Unsheathed

It was evening, and Die Zhang couldn’t help but feel slightly puzzled as she stood in the wine shop. Chen Ping’an had just left in the morning, so why was he already back for more wine?

Business was quite good, and to say nothing of empty tables, there wasn’t even an empty chair at the wine spot. This caused Chen Ping’an’s mood to improve as he purchased wine.

Die Zhang handed over a pot of the cheapest wine and asked, ”What’s this all about?”

”I encountered some matters, and Ning Yao told me she wasn’t angry. She adamantly stated that she wasn’t angry, but I have a nagging feeling that this isn’t the case,” Chen Ping’an replied in helplessness.

Die Zhang didn’t take pleasure in his misfortune, and she consoled him by saying, ”Ning Yao always speaks frankly, so she definitely isn’t angry if she says so. You’re overthinking things.”

”Shopkeeper, am I a better judge of people, or are you a better judge of people?” Chen Ping’an replied in a gloomy voice.

Die Zhang could feel at ease and take pleasure in Chen Ping’an’s misfortune now, and she replied, ”Then, Second Shopkeeper, you can drink some more wine. Our wine shop will provide as much wine as you want, and as per the rules, regular customers can’t drink on credit unless they’ve just broken through.”

Chen Ping’an squatted on the side of the street with a pot of wine and a dish of pickled vegetables, and squatting beside him was an alcoholic sword cultivator who often visited the wine shop, the type who would die if he didn’t drink for a single day. He was at the Dragon Gate Tier, and his name was Han Rong. Just like Chen Ping’an, he would only drink Bamboo Sea Small World Wine when he visited, the cheapest wine at one snowflake coin per pot.

At first, Chen Ping’an told Die Zhang that attracting this type of customer was most important and that treating them well was crucial, leaving her a little baffled. Seeing this, Chen Ping’an was left with no option but to patiently explain the reason. The friends of alcoholics were generally alcoholics as well, and these alcoholics liked to always drink at the same place.

Compared to those people who would occasionally drink a pot of fine wine by themselves, these alcoholics, who would feel a strong urge to return and order another pot of wine immediately after leaving, were the best customers to attract. Recurring business was always better than one-off transactions.

At the time, Die Zhang had surprisingly recorded these words in the accounts book, regarding them as priceless words of wisdom, which made Chen Ping’an extremely anxious. The shopkeeper was truly not cut out for doing business. In fact, how had she managed to run her miscellaneous shop for more than ten years? Yet, he had only worked as a wandering merchant for several years. Perhaps he genuinely had some aptitude when it came to doing business?

Han Rong smiled and asked, ”Second Shopkeeper, are you drinking to drown your sorrows? What happened? Were you kicked out of home for being too touchy? It’s okay. I’m experienced with women, so let me teach you a brilliant tactic. How about this, you can treat this as payment for the wine. This is a great deal for you!”

Chen Ping’an ate some pickled vegetables and took a sip of wine, replying in a leisurely voice, ”Listening to your suggestions will truly cause me to become irritated and shameless. In any case, I’m simply here to drink and relax, and are we not aware of who should be teaching whom? What did Brother Han write on the safety tablet on the wall? Have you forgotten after drinking so much?

”There’s something I don’t understand. There are so many safety tablets in the wine shop, but only a single one is hanging with its name side facing the wall. Say, Brother Han, are you treating this wine shop as a place to confess? Will that young lady dare to visit our wine shop to drink in the future? You need to pay double for today’s wine.”

”Don’t haggle with me, okay? Brothers speaking about money is a surefire way to hurt the relationship,” Han Rong said.

He slowly took a swig of wine before sighing with emotion and remarking, ”There are countless single men here, but there are few men as loyal and lovestruck as I am. If I truly succeed in the future and end up with that beautiful woman, then I’ll regard it as your wine shop bestowing blessings on me. I’ll definitely visit to return the favor at that time, and I’ll directly order two pots of wine that cost five snowflake coins each.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, ”Easy done. I’ll even throw in an extra pot of wine for free at that time.”

”For real?” Han Rong asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, ”Yes, but the type that costs one snowflake coin each.”

”That’s far too casual,” Han Rong exclaimed in disappointment. ”Second Shopkeeper is young and successful, having outstanding achievements and being regarded as a prodigy among prodigies in the younger generation...”

”Hold it right there, Brother Han. Are you going to compensate me if I throw up my wine?” Chen Ping’an asked in mock anger.

Die Zhang was completely won over by Chen Ping’an’s business nous as she stood in the distance and watched the second shopkeeper enjoy a spirited conversation with the customer.

Chen Ping’an had also said before that he genuinely liked to drink at the Sword Qi Great Wall. This was because at the Majestic World, many wine shops would discriminate based on the status of the customers, with powerful individuals receiving more wine and less powerful individuals receiving less wine.

