Song Yuzhang: Chapter 117 - See Through the Mortal World
Chapter 117: See Through the Mortal World
The culprit behind the mining explosion still hadn’t been found. Nie Yinbing wasn’t surprised in the least—someone had smuggled in explosives, not even caring about their own life just to stir up trouble. It would have been strange if the investigation turned up anything. In truth, there was no need to investigate: either it was a rival competitor, or someone in business who’d been offended. Those people had soldiers and guns at their disposal—sending a couple of bombs was already a rather polite warning.
Song Yuzhang asked, “Was the damage serious?”
Nie Yinbing answered truthfully, “Not small.”
The two of them ate as they talked business. Nie Qingyun, unable to stomach a bite, set down her chopsticks and said, “I’m full.”
She really couldn’t bear seeing Song Yuzhang sitting at the same breakfast table with them so grandly, chatting with Nie Yinbing as if nothing had happened.
“Sit down,” Nie Yinbing said sternly. “You’re not leaving the table until you finish eating.”
Nie Qingyun shot him an angry glare. Nie Yinbing added, “Even Bonian is more sensible than you.”
Nie Qingyun nearly exploded from fury.
Nie Bonian was only five years old, but he no longer needed to be fed—holding his little bowl on his own, his mouth smeared with porridge. Blinking his eyes, he said to Nie Yinbing, “Second Uncle, you shouldn’t say that about Little Aunt. Little Aunt takes care of me every day, she’s very sensible too.”
Being praised for “being sensible” by her own little nephew left Nie Qingyun unsure whether to laugh or cry.
“One thing at a time,” Nie Yinbing maintained his strictness. He looked at Nie Qingyun and said, “You weren’t full, so why say you were?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll eat, alright?”
Still seething, Nie Qingyun resumed drinking her bowl of porridge.
After breakfast, once Song Yuzhang had left, she finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. She blocked Nie Yinbing’s way outright.
Anyway, Nie Yinbing was the type to drop shocking words without batting an eye. She steeled herself. “What exactly is your relationship with Song Yuzhang?”
Nie Yinbing looked down at her. “Relationship?”
“Last night, you two were clinging to each other in front of everyone,” Nie Qingyun accused. “You even carried him into the car. Second Brother, do you think that’s appropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it? He was dizzy.”
Nie Qingyun felt dizzy herself.
Pressing her temples, she silently told herself to calm down, then said, “Given the relationship between you two, even if he was dizzy, you shouldn’t have been carrying him.”
Nie Yinbing withdrew his gaze and brushed past her. “If you’ve got time, go shop around the department store more often.”
Nie Qingyun nearly burst from anger.
She hurried after him. “Second Brother, can’t you just listen to me seriously, just once? I know you have your own way of understanding people, but when it comes to Song Yuzhang—ok, fine, I admit I was unfair to him before, I’ll work on changing that. But still, I hope you keep your distance. We don’t have to be enemies with him, but there’s no need to be friends either, right…”
She went on and on in a long speech. Nie Yinbing, after walking a few steps, stopped, as though tired of her chatter. Toward this younger sister, though he did harbor the same protective affection as Nie Xueping, his way of showing it was clearly very different.
“I like him,” Nie Yinbing said coolly.
Nie Qingyun’s mouth dropped open, her pupils gone blank.
Seizing the silence, Nie Yinbing stepped forward two paces, then turned back to his dazed sister. “Don’t make things hard for him. He doesn’t like me, and I’ll try not to like him. This isn’t something you need to involve yourself in. Go get yourself another boyfriend.”
Nie Qingyun stood frozen in the courtyard for several minutes. When she finally came to her senses, she couldn’t hold back a scream.
Fuming all over, she got in a car and ordered the driver to take her to the Song residence.
The whole way there, she was gnashing her teeth, wishing she could skin Song Yuzhang alive.
A vixen—a male vixen!
Too much, far too much!
With a screech, the car tires halted in front of the Song residence. Nie Qingyun stormed in on her high heels. The servants of the Song household didn’t dare stop members of the Nie family, so she passed through unimpeded straight into the living room. “Song Yuzhang—”
Her words cut off abruptly.
Song Yuzhang was holding someone’s hand. That person wasn’t anyone special, just dressed in monk’s robes, head shaven—it was Song Yekang.
