Chapter 18: Enemies on a Narrow Road

“I had the fortune to participate once in a Orchid gathering, the Sixth Miss of the Qi family is really delicate and beautiful.” the other scholar waved a folding fan sighing.

The white robed scholar regained his gaze and inquired: “Is it the number one beauty in Suzhou: Sixth Miss Qi?”

Once the words number one beauty were said, the scholars immediately gathered together, none of their words were not praising someone’s features, two of them even made poetry, with everyone’s approval, they looked for the waiter to get a pen and paper, planning to write it down to send to the Orchid gathering above, perhaps they could even be lucky enough to be invited up!

Ran Yan’s level of appreciation for poetry had its limits, the number of Tang and Song Dynasty poems she still remembered did not exceed twenty, even including “hoeing the ground for grains during noon[1]” and so on. So faced with this type of artistic atmosphere, Ran Yan was more interested in the Chinese plum drink.

In spring there are Fufang drink, Gui drink, Peach Blossom drink; in summer there are Buttermilk drink, Chinese plum drink, the drinks in the Sui and Tang Dynasties placed importance on colour, fragrance, taste, besides drinking different types according to the seasons, it is naturally green without pollution.

The people of Chang’an have a preference for buttermilk, but the people from the South usually did not like the weird taste of buttermilk, thus was strongly preferred drinks like Chinese plum drinks.

Ran Yan sipped a small mouthful, the sweet and sour Chinese plum soup filled her mouth, her tongue salivated, she didn’t know what kind of method they used to preserve this Chinese plum soup, it actually felt somewhat cooling, it was absolutely suitable to drink in summer.

The dishes were served up in a row, dishes from Jiangsu and Zhejiang were all plain and tasteless, within the salt there was a trace of sweetness, Ran Yan did not like it, additionally her appetite was not good in the summer, Ran Yan only ate very little.

Maybe because many people gathered in Orchid House, so the big hall downstairs was not noisy, at the most it was just discussing current affairs, the blowing wind an elegant ode.

“Who is the author of ‘Beauty Preface[2]’? The ladies extend an invitation.” A clear voice rang out from above the stairs.

The noises in the hall suddenly stopped, everyone looked towards the woman by the stairs, light green straight collared flowing floral ruqun, sporting double buns[3], about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a good looking face. Even though she was dressed as a maidservant, but her aura was not ordinary, one look and you knew she was from a prestigious house. Everyone looked at each other, being invited by the Orchid gathering, what a great honour!

“It is my humble work.” The white robed scholar sitting beside Ran Yan stood up and cupped his hands in greeting[4], his face carried a calm smile, the wind blowing, a picture of talented elegance, completely devoid of the appearance he just had when praising the beauties.

The maidservant had a calm smile on her face, nodded slightly at him, “May the Master please follow this servant.”

The tips of Ran Mei’s brows raised slightly, she did not know poetry, but as words often mirror the speaker[5], looking at the white robed scholar’s appearance, she could imagine that the poem he wrote if it was not brightly coloured adulations, then it was all kinds of flattery, this type of standard was actually fancied by the noble ladies of the Orchid gathering, it can be seen that the standards of appreciation of these noble ladies…

The Tang Dynasty was a poetry filled era, maybe it was because poetry only just started in Zhenguang’s reign? Ran Yan thought to herself.

“Brother[6] Jing is indeed lucky!” the people sharing a table with the white robed scholar exclaimed.

Everyone sighed simultaneously, some acridly, some in admiration.

Ran Yan was about done with her meal, so she called the waiter to settle the bill and leave.

At this moment, because the people in the hall could not participate in the Orchid gathering, so their attention concentrated on Ran Yan who just exited, especially Wan Lu who had not worn a veil, a pair of red phoenix eyes[7], a fine nose and full lips, she had pretty good features, in an instant attracted considerable interest.

Those undisguised gazes, made Wan Lu’s temper flame up, but she knew her place, this was not the Yan estate, she could not behave badly here, and could only swallow her anger and followed Ran Yan out.

Wan Lu was distracted for a moment, when at the doorway she accidently knocked into someone.

Slap!

“Are your eyes blind?” Without waiting for Wan Lu’s apology, the person slapped Wan Lu’s face.

The ringing slap, not only knocked Wan Lu into a daze, the crowd of scholars in the hall were dazed for a moment as well.

The Orchid House was the favourite gathering place of scholars, those who did not know poetry felt that it was not modern[8] and were too lazy to come here, poor people also could not afford to come, so the atmosphere in the shop was usually harmonious, hearing such coarse words for the first time, everyone could not adjust to it yet.

“This servant did not look for a moment, may the Master please forgive!” Wan Lu silently scolded herself for not watching her step, quickly kneeled in apology to the hot-tempered lord.

Influential officials can be found everywhere in the city, one swipe of the hand and you can swipe out five of time, even if Wan Lu had great courage, she would not dare to cause trouble for Ran Yan.

Ran Yan walking in front, felt something was strange and turned her head, thus saw a young man wearing a blue wide-sleeved straight brocade robe, sharp browed and bright-eyed, in a rage, appearing unreasonable, but it cannot be denied that he was an uncommon beauty[9], but Ran Yan had never had the thought to appreciate beautiful men.

