If Chen Ping'an had never visited Fulu Street or Taoye Alley, he might never have realized how dark and narrow Niping Alley was. However, instead of feeling dejected, the straw sandal-wearing boy finally felt a sense of peace. Smiling, he stretched out his hands, his palms just touching the yellow mud walls on both sides. He remembered that about three or four years ago, he could only touch the walls with his fingertips.
As he approached his house, he saw that the gate was wide open. Fearing a thief, Chen Ping'an hurried inside, only to find a tall boy sitting on the threshold, leaning against the locked door, yawning in boredom. Seeing Chen Ping'an, the boy sprang to his feet like a cat on a hot tin roof, grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm, and pulled him into the house, whispering urgently, "Hurry, open the door! I have something important to tell you!"
Chen Ping'an couldn't shake off his grip and had to open the door. The older and stronger boy, two years his senior, quickly pushed him aside and tiptoed to Chen Ping'an's wooden bed, pressing his ear against the wall to listen to the neighbors.
Curious, Chen Ping'an asked, "Liu Xianyang, what are you doing?"
The tall boy ignored him. About half an incense stick's time later, Liu Xianyang returned to normal, sitting on the edge of the bed, his expression a mix of relief and regret.
Only then did Liu Xianyang notice that Chen Ping'an was doing something odd—squatting inside the door, body leaning out, burning a piece of yellow paper with a stub of a candle, letting the ashes fall outside the threshold. It seemed Chen Ping'an was chanting something, but Liu Xianyang couldn't hear clearly from a distance.
Liu Xianyang was the last disciple of the old master of the long-established dragon kiln. As for Chen Ping'an, with his slow-witted nature, the old man never truly accepted him as a disciple. In the local custom, a disciple without the formal tea ceremony was not considered a true apprentice. Chen Ping'an and Liu Xianyang were not neighbors; their ancestral homes were far apart. Liu Xianyang had introduced Chen Ping'an to the old man because of a long-standing grudge. Liu Xianyang, known for his delinquency, had become a neighborhood menace after his grandfather's death. He once angered some of the Lu family's boys and was cornered in Niping Alley, beaten until he vomited blood. The other families in the alley, mostly lowly kiln workers, dared not intervene.
At that time, Song Jixin, far from afraid, happily watched from the wall, enjoying the chaos.
In the end, only a skinny child slipped out of the courtyard and ran to the alley entrance, screaming for help. Hearing the word "dead," the Lu boys were startled, saw the bloodied Liu Xianyang, and fled.
However, Liu Xianyang did not thank the child who saved his life. Instead, he often came to bully and tease him. The orphan, stubbornly refusing to cry despite the bullying, only made Liu Xianyang more frustrated. One winter, seeing the Chen orphan barely surviving, Liu Xianyang, who was already an apprentice at the kiln, took the boy to the dragon kiln by the Baoxi River. Walking the snowy mountain roads for dozens of miles, Liu Xianyang still couldn't figure out how the thin boy managed to make the journey.
Although the old man took in Chen Ping'an, he treated the two very differently. He beat and scolded Liu Xianyang, but his harshness showed a hidden care, as even a blind man could see. For example, when a severe beating left Liu Xianyang with a bleeding forehead, it was the old man who regretted it, pacing around his house all night, and finally asking Chen Ping'an to deliver some ointment to Liu Xianyang.
Chen Ping'an had always envied Liu Xianyang—not for his talent, strength, or popularity, but for his fearlessness, carefree nature, and ability to make friends wherever he went. Liu Xianyang, despite his grandfather's illness, became a leader among the children, adept at catching snakes, fishing, and hunting birds. He could make bows, fish rods, and slingshots, excelling in catching loaches and eels. When Liu Xianyang quit school, the teacher, Mr. Qi, even offered to hire him as a book boy, but Liu Xianyang refused, insisting on making money instead of studying.
Despite the kiln's closure, Liu Xianyang quickly found work with the blacksmith in Qilong Alley, busy building huts and furnaces on the town's southern edge.
Seeing Chen Ping'an extinguish the candle and place it on the table, Liu Xianyang asked quietly, "Do you ever hear strange noises in the morning, like...?"
Chen Ping'an waited patiently for him to continue.
Liu Xianyang hesitated, blushing slightly for the first time, "Like a cat in spring."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is it Song Jixin imitating a cat, or Zhi Gui?"
Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes, annoyed by the pointless question, propped himself up on the bed, then extended his legs, lifting his body off the bed. "Zhi Gui's real name is Wang Zhu. Song Jixin just likes to show off, using fancy names without knowing their meaning. Poor Wang Zhu, stuck with a master like him, must have been cursed in her past life."
Chen Ping'an didn't argue.
Liu Xianyang continued, "Don't you understand why Wang Zhu stopped talking to you after you helped her carry a bucket of water? It's because Song Jixin, that petty guy, got jealous and threatened her."
