Chapter 30: Garan Rain (Part 2)

"If you join us, you'll immediately become the head steward of the Su household's estate. All resources of the Su family's Third Branch will be at your disposal. Whatever your demands, as long as we can fulfill them, we will naturally agree. If you can manage these resources well, my second sister is, after all, just a woman. If she fails to take over the First Branch in the future, there will naturally be many ways for you to win her over... My father says you are a clever man, and everyone knows you are. We are sincere, so there's no need for further words. Just think it over yourself..."

Su Wenji's voice rang out in the wind and snow, having been prepared for this conversation for quite some time. Among the various stewards of the Su family's First Branch, Xi Junyu was always the most prominent, known for his shrewdness and capability. Although his experience couldn't compare to some of the older stewards, few doubted that he would one day shoulder half of the Su family's affairs. Most even said that Xi Junyu was originally destined to study for the imperial examinations and become a top scholar. The Wu family had offered him a hefty sum, but he had declined, remaining with the Su family seemingly only for the sake of the Second Miss, Su Tan'er.

For this reason, ever since Su Tan'er's marriage, Su Yunfang and Su Wenji had consistently tried to approach Xi Junyu, extending goodwill. Su Wenji himself knew his abilities were limited, but he always boasted about his willingness to humble himself before worthy individuals, treating capable people with great deference. His philosophy was, "I may not be very capable, but I just need to entrust tasks to those who are." This attitude had earned him considerable praise from outsiders.

However, after listening to Su Wenji, Xi Junyu simply stared at him for a moment. A short while later, he clapped Su Wenji hard on the shoulder, and amidst Su Wenji's confusion, he shook his head with a cold laugh. "Seventh Young Master, don't be so naive..."

"This is your best chance... You know what I'm saying is true." Unable to grasp Xi Junyu's thoughts, Su Wenji was perplexed by his attitude. Xi Junyu's hand on his shoulder pressed quite heavily, so Su Wenji could only repeat his words. A moment later, Xi Junyu sighed.

"Ha, Seventh Young Master, it's good to humble yourself before the wise and be magnanimous in employing people. I know the Third Master taught you this – not to meddle if you can't manage, which is a clever trick. But what you don't understand is that someone who truly knows how to use people must also be able to command talent. If one day two of your subordinates have conflicting opinions, and you lack both the ability to decide and the prestige to enforce it, how will you manage people?"

Xi Junyu found the man before him amusing. Su Wenji thought for a long time. "At least... wouldn't this be a good thing for you instead?"

Xi Junyu shook his head. "I, Xi Junyu, will not stand with those destined to fail." After saying this, he turned and walked away. Watching the figure stride into the distance, Su Wenji hesitated for a long while before finally realizing something: "You're angry! You're angry!"

"That statement shows some progress." Xi Junyu said calmly, then waved his hand without looking back, as if snowflakes suddenly exploded in the air. "Wake up, Seventh Young Master. You can't contend with Su Tan'er. From the very beginning, she never even considered you a threat!"

Amidst the swirling wind and snow, Su Wenji stared dumbfounded as the black-robed figure strode away. A moment later, he furrowed his brows tightly, trying to suppress his anger. Although he thought this might be the first time Xi Junyu had lost control and shown anger during their many interactions, perhaps signifying a turning point, Xi Junyu's words left him unable to shake off his irritation. He then impulsively punched a nearby tree trunk.

He wasn't particularly strong. Usually, a punch like that would only cause pain. He was prepared for the pain, biting his teeth and shaking his hand in the air a few times. With a whoosh, his entire neck felt icy cold, and his shoulders were covered in snow. He looked up in anger, but his expression immediately turned to shock. His mouth opened, and a look of terror was about to emerge...

From a distance, the figure beneath the tree punched it, and the tree swayed gently a few times. Then... *boom—crash—*

A mix of white and green enveloped the figure, with two hands and one foot flailing on the snowdrift.