Seeing Wan Lu’s face swelling up, Ran Yan’s lips coldly spat out two words, “You scum!”

Men who hit women without explanation, if they were not scum, they were less than beasts.

“What did you say?” The man in the brocade robe went into a violent rage at once, with one hand grabbing Ran Yan’s lapels, flung her in front of him.

Wan Lu was immediately anxious, scrambled on the ground to get up to grab the man’s hand, “Your temper just direct it at me, do not touch my Mistress!”

Wan Lu’s strength, how can it overpower a man, that hand with raised veins, held on to Ran Yan’s lapels unwaveringly, and did not move an inch.

The people within the hall also felt that the man was being unreasonable, but they recognised that this person was Qin Shangzhuo’s legitimate son, Qin Musheng. In the morning he was just rumoured to have beat someone to death at Caixiu House, during noon he appears swaggering around, it can be seen that his backing is strong, so no one dared to become the second Master Han, the whole hall kept silent.

Ran Yan coldly snorted, said: “You’ve merely grown a human skin on the outside[10], when you’re angry you just know how to let it out on women, if not human scum than then what are you? Who offended you, who made you angry, you don’t dare to retaliate, you just know how to take it out on others outside, if not human scum then what!”

Every sentence resonant, powerful and resounding[11], was even more embarrassing then being slapped by someone.

Qin Musheng felt that he was especially unlucky these days, at home discussing marriage to a terminally ill person, this morning he just punched Han a little, in the end who knew that bastard’s life was so fragile, actually died, even though later on it was discovered that he died due to poison, but his heart was still depressed, he just wanted to drink some wine, get rid of his bad feelings, but was actually berated so heavily by a little Miss.

“Which family’s Miss are you?” Qin Musheng’s anger hit the top, but he suppressed his furious state of mind, asked in a cold voice.

This sentence abruptly reminded Wan Lu, the Ran family was one of the top large and influential families in Suzhou, even Suzhou’s provincial governor had to pay respect to them, even if Ran Yan was not favoured, she was still the legitimate daughter, proceeded to say: “We are from the east city’s Ran residence, now let go!”

“East city Ran residence?” Qin Musheng had not spoken, a high-pitched voice from the second floor asked.

Ran Yan sighed internally, it really was a small world[12], how was this voice that was an octave above normal people, related to Ran Yan?[13]

“Let go of me.” Ran Yan’s voice was calm, but it gave people an oppressed feeling.

Qin Mushing finally felt that there was something wrong with him holding up a woman by her lapels, proceeded to comply and loosened his grip.

From the second floor over ten women with flowery skirts wearing veils slowly walked down the stairs.

Among them a young woman in a red straight-collared ruqun walked to the front of Qin Musheng and Ran Yan, caught sight of Wan Lu and was slightly startled, immediately turned towards Ran Yan, internally amazed, the person who was almost at death’s door a few days ago, could already run around everywhere today?

Thinking about that day, Ran Meiyu[14] felt a burst of anger in the pit of her stomach, moreover her butterfly hairpin was actually pawned off by Ran Yan, after the other noble ladies found out, they laughed mercilessly at her, said that her life was difficult to the extent that she had to pawn off ornaments to live, today was a good opportunity, if she could not turn the tables, she was not Ran Meiyu!

“Oh it’s Seventeenth Miss! Fourth Master Qin and you really have fate, just entering marriage talks, now the both of you have met each other.”

Fourth Master Qin was a frivolous rich boy[15], visiting prostitutes all day long, the whole city knew, for a woman, he definitely was not a good prospect[16].

Once Ran Meiyu said these words, Qin Musheng and Ran Yan’s minds went blank at the same time and could not help but look at each other.

[1]锄禾日当午: full verse锄禾日当午，汗滴禾下土，谁知盘中餐，粒粒皆辛苦 – referring to the hardship of farmers, and how precious each grain of rice is. By Song Dynasty poet Lee Shen.

[2]<美人序>: 美人=Beauty, 序= preface/ranking

[3] 双丫髻:

[4] 拱手: cup one’s fist with the other hand – indication of respect

[5] 说如其人: similar to 文如其人which means the writing style mirrors the writer (idiom). except here its not referring to writing but spoken words.

[6] 兄: elder brother (also used to address older males you are close to)

[7] 丹凤眼: eyes where the outer corners incline upwards

[8] 酸腐: mocking someone’s thoughts, speech, actions as antiquated and not keeping up with times.

[9] 美男: beautiful men (like bishounen I guess?)

[10]徒生了一副皮囊: I have no idea what this means.

[11]掷地有声: lit. if thrown on the floor, it will make a sound (idiom) / fig. (of one’s words) powerful and resonating / to have substance

[12]冤家路窄: lit. enemies on a narrow road (idiom); fig. an inevitable clash between opposing factions

[13] I realised this sounds a bit ambiguous, Ran Yan isn’t asking a rhetorical question like ‘how are we even related’ but she’s genuinely asking ‘who is this person in relation to me?’

[14] 美玉: beautiful jade

[15] 纨绔子弟: hedonistic son of rich parents

[16] 归宿: lit. place to return to; home