The patriarch stroked his long beard, his voice sounding strong and steady, "Xiao Ting, haven’t I always reminded you that everything has been arranged by the heavens? In this world, perfection is impossible to achieve. If you sacrifice so much just to seek perfection, you’ll only lose everything. Why bother?"
"But patriarch, the civil Songs are almost extinct. How can I not worry?" replied Song Heting.
"The Jiangbei Daggers are bitter enemies of the Song family. They’ve almost destroyed the entire clan several times. Even though Magistrate Song Ci tried his best, he failed to eradicate them! Song Yang is the closest we’ve come to Song Ci in the past thousand years. Perhaps it is God's will that the Jiangbei Daggers are eradicated in this generation. Xiao Ting, you should let go of your obsessions. There are many things in this world that are more important than lineage. Don't forget that it is the duty of the Song family to redress injustice and prevent crime. If we hide ourselves deep in the mountain, we will survive with our ancestors’ skills. But are we any different from cowards?"
"Patriarch, I didn't forbid him from dealing with the Jiangbei Daggers. I just want more insurance to ensure the continuation of our family!" argued Song Heting.
The patriarch shook his head slightly, "Let nature take its course. Song Yang should be allowed to make his own decisions. Song Yang..."
At the call of my name, I immediately answered, "Yes, patriarch!"
"Be careful out there,” advised the patriarch. “The Jiangbei Daggers aren’t just your enemy but the enemy of the entire Song family. Remember that you can always count on the Song family."
"I will remember this, patriarch,” I respectfully replied.
"Get up, all of you. I’m going back to rest,” said the patriarch.
With that, he turned to leave, disappearing from the mountain path. The martial Songs all straightened up one after the other. Song Heting looked unresigned but the patriarch’s words couldn’t be disobeyed.
"Song Yang, rest early. I’ll have someone escort you out of the mountain early tomorrow morning!"
"Aunt Song, I apologize if I offended you.”
"Nevermind. I made a few mistakes myself,” she waved her hand. “Alright, let's go home and rest!"
The others dispersed while we headed back to the Song family's old manor. Song Jie lay unconscious underground after suffering a blow from Song Heting. The entire living room was in ruins due to one of the pillars collapsing during the fight. I couldn’t imagine how heated the battle was!
The night passed by uneventfully. Early the next morning, Song Xingchen and I packed up, ready to leave. The village chief arranged for a boy named Song Shichao to drive us down the mountain. Despite being my junior in terms of seniority, he was actually older than me. It felt rather odd having an older man call me uncle.
Song Sichao pulled up in an off-road vehicle and carried our luggage into the car. We didn’t take much with us, just a few local products gifted by the villagers, such as dried bamboo shoots, preserved meats and fruits. It was difficult to refuse their persistent kindness and hospitality. As for what I would do with these gifts, that was a deliberation I set aside for the train ride home.
Many villagers came to see us off, but not Song Heting.
"My mother stayed up all night sighing,” explained Song Jie. “Alas, it looks like she’s really worried!"
"It's alright. I wouldn’t know what to say to her even if she came to see me off."
Song Jie stuck out her tongue, "Thank goodness I don't have to marry you. I haven’t decided how to address you in the future. It’s so weird just thinking about it."
"You already know what your heart wants, don’t you?" I teased, pinching her little nose.
Song Jie colored with embarrassment, playfully punching me in the chest. "Hmph, I don’t know what you mean by that!" Despite the denial, her gaze flitted over to where Song Xingchen was standing, secretly sneaking a glance.
Right before we parted, Song Jie said, "Save travels! I’ll visit you when I have time, if my mother allows it!"
After saying my goodbyes, I nudged Song Xingchen who was sitting next to me. "Don't you have anything to say to her?" I whispered.
"No!" came his stiff reply.
"You should wish her goodbye even if you have nothing to say,” I urged. “God knows when you’ll see each other again."
Song Xingchen remained indifferent, with the same apathetic expression on his face, but his fingers betrayed his emotions. Fiddling with the design on the scabbard, he didn’t seem to know how to express himself despite having much to say.
Only when I ordered him to go down and say goodbye did Song Xingchen alight from the vehicle.
The both of them stood at the intersection, speaking for a considerable amount of time before Song Jie jumped into Song Xingchen’s arms, much like a little girl. Looking at a loss, Song Xingchen didn't know where to put his hands as he whispered to Song Jie which was quite uncharacteristic of him.
I sneaked a glance through the mirror, smiling to myself. While I experienced quite a number of obstacles during this trip, nothing felt quite as important as this moment.
When Autumn’s Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade, all the love scenes on earth, however many, fade.
From the poem, Immortals At A Magpie Bridge by Qin Guan from the Song Dynasty, translated by Xu Yuanchong.