Accompanying Lin Wan on shopping trips, watching films, visiting the amusement park and Haicheng’s Republic-era film city, Lin Wan finally had to return to work.
…
“Lu-lang, hurry up! We’re all waiting for you!”
Old Huang had already pulled the carriage to the Liu family gate. The two little girls had clambered aboard and were rummaging through the snacks, while the other women waited below for Lu Zheng.
“Coming, coming!”
Lu Zheng waved, lifted the hem of his long robe, and descended the steps to the carriage.
Today happened to be a day off every ten days. Fortunately Lin Wan had gone back to work, otherwise arranging the time would have been tricky.
“Let’s go, let’s go! I can’t wait any longer!” Yan Hongxia urged.
Ao Qi’s face was also full of anticipation, because today the women were going to perform *The Butterfly Lovers* for them.
Over the past few days, apart from sparring with Lu Zheng and strolling around town with the others, they had read the illustrated *Butterfly Lovers* booklet copied by Liu Qingyan and heard Lu Zheng play the melody. It was truly moving.
So they were looking forward to today’s performance.
Everyone boarded the carriage. Old Huang cracked his whip with a “Giddyup!”, and the carriage rolled towards Peach Blossom Plain in the south of the city.
Inside, even with eight people including the two little girls, the carriage felt spacious. When Lu Zheng had it built, he had a camper van in mind, so there was plenty of room and no one felt cramped.
…
Munching snacks and chatting, they soon reached Peach Blossom Plain. When they arrived at Peach Blossom Manor, they discovered that not only had Hua Yixing and the others already arrived, but Lady Li Hanyu and her daughter from the Lushui River God’s mansion were there too.
Shen Ying could now move freely, and she had personally invited the Li mother and daughter; they were seasoned mahjong players.
Before Lu Zheng could even greet them, Lady Li led her daughter in a respectful curtsey to Ao Qi.
“We pay our respects to Your Highness Ao Qi!”
“We pay our respects to Your Highness Ao Qian!”
“Whoa?!”
“Please rise, no need for such formality. You both hold office in the Great Jing dynasty now,” Ao Qi said, stepping forward to help them up.
Li Hanyu explained to everyone, “My father once served on official business in the Azure Dragon clan’s territory before later joining the Great Jing court as the Lushui River God. When we were ordered to leave the Eastern Sea a hundred years ago, I had not yet been born.”
Lady Li added, “I remember when my husband and I took our leave, we paid a farewell visit to the Azure Dragon palace and met Your Highness Ao Qi there.”
Ao Qi nodded. “I do have some recollection.”
Everyone exchanged glances, surprised to learn the Lushui River God originally came from the Azure Dragon clan. Were the Great Jing dynasty and the Eastern Sea dragons really on such good terms?
On second thought, it made sense.
The Great Jing dynasty was primarily human and lived on land, whereas the demons of the Eastern Sea were mostly aquatic creatures. Even when they took human form, their lairs remained underwater.
With no conflicting interests, cooperation was natural, especially when it clearly benefited both sides.
Of course, the Eastern Sea cooperated with the Central Plains dynasties as a whole, not any single regime. When dynasties changed, the dragons stayed out of it.
…
After everyone had greeted one another, they walked arm-in-arm into the manor. Lu Zheng trailed behind, looking left and right, then suddenly realised someone was missing.
“Huh? Brother Zhu didn’t come?” Lu Zheng asked.
Li Hanyu gave a helpless sigh and said wistfully, “My husband declared that until this year’s examinations are over, he will not leave the house. Even cultivation is on hold. Everything waits until the provincial exams are finished.”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Liu Qingyan barely managed not to laugh. “Brother Zhu is taking this far too seriously, isn’t he?”
Lu Zheng kept quiet at the side, because the reason Zhu Yushan had missed last year’s exams seemed to have something to do with him.
Li Hanyu sighed again. “Never mind, let him be. It’s only a few months anyway.”
What could Liu Qingyan say? She could only nod repeatedly. “He’ll definitely pass this year!”
Li Hanyu smiled gratefully. “Yes, yes!”
The two women looked at each other and, for some reason, both felt a twinge of guilt.
