Extra 2

<b>Extra 2</b>

This world, more than a thousand years after Su Jingmo’s era, was quite new to him. The night was as bright as the day, cars raced by at high speeds, the buildings were towering skyscrapers, and women wore daring attire…..

The dramatic increase in population demonstrated the stability and prosperity of this era. The streets were wider, but also more crowded than thousands of years ago; and although life was more colorful than before, it was also busier.

Everything was so strange, but also incredibly familiar to Su Jingmo. Among the tall buildings, one could occasionally see the curved roofs, red walls with black tiles that were considered ‘historical and cultural relics’ by the people of this era, which were deeply honored. Even in the subway wagons, filled with people dressed in modern clothes, you could occasionally find one or two people dressed in traditional Han Dynasty robes; even though the loud sound of car horns going off in the city streets was constant, you could still find people sitting idly in the pavilions talking to each other, quietly discussing the past and the present.

This was clearly a different era, one that was more than a thousand years later than what Su Jingmo was accustomed to. In this era, everyone could read and write. Also, ‘culture’ has become a precious thing.

For example, just now, a calligraphy exhibition platform of cultural celebrities of the present era was being built in front of Su Jingmo.

Su Jingmo was quite interested, curious as to what kind of calligraphy the so-called ‘Masters of Calligraphy’ of this era, accustomed to writing with hard pens, could produce.

The small square was crowded, and even though it was morning, a considerable multitude had gathered around the stands.

After casually glancing at the exhibits, Su Jingmo couldn’t help, but mockingly laugh as he contemplated the flamboyant cursive calligraphy ‘masterpieces’ in front of him, which were rather ‘unique’.

“Mister, you seem to have some opinions about this calligraphy?”

A voice coming from his side caused Su Jingmo to turn his gaze slightly sideways, meeting a middle-aged man standing beside him. Su Jingmo smiled and said: “I think the mounting craftsmanship is exceptionally beautiful.”

‘ The mounting craftsmanship is exceptionally beautiful? ’ The middle-aged man was momentarily taken aback, but quickly understood the implied meaning of Su Jingmo’s words. In fact, the assembly craftsmanship was quite simple, so when the young man in front of him praised the craftsmanship rather than the calligraphy itself, he was actually suggesting that the characters were ugly and needed the assembly to enhance their beauty.

“Well….” After the middle-aged man’s sudden realization, he shook his head and chuckled: “Young man, do you even know that this calligraphy is the best among all those on display? This is the work created by Master ‘Fang Heyuan’.”

“Master?” Su Jingmo let out a laugh. “Can someone who writes characters like this be called a ‘Master’? Has the perception in this world dropped so low, that this is what they regard a Master of Calligraphy should be like?”

Having said that, Su Jingmo gave the man beside him a meaningful look.

Su Jingmo’s disdainful attitude made the middle-aged man a little annoyed, provoking him to sternly say: “Young man, you seem to have some profound calligraphy expertise, thus you must be able to write fine characters.” As he spoke, the middle-aged man pointed to the center podium and continued, “You can write right there. Why don’t you demonstrate your skills?”

As he turned to look at the man in front of him, the smile in Su Jingmo’s peach blossom eyes grew deeper.

“With pleasure.”

Su Jingmo’s distinctive appearance, combined with his inherent charisma, naturally drew people’s attention. In an instant, the previously noisy plaza became inexplicably silent when Su Jingmo approached the exhibition stage, as he scanned the packed audience in front of him.

Su Jingmo picked up the brush, dipped it into the ink, and began to trace the characters as gracefully as a dragon flying in the sky, embracing the universe. His brush strokes were powerful and vigorous, with such an assertive demeanor that the audience began to applaud as they praised his skill.

Zhang Buqing had never imagined that he would witness such remarkable brushwork in such a small exhibition stage. The man holding the brush had his other hand casually resting behind his back, while the brush in his hand moved boldly and wildly, similar to a sword breaking formation. He showed no restraint.  He was even able to complete a full line of characters in a single stroke, as if he were one of the Eight Immortals ¹ crossing the sea with ease and grace.

Upon close examination of the calligraphy, his colors, shapes, saturation, dryness and wetness of the ink, as well as the continuous, varied strokes, all displayed an infinite range of variations.

