Martial Cultivator

Chen Chao took a sip of wine and casually asked with a smile, “The matter of releasing paper boats during the Kuchai Festival, did it only begin this year?”

The letter-writing gentleman shook his head. “It’s been about three to five years. But before, the scale wasn’t large. It definitely couldn’t compare with the lantern festival here. But starting last year, the momentum wasn’t small, and this year it is enough to contend with it. Probably after a few more years, the lantern festival side will become commonplace, and the paper boats will be the main event.”

Chen Chao smiled. “Let the common people do whatever they want. No one can stop them.”

The letter-writing gentleman looked at Chen Chao in surprise and asked, “Could it be that there hasn’t been any pushing from the imperial court behind this?”

“How would I know?”

Chen Chao held the wine bowl, swaying the wine inside and muttering nonstop, “I’m just a drunkard freeloading off someone else’s wine.”

The letter-writing gentleman did not respond, merely eating meat by himself.

But soon Chen Chao smiled and said, “Perhaps it’s because of the great war in the north that this year is like this. Who knows what it’ll be like in the future, but there’s no need to think about it. Today I saw a paper boat with the words ‘The Northern Frontier is difficult, you all have worked hard’ written on it. I suddenly wanted to see what kind of person had written those words. These eight characters are truly sincere.”

The letter-writing gentleman said in surprise, “Could it be that you knew those words were written by this old man, and that’s why you said all that?”

He remembered clearly that it had been a woman who lived on Furong Street who had asked him to write two lines of well-wishes. She had a distant nephew who was currently in the north. At the time, the letter-writing gentleman had asked her what her nephew’s name was, but the woman had held the paper boat and shaken her head, saying there was no need. If he was going to write something, then he should wish that all the young people over there would be well.

Thus, the letter-writing gentleman had thought about it, and only then had those eight characters been written.

Chen Chao’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Then, old sir, you’re only a letter-writing substitute. That’s beneath your talents.”

The letter-writing gentleman laughed and cursed, “Don’t make fun of this old man. With this little bit of literary talent of mine, I only have the ability to scrape a living at this trade for my whole life.”

Only afterward did he change the subject and say, “Rather, sir, you don’t look like an ordinary person at all. You ought to have something special about you.”

Chen Chao nodded solemnly. “Yes, my wife is exceptionally beautiful.”

The letter-writing gentleman was stunned, then smiled meaningfully. “Then sir must certainly have something extraordinary about you.”

Chen Chao burst out laughing. “Just for that sentence from old sir, we ought to down a large cup!”

......

......

After three rounds of drinks and numerous dishes, everyone was drunk.

This chance encounter, like two people meeting by chance on the water, seemed to be reaching its end.

The letter-writing gentleman’s eyes were hazy with drunkenness. He softly said, “This old man has spent most of my life in Danxiao City, you could say I’ve seen this entire city from beginning to end. In the early years, this city seemed to be the same every day. Only in these past few years did it gradually become somewhat different. This old man kept wondering where the difference was. Later, looking at those paper lanterns, looking at those portraits, then looking at those paper boats, and looking at the various goods that have continuously been transported in from outside over these past few years, I finally understood.”

Chen Chao smiled and asked, “Old sir, tell me about it properly?”

“What is there to tell properly? It’s nothing more than one sentence. Some people, even if you beg them, cannot give you the slightest bit of good. Some people, even if you don’t ask them, are afraid that you won’t live well.”

The letter-writing gentleman said indifferently, “The Dao Ancestor blesses us, what can he bless us with? A lifeless portrait, what can it accomplish? It’s not as good as a decree from the Divine Capital over there, reducing the taxes by one tenth. That would be a real benefit.”

“Besides, haven’t the demon troubles in Qingshan Prefecture these past years also been the imperial court carrying out the suppression and extermination?”

Having said this, the letter-writing gentleman exhaled a breath of turbid air. “Believing in the Dao is useless. It would be better to kowtow a few more times to that Great Liang Emperor, to that Great Liang Lord Warden Commander. That’s what is actually useful.”

Chen Chao listened to him, then lowered his head and looked at the wine bowl. It was already completely empty. He said regretfully, “Just based on what old sir said, we ought to be drinking. What a pity, what a pity!”

The letter-writing gentleman shook his head drunkenly. “There’s nothing to pity. When you meet someone who shares your sentiments, a thousand words can be taken as wine. If you don’t share the same sentiments, then no matter how good the wine is, it will be difficult to swallow.”

As he spoke, the letter-writing gentleman smilingly took out a paper boat from beneath the table, then brought out the brush and ink as well. He said, “Although sir isn’t a local, since you’ve come here, surely it’s to release a paper boat, right? As it happens, this old man still has one here. There’s still half a quarter-hour left; after that, it will be midnight. One skygold coin, it’s not considered overboard, right?”

Chen Chao looked shocked. “Old sir, you look like a scholar. How have you suddenly become so detestable?”

The letter-writing gentleman shook the empty gourd at his waist and sighed. “Making a living isn’t easy. Life isn’t easy either. I can only put my conscience aside for now.”

Chen Chao took a skygold coin from his robes and pinched it between two fingers, but he never put it down.

“It still feels a little expensive. You should know, I’ve never even seen the shadow of my wages all these years. Come to think of it, I’m penniless too.”

Chen Chao smiled and asked, ”Can we bargain?”

The letter-writing gentleman nodded. “We can.”

But Chen Chao suddenly placed the skygold coin on the table and shook his head. “Just one skygold coin for one paper boat. I’ll write the words myself.”

The letter-writing gentleman said, “Having me write them for you doesn’t cost extra. You really want to write them yourself?”

Chen Chao shook his head. “Some things should be done by oneself in the first place. You shouldn’t trouble others.”

The letter-writing gentleman smiled and said nothing, merely making a gesture inviting him to proceed.

Chen Chao then held the brush in one hand and the paper boat in the other. After remaining silent for a moment, he began writing, completing a single line.

The letter-writing gentleman took a look and said nothing.

Chen Chao stood up, squatted down by the river, and then placed the paper boat into the water.

Afterward, he watched as the paper boat drifted away along the surface of the river, until it could no longer be seen.

Chen Chao turned around and looked at the letter-writing gentleman. The latter had also finished packing up and smiled as he spoke, “Sir, those words you wrote were good. They have more strength than wine. You ought to become a high-ranking official!”

Chen Chao smiled and asked, “Could it be that old sir knew I was an official, and that’s why you said that?”

The letter-writing gentleman laughed heartily. “Only a high-ranking official could take out one skygold coin to buy a paper boat without even wrinkling his brow. Otherwise, you would have to be a businessman. But looking at young master, you don’t have even the slightest air of a merchant.”

Chen Chao half-jokingly said, “You could say that. I’m always negotiating deals with people.”

The letter-writing gentleman smiled and did not comment on that.

“We met by chance, and I thoroughly enjoyed this wine tonight. Until we meet again, sir.”

Chen Chao smiled as he spoke, but he made a daoist bow.

The letter-writing gentleman simply smiled at that.

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