Chapter 95: 【Crossing the River】(Part 2)

Several people were preparing to go upstream, but then they heard the old man say: "Unfortunately, at the end of last month there were continuous heavy rains, a mountain flood burst out, washing away the bridge; if you really want to cross the river, you have to go downstream along Tongji He for seventy li, where there is still a Yongji Bridge."

Hu Xiaotian's smile froze on his face upon hearing this. "Are you kidding? Is this old man just playing with me? The bridge is broken and he's still talking nonsense—there's a bridge downstream, but you have to go seventy li; that would waste an extra day."

Murong Feiyan smiled and said, "Old sir, can you ferry us across the river? The price can be negotiated."

The fisherman shook his head: "I make a living by fishing; I don't make a living by ferrying people."

Liang Da Zhuang said, "Old sir, do you know who our young master is——" Before he could finish, Hu Xiaotian stopped him with a sharp glance.

The fisherman chuckled, "What difference does it make who you are? Whether emperor or common soldier, in my eyes you're all just passersby. We met today; perhaps we'll never see each other again in this life. I'd rather save my strength to enjoy my limited time—why meddle in your affairs?"

Hu Xiaotian, hearing the fisherman's refined speech, guessed he wasn't an ordinary rustic villager, and smiled, "Old sir, what would it take for you to make an exception and ferry us across just once?"

The fisherman stroked his beard, smiled at Hu Xiaotian, and said, "You dress like a scholar; I wonder how much ink you have in your belly."

Hu Xiaotian asked, "Old sir, are you going to test me?" His address shifted from "old man" to "old sir," and inwardly he became more cautious and respectful, sensing that this fisherman was no ordinary person and that his appearance here might not be coincidental.

The fisherman said, "There are plenty of charlatans in this world. I have an upper couplet; if you can match it, I'll ferry you across right away."

Hu Xiaotian readily replied, "Old sir, please give the upper couplet." Couplets were his forte; in his previous life he had studied many famous ancient and modern couplets, which later earned him astonishment at the poetry gathering in Mist-Water Pavilion.

The fisherman said, "At the southern bridge head, two ferries shuttle like weaving, threading brocade across the river!" After speaking, he lightly twisted his beard, his smile full of satisfaction; this upper couplet had once stumped many literati, and using it to test Hu Xiaotian today showed some preparation. The old fisherman didn't know that Hu Xiaotian had studied countless ancient and modern couplets; hearing the upper line, this fellow already had it firmly in mind.

Hu Xiaotian lifted his gaze to the high tower on the western bank, smiled, and replied, "Daring to respond, junior: the lone tower at the western bank's end is like a brush, straightly writing heavenly texts!"

After hearing Hu Xiaotian's lower couplet, the old fisherman exclaimed three times "good!" His upper couplet brimmed with immense ambition, Hu Xiaotian's lower counterpart was grand in scope, matching perfectly in structure and ingenuity—this young man truly is a great talent!

Although Liang Da Zhuang didn't understand couplets, hearing the old fisherman's repeated praise told him the young master had won, and he clapped happily. Murong Feiyan had already witnessed Hu Xiaotian's couplet skill more than once, yet hearing him finish this pair stirred in her a pride of shared honor—likely due to their aligned positions; now she and Hu Xiaotian unquestionably stood on the same side.

The fisherman invited the three aboard; after Liang Da Zhuang stepped on, the boat visibly sank lower, and he trembled with fear, saying, "This boat is too small—I doubt it can bear the weight of all of us."

The fisherman scoffed, "Though my boat is small, it can carry the sun, moon, and stars; surely I can bear a mere servant?"

Liang Da Zhuang felt slighted and wanted to retort a few words, but seeing Hu Xiaotian treat the old fisherman with considerable respect, he dared not speak rashly.

The small boat drifted slowly along Tongji He; the fisherman, being elderly, moved slowly, so Hu Xiaotian voluntarily stood up to help row. Though he had previously touched the paraphernalia of park pleasure boats, he had never sculled a boat in a rapid river. After the fisherman handed him the oar, despite his great effort, the boat merely spun in the water, not only failing to advance but drifting backward considerably.

The fisherman took back the oar with a squinting smile: "You think I'm old and weak, that I row too slowly, but when I take the oar, the boat at least moves forward—whereas in your hands it's all haste and no progress."

Hu Xiaotian caught the implied meaning and laughed, "I'm not complaining that you row too slowly; I just don't want you to tire yourself, so I'm helping share the work."

The fisherman said, "Rowing is like life: you must distinguish between following and opposing the current, and be clear about your destination; only by mastering these two points can you proceed smoothly."

Hu Xiaotian fell silent, gazing at the turbid river in thought; the fisherman's words were simple and unadorned, yet they contained a profound truth.

Murong Feiyan also realized this old fisherman was no ordinary villager; his insights and learning were extraordinary. She softly asked, "Old sir, did a mountain flood just break out here?"

The fisherman nodded, "It happens several times every year; this year isn't too severe. Only the two-hundred-year-old Qingyun Bridge was washed away by the flood. In the past, anyone coming to Qingyun County would walk onto the bridge for luck, seeking a favorable omen—called 'steady ascent to the blue clouds'—but now you have no chance."

Liang Da Zhuang said, "We aren't leaving anytime soon; that bridge will eventually be repaired, so our young master is destined to walk onto Qingyun Bridge."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but glare at him again—talking too much, still talking too much!

The fisherman laughed, "If there's a chance, of course one should walk it; aside from this bridge, Qingyun County really has nothing worth mentioning."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Old sir, I've heard that Qingyun County is the poorest place in Xichuan; is that rumor true?"

"Qingyun County lies at the westernmost edge of Xichuan, surrounded by great mountains, making transportation inconvenient. Moreover, the surrounding mountains host mixed ethnic groups, with many bandits who often descend to loot, disturbing the people's livelihood; poverty is therefore inevitable. Yet poverty isn't necessarily bad—as the saying goes, 'When poor, one changes; when changed, one flows.' Nothing in this world should be judged by appearance alone."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; the fisherman's words were full of plain dialectical materialist reasoning.

The fisherman said, "Young master, your appearance is dignified, your bearing graceful, your learning outstanding—may I ask whether you've come to Qingyun to visit relatives and friends, or for travel and adventure?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and shook his head, "Neither; I'm merely a passerby!" That word was just spoken by the old fisherman.

Upon hearing this, the old fisherman burst out laughing, "A passerby, heh, not bad—who in this world isn't a passerby?" Without realizing it, the small boat had drifted to the opposite bank; Hu Xiaotian leapt ashore first, seized the mooring rope, and helped Murong Feiyan and then Liang Da Zhuang disembark in turn. He then had Murong Feiyan produce five taels of silver to express gratitude.

The old fisherman didn't even lift his eyelids; he snatched a bamboo pole from the boat, pushed off from the shore, and the skiff instantly swung toward the river's center. In the blink of an eye, his gaunt figure grew hazy on the misty, vast waters, drifting downstream with the current. His voice floated on the wind: "The lone tower at the western bank's end is like a brush, straightly writing heavenly texts. I, old man, would like to see how your single brush can write heavenly texts..."

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