Han Rong chuckled giddily, suddenly recalling a matter and saying, ”Second Shopkeeper, you’ve read a lot of books, so can you think of a few cringey poems? They don’t need to be good poems, and something like ’dreaming that the Azure God visits to pour me wine’ will do. The young lady whom I like is somehow fond of these poems, so you need to help your brother out with this. Regardless of whether this works out or not, I promise that I’ll drag an entire table of alcoholics over as thanks. I’ll adopt your surname if we don’t finish ten pots of wine.”

”Do you think pretentious poems are like wine, served bowl after bowl as long as one is rich? Sorry, but you can keep dreaming.” Chen Ping’an shook his head and continued, ”In any case, I’m not married yet, so I’m not accepting any sons.”

Han Rong raised his wine bowl and said, ”Us brothers have a good relationship, so why don’t we take a swig of wine first? You should at least come up with one poem for your brother, and even one or two lines will suffice. If I don’t become your son, can I become your grandson instead?”

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and replied, ”How about I mull over this afterward? However, to be completely honest with you, whether or not I gain inspiration to compose a poem depends entirely on whether I have enough wine to drink or not.”

Han Rong immediately turned around and shouted to Die Zhang, ”Shopkeeper, I’ll grab the bill for Second Shopkeeper’s pot of wine!”

Die Zhang nodded in response, and she felt that if Chen Ping’an were to focus on selling wine, he could expand the wine shop to the city wall in just a few years’ time.

A tall and slender woman gracefully walked over, arriving in front of the second shopkeeper, who was currently explaining the meaning of ”fleeting time” to Han Rong. She smiled and asked, ”May I please trouble Young Master Chen for a brief moment?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in response, turning around and saying to Han Rong, ”It’s not important if you don’t understand, and the most important thing is that she understands.”

He then walked along the street with the young woman and said with a smile, ”Thank you for reaching out, Miss Yu.”

The young woman was none other than Yu Qia, who had left Fan Dache completely heartbroken.

Yu Qia’s expression was slightly unnatural, but it wasn’t long before she said slowly in a soft and gentle voice, ”I heard about the events that night, and even though I’m no longer in a relationship with Fan Dache, I still have to apologize to you, Young Master Chen. After all, this happened because of me, and I caused you to suffer.

”Perhaps it isn’t suitable for me to say this, and you might even feel like my apology is shallow and insincere. No matter what, I still hope that you can sympathize with Fan Dache. He’s truly a very good person, and I’m the one who has wronged him.”

”I wouldn’t have tolerated a scolding from Fan Dache if he weren’t a good person,” Chen Ping’an said. ”Who hasn’t become drunk before? If a man murmurs a woman’s name when he’s drunk, then he definitely has sincere feelings for that woman. As for scolding others when they’re drunk? Their words shouldn’t be taken seriously at all.”

Yu Qia curtsied and said, ”Thank you, Young Master Chen. Then I won’t disturb you and your friend anymore.”

Following Yu Qia’s departure, Chen Ping’an returned to the wine shop and squatted down, continuing to drink by himself. Han Rong had already left, and he naturally hadn’t forgotten to pay for Chen Ping’an’s wine.

”What was that all about?” Die Zhang shuffled over and asked.

”Yu Qia came to apologize for Fan Dache’s outburst,” Chen Ping’an explained with a smile.

Die Zhang pursed her lips before saying, ”And that’s only because she’s afraid of offending Chen Sanqiu, the leader among the group of young masters that includes Fan Dache and the others. If Chen Sanqiu truly criticizes Yu Qia and gives her a bad reputation, then she doesn’t need to dream about hanging out with them in the future.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and didn’t say anything.

Things naturally weren’t so simple.

”Why don’t we make a bet about whether Fan Dache will appear here or not?” Chen Ping’an suddenly suggested.

”I wager that he’ll appear,” Die Zhang said with a nod.

Chen Ping’an smiled and was just about to nod in confirmation.

Seeing this, Die Zhang changed her mind and said, ”Actually, forget about the bet.”

Chen Ping’an had an expression of regret, and Die Zhang felt like she had made the correct decision to pull out of the bet. Unexpectedly, however, Fan Dache turned up after less than fifteen minutes.

Die Zhang rolled her eyes.

Fan Dache was extremely hesitant after he arrived at the wine shop, but in the end, he still purchased a pot of wine and squatted down beside Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, ”Miss Yu said that she was the one who has done wrong by you.”

Fan Dache lowered his head, and tears immediately streamed down his cheeks. He didn’t drink, and he held his wine bowl just like that.

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and lightly touched it against the white bowl in Fan Dache’s hand, saying, ”Don’t get too hung up on this, so much so that you yearn for war to start tomorrow, feeling like dying on the battlefield to the south of the Sword Qi Great Wall is a form of liberation.”

Fan Dache took a large swig of wine and asked, ”How did you know?”

”I guessed,” Chen Ping’an replied.

”Don’t have a falling out with Sanqiu for my sake, or remain friends but have grudges in your hearts,” Fan Dache said.

