Chapter 4: 4

The story goes that Zhou Chun and his student entered Gourmand Loft to eat when they suddenly saw something hanging at the counter that caught their eye. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the red lacquered gourd wine bottle that was next to the drunken Daoist they found at the foot of Mount Emei. They looked around, but there was no sign of the Daoist anywhere. At first they thought there were lots of the same kind of object in the world and so it was probably just a coincidence, and they sat down and ordered food and drink and started eating. But the more Zhou Chun thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He called a waiter over. “That red gourd on the counter would be good for holding wine. Where’d you buy it?”

The waited said, “If you sirs mean that gourd, it’s not ours. Five days ago a poor Daoist man came in, dressed in really shabby clothes. He was shouldering that gourd. Though he’s poor, he has a huge capacity for wine. Every day he’d come here and drink at least ten catties, and he wouldn’t stop until he was drunk. Once drunk he would sleep, then drink some more when he woke up. At first we thought he was going to eat and run on account of his poor appearance. But once he finished drinking, he wasn’t short a single copper, and before he left he would take a big gourd’s worth of wine with him. Every day we’d sell him at least fifty or sixty catties of our best wine. He actually became one of our best customers. He slept when he was drunk, and aside from ordering more wine he didn’t talk much. He had good drinking manners, so he respected him.

“This morning he drank here and had his big gourd of wine as usual. Two or three double-hours after he left, he came back holding a layman’s padded robe and drank close to another double-hour longer. This time before he left he said he didn’t have any money on him and wanted to put the gourd up as security, and he said that in less than two double-hours someone would come by and pay for him. Because he had already drank here for five or six days and bought two to three hundred catties of wine, more than we normally sell in a month, we didn’t dare slight him and offered to put it on his tab and not take anything as security but he firmly refused. He said he had never taken anything for free from anyone all his life and that he had just accidentally forgotten to bring money, and that when someone comes by to deliver the money, the gourd would be the sign. We couldn’t force him, so we did as he said this time. Sir, even though you like this gourd, this shop can’t sell it. We don’t know where one could be purchased.”

Zhou Chun thought as he listened, then said to the waiter, “Whatever that Daoist owed you, just put it together with our bill, how’s that?” The waiter thought Zhou Chun was after the gourd and wanted to find a way to take it with him.

“That Daoist is our best customer. He won’t short us, don’t worry about it, sir.”

Yan’er was about to say something, but Zhou Chun shot him a look. He knew what the waiter was thinking. “You don’t need to be suspicious. That Daoist is our friend, I ought to treat him to a drink. You all keep the gourd and don’t give it to anyone else except its owner.”

The waiter now knew he had misunderstood Zhou Chun. He had originally thought it unlike the poor Daoist’s tab would ever be paid, because they were kind of obligated to let him buy on credit given how much business he had done with them. He was also afraid to let anyone else take the gourd lest the Daoist come back and claim he had been cheated, so he wasn’t willing to accept any payment. But now that Zhou Chun was being so generous, he was naturally willing. He added it to their bill and it came to a total of two taels, one copper, and five bits.

Zhou Chun paid the bill and tipped them some drinking money and he and Yan’er left. Yan’er was just about to ask about who the Daoist was when Zhou Chun told him not to mention it, and they hurried on. They soon reached Yan’er’s front door. Yan’er’s mother, Madame Zhao, watched them approach from the threshold. Yan’er saw his mom and left Zhou Chun and pounced in her arms. Zhou Chun couldn’t help but nod to himself at the sight of it.

Mother Zhao held onto Yan’er and bade Zhou Chun come inside. Though it was only a three-room rammed-earth house, it was clean and tidy. There was a loom stationed before the hall entrance and there was a length of cloth stretched out on it. Laying across it was a Huzhou silk cotton-padded robe and a large bundle of something that looked to contain silver.

Yan’er said, “Teacher, look, isn’t that the padded robe you lent to that poor Daoist? How did it end up at my house?”

Mother Zhao said, “A Daoist just dropped by saying he had met Mr. Zhou and Yan’er on the road, that they were carrying a lot of silver and said it was a burden and asked him to help carry it over here. I know Mr. Zhou has extraordinary martial arts and that Yan’er pretty strong himself,, so how could carrying this be such a burden? I didn’t want to take it. Then the Daoist showed me the padded robe as proof. I made this robe with my own hands, I could vaguely recognize the stitches. I reluctantly accepted it, but I was still suspicious. The Daoist said you would be along shortly, so I should wait at the door for you. Sure enough, not long after, you showed up.”

Zhou Chun opened the bag of silver and saw about three hundred taels in there, along with a strip of paper that read: “From Drunk Daoist to a virtuous woman and her filial son.” It was written in a flowing style. Zhou Chun said to Yan’er, “Well? I said there were many extraordinary people among heaven and earth. See how quick our pace was, yet this Daoist made it back and forth two hundred miles in such a short time like it was child’s play. His martial arts must be more than ten times greater than ours. Good thing we didn’t slight him at Mount Emei.”

Mother Zhao was anxious to know what happened. Zhou Chun told her how they had met the Daoist at Mount Emei and what happened at the eating house. He also told her why he had brought Yan’er home. He persuaded Mother Zhao to keep the silver, that it had not been a mishap. Mother Zhao said, “Though I only flesh and blood I have is Yan’er, if I had not met you, sir, then we would have frozen and starved to death long ago. Besides, even though he’s a bit smart, it would be hopeless had he not met a great teacher. Sir, you are talented in both letters and martial arts, it would be wonderful if you took him with you to get some experience.”

