Chapter 46: Poor Students Have More Stationery

"How come the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion is opening a branch too?"
Everyone seemed to be flocking here all at once.

"The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion had no such plans before. After all, they are locals of Luoyang, where they enjoy greater popularity and a solid customer base. They were also close to you, the God of Wealth. Venturing to Chang'an didn't guarantee they would make a name for themselves. But they couldn't resist being egged on."

Xu Chengyue grew interested. "Oh? Egged on by whom?"

"Reputedly by a young gentleman from Chang'an, scion of a noble family. After tasting the dishes at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, he was utterly awestruck. He even composed a poem specially for that sweet and sour fish, hanging it in the main hall of the tavern where anyone can see it the moment they step through the door."

"Terrified that he wouldn't be able to eat it after returning to Chang'an, he urged the proprietor to open a branch of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion in Chang'an, even guaranteeing that he would find a location for them himself and telling them to just pack up and go."

"Goodness, what a grand manner! Just to satisfy his palate, he even meddled in a tavern opening a branch. Land in Chang'an is worth its weight in gold; I imagine it won't be easy to rent."

"Well, idle aristocrats accustomed to luxury and ease find nothing unusual to do."

"Don't put it that way. Perhaps the man possesses a shred of talent, and his poem was worthy of being enshrined in the main hall by the proprietor."

...

"Brother Lin, we must part ways here. Another day when you come to Chang'an, we shall meet again, and at that time I will surely entertain you well." Brother Yin grasped the reins of his horse and said to the group seeing him off behind him.

"Take care, Brother Yin, and may your journey be smooth," Lin Shi'er said, cupping one fist in the other to bid him farewell.

Brother Yin nimbly kicked off the ground, vaulted onto his horse, and returned Lin Shi'er's salute. "Brother Lin, no need to see me off further. Until we meet again."

With that, he urged his horse forward, the hooves kicking up fine dust on the main road as he gradually rode into the distance.

Brother Yin had finished his business in Luoyang and should have departed long ago, but because Lin Shi'er had told him that all the dishes at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion originated from a book, curiosity had gotten the better of him.

He went to take a look, and who would have thought he couldn't help himself and spent two days reading the entire book, only to find it had no ending. Upon inquiring, he learned that the book was published in installments, and the final volume would not be out for a few days.

Although the distance between Luoyang and Chang'an was not considered exceptionally far, neither was it close. Even by horse, factoring in time for rest and meals, the journey took seven or eight days.

Therefore, if he failed to see the ending in Luoyang, he would have to wait even longer. How could he possibly endure that? He had no choice but to stay for a few days.

Finally, after finishing the last volume, he felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

Only then did he bid farewell to his friends in Luoyang and set off on his return journey to Chang'an.

On this trip to Luoyang, he felt he carried a heavy responsibility and an arduous mission: to bring back delicacies and intriguing stories to Chang'an, much like Zhang Qian of the Han dynasty embarking on his mission to the Western Regions and returning with all sorts of novelties previously unknown to the Great Tang.

This journey had truly broadened his horizons, and upon his return, he would certainly show off to the gentlemen of Chang'an just as Lin Shi'er had done.

Don't think he didn't realize that brat Lin Shi'er had been deliberately putting on airs—anyone could see right through it!

Yet, considering that he was currently under someone else's roof and had to bow his head, they did share a certain degree of friendship.

Moreover, setting all that aside, Lin Shi'er had been very warm and attentive to him as a newcomer, which was why Brother Yin chose not to hold it against him.

Still, he could understand; such wonderful things made it terribly difficult for anyone to resist bragging.

...

Having finally finished writing the book, Xu Chengyue naturally cast off work and embraced her life.

Every day she slept until the sun was high before getting out of bed. After a meal, she would look at her flowers and plants, even though during the autumn and winter seasons they were bare with sparse branches and leaves.

Yet Xu Chengyue gazed upon them with the mindset of an aging mother, feeling everything about them was wonderful, occasionally pruning dead branches and withered leaves or watering them.

Those that required warmth had already been moved indoors.

