Chapter 50: The Shepherd Boy Riding a Water Buffalo
This story wasn’t long.
Of course, it left out Virtuous Duke Wang, and his being entrusted by Virtuous Duke Wang to find Lady Calico. He only mentioned that he saw a cat temple there. In the temple was a little Cat God with whom he spent the night conversing. He learned that the Cat God tirelessly and conscientiously caught mice for people. Later, when he went down the mountain and asked around, he found out it was true.
Perhaps because it skipped the interaction with Virtuous Duke Wang and the little Cat God’s trouble, or maybe because Song You wasn’t particularly skilled at storytelling, making it less amazing and interesting, the children didn’t react as strongly as before while listening. Some even found it hard to believe.
However, a few found the idea of a talking cat adorable.
Fortunately, Song You managed to get through it. The sky gradually got darker and calls could be heard in succession from the nearby streets and alleys. The children, upon hearing them, immediately took to their heels and ran back like a flock of sparrows. Song You also headed toward Chen Han's house with Lady Calico and the woman.
Early spring still held a chill, and the evening breeze blew gently.
“Your story wasn’t bad.”
“Your story was very interesting too.”
“I think so too,” the woman said without any pretense. “I think it was a wonderful event, different from other times when I encountered ghosts traveling at night. I might remember it until the day I die.”
“You’ve had a rich life.”
“Come on.” The woman glanced at Song You indifferently. “Although your story seemed like something to amuse children, I could tell it’s true.”
“How could you tell?”
“From your expression and tone.”
“What do you mean?”
“You really enjoyed that day’s encounter.”
“I see.”
“Are you going to Anqing tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“I think you’re a good person. Traveling such a long way to deliver a letter, and even bringing a cat, you can’t be a bad person. I originally thought to invite you to travel with me tomorrow morning since the road is filled with mountain bandits. You’ve been lucky so far, but tomorrow not every one might let you go. I could protect you for the journey.” The woman paused before continuing, “But you refused my invitation to go out together for a stroll this afternoon, so I feel it's inappropriate to invite you again.”
“You misunderstood...”
“No need to explain! Since you speak to me of fate, let’s leave it this way. Tomorrow morning, we’ll wake up naturally and leave naturally. If we happen to meet, it means we’re fated to travel together to Anqing. If not, so be it...”
The woman said as she looked at Song You. “What do you think?”
Song You thought for a moment, then smiled and said. “Good!”
“What do you mean?”
“Alright!”
They had already stepped into the courtyard.
Chen Han hurried out to greet them.
He had thought they could have beef for dinner. Here, beef and pork were about the same price, making it a sort of local specialty. Song You was actually craving it somewhat. However, Chen Han, being a businessman who had seen a lot, knew that Daoist priests didn’t eat beef. So he thoughtfully bought pork and lamb and prepared a table full of food.
Meat was still meat, so Song You still enjoyed his meal.
That night, he slept in the room on the left side of the courtyard.
The bedding and everything else was clean and tidy.
Lady Calico walked to the bedside, obediently letting Song You lift the corner of the lower hem of his Daoist robe to wipe the bottom of her paws. She looked up at him at the same time and asked, “Daoist priest, why did you tell them about me?”
“Hmm?” Song You thought for a moment. “It’s because you are noble in character and also very adorable. Children should hear such stories.”
“The children didn’t seem to like such stories.”
“Your paws have been wiped clean.”
“Oh!” The calico cat jumped onto the bed and continued to stare at him.
“You are too good, so they don’t believe there is such a Cat God. Also, they wanted to hear scary stories, but you just attract people’s affection.” Song You fumbled in the dark to get under the covers. “It had nothing to do with you.”
“Oh...”
Both the man and the cat’s voices were very soft.
They chatted a bit more before gradually falling asleep.
Song You had a vague dream.
In the dream was a Daoist temple with an old female Daoist. Her hair was graying, and her face showed her age. She opened an envelope, took out a letter, and the paper was filled with the fragrance of the ink...
He wondered what she thought and felt when she read the letter.
***
The next morning, they woke naturally.
