Unintended Immortality

A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; the mourner's heart is going to break on his way.

Song You also held an umbrella while carrying a bag. Accompanied by the calico cat, they headed toward Hexian Pavilion.

This time, he wasn’t wearing his Daoist robe.

Hexian Pavilion was located at the junction of the East and West Cities. Unlike the bustling and glamorous areas of Qinghong Courtyard and Lihua Garden, this place was serene.

The storyteller had said it was because Miss Wanjiang preferred quietness; listening to the guqin was an elegant affair not suited for the busy and lively places.

The wealthy woman from a few days ago mentioned that Miss Wanjiang arrived too late; by six years ago, the real estate prices in Changjing had become exorbitant. The bustling areas had no shops available for lease or purchase, so she had no choice but to buy a place here.

Whether this was true or not was unknown, but it was intriguing.

Hexian Pavilion was known for its guqin music and fine wine. It housed several guqin players, both male and female. Literati and scholar-officials who came here could drink and enjoy tea while listening to the guqin, making it a relatively refined place.

The practice of playing the guqin while serving wine was inspired by ancient customs.

It was said that in ancient times, there was a couple, where the man was a gifted scholar and the woman was equally talented and beautiful. Later, when they found themselves in difficult circumstances, they opened a tavern by the street, playing the qin and selling wine

Hexian Pavilion also primarily sold wine and tea.

Within, top-notch guqin players performed, so the wine and tea were priced higher. There was also a seating fee, and if one wanted a guqin player to perform exclusively for them, it would require additional payment.

Every afternoon, Miss Wanjiang would personally play a guqin piece upstairs, and the music could be heard downstairs. But to go upstairs, one would need to pay a substantial amount as “string insurance”, at least fifteen taels of silver.

The more one paid, the closer one could sit. This was the nature of the guqin; sitting closer meant hearing more intricate details. It was said that sitting in the front row allowed one to feel each vibration of the guqin strings in their heart.

When she played High Mountains and Flowing Water, it felt as if one had stepped into a landscape painting outside the city. When she played Trials of the World, one could experience ten years of stormy nights within a single cup of tea.

But it would cost fifteen taels…

Song You shook his head, his cloth shoes splashing water as he walked through the rain.

He gradually approached Hexian Pavilion and peered through the curtain of rain…

It was afternoon, and many idlers were seated in Hexian Pavilion. Among them were scholar-officials of Changjing as well as refined literati. Some sat in small groups, quietly listening to the qin, drinking wine, and chatting in low voices. Meanwhile, others came alone, having drunk themselves into a stupor, now soundly asleep on the floor to the music of the elderly qin master in the front.

Dozens of people were lounging about, spending their afternoon drinking and listening to the guqin, and idly passing the time under the light rain.

This might have been the most leisurely scene in Changjing.

Song You stood across the street for a moment, then looked down and exchanged a glance with the cat in his bag before crossing the street.

The cobblestone road was uneven, and water splashed as he walked. The sound of the guqin gradually reached his ears. It was a leisurely tune, unhurried and slowly seeping into the heart, perfectly suited for the afternoon.

Song You saw an empty table and went over to sit down. A young attendant came over, speaking in a hushed voice, and asked if he wanted wine or tea.

Song You ordered a pot of inexpensive wine. He then began drinking while listening to the old gentleman play.

In the prosperous entertainment industry of the Great Yan, competition was fierce. Some talented young women, before marriage, would work as courtesans or dancers for a couple of years to save up a dowry before marrying an honest man.

Many young men would diligently study the guqin, seeking to become guqin players in these entertainment venues. With so many people, even brothels no longer hired older guqin players. ŗ

So, older guqin players were often renowned figures. It was not that aging naturally led to fame, but rather that only those who had achieved fame could continue playing the guqin into old age. Otherwise, they would either have to change professions or regard playing the guqin as merely a hobby.

This old guqin player was not a famous individual. It was said that Hexian Pavilion had employed several elderly guqin players, offering them another option.

