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Thread: A Happy Hero

  1. #561
    Senior Member Wanlie Tong's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eliza bennet View Post
    Thank you Hoju, you are great to translate this much. Please accept my heartfelt appreciation
    I agree with Eliza, you are great. Please accept my appreciation as well.

  2. #562
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Mine too!
    Hoju you rock!!!
    YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Last edited by Guo Xiang ( :; 07-17-08 at 03:06 PM.
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

  3. #563
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    hoju is indeed great!

    u leave in cliffhanger and do **

    great! keep up the good work! he he!
    Last edited by nisachar; 07-17-08 at 10:37 PM.
    Rose blooms best near death
    You are in full bloom, Pal!

  4. #564
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Thank you, everyone.
    Just a note that I went back and edited the title of this chapter.


    Chapter 39 continued.....

    --------------------------------------------------

    As Guo DaLu raised his head to look, his eyes bulged out in astonishment.

    It was not that Mr. Guo was a young chap who had never seen women before, but it truly was extremely rare to see such an exceptionally beautiful woman. How could anyone but such a great beauty be worthy to live in such a place?

    A piece of dried apricot was still in Guo DaLu’s mouth. He had completely forgotten about swallowing it or removing it from his mouth.

    He did not know when, but this young miss had sat down directly across from him now. On her face, which was suitable for both expressions of happiness or anger, there seemed to be a tinge of pink, but it was uncertain whether that was from rouge or embarrassment. A pair of eyes, bright like the waters of autumn, were filled with tenderness as they gazed at him.

    Guo DaLu was starting to feel a little uneasy. He wanted to open his lips to say something but instead, ended up accidentally swallowing that half-eaten dried apricot in his mouth so that it became stuck in his throat. XinXin could not suppress her giggle. A “pfft” escaped, and then, once the mirth started, it would not cease. Clutching her stomach, she fell into hysterical laughter that did not end. The xiaojie frowned at her, as if she was reprimanding her for laughing inappropriately, but she, too, could not stop a smile from spreading onto her own face. Guo DaLu was watching them, and then he also broke out into loud guffaws. The sound of his laughter was louder than anyone else’s. Regardless of how serious or awkward the situation may be, once Guo DaLu started laughing, everything would loosen up.

    The shy, demure xiaojie finally spoke, and her voice was as gentle as her appearance. “This place is not very adequate,” she said softly, “but since Guo Daye [respectful, ‘mister’, ‘sir’, ‘master’] you have come, please do not feel the need to be overly polite and hold yourself back…”

    Guo DaLu interrupted with a chuckle, “Do I look to you like someone who would hold himself back?”

    Her voice was sweet as she replied, “No.”

    Giggling also, XinXin spoke up, “The tea just arrived from Pu’er. Xiaojie had asked someone to bring it back for her. Guo Daye should drink a couple more cups to help you sober up from the wine.”

    “The tea is indeed quite good, but you are mistaken,” Guo DaLu said.

    Surprised, XinXin asked, “How am I mistaken?”

    Guo DaLu: “No matter how good a tea may be, it still cannot sober anyone up.”

    XinXin: “Then what do you need in order to get sober?”

    Guo DaLu: “Wine.”

    XinXin laughed, “Won’t drinking more wine make you even more drunk?”

    Guo DaLu: “You are mistaken again. Only wine can sober you up from the effects of wine. It is called, ‘soul returning wine.’

    XinXin blinked at him. “Really?”

    Guo DaLu: “This method was developed from my many years of personal experience. It definitely cannot be wrong.”

    The xiaojie also broke into a smile. “If that is the case, hurry and pour Guo Daye some wine.”



    The wine came. It was a good wine. Of course, the dishes of food were not bad either.

    Guo DaLu drank merrily to his heart’s content. He really appeared as if he already considered this xiaojie to be an old friend of his and was not the least bit worried about courtesies.

    The young lady seemed to be able to take in a couple of drinks too. The wine tinted her cheeks pink so that her beauty shone even more brilliantly. Guo DaLu’s eyes were fixed unwaveringly on her, and he even appeared to have forgotten to drink his wine. Lowering her head, she said softly, “If Guo Daye you will drink another three cups, I will drink one to accompany you.”

    Three cups of wine disappeared down into Guo DaLu’s stomach in the blink of an eye. “I have a few things I need to tell you,” he spoke unexpectedly.

    The xiaojie replied, “Please feel free to say them.”

