Around noon they arrived in Li Yang and straightway tried to find a restaurant for some refreshments. Out of the blue somebody who looked like a restaurant worker came approaching. “Are you two gentlemen Mr. Guo and Mr. Yang?” he bowed and asked, smiling widely. “The table is ready, please come with me to dine.”
Guo Jing and Yang Kang were baffled. “How did you know us?” Yang Kang asked.
“Earlier a guest arrived and asked us to prepare a meal for you. I was even given a detailed description on how Mr. Guo and Mr. Yang look,” he said, still with a smile on his face. He then took over the horses’ reins and led them to the stable.
Yang Kang snorted and cynically said, “The Cloud Village Master Lu is so kind.” They entered the restaurant and sat down. Turned out the food was exquisite, the wine was superb. Guo Jing even found some chicken that he liked very much. They ate to their hearts’ content and were about to pay the bill; but the restaurant worker simply smiled and said, “No need to pay gentlemen, everything has been taken care of.” Yang Kang laughed and tipped him generously. He thanked them profusely and walked them out the restaurant, bowing and smiling all the time.
Guo Jing praised the Village Master Lu’s generosity. Yang Kang however, still bore a grudge because he was captured and held prisoner. “I assume he uses this trick to befriend the Jianghu people; no wonder he can be the leader of the Lake Tai area,” he said.
“Isn’t Village Master Lu your martial uncle?” Guo Jing wondered.
“It’s true that Mei Chaofeng had taught me some martial arts,” Yang Kang answered. “But that doesn’t necessarily make her my master. If I had known they came from a heretical sect, I would not want to learn anything and I wouldn’t have to fall into this situation right now.”
“How so?” Guo Jing was confused.
Yang Kang realized he had made an indiscreet remark. He blushed and said with a smile, “Little Brother feels the ‘nine yin white bone claw’ and her other martial arts are unorthodox.”
Guo Jing concurred. “What my xiandie said was correct. Your master, Priest Eternal Spring’s martial art is exquisite, and he came from the orthodox Taoist school. If you tell him the truth and repent, I am sure he would be willing to forget past matters.” Yang Kang silently agreed.
That evening they arrived at Jin Tan. Again, another restaurant worker welcomed them and led them to a table full of choice foods and wine. This happened for the next three days. The next day the two crossed a river and arrived at Gao You and received the same welcome. Yang Kang sneered and said, “I want to see how far the Cloud Village will extend their hospitality.” However, Guo Jing was started to get suspicious; every time they eat, he would find one or two bowls of his favorite food. If it were Lu Guanying, how would he know what Guo Jing liked?
After they finished eating Guo Jing proposed, “My xiandie, let me walk ahead and investigate.” Mounting his red horse he hastily rode ahead, passing three scheduled stops and soon arrived at Bao Ying. Sure enough, nobody welcomed him there. So Guo Jing found the biggest inn in town and checked in at the best room. That evening he heard a horse with loud ringing bells galloping near, and stopped right in front of the inn. Somebody entered and ordered some foods scheduled for tomorrow, for Mr. Guo and Mr. Yang.
Guo Jing had guessed earlier it must be Huang Rong, but hearing her voice he was overjoyed nonetheless. He restrained himself from coming out to see her. He thought Huang Rong liked to play around, so he would surprise her later that evening. He slept soundly until about the second hour [I am not sure the corresponding time in our 24 hours system], quietly got up and went tiptoeing to scare Huang Rong in her room. But he saw a shadow flashing on the roof; it was Huang Rong. “Where is she going in the middle of the night?” Guo Jing wondered.
Quickly he used his lightness kungfu and followed behind. Huang Rong ran without looking around to the outskirt of town; oblivious that somebody was following her. She stopped at the bank of a small creek and sat underneath a willow tree. She took something out of her pocket and stooping down to play with it.
The moonlight shone on her beautiful face, a cool breeze swayed the willow branches. Huang Rong’s clothes gently fluttered. The creek whispered softly and the insect chirped quietly. It was a beautiful scene to behold. Guo Jing was about to come near when suddenly he heard Huang Rong quietly said, “This is Brother Jing, this one is Rong’er. You two sit down nicely face-to-face. Yes, like this …”
Guo Jing tiptoed behind her. He could not see clearly under the dim moonlight, but he saw in front of her were two clay figurines, one resembled a man, the other a woman. These figurines were made by the famous Wu Xi; they were round and fat, really cute. During their stay at the Cloud Village Guo Jing had learned from Huang Rong that although mere toys, Wu Xi’s products were the result of a very high quality craftsmanship. The locals called them ‘da a fu’ [big lucky]. Huang Rong owned several such figurines at the Peach Blossom Island.
Guo Jing came nearer and saw in front of the figurines there were tiny clay bowls filled with flower petals, leaves, and so on. He heard her saying softly, “Brother Jing can eat this bowl, Rong’er will have this one. Rong’er cooked them herself. Aren’t they delicious?”
“Delicious, very delicious!” Guo Jing stepped out and said.
Huang Rong was startled. She turned her head and smiled sweetly; rushed toward Guo Jing’s bosom and hugged him tightly. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder underneath the willow tree busily talking about what had happened during their few days of separation, which felt like years to them. Actually it was Huang Rong who busily talked, Guo Jing was content by simply looking at her face and listening to her chatter.
Huang Rong told him how that night after her father threatened Guo Jing’s life she had jumped into the lake. After hiding for some time she figured out her father must have left, so she came back to the village. She saw Guo Jing was safe and sound, so she was greatly comforted; but recalling how she had been too harsh to her father she felt really bad. The next morning she saw Guo Jing and Yang Kang heading north to Beijing, thereupon she preceded them and arranged for meals along the way.
They talked all through the night under the warm sixth month’s weather. The weather was pleasant and Huang Rong’s heart was happy; after a while she became sleepy, her speech became fuzzy and not too long afterward felt asleep on Guo Jing’s bosom; her jade-white skin felt cool and her breath blowing softly. Guo Jing was afraid he might awaken her, so he sat motionless against the willow tree and after a while he dozed off.