Chapter 113: A Familiar World (Part Nine)
Translator: Etern, Kim_Guo
Huang Xuan still stayed in Wang Yun’s residence, even he himself couldn’t explain why he hadn’t sought a place in inner-city, maybe because he thought it was troublesome to find a hotel or maybe because there was something he wanted there.
Having drunk some wine, Huang Xuan lay on the bed, sleepy. It was getting dark, but he still couldn’t fall asleep. He lifted the cover and said quietly to Rolin, “Rolin, what kind of person am I?”
“I am not a good judge of personality.”
Huang Xuan sneered, “You have learnt so many words so far. I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do. Just tell me. I promise I won’t be angry.” It seemed that he knew Rolin’s opinion of him wouldn’t be high.
Hearing that, Rolin replied simply, “A profligate son of a wealthy family.”
Huang Xuan sat there numbly, holding the cover. Although he had anticipated that Rolin might say these words, he felt uncomfortable. He tried to act normal and said, “I am not as good as Wei Mujian at studying, but I am much better than Liu Penggang and Monkey, especially at foreign languages. I can even speak three foreign languages.” Huang Xuan couldn’t go on. He hadn’t spent any time learning foreign languages ever since he had left Brazil. His admiration for Galatea had been decreasing. So had his drive force to study hard.
“So, I don’t even have one single merit?” Huang Xuan was a little embarrassed. Except for Rolin, he didn’t have anyone to talk to.
After a short moment, Rolin said slowly, “Everybody has merits. You too. For example, you are a filial grandson; in spite of the danger, you are willing to travel to another plane for your grandfather. You are reliable; you don’t loot when you leave like other travelers. You are discreet and step up when needed. You always protect your brothers and sisters who are weak and never withdraw in face of your cousins.”
“OK. That’s enough.” By now, Huang Xuan realised that he had made a big mistake to ask Rolin of his opinion of him: he was totally reciting a scrip that he had prepared. He said to himself that he had looted because the profit was too little, it wasn’t worth it; he had never withdrawn because he hadn’t been able to; he protected his brothers and sisters because the third branch and the fourth branch of the family were together. Huang Xuan became upset. He got out of bed and walked outside.
Huang Xuan had done much better than most of teenagers, even though not the best. Not all the children from officials’ families could talk fluently with Edsel and Slone. Not everybody could get on with Rolin as well as he did. Rolin had chosen Huang Xuan partly because of his adaptability. Rolin couldn’t understand why Rolin had asked such a question.
Huang Xuan wandered on the grass with a confused and blank mind. Although he had experienced so much, he was rebellious, lacked self-confidence and didn’t know the world well, just like all the other teenagers. Sadness and regrets sometimes came from nowhere when he was thinking. Diao Chan’s appearance had enlarged these feelings.
Huang Xuan had come to the Peony Pavilion before he knew it. He stroked the rough skin of the trees beside the pavilion and sighed. “Is it Mr. Huang?” a soft voice asked inside, which happened to be the one that had kept Huang Xuan awake all night. Huang Xuan stopped and asked, looking at the water in the pond, “How did you know it was me?” Then he added, “Call me Huang Xuan. I am not used to being called Mr. Huang.”
“Yes,” Diao Chan replied with a smile. “Normally, only Lord Situ, the mistress, and I come to this pavilion. From what I know, only you and your servant dare to go against the rule.”
“How could you tell it was me, not my servant?” Huang Xuan was in a better mood.
“You are lighter.”
Diao Chan’s smile softened Huang Xuan’s heart. Realising that she meant Dian Wei was too heavy, he couldn’t help laughing, which totally changed his mood. He raised his head and saw Diao Chan sitting in the pavilion with flowers and trees around, the trims of her clothes flapping in the breeze, just like ripples in a lake, so gentle and beautiful. Huang Xuan looked at himself: the gown he was wearing didn’t fit, just like his not settling in the time; he was neither strong nor well-read. He asked awkwardly, “Miss Diao Chan, did you enjoy the ode?”