    Guo DaLu: “One: My name is not Guo Daye; it’s Guo DaLu. My friends call me Xiao Guo [Little Guo] but it seems that now, I have gradually turned into Lao Guo [Old Guo].”

    “Some people will never grow old,” the xiaojie remarked in her captivating voice.

    “And some people can never be a daye,” Guo DaLu returned. He downed a few more cups before continuing, “I am just a poor wretch, and I’m dirty and smelly. You, though, are a welloff young miss. You do not even know me. Why would you invite me here for drinks?”

    “We are both ill-starred people who are drifting along in this world,” she answered. “Were it not for the hand of fate, how else could we have come to know one another?”

    XinXin jumped in, “My household’s xiaojie is surnamed Shui and her personal name is RouQing. Now, you can say you know one another.”

    Clapping his hands, Guo DaLu said with a smile, “Shui RouQing. A good name. It is worth downing three cups for it.”

    Shui RouQing’s eyes were lowered shyly. “Thank you.”

    Guo DaLu tossed back another cup. He stared at her until, after a long while, he suddenly said, “I am a very frank person. No matter what they may be, I cannot keep any words inside me.”

    “I can see that you are a true man with a heroic spirit,” Shui RouQing responded sweetly.

    Guo DaLu: “Then let me ask you: is someone bullying you and you need me to help you out?”

    XinXin broke in again, “My household’s xiaojie does not ever step out of her dwellings. How could there be someone bullying her?”

    Guo DaLu: “Have you run into a very difficult problem that you would like me to help you to solve?”

    XinXin: “Neither.”

    Guo DaLu stated, “Since I have come here and have drank your wine, so long as you say it, no matter what the request may be, I will still make every effort to do it.”

    In a gentle tone, Shui RouQing told him, “As long as you have such an intention, my heart is already content.”

    Looking intently at her, Guo DaLu asked again, “You really do not have anything that you would like to ask of me?”

    Shui RouQing: “I really do not.”

    Guo DaLu: “Then why are you being so kind to this smelly, dirty poor wretch?”

    Shui RouQing lifted her head now to look at him, her eyes tender. Under such a gaze, how many people could actually not feel intoxicated? XinXin looked at Guo DaLu, then over at her xiaojie before suddenly giggling, “There is a saying. Have you ever heard it before, Guo Daye?”

    Guo DaLu: “Go ahead.”

    XinXin: “The Son of Heaven values a hero. A beauty also likes a true hero.”

    Shui RouQing’s face grew a deeper shade of pink as she scolded in her charming voice, “Little rascal. If you keep wagging your tongue, just watch to see if I don’t tear up your lips.”

    XinXin laughed, “I am also a very frank person, and I am not able to hold in any words that are in my heart either.”

    Blushing, Shui RouQing rose to her feet as if she really was going to go strangle her. XinXin, though, merely giggled adorably and dashed away like a wisp of smoke. As she ran outside, she did not forget to close the door for them.

    Shui RouQing stood there unmoving, her head lowered, but she could not help casting a glance over at Guo DaLu, who was still staring at her. Her cheeks were now flushed so that they were as red as the sunset glow of a fall evening.

    Intoxicated. Right then, right there, even someone who was not drunk would become intoxicated.

    Guo DaLu suddenly grasped her hand tightly. Her hands were cold like ice; her face burned like fire. Guo DaLu wanted to pull her into his embrace but before he had a chance, with a light cry, she had already fallen into his arms.
    Last edited by Hoju!; 07-23-08 at 01:19 AM.

  5. #565
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Oh nooooo.... where is YQ??

    Han Solo
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    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
    Troll Control

  6. #566
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Yan Qi is going to walk in now!
    She is going to be so mad!!!
    I can't wait for her to beat up Guo DaLu.
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

  7. #567
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    Chapter 39 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    Guo DaLu wanted to pull her into his arms but before he had a chance, with a light cry, she had already fallen into his embrace.

    Outside the shutters, it was already midsummer, but inside the window, spring was in its height.



    The feeling of spring was so rich it could not be melted away. Some people may not have known each other previously, but the instant they meet, they are like iron that has encountered a magnet and immediately bond together closely.

    Shui RouQing was pressed against Guo DaLu. Her skin was soft and smooth like satin, her waist gracefully slender. Guo DaLu’s arms were wrapped around her waist when he suddenly let out a sigh. “I do not understand. I really do not understand.”

