Chapter 18: Desolate Sandy Island

  Ya Niang and Tang Da Lang exchanged a smile. Ya Niang sat down beside Tang Da Lang. Tang Da Lang glanced at Xiao Jia Ding and said calmly, "I heard from Ya Niang that you won over the number one scholar of Yi State with your poetry at the gate last night. I've also listened to some of your poems, they're really good, it's just a pity that Ya Niang couldn't remember them all. I wonder if sir can fill in the gaps of your masterpiece that Ya Niang copied, and let me open my eyes wide?"

  Ya Niang hastily took out the poem draft and placed it in front of Xiao Jia Ding.

  Xiao Jia Ding took a glance, he came to Ya Niang today to see if there was any possibility of finding a backer, but Ya Niang was sitting with a big and annoying guy. It seemed that his own plan was going to be ruined. Moreover, drinking with this arrogant guy was really boring, it would be more enjoyable to go out and drink flower wine with Zhu Hai Yin instead.

  You want to see my poem, but your attitude is quite arrogant. If I were to write it honestly, what face would I have? He said: "These poems are nothing, not worth remembering, I'll forget them after I pass." Looking at Ya Niang, he cupped his hands and said: "Since Miss Ya Niang has guests today, I'll come again tomorrow. Can you see me alone tomorrow?"

  "Of course, it's possible. But since you've come today, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I've already said that now that you're here, I want to sing and dance for you. Don't you plan on giving me this opportunity?"

  Tang Dalang gazed at Xiao Jiateng, his expression still calm and collected. Without looking at him, he said: "Young Master Xiao seems to want to speak with Ya Niang alone, and doesn't seem too pleased that I'm here. Sorry about that, but today I arrived first. Just now, I was listening to Miss Ya Niang play the zither and sing, and only got to hear half of it - I'm really interested in hearing the rest. So, I'll just have to be thick-skinned and stay on. Young Master Xiao, please forgive me."

  Xiao Jia Ding saw Ya Niang staying with him, and the conversation had reached this point. If he insisted on leaving, he would hurt the young lady's face, and he still needed to ask for her help. He could only treat this thorny guy as transparent. Then he sat down again, "I'm afraid of disturbing both of you. Since Brother Tang doesn't mind, I naturally won't mind either. Being able to see Miss Ya Niang's song and dance is a dream come true for every scholar. If I don't give her face, and those scholars find out, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave this Cui Yu Lou, hehehe."

  Tang Dalang and Ya Niang both laughed, Zhu Haixin laughed even more happily. He had just heard that Xiao Jiading was going to leave and was anxious, but now he sat down again, overjoyed, saying: "Right, right! Being able to see Miss Ya Niang's song and dance is a blessing for three lifetimes. Let's appreciate it well."

  Ya Niang heard Xiao Jia Ding was willing to stay, and couldn't help but show a joyful expression. She immediately stood up, walked to the front of the jade zither, and said: "Ya Niang will play a new song she composed at the request of Da Lang the other day."

  Tang Dalang nodded, his originally lazy expression was gone, and his slouching posture had also improved a lot. However, Xiao Jiading, who was originally sitting cross-legged, now felt numbness in his legs, so he stretched out one leg and bent the other, which looked quite awkward. But Xiao Jiading himself didn't think so, and muttered to himself, "Damn it, this Tang Dynasty is really crappy, not even having chairs, when can I get some custom-made chairs, sitting like this every day is unbearable."

  The jade-like fingers of the young lady lightly brushed against the strings of the qin, and the clear, crisp sound flowed from her fingertips, like a string of pearls scattered on a jade plate. Her gentle voice sang:

  Green darkness red sparse spring has ended

  Swallows carry mud in their beaks

  Flying into the weeping willow.

  Willow catkins want to settle, but the wind won't stop.

  The cuckoo's cry echoes through countless mountains.

  Bamboo staff and hemp sandals have no fixed abode

  Crossing the south of the creek

  A single-plank bridge road.

  Woodcutters and fishermen come and go

  The wind and moon over the river, who is the master?

  This poem depicts a traveler's desolate and melancholic scene in the late spring, drifting away. After listening to it, Xiao Jia Ding glanced at the middle-aged scholar with a sidelong glance, seeing his sorrowful expression, as if he had already been infected by Ya Niang's song. He thought to himself, so you're also a guest in Yizhou, just like me, that's why you asked Ya Niang to compose such a poem.

  Hey, you're a big shot with an attitude, aren't you? You think you've got it tough traveling around? Well, I'll make it even tougher for you!

  Xiao Jiading applauded and said, "After listening to the young lady's song, the lyrics of which describe a person's loneliness and isolation, a traveler with no place to return, it has infected me and inspired my poetic inspiration. I also want to compose a poem, I don't know if you two are interested in listening?"

  Yan Niang clapped her hands and said with joy: "How can there not be? Too good! Then please ask the young master to also compose a poem for Da Lang, okay?"

  "Go." Xiang Jia Ding walked to the back window, pushed it open, and the cool moonlight poured in. Outside, behind a few Chinese parasol trees, the remaining moon was fragmented. Seeing this scene, Xiao Jia Ding thought of Su Shi's famous poem "Bo Zhuan Zi". He looked up at the night sky, suddenly raised his hand and pointed, exclaiming: "Ah, a lone wild goose flew by!"

  "Is it?" Yanni got up and came over to watch, but the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and she didn't see anything. She sighed: "It flew away?"

  Xiao Jiading nodded and said: "I'll take this as the topic to fill in the lyrics." Pretending to be deep in thought, he slowly recited:

  The moon is low in the sparse treetops

  The sound of dripping water is quiet at first.