‘ As the saying goes: A person’s calligraphy reflects his character. This man’s brushstroke is clear, refined, deep, straightforward and unprejudiced. Undoubtedly belonging to an accomplished Scholar. His strokes flow as agilely and swiftly as dragons and snakes, demonstrating a bearing of great power as well as magnificence, expressing a demeanor along with character as generous and noble as that of the Three Excellencies ² . The handwriting of the man in front of me is carefree, unrestrained, and nimble in strokes. While his calligraphy is so exceptional that it leaves people in awe….. In comparison, the characters written by my own apprentice, Fang Heyuan, can barely hold themselves together. ’

‘ How could such extraordinary calligraphy be produced by the hand of such a young man? ’

As he meticulously studied the young man who had just put the brush aside, Zhang Buqing couldn’t help, but feel a tremor inside his heart. At that moment, a strange hint of familiarity grew within him, causing Zhang Buqing to ask: “Young man, who did you learn this excellent calligraphy from?”

Upon hearing the question, Su Jingmo glanced up, only to find a gray-haired old man sitting at the table in front of him. Su Jingmo put down the brush and smiled slightly: “I have had several teachers, but they are relatively unknown.”

Su Jingmo’s words didn’t match reality. As a matter of fact, his mentors had been the best talents of the Xu Dynasty. It’s just that the names of those talents were unknown in this era. Instead of revealing their names and arousing curiosity, Su Jingmo preferred to be vague.

Su Jingmo’s speech manner, as well as his tone of voice, deepened the sense of familiarity inside Zhang Buqing. For this reason, Zhang Buqing couldn’t help, but examine the man in front of him more closely.

He was tall and slender, with handsome features, wearing a simple shirt that enhanced his extraordinary demeanor. The man spoke calmly, with curved brows and a smile as gentle as the Spring breeze, which made people feel comfortable around him. But upon closer inspection, one could see the distant attitude in the depths of his eyes, as if he could understand it all and might be able to see through one’s inner thoughts. Such a demeanor could only be possessed by someone who had occupied a high position for a long period of time.

Zhang Buqing felt as if he had seen this bearing before, but he was also aware that in his 64 years of life, he had never seen this young man before.

‘ Where did this familiar feeling come from? ’

As Zhang Buqing gazed at the calligraphy as well as the man in front of him, an emotional and melancholic feeling continued growing inside him. Zhang Buqing wanted to say something, but didn’t know where to start, leaving him speechless for a long while.

The old man’s distracted state didn’t go unnoticed by Su Jingmo, and all of a sudden, a thought crossed his mind. Su Jingmo suppressed his smile and respectfully cupped his fist  towards the old man, saying: “My name is Su Jingmo. Dare I ask what the name of Xiansheng ³ is?”

“Oh.” Zhang Buqing suddenly came back to his senses, and hurried to reply: “My surname is Zhang, and my name is Buqing. ‘Bu’ as in ‘One Hundred Steps and Nine Turns’, ‘Qing’ as in ‘Pure Qi fills the Universe’ ⁴ . Is the young man’s surname Su? It’s a rather unusual surname.”

“That’s right, it’s not very common.” Su Jingmo replied, calmly evaluating the old man in front of him. The elderly man had a head full of white hair, was thin and of a slightly shorter stature than his own, maintaining an upright, powerful posture. Despite his age, the man’s standing posture was straight, like that of a pine tree or a reed of bamboo.

‘ His surname is Zhang…. ’

His eyes flickered slightly, and Su Jingmo smiled as he said: “I noticed that Xiansheng has ink stains on the hem of his sleeve. It seems that you are someone who is devoted to calligraphy, so I wonder if I could have the honor of witnessing Xiansheng’s calligraphy skills?”

Seeing Zhang Buqing nod, Su Jingmo took a step back and gave his place to the old man.

After a brief pause, the brush began to move, making the characters appear on the white rice paper. His movements were as fluid as clouds and water, the characters he wrote were not only vigorous but also powerful. Su Jingmo narrowed his eyes slightly and a smile gradually appeared on his lips.

After Zhang Buqing finished writing, Su Jingmo politely cupped his hand and said: “These characters are truly as robust and powerful as Xiansheng himself. Clear and concise, truly masterful.”

“After practicing for decades, this is the only calligraphy I can present with pride.” Zhang Buqing said with a laugh. He then looked at Su Jingmo and continued: “Young man, your calligraphy is really excellent regardless of your young age. That is even more remarkable.”

Su Jingmo shook his head with a smile and said: “I’ve been writing with a brush since childhood. But when it comes to the hard pen, I don’t have much experience with it.”

“Have you always used a brush to write?” Zhang Buqing was quite shocked. “How is that possible? At school…..”

However, before Zhang Buqing could finish speaking, his phone rang, interrupting him. Zhang Buqing then apologized to Su Jingmo, and walked away from the noisy crowd to answer the call. After a couple of minutes, Zhang Buqing returned, gave some instructions to his companion, Fang Heyuan, and turned to Su Jingmo: “I just arrived from Beijing and some of my friends here in Xi’an have invited me to lunch. Xiao-Su, I feel a certain connection with you, how about joining me for the informal lunch?”