    Shui RouQing told him softly, “There are some matters that, right from the beginning, there is no way to explain them and no one who can understand them.”

    Guo DaLu: “You had never before met me and did not know what sort of person I am. Why are you like this to me, then?”

    Shui RuQing: “Even though I had never seen you, I had known for a long time what sort of person you are.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh?”

    She nestled her body even closer against him as she explained gently, “In these last several days, who in the city does not know that, from a faraway place, there has arrived a strong and courageous man who neither fears the Heaven nor the Earth?”

    Guo DaLu: “Strong and courageous man? Do you know what the meaning behind ‘strong and courageous man’ is?

    Shui RouQing: “I will listen to your explanation.”

    Guo DaLu: “ ‘Strong and courageous man’ can sometimes also be called 'thug' or 'scoundrel.' ”

    In her melodious voice, she replied, “I don’t know, then. All I know is that a strong and courageous man is a strong and courageous man.”

    Guo DaLu gave a laugh. Stroking her waist gently, he smiled, “You are truly such a strange woman.”

    Shui RouQing: “That is why I have fallen for such a strange man like you.” As she finished saying this, she began blushing again.

    Guo DaLu gazed at her. “Before, I would never have even dreamed that I could meet a woman like you, much less even thought that I could be with you like this.”

    Shui RouQing’s face burned even more furiously. “So long as you are willing, then I will forever be with you like this,” she told him quietly. Guo DaLu looked intently at her for another long while. At last, he gave a sudden sigh and, turning over onto his back, stared wide-eye up at the ceiling. “You’re sighing?” she asked.

    Guo DaLu: “No.”

    Shui RouQing: “You are thinking about things that are troubling your heart?”

    Guo DaLu: “No.”

    She turned over also and lay against his chest. Gently caressing his face, she said tenderly, “I only want to ask you, are you willing to be with me forever like this?”

    Guo DaLu was silent for a very long time before, uttering each word clearly, he answered, “I am not willing.”

    Her soft, supple body suddenly seemed to freeze. “You are not willing,” she repeated, her voice hoarse.

    Guo DaLu: “It is not ‘not willing’, it is ‘not able’.”

    Shui RouQing: “Not able? Why are you not able?”

    Guo DaLu gave a slow shake of his head.

    Shui RouQing: “What does it mean that you are shaking your head? You do not like me?”

    Exhaling a long breath, Guo DaLu replied, “A woman like you, if there is a man that does not like you, then he must be sick. But…”

    Shui RouQing: “But what?”

    With an agonized smile, Guo DaLu stated, “But I am sick.” Shui RouQing stared at him, an expression of alarm in her lovely eyes. Guo DaLu continued, “I am a man, and it had been a long time since I had been with a woman. You are an extremely beautiful woman and you are so good to me. In addition, this place is so soothing, and we had also consumed some wine. Under such circumstances, how could my heart not have been moved? And so…”

    Shui RouQing was biting down on her own lip. “And so, you were just fooling around with me.”

    Guo DaLu sighed regretfully, “But there is no true love between the two of us. I…… I…”

    Shui RouQing: “You what? Could it be that there is someone else in your heart?”

    Guo DaLu nodded.

    Shui RouQing: “And there is love between you and her?”

    Guo DaLu nodded, but then suddenly switched and shook his head instead.

    Shui RouQing: “So is there true love between you or not?”

    With another sigh, Guo DaLu answered, “I do not know either what sort of feelings those are. I really do not know. When I cannot see him, every second, every moment, I will be thinking of him. You are beautiful, kind and gentle and I like you very much, but in my heart, nobody is able to take his place.”

    Shui Rou Qing: “And so you are still going to continue to look for him?”

    Guo DaLu: “I must find him.”

    “And so, you must leave?” she pressed. He closed his eyes and nodded in response. Shui RouQing gazed at him. There was no condemnation in her eyes and, in fact, she appeared to be moved. After a long moment, she breathed out a sigh of lament and said softly, “If there was one man in this world who would love me like that, I… even if I were to die, I would do so willingly.”

    “Sooner or later, you will find someone like that,” Guo DaLu comforted.

    Shui RouQing shook her head. “It will never happen.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    She was quiet for a very long while before saying unexpectedly, “You are a good person. I have never seen as good a person as you before, so I will tell you the truth.”

    Guo DaLu was listening.

