The town was of moderate size, with over six hundred households. Chen Ping'an recognized most of the poor families' homes, but the wealthy households, with their high thresholds, were beyond his reach. He had never even set foot in the spacious alleys where the rich families clustered. Those streets, paved with large bluestone slabs, never splashed mud when it rained. The stones, after centuries of wear from people, horses, and carriages, had become as smooth as mirrors.
The Lu, Li, Zhao, and Song families were the prominent surnames in town. They funded the local school and owned several large dragon kilns outside the town. The official residences of the successive kiln supervisors were also on the same street as these families.
Unfortunately, the ten letters Chen Ping'an had to deliver today were almost all for these well-off families, which made sense. The rich and influential were more likely to have family members traveling afar, capable of sending letters home. Out of the ten letters, Chen Ping'an only needed to visit two places: Fulu Street and Taoye Alley. Stepping onto the large bluestone slabs for the first time, Chen Ping'an felt a bit anxious and slowed his pace, feeling self-conscious about his dirty straw sandals.
The first letter he delivered was to the Lu family, who had received an imperial jade scepter as a gift from the emperor in the past. Standing at their gate, Chen Ping'an felt even more nervous. The Lu residence was large, and two stone lions, as tall as a person, flanked the entrance. Song Jixin had said these lions could ward off evil, but Chen Ping'an was just curious about the round stone balls in their mouths. Resisting the urge to touch them, he climbed the steps and knocked on the bronze lion door knocker. A young man soon answered, expressionless, and took the letter by pinching its corner, then turned and walked briskly back inside, closing the door heavily adorned with painted gods of wealth.
The rest of Chen Ping'an's deliveries were similarly uneventful. At the corner of Taoye Alley, he delivered a letter to a humble household, where an elderly man with kind eyes received it. The man smiled and said, "Young man, you've worked hard. Would you like to come in and rest, have a cup of hot water?"
Chen Ping'an shyly smiled, shook his head, and ran off.
The old man carefully placed the letter in his sleeve, then stood for a while, looking into the distance with cloudy eyes. His gaze slowly moved from far to near, finally resting on the peach trees lining the street, a smile forming on his seemingly senile face.
After a short while, a small yellow bird landed on a peach branch, pecking delicately and chirping softly.
The last letter was for the teacher at the local school. On the way, Chen Ping'an passed a fortune-telling stall manned by a young Taoist priest in a worn robe, sitting straight behind his table, wearing a high crown shaped like a blooming lotus.
The priest greeted Chen Ping'an as he ran past, "Young man, don't miss out! Draw a lot, and I can help you foresee your fortune and misfortune."
Chen Ping'an didn't stop, but he turned and waved.
The priest, undeterred, leaned forward and raised his voice, "Normally, I charge ten wen for a reading, but today, I'll make an exception—only three wen! If you draw a lucky lot, maybe you could add a joy fee, and if it's the luckiest lot, just five wen. How about it?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then returned and sat on the bench in front of the stall.
The priest smiled and gestured for Chen Ping'an to pick up the lot box.
Chen Ping'an hesitated again and suddenly said, "I don't want to draw a lot. Can you just write me a yellow paper talisman?"
In Chen Ping'an's memory, this wandering young Taoist had been in the town for at least five or six years, never changing in appearance and always polite to everyone. He helped people with bone readings, fortune-telling, and sometimes writing letters. Interestingly, out of the 108 bamboo lots in the box, no one had ever drawn either the luckiest or the unluckiest lot. It seemed all the lots were mediocre.
So, for a good omen during festivals, townspeople were willing to spend ten wen, but when they had real troubles, they wouldn't come to him. If the priest were a complete fraud, he would have been driven out long ago. Instead, many small ailments treated with his talisman water healed quickly, earning him some credibility.
The young priest shook his head, "I don't cheat anyone. A reading and a talisman together cost five wen."
Chen Ping'an argued quietly, "You said three wen."
The priest laughed, "If you draw the luckiest lot, it's five wen."
Determined, Chen Ping'an reached for the lot box but then looked up and asked, "How did you know I have exactly five wen?"
The priest, sitting upright, replied, "I can tell a person's fortune and wealth quite accurately."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then picked up the lot box.
The priest smiled, "Don't worry. What is meant to be will be. Take things as they come with a calm heart, and you'll be fine."
Chen Ping'an put the box back and solemnly asked, "If I give you all my five wen, can you write the talisman better than usual?"
The priest, still smiling, considered briefly and nodded, "Okay."
The priest prepared his brush, ink, and yellow paper, then carefully asked for Chen Ping'an's parents' names, birthplace, and birthdates. He quickly wrote the talisman in one go.
Chen Ping'an didn't understand what was written. The priest, finishing the talisman, blew on the ink to dry it and said, "When you get home, stand inside your threshold and burn the yellow paper outside."
Chen Ping'an carefully stored the talisman, placed five coins on the table, and bowed in thanks.
The priest waved him off, telling him to go about his business.
Chen Ping'an ran off to deliver the last letter.
The priest lounged in his chair, glanced at the coins, then scooped them up. Just then, a small yellow bird swooped down, pecked at a coin, and quickly flew away.
"The yellow bird wants to bring flowers, but your peach blossoms haven't bloomed," the priest recited, then waved his sleeve dramatically, sighing, "Don't seek what isn't meant to be."
As he waved, two bamboo lots fell from his sleeve. He quickly picked them up, looking around furtively before hiding them back in his sleeve.
Coughing, he straightened up, waiting for the next customer, thinking it was easier to make money from women.
The two lots in his sleeve were the luckiest and unluckiest ones, used for big money.
Chen Ping'an, unaware of this, felt light-footed as he approached the school. The bamboo grove nearby was lush and green.
Slowing his pace, he heard the teacher's rich voice inside, "The sun rises brightly, like a lamb's coat soaked in dew."
The children's clear voices echoed, "The sun rises brightly, like a lamb's coat soaked in dew."
Looking up, Chen Ping'an saw the rising sun, radiant and majestic.
Lost in thought, he snapped back to reality as the children recited another passage under the teacher's guidance, "During the time of awakening insects, life springs forth, and all things begin to flourish. Rise early and walk broadly in the courtyard. A gentleman walks slowly to nourish his aspirations..."
Standing at the school's entrance, Chen Ping'an hesitated.
The middle-aged scholar, with frosted hair at his temples, turned and walked out.
Chen Ping'an handed over the letter respectfully, "This is your letter, sir."
The tall man in green accepted it with a warm voice, "You can come here to listen when you have time."
Chen Ping'an felt conflicted, as he might not have the time to listen to the lessons. He didn't want to lie.
The man, understanding, smiled, "No problem. The principles are in the books, but being a person is learned outside of them. Go on, then."
Relieved, Chen Ping'an left.
Running far, he turned back on a whim.
The teacher stood at the entrance, bathed in sunlight, looking almost divine.