Chen Ping'an couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted, "Song Jixin isn't that bad to her."
Liu Xianyang, irritated, retorted, "What do you know about good or bad?"
Chen Ping'an replied softly, "Sometimes, when she's working in the courtyard, Song Jixin sits on a bench reading his book. When she looks at him, she often smiles."
Liu Xianyang's face went blank. Suddenly, the thin wooden bed collapsed under his weight, and he fell to the floor.
Chen Ping'an sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Liu Xianyang scratched his head, stood up, and without a word of apology, lightly kicked Chen Ping'an, grinning, "Alright, it's just a broken bed. I'm here to bring you great news, worth much more than this bed!"
Chen Ping'an looked up.
Liu Xianyang, pleased with himself, announced, "My master, Master Ruan, decided to dig some wells on the south side of the creek. He needed help, so I mentioned you. He agreed to let you come and help in the next couple of days."
Chen Ping'an stood up, ready to thank him.
Liu Xianyang raised his hand, "No need for thanks! Just remember it in your heart!"
Chen Ping'an smiled.
Liu Xianyang looked around, noticing the fishing rod in the corner, the slingshot by the window, and the wooden bow on the wall. He hesitated but said nothing.
He stepped over the threshold, carefully avoiding the ashes of the talisman.
Chen Ping'an watched his tall figure.
Liu Xianyang suddenly turned, performed a strange martial arts move, and laughed, "Master Ruan says if I practice this for a year, I can kill with it!"
He then kicked in a peculiar manner, "This is called 'kicking the dead donkey'!"
Finally, Liu Xianyang pointed to his chest, proudly, "Master Ruan says I'm a martial arts genius! Stick with me, and you'll have a good life!"
Seeing Zhi Gui enter the house next door, Liu Xianyang lost his enthusiasm and casually mentioned, "Oh, there's an old storyteller by the locust tree. He says he has lots of tales to tell. You should check it out."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Liu Xianyang left Niping Alley.
Many rumors surrounded the rebellious boy. Liu Xianyang liked to claim his ancestors were generals, hence the heirloom armor passed down. However, his peers said his ancestors were deserters, hiding in the town to escape the law.
Chen Ping'an, lost in thought, blew away the talisman ashes by the threshold.
Song Jixin, with Zhi Gui by his side, stood by the wall, calling, "Want to go to the locust tree with us?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "No."
Song Jixin shrugged, "Boring."
He turned to Zhi Gui, "Let's go buy you some peach blossom powder."
She shyly said, "Just a small cricket jar is enough."
Song Jixin, hands behind his back, marched off, "We Song family are nobles. We don't do things small!"
Chen Ping'an, rubbing his forehead, thought that Song Jixin wasn't bad when he wasn't talking nonsense. But Liu Xianyang would probably say he wanted to hit Song Jixin with a brick.
Chen Ping'an leaned against the door, thinking of the future, imagining it would be much like today and tomorrow, a life repeating until he ended up like old Yao, buried in the earth.
He looked at his straw sandals and laughed. Walking on bluestone was different from walking in mud.
---
Leaving the alley, Liu Xianyang passed the fortune-telling stall. The young Taoist priest called out, "Come, let me read your fortune. I see misfortune in your face, but I can help..."
Liu Xianyang, surprised, remembered the priest never solicited business, relying on willing
customers. With the kiln closed, maybe he was desperate. Liu Xianyang laughed, "Your method is just to take money, right? Get lost! You won't cheat me!"
The priest, undeterred, shouted, "Misfortune is coming! Only the gods can help. Burn incense for peace..."
Liu Xianyang suddenly turned, charging at the stall, "I'll burn your stall first!"
The priest, scared, fled.
Laughing, Liu Xianyang knocked over the lot box, scattering the bamboo lots on the table.
He pointed at the retreating priest, "I'll beat you every time I see you!"
The priest, bowing and pleading, finally saw Liu Xianyang leave.
Sitting down, the priest sighed, "Times are tough."
Just then, his eyes brightened, and he recited, "The pond full of frogs, the human heart is treacherous. Fame here is fleeting, better to wander far."
A young boy and girl passed by, but they didn't stop.
The priest raised his voice, "Scholars and officials are just people. Study and you'll shine!"
Song Jixin and Zhi Gui kept walking.
The priest, disappointed, muttered, "Life is hard."
Suddenly, the boy threw a coin, smiling, "Thanks for the good words!"
The priest caught it, seeing it was just a small coin.
However, he placed it on the table. A yellow bird swooped down, pecked at the coin, then looked at the priest, its eyes intelligent.
The priest whispered, "Go, it's not safe here."
The bird flew away.
The priest, looking at the distant archway inscribed with "Aspiring to the Heavens," lamented, "What a waste."
He added, "If sold, that would fetch a thousand taels of silver."