    Shui RouQing: “Do you know what type of person I am?”

    Guo DaLu: “You are surnamed Shui. You are Shui RouQing, a noble young lady and, furthermore, you are gentle and beautiful

    “You are wrong. I am not any rich or noble lady. I am just a… a…” Her lip was clenched between her teeth. All of a sudden, she heaved another lengthy sigh. “I am just a prostitute.”

    “Prostitute!”

    Guo DaLu nearly jumped straight up off the bed and exclaimed loudly, “You are not.”

    She smiled, a very miserable smile. “I am. Not only that, I am the courtesan with the highest status and worth in this place. Unless a man is one of the rich and influential who extravagantly spends thousands in gold at one time, he has no hope of being my guest and entering beyond my curtain.”

    Guo DaLu paused in surprise for quite a while before finally mumbling, “I am not anyone rich or influential, and I do not even have one piece of gold on me.”

    Shui RouQing suddenly stood and went to open a drawer on her dressing table. Holding a handful of pearls in her palm, she informed him, “Even though you, yourself did not spend thousands in gold for me, someone else already paid me in your behalf.”

    Guo DaLu was even more flabbergasted. “Who was it?”

    Shui RouQing: “Perhaps it was your friend.”

    Guo DaLu: “Could it have been the laoda of the east city?”

    In an indifferent tone, Shui RouQing responded, “He is not worthy enough to come here to my place.”

    Guo DaLu: “Then who could it be?”

    Shui RouQing: “It was someone I had never seen before.”

    Guo DaLu: “What did this person look like?”

    Shui RouQing: “It was a person with a pockmarked face.”

    Bewildered, Guo DaLu echoed, “Pockmarked face? Amongst my friends, there is not a single one who has a pockmarked face.”

    “But he indeed gave these pearls to me specifically as your payment,” she pointed out. Guo DaLu was so stunned that he could not even speak. Shui RouQing added, “He told me to wait well upon you. No matter what you wanted, I was to provide it to you.”

    Guo DaLu: “And that is the reason you...”

    She did not allow him to continue and interrupted, “But he had also calculated that there was a strong possibility you would not be willing to remain here.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh?”

    Shui RouQing: “He had something to tell you, but only after you expressed that you were unwilling to stay.”

    Guo DaLu: “What is it?”

    “Something very bizarre.” She continued very slowly, “A few months ago, a very odd client suddenly showed up here. He was just like you: his clothes were dirty and tattered. I had wanted to chase him out of here.”

    Guo DaLu: “What happened after?”

    Shui RouQing: “Once he entered, however, he laid out 100 liang of gold on the table.”

    Guo DaLu: “So you let him stay?”

    A trace of hidden bitterness seemed to float up in her eyes as she said in a dull tone, “I have always been a woman that does this type of business. I only recognize gold, not people.”

    Guo DaLu sighed, “I understand, but… but you do not seem to be that sort of woman.”

    Shui RouQing suddenly turned her head away from him. It seemed as if she did not want Guo DaLu to see the expression that was on her face. A long while went by until she finally carried on in measured words, “The world has always been filled with spoiled rich boys who like to deliberately dress up like that as their way of seeking out pleasure and messing about with other people. That part was not what was odd.”

    Guo DaLu: “Then what was odd?”

    Shui RouQing: “What was odd was that he had spent 100 liang in gold but did not so much as touch me. All he did was take a bath here, and then he got dressed in a set of my clothes and left.”

    “Got dressed in a set of your clothes?” Guo DaLu repeated.

    She nodded.

    “So is he actually a man or a woman?” Guo DaLu asked in bewilderment.

    “When he came, he had originally been a man, but after he put on my clothes, this person was even more attractive than me.” A bitter smile touched her lips as Shui RouQing said, “To be honest, I have seen many many weird people – some like me to use a whip to thrash them or stomp on them with my feet – but I have never before seen someone like him. In the end, even I could not discern whether he is actually a male or female.” Guo DaLu was still in silence again but his eyes now had lit up. It seemed that he had a faint inkling about who this person she was talking about was. “Only now have I said all this because the man with the pockmarked face had instructed me again and again that, if you were willing to stay here with me, I should never tell any of this to you.”

    “Do you… do you know what that strange visitor’s name is?” He appeared so tense now that even his hands were beginning to tremble.

