??Chapter 570: 556
Chapter 570: 556
While the City guards always gave Wan Residence their due respect, Ding Yunjie was not keen on leaving loose ends. Anything could get out anyti.
Ding Yunjie stated, “I have silver, let soone else handle it.”
“I understand,” Wang Dong replied.
Ding Yunjie rushed inside the house, took out a bag of silver, and tossed it to Wang Dong, “Here’s the silver. Take it. If it’s not enough, co back and ask for more.” He was adamant about getting him out of there.
Wang Dong, gazing at the hefty bag of silver with gleaming eyes, said, “This is more than enough. You can rest easy. I will handle this matter with utmost care.”
Ye Chen has a fondness for dog at, especially when paired with strong liquor.
Not far from his neighboring courtyard, a group of servants also liked eating dog at. They would have a pot of it every few days. At late-night, with star anise and other seasonings stirred into Bamboo Leaf Green Wine, the aroma could be slled even a mile away.
Once Ye Chen tasted their dish, he beca addicted and couldn’t resist it.
The folks were hospitable as well. Knowing Ye Chen was the young lady Wan Danrong’s master, they treated him reverently. Especially after Ye Chen helped Wan Danrong defeat Ding Yunjie, they couldn’t have been more in awe of him.
They were all eager to learn a move or two from Ye Chen, mainly for self-defense. Ye Chen liked their company too, as they were mostly individuals of his own standing, without any pretentious airs.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already just about spent a month at Wan Residence.
Wan Danrong had been slowly getting accustod to Ye Chen’s ways, and had managed to endure the most challenging period.
She had passed the test.
One evening, Ye Chen had just finished teaching Wan Danrong a move, thus completing the entire sequence of Willow Leaf Sword Technique.
Wan Danrong finally breathed a sigh of relief, and said, “Finally it’s done, and we can move on to the next stage.”
“You think you aren’t tornted enough?” Ye Chen teased.
“Didn’t you say this could go on for three, five years?”
“Are you planning not to get married and let a drunk like
tornt you like that for several years?”
“Tell , you wouldn’t be tired of all this tornt, would you?” Wan Danrong asked.
Ye Chen gave a faint smile and resud his drinking.
Wan Danrong said, “I’ve heard you have been hanging out with those servants of the neighboring courtyard lately.”
“What’s the matter with that?”
“It’s just a feeling. You shouldn’t be mingling with them.”
“What do you an?”
“I’m not criticizing them for having low status. I just an your martial arts skills are impressive, and you can put them to good use. You don’t need to be like them, always pondering over how to get a wife.”
“What’s wrong with planning to get a wife? Is it disgraceful? I also want to get married,” Ye Chen responded.
“You are so skilled. You’re afraid you won’t be able to find a wife?”
“I am indeed a bit afraid I won’t be able to find a wife. If that happens, I will grow old in loneliness. I have to ask them for advice,” Ye Chen replied casually.
“You’re not getting married not because you couldn’t, but because you wouldn’t. Your life should not be confined to getting married. You should have higher aspirations.”
“Getting married, is it too mundane?” Ye Chen inquired.
“No, you should just have a broader world available to you.”
“What broader world could I have? It’s just a life of drudgery.”
Wan Danrong seems to have figured it out. Ye Chen surely had made great achievents before, but he was not willing to cross that ntal hurdle, and he did not wish to push himself. She laughed and said, “I think, life should bloom like a flower.”
“Do you have so grand philosophical concept of life to brainwash
with?”
“Don’t you think everyone should bloom like a flower?”
“Not all plants get the chance to bloom.”
“But you can if you want to, all you have to do is make that first step.”
Ye Chen turned the question around, “Do you really wish to stand out in the crowd like a blooming flower?”
“Of course I do. But I know, not everyone has the chance to stand out in the crowd.”
“That’s only natural, so only bloom over septic tanks, or dung heaps.” Ye Chen replied.
“Indeed, not all flowers have the chance to bloom under public scrutiny. What I want to say is not about that. We don’t need to aspire to bloom in the crowd. Even if we bloom over a septic tank, unseen by anyone, it’s still great if we bloom to our fullest potential, undeterred by outside attention.” Wan Danrong looked at Ye Chen.
Ye Chen laughed and said, “Yep, flowers blooming over dung heaps are indeed great.”
“A plant cannot choose its origin. But it can show its resilience by putting all its energy into one bloom. Isn’t that admirable? Whether under scrutiny or in desolation of a dung heap, there’s no notion of high or low, noble or ignoble, it’s all about the rage of living.”
“All I see would be flies attracted to the dung heap, talking about raging the life there! You do have imagination.”
“Don’t worry about what’s outside, whether you gain attention or not. All that matters is giving it your all.”
“Right, giving it your all to bloom over the dung heap.”
