Notes on Longevity

Chapter 82 North Sea opens its gates, this garden carries wine; South Mountain offers longevity gifts, the East Pavilion welcomes guests.
Yang Youan looked at the book in his hands, but felt quite uneasy. He didn't know why Lord Chen had suddenly changed locations, even though he had been here before. But that was before; his situation was different now. His parents had died early, and his uncle and aunt had tragically fallen off a cliff. Although the villagers were comforting him, he still remembered the rumors and gossip that had circulated near the county government office.

"This guy is a jinx. He not only killed his parents, but also his uncle and aunt. What else could he be but a jinx?"

"Oh, please say less. He's just a child."

"What kind of child is he? How old is he? He's been to the capital twice already. Do you think he doesn't understand anything? He even wants to be the top scholar!"

"Sir, are you really going to leave him here?"

"Don't worry, someone from above will come to pick him up."

"That kid's every move brings death to his entire family. Now I hear even the wealthy man is sick. What do you say?"

"What are you saying! If you can't speak properly, shut up!"

A tear slid down his cheek and landed on the book in his hand.

The tear moistened the words on it, and the words stung Yang Youan's eyes, making him unable to hold back his tears.

The book says, "While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, do so with a purpose."

Although Yang Youan's aunt and uncle were not his biological parents, they treated him like a son, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration for them to call him "father" and "mother." They just hadn't had a chance to say it yet.

"So, that's why you came to see me." Zhang Ze'an seemed thoughtful after hearing Xie Xiaoshuang's words. He remembered someone telling him that someone had come looking for him back then. However, he had gone to see Li Chengru and wasn't home at the time.

"So how did you two get back together?" Zhang Ze'an was puzzled; he couldn't figure it out.

"Later it was because my father was celebrating his birthday."

"Celebrating a birthday?"

"Ah."

"Miss, where should I put this?" A disciple from the Pear Garden asked, holding a large template with a red paper background and a large black character for "longevity" written on it. He stood in the backyard, watching Xie Xiaoshuang's retreating figure.

"Put this behind where Dad is eating." Xie Xiaoshuang was bowing in front of the stone table writing a birthday greeting when she heard someone call her. She stood up and turned around. When she saw the character for "longevity," she pointed in the direction where they were eating.

"Alright!" Upon hearing this, the disciple grabbed the character for "longevity" and ran off in that direction.

Hearing the noise outside, Yang Youan opened the door. He looked at the withered tree outside and Xie Xiaoshuang, dressed in a red coat, writing with a pen.

His expression was forlorn, as if it were the same weather when he celebrated his uncle's birthday in the past. That year, like this year, was a winter without snow. There were only bare trees outside the door and mountains, and a cold wind that whistled through the air.

"Miss, do you think this will do?" Zhang Wanyi held a pair of red couplets in her hand, frowned and pouted, and came to Xie Xiaoshuang with some dissatisfaction.

"Who wrote this? The couplet is good, but the handwriting is a bit lacking." Xie Xiaoshuang chuckled when she saw the words and asked Zhang Wanyi with great curiosity.

Seeing Xiaoshuang's expression, Zhang Wanyi glanced at the reception room behind her, then turned back to look at her, saying aggrievedly, "I wrote it. I asked Shuping to write one for me too, but he wouldn't."

Zhang Wanyi knew her handwriting was bad; it looked like morning glories, almost all twisted together.

"Miss, look at mine." Zhang Wanyi was feeling sad, but Shuping walked out of the reception room with a smile, holding the birthday poem he had written.

"May the divine tortoise from the East Sea grant you longevity as enduring as the sea."

“The crane comes from the southern mountains, carrying pine branches to mark the seasons.” “Not bad, the calligraphy is also good, but compared to Sister Wanyi’s, Brother Shuping’s poem is inferior.” Xie Xiaoshuang picked up Zhang Wanyi’s birthday poem couplet from underneath: “The Chinese toon tree is a thousand feet green, the peaches of immortality have turned red many times.”

"Although Sister Wanyi's handwriting is somewhat inelegant, its artistic conception is more fluid than yours."

"Miss, I haven't had much schooling either, but I did my best." Shu Ping scratched his head, looking at Xie Xiaoshuang apologetically.

"Tch, it's your fault for not helping me write it. If you had helped me write it, I would have thought about it for you." Zhang Wanyi turned her head away, looking somewhat arrogant.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Then please deliver this item over there."

As Jie Xiaoshuang was speaking, Shu Ping looked at Yang Youan standing at the door and said to Jie Xiaoshuang, "Miss, isn't Young Master Yang a scholar? Why don't you ask Young Master Yang to help you come up with a couplet?"

Hearing this, Jie Xiaoshuang turned around and saw Yang Youan standing in the doorway, staring at them. The moment she saw Yang Youan's eyes, she immediately looked away. She lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, but her face was filled with sorrow. Even she didn't know if she was sad or happy. It was all rather inexplicable.

"forget it"

"Young Master Yang, could you please do me a favor?"

After thinking for a while, Xie Xiaoshuang decided against it, but before she could finish speaking, Shu Ping took a few steps toward Yang Youan and bowed to him.

Yang Youan remained silent, simply returning Shu Ping's greeting, unsure of what to say or how to respond. After all, this wasn't his home. Everyone around him was a stranger, except for Jie Xiaoshuang.

"These are couplets or poems for the troupe leader's birthday celebration. Thank you for your help, young master." Yang Youan remained silent, but Shu Ping was very familiar with him.

Yang Youan lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking: "The North Sea opens its gates, the garden carries wine; the South Mountain offers longevity, the East Pavilion welcomes guests. Let us face each other and enjoy our old age."

Upon hearing Yang You'an's couplet, the three men at the stone table were dumbfounded. They had painstakingly sought his words and composed poems, yet they couldn't compare to the mere momentary gesture of Young Master Yang.

"Thank you, Young Master Yang." Shu Ping and Zhang Wanyi bowed to Yang You'an, then immediately turned to Xie Xiaoshuang and said excitedly, "Young Master Yang truly lives up to his reputation as a scholar. His speech and poetry are truly exceptional."

“Yes, yes,” Zhang Wanyi chimed in.

Xie Xiaoshuang also knew how dangerous this place was, so she turned around to thank Yang Youan.

But the door was already closed.

Zhang Wanyi and Shu Ping looked at Xie Xiaoshuang with some confusion, while she herself looked at the tightly closed door with a sense of helplessness.

"Let's leave it at that for now." Xie Xiaoshuang said somewhat disappointedly, "Write down Young Master Yang's poem and couplet and paste them on both sides of that longevity character."

"it is good."

Zhang Wanyi took the couplet to the dining area, while Shu Ping returned to the waiting room, wrote down the couplet that Yang Youan had mentioned, and then also went to the dining hall.

Only Xie Xiaoshuang remained standing in the backyard. She looked at Yang Youan's room, her mind heavy, her brows drooping, like a weary flower.

Finally, he finished writing the poem and couplet and went to the canteen.

As night fell, the pear orchard was decorated with lanterns and filled with laughter. Yang Youan followed Xie Xiaoshuang over.

The two no longer kept their eyes closed as usual, but instead came arm in arm!

(End of this chapter)