    Shui RouQing: “She did not give her name. She only told me that her surname is Yan. ‘Yan’ as in sparrow.”
    Last edited by Hoju!; 07-21-08 at 01:32 PM. Reason: Corrected spelling

  8. #568
    Senior Member yeongwee's Avatar
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    Finally.....
    Man is glue. You are man. How then can you step away from glue?

  9. #569
    Senior Member eliza bennet's Avatar
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    Wow Yan Qi is really smart. This is a very good test and one who passes can be trusted. Kudos to her


    Thank you Hoju

  10. #570
    Senior Member cristal entity's Avatar
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    Looks a great story, going to start reading tonight
    내가 황제라면, 모든 단어에 의미를 부여하기 위해 사전을 만드는 일 부터 시작할 것이다.

    AkA: strife_au in the old mythic golden era of SPCNET pre-2007... Pioneer and architect of chaos... The legend lives.

  11. #571
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Chapter 39 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    “ ‘Yan’ as in sparrow.”

    Leaping up, Guo DaLu gripped onto her shoulders tightly. “Do you know where he is right now?” he rasped.

    Shui RouQing: “No.”

    Guo DaLu fell back two steps, and he seemed as if he was no longer able to support himself on his feet. With a “plop”, he fell back down and sat on the bed.

    Shui RouQing: “But she recently came back another time.”

    Guo DaLu immediately shot up like an arrow. “When is ‘recently’?” he demanded loudly.

    “Just ten or so days ago,” she replied. “This time when she came, she appeared to have many matters troubling her heart. She drank a lot of wine in my place and then, the next day, she put on some of my clothing and left.”

    Growing even more anxious, Guo DaLu asked, “Do you know where he has gone?”

    Shui RouQing answered, “I do not know.” Guo DaLu looked as if his legs were going to give, but fortunately for him, she added hastily, “But when she was drunk, she spoke many drunken words. She said that once she went back this time, she would never be able to return here and I would never see her again.”

    Guo DaLu: “Did you… did you ask her where her home is?”

    Shui RouQing giggled, “I had originally asked that only offhandedly and had not thought that she would actually tell me.”

    His eyes brimming with an earnest sort of hope, he pressed, “But yet she did tell you?”

    Nodding, Shui RouQing told him, “She said her home is in Jinanfu and also said that even the West Lake cannot compare with the spring scenery of the Daming Lake there. She told me if I had the opportunity in the future, I should definitely go there for a stroll.”

    Guo DaLu suddenly fell back down again, like someone who had been running for several days and nights and had endured thousands and ten thousands of hardships before finally arriving at his destination. But although he had collapsed, his heart was filled with joy. Shui RouQing was looking at him with tenderness in her eyes. “The one you are looking for is her?”

    Guo DaLu nodded.

    Shui RouQing: “Does she know that you are so head over heels in love with her?”

    Guo DaLu nodded his head again, then stopped and shook it instead – who could know the heart of a woman?

    Breathing out a light sigh, Shui RouQing said quietly, “Why would she leave? If it were me, even if you used a whip to try and chase me off, I still would not go.”

    “She is not you… She is also a strange person,” Guo DaLu murmured. “All along, I have never really understood her.”

    Shui RouQing’s voice was sad as she agreed, “She is not me. That is why she left. Only a woman like me is able to truly understand that there is nothing in the world more precious than love.” Sighing, she lamented, “A woman who does not treasure a true love will regret it for the rest of her life.”

    Guo DaLu was quiet again for a long time. “Do you think she really is a woman?” he asked out of the blue.

    Shui RouQing: “Even now, you still do not know the answer to that?”

    Falling backwards so that he was lying faceup on the bed, Guo DaLu exhaled a lengthy breath and muttered to himself, “It is a good thing I at least finally know one thing.”

    Shui RouQing: “What is that?”

    There was a slight chuckle in his voice as he answered, “I do not have a sickness… not one little bit. I am just blind, that’s all.”



    Nightfall.

    The setting sun shone upon the window, upon the new set of clothing that Guo DaLu had just changed into. He looked like he had transformed into a completely different person. There was a glow to his countenance and he was also very sober.

    Shui RouQing was looking at him and nibbling on her lip as she asked, “You… you are leaving now?”

    Guo DaLu replied with a smile, “To be very honest, I wish I could grow a pair of wings and fly out of here.” Her head was lowered, and her eyes were showing once again an indescribable sort of hidden bitterness and misery. As Guo DaLu looked over at her, his smile gradually faded and his eyes filled with pity. He could not help reaching over to pat her shoulder as he comforted, “You are a very nice girl. There will be a day when…”

    With a sorrowful laugh, Shui RouQing continued for him, “There will be a day when I will also find a man like you, is that right?”

