Chapter 72: Spring Equinox in the Second Year of Mingde—Arriving at Pingzhou

In the bank, the clerk was busy cutting silver. Meanwhile, the calico cat was playing, spinning around on the floor.

The road to Pingzhou stretched for several hundred li, mostly through mountainous areas with few inhabitants. Although there were people, there were no large cities, making it difficult to buy supplies or find lodging. Song You felt that using silver coins might be inconvenient, as he had very few copper coins left. Therefore, he specifically visited a bank today to exchange some.

The official silver of Great Yan was thin and flat, with wide ends and a narrow middle, making it easy to cut.

The clerk, being quite skilled at the task, swiftly snipped out a small corner with just a few precise cuts. He then weighed it with a scale and immediately smiled, showing it to Song You.

“Sir, it’s exactly one tael.”

“You have great craftsmanship!”

“I was lucky.” The clerk grinned as he took the cut corner and returned the remaining piece to Song You. He then proceeded to pull out a large string of copper coins, followed by a smaller string, and finally took out a few more coins.

“Don't worry, we always give the full string of coins here for convenience, unlike some other places. You can trust us.”

“I’ll count them.”

“Please do!”

“Alright.” Song You sat down with a smile and began counting.

Recently, the copper to silver exchange rate in Xiangle County was 1,200 to 1. Song You had inquired about this rate at an inn, and the innkeeper had confirmed it was correct.

Of course, banks would take a cut during exchanges.

Previously, in Yidu, he had exchanged once and received 1,100 wen for one tael of silver. It was unclear whether this difference was due to local factors or time factors, but here it was slightly higher.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that banks were all honest just because they should value their integrity. In fact, it was common in Great Yan for some manipulation of wen, so much so that it had become an accepted practice. People didn’t even consider it dishonest anymore, but rather as something normal. After all, if everyone was doing it, it was just the way of the world.

However, they usually didn’t mess with the scales. First, many people would bring their own scales even when buying items with silver, let alone during a money exchange. Second, the government had strict laws on this, and tampering with the scales was illegal. It was more common to underfill a string of coins rather than tampering with the scales. After all, they could use the excuse that they had miscounted.

In any case, he was quite free today. Thus, he spent some time counting the money.

It was not easy to count more than a thousand wen. Fortunately, Song You had enough patience.

At some point, the calico cat also came over, sitting properly beside him. She stretched her neck and looked up at him with anticipation.

Before long, Song You set the money down.

“This large string has 980 wen, short by 20 wen.”

“Oh no!” The clerk exclaimed with surprise, “It must have been a mistake by the clerk in counting. I apologize, sir. I’ll make it up to you right away.”

Without even counting, he turned to get the money.

It was quite clear what had happened. They usually provided 980 wen, so the discrepancy was minor. If the customer didn’t mind, they would make an extra 20 wen. If the customer did mind, they could count the 1,000 coins. If the customer was right, the bank would just apologize and make up the difference without further ado.

It was actually hard to discuss this matter openly. It was a matter of human greed and ill will, but it was also a societal norm and a common phenomenon.

There was definitely room for some deeper reflection here. But still, Song You asked, “Don’t you want to count them?”

“I’m no good at counting. Plus, I’d probably make a mistake counting. Besides, you’re a skilled cultivator; how could you deceive me?” The clerk said while counting, his tone very natural, “Even if you counted incorrectly, the difference would only be at most a few wen. Everyone who enters here is a valued guest, so consider it a goodwill gesture from our shop.”

“That’s good.” Song You found what he said quite interesting.

After collecting all the money, Song You said nothing more and went outside to place it on the horse’s back.

The calico cat, however, stayed still and remained in the bank. Every now and then, she would turn to glance at Song You, then at the clerk behind the counter. Just as Song You was about to leave and the clerk started to say something, she suddenly jumped onto the counter and hissed angrily at the clerk.

Then, she immediately leaped back down to chase after Song You. She ran as swiftly as the wind, leaving the clerk standing there in stunned silence.

