Chapter 63: Far From Ordinary

That noon, in a city in Anqing County…

There was an inn near the north gate of the city, which was quite easy to find. Opposite the inn was a meat soup restaurant, one of the better dining spots in Anqing County.

At a table made of aged elm wood, Song You and Heroine Wu sat across from each other on the wide benches. The calico cat, Lady Calico, crouched by the side of Song You's bench. Since they were eating out, she couldn’t sit at the table but didn’t run around either.

Song You brought her a deep dish and placed it in front of her. Inside was a large chunk of dragon bone, with half of the dish filled with soup. She crouched down and ate in a serious manner.

On the table was a large pot of pork bone and radish soup. The bones were primarily big chunks of thigh bones and dragon bones, covered with plenty of meat, all simmered until tender. The white radish had turned semi-transparent, soaking up the meat broth and tasting just as good as the meat. The clear broth, dotted with scum, was garnished with jade-green spring onions. Its color made it look very appetizing.

“

Slurp

...”

Heroine Wu held a thigh bone in her left hand and brought it to her mouth. With a slurp, the meat came right off without much force. She chewed twice, then quickly lowered her head and used her right hand to swiftly shovel rice into her mouth with chopsticks.

The rice was white rice, known as

mao'ertou.

[1]

There was no particular method to it. It was simply a heaping bowl of white rice, piled high into a sharp peak. More meticulous restaurants would press it tightly, making one bowl equivalent to two regular bowls.

If it was a dishonest merchant, they would first tightly pack a bowl with rice and then flip it into another bowl. This way, the bottom would be hollow, but the top would appear heaped high, forming a pointed shape. This created the illusion of having a lot of rice, resembling the top of a hat, hence the name.

The price was by the bowl, but one should never underestimate such a bowl of white rice.

There were stalls that specifically sold

mao’ertou

rice. When some people came to town for business and wanted a hearty meal, they would get a bowl of mao’ertou rice with some Chinese pickles and this was considered a good meal.

After all, times were tough, and not many people could afford to eat white rice regularly. It was a delicious and luxurious treat.

“So satisfying!” Heroine Wu exclaimed with a long sigh.

She then put down the thigh bone and said to Song You, “The first day we arrived, the sect leader brought us here to eat. He said this place has been open for over ten years. After I tried it, I found that the food here is indeed good. That’s why I brought you here today.”

“It is indeed good,” he acknowledged.

“The meat is fresh, so it doesn’t need much cooking. Cooked with just the right amount of salt and a bit of ginger, it's naturally delicious,” she continued.

“True.”

“Have you decided when to leave?”

“Not for now.”

“What will you be doing in the next few days?”

“I’ve found a good teacher recently and I am learning some new skills. Once I’ve learned enough, I’ll leave.”

“Oh…” The woman dragged out the sound with a long, lingering tone. She didn’t inquire further about what skills he was learning and continued the casual chat instead. “Will you go to Changjing?”

“I will.”

“You’re so certain?” she asked.

“Changjing is the capital of Great Yan, the best city in the world. If I were to travel the world, how could I not go and see it?” Song You replied.

“When will you go?”

“When the time feels right.”

“Sounds good...”

Song You observed the woman’s expression and softly asked, “Are you also going to Changjing?”

“Yes, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“What will you do there?” he asked.

“I'll explore the place!” Heroine Wu paused her eating. “Though Yizhou is nice, the sky here feels too small. I’ve been in Yizhou for over twenty years, and while it’s not bad, it’s a bit dull. Whether to make a name for myself or to see more of the world, I need to leave Yizhou and explore.”

“You have a lofty ambition,” he remarked.

“Not really…”

“Are your fellow sect mates going too?”

“They’re not. It’s just me,” she replied.

“Are you heading straight to Changjing?”

“More or less. But if I encounter something interesting on the way, or run into sects that have friendly or hostile ties with the Xishan Sect, I’ll definitely have to pay a visit.” Heroine Wu chuckled.

Song You nodded. “Yangzhou and Yangdu are also good.”

“True, but Changjing is better.”

Song You could see the longing for Changjing in her eyes. This was understandable. Because Great Yan was truly powerful, and such power was something that citizens of countries not standing at the pinnacle of the world would find hard to understand.

It was not just a matter of military might or economic prosperity; it encompassed various aspects such as cultural and social dominance as well. Many of its policies influenced the entire world, and many trends started there, causing other nations to follow suit. Even if many people in Great Yan were struggling, compared to the citizens of foreign lands, they could still hold their heads high.

The capital of such a country, the largest and most prosperous city in the world at the time, undoubtedly represented the pinnacle of civilization. For many, it was a dream-like place. This wasn’t just true for the people of Great Yan, but also for many foreigners. People from all over the world yearned for it.

Some traveled tens of thousands of

li

, seeking the Celestial Empire[2] described by merchants. There were even princes from other great nations who, upon arriving here, were reluctant to leave. Even demons gathered there, and even Song You was eager to witness its prosperity and the pinnacle of the civilization it represented.