Chen Han and his wife had prepared breakfast, as well as water and towels for washing up on their behalf.
Song You naturally thanked them respectfully.
After washing up, he went for breakfast and noticed that the heroine’s yellow-maned horse was still in the courtyard, but she was nowhere to be seen. So he asked while he ate. “Is the heroine still asleep?”
“Yes.”
“Have you packed everything, Mr. Chen?”
“Yes.”
“When are you planning to leave?”
“As soon as my second uncle arrives.”
“Would you like to travel with me? At least you can reach the ferry crossing safely.”
“Thank you, Mister.” Chen Han hesitated, then said with some difficulty, “It’s just that Heroine Wu and I have agreed yesterday to wait until she wakes up so that the whole family can travel with her...”
“That’s fine.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Mister...”
“No need for that. If the heroine dared to travel the mountain roads alone, she must be highly skilled.” Song You smiled, “But I regret that I couldn’t repay your hospitality.”
“You flatter me, Mister...”
After finishing his meal and seeing that the woman hadn’t woken up yet, Song You didn’t wait for her as they had agreed. He packed his things, bid farewell to Chen Han and his wife, and took the remaining two hundred wen for delivering the letter before leaving.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard and reached the alley entrance, he encountered a child from the previous day who had listened to his storytelling. He was following an adult family member and they were walking over from the opposite side.
The child glanced secretly at them, hesitated but then mustered the courage to greet him. “Young Mister, are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
“What about the heroine?”
“She’ll be leaving soon too.”
“Take care...”
“Thank you.”
As they passed each other, the cat attracted the child. He squatted down, reaching out to pet the calico cat. He didn’t expect that the calico cat would be very alert, and dart swiftly ahead. Then she stopped and turned back to stare at him.
The child grinned and waved goodbye to the cat. “Take care too, kitty.”
The calico cat tilted her head, pondered for a moment, then mimicking Song You’s tone, said, “Thank you.”
Her voice was light, soft and very pleasant.
The child was stunned.
The adult beside him was also wide-eyed, and startled.
The calico cat, satisfied, briskly took small, quick steps to catch up with Song You and the horse. She stopped once more in the end to glance back at them before running around the corner.
“You...” Song You shook his head, smiling slightly.
Thinking about it carefully, there was some charm to it…
Perhaps after today, he and Lady Calico would also become stories told by others. Years later, even decades later, when these children were old, they might even recount today’s story to a group of mischievous kids who implored them for stories.
***
The journey to Anqing was mostly retracing their original route.
The landscape remained beautiful.
The mountain peaks along both sides of the road were still the kind he had seen by the river. They resembled spring bamboo shoots breaking through the earth or massive stones that had fallen from the sky, covered in verdant and lush vegetation.
Sometimes they lined up on both sides, sometimes the little path wound between them. The view ahead would be blocked, but just after passing a mountain, would be a vast open plain again.
One man, and one horse walked slowly. The little cat leaped around.
The recent sunny weather made it feel like walking through a painting.
Especially in the early morning when there was still mist, the forest of countless peaks was shrouded in it. The green mountains were half-hidden and the white clouds piled up. In between, there was the jingling of a horse bell. One cannot help but wonder if the figures emerging from the mist were indeed immortals.
After walking a little, Song You suddenly stopped.
The horse halted with him too. The calico cat had been trotting briskly ahead, and noticed that the Daoist priest and horse behind had not kept up. Thus she stopped and looked back at them.
“What is it, Daoist priest?”
“I hear the sound of splashing water.”
“What’s the matter with that?”
“Did you hear it?”
“Yes, I’ve heard it a few times.”
“Then I’m not as sharp as you.” Song You had just heard it, and the sound was very faint.
It wasn't the sound of rushing river water, nor the splashing from the varying heights of the banks. Instead, it was a single "plop" sound. Although faint when it reached here, it was discernibly distant. Combined, it more closely resembled the sound of a massive object plunging into the distant river.
Song You stood silently in place, the first image that came to mind was that of a giant whale leaping out of the sea with its black back, snowy-white striped belly, and barnacles growing on its body, forming a graceful figure in the air.