The large vat of lotus flowers she kept had withered stalks and leaves; now it looked like nothing more than a vat of silt planted rigidly in the courtyard, utterly stiff.

The few small fish swimming inside, however, were quite lively.

Speaking of fish, she could not help but mention the new hobby Xu Chengyue had developed.

She had recently grown fond of fishing.

Fishing allowed one to embrace nature and engage in quiet meditation. As for the fish she managed to catch—cough, cough—those were simply unexpected delights. All in all, it served three purposes at once.

Thinking of this, Xu Chengyue felt her heart itch. Come to think of it, it had already been two days since her last fishing trip, so why not go today?

Thus, she suggested, "Shall we go to the small pond today?"

"Yay! Are we going to feed the fish again? Wonderful, wonderful!" Xia He blurted out candidly.

She had no idea that her spontaneous and innocent words were like a sharp sword instantly piercing someone's heart.

Xu Chengyue (shifting her gaze) (staring): I advise you to think carefully before you speak...

Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Xia He lightly patted her mouth and hastily corrected herself: "This maid spoke clumsily and misspoke for a moment. I meant fishing, fishing! Please don't blame me, young mistress."

Qiu Lu, enjoying the spectacle, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

And so, they drove their carriage to the small pond outside Luoyang city, having fished at this very spot the previous few times.

Although Xu Chengyue was a novice, she had watched quite a few well-equipped experts in her past life.

Learning by imitation, she had cobbled together her own set of equipment: a fishing rod equipped with a line reel, a self-made simple fishing float, a bunch of fish bait, and a bamboo creel to hold the fish.

Finding a flat piece of ground, she cast her fishing hook into the water and waited quietly for the harvest.

Initially, Xu Chengyue remained quite calm.

Fishing, after all, was meant to cultivate one's temperament and nurture one's character.

She even offered herself psychological comfort by lowering her expectations.

If she caught something, that was best; if she caught nothing, it didn't matter either.

Yet, after waiting for a while without a single fish taking the bait, she grew restless and agitated, scratching her ears and cheeks.

It must be because she hadn't pre-baited the swim!

Finding a justification for herself, Xu Chengyue prepared to toss some ground bait into the water.

Catching sight of her movements, Xia He hurried over and asked, "Is the young mistress going to chum the water? Let this maid do it; fish bait is so dirty."

Feeding the fish—leave that sort of thing to her!

Eagerly, she ran forward, scooped a handful of fish bait from the jar, squeezed the bait into a clump, and hurled it forcefully toward the area near the fishing hook.

Then she made several more balls of bait and threw them in.

"Young mistress, is that enough?" Xia He asked, her excitement unabated, wearing the expression of someone who could gladly continue if more was needed.

"Enough, enough," Xu Chengyue nodded calmly. Surely that would suffice.

Who would have thought that after waiting a while longer, still no fish took the bait?

"Young mistress, could there be no fish in this pond?" Qiu Lu asked in puzzlement, gazing at the calm surface of the water.

"Of course there are. I've seen people rowing boats and catching fish here."

"Then why aren't we just scooping up fish instead of fishing?" asked the straight-spoken Xia He, who always said what was on her mind.

"Superficial! Is fishing about the fish? Of course it's about the act of fishing!" Xu Chengyue retorted with righteous indignation.

Then why was the young mistress so vexed about failing to catch any fish? Xia He muttered inwardly.

"It must be that the feng shui of this spot is no good, which is why we can't catch any fish. Let's change locations." Picking up her small stool, Xu Chengyue prepared to relocate her base.

If this spot wouldn't yield any bites, there were bound to be other places that would.

Packing up her gear, she wandered around in search of a suitable spot for fishing.

Yet wherever she looked, nothing seemed satisfactory.

Either the terrain was uneven with rocks and sand, making it hard to squat, or the water was too shallow with no fish below.

They circled the pond, stopping and going, until they spotted an old fisherman sitting in a spot sheltered by trees.

The old man wore a bamboo hat and a coir raincoat, his beard and hair entirely white.