Song Yekang also turned his face.
He had just been crying, his glasses fogged over. Nearsighted to begin with, now he could hardly see anything at all.
Nie Qingyun spun around and ran off.
Sniffling, Song Yekang asked, “Who was that?”
Song Yuzhang withdrew his gaze. “No one. Not important.”
Song Yekang was preparing to leave for Nancheng to become a monk.
The temples in Nancheng were large, with plenty of places available, and they especially welcomed educated men like Song Yekang.
“I… I feel like I’ve wronged Fourth Brother…”
Clutching Song Yuzhang’s hand, Song Yekang wept, tears and snot all over.
“If I hadn’t spoken about you and him to Eldest Brother like that, maybe Fourth Brother wouldn’t have acted so rashly… Ah, I don’t even know what I’ve accomplished, living this long…” Song Yekang’s tears poured down. “All these years of fighting—what was it all for? Nothing but emptiness.”
Song Yuzhang took a deep breath, patted his hand, and said, “It’s all over now.”
“Sigh—”
Song Yekang had already been crying and complaining for half an hour.
Enough tears shed—once he became a monk, he would have to keep his six senses pure; even crying would no longer be allowed.
“Old Fifth, I have just one question in my heart. I’d like you to answer it for me, will you?”
“Go ahead.”
“Did that Yue Yao’er ever get pregnant? And if so, whose child was it really?”
Song Yuzhang thought for a moment, then decided to tell the truth straightforwardly: “She was pregnant with Zheng Kexian’s.”
Song Yuzhang laid everything out. When Song Yekang finished listening, he was so delighted that he could hardly keep his mouth shut. Bursting into laughter through his tears, he said, “So eldest brother was cuckolded?”
Song Yuzhang smiled faintly and nodded. “Yes.”
Song Yekang roared with laughter, this time laughing so hard that tears came out again.
After wiping his face clean, he returned to solemnity. “What a sin. Still, it’s not so bad—it saved an innocent life, so I have no more regrets. Old Fifth, I’m leaving. When we meet again in this mortal world, don’t call me by my worldly name. My Dharma name is Jing Le.”
Song Yuzhang pressed his palms together devoutly. “Farewell, Master Jing Le.”
Master Jing Le left the hall with a grave expression, but once he stepped outside, he couldn’t help it and burst into laughter.
Hah! Song Jincheng was such a fool. He kept two mistresses in two separate houses, and the people in those two houses got together to put a green hat on him.
As he laughed, he instinctively touched his bare head, then shivered.
Becoming a monk in winter required quite a bit of courage—bald heads were damn cold!
Nie Qingyun, hiding behind a pillar, watched Song Yekang walk out of the mansion. Her heart was both shocked and uneasy, her confidence shaken, her anger deflated. Her mind was filled with the image of Song Yekang’s bald head.
Unexpectedly, Song Yekang’s bald head was rather good-looking—round and smooth, and it looked like it would feel nice to the touch.
“Sister Qingyun?”
Nie Qingyun pressed her chest, shut her eyes tightly for a moment—she had been startled. It took her a while before she turned her face back.
Song Yuzhang hadn’t changed clothes yet. “It’s cold outside, shall we go in and talk?”
Nie Qingyun gave a soft “mm,” her voice somewhat weak.
It was indeed warm inside. Song Yuzhang asked her whether she’d like tea or coffee. Nie Qingyun’s tongue twisted and she said she’d drink “caffa-tea.” Song Yuzhang gave her a half-smile, and she quickly corrected herself: “Coffee, coffee—no sugar, no milk.”
The unsweetened, black coffee was brought over. After one sip, Nie Qingyun finally regained some spirit. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly as she opened her mouth. She clearly wanted to question Song Yuzhang about his relationship with Nie Yinbing, but what slipped out was: “Did he really become a monk?”
Nie Qingyun instantly regretted it, wishing she could bite off her tongue.
They had broken up ages ago—what business was it of hers whether Song Yekang became a monk or not?
“Yes,” Song Yuzhang answered, drinking only plain water. “Second Brother went to a temple in the southern part of the city. His ship leaves this afternoon. If you want to see him off, you still have time.”
Nie Qingyun shook her head repeatedly.