  Sometimes see a lonely person coming and going

  A lonely goose's shadow.

  Startled, he turned back

  There is resentment but no one to vent it to.

  Picking up all the cold branches, unwilling to rest.

  Desolate sandy islet, cold.

  Xiao Jia Ding finished reciting the poem, except for Zhu Hai Yin's applause and praise, there was no reaction from Ya Niang and Tang Da Lang. He couldn't help but feel a little strange, turned his head to look back, only to see that Tang Da Lang already had tears in his eyes, with a sorrowful expression on his face. While Ya Niang gazed at him with heartache, also on the verge of tears.

  Zhu Haixin also found something wrong with the two of them and quickly stopped cheering, looking at Xiao Jiading in a daze.

  Seeing Tang Dalang in this state, Xiao Jiading was originally very pleased with the result he wanted. However, seeing that middle-aged scholar truly saddened him and evoked some sympathy, it seemed that this person indeed had a lot of sorrow in his heart, which is why he was moved by Su Shi's melancholic and proud poem. He cupped his hands and said: "I'm ashamed!"

  Ya Niang looked at Tang Da Lang and said in a low voice: "Da Lang..."

  Tang Dalang's tears, which were about to fall from his eyes, were stopped by this call. He looked up at Ya Niang, suddenly got up, walked to the book desk beside him, picked up a brush with one hand and held an inkstone in the other, walked to the snow-white wall opposite, raised his brush and wrote down the poem recited by Xiao Jia Ding.

  Xiao Jiading saw that he was writing with great flair and strength, his calligraphy skills were exceptional. Not only did Xiao admire him, but also thought that it was normal for someone with such good calligraphy to be a bit proud. His initial dislike of the middle-aged scholar's arrogance dissipated somewhat.

  Tang Dalang finished writing, stepped back two steps, and stared blankly at the poem on the wall, saying nothing. Ya Niang went over, took the inkstone and pen from his hand, also without speaking. Silently handed him a handkerchief.

  Tang Dalang took over the handkerchief, and after a long while, he let out a deep sigh and turned around. He looked at Xiao Jia Ding and said in a slightly hoarse voice: "Xiao Gongzi, thank you. Yanni wrote dozens of poems for me, but none of them touched my heart like this one of yours. Thank you so much."

  Xiao Jia Ding smiled and said, "No big deal."

  Yan smiled strongly and said: "Alright, let's stop being sad now. Let's talk about something happy instead."

  Zhu Haixin interrupted with a smile: "Right, right! Otherwise, how can we settle the fight? Loser drinks, I'll be the bartender!"

  Thumb war is just a game of rock-paper-scissors, but the rules are not quite the same as modern ones. It's usually a rough and casual game played by common people when drinking, how could refined scholars like them engage in such a plebeian activity. Ya Niang frowned and gave him a sideways glance, Zhu Haiyin knew better and stopped talking immediately.

  Tang Dalang didn't mind, saying: "It's time to drink, I haven't gotten drunk in a long time. Today I got this great poem from Xiao Gongzi, it's worth getting drunk for! Come on! Let's switch to large bowls!"

  Ya Niang scolded, but did not object. She called Ya Lou to change the big bowl, and Tang Dalang personally filled it up and sent it to the front of Xiao Jia Ding: "Come on, Xiao Gongzi, Tang Mou respects you!"

  Xiao Jia Ding was also a drunkard, seeing wine naturally opened the flower of joy. Seeing him no longer holding himself up with dignity, he threw away his previous unhappiness and took over the wine bowl, following Tang Da Lang to drink it all in one breath. The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  She sat down again, and Ya Niang toasted Xiao Jia Ding and Tang Da Lang each with a bowl, but did not toast Zhu Hai Yin. Zhu Hai Yin's face was thick-skinned, and he didn't care, so he picked up his wine bowl and came over to toast. Xiao Jia Ding naturally drank with him, while Tang Da Lang and Ya Niang only took a slight sip.

  Tang Dalang asked Xiao Jia Ding: "Where did Mr. Xiao get his high appointment?"

  Xiao Jiading said: "In Shaocheng County government as a clerk."

  "Oh?" Tang Dalang was somewhat surprised, "You are a clerk of the county government?"

  Zhu Haixin was even more surprised, just about to speak, but had previously said that he and he were good brothers. If such a thing happened without his knowledge, what kind of good brother would that be? He could only smile silently and listen.

  Xiao Jiading nodded and said, "Yes."

  "What exactly does it do?"

  "To be honest, I just confirmed today that I will enter the government office as a clerk, and I still don't know what specific tasks I'll be doing."

  "What do you want to do then?"

  "My criminal law is still pretty good, so I hope to be a clerk in the criminal house. It's just unknown whether it will come true."

  Tang Dalang looked at him, thought for a moment, and said: "Since Xiao Gongzi has studied criminal law, it just so happens that I have encountered a case here that I don't know how to handle. Can you enlighten me?"

  "Tell me about it."

  "There was a rich man who had a wife and a concubine. The wife did not have any children, but the concubine gave birth to a son. The rich man loved him very much, but his wife was extremely jealous. One day, several servants in their household conspired to strangle the concubine when the rich man was away. Fortunately, someone secretly informed the rich man, and they did not succeed. The rich man was furious and suspected that his wife might have been behind this incident, but there was no evidence. He was so angry that he had the servants tied up and reported to the authorities, demanding that they be put to death for plotting to murder their master. However, the law does not specify how to handle such a situation. What do you think should be done?"