A moment later, a maid's cry came from that spot: "Help—Help—The Seventh Young Master is buried in the snow!"

"…Listen to youth, welcoming laughter, envied by many.Those annals, gentle and unwilling, write with too much harshness.Fireworks easily cool, human affairs easily part,Yet you ask if I'm still serious...A thousand years later, after generations of deep affection, who else is still waiting?How can history not be true, the Wei records of Luoyang City?As if you are following, crossing the threshold of a past life,Tainted with the dust of the mortal world, follow me, wander for a lifetime..."

The zither strings softly chimed, one note after another, like flowing water. The woman's voice was gentle, her singing revealing exploration, contemplation, and doubt. She combined some of her usual single-note vocalizations with the melodic turns Ning Yi had just taught her. The tune was not high-pitched, but soft and lingering like fine wine. Amidst this song, the man meticulously peeled the shell off a duck egg. An amber-like color gradually appeared as the shell fell away. In this era, similar to the Song Dynasty, the century egg (preserved egg) appeared before people's eyes for the first time amidst the music. It was then placed in a porcelain bowl, its amber-colored albumen revealing intricate patterns. Listening to Nie Yunzhu sing "Garan Yu," which was quite different from the original version, Ning Yi vaguely perceived a hint of ancient charm.

Even while living in this era, much of what he saw and heard was still simple and monotonous everyday life. Walking along the Qinhuai River, the multi-storied boats and buildings weren't as picturesque as they appeared on television, and the roads were often dirty and chaotic. "Ancient charm" was, for him, a specific state of mind. It was like seeing the lights in the Su family courtyard every evening, or teaching Xiao Chan to sing "When Will the Bright Moon Appear?" that day, or the tranquility inside and outside the small building during a downpour. It was when these moments evoked thoughts of many years later that "ancient charm" would emerge from his heart. After all, he was a modern person; such a state of mind best embodied the essence of time, like poetry or fine wine.

After quietly listening to the song, Nie Yunzhu seemed to have something she wanted to say but hesitated. She had never heard such a folk song or ballad before, nor had any of the high-brow musical pieces she knew featured such strange vocalizations. For millennia, music had followed a monophonic path. Even a thousand years later, the vocal techniques pursued in every local opera were focused on grandeur and resonance. In terms of complexity, they were far less intricate than modern music, which blended various styles. After singing this song, Nie Yunzhu's skill allowed her to clearly perceive the complex variations it sought. In a way, this seemingly simple and shallow music, which paradoxically pursued extreme technical complexity, bordered on unorthodox. Yet, for her, it brought considerable shock and inspiration.

On the other hand, the lyrics seemed somewhat overly simplistic, and some parts felt pieced together... She looked at Ning Yi. Perhaps it was spontaneous, as if he had just said something casually, unconcernedly pursuing an interesting way of writing lyrics, eventually putting together such a song. Yet, even so, it was astonishing. Those fragmented, plain lyrics actually held a subtle, elusive artistic quality, as if created effortlessly for a playful game. Before this, Nie Yunzhu had never imagined that a piece of music could leave her feeling so bewildered and emotionally unsettled.

"Sir, is this way of singing something you just casually put together?" Though it was hard to believe, she could only assume it was. If someone truly understood music, they surely wouldn't arrange even a simple folk tune like this.

"Is it listenable?"

"Strange, but interesting," Nie Yunzhu pondered, choosing her words carefully, then smiled. "It's just... I'm afraid it's only suitable for casual entertainment, or for singing informally among a few friends. Uh... I'm afraid it..."

She hesitated, finding it difficult to articulate. Ning Yi chuckled. "It can't grace grand halls, huh." He paused briefly. "But it's just something I like, for my own enjoyment, because I find it interesting."

Ning Yi had always been easygoing and uninhibited in his ways, something Nie Yunzhu was already somewhat accustomed to. Seeing his attitude now, her previous doubts and confusion dissipated. It was merely a peculiar song, and as long as it could be sung and listened to, it would likely bring joy. She had delved deeply into the art of music and had certain foundational rules she felt compelled to uphold. Yet, at this moment, she no longer found the situation strange; she simply felt that this was how he naturally was.