Zhou Chun thanked Mother Zhao. That evening, he went to see Ma Xiang and they had much to talk about. The next day, he rose and headed for Chengdu, making a point to stop at the eating house to look for Drunk Daoist, ready to make friends with remarkable man of the world, but the Daoist and his gourd were both gone. He found the waiter from the day before and asked him about it.

The waiter said, “Yesterday the Daoist came back. He seemed in a hurry, he just came in and grabbed his darling gourd and left. We told him you paid his bill and he said he already knew that and to tell you that he would see you in Chengdu. Then he left. By the time I ran outside there was no trace of him.” Zhou Chun knew Drunk Daoist was gone and there was no chance of locating him. He was really unhappy about that. There was nothing else he could do but set out on the road with Yan’er in tow, heading straight for Chengdu.

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They walked for several days until they suddenly came upon a place called the Crossroads. The southwest fork was the main road to Chengdu. The road heading due west also went through Chengdu and was about two hundred miles shorter than taking the main road, but you had to traverse many mountain ridges and it was hard going. Because he had heard there were many marvelous sights in the mountains, and because he was anxious to get to Chengdu, Zhou Chun took Yan’er and they headed down this smaller road.

Half a day later they reached the mountain trail. This mountain was called Mount Cloud Spirit, and there were many marvelous sights, such as towering ancient trees, and tall, grotesquely shaped rocks. They were a bit thirsty and kept an eye out for some spring water to drink. There just so happened to be a small stream on the side of the road that flowed with clean innerspring, and there were many fish swimming around in it. He went down with Yan’er and scooped some water up in the wood gourd-ladle they were carrying and drank some of the innerspring, drinking until they’d had their fill.

The sun had begun to set and they were afraid of missing their chance to get lodging for the night, so they quickened their pace. As the were walking, they suddenly heard the cry of a crane. Zhou Chun said, “The other day when on Mount Emei I twice heard the cry of a crane. Today makes three times.” He looked up but the sky was clear and cloudless, not a trace of anything.

Yan’er suddenly exclaimed, “Teacher, over here.”

Zhou Chun promptly looked and saw a huge crane standing on a large boulder off to the side of the road. Its head was crowned bright red and its whole body was white without a trace of any other colored hairs. It had golden eyes and an iron beak, and its taloned feet were like bronze hooks. It was eight or nine spans tall and it was preening itself.

Zhou Chun said, “A crane that big is really a rare sight.”

Suddenly he saw a green snake spring up from beside the boulder. It was seven or eight spans long. The crane spotted the snake and quickly pecked at it. But the snake was swift and had scurried into a hole in the rock and was gone by the time the crane’s beak reached where it had been. Where the iron beak hit the stone smashed and chips were flung out amidst a flash of sparks. The crane suddenly came to life and and extended its leg and beak at the same time, clawing and pecking, smashing the stone in a circumference of six or seven spans. With no longer any place to hide, the snake was about to scurry away and had just stuck its head out when it was snatched up in the crane’s beak.

The snake coiled its seven or eight span body around the legs of the crane and squeezed them tight, not letting go. The crane was not panicked. First it snipped off the snake’s head with its beak, then used its long beak to casually cut the snake’s body into seventy or eighty pieces. Then it devoured the snake in just a few bites. It ruffled its feathers and let out a long cry, looked up and flew away, and in a twinkling it was already soaring into the clouds.

In the hazy dusk of twilight, gloaming mist encroached on them from all sides. Zhou Chun urged Yan’er to hurry along their way. Three miles or so later it was getting dark out. Luckily, they came upon a house on the side of the road and they knocked on the door to ask if they could put up for the night. They knocked a long time until they finally heard someone from inside answer, “Where did you all come from?”

Zhou Chun explained. The person said, “I’m on my deathbed, it’s very dangerous here. If you sirs need a place to stay, there’s a thatched hut five or so miles to the southwest. Grandmaster White Cloud lives there, you can ask her to let you put up for the night. If she says yes, you might be able to avoid danger.” That was the last sound they heard from inside. They knocked some more, but there was no response.

Zhou Chun was naturally curious and told Yan’er to wait outside. “If I don’t come out, don’t just rush in.” Then he leapt over the wall.

The bright moon was high, illuminating the courtyard clear as day. Zhou Chun watched carefully, but only saw a person laying on a rattan bed. Zhou Chun entered and the person said, “Why don’t you listen? Get away, quick, don’t get close to me. It will be very bad for you.”

Zhou Chun said, “Among the four seas, all men are brothers. Whatever ails you, whatever danger there is here, why don’t you just tell me? Maybe I can help you. Why must you sit here and wait for death?”

The person said, “You still don’t leave! I’ve been poisoned with elemental poison. If you get within three spans you will get infected. I’ve been fighting for my life here for three days and am famished. If you have some food on you, you could give me a little. That elemental will find us sooner or later, and I don’t need to tell you that your life will be forfeit. If you can hurry and reach Grandmaster White Cloud, she may be able to help me. Just tell her what I told you.” The person was so weak as they spoke, on the verge of death. There were seven reddish moles on their arm, bright and distinct. Zhou Chun thought this was not a good place and left some food with them and left. When he called for Yan’er, he was nowhere to be found.

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