Chapter 7: Chengdu City

  Huang Shi Yun hesitated for a moment, looked at Du Er Niu and slowly said: "Er Niu, can you also give me some feedback on my poem?"

  "Sister Huang!" Du Er Niu had a good relationship with Huang Shi Yun, and didn't want to hurt her. She smiled and said, "I was just talking nonsense, you'll laugh at me if I say it!"

  Huang Shi Yun let out a sigh and said: "With your exceptional talent, you should be the one laughing at us. Go ahead, I'd like to hear it."

  Du Er Niu felt a bit embarrassed and stuck out her tongue, saying: "Alright, I'll just say it casually. Sister, you're not allowed to laugh at me."

  "Commenting on poetry lines is our poetry club's rule, everyone can say something. What's so funny about it? Moreover, your comment on Tang Gongzi's poem was sharp and accurate, I'm sure my poem also has many flaws, just speak up. Although I'm not talented, I have the capacity to be pleased when hearing advice."

  "Alright then." Du Er Niu picked up Huang Shi Yun's poem draft, read it lightly, "Sister's poem only has one place that needs to be revised."

  "Where?"

  "This sentence: 'straw sandals tread all over the clouds on the ridge'. Straw sandals are just straw shoes, but, Sister Huang, you're a young lady from a wealthy family, when have you ever worn straw shoes? It's more like something a commoner or a wandering monk would wear."

  Huang Shi Yun was taken aback, saying: "I used this word just to highlight the hard work of searching for spring colors everywhere but not seeing them. If I were to use embroidered shoes instead, it would lose that connotation, and I forgot my own identity. Alas! It's because I didn't think it through carefully. You're absolutely right."

  Du Erniao stuck out her tongue again, warmly holding onto her arm, and smiled: "Actually, sister's poem is written extremely well. Unable to find spring, returning home to pluck plum blossoms and sniff them, only then discovering the spring atmosphere on the plum blossoms in one's own hands - aren't many things like this? Bitterly searching for something, only to discover it was by your side all along without realizing it. Sister's poem contains deep Zen principles, if a Bhikkhuni were to compose it, that would be perfect, can be said to not lose out to my poem!"

  Huang Shi Yun was stunned, staring at Du Er Niu in front of her. This oil-splashing poem girl could actually completely grasp the artistic conception of her own poem. Just this insight alone was already extraordinary! She had no idea that it was Xiang Jia Ding who told Du Er Niu just now.

  After a while, Huang Shiyu sighed and said: "I'm truly convinced! Er Niu, if the first two poems made me still have some doubts whether you wrote them or not, but now, you've grasped the deep meaning hidden in my poem at a glance. This insight is extraordinary indeed! Today I admit defeat with humility! - Bring wine!"

  There was already a maid holding up a full large wine jar, Huang Shiyu drank it all in one breath, and as soon as she finished drinking, she felt like vomiting like flipping over the ocean. But she desperately held back, picked up the second jar again, and poured it down with a gurgling sound. She only poured half of it when she felt dizzy and couldn't hold on anymore. With a "wow" sound, she fainted on the spot. The whole person also went limp on the grass.

  It's rare to see the number one talented woman of Yi state drunk and fallen on the scene, those young masters and ladies all laughed loudly, Jiang Chengjian said: "Huang Niang, continue! You are the second last, you have to drink three seas, this is just a little more than one sea, add oil!"

  Du Er'niu saw Huang Shi-yun drunk like this, she had always been on good terms with Huang Shi-yun, and couldn't bear it in her heart. She vented her anger on Tang Rong-xuan, seeing him standing awkwardly to the side without taking the initiative to drink wine. She personally poured four large jugs of wine, picked up a cup and brought it to his face: "Tang Gongzi, willing to gamble and admit defeat! You won't be unreasonable, will you?"

  Everyone cheered, Tang Rongxuan had no choice but to pick it up and drink. He was already drunk, having only drank two large jugs of wine, he had already vomited all over the place. He fell softly to the ground, humming.

  Du Er Niu finally caught the opportunity to avenge herself, and with the help of her maid, she forcibly poured the remaining two cups down Tang Rongxuan's throat. This time, Tang Rongxuan even vomited up his bitter gall, getting drunk like a dead dog!

  Huang Shi Yun struggled and drank another large jar of wine, and then vomited until he was dizzy and passed out, becoming a drunkard!

  Others and people around who were out to enjoy the flowers and spring scenery saw the two of them in this sorry state and burst into loud laughter.

  "Alright, that's enough drinking for today. You're vomiting all over the place, how can we appreciate the flowers like this? Let's call it a day. We've already enjoyed Second Sister's two excellent poems, so it wasn't a wasted trip after all. Let's head back!"

  Among the loud laughter of everyone, the two people who were drunk and unaware of human affairs were carried onto a horse-drawn carriage, singing songs as they walked back.

  Du Er Niu borrowed the opportunity to run to the riverbank, wanting to thank Xiao Jia Ding, but he was nowhere to be seen. She could only wait until their scheduled meeting at noon the next day to thank him again.

  Xiao Jiading found that Tang Rongxuan and Huang Shiyun were drunk and unaware of their surroundings, so he knew that their poetry gathering would not continue. He quietly left the riverbank, humming a little tune as he walked back to the city alone.

  He hadn't entered the county town yet, and when he just crossed over, it was outside the county town. He was about to enter the city when he was regarded as a monster by passersby, so he felt a little guilty and didn't enter the city, but went to the village to find clothes instead. Now that he has a coarse linen shirt, he doesn't have to worry anymore.