”You’re overthinking things,” Chen Ping’an said with a chuckle.

”That would be best,” Fan Dache replied with a nod.

”Even if you hadn’t come here to look for me today, I would have headed over to look for you,” Chen Ping’an said.

Fan Dache smiled bitterly and said, ”I appreciate your concern, but this isn’t going to help with anything.”

”You definitely feel terrible right now, with even the smallest of sounds and movements feeling exaggerated and painful. However, I know a method to deal with this. Do you want to try?” Chen Ping’an asked.

”What method?” Fan Dache asked in puzzlement.

Chen Ping’an smiled and explained, ”Fight with someone, and you’ll feel better when your physical pain matches your mental pain.”

”You’re not using this as an excuse to beat me up, are you? You’re holding such a strong grudge simply because I smashed a single wine bowl?” Fan Dache asked with a skeptical expression.

”You can piss off if you don’t believe me,” Chen Ping’an responded.

In the end, Fan Dache ultimately decided to follow Chen Ping’an to the corner of the alley. However, before Fan Dache could even assume a fist stance, Chen Ping’an’s fist had already rocketed over and knocked him down. After being struck down several times, Fan Dache’s face was caked in blood as he shakily stood up and stumbled along the street. Chen Ping’an was calm and relaxed after finishing his job, and he walked alongside Fan Dache and asked with a smile, ”How do you feel?”

Fan Dache wiped his face and looked down at his hand, after which he looked up and cursed, ”Feel better my ass! If I return like this, Sanqiu and the others will think that I’ve truly lost my mind!”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, ”What does it matter for a man to vomit some blood? Otherwise, you’ve been drinking my Bamboo Sea Small World Wine for nothing. Remember to pay before you leave, and you can forget about that white bowl. I’m not that type of stingy person, and I won’t remember those kinds of trivial matters.”

Chen Ping’an stopped and said, ”I have some matters to attend to.”

Fan Dache walked to the wine shop by himself.

Chen Ping’an turned around and asked with a chuckle, ”I didn’t frighten you, did I?”

It was the young boy, Zhang Jiazhen.

Zhang Jiazhen shook his head and replied, ”I wanted to ask about the character, steady. How should this character be understood according to Mr. Chen’s understanding?”

”There’s another explanation for the character, steady,” Chen Ping’an replied. ”It can be understood using the three words, ’person,’ ’not,’ and ’hurrying,’ with a similar definition to the character, slow. The character, steady, hence implies a person being slow and not wrong, but eventually pursuing speed.”[1]

Zhang Jiazhen thought about this for a moment before smiling knowingly and looking up, gazing at Chen Ping’an, who was holding his hands inside his opposite sleeves.

”Mr. Chen, I don’t have the aptitude for practicing martial arts or learning sword techniques, so if I have free time in the future and Mr. Chen is coincidentally near the wine shop as well, can I come over and ask Mr. Chen to explain characters to me?” he asked.

”Of course. I’ll be frequently visiting this area in the future,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Zhang Jiazhen winked at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an turned around, only to see Ning Yao walking over.

Zhang Jiazhen bade farewell before turning around and running away.

Chen Ping’an briskly walked over and asked in a soft voice, ”Why have you come here?”

”Did you drink again?” Ning Yao asked.

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless. He smelled of wine right now, so would he not be beaten half-dead if he dared to lie and refute this?

Ning Yao suddenly reached over and held his hand.

The two of them didn’t say anything, walking past the wine shop and continuing down the street just like that.

”Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ning Yao asked.

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment before impersonating someone and saying, ”Chen Ping’an, even if you’re fortunate enough to find yourself a wife in the future, she’ll most likely be a scatter-brained person.”

Ning Yao was rendered speechless in a rare display, and after remaining silent for a brief moment, she chuckled to herself and narrowed one eye, raising a hand and bringing her index finger and thumb an inch apart before seemingly saying to herself, ”Not even this much?”

She felt slightly puzzled when she noticed that Chen Ping’an had stopped in his tracks. However, the two of them were still holding hands, so she glanced back, only to see that Chen Ping’an’s lips were quivering for some unknown reason. His voice was hoarse as he asked, ”What will you do if there comes a day when I leave this world first? What will you do if we also have children at that time?”

Chen Ping’an was no longer the young boy wearing straw sandals in Clay Vase Alley, nor was he the little boy carrying a large basket of medicinal herbs. However, he couldn’t help but mysteriously feel sad whenever he thought about this scenario, becoming increasingly sad the more he thought about it.

Pain that could be spoken aloud would gradually ease, while pain that was secretly hidden would only accumulate and grow. Year after year, this hidden pain was like a lonely mute hiding in a corner of his heart, curled up in a ball. When this child looked up, he would silently lock eyes with his older self, not saying a single word.

1. The author has deconstructed the character for steady (稳) into the components 人不急, meaning person not hurrying, with 人不 being a deconstruction of the radical 禾. The latter does not appear to be a proper deconstruction. ☜