    Forcing a smile, Guo DaLu answered, “Correct answer.”

    Shui RouQing made herself put on a slight smile also. “When you see Yan guniang [Miss Yan], do not forget to send my regards.”

    Guo DaLu: “I will.”

    Shui RouQing: “Tell her that, in the future, if I get the chance, I will definitely go to Daming Lake to visit the two of you.”

    “Maybe we will end up visiting you first,” Guo DaLu said with a laugh. Although he was laughing, for some reason, there still seemed to be a twinge in his heart. He really could not bear to stay any longer, to see those eyes of hers. Whipping his head around abruptly, he stared out at the setting sun beyond the window and mumbled, “The sky is not dark yet. I still have enough time to travel a stretch road.”

    Her head hanging low, Shui RouQing responded softly, “Yes, it really would be best if you hurried and left. She may actually be waiting for you to find her.”

    Guo DaLu gazed at her and looked as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not utter a word.

    And so he left and walked outside. If he did not leave, then what else could he do? It was better just to go – to go very quickly.

    Shui RouQing suddenly called after him, “Wait.”

    Guo DaLu turned around slowly. “You…”

    Shui RouQing did not allow him to get his sentence out. Retrieving a pale purple embroidered purse from within her garments, she handed it to him and said gently, “This is for you. Please pass it on to Yan guniang. Tell her… tell her that it is my gift to you two as a token of my congratulations.”

    “What is it?” As he accepted it, though, he did not need to ask any further. He could feel the smooth roundness of the pearls inside.

    Shui RouQing had turned back around, not even glancing at the sunset outside the window. “You can go now,” she stated coolly. Guo DaLu gripped tightly onto that purse. Was her heart not just like those pearls inside the purse, also held so tightly in his hand?

    She did not turn her head back again. Neither did he say anything again. Some words just need not be said.



    Both were ill-starred persons drifting along in the world. It mattered not that they were strangers before.[16]

    Perhaps only ill-starred persons in the world could truly understand the emotion, and the mood of that moment. It was so desolate and lonely, yet at the same time, was it not so beautiful as well?



    End of Chapter 39

    --------------------------------------------------
    [16] Two lines within the poem "Pipa Xing" written in the Tang dynasty. Credits to this site http://www.chinese-tools.com/forum/r...ml?q=17%2C8745, which has a translation of the entire poem, as I merely reworded slightly their translation of those two lines.



    Anyone notice how GDL couldn't get used to saying "she"? I had to go back to the text to double-check several times to make sure it was the male 他 [he/his/etc] and not the female 她 [she/her/etc]. I thought it was kind of cute....
    Last edited by Hoju!; 07-24-08 at 12:33 AM.

  12. #572
    Senior Member Wanlie Tong's Avatar
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    I was half expecting that Guo DaLu was going to start asking himself why Yan was so eager not to be found that he had disguised himself as a woman.
    Thanks Hoju.

  13. #573
    Senior Member fastclock's Avatar
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    Anyone notice how GDL couldn't get used to saying "she"? I had to go back to the text to double-check several times to make sure it was the male 他 [he/his/etc] and not the female 她 [she/her/etc]. I thought it was kind of cute....
    Hoju, wouldn't both be pronounced the same way (ta and ta)?
    So, maybe Gu Long is the one who is confused, hehe...
    Just kidding...

  14. #574
    Senior Member cristal entity's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fastclock View Post
    Hoju, wouldn't both be pronounced the same way (ta and ta)?
    So, maybe Gu Long is the one who is confused, hehe...
    Just kidding...
    No the spelling is different in Chinese. The female version has the female word 'nv' in the left hand part of the character.
    내가 황제라면, 모든 단어에 의미를 부여하기 위해 사전을 만드는 일 부터 시작할 것이다.

    AkA: strife_au in the old mythic golden era of SPCNET pre-2007... Pioneer and architect of chaos... The legend lives.

  15. #575
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    You are both correct. They are two distinct characters, but spoken they sound the same (ta1). So, fastclock was trying to say that when Guo DaLu was speaking, it was not like the words, he/she where they are distinctly different to the ear. Good point!