  He swaggered into the city, arrived at the gate tower, looked up and saw two huge black characters written above the gate - Yizhou!

  There were several soldiers under the city gate, but they didn't check anyone coming in and out, not even looking at them, just sitting there bragging. So he entered Yizhou City without any obstruction.

  As we entered the city, the streets were bustling with people, very lively. The shops on both sides of the street were lined up, and various large and small white flags fluttered in the wind, written with certain wine houses, inns, shops, etc., which is called "flag-watching". At a glance, it was very lively, somewhat like the national flags on a steamship.

  In the Tang Dynasty, apart from the capital Chang'an which had specialized commercial districts like Dongshi and Xishi, other prefectures and counties did not have such strict divisions of commercial districts, and various shops were scattered throughout the city.

  This Yizhou City is equivalent to the current prefecture-level city, under which there are 16 counties. Yizhou City is the location of the Yizhou Metropolitan Government, that is, the local government. There is also a county-level government office called Shaocheng. The county government office is in the east of the city, and the prefectural government office is in the west of the city.

  At the end of Sui Dynasty, Sichuan became a large rear base and was hardly affected by war. Many refugees from other places escaped to this place. Therefore, in the early years of Tang Dynasty, the population density and economic prosperity of Shu region's Jian Nan Road were comparable to those of Chang'an and Jiangnan.

  He walked through the whole city, admiring the prosperous scene of the early Tang Dynasty, and his eyes were dazzled by the beauty. He also walked his legs sour, and before he knew it, he arrived at a street near the county government office of Shaocheng County at sunset, ready to find an inn to stay in and have dinner.

  At the crossroads, there was an inn that looked quite good. The blue flag above it read "You Peng Inn". I stepped inside and the shopkeeper came over with a smile: "Sir, are you here to dine or stay?"

  He was called "Lang Jun" by a hippie smiling man, Xiao Jiading almost spit it out, fortunately he was studying legal history and knew some relevant historical knowledge. During the Tang Dynasty, young unfamiliar men were generally called Lang Jun, at that time the meaning of "Lang Jun" was not the later wife's term for her husband.

  Xiao Jiading shouted loudly: "Stop!"

  "Good!" The shopkeeper looked at him again and asked: "What kind of room are you staying in?"

  "What kind of rooms are there?"

  "Dà Tōng Pù, two coins per person. Downstairs four-person room, three coins per person, upstairs four coins."

  Xiao Jiading thought for a moment and said, "Isn't there something about going upstairs?"

  "Upstairs?" The shopkeeper looked at him again, although he was wearing a coarse linen shirt and looked like a farmer, but his demeanor was extraordinary, not to be underestimated. He smiled and said: "There is an upstairs room, one room for thirty cents."

  Xiao Jiading thought to himself, on the first day of crossing over to the Tang Dynasty, he couldn't bear to humble himself. As the saying goes, "a poor family's road is rich", so he might as well stay in this legendary upper house and see what it's like. He said: "Bring me a room in the upper house!"

  "Ah!" The shopkeeper hastily welcomed him in, came to the counter, and shouted at the boss inside: "This young man wants a room upstairs!"

  The shopkeeper changed his expression and smiled, picked up the pen to register, and asked Xiao Jiading with a smile: "Young master, how many days will you stay?"

  "Let's stay for one day first and talk about it again tomorrow."

  "Alright, thirty cents."

  Xiao Jiading lifted his clothes, revealing a string of copper coins wrapped around his waist, took out thirty copper coins and handed them to the shopkeeper.

  The shopkeeper saw that he had a thousand cash on his waist, took out the money without hesitation, and was very generous. He didn't dare to underestimate him anymore, so he quickly collected the money, nodded and bowed, saying: "Please go upstairs, sir!"

  Next to him was a specially assigned shop assistant who took care of the noble guests upstairs, bowing and nodding at him: "Sir, please follow me. Do you have any luggage? I'll help you move it."

  Living in the upstairs house, his title changed from Young Master to Grandmaster, this treatment has been upgraded quite quickly, having money is good, he said with a smirk: "No luggage!"

  "Ah, this way, sir! My name is Li San, what instructions does the master have for me? Just call me and I'll be there."

  Saying that, Li San led Xiao Jiading up the wooden stairs with a creaking sound, and came to one of the rooms. He pushed open the door and said: "Sir, take a look and see if you like it?"

  Xiao Jiading took a glance, it was a two-room suite, the outer room was an old-fashioned living room, and the inner room was a bedroom, with all the furniture. Opening the window, you could see a narrow alley in the back, not far away from the high-walled courtyard with green tiles, which should be the government office judging by its direction.

  Xiao Jia Ding pointed and said, "Is that the Shaocheng County Government?"

  Yes.

  Xiao Jiading nodded, looking at the rows of rooftops. He knew that to get in and become one of them, aside from relying on Du Erniang's connections, he would also have to spend money. As the saying goes, "The eight characters of the government office are open, with reason but no money, don't come in." This was true for going to court, let alone looking for a job inside.

  But now I only have less than one yuan in my hand, which is not enough to build relationships. I must think of a way to make money.

  How to earn this second bucket of gold?

  Xiao Jiading had no intention, so he said to Li San: "Alright, this room will do."

  "Alright. I'll get you some tea and hot water for washing up."