Fearful that Su Jingmo might decline, Zhang Buqing added: “The people who will eat with us are calligraphy and painting enthusiasts. It would be a great opportunity for us to exchange our expertise on calligraphy together.”

‘Xiao-Su?’ This nickname made Su Jingmo’s eyebrows arch slightly as he looked at Zhang Buqing in front of him. Su Jingmo thought for a moment, and nodded, “Then, I’ll trouble you.”

When they arrived at the restaurant, just as Zhang Buqing had said, all the people at lunch were calligraphy fanatics. As they were deeply fascinated by calligraphy, they were all extremely curious about Su Jingmo.

“Jingmo, have you really never used a hard pen before? What about exams?”

“My family hired a private tutor.”

“A private tutor?!” A middle-aged woman standing next to him exclaimed. “Are there still families like that today? And you’ve learned only the traditional characters?”

“No wonder your calligraphy is so beautiful.”

“It’s just that without a formal education, how will you make a living? You know, nowadays, it’s all about certificates.”

“What’s the issue? With his talent for calligraphy and his extensive knowledge, he will find a way to make a living. There are many ways to make money in this era….”

Although they discussed with each other the various ways for people without formal education to survive in this world, surprisingly, no one asked Su Jingmo any more questions. Su Jingmo, for his part, was happy to chat informally with Zhang Buqing at his side.

“Is Xiansheng from Beijing?”

“Although I currently live in Beijing, my ancestral home is in Anhui.”

‘ Anhui…. according to the current map, it should be around what was once Jiangzhou. ‘

“Anhui is a good place, known for producing talented individuals. From his experience, Xiansheng should be from a family of Scholars and his ancestors probably held Official positions.”

“Hahahaha that’s true. In modern society, most people don’t attach much importance to their family genealogy anymore. However, my Zhang family in Anhui still values it highly, and has preserved our genealogy for almost a thousand years. In fact, several members of my Zhang family have served as Officials in the Imperial Court of various Dynasties.”

“A thousand years?” Su Jingmo smiled and lowered his gaze. “It just so happens that a member of my family is an archaeologist, and I heard him mention that more than a thousand years ago, in the Jiangzhou area…. oh, I mean Anhui; there was a Zhang family member who became an Imperial Academician from the Hanlin Academy ⁵ . His given name was Jing, courtesy name Xinmiao.”

“Zhang Jing….” Zhang Buqing paused. “I don’t remember this name. Ah, however, my Zhang family has a legend. It’s said that there was once a high-ranking Official Academician from a secondary branch of the Zhang family, but after he fell out in disgrace due to his political alliances, that secondary branch was exterminated. Then again, it’s just a legend, so it’s probably not true.”

“Not true? Why are you so sure?”

“Hey, young man, if you look back over a thousand years of history, which Dynasty had a Hanlin Academician named Zhang Jing? What else could that legend of my family be if not false?” Zhang Buqing sighed. “There is no Hanlin Academician named Zhang Jing in this world.”

Su Jingmo looked at Zhang Buqing beside him and didn’t continue the conversation around that topic.

In the time that followed, Su Jingmo exchanged his calligraphy expertise with the other seniors for the rest of the day. When he received a call from Qin Cheng, Su Jingmo realized that it was already dark outside. After declining Zhang Buqing’s dinner invitation, Su Jingmo returned home.

Before Su Jingmo could even take the key out of his coat pocket, Qin Cheng opened the front door. After guiding him inside the house, and Su Jingmo changed his shoes, Qin Cheng held his cold hands, warming them with his own.

“I knew it was you when I heard footsteps outside the door. Why did you come back so late today?”

With the warm yellow light on, Qin Cheng’s appearance in front of him appeared incredibly gentle. The house had the heating on, and from the kitchen, the sound of boiling soup could be heard, emanating the aroma of a pork chop soup.

Looking at Qin Cheng, who was still holding his cold hands while softly exhaling on them to warm them up, Su Jingmo’s peach blossom eyes curved into a smile as his heartbeat accelerated: “Today I ran into an old friend whom I haven’t seen in years.”

After saying this, Su Jingmo witnessed the puzzled and perplexed expression on Qin Cheng’s face, which made his heart feel even more delighted.