Li Hanyu, “Haha…”
Liu Qingyan, “Hehe…”
Everyone else, “…”
Ao Qi, puzzled, asked, “Hanyu is already married? What’s wrong with her husband?”
To spare the Li mother and daughter further embarrassment, Shen Ying quickly stepped in to change the subject and quietly explained everything to Ao Qi on the side.
“Hiss—”
Yan Hongxia, having overheard the whole story, couldn’t help exclaiming, “That’s just too unlucky!”
Everyone, “…”
The Li mother and daughter grew even more embarrassed.
“Ahem!”
Ao Qi tugged Yan Hongxia aside and swiftly changed the topic. “Have you all read the *Butterfly Lovers* that Brother Lu wrote?”
Li Hanyu nodded eagerly. “We have. Ying-mei brought a copy to the River God mansion a few days ago. Mother and I both read it. The story is wonderful!”
Lady Li nodded too. “My husband and I sometimes come ashore to wander the city. Even the opera houses in Yizhou Prefecture have nothing as fine as this.”
Li Hanyu smiled. “Who would have thought Qingyan and the others even rehearsed a full performance? Today we must enjoy it properly.”
Lady Li agreed. “Exactly, exactly!”
…
With Peach Blossom Manor as the link, people who had never met before now became acquainted. Wang Xiaowan, who had come with Lu Zheng, effectively joined the circle too. Lu Zheng’s circle of human friends had gained another member.
Only…
With Zhu Yushan absent, Lu Zheng looked around and suddenly realised every single person present was female.
This made him wonder whether he should summon Hou Ping, who was currently helping at the Peach Blossom Shrine. Otherwise, surrounded by so many beautiful women, he felt like some emperor with a vast harem.
On second thought, he decided against it. Hou Ping had no interest in opera, and even if he came, with that obedient eunuch-like demeanour standing beside him, it would probably only make Lu Zheng look even more like an emperor.
Thus, with Lu Zheng as the centre, all the women who were not performing sat in a row, an array of dried fruits, nuts, sweets, and drinks laid out before them.
Opposite them stood the stage beneath the old peach tree.
At that moment, peach-blossom miasma enveloped the stage. Mist swirled for a while before gradually dispersing, revealing an illusion of a manor’s interior.
Shen Ying as Master Zhu and Liu Qingyan as Zhu Yingtai appeared first.
The indoor setting was exquisitely lifelike, the acting vivid and natural. Clearly, after days of refinement, the women had polished the play even further.
…
As the *Butterfly Lovers* “Transformation” movement rang out across the courtyard, the stage turned into the sky. Two pink butterflies danced and chased each other higher and higher until they vanished from sight, bringing the performance to a close.
Clap, clap, clap! Applause erupted.
*The Butterfly Lovers* was a classic that had endured a thousand years in the Hua nation; in the Great Jing dynasty it naturally shone just as brightly.
Though for now it circulated only in this small circle, everyone present appreciated fine art and would not let it go uncelebrated.
“What a magnificent ‘Transformation into Butterflies’, what a splendid *Butterfly Lovers*!” Ao Qi applauded enthusiastically.
“It was performed so beautifully!” Yan Hongxia’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice choked.
The Li mother and daughter were deeply moved too, and like everyone who finishes *Butterfly Lovers*, they launched into the customary post-performance discussion.
“Why didn’t any immortals intervene?”
”
“Is turning into butterflies an immortal technique?”
“What happened to them afterwards!?”
…
It was still only noon after the play. They took lunch at Peach Blossom Manor, then everyone enjoyed the afternoon freely.
The Li mother and daughter settled at the mahjong table. Ao Qian and Liu Qingquan dragged several peach-flower celestial maidens into a game of Chinese checkers. Some played musical instruments, some practised calligraphy and painting, and Yan Hongxia resumed her carving hobby.
Others went flower-viewing and hiking, drank wine and chatted, tried embroidery, discussed opera, and so on.
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan were sitting transparently beneath a peach tree when Ao Qi came looking for him.
Ao Qi still harboured some resentment about never managing to best Lu Zheng in their sparring matches. As a proud daughter of the Azure Dragon clan, she was determined to defeat him at something.
“I hear Brother Lu’s chess skills are superb,” Ao Qi said with a confident smile. “How about a game?”