Seeing how restless she was, Song Yuzhang explained: “Actually, Second Brother becoming a monk has little to do with you. He himself has seen through the mortal world.”
Nie Qingyun said, “You don’t need to comfort me.”
“It’s true.”
Nie Qingyun glanced at him again over the rim of her cup, then straightened her back. “A man becoming a monk for my sake only proves my charm. I will not feel guilty about that. So—you really don’t need to comfort me.”
Song Yuzhang crossed one long leg and gave the slightest shake of his head, sipping his water.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Nie Qingyun regretted them.
She thought, with Song Yuzhang’s eloquence, he might very well throw it back at her:
“A man willing to die for me only proves my charm. I will not feel guilty about that.”
“Two brothers both driven mad over me only proves my charm. I will not feel guilty about that.”
If Song Yuzhang really said such things, Nie Qingyun would die of anger.
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Luckily, Song Yuzhang only drank his water calmly, without the slightest intent of mocking her.
Nie Qingyun herself felt vexed. In truth, she had once liked Song Yuzhang, too.
He was handsome, and when he listened to someone speak, he kept his lips tightly closed, with an air of elegance. He was gentle, fond of smiling—there really wasn’t anything unlikable about him.
Only a death had stood between them, and their relationship had turned into what it was now.
Nie Qingyun lowered her head, staring at the dark liquid in her cup. She decided to speak directly: “Don’t let anything happen between you and Second Brother.”
She spoke quickly, the words running together, but Song Yuzhang understood her clearly. He was a little surprised, but soon replied, “Don’t worry. It won’t.”
Nie Qingyun shifted uncomfortably, as if trying to reinforce her point. “After I broke up with Song Yekang, I’ve never had any thoughts about your Song brothers again.”
Mm, yes—on that point, she could stand firm.
“I haven’t either.”
Nie Qingyun heard him answer so calmly. Her gaze, sharp and wary like a searchlight, swept over Song Yuzhang’s face. She felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed to discover that Song Yuzhang was indeed telling the truth.
Heavens… so Second Brother had been right all along. It really was Second Brother who was nursing a one-sided love!
She was both angry and ashamed—ashamed on Nie Yinbing’s behalf, angry that he had no backbone. How could he fall for Song Yuzhang too? Granted, Song Yuzhang was good-looking, but still—he had been with Eldest Brother!
She still remembered Nie Yinbing once righteously telling her that if Song Yuzhang were a woman, he should have been her sister-in-law.
And yet, how could Nie Yinbing end up liking even his own would-be sister-in-law?
Nie Qingyun took another sip of bitter coffee; from her mouth down to her stomach, there wasn’t a single spot that wasn’t steeped in bitterness.
As for Song Yekang’s detachment from the mortal world, Song Yuzhang could somewhat relate to it and even admired him for it—at least Song Yekang was more open-minded than he was, able to truly give up everything to live a completely different new life. Perhaps he, too, ought to look more lightly upon things? Not about being hard-hearted or soft-hearted, but simply letting go.
“President—”
A lively, bouncing voice sounded outside. It was Liu Chu.
Song Yuzhang broke off his thoughts and immediately stood up. Song Yekang’s visit had already delayed him for so long that he was late for work, and now Liu Chu had come looking for him.
“President, that fake foreigner wrote to you again, haha! I know what this is called—it’s a love letter, isn’t it?”
Liu Chu skipped into the living room waving the envelope, only to see an elegant, striking woman with a coffee cup in hand. Curious, he looked at Song Yuzhang. “Ah, President, so finally there’s a woman chasing after you too.”
Liu Chu got smacked.
Song Yuzhang pressed down on his back, while Nie Qingyun swatted his rear with a sofa cushion.
It didn’t hurt him at all, but he cried out pitifully on purpose. Nie Qingyun couldn’t bring herself to keep hitting him after two swats, so she stopped, glaring at Song Yuzhang. “Where did this wild monkey come from?!”
Song Yuzhang let go of him as well, shot Liu Chu a look, and turned him to face Nie Qingyun. “Apologize to Miss Nie.”
Liu Chu was quick with words. With respectful seriousness, he bowed to Nie Qingyun. “Miss Nie, I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
Nie Qingyun’s temper rose fast but faded just as quickly. She couldn’t truly hold it against a kid. “Forget it. You just blurt things out without thinking. But don’t talk nonsense again in the future.”