Wan Danrong knew he was making fun, and said, “What hurdle can’t you overco? You didn’t follow her to departure and you didn’t beco a monk. It shows you have made a choice. Since that is the case, why don’t you live your life well instead of pretending to be a drunkard?”
“Your words are such a puzzle. Who’s pretending to be drunk here!” Ye Chen was clear hes not satisfied.
“Actually, you are running away, you are using alcohol to numb yourself. But you know that you’re deceiving yourself, I can see it. Your inside is burning with passion. You don’t want to give up, you take everything you do seriously, more seriously than anyone else, especially when teaching
martial arts. I can see that you are infatuated with life. You can’t accept the past. You are conflicted, even though I have no idea what you are conflicted about.”
“Don’t presu to understand , young girl.” Ye Chen continued drinking.
“You’re only two years older than .”
“Nevertheless, I am older than you and have experienced far more than you have.”
“That doesn’t necessarily an you understand life better than .”
“What a big mouth you have, I bet you don’t understand anything.” Ye Chen seed provoked.
“Then you tell , what does your constant drinking an now? Before you t , you wandered the streets like a holess person, at night you’d compete with other holess people for a place to sleep in shattered temples, who is this suffering spectacle for?”
“Can’t I enjoy it?”
“Enjoy, but what’s the point?”
“Don’t assu you know everything, life itself is aningless.”
“So, is this how you express your inner pain?”
“That’s none of your business!”
“You’re wrong. If soone truly loves you, they definitely won’t want to see you like this.”
“You should spend more ti practicing martial arts.” Ye Chen beca sowhat angry, as if he had been hit on the mark.
“Of course, it has a lot of aning for . I will surely spend more ti learning martial arts.”
“Then stay out of my business.”
“It’s just so things I can’t stand, besides, you are my master.”
“There are plenty of things you can’t stand.”
“Actually, there aren’t that many. I just feel you’ve been so kind to , I wanted to say sothing.”
“Speak about soone else.”
“I have no interest in wasting words on others.” Wan Danrong seed angry, seeming to want to scold him good, maybe this would lead to a good result.
“Then don’t waste your words on .”
“If soone truly loves you, and if you truly love her, you should live properly and be a man, not look like a wretched soul. Nobody will pity you, even those who love you would look down on you.”
“You being a girl, have you ever loved anyone? I guess you never have, you havn’t even liked anyone, how could you possibly know what it feels like to love soone deeply and yet you dare to lecture . It’s really… I can’t believe you want to talk about .” Ye Chen ironically said.
“Yes, I’m talking about you, so what, I can’t stand your behavior, what about it?”
“If you can’t stand it, then don’t look.” Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively.
“Every day you’re like a drunken cat, pretending to see through life, but every day you can’t bear to get drunk, you’re still a long way off from being a drunkard.”
Ye Chen stood up in fury, and blurted, “I’m not interested in discussing this with soone who hasn’t been in a relationship before.”
Wan Danrong laughed. This was the first ti she got him angry.
Ye Chen continued: “Wait until the day you get your heart broken, then you can talk to .”
“I just said it, what’s wrong with it? I just said you’re like a child, naive, what’s wrong with it?”
As if having been terribly offended, Ye Chen turned around to leave, shouting, “I’m naive? You little girl don’t know anything! Like a flower blooming, why don’t you bloom inside a dung pit? Go be great there!” He stord off.
Wan Danrong watched Ye Chen walk away, mumbling, “This guy, he is a bit childish after all.” She then shouted, “Aren’t you coming over for dinner at my place?”
“I want to eat dog at, I won’t go to your place.” Ye Chen disappeared into the woods below.
Wan Danrong paused for a mont, then laughed, sure she had hit the mark. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so angry. She almost couldn’t believe he was acting like such a child.
She had to do so ntal work on him.
Could a master drink for his entire life? He’d eventually sober up. Although she and Ye Chen were technically student and teacher, they were more like friends. As a friend, she should help him out. Perhaps so of her words were unkind, but they still needed to be said. She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Thoughts like these made Wan Danrong familiar with the situation by now.
After a pause, she finally ran through the Willow Leaf Sword Technique again. Eighteen moves, all connected, it gave her a sense of accomplishnt.
When she went back to the courtyard, Yi i asked, “Isn’t the drunkard coming back with you?”
Wan Danrong said: “Could you be more polite when you speak?”
“But he really is a drunkard!”
“Even so, you can’t call him that, he will surely put down that wine bag eventually.”
“Oh, you plan to get him to quit drinking?”
“He’s only so young, will he drink till he’s eighty?”
“That’s his business, are you going to interfere? You’re not even his wife.”
“You cheeky girl, what nonsense are you talking?”
“Oh well, it is what it is.”
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