“If you’re going to Changjing too... We might run into each other there,” Heroine Wu said, starting to eat again.

“Do you have any acquaintances in Changjing?” Song You asked.

“No.”

“Then I’ll be your first acquaintance in Changjing.”

“Pretty much.” Heroine Wu blinked twice. “I hadn’t thought about it before, but now that you mention it, it does feel quite wonderful.”

“Perhaps.”

“Which way are you heading?” she asked.

“I’m going to Pingzhou first.”

“Are you walking there like this?” Heroine Wu drew a stroke in the air with a bone.

“More or less.”

“That’s quite a detour!” Heroine Wu thought for a moment. “But I am also very slow, and I plan to stay in Changjing for a long time...”

“How long?” Song You asked.

“Until I finish what I want to do,” she replied.

“I see...”

“Let me think...” She paused, holding a bone in mid-air.

Song You didn’t disturb her. He didn’t look at her either. He poked his chopsticks through a piece of radish and placed it in his bowl. He glanced at the calico cat beside him and gave her another piece of meaty dragon bone.

“Like this!” Heroine Wu’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

“When I get to Changjing, I won’t have any connections there. I probably won’t be able to find work for a while, so I’ll have plenty of free time. I’ll go to the west gate and wander there every evening at dusk. If you arrive within a month of me, you’ll find me. After that, I’ll only go there on the first day of each month. Make sure you come before dark on the first day of the month.”

Song You was taken aback by her words. “You’ll go there every day…?”

“What are you thinking? Only for the first month, after that, just once a month on the first day of each month.”

“On the first day of each month...”

“It’s just twelve or thirteen days a year. I’ll just take a walk around there every day. We

jianghu

people are always out and about anyway.”

Song You couldn’t help but feel dazed. Only in this era would someone spend a month waiting for a friend. In later times, people would be impatient after just an hour.

In truth, he and this lady in front of him weren’t very close. They were simply brought together by fate and both found each other to be rare individuals with integrity. Song You found her interesting, a rare soul in this era, making their interactions easy and enjoyable. That was why he was willing to befriend her and form a bond with her. As for how she saw him, he didn’t know.

However, when it came down to it, the two of them hadn’t interacted that much. Even so, she was willing to do this.

Song You was deeply moved. This was not the kind of friendship he was familiar with.

After thinking for a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

“What do you mean, why?” Heroine Wu looked at him, puzzled, still holding up the bone with her hand. It seemed she found his question strange, as if she had just done something natural.

Song You looked both sincere and puzzled.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’ve lived deep in the mountains for a long time, cultivating Dao. This is my first time coming down, and I rarely make friends. That’s why I’m confused. Even though we were brought together by fate, we’ve only just met for a short time.

“Indeed, once you arrive in Changjing, you will find yourself without any relatives or acquaintances. But with your charm, you could easily make new friends in Changjing. Why would you go to the city gate every day to wait for me?”

“Only for the first month, and I’m not waiting, just wandering around. I already like wandering,” she said.

“Alright.” Song You didn’t argue.

Seeing his still earnest and questioning gaze, as if saying “Please enlighten me,” the woman decided to explain. She didn’t overthink it and just spoke her mind, “You underestimate this world. It seems like people are coming and going around us every day. But if you actually think about it, after all these comings and goings in a day, how many of them do you really get to know?”

“True!”

“Making acquaintances is inherently difficult. Plus, we get along well. A few days of wandering at the city gate is nothing compared to meeting someone with whom I have a rare and genuine connection with.” She paused for a moment. “They say Changjing has a population of over a million. Otherwise, how would you find me?”

“Indeed!”

“Remember to come to the west gate to see me. If you find me, I’ll treat you to meat again,” she added. “Remember, go to the west gate at dusk. If you don’t find me after two visits, don’t bother coming again. I’ll either be out of Changjing or dead.”

Song You pondered her words, then shook his head. “You’ve already treated me today. If we meet in Changjing again, it’ll be my turn to treat you.”

She didn’t hesitate at all. “Deal!”

After finishing the meal, she called the restaurant owner to settle the bill. The bones were priced by weight, and the price included the side dishes and cooking. The restaurant owner quoted 122 wen but charged her a round 120 wen.

She counted the money, feeling the pinch but maintaining a calm exterior. The meal was expensive, but worth it. It was a toast to a rare connection.

“Farewell.”

“See you in Changjing.”

They parted ways, with one heading left and the other heading right. One returned to the inn, while the other headed into the city.

There wasn’t much more to say.

Yet Song You still felt a deep emotion. In this era, the world was vast and people were insignificant, making each encounter and acquaintance extraordinarily precious.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

With vast mountains and rivers, and a boundless sea of people, countless farewells would become lifelong separations. When friends were far apart, reuniting could sometimes require all-out effort. While such situations might seem commonplace and taken for granted, they were far from ordinary.

1.

Mao’ertou

literally means “hat-top rice.” ☜

2. Celestial Empire is an old name used to refer to China or the Chinese Empire. The name was used in reference to the status of the Emperor of China as the Son of Heaven in the Sinosphere. ☜