Then it suddenly plunged into the sea, splashing water everywhere.
“What do you think it is?”
“A fish.”
“That’s it.”
“What now?”
“Can you tell where it’s coming from?”
The calico cat was puzzled, but looked left, then replied. “Over there.”
“Alright.”
“Do you want to go fishing?”
“I just want to go and take a look.” Song You gazed toward the left side of the road.
Unfortunately, the forest was dense, mountains blocked the way, and he really didn’t know how to get to the riverbank.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a flute.
Song You pressed his lips together and listened quietly.
He only felt that the sound of the flute was clear and melodious, ethereal and pleasant, drifting over through the mountains and forest ahead. Even though it was just a sound, hearing it seemed to bring the image of empty valleys and secluded forests, carrying dew and the fragrance of grass. His body involuntarily sensed the coolness of an early spring morning, and his ears felt cleansed.
Perhaps this was what poets referred to as “immortal aura.”
After listening for a while, the flute's sound grew nearer and nearer.
Song You paused, then walked slowly forward.
Rounding a bend, he saw a teenage boy dressed in hemp clothes, wearing a conical bamboo hat and a woven rush raincoat. He sat sideways on an old water buffalo’s back, one leg tucked beneath him, the other hanging leisurely. He carried a bamboo basket on his back filled with grass. His bamboo flute, evidently cherished, was even adorned with a red tassel.
It was a shepherd boy, riding his water buffalo through the forest.
The green grass in the forest was lush and the dew had not yet dried, glistening and transparent, much like the shepherd boy on his water buffalo, or the flute's sound, totally untouched by worldly dust.
This was not a scene from the mortal realm, nor were they from this troubled world.
They seemed to have come out of a painting.
Seeing the Daoist, the shepherd boy suddenly stopped playing and stood.
Only then did Song You bow in greeting. “Greetings.”
The shepherd boy hurriedly imitated the greeting, his movements clumsy. “What is it...”
“Don't be nervous, I just came to ask for directions,” Song You paused, “However, I heard your flute's clear and melodious sound from afar. The original purity and simplicity of your music rivals that of great musical experts, and I loved it. May I ask if this tune has a name?”
“I... don't understand…”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“I was just blowing randomly...”
“Does this tune have a name?”
“I don't know, everyone here knows it, but it seems to have no name.”
“What a pity.” Song You shook his head, not because it lacked a name, but because he felt a name would help it be passed down through the ages. Without a name, it might be easier to be lost to history.
Nevertheless, he cupped his hands in praise. “Regardless, you play very well, and no less well than great musical experts.”
“I only know this one tune.”
“I see...” Seeing the shepherd boy's flustered expression, Song You felt he had been inappropriate though he had been polite. He should not have caused anxiety for no reason and disturbed this spiritual atmosphere. So he asked again. “There are mountain bandits here. Aren't you afraid?”
“This area is close to the city, there are no bandits.”
“Even so, be careful.”
“Where are you headed?”
“To Anqing.”
“To get to Anqing, walk ahead. There are many mountain bandits on the way to Anqing...”
“Mountain bandits won't trouble a Daoist like me.” Song You tried to soften his voice, “But I'm not asking for the way to Anqing. I wanted to know if there’s a path to the river nearby?”
“What are you going to do by the river?”
“My hands are dirty and I want to wash them.”
“There is a demon in the river that eats people.”
“I'll stay on the shore.”
“A little further ahead, there’s a path leading down to the river,” the shepherd boy looked worriedly at him, “Be careful, don’t go into the water.”
“Thank you...” Song You cupped his hands in thanks and continued walking forward.
The horse plucked a mouthful of grass from the ground, chewing as it slowly followed. The little cat glanced at the shepherd boy and the water buffalo, looked at the horse as if comparing them, and then followed too.
The shepherd boy couldn’t help but turn around. Standing with his flute, he watched the group, feeling both amazed and baffled.
But that Daoist priest’s hands under his sleeves...
They were clean.
The boy, puzzled, climbed back onto the water buffalo and headed towards the village. However, after a short distance, he hesitated and then turned the water buffalo around to go and see what that Daoist priest was up to.
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