***

County towns were often built near water. As Song You exited Xiangle County’s city gates, he immediately encountered a small river with a charming stone arch bridge. At this moment, it was midday, and no one was crossing the bridge. The only movement came from the long, slender willow branches by the riverbank, swaying gently in the spring breeze.

Upon reaching the middle of the bridge, Song You refused to move further. He stopped by the bridge, leaning against the railing to feel the spring breeze. As he watched the river flow in the distance with two old women by the water pounding clothes[1], he couldn’t help but wonder what thoughts might be crossing the elders' mind.

“

Bang bang bang

...”

The sound of pounding clothes echoed in the distance, reverberating in the air.

“Yan An.”

“Sir.” A swallow landed on the stone bridge’s railing.

Before Song You could speak, the swallow said first, “I’ve just asked for directions for you, sir. It's this road right here. After about thirty li, you’ll reach the Pingzhou boundary.”

Song You was somewhat surprised. “You asked for directions?”

“Yes. I flew ahead, transformed into a human, and asked a local farmer. The old man said so.” The swallow paused, then said with some embarrassment, “All this time, I was supposed to be guiding you, but you had to ask yourself whenever we needed directions. I truly feel ashamed.”

“Those skilled in martial arts focus on martial arts, and those skilled in literature focus on literature. You have your own character and abilities. You've been a great help along the way; there's no need to feel this way.”

“You don't need to comfort me, sir. After asking, I realized it was simpler than I thought.”

“Very well.” Song You did not insist further and continued with what he originally intended to say, “Since the boundary of Pingzhou is just ahead, you can stop here. You should return now.”

“…“ The swallow was silent for a moment, then looked at him with his bright, black eyes before saying, “While traveling with you these past days, I've not only learned from your words and actions but also nurtured by your spiritual qi. I must thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you for accompanying me.”

“The ancestor wants to send some swallows from the clan to search for crops in other worlds. I've thought long and hard about it. As a member of the clan, I should go too,” the swallow still seemed to be going through puberty, and his voice had a youthful ring to it. “If it weren't for this, I would really want to follow you. I want to always serve by your side, scouting streams and paths, and seeing all the vast lands of this world.”

“Have you decided to go overseas?”

“Yes.” The swallow's single-word response mirrored Song You's habit.

After thinking for a while, he continued, “At first, I feared the south was too far, feared traveling with other swallows, and feared that I still wouldn't find anything after searching for a long time.

“But after traveling with you, I've come to realize that the faraway isn't so far. Although the mountains beyond and the mountains before us are different, they’re not much different in essence. Upon closer reflection, going south is in my clan’s nature, and I should go see that vast world…“

“Actually, solitude isn't so bad,” Song You said with a smile. “But perhaps it's even better this way. Maybe after going out, you'll feel that venturing out is good, or maybe you'll realize that solitude is best. Either way, you'll only know after you've gone out and compared.”

“If I return and still feel that solitude is best, I will follow my heart like you. If I return and find that the world is vast and full of endless joy, I will also follow my heart like you.”

“You are wiser than I am.” Song You smiled. “When I descended the mountain, my master told me he wished that I would find joy in this world and a place where I have inner peace. Now, I pass those words on to you. I hope you too will find your own freedom and a place of inner peace soon.”

“But as we part now, I wonder…“

Song You said, “Let's just hope that we can meet again.”

“Take care, sir.”

“You too, take care.”

The swallow said no more. It flapped its wings and flew into the blue clouds, becoming a small black dot in the distance.

The calico cat looked up, watching until it was out of sight before averting its gaze.

Song You said, “He left!”

“Yes.”

“Now it's just the two of us.”

“Are you sad? You even caught butterflies for him.”

“I don't know…“

“Then you're not very clever.”

“...?” The calico cat was stunned for a moment.

Just as she was about to respond, she saw the person had already turned and walked away, leaving only his back and a final remark, “Let’s go. From now on, it will be just the two of us on this long journey.”

The calico cat had no choice but to trot along.

As they crossed the bridge, they saw two women walking toward them, seemingly entering the city. They were the old women pounding clothes they had seen earlier.