    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 40 – The Village Girl
    --------------------------------------------------

    Off in the distance, the mountains were a dark green color. The waters of the lake were a clear, deep blue. Those dark green mountains were being reflected in the lake, merging the two colors so the blue seemed brilliant like the jade-green and the green rich like the blue color.



    Guo DaLu wandered forward slowly along the lakeshore like a roving soul. He neither had a purpose nor a direction that he was following. When he had heard news of Yan Qi, he had wished that a pair of wings would grow from his ribs so he could fly straight to Jinanfu, as if so long as he was able to get there, he would immediately be able to find her. It was only now, since he had arrived there, that he realized his way of thinking had been too naïve. This d*mn Jinanfu was really not that small. Inside the city, there were at least hundreds, even thousands, of households and tens of thousands of people. Trying to find Yan Qi in such a large place and amid so many people was like trying to fish a needle out of the sea. All he could do was wander around everyday like an aimless soul, hoping that there would a day where his luck was particularly good and he could run into Yan Qi. And though the chance of this happening really was too slim, he also knew himself that any chance, regardless of how slim it was, was better than no chance at all.

    By now, he was nearly able to list off how many trees were growing beside the lakeshore. Beneath a weeping willow up ahead, a small boat was anchored to sell lotus seed pods and fresh lotus root. The young girl who rowed the boat knew him well already. From far away, she beamed at him, her smile brilliant like the sun. For that smile alone, Guo DaLu had to go over and buy some lotus seed pods from her.

    The heart of the lotus is bitter, just like Guo DaLu’s heart was right then.

    Other people would have only been able to buy six seed pods with two fen of silver, but Guo DaLu was able to buy seven or eight of them. This young girl, who was wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat and whose pale feet were bare, seemed to very much fancy Guo DaLu. Once he came over, she would always give him a couple extra and, sometimes, would even secretly stuff a fresh lotus root to him. In the past, Guo DaLu may have already sat himself into the boat, rowed it out into the center of the lake, and been kissing her little apple cheeks or caressing those pale white feet. But now, Guo DaLu was not in the mood for that. He already had enough worries.

    He accepted the lotus seed pods and was about to leave when, unexpectedly, the young girl beckoned to him. “Come here,” she whispered to him secretly. “I have something to say to you.”

    Guo DaLu really did not want to bring any more troubles onto himself, but he did not have the heart to refuse this young girl’s kindness either. He sighed inwardly and was preparing to put on the face of a good big brother. If the girl tried to ask him out on a romantic rendezvous, he would have to teach her a good lesson and tell her that none of the men in the world are good people and it was fortunate that the one she encountered was him because otherwise, she would have been deceived by now.

    As his thoughts reached this point, he felt that he practically was like a saint. What a pity that Heaven would not allow him the opportunity to be a saint. He placed one foot on the bow of the boat and deliberately pulled his face into a frown. “What do you want to say?”

    The young girl’s eyes seemed to be glowing as she hissed, “Are you an undercover high-ranking government official who has disguised himself in order to understand the conditions of the commonfolk?”

    Guo DaLu was completely taken aback by this and stood there stunned for quite a while. He could not hold in a laugh as he countered, “From my head to my feet, which part of me looks like a high-ranking government official?”

    “You’re not?” the young girl asked.

    Guo DaLu: “Not only am I not one, I will actually start to tremble when I do see a high-ranking official.”

    The young girl’s expression grew even more thrilled. Dropping her voice even further, she said, “Then that means you must be an infamous bandit.”

    With a wry smile, Guo DaLu answered, “Nope. For me, even if I was a bandit, I would end up losing my money.”

    Staring intently at him, she tested, “You honestly aren’t?”

    Guo DaLu: “Why would I lie to you?”

    The girl sighed, obviously extremely disappointed with this. She seemed as if she could not be bothered to say anything to him anymore. So the only reason she had been interested in Guo DaLu was because she thought he was a thief. In the eyes of an adolescent girl, a bandit really was much more alluring than any other type of person. Only now did Guo DaLu realize that she had not truly been interested in him. He also had no need to worry about bringing troubles onto himself anymore. This should have been a happy thing, but yet, for some reason, he actually felt slightly disappointed. Feeling a little unwilling to accept this, he inquired, “What about me made you think I was a bandit?”

    The young girl’s manner towards him had already grown cold. “Because these last couple of days, I always seemed to have a feeling that there is a person tailing you.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh? What sort of person?”