“It is the best I have ever heard.” Diao Chan bowed slightly. Huang Xuan smiled bitterly and said in a low voice, “It is the best I’ve ever heard too.”
“Because it is the only ode that I can memorise,” he thought.
Frogs croaking, Diao Chan speaking softly, Huang Xuan felt tranquil. He took a deep breath, and finally found courage and said, “I didn’t write it.”
Diao Chan said with a smile, “I know, but it is admirable for you to know such a great poet.”
“I don’t know the writer either. I just know the poem. I bet right now you look down on me.”
“Of course not.” Although Diao Chan’s countenance couldn’t be seen in the darkness, her voice always sounded smiley. “For me, it is pleasant enough to hear such an ode. In addition, you are so brave and strong, which would benefit the nation and the people more than writers.”
Although Huang Xuan knew that he himself was not strong, he was cheered up. He sat on the steps, back to Diao Chan, and said, “I am the same age as you, but you are much mature than me.”
Diao Chan moved slowly toward Huang Xuan and put a copper plate beside him and said, “We made this wine ourselves. Please have a taste. I was raised by Madam. She is very kind to me, but I am not her biological daughter after all, so I have to be careful with everything.”
Huang Xuan smiled apologetically. Thinking that since it was dark Diao Chan wouldn’t be able to see him clearly, Huang Xuan looked at the wine cup and said, “I’d like to chant a poem called Please Have a Drink, the writer of which was a great poet.” Diao Chan nodded delightedly and said, “OK.” Huang Xuan started chanting, holding the cup, “Don’t you see that the water of the Yellow River comes down from the sky, runs to the sea and never returns?…I’d love to sing for you and hope you can listen carefully.”
He chanted three times in a row. Diao Chan was unaccustomed to this kind of poem at first, but started to echo later. She learnt so fast that when it came to the third time, she remembered the words exactly. She loved the line “It is like hair in the morning and snow in the evening.” the most. She could even chant with a little trill.
Huang Xuan understood that she felt sorry for herself. With an impulse to protect her, he said, “I was unhappy today, but now I am in a good mood after talking with you.” These words had been said in a modern way, which Diao Chan couldn’t understand without Rolin’s interpretation. She smiled politely. Huang Xuan stood up and continued, “I might have chanted in a wrong way. I am a playboy after all.”
Diao Chan still couldn’t understand much and thought Huang Xuan might have been speaking a dialect, but she caught the word “playboy”. She smiled and said, “Why do you look down on yourself so much? I don’t know what’s bothering you, but I heard what you said this noon and I think you are a hero like Jing Ke and Li Guang who can fight back thousands of men.”
She sounded lovely. Huang Xuan stretched his legs and drank some wine to get warm. “My courage comes from strength that doesn’t belong to me. Do you still think I am a hero?”
Diao Chan smiled and said, “Liu Bang came from a low class. He was neither a man of as much resource as Zhang Liang nor such a good army leader as Han Xin. He was not as capable as Xiao He either. Yet, he was respected by all the ministers. Why? Firstly, because he could use people regardless of their class; secondly, he could lower his head before superiors. I think he succeeded because he did whatever he wanted to and examined his conducts. Although you are young, you have already met with Lord Stu and scholars and there is already some brave man willing to serve you. If you can’t be confident, who else can?”
Huang Xuan was thrilled to hear this and thought that maybe he was not strong enough to knock somebody out, but he had people skills, which was a gift. He had just arrived in three kingdoms and was already talking about killing Dong Zhuo with Lv Bu and Wang Yun. Wasn’t it something? If it had been other travelers like Gay, they would have killed Dong Zhuo, maybe Wang Yun and Dong Zhuo too, which would have cost enormous energy.
A cloud shaded the moon. Huang Xuan took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air of the time. He threw the wine cup in the pond and said, smiling, “I love listening to you. Now I am going to sleep.” Diao Chan bowed. Huang Xuan put the kettle and the cups on the plate as he looked at Diao Chan’s figure. “Actually, I also know a little about capital operation, management and human resource,” he said.
Huang Xuan left, laughing, while the beauty watched him, blinking her eyes in confusion.
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