"Actually, it's quite pleasant," she said, smiling and nodding. "It's just... I've never heard such lyrics and melody before. To set it entirely to new sheet music, I'd need a few days to study it..."

Ning Yi nodded with a smile. "Oh, of course, I'm not in a hurry. In fact, just hearing it once was wonderful. It sounded great just now."

"You flatter me, sir. My vocal skills couldn't fully express many parts of it..." Nie Yunzhu said, then looked at the duck egg in the bowl. "Why has this salted duck egg become like this?"

"This is called a 'Songhua egg' (century egg). You can also call it a 'Jadeite Egg,' 'Agate Egg,' or 'Prosperity Egg,' or whatever you like... I'll leave this jar for you to try, and I'll take this other jar. If we sell them a bit more expensively later, there should be business. There should only be one establishment like this in the whole world, no other branches..."

Ning Yi smiled as he introduced the century eggs. He had originally asked Nie Yunzhu to prepare two jars, a total of fifty eggs, but now he only planned to take one. Anyway, he just wanted to eat them; it didn't matter who sold them. Nie Yunzhu understood music, and he would need her help with composing tunes in the future, so he considered this an investment.

After a small gesture of refusal, Nie Yunzhu finally accepted the jar. They chatted for a while longer, then Nie Yunzhu found some straw ropes from the kitchen and tied up the small jar. Ning Yi picked up the earthenware jar, bid farewell, and left. Nie Yunzhu saw him to the door and returned to her room a short while later.

"Rain falls thickly, old homeland's flora grows deep..." Nie Yunzhu softly pondered and hummed the melody. She walked to the table, looked at the manuscript with the lyrics, then picked up a century egg from the bowl. Her pearly teeth gently parted, and she took a bite. As she chewed slowly, she continued to hum the lyrics, word by word.

Strange lyrics and melody she had never heard, and a taste of duck egg she had never experienced—these things flooded her mind. While Ning Yi had been there, her heart had been calm, but now, for some reason, it felt a little unsettled.

"The mottled city gate, where old tree roots entwine, on the stone slabs echoes 'wait again'...""Rain falls thickly, old homeland's flora grows deep...""The shepherd's flute in the city outskirts, falls upon that wild village, fate takes root...""I've heard, you are always alone...""Tainted with the dust of the mortal world, follow me, wander for a lifetime..."

Her soft voice merely hummed faintly, but many thoughts arose in her mind—she recalled the scene of them pushing the cart back together earlier. She put down the century egg, walked to the door, and gently opened it. The wind and snow surged in from outside. She stood there, gazing down the distant road. The figure in the blue robe, holding an oiled paper umbrella, gradually receded into the wind and snow, now just a last blurred image.

"Tainted with the dust of the mortal world..." Her heart thumped rapidly, making her feel as though she stood at the threshold of the mortal world. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her thoughts a tumultuous tide. At times, she felt the song's meaning was ineffable; at others, something else entirely. *Thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thump*, her heart pounded desperately, and then she told herself she was thinking too much.

"Young Master Ning is a true gentleman; these must just be casually written lyrics... Nie Yunzhu...""Nie Yunzhu, Nie Yunzhu, Nie Yunzhu..."

The distant figure had long since vanished into the wind and snow. She closed the door, pursed her lips, and walked back to sit at the round table. Indeed, she had been thinking too much. She propped her face in her hand, tilting her head to look at the lyrics, softly humming a few lines. Then she lay down, resting her chin on her clasped hands, and gazed straight ahead. The bitten century egg lay not far away, bathed in a faint beam of light streaming in from outside the door, creating a crystalline iridescence on its amber surface.

She lay there, staring blankly at the crystalline color for a long while. In the dimly lit room, she seemed like a little girl...