Liu Chu said glibly, “Thank you, Miss Nie, for being so generous. I won’t dare next time.”
Song Yuzhang, knowing full well Liu Chu’s mischief, smacked him hard on the backside. “Get inside.”
Nie Qingyun calmed her breath. She didn’t really take the incident to heart, but she was rather interested in that letter in Song Yuzhang’s hand.
Someone writing love letters to Song Yuzhang?
Song Yuzhang caught her glance and flipped the envelope to show her the front. “Just a work report letter from a railway engineer.”
“Oh,” Nie Qingyun responded, with some visible disappointment.
Song Yuzhang had no idea what she was disappointed about.
Nie Qingyun put down her coffee cup, looked at Song Yuzhang, and sat upright. “Earlier, I was a bit rude to you—that was because I was emotionally unstable at the time. Now that I’ve calmed down, I think you do have the right to pursue freedom and happiness.”
—As long as it wasn’t with her Second Brother.
“So, I won’t oppose you going to…” Nie Qingyun’s red lips pressed together slightly, her brows lifting just a little. “You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
Reading people was Song Yuzhang’s daily bread. A little thought was enough for him to understand why Nie Qingyun’s attitude had suddenly shifted. Amused, he glanced down at the envelope in his hand. Somehow, Yu Feiyu always brought him these laugh-or-cry moments.
“I understand,” Song Yuzhang said, lifting the envelope. “This is a love letter.”
Nie Qingyun: “…”
She bit down hard on her lip. “Very good.”
Then Nie Qingyun stood up gracefully.
Suddenly, a scream came from inside. “President, help—!”
The next moment, a huge white bird flapped its wings and burst out, and Liu Chu clung to its long neck, wailing miserably.
Nie Qingyun was dumbfounded—then she noticed that while flapping, the bird was also dropping blobs of bird droppings everywhere.
“Oh my god!”
Nie Qingyun panicked, retreating behind the sofa in her high heels.
“Heavens, this, this…”
While she was utterly flustered, she heard laughter beside her. Turning her head, she saw that it was Song Yuzhang laughing.
“You can still laugh? Hurry and get someone to drive that wild bird and wild monkey out together!”
Leaning against the table, Song Yuzhang laughed heartily in this chaotic morning.
“Man, that bird was fierce,” Liu Chu later said in the car, rotating his shoulder. “I just wanted to ride it for a while—was that necessary?”
Song Yuzhang chuckled. “If someone tried to ride you, wouldn’t you throw them off?”
“That’s different—I don’t have wings.”
“What, you wanted to ride it and fly?”
“Heh, it looked pretty fat, and I’m skinny. It should be able to carry me up.”
Song Yuzhang pinched the back of his neck. “Don’t bully it again. It’s worth far more than you.”
Liu Chu grinned, knowing Song Yuzhang wasn’t truly angry. “President, where did you spend last night? When I came in, you were still wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
Song Yuzhang gave him a sidelong look. Liu Chu was still grinning cheekily. “I just wanted to chat, nothing else.”
Song Yuzhang ruffled his head. “Less nonsense, more work.”
Liu Chu laughed, twisting his head under Song Yuzhang’s palm. “Old Liu says my hair grows fast—I’ll need another haircut soon.”
Song Yuzhang rubbed his bristly head, and for a moment felt an unexpected peace.
At the bank, Song Yuzhang opened Yu Feiyu’s letter. There was not a single word about why Song Yuzhang hadn’t replied. The language was still simple and plain.
The railway surveying work was heavy, with some difficulties, but fortunately all had been overcome. Yu Feiyu was confident that before New Year, all the markers along this line would be set down.
Song Yuzhang finished the letter with a faint smile at the corners of his lips, realizing his mood had lightened considerably.
And after that smile, all of a sudden, it was as if a page had been turned inside him.
Perhaps this was human nature—people couldn’t stay sunken in gloom forever. With just a tiny spark, one could ignite new vitality again.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dazzling world below, Song Yuzhang thought: “Xueping, I don’t want to live so weighed down anymore. From today on, I want to be happier. Don’t blame me.”
----------
If you like my translation, please support me by buying me a coffee:
0 comments:
Post a Comment