial world is long, and even without travel expenses, it can still give a hero a head start," Yang Youan joked.

"Thank you, Master, thank you, young master and young lady." Shu Ping clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the three of them, his words filled with gratitude.

"Then I shall take my leave." Shu Ping took the money bag from Yang You'an, slung the bamboo basket over his shoulder, and turned to leave the reception room under the watchful eyes of the three men, walking into the snowy landscape and heading towards the world of martial arts in his heart.

The three watched Shu Ping's figure walk away until it disappeared into the backyard. Jie Xiaoshuang looked at the two of them and asked, "What about Sister Wan'er? Does she know about this?"

(End of this chapter)