    Young girl: “Sometimes, this person dresses up as a peddler while other times, he will disguise himself as a beggar. However, no matter how he dresses himself up to look, he still has no hope of trying to hide from me.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why is that?”

    A smug look came over her face. “Because I can recognize his face in one glance.”

    “Is there something out of the ordinary about his face?” Guo DaLu asked.

    Nodding, the girl replied, “His face is all pockmarked.” Guo DaLu nearly could not stop himself from leaping into the air. Even his blood seemed to be pumping much faster. The young girl looked at him again, her eyes filled with an expression of hope. “So is he tailing you? Do you know him?”

    Guo DaLu batted his eyes at her and, purposely lowering his voice, said, “If I tell you the truth, you are not allowed to tell anyone else.”

    “I swear, I won’t tell anyone,” the girl immediately promised, “otherwise may my face be covered in pocks too.”

    In a furtive voice, Guo DaLu said, “Alright, I will tell you. That pock-faced man is a very famous constable, and he really is here to follow me.”

    The girl became excited again. “Why… why is he following you?”

    Guo DaLu’s voice grew even quieter. “Because I really am a notorious thief. Others call me ‘The Grand Thief Who Flies All Over the Sky.’ I just recently committed seven, eight big crimes in the capital city, so I came here to lay low and wait everything out.”

    Trembling in exhilaration, the young girl nibbled her lip as she asked, “You… you aren’t a ‘thief who picks flowers’ [rapist], are you?”

    Guo DaLu held in a guffaw as he winked and returned, “What do you think?”

    The young girl’s face was burning so brightly it looked like a freshly roasted red sweet potato. Still nibbling on her lip, she spoke, “Even if you are, I am not scared of you. I…… I……” Her legs seemed to have grown weak so that she was unable to stand and nearly fell into the water.

    Roaring in laughter, Guo DaLu stretched his hand out and stroked her cheek. “Don’t you worry. Even if I was to come find you, we would have to wait for two to three years to pass. You are still just a child right now.” Laughing loudly, he shook his sleeve and swaggered off.

    The young girl watched him go, staring blankly for a long while. Maybe consciously or maybe unconsciously, she reached up and discreetly felt her own chest. The red glow on her face had spread to the base of her ears.



    Guo DaLu was secretly amused, knowing well that the girl undoubtedly would not be able to sleep that night. He was not deliberately trying to be cruel to her. He merely wanted to add some spice, some colour into this girl’s ordinary life so that some day in the future, when she was married and had children and was washing dishes, she had a memory to reminisce about that made her beat faster.

    How many girls in the world have actually seen a real “thief who picks flowers”?



    End of Chapter 40
    Last edited by Hoju!; 07-25-08 at 10:58 AM. Reason: can't spell early in the morning. :p Proofread now!

  16. #576
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Hi folks,
    I had written the last update late last night and then posted it early in the morning today before work. Now that I'm actually awake and have read over it, I realized how many spelling, grammar and just plain old errors there were. Moral of the story: don't post when you're still half asleep. Anyways, for those who read it already, my apologies. I have since gotten a Starbucks and proofread it.

  17. #577
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Question When?

    This is really getting exciting! When will Yan Qi finally show herself? She's being kind of mean to Guo Da Lu.
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

  18. #578
    Senior Member cristal entity's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang ( : View Post
    This is really getting exciting! When will Yan Qi finally show herself? She's being kind of mean to Guo Da Lu.
    Knowing GL, she'll probably be dead in the end.
    내가 황제라면, 모든 단어에 의미를 부여하기 위해 사전을 만드는 일 부터 시작할 것이다.

    AkA: strife_au in the old mythic golden era of SPCNET pre-2007... Pioneer and architect of chaos... The legend lives.

  19. #579
    Senior Member cristal entity's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoju! View Post
    You are both correct. They are two distinct characters, but spoken they sound the same (ta1). So, fastclock was trying to say that when Guo DaLu was speaking, it was not like the words, he/she where they are distinctly different to the ear. Good point!
    Whoops, my mistake .
    내가 황제라면, 모든 단어에 의미를 부여하기 위해 사전을 만드는 일 부터 시작할 것이다.

    AkA: strife_au in the old mythic golden era of SPCNET pre-2007... Pioneer and architect of chaos... The legend lives.

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    Is Guo DaLu feeling too bored that he had to make that poor girl miserable?

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