At present, the old guqin player's skill was clearly not on par with Mr. Yang of Yidu, but with age came experience and a certain charm in his music.

Suddenly, a quiet voice asked from beside him, “Excuse me, sir, there are no other seats available in the pavilion. Since you are alone, may I have the honor of sharing your table?”

Song You emerged from the music and looked up. It was a young man bowing slightly.

“Go ahead...”

The man sat down next to him, cupped his hands in thanks, and spoke in a lowered voice, “My surname is Zhai, given name Yuan. Thank you for sharing your table.”

“My surname is Song, given name You. There is no need for such formalities.”

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes, I came alone.”

“Given that your trousers and shoes are still wet, did you come at this hour specifically to hear Miss Wanjiang play?” The man continued to speak in a lowered voice.

“And you?”

“Naturally. Since I heard Miss Wanjiang's performance of Green Jade Terrace last autumn, I haven't enjoyed meat for three months. Since I had this rare chance to visit Changjing again, I naturally have to pay another visit.” The man glanced at the pot of wine on Song You's table. “Drinking alone can be quite dull. May I have a cup of your wine and join you?”

“This wine is inexpensive; I hope it’s not to your disliking.”

“Haha...”

The young man waved away the waiter who had approached and said with a smile, “Sir, you are mistaken. The wine at Hexian Pavilion is far from poor. Even the worst of it is better than what’s outside! Besides, since you’ve come to listen to Miss Wanjiang play, what does it matter whether the wine is good or not? Once the guqin begins, even the finest wine becomes just water!”

“Is it really that wonderful?”

“Have you never been here before?”

“To be honest, I’m new to Changjing. I heard about Miss Wanjiang’s exceptional guqin skills, so this is my first visit,” Song You replied. “I’ve heard that you can go upstairs to listen, but I’m not sure how to get up there.”

“You want to go upstairs?”

“I do.”

“I’ve heard that seats on the second floor are at least fifteen taels of silver each. Some poets and scholars, who lack the funds but believe themselves talented, often present their poems to Miss Wanjiang in hopes that she might be impressed enough to reciprocate with her music. But I’m not sure if any of their poems have ever impressed her enough for them to be invited upstairs.”

The young man paused, glanced at Song You’s plain attire and the cheap wine he had ordered, and then said with a smile, “You must be a scholar of great talent. I just wonder if I might be fortunate enough to appreciate your masterpiece. Perhaps you could share a sample of your work with me? I could help you gauge your chances.”

“You misunderstand,” Song You said honestly. “I know nothing about composing poetry or writing lyrics.”

“Then you’ll have to fork out money...” The young man immediately showed signs of envy and said, “I truly envy you. I’ve heard that the sound on the second floor is much clearer than down here. Furthermore, don’t forget Miss Wanjiang's unparalleled beauty. Seeing her play the guqin with her own hands must be a different experience compared to listening through a floorboard.

“Unfortunately, I’m in a tight spot and can’t afford the fifteen taels, so I’ll have to settle for listening downstairs.”

Song You said, “Perhaps the difference isn’t that great.”

“Oh, it’s a huge difference!” The young man’s eyes widened as he began explaining in detail the differences between listening upstairs and downstairs, and how much closer proximity affected the experience, as if he had firsthand experience of both front-row and back-row seating upstairs.

He then explained the procedure for getting to the second floor.

Miss Wanjiang would not actively ask for money. Instead, once the current guqin player had finished and left, those who wished to go upstairs to listen to Miss Wanjiang would follow the guqin player.

There would be a few attendants waiting in the back with trays. If you offered them the required silver, they would remember you. You just needed to continue drinking wine and have fun. After some time, the attendants would come out to invite you upstairs.

“Remember! You must enter one by one and not with others, as it is considered impolite!”

“Thank you...” Song You smiled. This job was indeed quite troublesome.

He then resumed drinking and listening to the guqin.