“I met an old man today, and the moment I saw him, I felt familiar with him. After observing him more closely, I was certain that he was the reincarnation of my old friend Zhang Jing from thousands of years ago. In the same way I was sure that Qu Zhiwen was Su Jingyan.” Su Jingmo leaned over to kiss the corner of Qin Cheng’s lips and smiled: “Maybe because I’ve been a ghost for so long, that even after coming back to life, I can still vaguely sense a connection with the soul.”

“Then he…..”

“He, naturally, didn’t recognize me. It’s just that I never expected to be able to see him again.” Leaning onto Qin Cheng’s chest, Su Jingmo murmured: “Qin Cheng, it’s really as you said. Even if the Xu Dynasty disappears, what must exist will still exist…..”

Qin Cheng nodded and hugged the man, bringing him into his arms.

Over the next few days, Su Jingmo and Zhang Buqing became good friends. Whenever either had free time, they made plans to meet, talking about calligraphy and ancient texts.

Even when Zhang Buqing found it somewhat strange due to the great age difference between them, when they chatted, he didn’t feel any sense of estrangement. In fact, most of Su Jingmo’s words were more profound than those of Zhang Buqing, who had experienced much more in life, so Zhang Buqing had the feeling that he was talking to an old man.

As time passed, the day when Zhang Buqing would have to return to Beijing crept closer. On that day, Su Jingmo accompanied Zhang Buqing to see him off.

“I work at a Literary Research Institute affiliated with the National Federation of Literature and Arts. The Institute highly values talents like you, are you really not willing to go there with me?”

Su Jingmo shook his head.

“Is it because of your girlfriend?”

Handing Zhang Buqing’s luggage to him, Su Jingmo thought for a moment before replying: “Partner.”

“You are so young and talented, your future….”

“In this world, he is the only one that matters to me.”

Since Su Jingmo spoke firmly, Zhang Buqing didn’t continue to insist, he could only let out a slight sigh.

Su Jingmo smiled and gave a nod: “You should go now. It’s almost time.”

As he watched his gray-haired old friend walk away, Su Jingmo realized just how quickly the time had passed. As he didn’t know if he would ever meet Zhang Buqing again after this farewell, out of a sudden impulse, Su Jingmo shouted: “Zhang Jing!”

The old man instantly turned around.

“Life is short, so be sure to enjoy it as the years go by.”

“That’s for sure.”

“Until we meet again.”

“Until we meet again.”

Zhang Buqing saw Su Jingmo turn and walk away after saying those words. At that moment, Zhang Buqing seemed to catch a glimpse of the young man dressed in brocade robes with a tasseled crown on his head.

By the time Zhang Buqing came back to his senses, the young man had already disappeared into the crowd.

‘ Just now, did he call me Zhang Jing? ’

With that thought in mind, a few tears rolled down his aged face.

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Footnotes

<ol><b>八仙</b> <b>bā xiān</b> ; The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary figures in Chinese mythology and folklore, known for their wisdom, benevolence, unique personalities, magical abilities, along with their various adventures. <b>三公</b> <b>sān gōng</b> ; The Three Excellencies were high-ranking Government positions in ancient China. These positions were typically held by prominent Officials who assisted the Emperor in governing the country, such as: Grand Marshal ( <b>太尉</b> <b>tài wèi</b> ): Responsible for military affairs and national defense. Grand Minister of State ( <b>太傅</b> <b>tài fù</b> ): In charge of educating the heir to the throne and advising the Emperor on state matters. Grand Commandant ( <b>太保</b> <b>tài bǎo</b> ): Oversaw matters related to civil administration and state ceremonies. <b>先生</b> <b>xiān sheng</b> ; The term “Xiansheng” has been around for a long time. However, in various periods in history, the term “Xiansheng” was addressed to different targets. For example: For teachers as an honorific for intellectuals and adults of certain status; To call someone else’s husband or to call one’s own husband; Another name used to refer to Doctors. If translated literally, it means a person who was born earlier and is older than oneself. <b>步清</b> <b>bù qīng</b> ; Bu ( <b>步</b> <b>bù</b> ) = <b>百步九折</b> <b>bǎi bù jiǔ zhé</b> . Qing ( <b>qīng</b> ) = <b>清气乾坤</b> <b>qīng qì qián kūn</b> . <b>朝翰林院院士</b> <b>cháo hàn lín yuàn yuàn shì</b> ; The Hanlin Academy was a prestigious institution in ancient China where Scholars were trained in classical literature and Confucianism. An Academician ( <b>院士</b> <b>yuàn shì</b> )  was a highly respected title given to Scholars, who had achieved a significant level of expertise. They were often appointed as advisors to the Emperor on matters related to literature and classical texts, holding prestigious positions in the Imperial Court.</ol>