His fishing tackle was extremely rudimentary, consisting only of a long bamboo pole with a fine line tied to it.

Such crude equipment surely couldn't catch anything.

Thus thought Xu Chengyue, only to have her assumption overturned the very next second.

A faint ripple disturbed the water's surface, and the old man, quick of eye and hand, jerked his fishing rod upward to reveal a small fish weighing about two catties dangling from it.

Xu Chengyue grew so green with envy her eyes turned red.

No, absolutely impossible.

How could anyone catch a fish so effortlessly? It had to be that this particular spot was good and the water teemed with fish.

Xu Chengyue made up her mind.

Occupying a spot a short distance away from the old man, Xu Chengyue assumed a posture full of heroic spirit and vigor to begin her angling.

She would definitely catch a fish this time; she was absolutely not going home empty-handed!

Sitting quietly by the pond's edge, the old man fished in solitude and paid no heed when someone joined him.

Yet why on earth did this young girl have a reed stalk tied to her fishing line?

Lifting his eyelids for a look, the old man grew intrigued and asked aloud, "May I ask, young mistress, what purpose the reed stalk tied to your fishing line serves?"

Straightening up, Xu Chengyue proudly enlightened the old man about her sophisticated equipment: "If a fish takes the bait and pulls on the line, this reed stalk will also move, alerting someone to reel it in."

Stroke his long beard, the old man came to a sudden realization. "So that is how it is."

At this point, Xu Chengyue remembered she needed to chum the water, so Xia He once again kneaded several balls of bait and tossed them into the pond.

"This is called chumming the water. It makes the fish gather around to eat the bait, increasing the chances of them taking the hook." Before the old man could ask again, Xu Chengyue took the initiative to explain.

The old man let out another exclamation of praise.

After a while, Xu Chengyue's fish still hadn't bitten, but the old man had already reeled in several.

Dejected, Xu Chengyue felt every bit like an underachieving student weighed down by an excess of stationery.

Could it be that she truly possessed no affinity for fish in this lifetime?

Seeing the old man's fish landing one after another, Xu Chengyue had grown numb.

Wretched little fish, she had fed them so much bait, yet they wouldn't even sacrifice a single one. And she was practically the deity of their tribe!

Never mind, she might as well give up and wallow in it!

"Young mistress, I shall give you a few of the fish I caught later on," the old man said generously.

It wasn't false kindness on his part; mainly, ever since this young mistress had arrived, he had caught far more fish than before, which was undoubtedly due to the bait she had thrown in.

Besides, he had frequented this spot for fishing often and had distinctly sensed of late that the fish in the pond had grown much fatter and larger than in the past.

Ah, best not to dwell on that too deeply.

"No need, the old gentleman should keep them for his own meals," Xu Chengyue shook her head, listless.

Fishing was about the act itself, not solely about the fish. What fun was there if they weren't caught by her own hands?

Sensing her inner knot, the old man consoled her, "The fish I caught include a share of the young mistress's contribution, so it is as if you caught them yourself—they simply happened to take my hook."

"...Then many thanks for the old gentleman's kindness." Twisting her hands awkwardly, Xu Chengyue accepted his goodwill.

After all, a true angler needed to maintain a shred of dignity; avoiding a shutout was the ultimate stubborn pride.

The old gentleman was right; she had caught them after all.

Regaining her confidence, Xu Chengyue puffed out her chest.

When the sun tilted westward, the two of them made their respective ways home.

The old man strolled leisurely along a small path on the other side of the pond, where a carriage was parked and a young servant was plucking grass to feed a horse.

Seeing him return, the servant hurriedly stuffed the grass he was holding into the horse's mouth, stepped forward to take the fish creel from the old man's hand, and was nearly thrown off balance by the unexpected heaviness, almost dropping it to the ground.

"How is it that sir managed to catch so many this time?" he asked in astonishment.

"I met a kindhearted young mistress," the old man said, recalling the young girl and breaking into a chuckle that made his beard tremble. "She was showing off her fishing tackle to me."

"And then?"

"And then I showed off right back with the fish I caught."