At the next table, a group of scholar-officials were quietly discussing a recent event involving important official Mr. Chen and his bamboo paintings. They praised important official Mr. Chen profusely and also talked about the xiangfei bamboo that had been cut down in their own garden.

They recounted where they had dug it up, how many years they had cultivated it, and the strolls under the bamboo with friends while talking about the wind and the moon. Even though the bamboo was associated with demons and ghosts, they still felt it was a pity.

The calico cat in his bag stirred occasionally. When a fellow diner saw it, Song You asked if he could bring the cat upstairs. The man merely advised not to let the attendants see it.

Soon, the guqin music ceased.

The elderly guqin player packed up his things and stood up before he bowed to the crowd and said, “Thank you all. My master will be performing celestial music upstairs next, so I will take my leave.”

He performed a deep bow and walked toward the back.

In the hall, people immediately began looking around, glancing at one another in confusion.

Soon, some people stood up and followed the elderly guqin player to the back, while others stood almost simultaneously but hesitated, exchanging glances and excuses. The one who stood up a little later sat back down, leaving only the first person to stand up to proceed into the back hall. It seemed that everyone wanted to avoid being seen paying for the music they desired.

Song You found the scene quite amusing.

People came out, and others went in. Only when the crowd had thinned out did Song You stand up and, like the others, head toward the back hall.

Inside, there was nothing special.

As the young man surnamed Zhai had described, there were several young attendants holding trays, most of which were covered with red cloths so that the contents were not visible. Only one empty tray was uncovered.

“I have long admired Miss Wanjiang and wish to go upstairs to listen to her play,” Song You said actively, placing fifteen taels of silver on the only uncovered tray. “Just a small token of my respect.”

“Thank you, sir.” The attendant bowed deeply and thanked him. “Please return to your drink, and I will come to invite you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, sir...”

“What is it?” Song You was about to leave but turned back to look at him.

The attendant quietly reminded, “It’s nothing serious, but I should inform you that the person you were drinking with at your table is known for lying. Please do not trust his words too readily.”

“Why is that?”

“He loves music and wine and comes to the store every afternoon. On clear days, he stands on the street with his own drinks, getting drunk and sleeping by the roadside all afternoon. On rainy days or when he doesn’t have his own drinks, he pretends to be a paying customer. He’d choose a table for someone that looks approachable, and strikes up conversations to mooch off the table and drinks of others.”

“I see.” Song You thought for a moment. He smiled, and asked, “Besides mooching off the table and drinks, has he scammed anything else?”

“No, nothing else.”

“Why don’t you chase him away?”

“We’ve mentioned it to our master. Since he’s fond of music, our master told us to leave him be.”

“I understand…”

“Just be cautious. It’s fine to give him some drinks, but if he talks about other things, please don’t take him too seriously.”

“Thank you.” Song You cupped his hands in thanks and left.

The man at the table remained in his seat, glancing at the rain on the street and then at Song You. He quickly looked away, acting casual as he asked, “Did everything go smoothly?”

“Yes, it went smoothly.” Song You’s tone remained unchanged.

He was probably the last person to go in. After him, no one else entered the back hall. After a while, several attendants came out, inviting everyone who had gone in earlier to go upstairs. If anyone wanted to bring their drinks upstairs, the attendants would take their wine pots and cups along.

Finally, they came to invite Song You. When the attendant asked if he wanted to bring the wine upstairs, Song You declined.

With a bow to his table companion, said, “I’m not much of a drinker. It would seem odd to come here and not order any wine, and it would be a pity to waste it. Since you seem to be someone who enjoys wine and we have had the chance to meet, I would be grateful if you could finish this for me, if you don’t mind the quality.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

“Thank you.”

They exchanged thanks, and Song You then gathered his belongings and headed upstairs.

As he reached the staircase and looked back, he saw a number of people gathered on the street. It momentarily stirred some memories.

Back in Yidu, he used to pass by Pine Cottage at dusk, where Mr. Yang would play the qin inside. There were always many music enthusiasts standing outside the wall, and he had done the same.