The two elderly women appeared to be of advanced age, their hair gray, and their stature small. With their bent backs, they seemed even shorter. They were dressed simply, barely warm enough. Even though it was common in these times, Song You couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity seeing such elderly women still washing clothes in the chilly spring waters.

Both old women were carrying large tubs of clothes, so heavy that their bodies leaned to one side. Their steps were unsteady, which evoked even more pity.

But at that moment, Song You noticed the old woman at the back raising her stick and poking the back of the woman in front. The first woman initially ignored her, but after a few more pokes, she couldn't hold back anymore. She turned around, wobbling a few steps forward with her stick raised as if to hit the other woman, who also wobbled back with a smile and avoided the blow.

At their old age, they acted like two children.

Though life was hard, their smiles were radiant. With only a few teeth left, they could be easily counted at a glance.

After a brief scuffle and a moment of stalemate, the two old women picked up their clothes again and walked back while panting. They now walked side by side, neither daring to walk ahead.

Song You quickly stepped aside respectfully, and the two old women walked past him.

“Meow?”

“What is it?”

“Mm?”

“I was worried that I’d block the old ladies.”

“Oh, I’m too small to block them…“

“Indeed.” Song You quickened his pace to catch up with the calico cat. The little bells jingled merrily.

A Daoist priest with a staff and two old women carrying clothes—it was just an ordinary encounter.

As he looked back, he saw the two old women also looking back at him, whispering to each other. The wind carried their voices to him indistinctly, discussing where this strange young Daoist priest had come from.

He kept walking.

Not far from the city, there were few people on the road.

When he arrived in Xiangle County yesterday, he purposely spent money to stay at an inn, and even rented a decent room. He asked the innkeeper, who told him that this road was originally an ancient path but had become difficult to traverse.

During the war, this road was one of the reasons why Xuzhou was easy to defend and hard to attack. The imperial court of the previous dynasty put great effort into creating another road, which led to fewer travelers on this one.

With fewer people, there were more demons. The more demons, the fewer people. If the imperial court didn't intervene, it would be a vicious cycle.

Until now, it was unclear if the imperial court had done anything. In any case, there were few villages along the road, though there were a few towns with few people. There were also a few checkpoint military garrisons to ensure that this area remained under the territory of the Great Yan.

With a bamboo staff to support Song You, he felt light. He traveled thirty li of road quickly.

“It’s the Pingzhou boundary.” Song You reached the boundary marker and stopped to look at it.

Yesterday was the spring equinox, and today was the same as well.

One more step, and he would leave Xuzhou. A new province awaited.

Ahead, the sky was dark and seemed ready to rain. The scenery was like a landscape painting, with layers of mountains and heavy mist. Each mountain was higher than the last, the peaks indistinguishable. It looked like

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains

[2]

.

Just as the innkeeper had said, this road was difficult to travel.

Pingzhou was also mountainous, but unlike the small peaks of Anqing in Xuzhou where a sea of peaks could be seen at a glance, Pingzhou had large mountains. At a glance, not only could you not see a sea of peaks, but even a single mountain was massive. The massive mountains filled your view, with one part in the clouds and another in the mist, making it impossible to see it whole.

Not only were there many mountains, but also many valleys and cliffs.

This road winded through the mountains, along the mountainsides, through the valleys, and along the edges of cliffs. When there was no way around, it ascended, passing through a sea of clouds and over mountain passes.

During the day, there were occasional travelers. At night, mountain demons would wail, and wild ghosts would light up their flames.

But Song You did not see these.

He only saw the clear springs in the mountains, the wild fruits in the forests, the free little monkeys, as well as the scattered mountain flowers after a spring rain, the sea of clouds covering the earth, and the mushrooms sprouting after the rain.

Even the abandoned thatched cottages by the roadside, combined with the leisure of the moment and countless fallen petals, seemed to form a picturesque scene to him.

1. This is a traditional ironing method where two women knelt on the floor, facing each other across a smoothing stone, beating out a rhythm on the cloth to press out its wrinkles and soften it. ☜

2.

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains

is based on a beautiful scroll painting made for Emperor Huizong from the Song Dynasty. ☜